Pet Friendly High Country: Banner Elk Restaurants
As you probably know, the High Country is a very dog friendly community! Knox and I have explored several of the local restaurants, shops, and trails. This summer, I’ll be sharing some of our favorite places with you through my blog, social media, and newsletter! We...
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...
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...
Yuba’s Journey
Being a dog trainer is a life that is full of highs and lows. I became a dog trainer not only because of my love for dogs but also because I have a passion for helping people connect with animals in a meaningful way. I truly believe that dogs should be seen as a...
Quick Potty Tips
Regardless of your dog's age, Potty Training is pretty much the same across the board! Two rules cover it: 1) Make sure your dog or puppy has plenty of appropriately timed opportunities to eliminate in the right place. Practice makes perfect! 2) Closely supervise or...
Teach Your Dog to Say Please
Teaching your dog "Say Please By Sitting" is a great way help teach your dog some self-control and help you find a kind and helpful way to provide guidance and leadership.This exercise adds structure to your day and sets ground rules for every interaction with your...
Give your dog a job!
Or they will find one of their own.. and you are not going to like it! We humans have the luxury of being able to entertain ourselves with music, television, books, podcasts, and more! Our dogs, however, are not so fortunate. That is where you come in! Make sure your...
How do dogs learn?
Although dog’s brains are very similar to ours in many ways, they don’t learn in exactly the same way we do. We learn well by reading, listening or observing. Dogs associate events and learn from experiences. Learning is a process that results in the dog recognizing...
Teach Your Dog to Give You Eye Contact
In dog training, Eye Contact ( or "Focus" as some people call it) is a very important skill your dog needs to learn. We want to be able to ask our dogs to look at us and look away from any manner of distraction. It seems like a pretty simple task, but that's not...
The Do Nothing Exercise
The goal of this exercise is to teach our dogs how to settle down, relax, and possibly even take a nap while we are busy. This is great for a variety of situations, like running into a friend on the Greenway, going to eat at an outdoor cafe, or when shopping in the...