Bringing your Christmas Puppy Home So, you’ve finally chosen the perfect dog for you and your family, and it’s time to bring them home to experience the good life. Before deciding this, realize, that you are giving someone a life to take care of daily, for the next 12-15 years. You are giving them a…
At our board and train facility in Northern Virginia, we always get a lot of questions around Thanksgiving. You may not naturally consider your family pet to be a major part of Thanksgiving as a holiday, but your dog can be a source of stress or setbacks if you don’t know how to take care…
There has been a debate as to whether or not you should spay or neuter your dog. Many different groups have a variety of different feelings on this heavily debated topic, each for their own reasons. This can be a very personal decision and one of the most important ones that you can make as…
If you are a dog owner, chances are that you have noticed your dog munching on grass a number of times. This is generally nothing to be concerned over. Our dogs’ wild ancestors were scavengers; they would get vegetation if they couldn’t find any meat. Owners often forget that our dogs are omnivores, and they…
We all have heard the saying that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth. While it’s a common saying, it is simply untrue. There are a few reasons that this myth has floated around for so long. At one time, studies were showing that human bites became infected at a faster rate than…
There are a lot of unique behaviors that dogs have that can be difficult for us humans to understand. They do things that you may find disgusting, which are actually completely normal to them. Dogs have no actual language that people can tell so they do heavily rely on their body language to help them…
Roger Caras, the famous photographer and writer once said that “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole,” and nothing can be truer than that. They share our lives and have become such an integral part that life without them seems colorless. Dogs smell you even when you’re yards away…
After training a few dogs and scanning them, scientists end result was that dogs too are people! It is just that because dogs can’t talk, scientists have depended on their behavioral interpretationsand come to a conclusion as to what dogs are thinking. It is indeed a tricky job. You can’t question a dog as to…
At our dog training classes in Northern Virginia, we get asked this question all of the time! Once you’ve made the decision to get a family pet, a dog, there is still one choice remaining. Are you willing to put up with the necessary training in order to break in a brand new puppy or…
At our dog training business in Northern Virginia, we always get asked about dogs’ emotions. Dog owners everywhere have been asking this question for years when looking at their furry friend: “What is he thinking about?” Recently, two studies have shown that a concrete answer to that question may be possible. A study conducted by…
Traveling is already a stressful endeavor. Traveling with a dog becomes even more stressful. If you aren’t well prepared, traveling with a dog can become dangerous. Designating and securing a spot for the dog in the back of the car is a must. Leaving a dog loose is a first worst mistake when traveling with…
How often have we been placed in an ambiguous situation where we don’t know how to react. We take a cue from other people’s responses (in the hope that they are more experienced) and behave just as they do. This is called ‘social referencing’ and is very apparent in young children who are faced with…
Wolves have been associated with human beings for a very long time and studies show that man first used wolves for food. Their bones were found alongside humans as far back as 400,000 years ago. Not all of them were wild, some were timid and knowing that food would be near human camps, started moving…
We’ve all heard of marker/treat training, clicker /treat training, or dogs doing detection; however, most people do not know that this is standard classical conditioning which was found by a man named Ivan Pavlov. When you think of, you automatically tend to associate him with the theory of Classic Conditioning. Born in Russia in…
We do service dog and therapy dog training in Northern Virginia, so we always get ask about these certifications. Many people do not know the history of the service dog. Dogs have a rich history of interaction with humans. They also are known to have a sort of sixth sense when it comes to things…
We do diabetic alert dog training in Northern Virginia. Diabetic Alert Dogs are lifesavers for type 1 diabetes patients, specifically when they are hypoglycemic unaware, meaning that they don’t experience the usual symptoms associated with low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, etc.). Research has shown that dogs can detect low blood sugar using the…
Since we are the best electronic (shock) collar trainers in Northern Virginia, we often get asked about the affects of electronic collar training. It is not actually a “shock” at all (as some people call it), it is actually a very low level stimulation, much like stim pads that physical therapists use. Due to the…
