A huge part of my job as a dog trainer is to train the human end of the leash, too. Most of this happens at the end of the board & train because in order for the training to “stick”, the dog’s family needs to stay consistent with everything the dog has learned here at training. There are lots of things we touch on during these go-home lessons, and one of those things is often tone of voice. There are three commons mistakes that we tend to make:

1. We use a voice that is either overly stern, or overly excitable.

2. We giggle while saying no, or we say no without sincerity.

3. We’re inconsistent with our tone, or there’s inconsistency between family members.

In this blog post, I’ll unpack these mistakes and give some suggestions on how to avoid them and what to do instead.

Nearly all dogs love treats and I’ve never met a human who doesn’t love giving them! Rewards aren’t just treats; rewards can be any food, praise, affection, toys, or anything your dog finds rewarding. There are even some dogs who love ice chips so much that their owners use ice chips as rewards during training! Rewards are tricky, though and it’s important to be aware of the nuances. There are circumstances where rewards are harming your dog more than helping them. Let’s talk about that.

Beau, a delightful little Havanese, is with me for a 3-week board & train. His adorable little self has attracted quite a bit of attention, which has prompted a few questions about his training equipment. I thought I’d take this opportunity to outline what type of equipment I use for a smaller dog and why.

One of the most common concerns of prospective clients is the fear that training will turn their dog into a robot.

“I don’t want a robot!”

I can’t blame them—I wouldn’t want a robot dog either! We got a dog to have a companion, not a perfect performer of tasks.

If that’s your concern, I have good news for you: I don’t know how to make a dog into a robot. Dogs are thinking, feeling beings who make their own decisions.

Confidence-building is something I do with every dog who comes through my dog training program. It’s especially important for dogs with a nervous disposition, but every dog can stand to become more confident in their commands. To explain what I mean, I’m going to break down the three components of confidence building using an example. Let’s say your dog is generally pretty happy-go-lucky but becomes uncertain when new things happen—this is super common, so it’s a great example. The “new thing” that triggers uncertainty can be anything: new environment, new people, new dogs, new sounds, etc. Let’s talk about how to build your dog’s confidence in this scenario.