Best Friend Dog Training

08/17/2026

Dealing With Separation Anxiety: Part One
By: Chandra Lynn Smith, Best Friend Dog Training

Schools stat this week and next week. We, humans have a variety of emotions about this. But I can guarantee you if your dog could talk they’d tell you this is one of the saddest times of year! And for some of you it brings all sorts of challenges because of your dog’s battle with separation anxiety.

In order to give this subject full coverage, I shall spread it over the next few days..

I am not sure anyone knows what causes some dogs to struggle with this while others do not. And, contrary to how the destruction may appear, your dog is not getting revenge for being left home alone. The carpet scratching, any type of destruction or soiling is an insecure panic response at being alone. While, you may not be able to completely reverse this behavior, you can make improvements.

As with any behavior problem, a well-exercised dog is always a better-adjusted dog. Your dog needs a long walk as close to daily as possible. (I know on hot days or in bitter cold this is difficult, but a good game of indoor fetch, or hide-and-seek-come helps on inclement days.) This will not solve the separation anxiety, but it lowers your dog’s nervous energy level.

Confinement will minimize the mess you must clean up when you get home. It will also prevent injury. However, it is not a cure. If your dog used a crate as a puppy, he will remember that and most likely handle it well. If he was never crated, he may urinate, defecate, or even injure himself in attempts to escape. ( I will focus on cate training dog-even those who hate them in a future column) A dog that cannot handle a crate is best confined to a small area in the house, and a room with a window he can look out may help distract him from his anxiety. Leave ‘busy’ toys around for him. Some of those Kong toys that you place treats or peanut butter in might help.

I know this is difficult, but, when you walk in the house and see the mess is not the time for punishment. Your dog knows he made the mess and shouldn’t have. Greet him calmly with hugs and cuddles first thing. I even recommend you take him outside for potty and a little play before dealing with the mess. A dog over 6 months old will not forget he/she did that mess when you go back inside to clean it up. But dogs love us without condition and we owe them the same.

When you get bac inside, walk to the mess and clean it up. He will probably watch from the other side of the room or you can make him sit beside you as you clean it up. You may tell him you are not happy using your angry but not loud voice. Yelling, hitting, venting your fury will increase his anxiety rather than improve it.

But remember your dog’s anxiety comes from being separated from you. It will take some time to address. We will look at more of this tomorrow.

07/29/2026

Good Dog/Stupid Dog

Note: for clarification purposes, in this column a ‘good dogs’ is one who obeys, a ‘stupid dog’ doesn’t. Because isn’t that how we feel about them sometimes? In reality no dog is stupid. Honest.

Daniel was a yellow Labrador. He was with us twelve years. He was a good dog—once he stopped being a ‘stupid dog.’ Yard boundaries were only suggestions and certainly didn’t apply if he had something else in mind. And, the COME command really only meant he should come when called if he had nothing better to do. Daniel would look directly at me when I called. I could almost see him hold up his paw and say “In a minute, Mom.”

Lucas was a yellow Labrador. He was with us fourteen years and also was a good dog—once he stopped being a stupid dog. He didn’t run away, or chase cars. He just didn’t come. He was the king of selective hearing. He looked directly at us when we whistled, then turned away. Honest, I think if he could have talked his excuse would have been, “But, Mom, I never heard you whistle.”

Jasper was a black Labrador. He had a liver issue which caused seizure and we only had him ten y ears. He was a good dog—once he stopped being a ‘stupid dog.’ Jasper actually was amazing with the come command. He could be at the bottom of the field and when one of us whistled he’d run full speed to us. Trouble is he wandered to the bottom of the field, into the woods, to the neighbors’ yards, whenever he wanted. I think he believed if he came when we called, wandering was acceptable.

Our black Labrador, Jake, another one who made it to fourteen was a good dog. But, he combined all of the previous three dogs’ bad traits into the epitome of a stupid dog. He wandered, played deaf, finished what he was doing, and pitched fights with any dogs that got in his way.

Penny was our pit bull mix. She lived to a ripe age of fourteen and a half. Most of the time she was a good dog, she knew her boundaries. But, she was a TERRIER. The instinct to hunt rodents was huge. And we have a lot of rabbits and squirrels around here that can turn a good dog into a stupid dog.

