Best Friend Dog Training

09/10/2025

Mother Really Does Know Best

I love the show Too Cute! Each episode follows two or three litters of puppies from birth to weaning and going to their forever homes. I guarantee it will make you smile. And, if you’re like me it will make you want one of each of the puppies on the show! But, I digress.

If a mother dog observed the humans after they adopted her pups, she would most likely shake her head in exasperation. Grudge holding, withholding praise, lack of discipline, not teaching who is in charge, and reactions inconsistent with our body language make no sense to her. Long before you met your puppy she taught it pretty much everything he needed to know to be a good dog.

If it was possible to get advice from your puppy-mom before you bring it home, she might say something like this:

“I hope you will be the best owner for this little guy. He is quite a handful, I hope you know. Provide for his physical, mental, and emotional health, please. Always treat him like a dog and not a human. He is my child, your pet. He must have exercise and play, frequently. When he disobeys or behaves in any way unsatisfactorily, he must receive quick, efficient discipline.

Honest. This puppy does not understand slow correction. He learned very early with me that I will nudge, shove, or grab his neck and give a quick jerk to correct him. He also knows for total disrespect of authority, I will grab him by the throat, roll him over and pin him on his back until he submits. Now, maybe you don’t have to grab him by his throat, but you do have to establish your dominance and his submission. Now. Don’t wait until he becomes a brat.

Grudges are confusing to us. Once you correct him and he comes to you to make up, please do. He will not remember why you are still mad at him even a few minutes after the infraction. Quick discipline and quick return to normal are equally important. Praise him every time he obeys.

Oh, and be consistent. No must mean no. Don’t tell him “it’s okay” unless it is. If he is growling, even in fear, and you say “it’s okay,” you might as well praise him for growling. He’s also expert at reading body language. Long before you give a command or do almost anything, he already has an idea what’s about to happen. Use that to your benefit and be sure your actions match your words. Teach him the rules, insist on obedience, and you will be pleased. This guy wants to be your best friend. And he will succeed as long as you work at being his best friend, too.”

Well, I’d say she covered it pretty well and I don’t need to add anything.

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09/03/2025

AS promised here is part two on separation anxiety:

Dealing With Separation Anxiety: Part Two
Some behaviors I could write column after column about and still not give full coverage. Separation anxiety is one of them. There is no one-size-fits-all answer for separation anxiety. The suggestions from last week and this work for some dogs and require modifications for others.

Sometimes, separation anxiety is severe enough owners must counter condition their dogs. First of all, try to avoid overexcited arrivals or departures. While you may think it soothing to your dog to have you cuddle him when you leave and get crazy happy when you return, it is a bad idea. Parents know playing rowdy with a toddler before a nap will get him too fired up and unsettled. Exuberant greetings do the same thing with dogs and increase this behavior issue.

Use a specific phrase with your dog when you leave. Say, “I’ll be back soon.” Do not make a big deal about your exit. Place him in his crate or his room with one goodbye hug, but don’t get all mushy at that point. If you over cuddle him, he will sense your anxiety and become more agitated himself. He has no understanding your stress is from worry over his behavior. But he does know you are upset when you leave. Thus, he gets more anxious.

Similarly, when you arrive home, remain calm. It is best when you first walk in to either quietly say “I came back soon,”(which repeats your departure phrase), or say nothing at all. Enter the house, put your keys away, hang your coat up, be very calm and non-plussed. Over time, he will recognize your actions and words indicate all is well, thus reducing his anxiety.

It is best to begin this process is on a weekend. Start your day like a regular work day. However, when you leave, only drive around the block or take a short walk. Listen for his anxiety when you return. Come home as if it is the end of the day. But, since it is a day off, you can do this several times each day. He might surprise you and do much better by Monday. It is more likely you will work on this a few weeks before you see too much improvement, but it will come.

You may also take an old shirt that you wore for a while before you left and drape it on the doorknob to the room he’s in, or in the crate with him. Some dogs take comfort in smelling your scent on the clothing article during the day. However, be aware your dog may also tear the shirt in his anxiety. Be sure the shirt is old!

Obedience training will NOT solve the problem but does help with his insecurities. A dog that is not insecure is usually not anxious when we go away. Patience, time, perseverance, and assuring he is safe when you go away will prevail. One day he will be fine when you leave.

