Precious K9s Dog Blog
Puppy’s are not gifts.
I know people really knock people getting pets for Christmas or other occasions, but the reality is... People do it. Their heart is in the right place in the beginning, so we just need to help them through the hard parts instead of complaining. That's what...
OCD behaviors in your dog.
Are OCD behaviors really bad for your dog or should you chalk it up to genetics? "It depends"... This is probably the most important quote I was ever taught in dog training. No two situations are exactly the same, so "it depends". Do you have an extremely anxious...
Keep your dog’s mind working.
Keep your dog's mind working. When the weather gets bad, a lot of us start to snuggle under the blankets when we are home. We stop going outside, taking car rides to stores for fun, and visiting local dog friendly areas. When we go to work... well, our four-legged...
Dance in the rain with your puppy.
Dance in the rain with your puppy, so they will be confident in the rain as an adult. If you really want to know why your dog doesn't like the rain, think back to when they were a puppy that was potty training. Was it cold and rainy outside ever? What did your...
Raising a puppy is hard.
Time seems to help us forget the bad things. Sometimes there is ten or more years in between having a puppy. I hear people say, "My last puppy didn't act like this," on a regular basis. I have to remind people they are ten or so years older than they were the last...
It’s not all in the way they are raised.
"Genetics made my dog the way they are." Yes, and no... Obviously, dogs come with their genetic package, and we know that experience shapes a dog as well. What people don't typically take into account is medical... When someone comes to me and says my dog never did...
What is socialization?
There are many aspects to socialization. The common misconception is that a puppy or dog has to play with other dogs to be socialized. Yes, having positive dog interactions is definitely ONE way to socialize your dog, wrestling isn't the only way. There are many...
Why do I have to start with the fundamentals?
When you come from a more aversive style training, why do you have to start from scratch when starting at PK9s? First of all, not everyone does. And not everyone needs all of the things we teach in our beginners classes. Some just need to fill in the holes so they can...
I don’t need to see it to help.
When people call me wanting to know if I can help them with their dog's aggressive behavior, they often want me to see the behaviors. Believe it or not, Behavior Consultants don't need to see a behavior to help you and your dog with a behavior. Many trainers like to...
Coming When Called
Coming When Called Arguably the most important behavior you will ever teach your dog! Learn to play with your dog! Find food, toys, and games that your dog REALLY loves. Most dogs find it extremely reinforcing to be sent back out to play after coming to you. Make...
Why I Don’t Train Service Dogs (Anymore)
I retired from training Service Dogs 2 years ago. I had one severely attacked on a walk and ruined. I had one forced to fly even when it scared him to death. I had one attacked at Walmart. Walmart, and other businesses, wont make "fake" Service Dogs leave. Businesses...
What to Do If You’re Unhappy with Your New Trainer
What do you do if you chose a dog trainer and you find out their sugar coated words hide training methods you don't want to use on your dog? You be an advocate for your dog... that's what. Stand up for your dog. Tell them you don't want to train your dog that way, and...
Resource Guarding Part 2
Every time I do a speech, a seminar, or an on the fly demonstration, I later think of better ways to say things or more things to say....So, here are some after thoughts from our Dianne Cannafax seminar along with the demonstration ideas on paper for everyone. I...
Managing Your Dog’s Stress: Why We Dance in the Rain
Last night was a rough night in classes. We had 4 situations that are going to require private coaching so we can focus solely on what they have going on. We had 2 puppies displaying behaviors that are more intense than you want to see from puppies. 2 dogs with...
Let’s Talk About Air Catches: Air Locks and Your Dog
Let's talk about air catches. I sit with my clients, regularly, and help them learn to manage their dogs and yards. I describe my air catch in my field to them (not pictured) and suggest that they can make it as simple as I did or they can do some landscaping. This is...
Slow Your Roll: What Are Prerequisites For?
I was emailing a new client today, and it made me think of 25+years ago when I was training at our local dog club. I remember watching people say they wanted to go to advanced classes and then watching the trainers tell them they had to do the prerequisites first. I...
Is it time for you to add a new member to the family?
It is so exciting to bring a new puppy home. We get to go shopping.We take it everywhere with us and show everyone. It is exhausted by the end of each day and sleeps with us perfectly... Then we go back to real life... Now we have a little peeing, pooping, and...
When should you start training your new dog?
When should you start training your new dog? The long and short answer is..." Immediately"! First impressions are important with humans, but imagine what they are like for a dog... They are brought out of familiar surroundings and put into a whole new life. Sometimes...
Unwanted Behaviors
I often times start out a lesson listening to all of the things a dog does that the parents don't appreciate. "How can I get my dog to stop digging, barking, shredding my house, etc."? The long and short answer is...EXERCISE... Yep it's kind of that simple......
Can you fix every dog?
As a professional I am asked difficult questions weekly if not daily. One of the hardest questions I have been asked over the years is, "Can you fix my dog"? Unfortunately, the answer is more complicated than just "yes" or "no". Over the years I have helped many...
