Every once in a while, when I’m doing a seminar for dog trainers, someone will ask, “Are head collars such as Gentle Leaders, Haltis and Snootloops safe for dogs to wear? Can’t a dog hurt its neck?” It’s a pretty simple question, but what some trainers really mean is, “Head collars are bad because I’ve heard they cause injury. How could you possibly use them? Dogs will run to the end and break their necks.” Or “I used one but my dog just pawed at it and didn’t like it.” Or, “I have no control with a head collar when

Veterinarians, shelter workers, and other professionals who work with dogs on a daily basis are always asking me, “If I’m dealing with a dog who can’t have treats because he’s having a procedure later in the day or because he’s not hungry, what can I do to get him to be more cooperative or to behave better?” Creating a Relaxing Environment Well, because the main reason dogs are anxious and uncooperative in the veterinary hospital and shelter situation is fear, my answer is, “It really would be helpful if you avoid scaring the poop out of the dog first.” By that, I

This is the overall approach to the fearful or reactive dog in a nutshell. It’s all about addressing the dog’s overall ability to look to you for guidance, and your ability to be aware of his emotional state and to reward desired behaviors and remove rewards for unwanted behaviors.

You like to run, your dog likes to run. It seems like a no-brainer. How about both of you run together? While you might be concerned about your dog’s ability to run a reasonable distance, the most common hindrance to running together is actually your dog’s ability to stay at your side. Intro to Training Your Dog The first mission at hand is to teach Rover to walk nicely on leash.  You’ll want him to run either on your left or right side with his front feet even with yours or behind. Choose a side and stick with it so

Question: I recently saw you speak at the IAABC and enjoyed your talk. I had a question regarding the tips from your newsletter about administering eye drops. I thought your advice seemed great and passed it on to the ophthalmology group I work with as a vet tech. Both the doctors and the techs had major concerns about contamination to the bottle by putting treats directly on the bottle and they also had a problem with potentially teaching your dog that it is okay to lick/chew on eye (or other med) bottles. What are your thoughts on these objections?Thanks! I

Imagine you’re walking down the street in a foreign country-like, maybe Texas or Louisiana- and suddenly people start shouting wildly at you. Like a scene out of Hitchcock, you see a crowd of distorting mouths but can’t understand the words coming out. Only the increasingly frantic arm flailing tells you a climax is about to spring. While you may have never been in such a situation, chances are your horse or dog has experienced something similar. Believe it or not, horses and dogs aren’t born knowing English, and while they are experts at learning to read human body language, they’re