Summer is finally here, and hopefully you're doing all sorts of funs stuff! And hopefully you are able to include your dog or you're working on it so that they can live a fuller life with you and the fam.

I love it when people train their dogs to a level that they can bring them anywhere and include them in anything. But (you knew that was coming), we see a lot of people get in their own way and create not just set backs, but actually start to create patterns that are the exact opposite of what they want because they are eager to include their dog and they just don't do it in a way that is productive and conducive to their long term goals. These behavior patterns can then haunt you forever!!

It's worth putting in the extra work early on to have the dog you want and be able to include them the way you want for the rest of their life. Have a listen.

Everybody talks about stress like it's this really damaging thing, but is it really? And if your dog is stressed by something is that bad?

Most people try not to stress their dogs, yet we are increasingly seeing dogs that are stressed more than normal by just typical everyday things that they should be able to tolerate. Is there a connection? And how do you know if and when stress is something to worry about?

Have a listen.

People tend to get overwhelmed (and severely misled) with all the different catch phrases out there pertaining to training and "types" of training. Most people don't really understand what all of the terms out there really mean. And they also don't fully understand the process of effectively and efficiently building, shaping, or modifying behaviors which makes analyzing all these fancy "methods" really difficult. Hours on the internet are fruitless. Especially when you consider that most of what is out there is blatantly false.

Terms like "purely positive" are used to make you feel good. It gives us the warm fuzzies and makes us feel like we are really doing right by our dog. And if it is really as effective as everybody says it is, why wouldn't we do our programs that way? And what are the main differences in our approach and our results vs a trainer that adheres to the ideology of "positive only"?

Well, have a listen.

The most common approach to fixing behavioral issues, or even just trying to teach our dogs to ignore distractions, is to use obedience. This is a huge mistake, and will either lead to frustration or a long life of constant management. It isn't so much the obedience that's problematic as it is overlooking a critical step in communicating with your dog. We discuss this often overlooked step and give real life examples so that you can start building a life that is easier and a relationship where you and your dog are totally on the same page.

So many folks prioritize their dog's "happiness" over their training. This is a problem in and of itself, but especially when we don't actually know what a "happy" dog is.

A cool, calm, collected dog doesn't look "happy" by everyone's standards. But how will your dog ever become the superstar they could be if they are running around a like a crack head and can't be cool, calm, and collected? You'll stay stuck in a vicious cycle of keeping your dog aroused and getting frustrated with their behavior.

It seems everybody is an expert, and they don't hesitate to tell you what you're doing wrong or even that you are a bad dog owner. So, what do you do?

Don't worry...he's friendly!!