Sunday, May 5, 2013

Getting the Behaviors You Want: Using Distance to Teach Good Habits

One of the things I hear owners say quite a bit is that their dog behaves wonderfully when there are no other dogs/people/other animals around, but as soon as they see another dog, person, etc, they go bonkers.  After I ask a few questions, I find out they have an adolescent dog who has only just begun his education.  Adolescent dogs (typically age six months to two years) are more distracted the environment than puppies and adult dogs tend to be.  In addition, all dogs who are new to training need to be taught how to focus and perform even the simplest of behaviors when around something very distracting.  It is up to us to make sure this crucial part of their education isn't left out.  This is the second of a series of posts about getting the behaviors you want in real-life situations that are typically a bit challenging.  Read the previous post here about the importance of playing with your dog and how that relates to getting behaviors.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Be the Treat!


Do you have a dog who doesn't always come when you call him?  Is it hard to get your dog's attention when you're out and about or in a distracting place?  Does your dog forget you're there when other dogs are around? All of us with young dogs or excitable dogs can answer yes to at least one of those questions.  If you can as well, then this week's training tip is for you!



Thursday, April 18, 2013

Welcome!





"Welcome" is a great title for the first post on Pawsitive Partners' new blog.  First, I'd like to welcome you, and I hope you'll check back regularly.  This blog will feature canine training tips and demos, wellness topics, and experiences in the life of a dog trainer.  So, welcome!  Sit back, relax, and enjoy talking about a life with dogs.  

I would also like to welcome trainer Fran Zelladonis, CPDT-KA, to Pawsitive Partners!  Fran will be joining me as a trainer on private lessons and in group classes.  Fran is a graduate of UCONN and Animal Behavior College, and is a nationally certified pet dog trainer.  I'm really looking forward to the creativity and insight Fran will bring to our training program.  Welcome aboard Fran!  




Find out more about Pawsitive Partners by visiting our website.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.  Happy training!