How do you know if your kids are ready for a dog?  And if they are, how do you prepare them for bringing that new dog home? Well lucky for you (and me) Justine Schuurmans, the expert on families, kids, and dogs,  is going to answer those questions. Justine is the founder of The Family Dog and the creator of The Dial Method.  Her work with families has greatly impacted how I work with kids and puppies to this day.   The best part?  This is part one of a two part series.  Stay tuned for part two where she talks about what to do when the your kids and the dog a ..read more

What is dog fitness?  Brittni of Potential Unleased Idaho has joined me to answer that question and then some. Brittni talks to us about dog fitness and how it can prevents injuries, builds confidence, and work both body and mind.  Of course, we also talked a lot about puppies and how to keep our their muscles and joints safe and happy while their little bodies are growing. I had to take my own notes during this interview!  To learn more from Brittni, check out her resources below.  In this episode we talk about: What is dog fitness? How much exercise should our puppies g ..read more

Something exciting is happening!!  I've just finished two major changes to YOUR Perfect Puppy, my 4 week new puppy course.  It's the same 4-week course that has helped hundreds of new puppy owners get through those first few months with their puppy but I've added an entire skills and cues section, both expanded lessons that were already there and added new ones.   Now there is almost double the amount of lessons to help you succeed with your new puppy.  The second update is now you can join YOUR Perfect Puppy with life time access.   Previously you needed to join my m ..read more

It can be counter intuitive but when your puppy has a potty accident, we shouldn't punish them. You may feel that you need to do something to let them know "this is wrong".   Or maybe you know that you're not supposed to punish your puppy's potty accidents but you're not sure why. In general, I discourage using punishment as a form of teaching your puppy anything.  But this question comes up a lot around potty training.  In Episode #10: (Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Puppy), I talk about what to do when your puppy has an accident.  Punishment is never part of it ..read more

When I receive multiple questions from my listeners around the same topic I know it's time to do a podcast episode about it.   But not all questions warrant a full episode but can still be useful to answer. So that's exactly what I did in this episode.  I gathered 5 questions that came from you, my listeners (through email and social media) and answered them here. If you like this format let me know and maybe we can make a series out of it! In this episode I talk about: Older puppy (9 months) rejecting the crate overnight (1:19).  When its OK to leave your puppy for 2 weeks (4 ..read more

When your dog refuses to go outside in the rain, it can be annoying and time consuming.  It's even worse when you're trying to potty train a young puppy that isn't going to hold it until the rain stops.   For most dogs they will learn to tolerate it but for others it may always be a struggle.  We know we should stay positive to try and change their association but when you've been outside for the 10th time in the rain and they still haven't gone it's hard not to let that frustration show through.  Different things will work for different dogs.  That's why in this epis ..read more

Muzzle training your dog means exposing your dogs to wearing a muzzle in a positive, stress-free way (see resources below on how to do this). This is something that most of us never think (or want to think) about doing with our dog.  It's understandable because muzzles have a bad rap and are thought of as a last resort for an aggressive dog. But there are many benefits beyond "controlling an aggressive dog". Any dog, when injured has the potential to bite.  Some dogs have a hard time handling the groomer or the vet.  These aren't  "bad" or "aggressive" dogs. When we take a ..read more

Socialization is the most important training you can do for your puppy.  It's also the most overlooked and misunderstood part of your puppy's training. When done correctly as a puppy, socialization creates a confident, well adjusted dog.  And who doesn't want that for their puppy?   I've gathered the 4 things I think are the most misunderstood about socialization to help correct any misconceptions.  This also serves as a crash course in socialization if you have no idea what it is.  In addition, each topic has it's own podcast episode where you can learn even mor ..read more

Is your dog trying to dominate you?  The short answer is no, they are not.   And though that might not come as a surprise to you, what isn't always clear is why it's not true.   Especially because this theory that dogs want to dominate us or some dogs are more "dominate" than others still comes up a lot in dog training.  That's why I want to talk about where this dominance and alpha theory came from, how it's been debunked, and why it still persists even though we now know better.  I believe this information is important because helps us better understand our dog and ..read more

Teaching your dog to come when called (recall) is arguably the most important skill you can teach your dog.  It's also one that we struggle with the most.  That's because we try and teach it like we would any other cue like sit, down or stay. But that only gives us half the picture.  Recall is a habit that you have to develop with your dog, not just a skill to teach them.   This means your behavior is just as important as the skills you teach your dog.  Inside my program: 14 Days to a Stronger Recall I teach it in three distinct parts: The habits and behaviors you (a ..read more