It is important to set up provisions for a long-term confinement area even if you don’t think you are going to use it every day. There will be times (and there should be – dinner and a movie with your loved ones!) that you will need to leave your puppy for a longer period of time than he can hold it. If you haven’t thought about this ahead of time, you will be stuck, or worse, your puppy will have an accident in the crate or destroy something in your home.

You should feel that it is acceptable to go out to dinner, or another activity and leave your puppy safely in a puppy-proofed area. It is really important that puppies learn to be alone, and it is important that you do activities that you want to do and don’t feel guilty.

The combination of the long-term confinement area and the crate gives you a great deal of flexibility. Let’s assume your puppy can go 4 hours between potty breaks. If someone is able to walk your puppy 4 hours after you leave but then he will be alone for 6 more hours until you get home, use the crate in the morning (4 hours) and then put the puppy in the long-term confinement area until you get home at night. (6 hours – longer than he can hold it). That way, you are using the crate as much as possible, but not forcing your puppy to have an accident in there during the longer part of the day.

Make sure that during your normal housetraining routine, you occasionally take your puppy to the exercise pen when you think he has to go potty and place him on the puppy pad. Reward him when he goes on the pad. This will motivate him to use the pad and reduce the risk of going potty on your floor. However, the exercise pen should be in an area that will not get ruined if your puppy does not go potty on the pad.

There are many options for long-term confinement areas:

• Exercise pen. An 8-sided metal “playpen” that usually comes in 24”, 36” or 42” heights. Some come with a door in one side so you can easily move your dog in and out. With an exercise pen, you can attach a crate to the outside (as shown in the video), put the crate inside the pen, or not use a crate at all.
• If you attach the crate to the outside of the pen, as shown in the picture, you have to be sure that your puppy can’t jump over the crate and get out of the exercise area and cause mischief in your home.
• Hallway or room with one or more baby gates to confine your dog. You always have to make sure that the area is puppy-proofed. Some of the items to be cautious about include crown molding, doors, electric wires, computer wires, garbage cans, furniture, plants, etc.
• Bathroom. Same puppy proofing rules are crucial for bathrooms.

Note: The term “exercise pen” is a misnomer. It is not really intended for exercise, but management. It is not big enough for the type of exercise that dogs require. Time in the exercise pen doesn’t count towards his daily needs

Dogs and snow don't always mix. The salt can hurt their paws and cause them to limp. There are a few ways that you can help your pooch have a more comfortable snowy walk. 

Did you know that if you take fresh snow and rub it directly on your dog's paw it can help rub off the salt? If the salt is really bad, this fix might be short-lived. Be cautious when crossing streets that are freshly salted, because dogs can have a tendency to stop directly in the middle of the street. Not good with traffic coming.

Clients always ask me my recommendations for dog products. Here are some recommendations to make your dog a little more comfortable and safe during the wintery holiday times. 

Musher's Secret can help your dogs be more comfortable on the icy, salty sidewalks and street. I have used this product for years. It helps prevent "ice balls" as well as protecting paws from salt.

For the surest paw comfort, I like Muttluk brand dog boots. They are a little expensive, but last forever and stay on much better than the cheaper versions. After selecting the link, find your size that works for your pooch.

For safety when traveling, I always recommend a padded car harness. Besides helping with safety, It can help alleviate car sickness in dogs. The seatbelt slides through a loop in the back, which allows your dog to move around and lie down. However, if the car  stops suddenly the seatbelt will keep your dog safe.

Once you get to your location, be sure to bring a variety of Kongs to keep your dog occupied while you and your family are together. Bring a variety of treats and canned dog food to stuff the Kongs. You can also freeze them with food inside to make them even longer-lasting.

If you give your dogs some activities, they will be much better behaved!

Happy Wintertime!

Now I want to hear what you have to say. It is so much more fun if you take part in the conversation. If you are not a member, all you need to do is Join.

Looking for an indoor activity to work on with your dog when the weather prohibits extended training and exercise? Try proofing behaviors that you have taught your dog.

