National Pet Obesity Awareness Day

National Pet Obesity Awareness Day

October 12 is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. I wanted to take the chance to share a few facts with you, as well as 6 simple ways to get your dog in shape! Did you know that 52% of dogs and 58% of cats are overweight or obese? Did you know that pet obesity is...

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Tyson loves class – and so will you!

You guys know I'm passionate about Level Up Classes...  But, you don't need to take my word for it. Here is what Elisabeth had to say about classes with me! "If you didn't know how much we LOVE taking Level Up classes with Positive Partners Dog Training Community...

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Misbehaving Doggies

Misbehaving Doggies

Do you have a dog who can be a bit of a .... nuisance? Did you know that many problem behaviors arise because your dog doesn't have all of his needs met? If you have a problem behavior, make sure to check that these five needs are being properly met: 1) Adequate...

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Working with a Distracted Dog

Working with a Distracted Dog

  There is nothing quite so frustrating as taking your dog out to play in the yard or trying to go for a nice walk with them, only to have them totally distracted by the birds, the neighbors, or just a scent on the breeze! The good news is... your dog isn't doing...

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Beat the Heat – Summer Dog Safety Tips

Beat the Heat – Summer Dog Safety Tips

Summer is finally here! It's the season of hiking, swimming, art festivals, and more! If you're like me, you want to take your dog everywhere you can! Unfortunately, taking your buddy out in the summer heat and sun isn't always the safest or most fun thing for them to...

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Adding Verbal Cues to Hand Signals

Adding Verbal Cues to Hand Signals

Many of us want our dogs to reliably respond to both verbal cues (“sit!”) as well as our hand signals separately. As humans, we primarily use our voices to communicate. Our dogs probably think we're crazy just chattering away! I hope that Knox finds it endearing how...

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Doggie Zen – Eye contact around distracions

Doggie Zen – Eye contact around distracions

Doggie Zen is a simple game to get our dog focused, even in the face of treats! Many people have experience with some form of this game, so this may be familiar. Doggie Zen teaches our dogs to look away from treats (or toys, later) and make eye contact with us. One...

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Charging a Marker Word or Clicker

Charging a Marker Word or Clicker

When we teach our dogs a new behavior, we need a fast and effective way of telling them that they are doing the right thing. We do this with a “marker.” We will be using a clicker ( small box like noise device) or a verbal marker (a short, distinct, one syllable word...

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