Nowadays it has become more important than ever to adopt a pet instead of buying it. Thousands of helpless animals are put to death every year because they are ownerless. If you have your heart set on a puppy of your own there is no reason not to call around shelters and find some puppies…
In many parts of the US and the world, ticks are a big problem for dogs. They burrow their heads into the skin of the dog and feed on the blood of the dog. Many ticks carry diseases that can seriously harm your pet, and some breeds of ticks can even be lethal to animals….
Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) may be beautiful and cheerful but they could cause serious harm to your dog, as well as cats or horses. The majority of daffodil species, part of the Narcissus group of flowers, such as jonquils, paperwhites, and narcissus, all contain substances that can poison your dog if eaten. Occasionally, simple contact with…
Throughout history, up until now; people have often suggested that powerful relationships are established through play. By analogy, studies have shown that a competitive games can affect dog-human relationships, in a positive way. There was a Rooney and Bradshaw study done on this idea/fact in 2002, let’s look at the study in deeper details:…
In the 1950’s, a man named B.F Skinner described a powerful cognitive quirk, called A Variable Schedule Rewards. Skinner’s experiment/study observed that lab mice reacted most voraciously to random, variable rewards; when the mice would press the lever, sometimes they’d get a small treat, other times they’d get a large treat and then at…
The Problem With ‘Fad’ Training Nobody likes to hear that they are, in any way, failing those we care about. Whether it is children, pets or ourselves, the thought that we are teaching self-destructive habits to anybody is truly heart breaking. It’s no wonder, then, that as soon as some new article comes out about…
We always get asked, “Can you train a deaf dog?” The great news is, the answer is, “Yes!” We have trained many deaf dogs, and it’s really not much more different nor difficult! Why are dogs deaf ? Deafness can affect dogs of any breed, age or colored coats but there have been many studies…
We do dog aggression training regularly in Northern Virginia (our Headquarters), we often times get asked, “What is the most aggressive breed?” The answer may surprise you! There are so many dogs that get put to sleep on a regular basis as a result of their aggressive behavior. This is because there are a lot…
We handle aggression in dogs in Northern Virginia on a daily basis! Most people do not realize that it can also be medical related. Thyroid glands regulate the body’s metabolism, any decrease in the thyroid’s work can cause various complications that are similar to other conditions. Pet owners and dog breeders don’t know how to…
We deal with dog aggression regularly in Northern Virginia. Your dog may have been such a sweet little puppy. They were behaved and well-mannered. That was until they were not. One very common question for animal behaviorists is why their dog suddenly starts showing aggression. This problem is especially common between the ages of 1…
This is one of the many dog training issues we deal with in Northern Virginia. You may notice your dog humping something or everything and wonder why your dog does it. Part of you wants to laugh and post the video but other times this can be an incredibly embarrassing situation. Whatever the reason…
At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we do dog reactivity training; however, it appears it’s needed in the White House! TMZ has recently posted a photo of a nasty cut under a young woman’s eye, allegedly the result of being bitten by the Obama’s family dog, Sunny. The 18-year-old visitor is a…
Anyone who has ever watched my Facebook Live videos know that I LOVE Pit bulls and I’m a huge advocate for them, so, I was very excited to see this! If a survey was given to answer the question of whether or not a Pit bull might make a good police dog,…
We deal with food aggression training in Northern Virginia (our HQ) on a pretty regular basis. There are many different behaviors that our dogs do that maybe you do not really know how to interpret. They are communicating in their own way and as a responsible dog owner, it is your responsibility to figure…
Positive reinforcement is something we get asked about in Northern Virginia, a lot! People are always told about the magic of positive reinforcement. While it is an effective tool, unfortunately there are many occasions where it is not as effective as you would like. For instance, a lot of the self-rewarding habits that your…
Picking the Perfect Christmas Puppy If there’s one surprise that is sure to bring your family untold levels of joy during the holidays, it’s a puppy (unless of course you didn’t discuss it with your spouse, but that’s on you). Many dog professionals claim that it is a bad idea to bring in a new…
Bringing your Christmas Puppy Home So, you’ve finally chosen the perfect dog for you and your family, and it’s time to bring them home to experience the good life. Before deciding this, realize, that you are giving someone a life to take care of daily, for the next 12-15 years. You are giving them a…
At our board and train facility in Northern Virginia, we always get a lot of questions around Thanksgiving. You may not naturally consider your family pet to be a major part of Thanksgiving as a holiday, but your dog can be a source of stress or setbacks if you don’t know how to take care…
While sleeping with your dog is generally enjoyable for both owner and dog, sometimes it doesn’t work out as planned. This is because the dog doesn’t understand their role in the household. Years ago, dogs played a much different role in a family. Most dogs were working animals on a farm. They had to herd…
There has been a debate as to whether or not you should spay or neuter your dog. Many different groups have a variety of different feelings on this heavily debated topic, each for their own reasons. This can be a very personal decision and one of the most important ones that you can make as…
