Dealing with Excessive Barking
Living with a dog that barks excessively can be very stressful. It’s hard to relax at home with a barky dog, it can be difficult to get along with neighbours if you have a dog that barks too much, and chances are, your dog is pretty stressed out as well. Excessive barking is a behavioural […]
10 Easy Ways to Incorporate Dog Training into your Daily Routine
When it comes to training our dogs, one of the most common concerns we have is not being able to make time to train them. While it would be great if everyone was able to spend hours a day working with their dogs, for most people, it’s just not a realistic expectation, especially in Singapore. However, […]
Teaching a Reliable Drop Cue
When we ask our dog to “drop” something, we are expecting him to let go of whatever he is holding in his mouth. Sometimes we’d like our dog to let go of a toy that we are playing with to keep him from getting overly excited. Other times, our dog might find something that could be harmful for […]
What is Clicker Training?
In the realm of dog training, two distinct camps exists, namely the ‘Traditional” and the “Positive Reinforcement” camps. “Traditional” dog training has been around for decades, possibly even centuries whereas training based on Positive Reinforcement and canine behavioural science is relatively new and has only gotten exposure and traction in the last 25 years. Positive reinforcement dog training […]
Unleashing your Dog
For a lot of people, a dog that is able to behave and remain focused on his owner while off of the leash is the epitome of a well-trained dog. Teaching your dog to stay tuned into your movements and to respond to your cues quickly and consistently allows you to engage in a wider […]
The Benefits of Training Tricks
Most pet owners spend the majority of their training time working on basic manners like Come when Called, Stay, and Loose Leash Walking. Without a doubt, those are important cues and concepts for your dog to understand and be able to perform reliably. However, in my opinion, there is another type of training that deserves […]
Should You Play Tug with Your Dog?
In the past, there has been some debate about whether or not we should play tug with our dogs. The thought was that high energy games like tug were dangerous and encouraged dogs to bite. It’s true that Tug is a game that can get a little too wild without proper rules and structure, but […]
5 Signs our Dogs Need More Mental Stimulation
Dogs are intelligent, active creatures. Many of the breeds that are popular today were originally bred to do something – herd livestock, help us hunt game, guard their property from intruders, or exterminate vermin for example. While many of us don’t really have a need for a working dog to help us gather our sheep or pull […]
My Dog Can’t be Trained
“My dog can’t be trained. I’ve tried everything and nothing works with him. He’s just a stubborn dog.” Most dog trainers hear some version of that story pretty frequently. While it’s completely understandable for dog owners to be frustrated, especially when they are trying to change an unwanted behaviour, the truth is that all dogs […]
Dog Training: Teaching a Solid ‘Stay’
Teaching your dog how to stay in one spot is a great way to work on building his self-control, and it can prove to be a very useful skill in a variety of situations. For example, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to ask your dog to sit and stay at the front door […]
How Long Does it Take to Train a Dog?
The desire to see changes in your dog’s behaviour is completely understandable, especially if his behaviour is causing a problem! Most pet owners want to know how much work they are in for and when they can expect to see the finished results when they start a new training program with their dog. Unfortunately, the […]
Decoding Your Dog: The Eyes
A dog’s eyes are naturally expressive. Small changes in the shape and size of his eyes or the direction and intensity of his gaze can tell you if your dog is feeling happy, excited, nervous, or scared. Knowing how to interpret the changes in eye shape and size can give you a lot of information […]