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Good Beginnings    Puppies should remain with their mothers and litter mates until they are at least 8 weeks of age. The puppy's family plays an essential role in teaching a pup how to behave and how to accept discipline. These are lessons that will last a lifetime and make it easier for you to train your pet. The crucial period during which the mother instils good habits in her offspring is between the 6th and 8th week.

Come: A Good Word    Never call your dog to you to do something that he/she perceives as unpleasant. Look at it from the dog's point of view. Would you continue to obey a summons if it possibly entailed something distasteful, painful or humiliating? Make coming to you a rewarding experience, every time. If you have to do something like administering medicine, allow some joyful minutes after your dog has come to you before performing the task.

Avoid Confusion    Be clear and consistent in your demands and expectations. A dog can hardly be expected to assess your intentions when you change them from time to time. He/she will only become confused and unable to respond appropriately at any time.

Use Win-Win Strategies    It is better to distract a dog from mischief than to try to chase him/her down. Dogs in good health can run and turn faster than most humans. If your dog has gotten hold of something he/she should not have, try trading the item for a toy or a treat that the dog likes more. It's a win-win strategy.

These are the approaches I use to address the issues most commonly encountered by my clients. I hope you find them helpful. 

One more tip, this one for health. 

Natural Flea Treatment    Try sprinkling some apple cider vinegar on your dog's food. It is an acquired taste for some dogs, and so you might want to start with a couple of drops and increase gradually.

As we begin to settle in for the long days of winter there will be days when you won’t be able to get out for a walk with your dog due to the poor weather conditions. No matter how poor the weather is your pooch will still have plenty of energy and will need to be exercised. Rather than wait for them to start entertaining themselves by chewing on your furniture or shredding that lovely down filled duvet why not try these couple of ‘games’ with them and see how much fun you and Fido can have while the weather outside is frightful!! Play the recall game but mix it up a bit and have one person go upstairs or into another room at the end of the house. Fido will get lots of exercise going back and forth throughout the house and you’ll also be incorporating training into this as well!!!! Have a game of Hide & Seek with Fido. Start with having someone keep Fido occupied while you go ‘hide behind a couch or in the closet. Once you have hidden the person with Fido will ask him to ‘find you’ and they can assist Fido by starting to move in your direction. Fido will learn to use his ‘nose’ to seek you out and remember when he ‘finds’ you ensure you give lots of praise and reward with a treat or toy. These games are great ways to not only exercise your dog but also train them at the same time. So the next time the weather forecast calls for a storm make sure you have lots of treats on hand for your snow day with Fido!!

I regret to inform you that Helene Proudfoot passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2008. As many of you may know, Helene made a great contribution to the city as a dog trainer, breeder, nutritionist and consultant. She has been my mentor since I began working with dogs. If not for Helene, Companion Dog Trainers would not have existed and I would not have had the privilege to take over the business when Helene retired. Helene remained deeply involved with dogs after her retirement and, throughout her lengthy battle with cancer, she continued to help and advise me and others with the same generosity and enthusiasm that she had always shown. I, along with her family and many friends, will sorely miss her. You are invited to join the Celebration of Life for Helene at Barrett's Funeral Home on Wednesday, May 7, 4-6 p.m.

Recommended Reading

Dog Training for Dummies
by Jack and Wendy Volhard
Hungry Minds (2000)

Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog
by Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown
DVM Howell Book House (2000)