Question… Do you let random strangers come up to you or your child, get into your personal space and touch you or your child? No, of course you don’t. Why? Because you don’t know them, because it would be uncomfortable, because it would make you feel nervous, anxious or even scared. Because it’s just plain weird. Well, it’s no different for your dog. Having someone they don’t know approach them and come into their personal space, make direct eye contact, touching them, talking to them etc… makes most dogs uncomfortable. You may not know this because you are unaware of the myriad of dog body la ..read more

What’s the Rush? Terie Hansen As the saying goes “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”. The same applies when introducing a new dog/puppy to your current dog(s). My best advice? Go slowly through the process. And it IS a process. Let’s face it, it could go either way if you just put them together to see what happens. Which is what most people do. It could turn out just fine in the short term, but in the long run it could be building towards a fight. Taking it slowly means, for the first few days to a week just allowing the dogs to exist around each other. Not interacting a ..read more

Remote Collar Dog Training, Yes or No? Petco says “stop the shock” and has decided to stop selling the low quality, remote collars they carry. I say “good riddance” to those crappy systems, but not to high quality systems that are available through companies like E-Collar Technologies that, in the hands of professionals, who know how to properly train and use them are saving dogs lives on a daily basis. But seriously… Things are heating up in the dog training world! While this is an important conversation, you should have all the facts. Some say… “Shock collars have been shown to increase fea ..read more

The Single Biggest Mistake You May Be Making Terie Hansen   This may come as a surprise to many dog owners but, allowing your dog to meet other dogs or people while on leash may be the single biggest mistake you ever make.  It can result in a multitude of negative outcomes and behaviors. Repeated on leash greetings can take an otherwise relaxed, happy, social dog and turn it into a nervous insecure dog or an over stimulated excessively excited dog. When dogs are in an uncomfortable situation they can get into flight or fight mode. In social interactions, where your dog is not on a le ..read more

New Year, New Dog Terie Hansen A dog can learn new things at any age. If you’ve been living with a dog that has less than desirable behaviors, there’s no time like the present to make a change. It’s a new year, new dog! Obedience training can change your dog’s behavior dramatically. Start with simple commands like sit or down. Teach your dog one new command every couple of weeks. Start with a simple sit command, then add walking nicely on leash (no pulling) etc. Make sure to have a leash on your dog so that you have control when needed and can guide your dog into position. Teach the commands ..read more

How to train a dog. To HAVE what others don’t, you’ve got to DO what others won’t. These words are as true for dog training as they are for anything else. How to train a dog Many people say they want a well trained dog but not as many are willing to do what it takes to achieve that. It’s easy to share love and affection. It’s not as easy to share structure and discipline. But these things in combination are the things that yield a well-balanced dog.   Too much affection and freedom create anxiety and nervousness. Which often leads to a reactive even aggressive dog.  Implementing a ..read more

Advocate for your dog. If you don’t your dog will advocate for itself and that doesn’t usually turn out well. Who advocates for your dog? Learn and Understand Canine Body Language. When we say “advocate” what do we mean? Who advocates for your dog? We mean, putting your dog’s physical and emotional well-being first. BEFORE your own wants and needs. You protect your dog, not the other way around. This requires you to be aware, alert and proactive. Practice constant situational awareness. Who advocates for your dog? Learn and understand canine body language. Make sure to look at the dog’s enti ..read more

Why is it so important to ID your dogs or cats for safety? Having up to date identification on your pet greatly increases the chances of return should your pet escape or get lost. If your pet escapes your home or yard and is running loose, a neighbor or other person is much more likely to stop to help your pet if they are clearly wearing a collar and tags.  A collar and ID tag signifies that the pet belongs to someone and isn’t just a stray. Having an ID tag with your pet’s name and your phone number makes it easy for the good Samaritan to act quickly without much effort. Even if your pet ..read more

Flirt Pole Fun, How to Engage your Terrier Breed. Terriers love to chase. It is an instinct that runs strong in the breed. A flirt pole is a great way to allow your Terrier to engage that instinct in a positive manner. It’s also a great way to reinforce impulse control and other commands such as sit, down and out.  Have your dog sit or down. Then just before you engage the toy, release them from command “break” and off they go! Go a few rounds letting them chase the flirt pole toy and then let them catch it. Give them a few seconds to enjoy their catch, then give them the out command and ..read more

Get Your Dog Walking In Following Mode by using these techniques.  I get so many calls from people that have dogs that are reactive on the leash when they are walking them.  Reactive towards people, dogs, bicycles, cars, motorcycles, kids, skateboards, squirrels, cats and the list goes on. Teaching your dog how to walk properly on a leash in the “following mode” (heel position, their nose should be no further up than your heel) is very important. It puts your dog at ease and helps them to be more relaxed while you share leadership by leading the way! Start with your dog walking in yo ..read more