Proofing behaviors is a fun activity that you can do inside with your dog and work on fine-tuning the behaviors that he already knows. Proofing involves making sure your dog REALLY understands the meaning of the cues that you give him and doesn't just guess the behavior that you are looking for. A really well trained dog with highly-proofed behaviors can "Sit" when asked when the trainer is sitting, lying down, with her back turned towards her dog, etc. The dog also knows not to sit when the trainer says "sip" or "hit" or any word that sounds like "sit" but isn't actually "sit".

Want to see if your dog's behaviors are proofed? Try this. Walk up to your dog and say, "blah, blah, blah". If your dog has any training under his belt there is a good chance that he will probably sit or do another behavior that he has worked on a lot. If you present a nonsensical word and your dog does a behavior, that means that he is just guessing what the word means. Not a terrible thing, but it means that there is room for more training.

What better time to do training then during the cold winter months!

Proofing Behaviors

There are many ways to proof behaviors. Here are some suggestions for you to work on.

Word Variations

This strategy teaches your dog to do behaviors on cue, but not to do the cue for another word. This is referred to as doing behaviors on cue and "extinguished" off cue.

Let's start with "sit".

• Say, "sit" to your dog, if he sits, reward him
• Say another word such as "ship"
  
• If he sits, either ignore him, say,"Eh! Eh!" or walk away from him
• Say, "sit" again and reward if he sits
• Alternate between the two until your dog does not sit when he hears "ship"
• When this happens, give him low-level verbal praise
• Continue adding more words one at a time such as "stem", "slit", "spit", etc. and alternating between the new word and "sit"
• Eventually your dog should only sit with the correct cue and do nothing for the other words
• Then do the same thing with other cues such as down, come, etc.

Posture Variations

It is very common for dogs to associate a specific body posture exhibited by their trainer. For instance, most people teach "sit" by standing directly in front of their dog. If you have done this, there is a good chance your dog associates your body position and posture as part of the "sit" cue. But, what happens if you turn your back and say, "sit"? Would your dog still sit? What if you were lying on the couch in a very different position and said the "sit" cue?

If you change your body position and your dog does not perform the behavior, do not say the cue again, but instead "help" your dog with a hand signal or other "helper" that you have established previously.

Here is an example showing how to teach your dog to do a behavior while you are lying on the couch.

• You might want to warm your dog up first by working on the behavior in your normal training position
• Once your dog is warmed up, lie on the couch and ask for the behavior
  
• If your dog doesn't do the behavior, don't say it again, but instead stand up from the couch and "help" your dog dog the behavior by using a hand signal or food lure
• Continue working like this until your dog does the behavior without the secondary help

Variations to Work On

Here are some suggestions of other changes that you can do to proof behaviors. Remember, ask only once and then help your dog do the behavior. Eventually he will make the connection and will understand to do the behavior because he heard the cue and ignore other movement or your body position.

• Turn your back
• Turn to the side
• Look at your dog, but cover your mouth when you say the cue
• Say the cue while you do jumping jacks
• Lie on the floor
• Do situps
• Call from another room and have someone with a speaker phone hold the phone near your dog
• Go behind a door and say the cue through the door to your dog

A lot of these suggestions are pretty silly and not very practical, but why not try them and increase your dog's reliability? They are also great activities to give a bored dog something to do. 

Have fun!

There was an interesting study at the University of Vienna, Austria's Clever Dog Lab that determined that dog's react negatively when they view other dogs getting better treatment. They asked dogs that sat side by side to "give paw" and rewarded one dog with food and did not reward the other. The unrewarded dog stopped working.

Friederike Range, who led the experiments, said she wasn't surprised at the dogs reaction, since wolves are known to cooperate with one another and appear to be sensitive to each other. Modern dogs are descended from wolves.

Next, she said, will be experiments to test how dogs and wolves work together. "Among other questions, we will investigate how differences in emotions influence cooperative abilities," she said via e-mail.

Read the entire story in the Chicago Tribune.

