Barking

Is There A Cure For The Reactive/Aggressive Dog?

Yes, but first let me share with you how I almost peed my pants. I’ll admit it. I was nervous. Even after all the years I have been in the business, working K9 security, as an animal control officer, with shelter dogs; when I see a 125 lbs American Bulldog come after me full force, barking and showing every intention of me leaving on a stretcher, I still feel the butterflies. A few weeks ago I met Quincy, the dog I just described above. He is five years old and his owners told me has dog aggression, scary stranger introductions,… Read the rest

Cure For The Reactive Dog

Years ago I worked as a private investigator for a large security firm out of Boston. My job was to work at different businesses undercover to root out any theft or illegal activities. The job required socializing with employees to find out who was stealing or dealing drugs. One night I was at a house hanging out drinking beers with a group from work when one of the guys got up, walked to the door and locked it. He made it clear no one was leaving. Being in this situation helped me understand reactive behavior in dogs. You see, reactive… Read the rest

How To Control Barking

Interesting observation from Karen S. Karen is a Dog Training Inner Circle member and her 3 year old Springer loves to bark as dogs go by the yard. Karen invested in a Citronella Spray Bark Collar and has been very pleased with the results. Here is what she wrote on the forum in the Inner Circle: “I’ve been using the collar on Max for a week. I am so pleased with the results. He does bark without the collar and stops when I put it on him. When he goes outside he just watches as dogs go by our yard.… Read the rest

Just Say NO!

Pet photos with Santa was a lot of fun yesterday. We raised some cash for a great shelter, had some fun and I met some great dogs and people. One dog, a beautiful Black Lab, came and made his appearance known to everyone as he walked in. He barked and then charged in like Julian Edelman making a 69 yard touchdown pass. After his picture was taken I sat down with his owners. The women that owned him had done a great job training him. She had clicker trained him and he was excellent with his obedience but she thought… Read the rest

Why Mother In Laws Get Mad At Me

It’s funny how any dog in my universe is supposed to be 100% completely trained. My sister used to always have Thanksgiving dinner at her house and she would invite her husband’s parents over. My sister had two dogs at the time and they would bark and jump on people as they came in the house. My sister’s mother in law would always look at me and raise her eyebrows. She would sometimes say, “Can’t you do anything about this?” I would always politely nod my head and reply. “Yes, of course I can. I can stop jumping in three… Read the rest

The #1 Most Confusing Dog Training Question – Answered

Got a question yesterday. “Eric, everyone talks about positive reinforcement. Reward the dog for doing obedience, catch your dog doing something right. Focus on what your dog does good and try to not focus on the bad behavior. That is all good but what do I do if my dog jumps or steals food off the counter?” Great question and this often confuses people. Your training is NOT just about all about rewards. There are positive AND negative consequences. You use a positive consequence when you want your dog to do something you want – sit, down, stay, come, etc.… Read the rest
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