One of the most overlooked canine care issues in today’s lifestyle is kennel stress. We think because our dogs have free run of the house they do not suffer. With the introduction of home viewing cams, people are learning that their dog is not relaxing quietly while they are away. The dog is pacing, barking, panting, and exhibiting other signs of stress. This is not what we want for our dogs. When we think…   Continue

Can an aggressive or reactive dog be cured? The answer should be no. Even if your dog has been good for several years you need to realize that three things can cause your dog’s bad behavior to return (recover): Stress or fear Not practicing the prevention and control protocols Not practicing the exercises that increase oxytocin and serotonin, while decreasing cortisol Not teaching your dog a lifestyle of calm and control. If you are stressed…   Continue

“OHHH Live is Good!” Most people do not understand the benefits of dopamine in dog training. It is in truth, the chemical of feeling good. It is the chemical that gives you a natural high. With animals, feeling good means survival is easy. It is what they strive for. We call them emotions. We feel happy. But Dopamine is one of the chemical signals that pass information from one neuron to the next. This neurotransmitter…   Continue

There are a lot of positive dog training centers teaching people that if their dog reacts, shows aggression, or become over excited then all you need is to teach it to look, redirect its behavior and the problem will magically go away. There are people who say ‘teach an alternative behavior’, but if you’ve ever owned a hound who is ‘locked and loaded’ on a squirrel, or a herding dog who is over stimulated because…   Continue

Rose has been rather tense lately. There has been a lot going on in our home. I’ve noticed that she has started to react strongly when someone stares at her, something I do not allow my dogs to do. I teach my dogs that I am the only one that makes ‘action’ decisions. This is the first step in any behavior modification or dog training program. As Roxanne says (www.rawforpets.com) a long time German Shepherd…   Continue