Teaching a puppy to listen in public takes time. It also takes training, patience, and reinforcement. Rogan is slated to be a service dog when he grows up. If you’ve ever seen a service dog working with his parter, you may have remarked “He’s so calm!” Or “”Nothing fazes him.” That’s because from puppyhood, that […]
Puppy Training: Walter’s Ready for His Family
Puppy training can be fun. Puppy training can also be exasperating! When you think about it, there’s an awful lot to teach a puppy. And if you’re going to do it right, you need to pack a lot into 8 short weeks. Why 8 weeks? Assuming you get your pup when he’s 8 weeks, you have […]
Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking? – Guest Post
Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking? Guest Post by Hannah Branigan of WonderPups Training. It’s our lucky day, folks. One of my very good friends, Hannah, has written a piece for Smart Dog U’s blog. Hannah’s a self-professed dog nerd, a brilliant trainer, and a wickedly funny person. If you haven’t […]
Settle on a Mat: Making It Useful Everyday
Settle on a Mat: Making It Useful Everyday Teaching your dog to settle on a mat is super useful. When your dog settles on a mat, he lies down on that mat, wherever it is, and pretty much chills out. In last month’s newsletter, I introduced the concept of settle and gave you everything you needed […]
Training for a Race is EXACTLY Like Training Your Dog
I’ve been running all spring and summer to get ready for a race: Across the Bay 10K. It’s this weekend! All my training is ready to be tested on Sunday when I run 6.2 miles across the Chesapeake Bay. At the highest point, I’ll be almost 200 feet above the water. I’ve run this race before […]
Help Your Dog Through Scary Veterinary Visits
Does your dog think veterinary visits are scary? If you wish you could make those necessary visits a little easier on your dog, you’re in the right place. Schooner the Great Dane is 165 pounds of muscle. He’s a big boy and — even if I could — I’m not going to make this guy do […]
Two Dog People Get on an Airport Shuttle…
I was on a rental car shuttle bus, just making my way back home from a working weekend. The shuttle driver throws out a question to the two women on the shuttle (of which I am one). “So who is the dog show judge?” I don’t say a word. I’m wondering how he knows I’m into […]
Shut Up and Train
Shut Up and Train As I creep closer to my next Big Birthday, I’ve come to realize that just cutting a few calories and walking the dog isn’t going to do what I need (which is to reduce the jiggly bits). I reluctantly, recalcitrantly, grudgingly, and unenthusiastically started running. I’ve been running a little over two […]
The Trouble with an Untrained Dog
I have an untrained dog. This untrained dog is temporary, thankfully. We are her way-station for six days as she makes her way southward to her permanent home. She knows nothing except her name. I mean nothing. This is foreign territory for me. And because of this experience, I know that I will always train my […]
Dog Training Problem Solving: My Dog Won’t Listen if I Don’t Have Food (or the Clicker)
I hear it all the time: “My dog won’t listen if I don’t have food!” One of the first things I teach students in my Smart Dog University group dog training classes is to get the food out of their hands. I don’t want any of my students leaving as Smart Dog U class uttering […]
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