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Pet Manners: Whether you have a new puppy or an adult dog, we can help you train your pet to become the dog you’ve always dreamed about. We’ll help you with socialization, obedience training, problem solving, and more so you can have a lifelong companion you can be proud to take anywhere.
Dog Selection: Looking to bring a new family member home? We can help you find the best match! Whether you decide to go to a breeder or rescue a dog, we’ll make sure you wind up with the right fit for your situation.
Fun with your dog: From riding a skateboard in Tricks class to playing Musical Bones in Beginning Obedience, we believe that training should be fun for both ends of the leash! We never recommend painful or scary training techniques, and know that effective training begins with kindness.
CGC and Therapy dogs: Does your dog love people? Do you love helping others? We can help you train your dog to pass the Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog exams.
Agility: Our agility instructors compete (and win!) at a national level, and are passionate about the sport. Whether you want to attend classes just for fun or dream of competing, our agility classes are the best around.
Advanced Obedience: Whoever said that training obedience couldn’t be fun hasn’t attended our classes! Rally and Competitive obedience classes focus on precision, accuracy, and a positive attitude for dogs who love to work.
Personalized help: Dealing with a behavior problem, or just want some personalized help? We’re here for you! Private consultations are available on a flexible schedule to fit with your busy life.
Aggression: Whether your dog is protective, predatory, or just plain doesn’t like people or other dogs, we have years of experience rehabilitating dogs with just these issues. Our techniques are humane, safe, and scientifically sound.
Fear or Anxiety: Your dog doesn’t have to live in fear. We can help you with socialization and confidence building, rescue dogs, anxiety issues, noise phobias, recovery from traumatic situations, and overall stress reduction.
Paws Abilities 
Our 11 year old Labrador suffers severe anxiety attacks were she stresses by really heavy panting, ripping carpets etc. This is usually as a result of noises, fireworks, thunder, wind and rain whilst in our motor-home, sport on the TV etc which causes attacks lasting sometimes hours. Is there a medication available? When not having attacks she is excellent and still loves her walks, suggestions please
Hi Steve,
I cannot give medical advice as I’m not a veterinarian, but I would certainly encourage you to take your Lab to the vet and discuss how medication could help her out. It’s likely that training could also be helpful in your case, especially paired with the right medication. I would encourage you to give us a call if you’re in our service area or check out http://www.ccpdt.org to find a qualified trainer nearby who can assist you in putting together a good behavior modification plan. Good luck!
Kindest regards,
– Sara
We recently acquired a new dog (Buster, pit-mix) to be a doggy friend to our 3-yr old corgi-mix Scooby. I find that Scooby is often giving Buster a warning growl, showing his teeth and telling Buster to back off. But often times Buster does not listen and Scooby’s behavior escalates. I don’t leave the two dogs alone together for long periods of time because of this issue. I was wondering if there is something I can do to teach Buster to listen to Scooby’s language.
Hi Sara,
I’ve really enjoyed your blog since I came across it a few days ago. I was hoping you might have some insight into how I can help a troubled dog in my neighborhood. My closest neighbor has a 10-month old mixed breed (border collie and pit?) dog named Michael who barks incessantly when I walk by with my dog, when my dog is in the corner of our yard where he can see her, or when there are other animals, joggers, or bikers in the area His owner often responds by screaming streams of obscenities at the dog and telling him to shut up, which has no effect. Michael is fenced constantly due to concerns about mountain lions in the area, and exercised infrequently as far as I can tell. When I’ve met him in the neighbor’s home and on leash, he seems afraid of people, cowering behind his owner and barking loudly. His owner has tried to force him into on-leash interactions with me and my dog, with which Michael was clearly uncomfortable, and in which I refused to participate. Michael has accepted treats from me on occasion when I calmly approached and offered them slowly. Here’s the question: what can I, as a neighbor, do to help quell this dog’s barking behavior and improve his quality of life, without lecturing and alienating the neighbor? So far I have tried to keep my dog away from his fence by recalling and treating her when she gets too close. I’ve considered offering to take Michael for walks, but I’m not sure I want to take responsibility for an animal who is so unpredictable and unknown to me. I read your guest post about Minnie and the Manners Minder. Would me giving Michael a treat through the fence help condition him against his reactivity? Thanks for the free advice, if you have any.
Emma
My siberian husky humps my sister’s boyfriend’s golden retriever everytime he sees or hears me. Seriously, he just hears my voice, runs around the corner and starts humping her. This only happens to me. No one else. He’s not really my dog. He’s my mums. Why does he do this? Is it just a dominance thing? If so, why just me?
I have three pit bulls and they are all from different litter and all different ages . I have a major concern about one of my pits , his name is freckle and he was born deaf and is about 8 months old . When I got him from the a pet shop which I will never do again , he was totally normal and he responded to me and my brother whenever we called him and visit him until I was able to pay for him fully . Once we got home things changed , he didn’t hear anything , he didn’t respond to us calling him or any kind of noise. I really want to know how can we train him to better understand what we want him to do . And want to also know how we can get him and my other pit who’s a girl she’s 7 months to stop ripping and breaking their pads and the trays to their crates . We have tried all the sprays to discourage it but they always end up like it . I really need some advice
I adopted my pit mix when he was 7 months old. He has chewed holes in my sofas, 100’s off dollars worth of shoes, clothes, rugs, dog beds (he can ONLY have blankets to sleep on now, NO pillows/dog beds) I had NEVER owned a dog that chewed SO much. Now he is about 13 months. we didn’t even bother with the sprays, i honestly do not believe anything like that would help. We give him kongs to help satisfy his urge to chew. Look up frozen kong recipes. You could start putting her dinner in there, freeze it, it will keep her busy for a LONG time, tire her out, and satisfy her urge to chew. Be patient. I know it is HARD. He has chewed anything and everything he could find. it’s like having an infant. keep everything off the floor, constantly monitor her, every time she has something she is not supposed to chew remove it from her mouth and give a stern NO. Exercise her ALOT, two hours minimum a day. that will help ALOT. set aside time every day to work on basic commands. She needs to be mentally stimulated as well.
