Puppy Training – Prevent Behavior Problems Now! Getting a new puppy is an exciting and fun experience. This new canine addition to your family is going to be with you a very long time so it’s very important to establish a healthy relationship with them that is in harmony with your family and living situation. The time to begin training your puppy is now, because it’s best to teach your dog good behaviors before they have a chance to develop unacceptable ones. The Dog Squad teaches puppies with a training approach that has been successful for nearly three decades. Our training is in-home a ..read more

Aggressive Dogs Can Be Helped in the Bay Area Aggression is the first thing people worry about when someone says the word “dog”. Aggressive dogs are often assumed to be hopeless or inherently flawed and not suited to be pets or around children. It can be stressful and dangerous to take an aggressive dog out on walks in public or worse, have him showing aggression in the home. Like all behavior problems, aggression stems from your dog’s social placement in the home and can be remedied with our in-home training program and our training classes for aggressive dogs. An aggressive dog isn’t a hopel ..read more

Planning a trip to Oakland with your furry friend? Look no further! We have curated a list of the best dog-friendly hotels in Oakland just for you. With the rising demand for pet-friendly accommodations, the hospitality industry is stepping up its game to provide exceptional services for both you and your furry companion. From luxury hotels like The Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel, to budget-friendly options like Motel 6-Oakland, CA – Embarcadero, we have covered it all. Not only do these hotels offer special amenities for pets, but they are also conveniently located near pet-friend ..read more

Calling all dog owners and food lovers in Oakland! If you’re tired of leaving your furry friend at home while you dine out, we have some good news for you. Oakland is a paradise for dog owners and food enthusiasts alike, with a thriving dog-friendly dining scene that will make your tail wag with joy. In this blog, we will explore why Oakland is the perfect place for dog-friendly dining experiences and highlight some of the top restaurants in the area where you can bring your four-legged companion. We’ll also discuss what makes a restaurant truly dog-friendly and provide tips on how to choose t ..read more

Oakland, California is a city that embraces its four-legged residents with a variety of dog parks. These parks provide a safe and enjoyable space for dogs to socialize, exercise, and play off-leash. Whether you’re a local dog owner or just visiting with your furry friend, here are some of the best dog parks in Oakland: Central Reservoir Dog Park Lake Merritt Bay Area Dog Parks Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Redwood Regional Park Temescal Regional Recreation Area Joaquin Miller Park Dimond Park Middle Harbor Shoreline Park Roberts Regional Recreation Area A good dog park should have certain ..read more

Separation Anxiety: It CAN Be Fixed! People don’t always realize that a dog can have complications like separation anxiety, or anxiety in general. We think of this as a very human condition, but you’ve probably seen dogs with separation anxiety. If you’ve noticed that your pet reacts oddly to you leaving – this could be leaving the room or the house in general, this may be separation anxiety. Anxious dogs are vocal and physically reactive to their owner leaving; you may hear howling and incessant whining or the scrabbling of paws against a wall or door. They might destroy things while you’re a ..read more

Why Dogs Need A Leader and Why It Needs to Be YOU! Everyone’s heard about dogs being in a pack, and the phrase “alpha dog” or “top dog” is used very commonly. But is it true that dogs use social ranking and hierarchies? Just like the phrasing goes, it’s true that even domesticated dogs will vie for social rankings with each other. In every group, there is usually a leader – if you own multiple dogs, you’ll watch the rankings change here and there, and that all the relationships shift when another dog comes into play. When they’re raised in a group, they spend the first few years of life learni ..read more

Is Socialization Always The Answer? As an Oakland dog trainer I know for dogs, especially puppies, the idea of socialization is a big deal. Once a puppy is taken away from its mother and goes into their new home with their adoptive family, it’s important for that puppy to become socialized with their new environment and the people in it. After that once the puppy is comfortable in their home and family, it’s important to socialize them with outside distractions and stimuli, such as other dogs, neighbors, traffic, etc.  Socialization is something that the puppy learns with its mother ..read more