And, then there was Gracie, our Golden Retriever who lived to nine years old when cancer took her. She vacillated between being a good dog and a stupid dog. She saw life as a wonderful thing, was always happy and darling. She came when called, most of the time. She’s stand in the middle of the field looking at us and just wagging her tail when we called her. She didn’t run away, but she also came back on her terms. As soon as we started walking towards her, she’d jump into action and come lobbing to us, tail wagging. And it was hard to fuss at her when you saw the sheer joy of even disobedience in her eyes.

And now we have Cyndy, a one-and-a-half year old Black Labrador. She is—like all of her predecessors—a good dog when she is not being a stupid dog! Cyndy has no interest in running off. She likes to know where we are at all times, and checks in with us instead of running away. But Cyndy is all Labrador when it comes to eating things she shouldn’t. So, if she’s out in the middle of the field or at the edge of the woods by herself and finds an interesting aroma that leads to an item of any kind, she snags it and eats it immediately. She understands the “leave it” and “drop it” commands. But I’m quite sure in her mind if she is far enough away from us she should just go ahead and eat it. And she does not connect the resulting vomiting with what she ate. Ugh. Thus Cyndy is pretty much still on a long line when outside.

I bet many of you saw your dog somewhere in the description of mine! Stay tuned in a few days for more stories of dogs I have trained and also for help on boundaries and the come command. And, be sure to give your best friend a hug today!

07/03/2026

summer with dogs, part three:

Summer brings both fun and danger. This column is an overview of summer dangers. I’ll address them separately in the next few columns.

HEAT. Last week I warned about walking on hot pavement. To keep it simple today, I have one piece of advice: if you’re hot, your dog is hotter. DO NOT exercise him or her in the heat of the day.

STORMS AND FIREWORKS and, in Adams County, even cannons produce booms. Some dogs startle at said booms, while other dogs go into full-fledged panic attacks. I venture that more dogs run away during fireworks and thunderstorms than any other time. First of all, please understand your dog’s fear is real. It may not make sense to you, but to him it is real. Please DO NOT take a dog with you to fireworks. Even if a dog is unaffected by fireworks; crowds, booms, screams, and cheering can combine and create a bad situation for dog and owner. Keep your dog home in a quiet and safe place. We’ll look at this more in two weeks.

PLANTS and PESTICIDES present all manner of issues. Allergies, skin conditions, reactions to poisonous plants, and even lawn treatments can make summer less than ‘lazy days’ for some of us. Long-haired dogs and any dog that swims a lot is prone to ear infections from ears that don’t dry out. Dogs with even random skin itches can scratch them enough to create ‘hot spots.’ While, you may not be able to prevent all of the issues there are ways you can use your training knowledge and precautions to protect your dog’s skin.

RANDOM THINGS THEY EAT, ROLL IN, or CHASE. If you’ve never experienced the ‘joy’ of having your dog tangle with a skunk at midnight, you’re lucky! We say “curiosity killed the cat,” It gets dogs into trouble too. Dogs are not wolves, but they are all canines. They chase, run, hunt, smell everything, and roll in the most disgusting things. They greet each other by sniffing bottoms, and will try to do so with a skunk too. Anything on the ground, under a rock, in the water, is either a potential playmate or prey—depending upon the dog. And, if they find something that smells amazing to them, they may test to see if it is a delicacy before rolling in it. Yeah, I know, gross!

07/03/2026

Post #2 on summer and dogs:

Summer With Your Dog, part one

It’s sum, sum, summertime and as wonderful as summer is, we must always be mindful of the hot weather and our best friends’ safety. Here’s part one of summertime with your dog.
Here are clear guidelines for having the best summer with your dog.

1.) Walk your dog in the coolness of morning or evening. On the hottest days, evenings are not even cool. There is nothing wrong with slowing your pace into a more casual walk. You still get exercise but don’t overheat as quickly.

Always remember a dog’s normal body temperature is 102.5F. If it is hot for you to walk, your dog is even hotter. And a dog’s risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke is always greater than a human’s. Please DO NOT walk them in the hottest part of the day.