Why on Earth would you tell the dog NO for letting take a prize from her? This is just training a dog to resource guard. ALWAYS trade http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/17_4/features/Trading-With-Your-Dog-to-Combat-Resource-Guarding_20951-1.html
We have to keep our 2 male Cane Corso’s completely separated. Vito weighs around 150 lbs. TX weighs around 125. Both are neutered. They are fine with other dogs and people. Our old Chihuahua is the pack leader! Too many injuries,pain and Vet visits following the fights. Once they start fighting, commands are completely ignored.
Any suggestions? Thanks
nice
Hi I have a fox terrier who is 5 years old me and my boyfriend got her has a rescue case we’ve had her for about 2 years now. She suffers from a peeing problem due to stress I have tried many different things to get her to feel comfortable and stress-free. Despite all my attempts nothing has seemed to work with her I am considering using meds to relax and help with her stress. I would like some advice so if you could please email me and I can fill you in more on what’s going on. bickelmeyers17@ gmail.com
Hello my name is Cindy Baker, I live in Fort St.John, B.C. I just read your story today about your pet dogs and there aggression they had against each other. My family was just put through Trauma last week as we lost our very sweet Great Pyrenees the same way. We are very upset, but also very confused. We have 4 dogs, 1 Male (dad) and 3 Females (mom and 2 daughters from different litters. Boo, was 4, and she was the older of the pups. Our dogs are all Great Pyrenees and are the most beautiful tempered, loving, amazingly smart animals. But recently the mom (Mazy)has been picking on Boo. We would break them apart, as she is quite jealous. We came home last day to the mom and the other pup (Bessy) covered in blood, we were frantically looking for Boo. We live in an acreage with lots of bush, we looked and looked, called and called nothing. My husband went on his skidoo on the 3rd day and found her on the outskirts of the field beside us. Her legs were all bitten, she couldn’t move, eat, or drink. We rushed her to the vet, but because of here injuries and time she had been in the cold, her hind legs were frozen, we had to put here to sleep. Most sad and disturbing thing I’ve ever seen. We are lost, don’t know what to do from here, can you help us???
Today I was feeding my lurcher and whippet the lurcher ate hers then wanted to eat the whippets who was taking longer to eat, I said back let her eat but in a flash they started fighting I couldn’t get the lurcher to let the whippet go no matter what I did till the poor wee thing just went limp I had to coax her away with something to separate t he two. When I took the whippet to the vet they did X-rays etc but the the injuries were too bad and I decided it was kinder to put her to sleep. Now I feel I also have to put the lurcher down as I was totally unable to control her , what if she done that to my grandson or again to another animal. She has not been ill treated or shown aggressiveness to humans but I can’t trust her after that. Can’t understand why she turned killer like that and I feel very upset still I love both . The wee whippet came later, they seemed to get on quite well although the lurcher occasionally get bossy the whippet nip her but not break skin so I never thought it was serious,she never actually bit the other, I had the lurcher first she seemed fine not nasty but that was totally without any warning . I’m just so upset can’t believe this.
I have a 3 year old border collie heeler mix we have had him since he was 8 weeks old. I have tried several different things to try to help this. Ever since we got him he is very high strung. He is constantly running walks he tries running.in the yard he runs. In the house he runs. He’s very excitable and can’t seem to calm him down. He’s been recently trying to herd my 2 year old. Even nipping at him. He’s the only dog I’ve ever owned that has done this. I have several other dogs that are calm. I am at a loss.. I can’t get him to gain weight either. Vet says he’s a little skinny but healthy. Any help on how to make this behavior stop or slow a little would be great!
Read your pice titled- Dog-Dog Aggression Between Housemates Part Two: Bites
Is there anywhere to find more information on bite location and intent?
My 2 dogs had a serious fight last week
Hi Sara, I’m messaging you from the UK. What you have written has so resonated with me. I feel that we are on the same page, but I need your help! Whether you can help remotely or even know of a great dog trainer in the UK, I would be so glad to hear from you. Our family have taken on a 3yo neutered male Dobermann 4 months ago. He suffers from severe and debilitating trauma. Prior to us, Dobby had been hit by a car, (dislocated hip and surgery). He lives in nervous tension, and has many triggers, cars, bicycles, other dogs when he is on the lead etc. He feels that he has not been trained adequately, nor socialised. I’ve read all your stuff on your website, and will be implementing your suggestions! You make it seem so obvious and easy!
Hope to hear from you.
Sally and Dobby
My 18 month old male dog (recently neutered) has recently been attacking my seven year old male dog (neutered). He kind of like covers him with his body and bites his snout. They are both very loud and it sounds very scary. It sounds like, from reading your articles, that this is not as bad as it sounds, but I still want it to stop! Can you help me (even if it means Zoom private lessons)??