Summer is fast approaching, and it’s the perfect time to learn about dogs having a heatstroke. Humans often believe that dogs are fully capable of cooling themselves off by panting. This is not true. Dogs aren’t able to control their body temperature as well as humans. If a dog has a heatstroke, they can easily…
If you are a dog owner, chances are that you have noticed your dog munching on grass a number of times. This is generally nothing to be concerned over. Our dogs’ wild ancestors were scavengers; they would get vegetation if they couldn’t find any meat. Owners often forget that our dogs are omnivores, and they…
We all have heard the saying that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth. While it’s a common saying, it is simply untrue. There are a few reasons that this myth has floated around for so long. At one time, studies were showing that human bites became infected at a faster rate than…
There are a lot of unique behaviors that dogs have that can be difficult for us humans to understand. They do things that you may find disgusting, which are actually completely normal to them. Dogs have no actual language that people can tell so they do heavily rely on their body language to help them…
Dogs have a variety of different odd behaviors that you may wonder exactly why they do it. One of those behaviors includes shaking. Dogs shake for a variety of different reasons. Sometimes these behaviors can be explained, for instance maybe a dog just dog done swimming and it is cold. Sometimes there seems to be…
The operant conditioning technique This technique involves reinforcement, or punishment, for your dog upon completion of a behavior, a lot like you might train your children. It’s voluntary, your dog is an active participant in this process whether the behavior is positive or negative. Rather than rewarding your dog every single time it displays the…
Operant conditioning is, “a type of learning in which the strength of a behavior is modified by its consequences, such as reward or punishment, and the behavior is controlled by antecedents called discriminative stimuli which come to signal those consequences.” To break down operant conditioning, there is what’s called the operant conditioning quadrant. This quadrant…
Have a new and untrained puppy? It may be a troubling time or a stepping stone to see if you could handle a child, but either way, there are some tips you should take into account and help you stay sane with your new puppy. The first few weeks are the hardest and we’re here…
Being a new puppy owner is exciting, but most don’t realize the work that may go into actually taking care of a puppy or even learning to train them. We have the best tips to help you get started when it comes to training your new furbaby and you shouldn’t take these like a grain…
When people think of adopting a dog, most of the time, they don’t think of predatory aggression and expect everything to be swell automatically. Predatory aggression is very real in dogs of all kinds and a lot of people may wonder if it’s natural. They are animals, however, so a level of prey drive is…
As life moves forward and changes transpire, sometimes we are put in a position that requires us or inspires us to make a move. Sometimes, that can be a hard task to endeavor when you are considering others besides yourself. The task is no easier when that special being your are considering is your most…
We’ve all heard that a dog is the best and most loyal friend a human being could ask for. When you think about it, they are also one of the easiest companions to pass time with. Not only are they always eager and willing when it comes to the next adventure, but they’re ALWAYS positive…
At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we often times deal with food aggression and resource guarding. Whether we’re aware of it or not, our furry friends are always in communication with us. Though a language barrier exists, our canine pals utilize other methods to get their message across and help us understand…
Statistically speaking, though dogs are responsible for human deaths on a very low scale yet they do happen. Pit bulls are associated with almost one third of dog bite related fatalities and half of that can be attributed to Rottweilers. Therefore these two breeds of dogs, more than others, have earned the reputation of…
Roger Caras, the famous photographer and writer once said that “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole,” and nothing can be truer than that. They share our lives and have become such an integral part that life without them seems colorless. Dogs smell you even when you’re yards away…
Everyday at our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we work with aggression in dogs (food aggression, dog aggression, people aggression, etc). Rehabilitation of any nature, whether it be man or dog has a complicated history. Yes, most dogs and people that tend to show signs of extreme aggression can be rehabilitated. But also no,…
After training a few dogs and scanning them, scientists end result was that dogs too are people! It is just that because dogs can’t talk, scientists have depended on their behavioral interpretationsand come to a conclusion as to what dogs are thinking. It is indeed a tricky job. You can’t question a dog as to…
At our dog training classes in Northern Virginia, we get asked this question all of the time! Once you’ve made the decision to get a family pet, a dog, there is still one choice remaining. Are you willing to put up with the necessary training in order to break in a brand new puppy or…
At our dog training business in Northern Virginia, we always get asked about dogs’ emotions. Dog owners everywhere have been asking this question for years when looking at their furry friend: “What is he thinking about?” Recently, two studies have shown that a concrete answer to that question may be possible. A study conducted by…
Traveling is already a stressful endeavor. Traveling with a dog becomes even more stressful. If you aren’t well prepared, traveling with a dog can become dangerous. Designating and securing a spot for the dog in the back of the car is a must. Leaving a dog loose is a first worst mistake when traveling with…
