Dogs

Just because your dog is friendly, it doesn’t mean they will joyfully welcome your new baby. I work with a lot of people who bring home a new baby and discover their dog is very unhappy with the new addition.

From the dog’s perspective, this is a big change in their routine. There’s often a change in exercise habits, less on-demand attention and usually an invasion of their space in a very different way. These changes may last the rest of the dog’s life and, as children mature, things continue to change over several years. That’s a very big adjustment for the family dog.

Learning to walk on a leash is a critical skill. Even if you live somewhere your dog can be free, there are times they need to be leashed.  

My criteria for good leash skills are a dog who can walk without pulling and stay on one side or the other without impeding my movement. Like any training, success depends on thorough and consistent practice and clear communication.

Dogs who already pull hard.
This is a great exercise for any dog who already has a strong (pun intended!) history of reward for pulling – getting where they want to go!

When I ask people what goals they have with their puppy, most respond with a list of obedience behaviours. I tend to view puppy training as an opportunity to prevent future issues and to lay the foundation for our relationship and communication. Here are some of the things I train first when I have a new puppy.

Does your dog come when you call? Teaching your dog to come when he’s called (what we trainers call “Recall”) is an essential skill. If you’ve got a pretty good, but not perfect recall, you can improve it. The training isn’t complicated, but you do need to practice effectively to truly perfect it.