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09/01/2025

Dealing With Separation Anxiety: Part One

The question I received went something like this: “We have a 7-year -old lab that scratches the carpet when we are gone. We don't want to barricade him into one room during the day but we cannot trust him. When we get home and point to it, he runs away. But he doesn't stop doing it! It’s not every day, but it’s definitely an issue.”

Your dog suffers from separation anxiety. In order to give this subject full coverage, I shall break it into two entries.

I am not sure anyone knows what causes some dogs to struggle with this while others do not. And, contrary to how the destruction may appear, your dog is not getting revenge for being left home alone. The carpet scratching, any type of destruction or soiling is an insecure panic response at being alone. While, you may not be able to completely reverse this behavior, you can make improvements.

As with any behavior problem, a well-exercised dog is always a better adjusted dog. Your dog needs a long walk as close to daily as possible. (I know on hot days or in bitter cold this is difficult, but a game of indoor fetch and hide-and-seek-come helps on inclement days.) This will not solve the separation anxiety, but it lowers on your dog’s nervous energy level.

Confinement will minimize the mess you must clean up when you get home. It will also prevent injury. However, it is not a cure. If your dog used a crate as a puppy, he will remember that and most likely handle it well. If he was never crated, he may urinate, defecate, or even injure himself in attempts to escape. It is advisable to confine him to a smaller area in the house, and a room with a window he can look out may help distract him from his anxiety. Leave ‘busy’ toys around for him. Some of those Kong toys that you place treats or peanut butter in might help.

I know this is difficult, but, when you walk in the house and see the mess is not the time for punishment. Your dog knows he made the mess and shouldn’t have. Greet him calmly when you enter. Then walk to the mess and clean it up. He will probably watch from the other side of the room. You may tell him you are not happy, but yelling, hitting, venting your fury will probably increase his anxiety when you go away rather than improve it.

Sometimes a radio playing in the background cuts down on noises that make the dog bark. But remember your dog’s anxiety comes from being separated from you. It will take some time to address.

Speak with the veterinarian about his or her opinion of over-the-counter or herbal medications that may reduce your dog’s anxiety as you work through this behavior. And stay tuned in a few days for part two.

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07/25/2025

So I was watching some reels and one was of a dog with something in its mouth and the owner was saying “drop it” over and over .Cyndy sat up and looked at phone indignant because she didn’t have anything in her mouth!

Unlike a little later when I took this of her with her Dad’s car pillow!

07/23/2025

Top Ten Dog Owner Bad Decisions

I could make a much longer list, but let’s start with these! Here is my current top ten bad dog owner decisions. Then, maybe in a future column we can revisit this subject and list more.

10. Impulse buying or adopting is almost always a bad decision. Research whether to get a puppy or an adult dog, purebred or mixed breed, large or small, long or short-haired, purchase or adopt, etc. The options are infinitely varied. Don’t rush the decision.

9. Excusing bad behavior. While we can usually explain the cause, it is never excused. Making excuses for bad behavior will most likely get you in trouble with neighbors or friends when your dog’s behavior affects their well-being.

8. Not correcting bad behavior is even worse. I don’t believe there is a dog alive that is not skilled at looking so pitiful we almost apologize to him for his behavior! The thing is, uncorrected dogs are confused. Please know correction does not mean abuse. It means replacing all bad behavior with proper. I will dedicate a future column specifically to corrections.

7. Using paper in housebreaking actually slows the process. Before a puppy is weaned its mother teaches it to never soil its space. Housebreaking should broaden said space. Paper training confuses your dog.

6. Choosing to not use a crate sets dog and owner up for trouble. After the initial times he cried when placed in the crate your puppy will get used to it. He will probably begin going to it on his own when he wants to sleep. Not confining a puppy in a crate when he’s alone can lead to # 9 and #8.

5. Allowing your dog to ride in the car with his head out the window is dangerous. Your dog could fall out, jump out and get hurt or killed. If you slam on the breaks, his neck could break when it collides with the door frame. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS.

4. Bribes backfire. There is a fine line between reward and bribe. Be sure if you use treats to train your dog it is always a reward after the fact. Never show the treat ahead of the behavior.

3. Walking your dog down the street or sidewalk without a leash is almost as bad as the head out the window. Even the best trained dogs can be startled and jump into the path of a car.

