We all want a dog that can be involved in our family’s holiday activities. But what if that’s just not your pup? What if she gets overwhelmed with all of the cousins running around, or isn’t afraid to jump on the table to steal the turkey? That could easily ruin the day!

Here are some basic tips that you can do to help your dog feel calm, relaxed, and stay out of trouble this holiday season:

• Exercise your dog before family arrives. Getting that extra energy out will help her relax more easily.
• Use the crate. There’s nothing wrong with creating some space and helping your dog relax as everyone comes in.
• Place time! If your dog knows the place command, have her place while family is hanging out. She can’t jump, beg, or trip grandma when she’s on her bed.
• Set boundaries for the kids! Don’t be afraid to tell the kids to give your dog space. Too much running, yelling, and high energy can get your dog worked up which will lead to problems. Tell the kids to let the dog relax on her own.
• Take breaks to play and unwind!
• Give yourself permission to leave your dog at home. We want you (and your dog) to enjoy the day. If you will be too stressed or constantly worrying about your dog, or if your dog will simply be too overwhelmed, it’s OK to leave her out of the festivities.

Leash skills are the #1 request that dog owners come to us with. And that makes sense! Having a dog that pulls, lunges, barks, and completely ignores you on walks is incredibly frustrating. And embarrassing. And can make you feel trapped in your own home, unable to enjoy life with your dog.

There is a simple technique that we teach to every dog owner, and it’s time we start spreading the word! It’s called: Driveway Drills. It sounds silly, but the method is simple yet powerful in communicating with your dog on leash. Check out our YouTube video for a 60-second demonstration on how you can get started today!

Whenever you’re starting something new with your dog, remember to start slow, take your time, and always end on a positive note. Have some fun with it!

We are getting into some beautiful fall weather -our personal favorite for hiking with our dogs. Before you hit the trails, you may want to consider the following:

• Make sure you bring enough water for you and your dog.
• Confidently advocate for your dog by giving her extra space when you pass other people and dogs.
• Keep a close eye out for poison ivy.
• Brings treats to keep your dog’s attention and to reward for calm behavior.
• Don’t forget to find some shade and enjoy the views!

Just because your little pup doesn’t pull you around town as hard as the big Labradors and boxers, doesn’t mean it’s fun to have them twist, pull, zig-zag, and bark their way through the neighborhood. Little dogs (and their owners) deserve training, too!

Questions we often get about training little dogs:

• How would you train my little one?
  • The same way we train the big ones! With individualized training plans to meet your goals.
• She’s scared of big dogs. Can we avoid them?
  • Nope! While we’ll never force her to be friends with the big guys, we are going to teach her to feel comfortable and confident in their company.
• I like when she jumps on me. Do I have to stop that?
  • Not necessarily… I will guide you toward behaviors that I believe will be healthier for your relationship, but as the owner, you ultimately get to decide what works best for you.

“Why won’t my dog listen?”

This is a big question that we get a lot from frustrated dog owners. “Why won’t my dog…

• Come when I call?
• Stop jumping on visitors?
• Listen when it sees a squirrel?

There are two main things happening here that we see pretty consistently across the board.

First: whatever your dog is doing is much more rewarding that what you want it to do. Think about it. If the choices were to either chase a squirrel all over the yard, or sit quietly and do nothing, of course your dog is going to have more fun blowing you off to chase the squirrel.

Second: you’re not being consistent in what you ask your dog to do. We get it -you’re busy, tired, and have a lot on your plate. Sometimes you’re going to let things slip and not follow through when you ask your dog to do something. We’ve all been there. But your dog is incredibly smart and picks up on those little moments. She begins to notice that you will let her behaviors slide sometimes. And once she figures that out, it’s game over because she’s going to keep testing your limits to see when she can find another moment to take advantage of.

So what can you do? Start by figuring out what motivates your dog -treats, toys, affection. And then work on being incredibly consistent when you ask your dog to do something.

Need help? We’re here for you! We know it’s not easy to fix old behaviors, so let us show you how we can make little changes with big results.

Did you know that we offer free monthly pack walks to all of our clients? Check out highlights from our August pack walk here:

We absolutely love having the opportunity to check in with our clients EVERY MONTH. FOR LIFE. Once you complete your training program, you’re in. You get this lifetime program to keep up with your training, meet monthly with our trainers, and continue challenging yourself and your dog in new situations.

Want to join our family of supportive, encouraging, and pretty awesome dog owners? Learn more about our training programs here!

We’re really excited to show you this new technique for crate training that we learned from Julie’s Canine Academy out east. We’ll break everything down for you, from e-collar conditioning, expectations, and troubleshooting.

You’ll also get to see it in action with training dog Penny. It looks a little sloppy with her because it usually is! We wanted to show you the raw footage, the messiness, and with that, the consistency required to help your dog learn the new expectations for the crate.

Crate training is tough because we’re usually dealing with some pretty tough behaviors -barking, whining, chewing, digging. If you feel overwhelmed, get professional help. But if you have the tools, desire, and patience to try it yourself, then go for it! Just remember that this takes time, so be patient and consistent. Results will come! And with this technique, they’ll come a whole lot faster.

We’re working with Boomer on his car manners today! This guy is known for jumping between seats, barking, pacing. Not only is that annoying, it’s not safe!

Watch this drill as we talk you through how to get your dog to safely ride in the car.