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A lot of people believe that if you're going to get a dog, you need a house with a big fenced backyard. But do you really? I would say that you don’t. I have raised two of the best-behaved dogs while living in an apartment, without a fenced-in backyard. I know from personal experience that a backyard isn’t necessary to own a dog. A backyard can make some things easier, especially potty breaks. But having a backyard doesn't automatically make someone a better puppy owner, and

When your dog reacts to another dog or a person on leash, it can become very stressful, embarrassing, and exhausting. Many of the people I work with have leash-reactive dogs, and I have extensive experience addressing leash reactivity. It does take a long time to improve leash reactivity. It's not an overnight process. There's no quick fix. If your dog barks, lunges, freezes, growls, or completely loses their mind when they see another dog or a person, that is considered leas

Many new puppy owners think walking their puppy once per day or a few times per week is enough. It’s not! How can you or your puppy learn anything by doing it a few times per week? You can’t! I suggest 3-8 walks per day for effective leash training of the loose-leash walking techniques that I teach in my puppy training program. I got my dog, Spaulding, at 3 months old and had him for 12 years, until he passed in April 2020. I estimate we went on an average of 6 walks per day

Many people would love to have their dog walk beside them on a loose leash, never pulling or moving from side to side. Most dog owners never achieve this goal for a variety of reasons, including the wrong equipment, no formal training, and bad habits started early. It takes skill and practice to get your dog to walk on a loose leash and never react to anything. In my book “Leash Training Your Puppy,” I include a step-by-step process to achieve this goal. The book also include

Before bringing home a puppy, we all have this picture in our minds. We imagine cuddles on the couch, walks through the neighborhood, and a puppy that happily follows us around and quickly learns everything we teach. Then reality shows up. Your puppy is biting your hands, chewing on your shoes, peeing on the floor, barking at nothing, and somehow finding trouble every time you look away. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Unrealistic Expectation #1: Puppies Naturally

If you like to do interactive things with your puppy to ultimately tire them out and help them calm down, then this is the article for you. Here are five simple ways you can easily add mental stimulation to your puppy's everyday routine without spending a lot of money or adding hours to your day. When people think of wearing out a puppy, they immediately think of exercise, longer walks, more playtime, more running around the yard. While physical exercise is important, it's on

Today I'm going to talk about something that many loving puppy owners never think about. You may actually be creating stress, fear, and anxiety in your puppy without even realizing it. The good news is that almost every owner does this at some point. It doesn't make you a bad owner. It simply means you don't yet understand how your puppy experiences the world. This article will help you recognize the signs that your puppy is becoming overwhelmed and show you how to become th

This article will focus on the importance of building a relationship with your puppy, why your relationship matters, five ways to build your relationship, and mistakes that damage your relationship with your puppy. Why the Relationship Matters Because your puppy won't work for strangers. It isn't going to work for people that it doesn't trust. Your puppy is constantly learning whether they can trust you. A strong relationship between you and your puppy creates: Better atten

I've been getting a lot of calls recently from people with dogs two to eight years old who were never socialized. When they go to public locations like Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, or Bass Pro Shops, they can't handle it. They can't cope. They have a lot of fear, stress, and anxiety. This could have been prevented if the dog had been socialized between 8 and 16 weeks old. Socializing your puppy does not mean playing with other dogs or being petted by many people. The

Puppies are not miniature adults. They are babies, learning how the world works. Punishment often creates confusion, fear, and damage to trust, while teaching and reinforcing creates understanding and lasting behavior change. Have you ever caught your puppy chewing on a shoe, having a potty accident on the floor, jumping on guests, or nipping at your hands and thought, “How do I punish this behavior?” I get calls about this all the time, people asking me how to punish their

One of the most common things I hear from dog owners is, "My dog knows better.” They tell me their dog ignores commands, barks at visitors, pulls on the leash, jumps on people, or completely falls apart when there are distractions. The assumption is often that the dog is being stubborn, hardheaded, or deliberately disobedient. Sometimes a dog simply needs more training and consistency. But many behavior problems are not about defiance at all. In many cases, your dog is not gi

As much as they like being comfy and well fed, dogs need more than just food and shelter. They also require mental and physical stimulation. A bored dog might appear to be lazy or a troublemaker, but in many cases, it is boredom leading to frustration that gives rise to problem behavior. Spotting the signs early in that process and offering enriching activities prevents restlessness and keeps your dog healthier and happier. Signs of Boredom in Dogs A bored dog will often disp

A lot of new puppy owners want to teach their puppy all these extravagant obedience commands and training too soon, which can create problems for the puppy down the road. It also creates problems with the puppy learning the foundational skills effectively. Why It's Best To Keep It Simple You don't want to overwhelm the puppy too early. You wouldn't want to try to get a 10-year-old kid into college. They are in elementary school, and then they need to go through junior high s

These are the same tips that we give all my clients when they hire Top Gun Dog Training for the Puppy Training Program. Use a slip lead (one-piece leash) in the house at all times to prevent potty accidents, jumping on people, jumping on furniture, and counter surfing. Keep your eyes on the puppy at all times. You would not leave a baby unsupervised out of the crib, so don’t do that with your puppy Your puppy should NOT be free to roam around the house. They will get into tro

Goals aren't just for people. Your dog's health and happiness matter too. Luckily, now is the best time to set fresh goals that help both of you. Instead of making vague promises like "be a better pet owner," try these five clear goals. They improve your dog's life. Also, they are practical and easy to follow. Best of all, they make your bond stronger. Goal 1: Commit to Daily Exercise Most dogs do not get enough exercise. As a result, they gain weight and may act out. Dogs wi

Most owners assume their dog just picked up bad habits, but in reality, the owner usually taught the behavior without realizing it. The owners are reinforcing unwanted behaviors and not reinforcing the good behaviors. Dogs learn from consequences, not intentions. Owners think they are correcting, comforting, or managing their dog, but the dog is simply learning what works. Examples of Reinforcing Bad Behaviors The dog jumps up on you, and you give it attention by pushing it

Many people mistake their dogs' exhaustion for calmness. They're not the same. Most dog owners think they know what a calm dog looks like, but they usually picture a tired or inactive dog. Just because your dog is doing nothing doesn't mean they're calm. Real calmness is different, and when owners learn to recognize it, behavior problems often improve more quickly. I have a very calm dog. She's been calm since I first got her. She's a therapy dog. She's a 6-year-old mini Aus

I work with a lot of people who get a new puppy that's eight or 10 weeks old, and the first thing they do is start teaching the puppy to shake, high-five, or to roll over. It can be fun to do this with your puppy and put it on Instagram, for your friends to see. If you teach the puppy tricks too soon and you don't focus on other things first, like its name, walking on a leash, potty training, acclimation to the crate, and stay. Why Teaching Paw or Shake Might be a Bad Idea

This is a very important topic, and I get a lot of calls about this. Most owners think their dog is stubborn, ignoring them, or choosing not to listen, but in many cases, the dog is not being disobedient; it is confused. After years of dog training, I have learned that many behavior problems are really communication problems. Keep in mind also that dogs don't use their ears as well as they use their eyes, and they don't use their eyes as well as they use their nose. If I wan

Dog training is not just about teaching commands; it's about helping owners understand their dogs and giving families tools that actually work in everyday life. This sums up about 90% of what I see in real life as a dog trainer. Most people don't come to dog trainers because their dog can't sit. They call us in desperation because life with their dog feels hard. People are desperate to get this fixed. Walks are stressful. Guests coming into the house are stressful. Even relax