Pet Training – A to Z Dog Training

Tips For Getting Your Dog Comfortable With Water

I believe most of us live in Hawaii for the turquoise blue ocean and the lush green mountains. I will often receive questions asking “how can I get my dog comfortable with the water?” There are many tips that I can offer on this subject. However, I do want to state that many dogs are genetically predisposed to enjoy the water, while others are not. Do some research on your dog’s breed to see which category they may fall into. If your dog is not genetically predisposed, don’t worry! Try the tips below, and your dog may learn to fall in love with the water! Tips for getting your dog comfortable with water: Your dog’s first exposure to water is critical. If the interaction is forced or if your dog is scared, this experience could determine if your dog will enjoy the water in the future. Never force your dog

Tammy Nunes August 9, 2021 No Comments

Recognizing Signs Of Stress In Your Dog

Do you understand what your dog is telling you through their body language? I feel it is a great disservice to our dogs if we only expect them to learn what we want through training, but not look deeper at what our dogs need through their body language. Keep in mind, behaviorally, anything our dog does is information to us. For example, if your dog barks and lunges on their leash, they may be telling you they are scared of something in the environment or frustrated they cannot be free to say hi to another dog friend that they see. To understand if your dog is scared or frustrated in this situation, you can look at their body language. When I teach classes, I train students to recognize stress in their dogs. If your dog is stressed, it’s very hard for them to learn in that state of mind. If a dog

Tammy Nunes July 10, 2021 No Comments

Stop Your Dog From Barking!

With any problem behavior, it is important to figure out why your dog is doing that particular behavior. Once you can figure out why they are doing what they are doing, you can address the problem behavior. I find that many problem behaviors can be eliminated by making sure dogs receive enough exercise and you are consistent with redirecting their problem behavior, all while setting their environment and your dog up for success. Why do dogs bark? Separation anxiety Protection or alert Fun or attention seeking Fear Boredom Over-stimulated Separation Anxiety If your dog is barking due to separation anxiety, you will want to address the separation anxiety issue itself, as that is a bigger issue than just barking alone. I am here to help. Protection If your dog is barking at people or other dogs passing by the house, ‘turn off their tv’ by blocking their view from

Tammy Nunes June 15, 2021 No Comments

How to Get Your Dog’s Attention

A big question I receive is “how do I get my dog to pay attention to me. No matter what.” I feel the ‘Look’ exercise is underused. If past students tell me their dog is starting to bark on their leash, I’ll remind them to use the ‘Look’ exercise. Here are some other examples of how I use this exercise: To redirect your dog from other dogs To redirect your dog from cats To redirect your dog from something they are afraid of such as skateboards or bicycles To stop your dog from pulling To stop your dog from smelling And so much more! A word of caution: training a reliable ‘look’ takes time, practice, and patience. You must start this training in a quiet, non-distracting environment. As your dog gets better, you can increase the distractions and your expectations. Always remember, consistency over time gets results! Take a look

Tammy Nunes May 17, 2021 No Comments

Try This Before Your Walks

Did you know that the way you start your walks with your dog can set a precedent to how your walks will go? If you allow your dog to pull you out the door at the beginning of your walk, it is more likely your dog will pull you during the entirety of your walk. Consequently, it will take that much longer to gain their attention. I quickly learned that if I allowed a dog to jump all over me while putting on their leash, or allowed them to pull me out the door, it took me and my furry companion much longer to get anywhere without them pulling. I’m not sure about you, but I do not find walking a dog that pulls me to be fun, at all. One of the first things that I do when training one of our Board and Train or Day Train dogs

Jen Chapman December 15, 2020 No Comments

Helpful Tips For Your Recalls

Is your dog not responding to their recalls like you would like? Do they look at you when you call them to ‘come’ but continue to turn and run the other way? If you find you are having a hard time with your dog coming when called, apply these helpful tips. When applied you will see results immediately! 1. First and foremost, set your dog up for success. Do not give your dog freedom until they are coming to you reliably– unless you are in a situation where you do not need them to come when called. The reason for this is because every time you call your dogs to ‘come’ and they do not, they are learning to ignore your requests. People hate to hear ‘keep your dog on leash’ until they know better. They envision their dogs running free and coming back to them at

Jen Chapman December 1, 2020 No Comments

Beyond Fetch: Games To Play With Your Dog

A game is a great way to exercise your dog’s body and mind, and spend a little quality time together. What’s in your repertoire? Here’s a selection of games you can play indoors or outside: Homegrown agility. If your house is big enough, create a makeshift obstacle course for your dog from rolled-up towels, cardboard boxes, blankets hung between chairs, etc. Or, if the weather is good and you have a yard, build your course outside. Hide-and-seek. Grab a handful of yummy treats or your dog’s favorite toy. Ask your dog to sit and stay, then you go hide in another room. Call your dog and when he finds you, reward him with a treat or a play session with his toy. Repeat until you have had enough—your dog likely won’t get bored anytime soon. The name game. Get two of your dog’s favorite toys and remove all other toys

Jen Chapman March 3, 2015 No Comments

Getting Real With Your Dog

One of the most frequent sources of frustration in dog training? Unrealistic expectations. Dogs’ intelligence shines through in so many ways that we tend to ascribe them decidedly human cognitive skills, such as the ability to understand complex sentences. It’s what some dog trainers refer to as “the Lassie syndrome.” If you often find yourself frustrated with your dog, here’s a primer on what it takes to create a Lassie: Patience. One basic training class won’t do it. The calm, attentive pooches you see on TV picking up slippers and opening doors? They have spent years in training. You wouldn’t expect a child to become a piano virtuoso after one semester of classes, right? Repetition. Dogs don’t generalize well. This means they need to learn the same lesson—don’t jump on people, for example—in many different settings before they grasp that we’d always prefer them to greet visitors politely, not just

Jen Chapman November 28, 2014 No Comments

Going Leash Crazy

Going Leash Crazy Have you ever wondered why your friendly playful pooch off leash turns into a monster on leash, or in your home or yard? Why is it that your dog loves to play with others and gets along with everyone when they are off leash but the moment you attach the leash they turn into a beast? If your dog is not aggressive with other dogs when they are off leash but show aggressive behaviors towards other dogs on leash or behind a barrier, your dog maybe exhibiting leash or barrier frustration. Your dog is frustrated that they cannot get to the other dog to say hello and do their normal doggie greetings such as smell butts, ears, and mouths. How they express this frustration to the owner is by vigorously barking and lunging on their leash or through a fence or window. I often use the following

Jen Chapman July 6, 2013 No Comments

‘Look’

Attention Purpose– teaching this exercise will train your dog that it is more reinforcing to pay attention to you than the distractions around him. Criteria– your dog should look at you. Visual Que– Point to your eyes. Verbal Que– ‘Look’ Important to remember Your dog is familiar with his own environment. There are fewer distractions at home as compared to a park. Begin all training where there are minimum distractions. As your dog becomes more reliable with certain behaviors, gradually work your way to a more distracting environment. DO NOT expect your dog to respond to you as well as they would at home in this new environment. Behavior Pyramid Start in an area with no distractions Take a treat slowly wave it in front of your dogs nose and with your dog watching bring it to your eyes. Say ‘Look’ then ‘ok’ then give your dog the treat. The