Author Archives: astoffel

Think your dog really knows its commands? Test them with the 3 D’s! Distance: How far can you get from your dog while it stays in command? Duration: How long can your dog stay in command without being reminded? Distraction: What can you add to the environment to test your dog’s self control? Think toys, food, running kids, etc. If your dog can hold its commands with the 3 D’s, you will be that muchContinue reading “The 3 Ds”

We see it all the time: dogs running crazy through the house, owners trying their best to keep their sanity in the midst of the chaos. What if we could teach your dog one command that could eliminate the crazy energy when you need to? The place command gives your dog a very clear boundary that they must remain calm on. This skill translate so well into the real world, which is why we teachContinue reading “Creating a Calm State of Mind”

Are you struggling to teach your dog the down command? If so, check out this unique method that we use to help dogs understand exactly where we want their body to be.

Today we are working with Hershey on some attention skills. She is easily distracted on leash, and when you mix that in with being an anxious dog, it’s easy for her to get overwhelmed on walks and stop paying attention to the other end of the leash. In this video, we’ll show you how we start building some engagement with her in a fun and rewarding way: every time she gets distracted, we turn andContinue reading “Teaching a Nervous Dog to Pay Attention on Leash”

There is a lot of information floating around regarding the best method to train your dog, the best and worst tools, the best x, y, z… We are here to tell you that if you are feeling overwhelmed with the mountains of information being thrown at you to take a deep breath, exhale all of the worry away, and just do something. Pick anything that you want to teach your dog, and you will beContinue reading “Just Do Something”

The double down is an incredibly useful skill for dogs to have. It requires the dog to be in a down already, and then you tell them to place their head on the floor. It essentially tells them “I know that there is a lot going on around you, but I need you to remain calm and ignore it all”. This skill takes practice, and in a situation like this where he is very closeContinue reading “The Double Down Around Distractions”

We have found a lot of value in the Mini Educator from E-Collar Technologies for training and working with dogs. This video is solely to demonstrate how the remote and collar function, and does not go into any training techniques, strategies, or methods. Turn on/off• Remote: Hold On/Off button for 3 seconds.• Collar: Touch red dot on remote to red dot on collar. Flashing green light means collar is on, momentary red light then noContinue reading “Basic Functions of the E-Collar”

What does a walk with your dog look like? Does she walk nicely by your side, or does she lunge and pull to get to every tree, squirrel, or piece of trash on the ground? If you are having difficulty on your walks, I want to encourage you to slow down. The best thing that you can do with a difficult walker is to decrease the distance you walk and decrease the distractions that youContinue reading “4 tricks to teach better leash manners”