Obedience Fundamentals

Busy kitchens reward sneaky dogs every time food gets left out between school, work, and dinner chaos. Owners teach a "leave it", the dog listens once or twice, and then the counter thief is back. That’s not because the "leave it" is useless. It’s because "leave it" alone isn’t the whole fix. Why "leave it" doesn’t eliminate counter surfing Teaching a "leave it" alone is not going to eliminate counter surfing. "Leave it" can apply to a lot of different things — toys, househol

A lot of dogs have a “recall” that looks great in the living room and falls apart the second real life shows up. In my experience, the biggest reason is simple: change of environment. Your dog may listen inside or in the backyard where the smells, sounds, and sights are familiar. That doesn’t mean they’ll listen at the park, on a walk with squirrels flying by, or when another dog appears across the street. When the environment changes, it’s a whole different ball game. Expect

Place is one of the most useful commands I teach, and it’s also one of the most misunderstood. So let’s clear it up. Place means any elevated object your dog can get all four paws onto. It means: get on this object and stay there until I release you. That object can be a place cot, a dog bed, the top of a crate, a big boulder — the options are pretty much limitless. What matters is the elevated surface and the expectation that the dog stays on it until released. That’s Place.

One of the most useful things you can understand as a dog owner is the 4 Quadrants of Operant Conditioning. Don’t let the technical name scare you — it’s actually pretty straightforward once you break it down. Understanding the Four Quadrants Positive means adding something to the equation. Negative means removing something. It has nothing to do with “good” or “bad.” Here’s a quick overview: Positive Reinforcement = Adding something to increase a behavior (example: giving a t

When teaching obedience, one of the most common questions I get is about the difference between an Implied Stay and a Taught Stay. Both are useful, but they work differently, and understanding them helps you choose what fits your dog and your lifestyle best. An Implied Stay is exactly what it sounds like. When you tell your dog to “Sit,” “Down,” or “Place,” the stay is built into the command. The dog learns that once they do the behavior, they should remain in that position u

Leash pulling is one of the most common complaints I hear from dog owners. Walks become miserable, frustrating, and sometimes even dangerous. A lot of people try to fix it by switching to a harness or using a flexi leash. But here’s the real reason most methods fail: those tools don’t actually solve the problem — they just make it easier and safer for the dog to keep pulling. If your dog and you are disconnected, the dog simply won’t care that you’re on the other end of the l

Jumping on guests and door dashing are two of the most common frustrations I hear from dog owners. These behaviors usually come from the same root cause: a clear lack of boundaries, structure, and respect. The dog simply doesn’t respect you or the person coming through the door. Dogs are very opportunistic. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. If you let them get away with even the smallest things, they will start running all over you and running your house. One o

The crate should be your dog’s safe place — the spot they go to eat, sleep, chew on a bone, or just relax. It’s not a punishment. When used correctly, it becomes a positive, secure space. One of the biggest crate training mistakes I see is using the crate only when you leave the house. This creates a negative association. The dog learns that going in the crate means you’re leaving and they might be stuck there for hours. Instead, use the crate throughout the day in varying sh

The first six months of a puppy’s life set the tone for the next ten-plus years. That’s why it’s so important to get things right early. Unfortunately, I see the same mistakes over and over that lead owners straight into the “regret phase” when their cute little puppy turns into a full-grown dog. The top puppy training mistakes I see are: Using puppy pads inside the house Letting the puppy get away with problem behaviors because they’re cute (it won’t be cute when they’re 70

I work with a lot of great owners who truly care about their dogs and want them to be well-behaved. Most people have the best intentions, but even then, a few common mistakes show up again and again. These mistakes often hold dogs back from reaching their full potential and can create unnecessary frustration for both the owner and the dog. Here are the two biggest ones I see on a regular basis, along with why they matter and what tends to happen when they go unaddressed. 1. N

A lot of people come to dog training thinking it’s mostly about teaching commands — sit, down, place, stay, heel, come, and so on. They believe that if their dog just learns these behaviors, everything else will fall into place. But after years of working with many dogs and owners, I’ve learned that having a truly well-behaved dog goes way beyond obedience commands. My philosophy is straightforward: the real foundation of training isn’t the commands themselves — it’s the rela

A well-behaved dog is about more than just knowing commands like sit, down, place, stay, and recall. It’s about the relationship between you and your dog. Without trust and respect first, even the best-trained dog won’t listen when it really matters. That’s why I’m big on mastering the fundamentals inside the house before adding distractions or going outside. If the basics aren’t solid at home, expecting your dog to perform them at the park or around other dogs is like asking