A lot of people take the precautions of keeping their new dog in a mistake free environment inside their house when left unattended until the dog can be trusted to have more freedom, but often neglect to take the same precautions when leaving their dog alone outside. Outdoor management, prevention and training is just as […]
Lumos, Martina’s Border Collie puppy, turned 10 weeks old and I have finally some time to begin writing a blog about him and thoughts I have while we raise him. These thoughts in this post are on socialization. I think it’s really important to consider HOW puppy socialization takes place, and remember to vary it. […]
By Emily Larlham The trick ‘Sit Pretty’ is one of my favorite exercises to teach dogs. It is not only an adorable trick, but it has many benefits that make it a must to train. Teaching ‘Sit Pretty’ increases your dog’s balance and body awareness. It also builds your dogs core muscles which protect the […]
Reinforcing your dog for doing nothing is a technique I learned from my most amazing mentor, Kyle Rayon. The idea is, when you see your dog doing absolutely NOTHING, that is the moment you want to reinforce him with attention and treats. For example: Your dog is standing calmly at your side on a loose […]
By Emily Larlham Generalizing simply means, teaching your dog that when you ask him to perform a behavior, it means the same thing regardless of the scenario or environment you are in. Dogs do not generalize as well as us humans do, so it can make it very difficult for us to understand what they […]
By Emily Larlham Your puppy is going to chew, so take preventive measures. Wipe Wintergreen Oil on surfaces that you don’t want your puppy to chew on. For example, wood skirting boards, chair legs, table legs, and wires. Do this weekly. Wintergreen oil is an essential oil sold at places like Whole Foods that has […]
By Emily Larlham Handling is a great way to communicate with your dog that most people overlook. It is also a great way to build calmness and trust in your dog. The benefits are endless. When your dog is comfortable with handling, touching your dog causes the release of the calming hormone, oxytocin, in your […]
by Emily Larlham I see this happen so many times to so many dogs. A person will ask a dog to sit, give the dog a treat, and then walk away or start chatting with someone. Then the dog sits there looking as though he is thinking “Now what am I supposed to do?”. The […]
By Emily Larlham 1 Leave your dog alone while you are home This teaches the dog to enjoy being alone while it is not associated only with you leaving the house. You can use baby gates and pens to keep your dog in one part of the house while you are in another. You can […]
By Emily Larlham While searching the internet one day for “dog training tips” to see what the average person finds when browsing the internet for training help, I came across a tip that many people believe, yet I find detrimental to training. The commonly believed tip is that you should train your dog one behavior […]
By Emily Larlham (Note: This article is a work in progress- the more I research, the more I will add to this work.) People who live with dogs for companionship and friendship all want what is physically and psychologically best for their dog. We get dogs as companions in order to experience friendship, trust and […]
Often in a dog training class when I see a client who’s dog isn’t interested in working for food, I think to myself, “Is this dog overweight, ill, fearful, or does this dog have free access to the food bowl?” Usually I am pretty good at guessing whose dog in a class has their food […]
By Emily Larlham You can teach your puppy to walk off leash safely by using a long line attached to the harness your puppy is wearing. Make sure you never attach the line to your puppy’s collar, as you can seriously damage his neck if he were to run and hit the end of the […]
by Emily Larlham ‘Think of your dog’s repertoire of behaviors as keys on a piano. To create variety you will need to play songs of different length, tempo, and tune. Never play the same song repetitively. Never play all the notes just because they are there!’ In my opinion, the biggest key to success in […]
By Emily Larlham I learned this method from my mentor Kyle Rayon. I find it to be the most effective technique for teaching your puppy to greet other dogs calmly and appropriately on leash. First you will need to teach your puppy a cue meaning “move with me”. I like to use the phrase “Let’s […]
By Emily Larlham Train each type of treat delivery as a behavior unto itself, before adding them into training sessions. For example: To throw a treat at a dog’s face for him to catch when he is not expecting it can be very punishing and distract from the training task, even if the dog does […]
