“Is it ok to comfort my dog when he’s acting scared? Or am I reinforcing the fear?”. I hear this question often, and it is a very fair one to ask. As a professional trainer, I’m always telling my clients to reward behavior that they want to see more of. But I want to reassure you that comforting your dog when they are scared is highly unlikely to reinforce the behavior. 

Socialization is providing your puppy with positive or neutral exposure to novel stimuli in a controlled, thoughtful manner.

I love using a long line for walking my dog, Bodhi. I learned the magic of the long line first hand.

As a dog trainer, one of the most important concepts I help clients understand is their dog's "threshold."

Group classes are a great way to grow skills and bond with your dog. However, not every skill can be built in a group class and not every dog will be able to learn in a group class.

As pet guardians and caretakers, we're responsible for our companions' health and wellbeing.

Loose leash walking is an invaluable skill for dogs and their owners, but it's one that requires time and patience to develop.

"My dog just completely ignored me when I asked him to sit. What should I do?"