Jeff's Note: one question I have is whether the dog's stop working because they are not rewarded, or because the other dog is getting a reward. Any behavior is not rock-solid until there is the correct amount of rewards and the correct ratio of rewards. There is something called "ratio strain" that occurs if an animal is pushed too far in between rewards. The dogs in this experiment  might have just stopped working because of ratio strain.

I just returned from a trip out of town to visit my wife's family for Thanksgiving. Fortunately our friends and family that we stay with allow us to bring our dogs with us when we spend the night. We also spent the last night in a hotel that allows dogs. We even brought our three dogs to Thanksgiving dinner. Their behavior always makes me very proud. They were gentle with the kids, they did not try and steal food and they played appropriately with my brother-in-law's puppy.

What is the secret to having a dog that acts appropriately in various situations? Time, attention, planning and exercise. There are no shortcuts to a well behaved dog.

Overall I think most people understand that dogs take a lot of time and attention. Thankfully there have only been a few phone calls over the years with someone that truly did not understand the time requirements and blamed their dog for his bad behavior. There are frequent phone calls with people that know that their dog needs something, but they don't know exactly how to provide them the proper mixture of time and attention to alleviate the problems that they are witnessing.

Here are some tips that will hopefully help alleviate some of the frustration that you are experiencing.

Add Fifteen Minutes More in Morning and Evening

Most people know that their dog needs more time, but they have trouble finding it with their busy schedules. For the happiness of your dog, you can find an extra fifteen minutes (or more) before you go to work and before you got to bed. If you train him one of those times and then give heavy-duty exercise the other, this could make all the difference between a happy and a bored, misbehaved dog. Most dogs need a minimum of 60-90 minutes of training and exercise per day.

Stuff Kongs for Meals

I frequently write about the value of stuffing Kongs or other toys and feed meals this way. This is a fantastic way of providing more physical and mental stimulation for your dog. Combine it with hiding Kongs around the house for even more time-intensive acitivities.

Field Trips

Have you ever taken your dog to a new neighborhood for walk? Try it. You might be amazed at how stimulated and attentive your dog is during the walk. He will also be more tired afterwards due to all of the new sights, smells and sounds that your dog experiences.

Socialization

This can be accomplished during field trips. If your dog barks at people, dogs, noises or motion from moving objects like trucks or motorcycles you should spend the time to socialize him to those triggers. Often dogs get left home because they bark or are aggressive. If you slowly desensitize your dog to these events then it is much more likely that you will be able to bring him with you instead of leaving him at home.

Training

Use some time to work on any of the issues that cause frustration. If your dog steals food off of counters, work on Counter Surfing, if he jumps on people, work on Jumping. Use my video lessons or find a quality positive reinforcement training class in your area. If you ignore problems, they won't just naturally go away, they will probably get worse. The time you spend is an investment that will pay off!

It is not uncommon for dogs to refuse to walk sometimes when they are outside. They might just "put the brakes on", or they might sit or lie down.

If your dog is a really young puppy, you might want to just take a break and let them take the world in. You do not have to worry about your dog becoming lazy. This is not a sign of a personality trait that leads to a lazy older dog. Often it revolves around a puppy being ever overstimulated or tired. A puppy's energy level moves up and down very quickly. He might just need to take a break. Use this time to socialize your dog to the world passing by. If time is a factor, just pick up your puppy and go home.

It is nice, however, to know how to get your dog moving when you need to. I have had many clients call over the years because their dog lies down in the middle of the street. This can be a harrowing experience, that is for sure.

Here are some tips to help motivate yoru dog to keep moving. It is important to practice these techniques periodically on every walk. Not just when the undesired behavior is happening.

1. Say, “Let’s go”, gently pull him to your side, or motivate him to come to your side by tapping your leg or gently walking away.
2. Click (if you are using a clicker) or say,"Yes" and throw a toy in front of you when he appears by your side. This associates, "Let's Go" with movement and motivates your dog to start running after hearing the cue.
   
3. Practice quick, gentle "Let's Go" behaviors periodically throughout the walk and get really excited after saying the cue.
4. Ask your dog to sit or lie down and practice this cue. This will make it clear that this cue is associated with movement.
   
