Puppy and Dog Training – Turn Your Dog Into A Good Canine Citizen

To Breed Or Not To Breed

October 10, 2026October 22, 2017 by Maureen

Some pet owners when they get a dog for some reason feel that spaying or neutering is a waste of money. They may feel, especially if they have a female that their dog should have one litter and then have her spayed. Those that have male dogs believe that their dog loses their “manliness” if … Read more

Learning How To Train Your Dog To Do Tricks Can Be a Lot of Fun

March 12, 2025September 21, 2017 by Maureen

Training a dog can be quite rewarding. The more you put into it the more you get out of it. Most dog owners will take the time to train their dogs the basic commands like sit, stay, come, heel and down. Often they will leave it at that but some dog owners like to show … Read more

Hearing Dogs For Deaf People

September 8, 2017September 7, 2017 by Maureen

I read an interesting article online the other day about what a non-profit organization in Japan is doing about the problem of abandoned dogs. This organization, although they cannot rescue all the dogs, have opened a facility in Yokohama, Japan that will implement a training program for these abandoned dogs to be trained as service dogs … Read more

How To Deal With Separation Anxiety In Dogs

April 21, 2019August 9, 2017 by Maureen

In order to know how to deal with separation anxiety in dogs we first need to know what it is and what causes it. It is surprising how many dogs actual suffer from separation anxiety. Research shows that between 10 – 14% of puppies and dogs suffer from separation anxiety. What Is It? Simply put … Read more

Establish Yourself As Pack Leader

April 21, 2019June 17, 2017 by Maureen

Dog training has changed a lot over the last few years and one term we have been hearing more and more often is “Pack Leader”. Is it important to establish yourself as pack leader? Will it help to train your dog better? Will your dog listen to you more if you are the pack leader?

Many dog owners are now desperate to find out how they can become the pack leader. They are tired of being taken for a walk, being yapped at when the dog wants something etc. Dog owners want to be in charge in all situations and they want to know how their dog will respond to unfamiliar things when they are out and about.

As a responsible dog owner you need to understand how a dog pack works. When you grasp that you will also understand why it is so important that you be in charge and not your dog. If you let your dog be the pack leader he or she will eventually make a mistake and there may be dire consequences to that mistake.

How To Stop Your Puppy From Jumping Up

August 17, 2017August 26, 2016 by Maureen

Is it really necessary to learn how to stop your puppy from jumping up? Definitely! Right now your puppy is not that big but if he is a large breed dog and you do not correct this behaviour now when he is full grown he could actually hurt you or someone else.

Puppies jump up on us for a variety of reasons. The main reason is for attention. They are curious by nature and they do explore by scent. Since they are so small for now they need to jump up to investigate you better.

Some people believe that the puppy is just happy to see them when they display this behaviour. They may be happy to see you but that is not why they are jumping all over you.

If this behaviour is not corrected at an early age the jumping up could take on a more dominant overtone and you definitely do not want that.

So if your puppy is looking for attention then it seems logical that when they jump up on you and you give them attention you are just reinforcing the bad behaviour. Therefore you need to ignore your dog when they display this bad behaviour. When they jump on you, you need to turn your back on your puppy and walk away and totally ignore them. Cesar says it best, “No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact”.

After your puppy settles down, then you can try it again. Call your puppy and if the same behaviour is again displayed some trainers recommend that you totally isolate your puppy. You can do this by leaving the room or putting your puppy in another room, hopefully one that is puppy proof.

Aggression – One Of The Most Feared Dog Behavior Problems

April 21, 2019June 18, 2016 by Maureen

One thing that many dog owners fear is when their dog shows sign of aggression. There are many dog behavior problems that owners deal with but aggression is the one that usually ends up with the dog being surrendered to a shelter.

Dog Behavioural Problems — dog in shelter

I would have to say that the majority of dogs are aggressive by nature. Breeders have for years tried to breed the aggression out of our dogs and have had a degree of success. But a dog’s aggression is an instinct that they have had since the beginning of time. It is their survival instinct.

Years ago dogs hunted for food, fought to protect their territory and their mate. They also fought their pack members for their position in the pack. Maintaining the alpha position did not come easy especially as one aged.

Are Dominant Dogs Trainable?

August 18, 2017March 4, 2016 by Maureen

Have you ever had a dog that you considered aggressive towards other dogs? Have you ever been in the situation that when you are walking your dog you run into another dog and your normally calm dog turns into Cujo.

training dominant dogs — pulling on leash

You usually tend to do a couple of things. Maybe when you see the dog approach you cross the road to avoid him or you may just stop walking your dog altogether.

Your dog’s actions are controlling your actions. So this can only mean one thing. Between you and your dog, your dog is the boss when it comes to your relationship. He is the one calling the shots not you.

Sure you have tried pulling on the leash, tried a different collar or even a harness, maybe you have even tried to entice him with treats to no avail.

You need to take back your rightful position in your pack. You need to be the leader not the follower you have become.

You see your dog as aggressive but he is also dominant. A dominant dog is only doing his job and that is to protect the pack even if you are the only other member of the pack. Anything that he deems a threat to himself and you he is going to react in protect mode, thus the aggression.

Deciding How To Train Your Dog

March 12, 2025January 31, 2016 by Maureen

When you first bring that cute little puppy home have you given any thought as to how you are going to train your dog? If this is your first dog you may have not looked at all your options when it comes to the training of your new puppy.

Of course we all know one of the first things we will train our dog to do is to go potty in a designated spot. Now is this spot going to be in the house on a pee pad or outside in the backyard? Maybe you are going to first teach your puppy to go on a pee pad and then later train your puppy to go outside.

What Are The Benefits of a Raw Food Diet For Dogs?

March 12, 2025January 8, 2016 by Maureen

For many of us who have owned a dog or who now have a dog what we fed our dog was never a big issue. We fed them puppy food until about a year old then we switched to adult food until they were around 7 and then we switched them to senior food. Now in the past years a new diet has come about and that is the raw food diet for dogs.

What is a Raw Diet?

A raw food diet for dogs is basically that raw food for your dog. Raw meats like chicken, duck, beaver etc. are mixed with bones, organs , fruits and vegetables. Many dog owners believe this is what dogs ate at one time when they were in the wild and they feel this diet is beneficial for them. Since this was their diet at one time most animal owners who support this type of diet believe feeding raw is just a more natural food source for their dog.

There are two types of raw diets that owners are feeding their pets. One diet is referred to as the Prey Model Diet and the other is called BARF Diet.

Prey Model Diet

– This diet is a representation of what our pets namely dogs and cats have been eating in the wild for thousands of years. People who support this type of diet believe that even though our pets have been domesticated for many years that they are still by nature designed for this type of diet where they eat whole prey. By whole prey they mean just that the whole animal. A prey animal consists of organs, bones, muscle meat, skin, hide/feathers, fat and other tissues. Animals that hunt in a pack will hunt larger game such as deer bison etc while a lone hunter will go after smaller prey such as squirrels, rabbits, birds, fish etc. All of these prey animals would be ideal in your pet’s diet.