2. Thinking a dog does not need obedience training.

And the number one bad dog decision:
1. Not providing your dog with EDA. Exercise, discipline, and affection given to all dogs in that exact order is the single most important thing every dog owner can do to insure their dog will be their best friend.

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07/13/2025

I apologize for not posting my Life in the Doghouse entries for a while. Here's the first of several for the hot days.

When Exercise Is Not What Your Dog Needs

Several years ago, I was at the York Kennel Club Dog Show. It was the second weekend in July, and it was hot. All over the fairgrounds they had small kiddie pools with blocks of ice in them. They encouraged people to allow their dogs to lie in the icy cold water to cool off. At a dog show you’d expect responsible dog owners would attend.

Ten minutes after I arrived an announcement came over the fairground system for the owner of a specific car to go retrieve his dog from the car, it was in distress. This announcement happened three times. The final time they informed the owner they broke into the car, had the dog and he should come to the main desk to reclaim his dog and pay the fine. At a dog show no less!

So, if you know this information feel free to tune in next week. But something tells me there are still people who need to be informed. Dogs’ normal body temperature is 102.5F. Even on cool days they are hotter than we are. Panting is an efficient cooling mechanism in dogs. However, dogs get overheated faster than us, and they go from heat exhaustion to heat stroke quicker. Heat stroke is most often fatal for dogs.

Good rule of thumb for you: if it is hot enough all you want to do is find a pool or an air conditioned house, keep your dog inside. Walks, runs, hard play, outside training should all be saved for early morning, after dark, or not at all on hot days. Swimming is the only acceptable exercise for her.

I know I repeat the importance of exercise in my columns. But never risk your dog’s life to get said exercise. On hot days give your dog mental exercise. If you work her mind she will still be stimulated and not get too ‘rammy.’

Play fetch inside. Make her SIT before tossing her favorite toy. She must wait to run after it until you release her. In an air conditioned house you can play this as long as you wish. Hide and seek is another good one. Place her in a SIT or DOWN and go to another room. Call for her to COME. When she finds you have her SIT in front of you and give her a piece of a treat. Again, you can place this as long as you wish and in the process you are working on the COME command.

When summer heat rises to the levels we’ve seen for the past weeks now, keeping cool trumps exercise for your dog. Soon enough things will cool down and you will resume your daily walks and runs. In the meantime, the three most important things your dog needs are; INDOOR exercise, discipline, and affection!

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05/31/2025

This is from my years as writing the column Letters to the Doghouse and a future manuscript by the same name!

Top Ten Dog Owner Bad Decisions= I could certainly list many more than ten bad decisions owners make, but let’s start with theses. Feel free to message me for more information!

10. Impulse buying or adopting is almost always a bad decision. Research whether to get a puppy or an adult dog, purebred or mixed breed, large or small, long or short-haired, purchase or adopt, etc. The options are infinitely varied. Don’t rush the decision.

9. Excusing bad behavior. While we can usually explain the cause, it is never excused. Making excuses for bad behavior will most likely get you in trouble with neighbors or friends when your dog’s behavior affects their well-being.

8. Not correcting bad behavior is even worse. I don’t believe there is a dog alive that is not skilled at looking so pitiful we almost apologize to him for his behavior! The thing is, uncorrected dogs are confused. Please know correction does not mean abuse. It means replacing all bad behavior with proper. I will dedicate a future column specifically to corrections.

7. Using paper in housebreaking actually slows the process. Before a puppy is weaned its mother teaches it to never soil its space. Housebreaking should broaden said space. Paper training confuses your dog.

6. Choosing to not use a crate sets dog and owner up for trouble. After the initial times he cried when placed in the crate your puppy will get used to it. He will probably begin going to it on his own when he wants to sleep. Not confining a puppy in a crate when he’s alone can lead to # 9 and #8.

5. Allowing your dog to ride in the car with his head out the window is dangerous. Your dog could fall out, jump out and get hurt or killed. If you slam on the breaks, his neck could break when it collides with the door frame. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS.

4. Bribes backfire. There is a fine line between reward and bribe. Be sure if you use treats to train your dog it is always a reward after the fact. Never show the treat ahead of the behavior.

3. Walking your dog down the street or sidewalk without a leash is almost as bad as the head out the window. Even the best trained dogs can be startled and jump into the path of a car.