2.) PAVEMENT GETS HOT, DANGEROUSLY HOT. If the humidity drops and the air feels comfortable for walks, the pavement will still be too hot. Even if the day is not oppressively hot, pavement, especially asphalt is. For example, if the air temp is only 77F, the asphalt temp may be 125F (At 125F skin destruction can occur in mere minutes). At 87F, the asphalt temp can be as high as 143F. That’s hot.

Your dog’s pads are protective, but not against that kind of heat. If your dog is used to walking on gravel, cement or asphalt his pads probably are nicely calloused, which offers some protection, but not enough. Do the ‘5-count test.’ Place the back your hand on the pavement. Hold it there for a slow count to five. If it is too hot for you to keep your hand there comfortably, it is too hot for your dog’s feet. Walk on grass in the cool of the day instead.

3.) Never underestimate the power of a good swim! When possible, swimming is as great an exercise for dogs as it is for humans.

4.) Provide your dog with easy access to water.

5.) If your dog spends a great deal of time outside, be sure he has shade. And, honestly, if it too hot for you to enjoy sitting outside, it is too hot for your dog also. Bring him inside.

Let’s keep our dogs safe and healthy this summer! See you next week for a look at summer training tips.

07/03/2026

This week is dangerous to humans AND our beloved dogs. So, today I more than one post about summer and our dogs!

Summer Heat and Your Best Friend

Today I tackle three of my summer pet peeves.

HEAT. Dogs are always hotter than us. Their normal body temperature is 102.5F. And, while, panting is an effective cooling mechanism, on hot, humid days active dogs cannot cool down fast enough. Dogs suffering from heat exhaustion will pant heavily, are restless, and are warm to your touch. They salivate profusely, and their tongues and gums are deep pink. If your dog exhibits these signs, take him inside, give him plenty of water, cool him down in a cold bath, a swimming pool or even with cold wet towels. If caught in time, heat exhaustion is treatable.
Overheated dogs that aren’t cooled down can go from heat exhaustion to heat stroke quickly. HEAT STROKE IN DOGS IS OFTEN FATAL. If you suspect your dog suffers from this, get him to the veterinarian ASAP. Panting stops, he lies still, he will probably feel cool to the touch, his tongue and gums will look white instead of pink, the pads of his feet will feel cool and clammy. Untreated, heat stroke causes the complete shutdown of the dog’s body systems then death.
CARS. I don’t care how much your dog loves to hang his head out the open window, NEVER ALLOW IT. Bugs, dirt, debris, anything blows into your dog’s face hitting it the speed your car is traveling.

More importantly, in an accident your dog could be sent flying out of the car. If he sees a squirrel and leaps out the window after it, he collides with the ground the speed your car is traveling. If you have to slam on your breaks, your dog’s head or neck impact the door frame at the same speed your car is traveling. These injuries can cause instant death.

Safety first! No matter how cute your dog looks with his ears flapping in the wind, DON’T DO IT. Open the window only enough the tip of his snout can sniff the air.

CAR HEAT. It’s simple: NEVER leave your dog closed in a car. Cars get hot. Dogs become fatally overheated within minutes in a closed car on a hot day. Only allow your dog to travel with you if he will not be left in the car, or if someone can stay in the car with him with the A/C running while you are out.

These are non-negotiables! Have a safe summer with your best friend.

05/22/2026

More summertime advice!

Summer With a Dog, part two

At whatever point our weather remembers this is Pennsylvania and not a rainforest, we’ll get to spend lots of time outside with our dogs. Summer brings both fun and danger. This column is an overview of summer dangers. I’ll address them separately in the next few columns.

HEAT. Last week I warned about walking on hot pavement. To keep it simple today, I have one piece of advice: if you’re hot, your dog is hotter. DO NOT exercise him or her in the heat of the day.

