The Dog Blog

A Free Resource for
New and Experienced Owners

Teaching Your Dog To Love Being Caught

If you have a dog who refuses to be caught when he is off leash, always running away every time you reach for him, this video is for you. For some dogs, playing the Gotcha Game alone has completely curbed... (continued)

Teach Your Dog To 'Get Dressed'

Does your dog play keep away when you want to put his collar, harness or head halter on? Here’s a simple hack: teach them how to co-operatively suit up to make heading out the door a hundred times easier.Please note:... (continued)

Dog Park Etiquette: Are We Having Fun Yet? Understanding Body Language in Play

Let’s talk about play. What’s normal and what’s not? What’s okay and what’s pushing the limit of appropriate? How do I know if my dog is being too aggressive or if he is feeling uncomfortable? Everyone you ask will have a... (continued)

Fun with Tricks: Teaching the 'Leg Weave'

Keeping your dog mentally and physically stimulated can be really challenging, especially if you have a high energy dog or one that is recovering from an injury. Teaching tricks is a great way to combat boredom while building a better... (continued)

Dogs Still Need to Be Dogs

I recently worked with the sweetest,... (continued)

Tuna Fudge Training Treats

These are healthy, easy to make training treats that appeal to even the fussiest of palates and can cater to dogs with food allergies. They also taste good enough that if you get hungry while you’re training, you can snack... (continued)

Preparing Your Dog Before Your First Baby Arrives

For some dogs, transitioning into life with a new baby is effortless. For others? Not so much. So I'm sharing with you some of the most important things to start teaching your dog NOW, before that baby arrives, that will... (continued)

The Journey Is the Destination

I was talking to a client after class the other night about some of the challenges he’d been having with his young pup, the biggest of which being that she wouldn’t come when he called her. He mentioned that he’d... (continued)

Is Your Dog A Strong Puller? Try This

Head halters can be a really useful tool, especially if you have a powerful puller or a dog that is reactive when out on walks, as they give you way more control. The downside is very few dogs take to... (continued)

The Key to Successfully Training Your Dog

We all admire those well trained dogs at the park or out walking with their owners and wish ours listened like that, too. Well, yours CAN listen like that and all it takes is doing this one simple step. Until next... (continued)

Freedom is Earned, It's Not a Right

I know how important it is to you to be able to give your dog(s) off leash freedom. And as a trainer, I want nothing more than to help you teach them to listen reliably when they are off leash. You... (continued)

Calm at the Coffee Shop

Imagine yourself sitting outside on the patio of your favourite coffee shop, enjoying a Double Double with a good friend, your dog lying quietly by your feet calmly ignoring the people and dogs going by. If not, then this exercise... (continued)

My Top 6 Must Read Dog Books

As winter approaches, there's no better time then the present to curl up on your couch with a warm blanket, hot cup of tea and a great book to learn more about the dogs you love and share your life... (continued)

On Grief and Losing a Loved One

A very special client emailed me today letting me know her dog had recently passed. Even though she had lost several dogs before, she was really struggling with this particular loss and asked if I had any words of wisdom... (continued)

Puppy Socialization Tips While Social Distancing

If you’ve just brought a puppy home, you may be stressing out about how to socialize them right now with our current social distancing requirements. The good news is your pup doesn’t need to meet hundreds of people and dogs... (continued)

Pulling on Leash

One of the biggest complaints I get from owners is that their dogs pull on leash. Here I explain why your dog still pulls despite any training you may have done and a simple exercise to start teaching your dog... (continued)

Teaching Your Dog To "Find It"

It's that time of year where the weather is starting to become cold and gross, making the temptation to shorten your walks or cut the odd one out all together really high. But your dog still needs to exercise his... (continued)

Who's the Boss?

No, I’m not talking about the 80’s TV show. I’m talking about the question I regularly get asked by my clients about my dogs’ relationships to one another. My answer? All of them are. Contrary to what some dog trainers might have... (continued)

Balance in Exercise

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time telling people to change how they exercise their dogs. It is a common misconception - and one that I, myself, used to perpetuate - that dogs need a good hour or... (continued)

Get Your Socks On!!

This post is a little different than my others because it's a giveaway! Ever wanted to put your dog on a pair of socks? Now's your chance, but only if you act quickly! The first 10 people to follow the steps below... (continued)

Week Three: Discouraging Jumping & Moving to More Distracting Environments

In week three of our training series with reporter Maggie of A-channel’s Breakfast Television and her 7 month old Labradoodle, Lucy, we talk about how to discourage your dog from jumping up on you. We also discuss why it's important... (continued)

Three Easy Ways to Make Training Fun

Have you ever noticed that when you're having fun learning something, not only do you learn it faster, but you can't wait to do it again? Dog training is exactly the same - if either you or your dog are... (continued)

Week Two: Learning the Come Command

In week two of our training series with reporter Maggie and 7 month old, Lucy, of A-channel's Breakfast Television, we reviewed last weeks loose leash walking lesson with and introduced the come command. Plus, we talked about the importance of... (continued)

How Taking Advice From Other Dog Owners Can Harm Your Dog

It doesn’t matter who you talk to, nearly every dog owner you meet is happy to give you training and behaviour advice about your dogs, even if you didn’t ask for it. While everyone is well intentioned in doing so, the... (continued)

