If you read any of the testimonials we receive 2 things always jump out. First is the bond our clients feel with their dogs, and second is the speed of results they get.

Dog training goes much easier if your dog respects you rather than fears making a mistake.

Here are 5 ingredients to building a balanced, safe and secure relationship with your dog:

1) Know your dog: Know your dog well enough to know what  gets her anxious, stressed, happy and sad. Know to read your dog’s body language which is the primary form of communication for dogs.

2) Avoid problems that are avoidable: If there are places/situations where you know your dog will be anxious and stressed try to avoid those places/situations, if not avoidable then work on getting them more comfortable by classic conditioning strategies.

3) Calm leader is a strong leader: Dogs are energy driven animals; any time your dog sees you in  an excited state essp. in a mad, enraged, stressed out, yelling, and having a tantrum she will know you as a leader who lacks the confidence. Dogs will not follow a weak leader.

4) Don’t disregard emotions: When your dog misbehaving because of emotional issues rather than only dealing with the “action”  help your dog on the emotional side of the problem first. (ie if your dog is pulling on leash because she is afraid of a motorcycle, get her comfortable around motorcycles with some classic conditioning )

5) Touch your dog: Just like us humans dogs love to be touched softly and in a caring way.  Do not reserve the touching only for times when your dog is anxious.

Remember, your dog loves you unconditionally.

It’s no secret that if we would’ve found a dog trainer we thought was “good enough” for our dog I wouldn’t have become a dog trainer… Funny how life unfolds.

But now that I am a dog trainer the above statement taken out of context would sound like I am bad mouthing other dog trainers. This is not true. If anything I am often the first to admit when I go to dog training events I am usually disregarded because for me dog training is more of a personal journey shared by 2 different species than a person trying to teach a dog to sit & stay.

Whenever your dog is around you, you can be assured that there is training taking place. Either your dog is learning from you or your dog is teaching you.