STORMS AND FIREWORKS and, in Adams County, even cannons produce booms. Some dogs startle at said booms, while other dogs go into full-fledged panic attacks. I venture that more dogs run away during fireworks and thunderstorms than any other time. First of all, please understand your dog’s fear is real. It may not make sense to you, but to him it is real. Please DO NOT take a dog with you to fireworks. Even if a dog is unaffected by fireworks; crowds, booms, screams, and cheering can combine and create a bad situation for dog and owner. Keep your dog home in a quiet and safe place. We’ll look at this more in two weeks.

PLANTS and PESTICIDES present all manner of issues. Allergies, skin conditions, reactions to poisonous plants, and even lawn treatments can make summer less than ‘lazy days’ for some of us. Long-haired dogs and any dog that swims a lot is prone to ear infections from ears that don’t dry out. Dogs with even random skin itches can scratch them enough to create ‘hot spots.’ While, you may not be able to prevent all of the issues there are ways you can use your training knowledge and precautions to protect your dog’s skin.

RANDOM THINGS THEY EAT, ROLL IN, or CHASE. If you’ve never experienced the ‘joy’ of having your dog tangle with a skunk at midnight, you’re lucky! We say “curiosity killed the cat,” It gets dogs into trouble too. Dogs are not wolves, but they are all canines. They chase, run, hunt, smell everything, and roll in the most disgusting things. They greet each other by sniffing bottoms, and will try to do so with a skunk too. Anything on the ground, under a rock, in the water, is either a potential playmate or prey—depending upon the dog. And, if they find something that smells amazing to them, they may test to see if it is a delicacy before rolling in it. Yeah, I know, gross!

So, stay tuned. I will address each of these and offer help and hope to get you through summer with joy.

05/21/2026

Summer Alerts

I was once asked “What do you consider are the most important things for dog owners to know, do and not do in the summertime?”

Anyone who knows me knows I state there are three things every dog needs in this order: exercise, discipline, and affection. However, if the exercise is not done with discernment your dog could be seriously, and even critically, injured.

Here are clear guidelines for having the best summer with your dog.

1.) Walk your dog in the coolness of morning or evening. On the hottest days, evenings are not even cool. There is nothing wrong with slowing your pace into a more casual walk. You still get exercise but don’t overheat as quickly.

Always remember if it is hot for you to walk, your dog is even hotter. And a dog’s risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke is always greater than a human’s. I will address this in more detail later. Just don’t walk them in the hottest part of the day.

2.) Never underestimate the power of a good swim! When possible, swimming is as great an exercise for dogs as it is for humans.

3.) Refresh your dog’s boundary training. After a long winter and, especially, a long wet spring like we’ve had, dogs are ready for freedom. Every night all manner of nocturnal creatures run all over your yard and your neighbors. Plus, school’s out. The neighborhood is more active, busy, loud, ‘smelly,’ and tempting than it has been since last fall.

If he has the chance, he will try to explore all of the new and exciting things. He may forget the yard rules and push the limits. You would be wise to take a week or so and give him a refresher course in boundary training. You can even let this be part of your daily walking routine. If you’re not familiar with the rules of boundary training, stay tuned next week.

4.) PAVEMENT GETS HOT, DANGEROUSLY HOT. Even if the day is not oppressively hot, pavement, especially asphalt may be. For example, if the air temp is only 77F, the asphalt temp may be 125F (At 125F skin destruction may occur in mere minutes).At 87F, the asphalt temp can be as high as 143F. That’s hot.

Your dog’s pads are protective, but not against that kind of heat. If your dog is used to walking on gravel, cement or asphalt his pads probably are nicely calloused, which offers some more protection, but not enough. Do the ‘5-7 count test.’ Place the back your hand on the pavement. Hold it there for a slow count to five or seven. If it is too hot for you to keep your hand there comfortably, it is too hot for your dog’s feet. Walk on grass in the cool of the day instead.

5.) I know I stress the importance of exercise in my columns. But never risk your dog’s life to get exercise. Take walks in the early morning or after dark. If you cannot, don’t take walks. Play fetch inside. In an air conditioning you can play this as long as you wish. Hide and seek works well too. Place him in a ‘sit’ or ‘down’ and go to another room. Call him to ‘come.’ When he finds you have him ‘sit’ in front of you and give a piece of a treat. Again, you can play this as long as you wish and in the process you are working on the ‘come’ command.