Resource Guarding
How many of you have brought home a new dog...loved everything about it... and then one day it growled or snapped at you over a toy, or it's food, or a piece of trash?!?! This is a behavior called Resource Guarding. It is a behavior all animals do to some extent....
Walking with your dog should be like therapy.
There aren't many things that are as relaxing as going on a long walk with your dog...right?! Okay, so some of you are laughing right now...but hang in here with me...Picture you and your dog on the perfect walk. Choose where you like to walk most...in the city,...
Dogs helping children
I was invited to speak last week at my children's school for career day. The school has a non verbal child that listens really well, but I noticed he was trying to find things to do with his hands a lot. The teacher asked if he could pet "V" the Pug, who has been...
Therapy with dogs in today’s world
These days dogs wear many hats in our lives. They can be the smiling face we love to see when we get home, the constant companion on the go with us for the day, and the reason a person having a bad day looks forward to a better future. Of course, there are a million...
My new blog
This is a new blog that I am going to use as a place to talk about the things that come up in my giant world of dog training. There are many days that I would just love to tell someone about the class I had, or the client that was trying so hard to save their dog....
What is really happening when you punish a behavior out of your dog?
All to often I have people tell me things such as, "He used to growl at me, but I broke him of that really quickly" or "She used to jump on people, but now all I have to do is show her the newspaper and she will stand quietly". That's great, maybe, but what have you...
Is training really important for your foster dog?
Yes! Yes! and Yes! My Facebook page, and really my career, revolves around my behavioral modification training programs. I am fortunate that after almost 20 years of training, I have the ability to offer many different programs that can benefit many different dogs...
Doggie Daycare…Is it for you and your pup?
There are many factors that come into play when it comes to choosing whether or not daycare is for you and your furry family member. 1) Location: Is it convenient to drop off and pick up? Is it close to your house or work? ...
Do you really know Springfield’s laws on dogs?
I don't normally link my two blogs together, but I feel it is important I reach the largest audience possible. Many of you don't know that Springfield, Mo has Breed Specific Legislation. But many of you do know of the legislation because you know someone who...
From Unpredictable Puppy to Distinguished Gentleman
From Unpredictable Puppy to Distinguished Gentleman An email I received from a student... When I first came to Sidekick with my baby Boxer, Julius Caesar, he was about nine weeks old. He was born June 4, 2012 and I got him when he was about 6 or 7 weeks old. This...
Giving medication to an alligator?
Is giving medication to your dog like giving medication to an alligator? Medication may sometimes be a necessity, but no one wants to walk around with scars from giving medication to your pet. Even if your dog...
How do you even begin to leave the house with your scared or reactive dog?
Having a scared or reactive dog can be hard to live with. It's somewhat like a catch 22... They are going nuts in the house because they need exercise, but you don't even want to take him out the front door where people can see him act like a nutcase. So how do...
Breed Specific Legislation vs. Dangerous/Vicious Dog Laws
I know there are a lot of people that don't even know what Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is, so I'll start with that. BSL is legislation is usually put in place, in a panic, when a dog viciously bites or attacks an adult, child, or another dog....
Why does my dog have these issues and how do I “fix” it?
Many people start their private lessons by telling us what issues their dog has. Some dogs are scared of people, some of other dogs, and some dogs are just plain scared. The owners usually follow this conversation with where they got the dog from...
Did my dog really eat that?!
How do you handle it when your puppy, or adult, picks up a sock and runs around the house with it. This is a very fun game for the dog, but not so much for you. There are a few basic behaviors you can teach your dog to remedy this situation. First, here's a small...
Do you and your dog really want to do the same things?
This is in continuation of a blog post a friend of mine just posted. "Are you really having fun with your dog?" She talked about how hard she was working toward different goals and how if she pushed herself and the dog too hard Beanie would shut down.See, dogs...
Fears and Phobias
Unfortunately a large number of our four-legged friends are terrified of things in everyday life. How are we supposed to help them? First, you have to notice the dog is having a hard time. Then you have to determine whether it is a fear or a phobia....
“My dog doesn’t usually do that?’
People who spend a lot of time with their dogs, know their dogs. (Or at least should) If you ever hear yourself say, "That's not something my dog usually does", STOP. What was the thing your dog did? Is it a dog (or any animal) you haven't had for very long? If so...
Why do we scoop our dogs poop?!
The long and the short of it is so that we don't spread diseases... Believe it or not, many people don't get their dogs the shots they need and fewer get them dewormed. If you're one of those people, please be extra careful with your dog's feces. Just take a...
Potty Training- Psycology 101
Think of potty training your pooch the same as a child learning to crawl. You don't just let the baby have immediate freedom to roam anywhere in the house. There are too many things they could get into, even if you think you baby-proofed your house. You keep...
Why does my dog bark so much?!
I come across many people weekly that want to know where they can get a bark collar. First thing I ask is, "When is your dog barking?" My favorite answer is, "All the time". Really? Your dog barks from morning to night without taking a breath? Boy am I glad I didn’t...
My First Blog
I finally decided to do my first blog on my favorite part of training dogs, behavior modification. It still amazing to me how many dogs could be kept in their home, or saved from being euthanized, just by teaching the owner how to handle the stressful or...