5. Work on sit or down stays and then ask for a "Let's Go" and run a few steps forward with great enthusiasm. Treat your dog after more steps each time to increase the distance traveled. This is a great way to increase the anticipation and excitement upon hearing the cue and "springing" into action.

"Jake!, Jake!, Jake!"

I was in the park with my client and we were working on off leash control strategies with his rambunctious one-year-old Border Collie mix. Jake was not too interested in anything at the moment besides the squirrel jumping from branch to branch in a big oak tree. My client was calling Jake repeatedly before I asked him what he wanted Jake to do when he called his name. My client told me that he wanted Jake to come to him when he called. I then asked him if he wanted him to come to him every time when he called him. "Yes, he said, but I sometimes want him to look at me when I say his name so I get his attention so then I can ask him to do something else."

That is a problem. Using one cue for multiple meanings can be very confusing for dogs. These are contextual cues or cues that your dog has to think about the context of the cue based on the situation. To create snappy, reliable responses, teach one cue for a specific meaning and then condition that cue by practicing numerous repetitions until the cue and the resulting behavior are fixed in your dog's personality.

It is very common for people to use their dog's name in a variety of situations. The most common uses of meanings for a dog's name include "Don't jump on the guests", "come here", or "look at me."

Another common contextual cue is, "leave it". I frequently see people use "leave it" to mean both "leave that object alone" and "drop that object". Instead of using "leave it" for both meanings, you should separately teach "leave it" which means "do not go near that object or put it in your mouth" and "drop it" to mean "open your mouth".

So, the takeaway from all of this is to take a step back and make sure your dog understands exactly what each cue means that you are teaching. Do not expect your dog to understand different meanings of the cue based on the situation. Your dog's name might mean, Come, Leave It, or just meant get your dog's attention similar to a "Watch me" cue.

I am constantly amazed at how many new dog walking services pop up all over Chicago. I would imagine this is consistent with other big cities. With downsizing and people's desires to run their own business, dog walking is often a natural fit for the dog lovers of the world.

But, like any other business, there are better options than others. How do you sift through all of the dog walkers to choose the best one for your dog?

Here are some questions and strategies that I recommend that you take into account when making a decision.

I always recommend meeting the dog walker that your service will be sending. I spoke with one of my clients that did not hire a service because the walker did not even pet the dog during the interview. Not a good way to endear yourself to a dog guardian!

How long have you been in business?
Everyone has to start somewhere, but this is an important question. If has been a really short amount of time, you can press more and ask what their last job was, why they got into this business, etc. I would be cautious of someone that doesn't seem really committed. You don't want to be left high and dry by someone that changes their mind and chooses another line of work.

How many clients do you have?
This will help you determine how successful they are and also how busy. If they are a one-person operation and have an usually high number of clients, that probably means they are stretched really thin and probably do pack walks. (See below).

Will you work with puppies that are not housetrained?
Some services will not take on the added responsibility of potential clean-ups and multiple walks necessary for young puppies.

How many dogs do you walk at once?
There are many dog walkers that do pack walks. I would never hire a dog walker that walks more than 2 or 3 dogs at the most. I would prefer that they just walk my dogs alone. For even the most skilled walker, it is difficult to walk a lot of dogs. What if dogs get into a fight? Do you want multiple dogs tromping through your house while they are picked up? I also worry about dogs urinating on each other when there are many dogs on one walk.

Do you do training on walks?
I would not expect dog walkers to do a lot of training, but it is nice to know what they are willing to work on.

Do you leave notes after walks?
This should be basic. The notes should be the potty report and if anything unusual happened on the walk. Some dog walkers send text messages or even call after walks.

Has a dog ever been injured in your care? What happened and what did you do?
It is good to know what your walker will do if a bad situation arises.

For larger services, I recommend asking if you will get the same dog walker every day.
Consistency is nice for you and your dog. You will also be giving keys and possibly alarm codes to a stranger. It is nice to know that there won't be a new person each week.

Do you offer vacation care?
You might choose a service that also offers vacation care to have consistency for your dog when you travel.

