Oh Behave!

“A rose is a rose is a rose,” wrote Gertrude Stein, but the same isn’t true for dog training classes.

There are classes just for pups, adolescents, or adults; in basic and advanced manners; to improve a particular skill like coming when called or loose leash walking; for shy or fearful dogs; for leash reactive dogs; specialty classes such as tricks, freestyle, agility, rally, nose work and treibball; and more!

With so many classes to choose from, how do you make sure a group training class is the right fit for your dog? Read on for some tips and important considerations. Continue Reading

Max, Lola, Roxie, Charlie, Pancake, Izzy, Suki! . . . When it comes to dogs, what’s in a name?

As it turns out, with the right training, quite a bit.

Your dog’s name can be a lot more than just the word you use to refer to him. With the right training, your dog’s name can serve as a cue to look at you. Getting dogs to pay attention to their humans around lots of distractions is one of the most common dog guardians’ challenges. Name training is the first step to teaching your dog to attend to and focus on you no matter where you are. Name training is also a terrific building block for teaching your dog to come to you when you call him. Continue Reading

Sometimes in the midst of group training classes, I wonder if anyone’s taking in anything that I’m saying. It’s been a welcome surprise to learn that in the Teaching Love & Compassion (TLC) program – an anti-violence humane education class in which I teach kids to train shelter dogs – the kids really have been paying attention to the stuff I say in training class.

Here are a few sound training tips my TLC students have shared with reporters and one another: Continue Reading