Conversations with a Dog Trainer

Disapproving Corgi giving me the "Look"- Yadi It has been said that a dog will talk to those who know how to listen, and this is true.  A dog will tell you everything they intend to do with their body language.  Knowing what our dogs are trying to tell us allows us to have a better relationship with our dogs.  We get the opportunity to see the things that frighten or make our dogs anxious and help to change the emotions associated with that thing.  We get the chance to make our dogs lives better by knowing how to listen to them.   Something that I always suggest for my students is to pay close attention to their dogs at home and learn their dog’s normal postures. If you know your dog’s normal body posture, then you will know very quickly when your dog is not comfortable and secure in their surroundings.   The parts of your dog’s body that you need to learn to read are the eyes, ears, mouth, tail and overall body post...

*disclaimer - I have not been endorsed or supported by any of the products mentioned in this blog.  I have however used them in my own training journeys and found them to be very useful* One problem behavior that almost all pet parents have to deal with at some point in their furry companion’s life is chewing.  I often have pet parents that come into their first class with me and are beyond frustrated that their beloved pup is chewing up their shoes or phone chargers.  Or if your me, you walked into your kitchen and found this...     The important thing to remember is that chewing is a natural and necessary part of their life.     In fact, it is important for the mental well-being of our dogs that we encourage their chewing.     The trick, however, is to make sure that we are encouraging them to chew on the appropriate things.     Chewing is an inherent behavior in dogs.     A dog’s teeth and the ski...