And folks, please, please, please DO NOT EVER LEAVE YOUR DOG CLOSED IN A CAR ON A SUMMER DAY! NEVER! I don’t care if you can leave windows down or even leave it running with the A/C on. What it the car overheats and shuts down? There is no excuse for a dog closed in a car on a summer day. None.

6.) Heat. Dogs’ normal body temperature is 102.5F. So, even on cool days they are hotter than us. While, panting is an effective cooling mechanism it may not be enough. On hot, humid days active dogs cannot cool down fast enough by panting. Dogs suffering from heat exhaustion pant heavily, cannot get comfortable, are restless and warm to your touch. They usually salivate heavily and their tongues and gums a very pick. If your dog exhibits these signs he needs to cool down. Take him inside, give him plenty of water, cool him down in a cold bath, a swimming pool or even with cold wet towels. Heat exhaustion is treatable if you catch it in time.

Overheated dogs that aren’t cooled down can go from heat exhaustion to heat stroke quickly. Important note: HEAT STROKE IN DOGS IS OFTEN FATAL. If you suspect your dog suffers from this, get him to the veterinarian ASAP. Panting stops, he lies still, he will probably feel cool to the touch, his tongue and gums will look white instead of pink, the pads of his feet will feel cool and clammy. If left untreated, heat stroke causes the complete shutdown of the dog’s body systems then death.

Let’s keep our dogs safe and healthy this summer! See you next week.

05/20/2026

When Exercise is Not the First Thing
Yesterday I saw a man and his dog out running in the hottest part of the day. It reminded me of a sad situation when I was a Veterinarian Technician.

A client came in with a dog in distress. She took her dog running on the hottest day on record for years. The dog had heat stroke. My boss was an amazing veterinarian, but despite his best efforts the dog died. The owner said if it wasn’t too hot for her to run it wasn’t for her dog. Hmm. Fast forward a few years. The same owner, with a different dog came in with it in almost the same condition. She didn’t get the message when the first one died. At least she came in earlier and this one did recover.

This week we are having our first really hot days of 2026. I guarantee we will have many more in the weeks to come. Please take heed.

When the hottest weather arrives, skip the long walks or runs. Dogs’ normal body temperature is 102.5F. Even on cool days they are hotter than us. Panting is an efficient cooling mechanism. However, dogs get overheated faster than us, and go from heat exhaustion to heat stroke quickly. Heat stroke is frequently fatal.
Walks, runs, hard play, outside training should be done early morning, after dark, or not at all on hot days. Swimming is the only acceptable exercise for her.

At the end of their first obedience class, the dogs are usually lying down their owners’ feet. It is surprising all we teach at the first class is the SIT. But, mental work tires a dog as much as physical. On hot days, heel her from room to room. Make her sit, then down, then sit, then release her and when she starts walking away tell her to sit again. Challenge her obedience and her focus. After ten minutes of this, she’ll be settled as if she took a twenty minute walk.

Play fetch inside. Make her SIT, toss the ball, and don’t let her get it until you say release her from the SIT. In an air conditioned house you can play a long time. Hide and seek is another good one. Make her SIT or DOWN. Go to another room. Call for her to COME. When she finds you have her SIT in front of you and give her a piece of a treat. Again, play this as long as you wish. You are even working on the COME command as a game which will help her come better to you when you really need her to outside.

Note: Do your dog a favor. Look up the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke in dogs. Keeping your dog safe is much easier when you are well informed.

In the heat of summer we sometimes have to change modify the rules a bit. The three things your dog needs in the summer are INSIDE EXERCISE, discipline, and affection. Oh, and a good swim every now and then is a blast.

03/05/2026

Skepticism Debunked

In the past thirty-eight years I’ve had many conversations about how exactly obedience training helps a dog understand good behavior.

One family came to class with a rather wild four-month -old Siberian Husky. She was cute, energetic, and dominant. The woman was distraught and hopeful class would help. The man doubted. He told me this class was the biggest waste of his money ever and that nothing was going to help that pup behave.

