When a puppy reaches 6 months, and again, 9 months, they have major changes in how they behave. Many people have the ‘perfect puppy until it reaches one of these developmental stages, then ‘all hell breaks loose.’ The problem is that the puppy is now taking all the freedom, play, and excitement you’ve allowed it to have and using it to build survival skills: hunting, fighting, running, foraging, etc..  One of the most overlooked, and…   Continue

There are many ‘world class’ agility training centers in London Ontario. We have seen many local dogs go to the Nationals. There are local judges and coaches. Not to forget mentioning MAC , Details, and Oxford. This has given us an excellent opportunity to train our dogs well. We also have skilled physiotherapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors in the area to help us keep our dogs in peak condition. But there is more to raising a…   Continue

The dog world has been offering proof that the alpha dog theory is a myth, and that doing alpha rolls and forceful, dominant corrections are nothing more than bullying the dog. The first proof came when people realized that 70-80% of all dogs on earth live wild. So, instead of putting dogs and wolves in confinement and trying to study ‘natural’ behavior, researchers go in the wild to see what real canine behavior looks like….   Continue

Stop Puppy Biting You have the most wonderful puppy.  It is full of bounce and play, but will cuddle. It is also smart. You can teach it tricks in a few minutes. And it looks at you with loyal, loving eyes. But it doesn’t understand that it shouldn’t bite. Bite Inhibition The problem is that your puppy didn’t come from a kennel where the adults were allowed to teach the puppy bite inhibition at 6…   Continue

There is a lot of jargon in the dog training world. Many of them are no more than catch phrases used to attract followers to a single, specific training method. Like any behavior theory, it will work on some dogs, but not others. Before giving up and thinking that your puppy is bad, or out of control, take a few minutes to learn two things that most trainers won’t talk about, and will try to…   Continue

Download the Puppy Primer Stop Puppies From Biting – Click Here This is the latest paper in our Puppy Primer Series. Biting is a bit problem for puppies. There are so many conflicting ideas that no one knows where to start. The one fact that you can hold as ‘truth’ is… If you want a calm dog then raise a calm puppy Give your puppy plenty of things to do. Teach your puppy to be…   Continue

Puppy Primer Sometimes the simplest tasks are the hardest. While it is true that many breeders work hard to have  puppies house broken from the whelping box,  it doesn’t always work. Some puppy’s bladders do not develop until they are older. Other puppies are over stimulated, too busy, and too distracted. Then there is the puppy who takes so long to potty that you are late for work. Sometimes a puppy’s schedule doesn’t fit into…   Continue

Isn’t that a great picture of a Christmas puppy? What an amazing Christmas Fantasy. There is nothing more magical then receiving a puppy at Christmas time. Opening that box and realizing there is something moving inside. Those first happy puppy kisses. The look of joy on your loved ones face. A puppy can make the day ‘extra special.’ Until about 2am boxing day, and then things start going wrong. I won’t bore you with all…   Continue

[quote] [quote_content] …Thorough obedience training does more than assure a dog’s response to his master’s command; capacities for learning and emotional stability could be increased and integrated as permanent qualities of character. [/quote_content] [quote_signature name=”Name”]William Koehler, 1962[/quote_signature] [/quote] Some people are surprised to learn that I do embrace some of the older obedience styles and masters, like Koehler. What they don’t take into consideration is that these people were not ’10 minute a day trainers.’…   Continue

MYTH – Puppy training should start at 8 weeks. Puppy training is not important. You can train a dog at any time in its life. Puppy ‘behavior and manner’ building is important. The first stage can only be done until 13 weeks. The second phase can only be done until 4.5 months. After that your puppy’s behavior (hyper or calm, aggressive or friendly, reliable or disobedient, indifferent or obedient) are set – forever In puppy…   Continue