As the guardian of a shy dog myself, I understand how difficult it can be navigating the world with a dog who is not the stereotypical “I love everyone!’ type of dog. When working with shy dogs it is important to validate their fears and anxieties, help them build confidence, and give them the power...

It is not uncommon for some dogs to be shy or fearful when meeting new people. This could be due to a lack of proper socialization, being in a new or unfamiliar environment, or other situations that bring upon feelings of stress and anxiety. As a professional dog trainer, one of my go-to ways for...

Positive reinforcement training is a science-based dog training approach that focuses on rewarding desirable behaviors to encourage their repetition. If you are unfamiliar with positive reinforcement training, you can learn more here ! In this blog post, we will explore a fundamental aspect of this training methodology: the distinction between primary and secondary reinforcers. While...

As a pet parent, you have likely heard the ongoing debate between on and off-leash dogs in certain areas. A tool that helps ease that debate is a long lead! A long lead is a tool in dog training that just about anyone can get behind. As a positive reinforcement dog trainer, I think every...

As dog parents, we all want our dogs to live happy, healthy lives. This can mean regular visits to the vet and groomer. However, our dogs don’t understand that we are just trying to take care of them, and often these visits can be very stressful for them. One way to help ease this stress...

You may have heard of co-regulation in terms of a relationship between a parent and child, but what about how co-regulation can affect our relationship with our dogs? Building a strong bond with your dog goes beyond teaching cues and tricks; creating a harmonious relationship based on trust and understanding can go a long way...

One of the most common behavioral problems dog parents face is how to address barking. While barking is a natural behavior for dogs and it would be unreasonable to expect them to never bark, there are training methods that can be helpful to manage and reduce barking. One of them is the Thank You Protocol,...

As a professional dog trainer, I have helped many pet parents overcome problem behaviors with their dogs and have taught them how to have a better relationship with their pups. While all training plans and journeys are unique, this article will outline 3 things you can start doing today that will help you reach your...

As a professional dog trainer and fellow pup parent, I understand that addressing and understanding your dog’s “problem behaviors” can be a challenging journey for many pup parents. Rather than resorting to punishment or aversive training tactics, in this blog post, I will help you better understand these behaviors and learn how to redirect and...

Teaching a dog to ‘Drop It’ is a skill that can be used in a variety of scenarios. Whether you are using it while you have a fun game of fetch or asking your dog to drop a potentially dangerous object - this article will go over the ins and outs of how to get...