Do you offer package discounts?
Some dog walking services offer cheaper rates if you pay by the week or the month.

What is the cancellation policy?
It is important to know what happens if you will be charged for cancellations.

What do you do if my dog barks, becomes aggressive or jumps on people on walks?
This will clue you in on their thoughts on punishment. They should only use humane, gentle methods. No choke chains, prong collars, spray bottles, knees in the chest, etc.

Retro the Golden Retriever in Rowley, MA recently had a litter of 16 puppies. Dogs usually are full term at 9 weeks, but Retro had a c-section at 7 weeks due to the size of the litter.

Indya, Sheehan, Retro's owner, talks about the 24-hour task of feeding and care for the unusually large litter.

See the video of the litter and happy Mom.

This is a quick and easy training exercise for dogs of all ages. 7-week-old puppies can learn this as easily as older dogs. This is also one of the most important behaviors your dog can learn.

Why is this so important? For one, it can potentially save your dog's life. Dogs investigate the world with their mouths. This often results in them grabbing anything and everything that they can. If they eat the wrong thing (like Halloween candy!) it can prove fatal. One of my Collies, Ranger, grabbed a Snickers bar off of the ground last Halloween. I said, "drop" and he automatically spit it out. This amount of chocolate would not have killed him, but it might have made him sick. Better safe than sorry.

Here are the easy steps for teaching drop.

• The easiest way to practice is with your dog's toys or bones
• Whenever you see your dog interested in a toy, have a treat ready and "hover" over your dog waiting for him to pick up the toy
• Say, "Drop" ONE TIME ONLY, wait for one second, and THEN put the treat under your dog's nose. AS SOON as he drops the toy, say,"Yes!" or 'click' (if you are using a clicker) and give your dog the treat
• That's it!

So, how can this possibly work? Through repetition and timing, your dog will start to anticipate the treat after hearing the cue, "Drop". The key is to wait at least a second before you show the treat. If you move the treat towards your dog WHILE you are saying the cue, "Drop" your dog will pay attention to the treat only and probably not learn the cue. So, make sure you say the cue without any body motion, then show the treat.

Eventually, you will see that after you say the cue, your dog will do the behavior automatically.

A great exercise is to do Toy Exchanges.

• Use two toys
• Throw one
• When your dog brings back one toy, say, "Drop", wait a second and then squeak the other toy
• AS SOON as your dog drops the first toy, say, "YES!" and throw the other toy
• Eventually you won't need to squeak the second toy, your dog will drop on his own!

You can see these training exercises and more in my high-quality, intant access dog training video: Puppy Biting and Rules of Tug

Happy Training!

Halloween is a great opportunity for dog training. The uniqueness of the holiday provides some dog training experiences that you can take advantage of to help your dog get to the next level in his socialization and guest manners skills.

Socialize Your Puppy
Halloween is a prime opportunity to expose your puppy to new and interesting sights and sounds. Bring treats with you on every walk and say, "Yes!" or 'Click and Treat' every time your puppy sees halloween decorations, hears ghoulish sounds or meets trick-or-treaters.

Remember, with socialization it is critical that your puppy is not showing signs of fear or you are going too quickly. When a puppy stops taking treats, that is a sure sign of fear. Move him or her farther away and give treats from this new distance.

Doorbell Desensitization
Trick or treaters provide a perfect opportunity to teach a dog to be calm when the doorbell rings.

Keep some treats in your pockets in anticipation of the little ghosts and goblins and practice this doorbell desensitization exercise:

• AS SOON as the doorbell rings, say, "Yes!" or 'Click' (if you are using a clicker) and drop treats on the ground
• As you notice that your dog's reactivity lessens throughout the evening (he might even start sniffing the ground after the doorbell!!) start talking to him more before giving treats
• By the end of the evening, try and walk him calmly to the door and have him sit after each ring
• Practice walking him to the door and sitting periodically between visitors to give him more practice

Have a Safe Place for Candy
It is easy to lose track of your child's bounty after a long night of trick or treating. Make sure to help your kids put the candy in safe place to avoid making your dog sick (or worse) after ingesting candy.

