The personality and thought process of the dog is an extremely complex mechanism. Training, whether for toilet training or teaching to sit on command, is simply a matter of communication. That is, communicating your desires to your pet and requiring that he respond in a certain manner, all the time. But when a normally trained [...]

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There are some isolated cases where the cause of a breakdown in toilet habits in a mature dog starts as a psychological motivation, but results in a problem becoming medically motivated. An example of this would be the dog that suddenly forgets his housebreaking and urinates out of jealousy and spite. A dog of this [...]

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How does a dog owner determine if his dog is getting old? How can he know that the “accident” that just happened is the result of the aging process that the dog is going through? These are difficult questions, since a dog five years of age can be considered old, while a six-year old dog [...]

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There is a certain element of surprise, perhaps even shock, when the owner of a perfectly trained and well-behaved adult dog suddenly steps in a puddle. “No, it can’t be!” He shrieks. The possible alternative, such as a defrosting refrigerator, leaky water pipes, or a spilled cup of coffee give way to the awful truth; [...]

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Now it’s time to find out if your dog has truly learned how to heel and execute an automatic sit. Give him the command “Heel” and make any necessary corrections for poor heeling or lack of attentiveness to bring him up to the proper mental level of awareness. Come to a stop and command “Sit”. [...]

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When you feel that you have sufficient control of your dog while walking, usually within four days of his initial orientation to the leash, you are now ready to go to a higher level of control. Give your dog the command to heel and begin walking, remembering to start out on your left foot, in [...]

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When it comes to obedience training, there should be no “half-way action” accepted. In other words, it’s all or nothing from your dog. And a crooked sit must be considered as something less than your dog giving his full potential. Not only does it look shabby, but it also prevents the dog from accomplishing his [...]

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There are two extremes of personalities in dogs – the introvert and the extrovert. However, there are many degrees in between those two extremes as there are dogs in this planet. Regardless of where your dog’s personality lies on that scale, once you have given the command to heel you must start walking and continue [...]

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As you begin, position your dog at your left side while keeping the leash short. Leave a belly of reserved slack, with your right hand, look at your dog, say his name, then command “Heel”! Begin walking, starting with your left foot. Walk briskly in a straight line, with confidence in your movement. Your dog [...]

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Once you have reached the level in training your dog where he is not fooled by distractions or temptation, you are then ready to proceed to the next level of training – how to heel correctly. If your dog cannot walk comfortably at your side, there is no way you’re going to teach him anything [...]

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