2. Thinking a dog does not need obedience training.

And the number one bad dog decision:
1. Not providing your dog with EDA. Exercise, discipline, and affection given to all dogs in that exact order is the single most important thing every dog owner can do to insure their dog will be their best friend.

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12/27/2024

The Most Dangerous Type of Dog
A question I am frequently asked: What kind of dog is the most dangerous?

My answer might surprise you. I could break down the breeds and mixes and try to pick which one is the most dangerous. Many media outlets do that exact thing. I pretty much disagree with any article which chooses a specific breed as the most dangerous dog.
You asked what kind of dog is the most dangerous. If you’ve read my columns often, you know I frequently start with the simple answer, and then clarify. So, the simple answer is the most dangerous dog is an untrained dog.

I know, I know, this is my livelihood. I wouldn’t be in business if I didn’t believe in it. But this is a SERIOUS subject. Dogs are dogs. They are not human. They are not nearly as much members of our family as we are members of their packs. Watch a documentary on wolves and you will see the way a pack operates. Watch any reputable show about raising puppies, especially the one called Too Cute! Each week the show observes three litters of puppies from birth to going to their human homes. I love the show on many levels, but my favorite is how it shows the mother teaching her pups about pack rules.

Long before you bring a puppy home it has already begun learning about being in a pack. And when owners fail to train the dog, it creates its own rules. He can easily become dangerous to any human who does not respect ‘his’ rules.

This means that, for the most part, the most dangerous dogs are pets whose owners never bother to train them. It’s a human issue not a canine one. Teach your dog the rules and you will have a happy dog. There is no room for anarchy or chaos in the dog world! Dogs need to know the rules of the pack in order to be happy, healthy, thriving best friends. An untaught dog has no boundaries and cannot function, so he will either be confused or make his own rules. Confused dogs and those who make their own rules quickly become the most dangerous dogs.

The only people who should not take their dogs to some type of obedience training program are people who do not own a dog. :)

12/16/2024

Meet Cyndy! She will be nine weeks old tomorrow. She came home last week and is already loved by all—even fourteen-year-old Penny. As I raise another puppy I will be sharing puppy things in the weeks to come.

11/27/2024

Here's a bonus column especially for Thanksgiving.

Keep Your Best Friend Safe This Week

This coming week is one of the most dangerous weeks for our best friends. Christmas is a close second. Veterinarians will tell you Thanksgiving night and the day after are busy for them. Even if you are health conscious about everything you prepare for the feast, your dog should NOT have any of it. Something as ‘harmless’ as turkey skin can cause your dog to have a potentially fatal attack of pancreatitis. Here are some guidelines to help keep your dog safe.

1. Recognize the dangerous foods and ingredients; turkey skin, bones of any kind, any kind of alcohol, bread dough, buttery dishes, cake batter, chocolate, coffee or tea, grapes and raisins, nuts (especially macadamia nuts), most of the spices we use in deserts and marinades, and Xylitol (found in sugar free gum or candy)

2. Tell guests your dog is NOT ALLOWED to have table scraps. Period. Ask them to ignore the puppy dog eyes. And, seriously, if you have even one family member that expresses thoughts on how silly that rule is, put your dog in his crate or another room while you eat.

3. When shopping buy some new yummy dog treats. Something he’s never had, even something it might take him a while to consume. Caution: I am not a fan of rawhide, it can irritate stomachs. If you choose to give rawhide, be sure it is USA made. Our FDA regulates the manufacture of rawhide, but other countries, not so much.

4. DO NOT feed your dog when the humans eat. Feed him before the meal so his tummy is satisfied.

5. Before the meal determine where the dog(s) will be while you eat. This can be on dog beds, in crates, in another room, or in DOWN-stays somewhere in the dining room. To prevent the drool/begging and the human temptation to sneak bites to the doggie DO NOT allow your dog under the table or on the floor at people’s sides..

6. After the meal, give your dog the new treats you purchased. And, be sure to make use of the LEAVE IT command you learned anytime you dog focuses on the human yumminess.

7. Take all dinner scraps OUT TO THE TRASH CAN when you clean up. The aroma can entice the best behaved dogs to get into the trash.