Chocolate, macadamia nuts, raisins, and grapes are really bad for dogs and could prove fatal.

Wrappings can also cause intestinal problems.

A new $15 million hospital opened in San Antonio, Texas to care for dogs wounded in combat.

"We act as the Walter Reed of the veterinary world," said Army Col. Bob Vogelsang, hospital director, referring to the Washington military medical center that treats severely wounded troops.

Before the new facility opened, dogs were previously treated in a facility that opened in 1968. Since Sept. 11, 2001, demand for combat-ready dogs has increased dramatically. They currently also train dogs at the Lackland Air Force Base where the hospital is located.

Originally reported in the Chicago Tribune.

Read the article here.

I taught hundreds of dog training classes for two years before switching to all private sessions five years ago. I enjoyed teaching classes but enjoy the flexibility and autonomy of private sessions more. But, I still see value in group classes and often refer clients to other group classes in Chicago. Are you currently deciding between group and private classes and don't know which option to choose? Here are my thoughts on both options.

Socialization
Whether you choose private training or group classes for your puppy, it is critical that you spend much more time on socialization than what your puppy class or private session provides. You should concentrate on learning how to socialize your puppy and learn about dog body language, play styles, and how to break up fights if they occur. Puppy classes can be beneficial if you are training your puppy in the winter and might have difficulty finding groups of puppies to play with in inclement weather. Since my private clients live in Chicago near high concentrations of puppies, we have ample opportunities to meet puppies during sessions to ensure they understand how to continue the socialization process in between sessions.

Scheduling Flexibility
One of the benefits of private training is scheduling around your busy schedule. I take appointments from 9am - 7pm and most private trainers work flexible hours. You also do not have to schedule the same time each week. With classes, you are usually obligated to meet at the same time each week. Some classes offer "drop in" type schedules. If scheduling flexibilty is a priority for you, check with the trainer about flexible shedules and cancellation and makeup sessions as well. All training facilities have different rules about making up classes if you miss one.

Cost
Private classes are definitely more expensive, but there are other costs to factor in. With classes, you have to travel to the location. My clients enjoy the flexiblity of meeting me at their house without any travel time.

Theoretical vs. Real World Training
One of the biggest challenges for any student that takes a group class is to apply the strategies learned in class and apply them to real-world challenges at home. For instance, teaching guest manners such as no jumping, or no barking at the doorbell is a common question tackled in group classes. it is challenging to recreate the situation in class without the actual doorbell and door at your house. During my private training, I show my clients step-by-step instructions on how to desensitize their dog to the doorbell, and how to teach their dog not to jump near the door when guests arrive.

Territorial Aggression
If your dog exhibits territorial aggression in the home, you need private training. The triggers that cause territorial aggression can't be recreated in a group setting.

Dog-Dog Aggression
You can make progress in a good "growly" group class as long as you are working with a skilled positive reinforcement trainer (my recommendation is to ONLY use positive reinforcement). The challenge is finding a good trainer that really understands how to treat this issue and has enough assistants in class. The rule of thumb is that there should only be 4-6 dogs in each class and there should be one assistant for each dog in class. Dog-dog aggression is handled very well in a private setting with the right trainer. 40-50 percent of my cases involve dog-dog issues. I work with my clients in their neighborhoods where the issues occur on a daily basis. I also often bring one of my personal dogs to a session in order to help my clients learn their dogs tendencies while focusing on getting their dog comfortable with one dog for an extended period of time. This allows my clients to study their dogs anxiety signals in order to apply this knowledge when they encounter other dogs on walks.

Distractions
Some of my private clients tried group classes and stopped going out of frustration. They could not get their dog to pay attention in class around the other dogs. A good teacher can usually help redirect a dog and provide guidance on how to achieve focus. However, sometimes it is easier to start with private sessions to lay the foundation of training principles before attempting a high distraction group setting.

These are just some thoughts that hopefully will help you make your decision about group classes or private training. Either option can be beneficial and fun if you find the right trainer. Go watch the classes that you are considering, check references and talk to other clients of the trainer before making your decision.

