Good Dog University

02/18/2025

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Many dogs become fearful and timid because of a lack of socialization, abuse or neglect, being separated from mom too early, or some triggering situation. A dog will exhibit subtle or obvious signs if we know what to look for. Obvious signs are trembling, cowering, tail- clamping (tucking). Other le...

02/11/2025

Is your fur baby leaving you frustrated? 🐾 Discover why our dogs seemingly ignore us and learn some helpful tips to improve communication! Check it out here: https://wix.to/V50wV3h

Most dogs are not stubborn, although many owners express frustration that their dog is either stubborn or just won't listen. They can tell him to sit multiple times to no avail. There are some answers on what is going wrong.1. Training environment- you need to start out in a quiet, enclosed training...

01/15/2025

Is your dog ready for an emergency? Training them can make all the difference! Discover essential tips on emergency training for your furry friend on our blog. Read more here: https://wix.to/K9VQeNT

Emergency preparedness applies to both humans and our canine friends. Emergencies are very stressful, so if we can prepare our dogs in advance, the situation can be smoother. Here are a few things that you can do.1. Crate train your dog. If you need to evacuate, your pup will likely have to be crate...

04/07/2024

In most states it is illegal to sell puppies before 8 weeks of age. The pup needs to stay with its mom and littermates to learn important behaviors. Reputable breeders will never sell a pup before that! https://www.petplace.com/article/dogs/pet-care/adopting-puppies-before-8-weeks-what-you-should-know?fbclid=IwAR2L9pHSEvmRtk6E0zCuXnX82wl30XP12bNxGYZY0dmEi0tLw8MCyZhqmfU_aem_AaG_MeicizKgaO8SEicTAhkZsONBd1tWRGeZQohQZYpP5W29Di63ENKJmW-W7-YfoNDYLUSV9Ts9cy4dLAkFFEs7

Is it okay to consider adopting puppies before 8 weeks of age? In some states, it's actually illegal, but are there benefits? You can learn more here.

02/13/2024

Follow my weekly training blog! What does your dog need? https://wix.to/xa000lK

Dogs love us unconditionally. They have a simple set of emotions, unlike people. Understanding their needs gives us insight on training. Dogs need to feel safe. A dog that does not feel safe can be reactive or even resort to fear biting. Your dog is relying on you to make them safe. Today at the gro...

02/07/2024

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Many people may adopt an adult or senior dog rather than get a puppy. And to be sure- puppies are a lot of work! Setting boundaries or ground rules tends to be easier when you start with a clean slate. There are benefits in getting an older dog that is past that puppy stage, but you need to be prepa...

01/30/2024

Tuesday Training Byte: Getting the most out of your training
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There are several ways to improve your training time. Sometimes the small details can make a major difference. First, make sure you have a special training collar. If you normally keep a flat cloth buckle collar on your dog, switch to a fur saver slip chain collar for training sessions only. Harness...

01/17/2024

Tuesday Training Byte: Teaching the recall.
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Many people have a hard time getting their dog to have a reliable recall, but this is one of the most important, and potentially lifesaving skills a dog should know. There are a few keys to understand first. Dogs do not understand our spoken language. So we need to use body language and lures that t...

01/10/2024

Tuesday Training Byte: Getting your dog's attention.
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When most people think about training their dog or a dog training class, they usually think of teaching the usual commands like sit, heel, down, come and solving problem behaviors like jumping up. The very first step that you can start working on at home almost any time is getting your dog to make e...

01/03/2024

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As with some other behaviors, it is important for a veterinarian to rule out a physical/medical cause for the problem. If your dog is completely housebroken but still urinates when excited or when being petted yelling or disciplining the dog may make matters worse. There are usually two types of inv...

12/27/2023

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Left to their own, animals will naturally repeat anything that was pleasurable. For example, I put out some birdseed on a few fence posts so that the larger birds wouldn't crowd out the smaller birds. Once my horse discovered that tasty treat, now in the mornings as soon as he is let out of the stab...

12/20/2023

Tuesday Training Byte: Planning ahead
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Vet visits can be very stressful for dogs. We can help our pups by tailoring training to prepare for the trip. what does this entail? First, if you haven't already done so, be sure to start with getting your dog used to traveling in the car. If they are not used to that, you set them up for a fearfu...

12/13/2023

Tuesday Training Byte: Dealing with a stubborn dog? Follow my weekly blog

Dogs certainly have feelings and can sense our emotions. However, dogs lack the complex emotions of humans such as spite and stubbornness. Often I receive calls and the client describes their dog as stubborn. Dogs have been bred for generations to be companions that want to do man's bidding. Some br...

11/29/2023

Check out my blog post: Is your dog burned out?

Over the decades of having competition dogs in rally and obedience, on occasion I have had a dog decide it wants to quit. This shocked me as my dog always was eager during dog class and training sessions, but then shortly after getting in the ring, my dog lagged behind in the heel free and would slo...

11/22/2023

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Training your dog to stay frozen to the floor.

When I training the "Stay" command, I also put my dog in a down position. I start by walking a semi-circle around my dog, facing it. Once my dog is solid on that I walk in a complete circle around my dog both clockwise and counter-clockwise. I take care to be sure to not step on its tail or paw. The...

11/07/2023

Follow my weekly training blog on my website! This week is about naturally following and separation anxiety.

In the dog pack, the leader establishes the alpha role and the other dogs follow. In the wild, dogs mostly stay together, so it is natural for your pup to follow you everywhere. However, sometimes you need to leave and that causes separation anxiety. Does your dog bark frantically when you leave him...

10/18/2023

Tuesday Training Byte: Communicating expectations

There are times I may want to take my dog on a walk and just let him explore around, sniff, and wander ahead of me. Yet other times I want the dog to focus as we train. For training I use a different collar and I begin by telling my dog in a pleasant tone, "Are you ready to work?" Like a kindergarten teacher, she may bring the kids in from recess and then signal that it is now time to work. I first make sure my dog has had some "free time" or exercise in the yard before we get down to business. My dog soon learns that "work" means one on one time, lots of praise, good treats, and doing some different things. I try to do a variety of things during our short 15 minute training session, rather than just drill on the same thing like heeling in a straight line at one speed. can you say boring? I start out with something my dog already knows well, then I might introduce a new skill. I try that about 4 times and then praise my dog. Then I will ask for a good heel at a fast pace and then stop suddenly. Then I ask for the new skill again. I finish up with something fun and easy like jumping up on the pause table. I cheer my dog with praise saying "Good work!" We head back to the house for a special treat and a few more pets before returning the dog to the yard. In obedience and rally competition, I need the dog to be very focused and willing while we are in the ring completing the required course or exercises, which takes generally less than 15 minutes. My dogs quickly learn the word "work" and associate it with the particular collar and a few minutes of doing a variety of things with me. In training and requiring the focus. Just be sure to also make it clear there are times for the dog to just be a dog and sniff, run, dig, and roll around, and times to pay attention.

10/15/2023

We had a great day yesterday at Good Dog University. Congratulations to the newest graduates of the AKC STAR Puppy program. It was fun to see much much they improved over a few short weeks. We will continue on for the Canine Good Citizen titles and Trick Dog test as well. Julie & Gator with "Buddy", Corrie with "Milo", and Kaye with "Nava". So proud of all of you!