dog obedience class

41 Ways To Exercise Your Dog

1988. That’s the year I started working professionally with dogs in Hartford CT. Was one of the best decisions I ever made because I have been working with and training dogs ever since. During that time I have met and worked with thousands of dogs and their owners. The great thing about being a dog trainer is that you get to meet so many great people and their dogs. So many stand out, and when I think back over the years there is one dog that still brings a smile to my face when I think about him. Decker, the… Read the rest

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My Daughter Thinks I’m A Lunkhead

Little Scarlett is at an age that must be very difficult for her. She is starting to use words but we don’t always understand what she is saying. This is a typical conversation: “Daddy, I want to put on my tomato soup.” “Put on your tomato soup? Are you hungry?” “NO Daddy, I want my tomato soup!” “Okay, let me make you some tomato soup.” “NO DADDY! I WANT MY TOMATO SOUP!!!” I have no idea what she wants and she continues to get upset until my wife Rach gets home. I tell her that Scarlett wants her tomato soup… Read the rest

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I Made My Daughter Cry

So last week I was responsible for little Scarlett crying her eyes out. Before you think I am a total creep let me make it very clear that I did not yell or punish her in any way. Here’s what happened: At just two and half years old she loves to dance. So we did what any loving parents would do in this situation… Signed her up for dance classes. Rach and I went to check out some schools. The first one we walked into was great. The teachers were super friendly and we signed her up for fall classes.… Read the rest

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Does Your Dog Spite You?

Earlier this week I wrote about Donald Trump. I said he’ll never make it to election day, that he will drop from the race with some excuse about why he can’t run. The response was interesting. Some emails I received were pro-Trump and some were very anti-Trump. I made the prediction because I really don’t believe he wants the office of President. So why would he put all this time and effort into something he does not want? You have to look at his underlying reasons for doing this. You see, what he wants is…. …..publicity. In the past week… Read the rest

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I Hope Puff Diddy Doesn’t Have Dogs

So P. Diddy, or is it Puff Daddy(?) rapper Sean Combs was arrested Saturday. He was arrested for assaulting a UCLA football coach. So why would Puff Daddy assault a football coach? He saw the coach yelling at his son who plays as a defensive back for the team. Here’s what is important to understand. You see, Puff didn’t just walk into the coach’s office and started swinging. His anger was triggered by an event that dictated his response. He became highly emotional seeing his son being screamed at and decided to resolve the problem by picking up a kettlebell… Read the rest

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Here’s What To Do If You Feel Like Quitting

Ever hear of the book, “The Compound Effect?” It’s by a guy named Darren Hardy and it is a really good book that I highly recommend reading. In it he talks about his friend, Big Mo. He states: “Have you met my friend Mo, or “Big Mo” yet? You can’t see or feel Mo, but you know when you’ve got it. You can’t count on Mo showing up to every occasion, but when it does – WOW! Big Mo can catapult you into the stratosphere of success. And once you’ve got Mo on your side, there’s almost no way anyone… Read the rest

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Three Secrets That Will Improve Your Dog’s Recall (Come When Called)

The one command everyone wants their dog to do well is the recall command. As the weather gets nicer we want to be able to go places with our dogs and know that they will come back when we call. Here are four secrets that will improve your dog’s recall immediately. Avoid Unintentional Punishment – This is a biggie. I see this happen with puppies all the time. Puppy is at the beach for the first time. The owner lets puppy off leash and lets him run around for a while. It’s time to go and owner calls puppy to… Read the rest

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The Real Reason Why We Often Fail

I was reading an interesting article the other day. The article discussed learning and the problems adults have. The writer gave two great reasons why adults have a difficult time learning any new skill or accepting new information. I see it every day and I have to admit that I am sometimes guilty of what he is talking about. But I’m working on it. You see, the reason we reject new information is because: We already think we know everything there is to know about the subject or We flat out reject and disagree with the new information. I see… Read the rest

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Do You Agree With JFK’s Dog Training Advice?

Yesterday I wrote an email in regard to Victoria Stilwell’s article on “balanced trainers.” In case you missed it, you can read it on my blog. Interesting emails came in after I sent it. One email from J.S. stated: “I like reading your emails and they are very helpful but you are so defensive. Much of your writing lately has been negative and you’re always putting down other trainers.” What? Putting down other trainers? I need to back up here a second and make something very clear. She and every other trainer are entitled to write anything they want about… Read the rest

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2 Simple Tips To Improve Your Dog’s Response

Little Scarlett is very interesting to observe and play with. Yesterday we spent about an hour running around the backyard. We live next to a big pond and she loves running to the water. I called her and she avoided eye contact. I kept calling her and she kept avoiding eye contact. I’ve learned that she thinks if she dosen’t make eye contact she doesn’t have to listen to me. After scooping her up and bring her back inside I said to Rachael: “She is like a puppy. No attention, no response.” This is an excellent lesson to take into… Read the rest

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