How To Stop A Dog Attack

Have you ever been charged at by an aggressive dog? If it ever happened to you, would you know what to do? Yesterday, my own dog was attacked. Well, almost attacked. But only because I knew how to stop it from... (continued)

Come Command Do's and Don't's

'Come' is the one command that almost everyone struggle's with at some point and, for some of you, that struggle is a daily occurrence. Let's be honest, most of us (yes, even me) have had the experience of being left... (continued)

Socialization Myths: Part 1

There are so many myths about socializing dogs, that it inspired me to create a 3 part video series to bust some of the most common ones I hear. Tune in for Part 2 this week! Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYxouBpEFc In this... (continued)

Six Holiday Safety Tips

Since many of my friends, clients and relatives already have their Christmas decorations up, I wanted to share some simple safety tips for the holiday season to help keep your dogs safe, healthy and out of the emergency vet this... (continued)

Should Dogs Be Left To 'Work It Out' On Their Own?

How many times have you heard someone say to you 'Let them work it out' when two dogs are in a disagreement with one another? This is not only terrible advice, it could potentially have serious consequences for one or... (continued)

Picking the Right Dog

Stay connected with me on Facebook and Twitter. We all go into purchasing or adopting a new dog with high hopes and expectations, but it doesn't always work out for the best. Here I explain how to determine what the best... (continued)

Proper Dog Etiquette

Is it appropriate to let your dog greet and play with every dog they meet on the street? Since dogs are social creatures, do they need to make new friends every day? What do you do if you're walking your... (continued)

From Alpha to Understanding: A Dog Trainer's Journey

I used to be one of those trainers who taught using dominance as my base for all behaviour. Even after I transitioned into positive training, when a dog would act up I would still use that as my behavioural model,... (continued)

Tips For Safe Playtime

Something I have been seeing quite a bit of lately are dogs who are getting really aggressive with their owners when they are playing with them or refusing to play altogether. A case in point was a puppy I... (continued)

Four Simple Ways to Stuff a Kong

I am ALL about problem behaviour prevention. After all, it's usually easier to prevent them than to fix them. Giving your dog something productive to focus on, like chewing on a well stuffed Kong, is one way to keep them... (continued)

Thank You Communicanine!

Thank you so much for taking on the challenge of training our little girl, Tia. You are the only one we had total trust and confidence in. Ulla, Doug & Tia the Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier, 5 1/2 months old.... (continued)

Dogs and Calculus

When we raise our children from babies, it is understood and expected that they won’t understand our language or know our rules. We know that it will be our job to teach them, step by step, and then to remind... (continued)

Choosing a Great Breeder

Once you decide on the right breed of dog for you and your family, choosing a great breeder to get your puppy from is the next most important step. Here I share a few benefits to purchasing from a reputable... (continued)

Five Tips for Sending Your Dog to the Sitter

Most of us leave our dog sitters with a pretty comprehensive list of our dogs care instructions. In addition to that, here are 5 simple things you can do to minimize everyone's stress while you are away, especially in the... (continued)

Quality Canadian Dog Collars and Tags

If you're anything like me, you want sustainable products for your dog that you know will do the job, last a long time and make a positive impact. As a dog trainer for well over two decades, I have run... (continued)

Cleaning Dirty Paws Made Easy

With terrible weather comes the need to wipe a lot of wet, muddy paws. A lot of people have trouble wiping their dogs feet because either the dog won't stand still or constantly pulls their feet away while you are... (continued)

Socialization Myths: Part 2

This is part 2 of the series uncovering some of the more common misunderstandings about how and why to socialize your dog. This video will explain: ~ the behaviour changes you can expect as your dog grows up from a puppy... (continued)

Halloween Safety Tips

????Happy Halloween!!???? Although tonight is going to be a fun night for most of the kiddos, for many dogs it’s going to involve a lot more stress. People moving around in strange looking costumes, non-stop strangers at the door and, the... (continued)

Week Four: Road Test – Taking Our Leash Manners to the City

In week four of our training series with reporter Maggie of A-channel’s Breakfast Television and her 7 month old Labradoodle, Lucy, we take the show on the road and do our lesson in downtown Sidney. We talk about how to... (continued)

Teaching a Release Cue

As important as it is to teach your dog what sit and down mean, it's equally as important to teach them a release cue so that they know when those tasks are complete. Otherwise, how would they know when they... (continued)

How to Safely Introduce Two Dogs On Leash

The way dogs meet and greet each other when they are on leash can make or break their relationship and how much they like each other from the start. In this video, I share a really simple exercise to safely... (continued)

Getting the right focus

As I have a high drive dog, I have had many challenges curbing her energy and focusing her on a goal that is mine, not hers. Darcie is right on top of Sam's every move, never missing a prick of... (continued)

{{content:words:40}}... (continued)

How to Fade the Food Lure

Having a dog that "only works for food" or "only listens if he knows I have a cookie" is one of the most common complaints I hear. So today I want to teach you how to eliminate the food lure... (continued)

Getting Your Dog Comfortable Being Brushed

For some dogs, regular brushing is a must, but often avoided because the dog is un-cooperative. Regular brushing not only helps to get rid of dead hair and skin cells, it keeps your house cleaner and also makes your groomers... (continued)

3 Tips to Help Reduce Barking When Your Dog is Alone

We all know what a nuisance barking can sometimes be (especially if you own a Terrier like I do!), so to help you maintain a good relationship with your neighbours, I'm sharing a few simples strategies about how to help... (continued)