The Dog Blog

A Free Resource for
New and Experienced Owners

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)

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)

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)

Three Steps to Living With a Problem Free Dog

We all want live with a dog that has no issues. While there's no such thing as the perfect dog, there are 3 simple things you can do to ensure that your puppy or adult dog develops into one you... (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)

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)

Walking Made Easy: Teaching Your Dog To Wear A Head Halter

If you have a hard time walking your dog on a leash due to mobility issues or you have a dog that is far too powerful to be walked on a leash with a collar or harness, this video is... (continued)

What You Believe, You Can Achieve

If you can't imagine your dog behaving well, or even what it would look like if he did, getting the results you want from your training will be much more difficult and in some cases, impossible. Here I teach you... (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 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)

What's Your Dog's "Type"?

A friend messaged me the other day saying he noticed that one of his dogs seemed to have a preference for playing with little white fluffy dogs, both male and female, and he wondered if this was normal? Dogs, like... (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)

"Why?" And Other Questions To Ask When Training Your Dog

As a society, we are usually taught to follow what others tell us. Following the rules as they are laid out is favoured to critical thinking. When we're told that drinking two cups of milk every day is necessary for... (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)

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No more biting issues!

Charlie is doing great! The biting/mouthing is not really an issue any more. If it does happen, it ends pretty quickly without any drama- it’s great! I bought a 20ft rope which I let him drag around in the yard... (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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Dog-to-Dog Introductions: The Fearful Dog

When you have a fearful dog, introducing it to other dogs isn't as simple as it is for an outgoing dog. Here I teach you a really simple approach to help give your dog exposure to other dogs without stressing... (continued)

Week Six: A Wrap-up and Review at the Park

In week six of our training series with reporter Maggie of A-channel’s Breakfast Television and her 7 month old Labradoodle, Lucy, we wrap up our lessons with a quick overview of what we covered, a demo of Maggie's now excellent... (continued)

Positive change to positive training

Thanks for all your help with Charli and being so patient with us (mostly me!) as we transition to this new style of training. I found your advice really helpful, and we both saw the wisdom in it. We're both... (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)

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)

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)

Introducing a New Dog Into Your Home

It's SO EXCITING bringing home a new dog, right?! And we all hope that the new dog will get along beautifully with the dogs we already have, but that isn't always what happens. So to increase the chances of getting... (continued)

Five Tips to Stop Your Puppy From Biting

We all know that puppies have sharp teeth, but how do we teach them to be more gentle with them?? Here are 5 strategies to help you get through that nasty puppy mouthing stage without turning yourself into a human... (continued)

Teaching Your Dog To Be Calm

Do you have a dog that can’t settle down, especially when there is a lot of activity going on around them? Or a dog who prefers to constantly play or be busy instead of calm and relaxed, regardless of how... (continued)

Trail Etiquette: 5 Ways to Share the Trails

We undoubtedly live in one of THE. BEST. places to walk our dogs in all of Canada, but sometimes we share very different views on how to best share our walking spaces. Here are 5 simple etiquette tips for you... (continued)

When Is Rehoming Your Dog The Best Option?

Rehoming a dog is a very taboo subject. After all, dogs are for life, no? For me that’s a definite yes……but…..sometimes circumstances dictate that rehoming is actually in the best interest of everyone involved, especially the dog, and we’d be... (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)

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)

Why Visiting The Vet May Solve Your Dogs Problem Behaviour

Behaviour problems can have many root causes. Many years ago when I worked as a veterinary technician, a client brought in a new dog who hadn't been to a vet in many years. She was 7 years old, growled at... (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)

Dogs Still Need to Be Dogs

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

Bringing Home a Rescue Dog

Adopting a rescue dog can be incredibly rewarding, but many people don't realize that many dogs don't come "move in ready." Here I share three important things to know about your new rescue, a common mistake I see people make... (continued)

How To Resolve Fence Fighting

Fence fighting is what happens when dogs on opposite sides of a fence or other barrier act in a barking, aggressive frenzy when they see one another. This barking can start off friendly enough but over time the frustration of... (continued)

The Key to Motivating Your Dog

If you find your dogs response to commands, especially around distractions, is lack luster at best, than take a look at what you're using for motivation. The type of rewards you use in training can make the difference between a... (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)

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)

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)

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)

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)