Training Archives - Dog Wisdom Workshop

20May 2020 by Marilyn No Comments

Why Exercise Alone Won’t Cure Your Dog’s Boredom

Bored dogs, just like bored teenagers, want "something to do". But, of course, exercise alone won't cure your dog's boredom. Dogs naturally need physical exercise to stay fit and healthy. But a tired dog isn't necessarily a calm dog. The same goes for people. There's a "good tired". You know,... that calm feeling that comes after playing a challenging game, building, creating, producing a result, or solving a problem. The kind of activity that engages both body and mind is enriching and satisfying. However, the other kind of tired...the not so good kind... comes after a lot of activity that keeps you busy but without mental enrichment. Work that doesn't also engage the mind can leave you feeling exhausted and restless. Not calm. Not satisfied. Think about the last time you had to figure…

17Feb 2020 by Marilyn No Comments

Who Will You Trust To Train Your Dog?

Puppy Training, Training

Looking for help to train your dog? Let's face it. What's the first thing you do when you need answers? Google it! Am I right? So if you want an answer to training your dog to...let's say, stop barking too much or jumping on guests, ...why not just get a bunch of ideas off the internet? After all, there's so much out there about every subject under the sun! And that's exactly the problem! You'll find so much chatter and clutter that, unless you're already an expert, you have no way to differentiate what's good from what's just plain crap. The thing you should know is that experts can tell the difference. They spend years and years researching and learning. Serious trainers will consistently dissect and test ideas and then measure them against proven data. They can instantly…

27Apr 2019 by Marilyn No Comments

Five Things NOT To Do When Your Dog Is Afraid

Dog Behavior, Training

Knowing What Not To Do When Your Dog Is Afraid Lets You Be Smart About Managing Your Dog's Fears You have the best intentions. You want to help your dog get over being scared. Maybe she barks at a visitor, so you encourage the visitor to approach and "make friends". Or, maybe your dog seems afraid of other dogs, so you take her to a crowded dog park so she can "get used to" being around strange dogs. What if your dog growls at someone and then you punish her for misbehaving. In each case, the way you managed your dog's fear increased the dog's anxiety and prolonged it; it did not relieve it. What should you do when your dog is afraid? Fear is a powerful emotion that can be overwhelming. Your dog's emotion can show…

17Apr 2019 by Marilyn No Comments

Stubborn Dog or Just Too Stressed to Learn?

Dog Behavior, Training

Recognize Early Signs of Stress in Your Dog Is your dog too stressed to learn? Remember what it felt like when you had to take an important exam? Or when you struggled with learning some new skill that seemed complicated? We've all been there. Let's face it - learning is stressful. A little bit of stress can actually help - keeping you alert and challenged in a good way. But if stress overwhelms you, your brain just shuts down on you and it becomes all but impossible to learn. The same thing can happen to your dog when you are teaching him something new. When is your dog too stressed to learn? Just like you, your dog can't focus his thinking on learning a new thing if he's upset or scared. If he feels afraid,…

06Apr 2019 by Marilyn No Comments

Your Timing is Your Message in Dog Training

Dog Behavior, Training

When you communicate with your dog about ANYTHING, your timing is your message. That's because dogs are creatures of the moment - they live in a perpetual NOW. To put it in practical terms think of it this way. If two events happen at the same time, or if one event takes place immediately before or immediately after another, then your dog may decide that the two events are connected. Sometimes the connection happens after only a single experience: a puppy gets car-sick and is afraid to get into the car after that one bad experience. Often, however, a connection grows in the dog's mind after a few consistent repetitions: the sound of a bag of treats being opened signals the dog that sitting will earn him a treat. The most important lesson that…

14Mar 2019 by Marilyn No Comments

Puppies Need Boundaries

Puppy Training, Training

Puppies need boundaries that are reasonable and clearly defined. We raise our human children to ask for permission, say please and thank you, share, and wait their turn. Parents want their children to grow up into confident and responsible adults. So parents teach their children that when they respect social boundaries they will be rewarded with more freedom. But ignoring boundaries often results in a loss of their freedom. Puppy parents often overlook the importance of creating reasonable and clearly defined boundaries. It's natural for puppies to explore and experiment so that they can learn about their world and the people in it. If puppies get too much freedom too early, their curiosity can have some undesirable results. They deserve the opportunity to earn their freedom so that they will respect it. What does too much freedom for…

11Feb 2019 by Marilyn No Comments

Train Your Dog Faster with Micro-Lessons, Even If You’re Too Busy!

Training

Micro-Lessons? What's that? So you'd love to have a well-trained dog, but setting aside an hour a day - or even a half-hour - just won't work in your crazy busy daily schedule! Training with Micro-Lessons can solve that problem! Just because you have a lot on your plate, like most of us, doesn't mean you can't have a well-behaved family dog. One more thing. From your dog's point of view, a lesson that lasts an hour is way too long. He'll simply stop learning after about ten minutes. That's normal. A five-minute lesson is ideal. But wait! What if you could teach your dog more in two minutes, or one minute, than you could in a long, boring, repetitious training session? In addition, suppose these quick mini-lessons were the fastest,…

08Oct 2018 by Marilyn No Comments

Housebreaking Done Right the First Time

Dog Behavior, Training

Housebreaking done right the first time can save you from confusion, frustration, and irritation. [caption id="attachment_163" align="alignright" width="257"] Sleep, Potty, then Play.[/caption] Housebreaking opinions and suggestions come at you from so many well-meaning family, friends, social media, and self-proclaimed experts that you might be tempted to try something different every day. What you need is a proven plan that shows you exactly how to schedule your puppy's potty breaks. Please remember that dogs are not born understanding where people want them to go to the bathroom. For most of us, housebreaking means that we want our dogs to take care of their needs outside. But for some dogs, probably the tiny ones, housebreaking means that they learn to use wee-wee pads or a litter box. Whatever the location you choose…