I began class telling them we were going to teach the dog to ‘sit’ and not get up even if we bounced a tennis ball, and we would have it accomplished by the end of that first class. He shook his head. Then he crossed his arms, got this resolute look on his face, and said, “I tell you what, if you can make that dog sit in the middle of the room and not get up even when you go outside and walk the whole way around this building, I won’t ever complain again about how much I paid for class.”

I did and he didn’t. :)

As for my clients’ questions, they are right. Teaching a dog to sit for a treat does NOT teach him good manners or behavior. I am actually not a fan of treat training. I suggest giving treats whenever you wish and do make your dog sit before giving the treat. But do NOT give him a treat each time he sits.

Obedience training not applied into everyday life is about as useful as a gas grill on your porch that has no propane.

It is not in teaching your dog the commands that he learns to behave, it is in applying them. He should always SIT when you give him a treat. But go much further than that. If the only commands your dog ever learned were ‘sit’ and ‘done’ you could have a well-mannered pet. (I feel you would be doing your dog’s intelligence and abilities a disservice if that was all you taught him.) But I digress. When you tell him to ‘sit’ he should do so immediately and not stop until you release him saying ‘okay you’re done.’ Once he understands the command, then apply it.

Make him ‘sit’: when company comes in, when company leaves, before he goes outside, before he comes inside, before he eats, while you eat, when he needs to calm down, to place him in a ‘timeout’ for punishment, at the veterinarian’s, at street corners, when you meet other people or dogs on walks, while you wipe muddy feet off, when he is right under your feet as you do housework, when he is begging, and so on.

And, that’s just the short list! Add a few more basic commands like down, heel, come, stay, stand, leave it, drop it, turn away, and back it up to his repertoire. Then you have a wealth of options to use in teaching your dog proper behavior. Those are only the basic obedience commands. Our dogs can easily learn 100 or more commands.

Give it a try. Teach your dog the commands, and use them in your regular routine with him. In the end you, like my client, will not complain again and your best friend will be even better!

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01/10/2026

From my future manuscript titles Life in the Doghouse:

New Year’s Resolutions for Dogs and Their Masters

Many of us made resolutions which we know we’ll never keep. I sat down with my dog, Cyndy and discussed resolutions. What follows are the suggestions we came up with to all dogs and their owners.

Top Ten Owner Resolutions:
10. I will remember he’s a dog, celebrate that fact, and never treat him like a human. While he is considered a part of the household, he is not my child, my baby, or my almost human. He is my pet.
9. I will not feel guilty when I leave to go to work each day and earn money to supply his food and toys.
8. I will never excuse, accept, or minimize bad behavior.
7. I will always correct bad behavior.
6. I will use the obedience commands within my daily routine with my dog.
5. I will not repeat commands. I will not beg for obedience. I will give the command once and if the dog doesn’t obey . . . refer to #4.
4. I will correct disobedience the first time it happens.
3. I will lavish praise both-voice and touch- upon my dog for obedience.
2. I will teach my dog the rules and expect him to be disciplined enough to keep them. If he does not . . . refer to #7.
1. I will be my dog’s best friend and start that by making sure he is well exercised every day. Even in bad weather we will play indoor games.

Top Ten Dog Resolutions:
(Keep in mind my dogs came up with these. Yep, even the trainer’s dogs are not perfect.)

10. I will stay out of the trash, off the counters, and certainly never steal the granddaughter’s snacks from her hands.
9, I will not run away. I will not run away. I will not run away.
8. I will come when I am called. Every time. Without delay . . . Refer to #9.
7. I will leave the squirrels, deer, rabbits alone . . .wait, look . . .SQUIRREL!.
6. I will not bark at or otherwise show bad manners to my master’s clients, friends, family, or well, pretty much anyone.
5. If allowed on the bed I won’t sprawl and crowd my humans. And if I do, I’ll accept banishment from the bed with nary a grumble.
4. I will leave the deer droppings alone.
3. I will stop thinking that because no one told me to stay in the yard it means I can roam the property, and the neighbors, and the county . . . Refer to #9
2. I will not jump on company, even if everything about them screams invitation.
1. I will be my humans’ best friend.

There you have it, human and canine top ten New Year’s resolutions. Here’s to hoping they don’t get broken!

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