Dog Collars

I choose collars based on their style or function. However, more often than not, I am most interested in a collar's function as it relates to a given task. Here are some of the collars I use, along with information on when I use them.

Dog Leashes

A leash is a personal preference that boils down to finding the right combination of material, length, and style for the given situation. Here are some of my favorite leashes and why I use them.

Leash Walking

Leash Walking is the perfect exercise to establish your relationship with your dog. A pleasant walk around the neighborhood on a sunny day is an enjoyable experience for you and your dog and helps reinforce your leadership role in your dog's life.

Behavior Modification

We never undertake dog training without the intent to modify our dogs’ behaviors, so all dog training is behavior modification. Dog training provides us the means to thoughtfully influence our dogs’ behaviors. We use dog training to help our dogs’ fill the roles we have created for them in our lives.

Leash Reactivity

An on-leash walk should be an enjoyable experience, but many dogs and owners struggle with this. The sight, scent or sound of other people, animals, vehicles, etc. can trigger explosive reactions of barking and lunging. Let's discuss how to eliminate the chaos and reclaim a peaceful on-leash walk.

Jumping

A dog jumping on a person to express its excitement may seem harmless, but there are number of factors which make it a risky situation. A dog that jumps on people could cause serious injury to themselves or others. It is important to take jumping seriously and establish appropriate boundaries to keep our dogs and everyone around them safe.

Resource Guarding

Dogs that are overly protective of people, toys, food, or space can be dangerous. These dogs believe it is their responsibility to protect the person or object they have claimed and will fight tooth and nail to do so. It is our responsibility to establish appropriate boundaries for them to ensure the safety of our dogs and the people, pets, and other animals around them.

Excessive Barking/Whining

Dogs will naturally communicate using their voices, so the emphasis here is on excessive. Dogs that meet my criteria for excessive include dogs that whine excessively in anticipation of food, dogs that whine or bark excessively while being kenneled, or dogs that whine or bark uncontrollably when the doorbell rings.

Destructive Behaviors

Digging up the yard, chewing through walls or furniture, eating clothes or inappropriate household items are all examples of destructive behaviors. These destructive behaviors could end up costing you a fortune to replace damaged property or to pay expensive veterinary bills. These destructive behaviors could even end up costing your dog its life! It is important to take these destructive behaviors seriously.

Separation Anxiety

Dogs with separation anxiety have a hard time being away from their families. These dogs are often in a panicked state of mind and will act out on their anxiety in a variety of ways, including barking, whining, chewing and other destructive behaviors. An anxious dog in a panicked state of mind is a danger to itself and others. It is in the best interest of our dogs' health and safety and overall quality of life to address separation anxiety in a comprehensive manner.

Housebreaking

Housebreaking is one of the most important concepts we want our dogs to understand. A dog that does not understand where it is appropriate to eliminate can quickly become a frustration within the family and could possibly end up being given up to a shelter or rescue. It is important we give our dogs the appropriate training to give them the best possible chance to fit seamlessly into our lives.

Puppy Training

I realized my website could use some discussion on puppies, so I thought it might be nice to put together a quick write-up of my training philosophy when it comes to puppy training. In contrast to my highly disciplined philosophy and approach to dog training, when it comes to training puppies I find my favorite approach is to just have fun.

Rescue Dogs

There are great rescue dogs out there, but let’s face it, a lot of them have a laundry list of issues. These dogs ended up at a rescue for one reason or another and the chances we’ll find a perfect dog amongst them are slim to none. Some have fewer issues than others, but all will require work and commitment on our part to successfully integrate into our lifestyles. And honestly, why wouldn’t they? They have no idea of our expectations for their behavior.