Whether your dog has behavioral issues such as: eats your house while your away, doesn’t travel well or gets snippy with invited guests, most behavior issues come from two possible sources. Sometimes dogs are received from places that did not breed very well, and sometimes as their owner it can be hard to know what…
So you have decided to take a big leap, and pick yourself up a new puppy. You find the cutest, fluffiest, most adorable puppy ever, and you bring him home. Â Then you ask yourself, “What are things I should know about getting a new puppy?”The next morning you wake up to find that your cute…
Nervous dogs, or those which have had a history of abuse, often exhibit anxiety when left alone. This can manifest itself as barking or whining, chewing furniture or simply cowering away somewhere it feels more protected. The general term is separation anxiety, and can affect many animals and even humans  So, you may wonder “How…
Our aggressive dog training courses in Northern Virginia work on the principle that there is no dog in the world that prefers to be aggressive. An aggressive dog will be just as unhappy as its owners about the situation. Aggression is caused by the dog’s environment putting it under some kind of stress. This…
Train your puppy quickly and effectively with positive reinforcement techniques The modern approach to puppy training, and indeed dog training in general, is a far cry from the old methods of punishing bad behaviour. It is now know that using positive reinforcement, such as treats and praise, works far better and will cause your puppy…
Why Northern Virginia dog trainers need to change your dog’s attitude Every once in awhile, even the most patient of dog owners will realize that their dog has developed an attitude problem. This may apply to you. You know that your dog has a bad attitude when he tends to take the lead in the…
First off, congratulations on your new perfect puppy! Many people do not realize how much work some puppies can be for the first six months of their lives, and that’s just the beginning. As you’ve learned, house breaking a puppy can seem impossible. Essentially, it is like having a newborn baby in many ways…
What is socialization and why is it so important? It is getting your puppy acquainted with as many different animals, people, and circumstances as possible. In my opinion, socialization is one of the most important things in young puppies’ lives. If I were paid every time we received e-mails or calls about people-aggressive or dog-aggressive…
One of the most important steps to raising a confident dog is to play tug with your dog. People do not realize how important this step is in confidence-building. We preach confidence building daily at our dog training in Virginia. It does not help that there is so much misinformation out there on this subject…
One big fear many dogs have are fear of noises (loud trucks, fireworks, thunder, etc). When we do puppy consultations at our training facility, Off-Leash K9 Training, in Woodbridge, Virginia, we always tell people, “Immediately start exposing him/her to as many noises as possible.” Turn on the vacuum, blender, hair dryer, and any other noisy…
Anytime I appear on television or in a magazine, one of the biggest things I always talk about is “confidence building in dogs.” In my opinion, it’s one of the most important, yet, one of the most underrated aspects of dog training. Many owners and trainers alike overlook this very important aspect. This is something…