Behavior Training for Dogs

01/08/2026

Puppies, puppies, puppies!

01/08/2026

Maggie is right! Puppies are a ton of work. If you want a puppy,think it through. I, as well as many other trainers, have seen many owners decide to rehome their puppies due to all the extra work they require. You will need to be in pretty good physical shape too. Can you bend over and lift a puppy when needed? Can you move fast enough to stay clear of him when he gets the zoomies and heads straight for you? Are you willing to take him out every couple of hours until he is potty trained? Think it through. If you choose to get a puppy it can be a wonderful adventure but for your sake and the sake and wellbeing of the puppy, be sure!

Puppy training requires patience. Lots of it.

Puppies are developmentally programmed to learn and explore—not to p*e on command, walk politely on leash, or leave you alone when you’re busy.

In the beginning, you must create more time… and accept a little less sleep.

Time to wake up at night.
Time to stand in the grass and wait.
Time to teach sitting before food and the leash.
Time to guide, repeat, and gently correct.
Time to safely expose your puppy to the world so they can understand it.

A puppy doesn’t slide neatly into your life like an adult dog.
They have to grow into it.

The patience you invest early—including those tired nights—becomes the foundation for everything later: calm, communication, trust, and peace in your home.

Big patience in the beginning creates great, lasting joy together.

If you’re feeling frustrated, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means you’re raising a puppy—and that’s real work worth doing. 🐾

01/07/2026

Chewing is a normal and necessary behavior for dogs. Puppies go through a teething phase and start dropping their puppy teeth at about 16 weeks of age. Make sure they have plenty of hard things to chew to give them some relief?

01/07/2026

Save money and make your own puzzles for your dog. You may well have already everything you need.

12/30/2025

Reduce distractions when teaching a behavior in order to help the dog focus on the needed task. That includes walking on a loose leash.

Dogs are not born knowing what their humans expect from them. That includes how to walk when attached to a leash. One of the primary things that owners want when they call for help is to stop their dogs from pulling on the leash. In order for that to happen, they first need to learn where they are expected to be. Leash training begins in the house where there are fewer distractions. Here is Jennifer working with a mature Golden Retriever. This dog usually walks on the left, at a pretty heel. Here she is walking at just a tad slower pace than Jennifer. Not perfect but good enough. And not pulling.

12/30/2025

Dogs are not born knowing what their humans expect from them. That includes how to walk when attached to a leash. One of the primary things that owners want when they call for help is to stop their dogs from pulling on the leash. In order for that to happen, they first need to learn where they are expected to be. Leash training begins in the house where there are fewer distractions. Here is Jennifer working with a mature Golden Retriever. This dog usually walks on the left, at a pretty heel. Here she is walking at just a tad slower pace than Jennifer. Not perfect but good enough. And not pulling.

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas from Behavior Training for Dogs!

12/01/2025

Dog play at its best.

12/01/2025

Dog play.
In good, healthy dog play you expect to see role reversals between the dogs. One dog on top, then the other. Here are 2 dogs showing the same.

11/27/2025

Fear is hard to overcome, for both people and dogs. Here is an 18 month-old Shepherd mix doing just that.