Tail-Blazers Dog Training

12/30/2025

The "Hunger Gene"

Did you know that some dogs have a genetic mutation that makes them feel constantly hungry?

The science behind it:
A POMC gene mutation in dogs, common in Labrador Retrievers and Flat-Coated Retrievers, disrupts the production of key hormones that tell the brain, “I’m full.” The mutation triggers a starvation signal that tells the body to increase food intake and conserve energy, despite this being unnecessary.

What dog owners should know:
If it seems like your dog is constantly hungry despite proper feeding, genetics could be playing a role. This doesn't mean obesity is inevitable! With proper portion control, regular exercise, and avoiding table scraps, you can help your dog maintain a healthy weight despite their genetic predisposition.

12/03/2025

Woodrow, a new addition to the Tail-Blazers pack, tore his ACL in the past. His ACL is now healed, but it’s important for us to be cautious during our walks.

An ACL tear is one of the most common injuries in dogs. Regardless of whether your dog undergoes surgery for the ACL tear, it's essential to understand their limitations, even after recovery, to avoid further injuries.

He absolutely loves his walks and, like most dogs, he would over-do it and keep going if I allowed him to. So it’s important for me to know his limits and to keep him within them, so we can have fun, safe and healthy walks for many days to come!

11/10/2025

10/08/2025

Are you considering hiring a dog trainer? The ACVB (American College of Veterinary Behaviorists) put together a guideline of how avoid the wrong ones and choose the right one.

Tail-Blazers Dog Training proudly follows the AVSAB’s recommended standards ✅

09/18/2025

Dogs pay close attention to how their owner interacts with other people. They observe their owner's emotional cues, such as body language and facial expressions, to form judgments and guide behavior towards people they encounter, a process known as social referencing.

Scientific research shows that dogs will avoid or refuse treats from people who have been unkind to their owners. This suggests that dogs form negative associations and social evaluations based on their owner's experiences, rather than just their own treatment.

09/10/2025

Since Brooke was a puppy, her sister Bella always let her have her way. If Bella had something Brooke wanted, Brooke would take it, and Bella would just walk away.

Brooke's owners handled the situation by keeping them apart during meals and when giving treats, but it was challenging to do this consistently with toys and chews. Since Bella would simply walk away, there were no signs of resource guarding like growling, lip raising, or biting.

It didn’t become an issue until Brooke began to display signs of resource guarding at the boarding facility. If a toy was tossed to another dog, Brooke ensured she retrieved it and held onto it. She began to growl at other dogs over resources like the water tub and when they passed by her crate.

After she came back from boarding, we began training to address the issue. Fortunately, Brooke's resource guarding wasn’t severe, so we could safely use her sister, Bella, to help with the training.

We started off with treats: Bella would have a treat, then Brooke would get hers, and repeat. Then we moved on to playing ball: Bella fetched first, then it was Brooke's turn, and repeat.

The sequence of events matters. If Brooke is patient and allows Bella to receive a treat or fetch a ball, she will also get the same reward, which will reduce her feeling the need to guard that resource.

As a result of her owners' consistent efforts, Brooke now lets Bella have her turn and has stopped taking things away from her.

08/18/2025

Not long ago, and even still today, you’d hear people say, "I should be able to take something from my dog and they should be fine with it; they need to know I’m the one in control."

How would you feel if, while you’re busy at work, your boss came over, took money from your purse or wallet, and just left without saying anything? Or let’s say your best friend gives you an incredible gift, like a brand new car, and after you’ve had fun with it for a while, they come and take it back without telling you. You would probably feel very confused, angry, and hurt.

Both scenarios would affect your relationship with your boss and best friend, and probably lead to serious trust issues. You would likely safeguard your purse or wallet at work, especially when your boss is present. You might also think that anything your best friend gives you could be taken away without warning.

Although these scenarios are unlikely to happen to you, they offer a glimpse into what a dog may feel when you abruptly take away something important to them. This is why it's important to be careful not to lead your dog to believe that resource guarding is their only option.

Dogs exhibit resource guarding when they become possessive and defensive over items they consider valuable, like food, toys, or even people. This behavior can vary from subtle signs such as freezing or avoidance to more overt aggression like growling, snapping, or biting.

08/06/2025

To train your dog effectively, it's important to understand what a conditioned reinforcer is and how to use it. It can make a big difference in whether your dog learns a behavior quickly or gets confused, which can cause frustration for you and slow down progress.

Timing is a key factor in successful dog training. A conditioned reinforcer allows you to indicate and reward the exact moment your dog performs the desired behavior, unlike primary reinforcers such as treats that are given after the behavior occurs. For example, if you use the word "yes" as a conditioned reinforcer while training your dog to sit, you say "yes" the moment their bottom hits the ground to mark that specific instant. After that, you can reward them with a treat for performing it correctly.

Teaching your dog a conditioned reinforcer is simple. Let’s say you decide to use "yes" as your conditioned reinforcer, say "yes," then give them a treat and do this repeatedly.

After your dog learns a behavior, you can start using the conditioned reinforcer on its own while fading out treats. The conditioned reinforcer has a positive association, acting as a reward and informing the dog that they performed the behavior well. You can then start giving treats less frequently and at random times to maintain that behavior.

07/23/2025

“How do I stop my dog from barking?” is a common question and, in some contexts, a valid one. However, barking is how dogs communicate. It’s unreasonable and unrealistic to expect a dog to never bark.

You should first ask, "Why is my dog barking?" The reason for your dog's barking will influence your training strategy.

For example, if your dog barks out of fear, you should focus on helping them with that fear instead of just the barking, which will likely reduce the barking. On the other hand, if your dog barks for attention, you might ignore them in order stop that behavior.