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This month marks a significant milestone – 10 years of Calling All Dogs’ dedication to helping dogs and their owners. Reflecting on a decade of devotion to dog training, focusing on fear, aggression, and raising puppies to be well-mannered adults, I aim to debunk some of the most common misunderstandings about dogs and provide deeper insights into their behavior. Understanding Dog Aggression The intricate world of dog behavior is often misunderstood and quickly labeled with terms like “dominant,” “stubborn,” or “alpha.” Seeing your dog display aggression, fear, or reactivity can evoke a ..read more

This blog was originally published on 3/27/2023 When training reactive dogs, repetition is a crucial aspect to which owners should pay attention. Reactive dogs are those that show an exaggerated response to specific triggers, such as other dogs, people, or unfamiliar situations. This behavior may manifest as barking, growling, lunging, or even biting. To effectively work with a reactive dog, Certified Dog Behavior Consultants like myself must employ consistently positive training activities over numerous sessions to help the dog overcome the anxiety or fear associated with their triggers Un ..read more

The challenges of integrating a new puppy with 2 cats and a blind dog This blog was originally published on 3/5/2023 and printed in the Summer 2022 edition of the APDT Chronicle of the Dog. Click here for a PDF. I knew it would be challenging when I decided to bring a puppy into our home. Not just because of the typical puppy chewing, potty training, and crate training, but because my priority was, and still is, the comfort of our resident cats and dogs during the integration process.  As a dog behavior consultant, I work with many owners that bring new dogs into their ho ..read more

This blog was originally published on 1/4/2020   A dog trains a person A dog is never too old to learn; however, it is much easier to teach him before bad habits have the chance to develop. With that being said, you will still find that your dog regresses in training if you are not consistent with your expectations. An excellent example of this is Brody, my 13-year-old Golden Retriever. I met Brody when he was five years old and living with my now-husband, Rich, since a puppy. Brody had Rich well-trained. He just needed to bark a few times during meals, and he would receive food from t ..read more

This blog was originally published on 3/4/2019 and printed in Edition Dog Magazine.   As a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, I talk with many people about different methods used to train their dogs.  Being a trainer that works on scientifically supported methods of building confidence, creating replacement behaviors, and decreasing anxiety and aggression with reward-based training, I am firmly against any use of force and intimidation. I often hear the following comment from people: “everyone has their opinion about how to train dogs.” I want to address this comment.  An opi ..read more

This article was previously published on 2/5/2020. It was also featured in Edition Dog, Issue 13.   In a world full of punishment-based training and television quick fixes for dog behavior problems, clients often tell me that they are concerned that their dog is trying to be the “alpha” in the home or that their dog must obey because the owner is the “boss.” I do not blame owners for having these beliefs. After all, like myself, they were raised on the “Dominance Theory,” which continues to be inaccurately portrayed as the correct approach by the media. Where did the Dominance Theory co ..read more

This is an updated version of an article previously published in 2021 under the title of “Dogs Aren’t Machines, Apart From Missing Mechanical Components. Here’s Why.” Dogs vs. Cars Let’s start by considering a car. A finely tuned machine made up of hundreds of parts. Each part, and the final whole, needs to pass rigorous inspections. I expect my car to roll backward as I hit the gas when I shift into reverse. Even as I was learning how to drive, I still expected my car to act as instructed – because it’s built that way, it cannot make conscious choices and doesn’t have emotions (unless it ..read more

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The good, the bad, and the ugly side of socialization How to get it right and what to do when it goes wrong I work with owners who are frustrated with their dog’s behaviors.  Their barking at other dogs, growling at people, or chasing anything with wheels has become unmanageable and embarrassing.   They think that the solution to the problem is that their dog “needs more socialization” in these situations and they are contacting me because they need me to provide them with opportunities to do so.  What I then inform them is something that owners do not want to hear: Their d ..read more