The Compassionate Dog Trainer

Empathy is one of the most important skills we possess as humans. The ability to understand and relate to another person’s feelings from their point of view rather than our own. This provides healthy relationships in both our personal and professional lives. Empathy allows us to show compassion. Compassion is necessary when training dogs. Each […]
Can Poor Dog Training Be Corrected?

Can Poor Dog Training Be Corrected? Yes! But it is not a fast fix. It will take work and time. The dog believes the behavior is appropriate because the human reinforces this behavior with their response, or lack thereof. Of course, this isn’t anything dog trainers don’t already know. Often, the most difficult part of […]
Puppy Temperament Testing

Photo-by-Ezequiel-Garrido-on-Unsplash When we walk into a store, kennel or rescue looking for a dog, we allow our hearts to steer us in making a decision. While all puppies have adorable, sweet faces, their personalities are as individual as human personalities and temperaments. What if you could determine which puppy is best suited for your family? […]
Think You Suffer with Imposter Syndrome? Tips to Help!

Have you ever felt that your accomplishments were luck rather than actual achievements? Although you are skilled and educated in your field, you think you’re fooling people into believing you are good at your job. If this fits your mindset (either now or in the past), you have experienced imposter syndrome. Don’t worry because you […]
Tips To Desensitize Your Dog to Face Masks

If the summer months don’t provide enough fearful triggers for our dogs– we’re talking fireworks and thunderstorms — this year we can add face masks to the list of possible reactivity issues. Throughout most of the United States, people are asked (or mandated) to wear facial masks while in public to prevent the spread of […]
How to Teach New Commands without Stressing Your Dog

Think back to history textbooks during your school years. Each chapter in those textbooks contained dozens of pages filled with dates and information. If your teacher were to assign the entire chapter at once and then give an test two days later, most of us would fail miserably. That’s why teachers break chapters down into […]
How Do I Effectively Marker Train My Dog?

In marker training, how a dog responds (or behaves), determines whether the marker will be positive or negative. A positive marker is either the word “yes” or the sound of a clicker, followed by a reward. The most common rewards used during marker training are food, toys or affection. We suggest you stick with food […]