Hello everyone! I just wanted to drop in and talk about training for a minute. 

As many of you know I am a dog trainer, I have always wanted to be a dog trainer, since I was young my dream was to have a dog I could take EVERYWHERE. Not like service dog everywhere because I am not someone who requires that, but a dog I could drive to a field and let him out to play ball, to take to dinner on a patio, to have around at parties and get togethers and not have to worry about food or small children, and most importantly to have a dog that I could have around my dad who is really not a dog person. 

While yes some of you hit the jackpot when you've gotten your dogs and haven't had to put much if any amount of training on them, the rest of the world isn't so lucky. By no means am I implying the rest of the dogs are bad dogs they just simply don't know. Think about it they speak a totally different language they are a totally different species and they get brought into our homes and for the average dog owner are now expected to act like little people. And this is where the massive miscommunication comes into play and where people start to have problems and run into the behavior issues that us trainers see on a daily basis. And much of the advice you see floating around from many other well meaning dog owners seems like it would work/make sense to a person, but it wouldn't make much sense to a dog and some advice tends to reinforce the unwanted behaviors though not meaning to. 

I guess I'll stop rambling now and just say it.....train train train and train and just when you think you have trained enough train some more. You will not successfully fix major behavior problem by just simple spraying your dog with water or vinegar, or throwing cans of coins, or yelling or any other interrupting method doesn't really change the way the dog thinks. It may startle them and get them to stop momentarily but the next time the stimulus comes around they tend not to think twice about reengaging in the unwanted behavior. If you're willing to startle them why not take them time to teach them right from wrong and teach them what you would like them to do instead. 

I could go on forever about the importance of training and why I feel it's important for you and everyone to have a well trained dog, but that may bore you.  Let me just say that a well trained dog is a happy dog. There is less anxiety, they know what is expected of them and the get to experience more of the world because the are enjoyable to take places.

~Katie