8. And, if by chance, your dog gets into the scraps, watch for: abdominal pain, dehydration, diarrhea (which may contain blood), fever, increased water consumption with or without vomiting afterwards, lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomiting. If your dog has these symptoms, CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN. Pancreatitis is an emergency.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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11/27/2024

Service Dogs Should Be Legitimate, part two

Let’s look more at why it is important to be sure service dogs are service dogs. And, while my opinion in this column may not be popular, it is factual. If you want/need a service dog, PLEASE train or have it trained to be a service dog.

My dog Penny was dropped off at our son’s stoop in NYC when she was four months old. She is will be fourteen-years-old in December. Penny is most likely a Boxer/Pit mix. She’s high energy, very vocal, friendly, exuberant, and has a high need for human touch. She’s what I call a “canine empath.”

Gracie was our old Golden Retriever. Gracie was laid back, non-plussed, energetic but quite comfortable relaxing pretty much anywhere, and she thought every person and every animal she met was her new best friend. Gracie was aware of her humans’ emotions, but she was not an empath.

A canine empath is a term dog professionals use. Scientists argue about it. Some dogs read human body language better than others. Those dogs sense changes in you, your scent, your posture even before you realize it is happening. The dog is at your side offering comfort before you know you need it. That’s my sweet Penny.

Sometimes she sits beside the person in need of comfort. Others, she places her paws or chin on the lap. She’s even been known to climb onto the couch or chair with the person and stretch herself across the body and relax. If the human is crying or visibly anxious, Penny is definitely touching and will not leave until all tears and anxiety subside.

Do I have a service dog vest for Penny that states she is a “Comfort Dog?” No. Penny is not a service dog. As I stated last week: “The ADA states service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task they have been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Internationally, the training standard is a MINIMUM of 120 hours of training over a period of six months or more.”

First, I do not have a diagnosed disability.
Second, while my dog is completely obedience trained she has not had 120 hours and six months of training to be a service dog. She is not trained to be on task as a comfort dog in all situations, at all times, no matter the environment. If I bought a harness and claimed she was my service dog so that I could take her with me everywhere I went, I would be a liar and a cheat. Period.

While this may not be popular, it is seriously true. If someone wants to claim his or her dog is a service dog, it better be one. Don’t use a store bought harness and a few obedience commands as an excuse to take your dog everywhere. This ends up minimizing the dogs that truly are service dogs and the people that legitimately train them or need them.

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11/16/2024

Service Dogs Should Be Legitimate, part one

In a recent discussion with a client the question of service dogs and what constitutes a service dog came up. My client asked me my thoughts on what constitutes a service dog.

Good question and it bears several entries to address it. Let me start by sharing two scenarios that happened to me a few years ago as I traveled.

The first one happened in July of that year as I awaited boarding for my flight to Nashville. I watched a lady with a very young, unruly Setter walking through the terminal. Actually, she was being dragged by the dog. She ended up at the same gate as me, planning to get on the same flight. She claimed the barking, hyper dog was a service dog. He had no harness, no papers, nothing to indicate he was legit. How she got through the first security checkpoint is beyond me. As we waited, the dog barked a lot, especially at children and people in wheelchairs or using canes. Evidently when they pre-boarded the “service dog” an elderly gentleman greeted the dog as it entered a row and the dog snapped at and bit the man. Folks, there was no way that dog was a service dog. That dog was unsafe and several people refused to fly on a plane with it. That situation delayed my flight almost two hours as there were some major legal things going on. It culminated with the woman and her dog being escorted off the plane.

The second one happened in August as I waited for a flight home from California. A service woman and her Malinois were stretched out napping. The dog was in a collapsible kennel. He was a search and rescue dog and they had been in Los Angeles for more training. He had a service harness on and she wore a badge. That dog did not bark once, obeyed the master’s every command and basically ignored other people as long as he was in a command she had given.

I am aware it is relatively easy to purchase harnesses and even register dogs as service dogs, but that does not mean they are. I firmly believe strict regulations and enforcement of them is imperative to keep everyone around the service dog and its master safe.

The ADA states service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task they have been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Internationally, the training standard is a MINIMUM of 120 hours of training over a period of six months or more. The ADA does not recognize dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support as service animals.

This is a rather “loaded” topic and I run out of space. Let’s look more in depth and what service dogs are and do next week. We will also look at Emotional Support Animals (ESA).

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