Everyone is a critic. If you have a job specialty I am sure that you look at others performing your job with a critical eye. Maybe they are less efficient, charge too much or have a questionable work ethic. I am the same way. I am always critical of other dog trainers and enjoy watching other trainers work to hone my skills of assessing a situation and formulating a strategy that I might do differently.

I first put my criticism into two categories: humane and non-humane, and then I filter through many other factors including clear instruction, efficiency, mastery of subtleties and speed of learning. The first one is the deal breaker.

If I ever hear of, or see someone performing training that is not humane, I lose complete respect for the trainer. There are many levels of inhumane treatment of dogs in dog training and the important point to keep in mind is that aversion, or the application of something that is unpleasant, is in the eye of the recipient. Some dogs might be fine if you raise your voice, others might cower and shake in fear.

The point is, it is impossible to know the threshold of pain and anxiety that a dog can take before they turn into a mess, so why apply any level of aversion? There are numerous trainers that use much more abusive trainers including using choke chains and shock collars. The tragedy is that the dog training world is largely unregulated and clients hire "dog trainers" because they don't realize that these abusers are using methods that can physically and emotionally scar their dog.

Read this story about a dog in the UK that was tortured by someone calling himself a dog trainer. Thankfully, this poor excuse for a human being was found out and fined, but many much more heinous actions are being done RIGHT NOW to dogs all over. Just because someone takes your money or has a facility with a cute sign with a dog on it doesn't mean that you should trust them with your dog.

Do your homework, check references, watch them work and DO NOT get scared into using their services. Many abusive trainers use the same scare tactics on their potential clients as they do with the dogs in their care. Especially if someone has an aggressive dog, they often tell them that if they don't "Show their dog who's boss" and "Be the alpha" and "Whip them into shape" then their dog will never get better and will probably get worse. This simply isn't true. I have worked with thousands of dogs, many of them were aggressive, and have only used positive reinforcement.

I will NEVER use choke chains, prong collars, shock collars or abusive methods. Keep this in mind when you are looking for trainer. Just like finding a good teacher, finding a good trainer might take some time. But it is worth it.

Want to take your dog training skills to the next level? Enlist the help of someone to watch you train and give you constructive help based on the following criteria:

Consistency
Make sure you are clear and consistent with your verbal cues or hand signals. Did you say, "Come" or "Come here"? For a "Stand" cue, is your palm facing your dog or away from him?

Say It Once
Repeating cues is the fastest way to dog training frustration. If you want reliability (who doesn't?) you need to make sure you say the cue one time and then help your dog get it right. If you find that you always feel like you have to repeat cues, this is an indication that your dog needs more help on that aspect of training. If this happens, practice 5-10 repetitions where you say the cue, and then help your dog do the behavior by using a food lure or other "helper" such as gently pulling the leash for "come". You need to condition the behavior and associate with the cue by doing lots and lots of repeitions. But, saying it once is crucial for reliability.

Quiet Body
When you are communicating with your dog to "Sit" do you bend at the waist a little bit? This is a common occurrence with new trainers. If you add extraneous body movements, your dog might think that this is part of the cue. Your dog might be confused (and you might get frustrated) if you ask for a "Sit" next time without bending at the waist.

No Blocking
Blocking occurs if you give a hand signal and a verbal cue at the same time. Why is this a problem? If you want your dog to learn both hand and verbal cues individually, then he might be confused when he sees just one of them if you sometimes put them together. You might have to always give both cues for it to make sense. He might also not learn one of them if he pays attention to the cue that he is more familiar with.

Keep Your Dog Interested
Is your dog engaged in the training session? Is he giving a lot of eye contact. Is he having fun? One difference between novice and professional dog trainers is the skill to keep a dog excited about training. The more excited your dog is the more he will pay attention and will give you a better opportunity for teaching more skills. Use enthusiasm, great treats or toys, move around a lot and reward frequently to keep your dog interested. Also do short training sessions and stop training before your dog wants to stop to keep things fresh.

Dog training is a skill that evolves over time. Pay attention to the details of training and you will increase your skills and have a lot more fun.