Dogs chase things because they love it. It’s a self reinforcing habit, which means that the more they do it the more they want to do it. Your dog doesn’t need a reward to learn to chase things like he would in order to learn a command like ‘Sit’ or ‘Stay’. Chasing is what is […]
One of the biggest concerns new dog owners have about their new puppy is how to house train her effectively and quickly. There are several approaches you can take to house training a puppy and I will describe here the method I’ve used successfully for years. Keep in mind that your young dog has very […]
When I talk to dog owners about how good their dogs are at coming when they are called I nearly always get the answer that the dog is trained to come when she’s called and is very good at the recall, except when something distracts her. To me that says that the dog is not […]
Daily life can be very boring for the average companion dog. After all, most dogs were bred to perform a useful function and these days the majority of them are expected to be happy to do very little except when we find time to take them out or give them our attention. In the wild, […]
The reason so many dogs pull on their leads and drag their long-suffering owners along the street is because those owners have inadvertently taught their dogs that pulling is the way to move forward. Think about what happens when a dog reaches the end of its lead. The owner pulls back, the dog braces […]
Have your dog on a lead and in the Sit position beside you. As your trained dog should do what you ask him to do until you tell him to do something else, you don’t actually need to use the word ‘Stay’ but many people find it difficult to resist! So, once your dog obeys […]
A friend visited earlier today who has a healthy scepticism about some dog training methods. In my house there are three dogs, two of which are very comfortable with visitors and one newer addition who is nervous of men and generally panic barks when people arrive. Not surprisingly, he now sets off the other two, […]
Teaching your dog to retrieve objects is a really great exercise, with many possibilities for your imagination. It will strengthen the bond between you as your dog learns to enjoy the tasks you give him, it is a game that is under your control so helps to confirm your leadership over him, it offers him […]
Why do dogs chew and why do they always seem to choose your best shoes, sunglasses or gloves? It could be that your young dog is teething, or using his teeth to explore his surroundings. He may be bored, hungry or plain greedy and it could have just become a habit. Your dog will prefer […]
With your dog facing you, stand still and give the command ‘Sit’. Have a treat or favourite toy in your hand and after a second, move it towards and slightly above his head and over towards his back, so he’s forced to look up at it. His bottom should automatically descend to the floor. Congratulate […]