Self Help

Foundation

New Dog at home - Where do I start?

Whether you have a new puppy or a new adult dog, you now have a new family member and you must learn to communicate with each other. The dog won’t start acting like a human so it’s on us, not to treat him as one. As dog owners we must be true to our dogs species. As such we need to make sure that our new puppy receives all it truly needs, such as mental stimulation, physical stimulation and clear communication.

Any new dog that comes into your life should pretty much be treated as if it was a puppy, no matter its age. Establish the rules you want in your household and simply be consistent in fulfilling them every time. Be fair to the dog and thrive to become

How to potty-train your puppy

How do you teach your puppy to go do his business outside of your house? It can be detrimental to the relationship between you and your puppy if he keeps having accidents inside the house. Don’t think that your dog is doing it out of spite, it is usually just a case of bad communication. We need to show our dog what’s expected of him in his new home. Don’t believe the old myths of pushing your dogs face into its pee or poo to make it not want to soil your house anymore as this will not work and also damage your relationship between you and your dog.

And if you want to teach your dog to potty outside, please DO NOT use “puppy training pads”. Read this article that outlines our protocol for potty training and let us know if you need any more help.

Having problems with teaching your pupp to potty outside? This will help you.

Is your dog going crazy when LEFT alone?

It can happen to any dog, though some are more prone to it than others, and it has been happening a lot more lately due to many people having spent prolonged periods of time at home with their dogs, with no separation. Find out what to do if your dog is barking non stop, soiling your house or destroying furniture when left alone.

It is a lenghty progress that requires a solid plan to combat separation anxiety, but we hope that with this guide we will help you create that plan. If you would like to have more assistance with your particular case, please contact us.

Click here to read our guide to separation anxiety in dogs.

Check out some more of our articles.

Recall Pancakes

While Gerry and I attended Starmark Academy for professional dog trainers, we managed to get a perfect recall, where our dogs were being called off

Socialization

Truths and Myths What it IS: EXPOSURE TO NEW, POSITIVE STIMULI What is NOT: taking your dog to the dog park to make new doggie

Muzzling Your Dog

My dog Rico was the sweetest, craziest dog, but he was very leash reactive. The first time I ever felt comfortable enough to take him

Canine Body Language and it’s Importance

There are 4 MILLION DOG BITES reported each year in the US. How can we prevent this? Most of these reports state that the bites

My Dog is Aggressive – what now?

Reactivity & Aggression Stop confusing Reactivity with Aggression!!! Aggression is a very complex topic, which can create a lot of debatearound it. There is very

Which Dog Breed Should I get?

Which Dog BReed best fits my lifestyle? Adding a dog to your family is a great choice for most people. Taking this decision lightly however,

basic Obedience

The foundational skills of basic obedience are one of the most important tools in your toolbox. Learn to communicate with your dog by teaching him basic behaviors such as loose leash walking, sit, down, stay and place to lay a solid foundation that you can build upon with more advanced exercises.

Brain games

Clicker Dog Tricks

Apart from the obvious of food, shelter and access to the outside, a happy dog also needs mental stimulation. In this section you can learn the basics of clicker conditioning. Dogs learn in pictures and using a clicker as a marker allows us to “take a picture” of the desired outcome and showing our dog what we want. Imagine the clicker as the shutter release button in your camera, which you click every time you want to tell your dog “that’s it buddy, that’s what I want”. We will introduce the clicker through several short videos on easy clicker tricks that you can do at home to keep your dog busy and improve your communication.