We always get ask if we do shock collar dog training at our location in Northern Virginia. We do not like the term “shock collar” and in fact, it’s incorrect. The collars do not “shock” they provide a very low level contraction of the muscle, just like stim pads that physical therapists use. Many people…
While we do a lot of therapy dog training at our facility in Northern Virginia, many do not know the history of the therapy dog. Dogs have always been man’s best friend. While they may have started out as assistants for early man’s hunting expeditions, they have evolved into being spiritual companions on the journey…
At our dog training lessons in Virginia, we offer certified Therapy Dog Courses for dogs of all sizes, ages, and breeds! Of course we love our cats, hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, goats, chickens, and any other pets we have. But only one pet has been ever deemed consistently as “man’s best friend” and that is our…
If you live in Northern Virginia, own a German Shepherd and would like to get it trained, there are various competent options available to you in the State. Training Issues The common issues faced by German Shepherd owners are jumping, pulling on the leash, hyper-activity and mouthing, there is a possibility of private classes in…
Celebrity dog trainer in Northern Virginia, Nicholas White, who is the owner of globally recognized dog training business, Off Leash K9 Training, set his second world record for the most off leash commands performed in just 5 days of training; during his private 5-day training program in Baton Rouge, LA with Belgian Malinois Molly…
Northern Virginia based Celebrity dog trainer, Nicholas White, who is the owner of globally recognized dog training business, Off Leash K9 Training, set a new world record for the longest documented extended down with voice command only; this record was set after only 5 days of working with Belgian Malinois Molly and her owner Paul Burns…
On a daily basis, we install underground dog fences all throughout Northern Virginia. We are an official Dog Guard® Installer and Distributor, all of our installs and equipment are backed by a lifetime warranty, as well! An underground fence is an electronic system to stop pets from departing a yard. A buried wire is energized with coded signals and an…
On a daily basis we hear stories about dogs who hate having their feet touched or their nails cut, this is generally due to the owners or breeders not doing “body desensitization” with their pups at a young age. If you have a new pup, it’s highly important for you to do body desensitization drills…
At our Northern Virginia dog behavior training facility, we deal with dogs who are aggressive towards people on a regular basis. One thing that everyone asks is, “Can you fix my people aggressive dog?” That’s a very tricky question to answer until we really start working with your dog. First, you must understand WHY your…
We have the highest rated board and train program for your dog in Northern Virginia. In fact, Northern Virginia Magazine named us “Best Dog Trainers of 2014, 2015, and 2016! We have people come from all throughout the US for our board and training program! As you will see, our client list includes: Actor Ryan…
At our dog training in Northern Virginia, we always get asked about Service Dog Training or Therapy Dog Training. Many do not realize the difference between these two types of training. Canines might be prepared to perform numerous activities to help handlers or other individuals to handle a few troubles. There are no less than…
We work with therapy dogs at our facility in Northern Virginia on a daily basis. Certain dogs have nice characteristics and certain behaviors that creates the perfect well-balanced friendly dog for individuals. In fact, because of this specific disposition, trainers can easily measure or choose the most appropriate coaching system/method. We can decide which profession…
We do most of our dog training in Northern Virginia; however, I just got back from spending 5-days working with the police dogs from Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Brevard County. It was an awesome experience being able to help train these amazing dogs and their handlers. We were able to get a lot accomplished with…
Have you thought about getting an invisible dog fence installed in Northern Virginia? This is a great way to go if you are looking at giving your dog more fun, freedom, and exercise! Best of all, it literally cost a fraction of the price of traditional fencing. For example, if you were to fence in…
At Dog Guard Fence in Northern Virginia, we specialize in giving your pets freedom and keeping them safe! We use state-of-the-art electric underground fencing at all of our jobs in Northern Virginia. We are widely recognized as specialists in the pet containment industry, and we can help you customize your out-of-sight fence to meet all…
I have a “bone to pick” with the “service dogs” that are rampantly taking over the United States. I have seen more “service dogs” in the last year than any other time I can remember: unfortunately, there is a huge reason why this is happening. As you know, service dogs play an important role in…
The Pros and Cons of Clothes for Dogs In a pet forum, one of the fastest ways to get a thread started is to make a statement either for or against the concept of clothes for dogs. Dog owners of both viewpoints will be getting very worked up about the topic each convinced that the…
What Makes A Good Therapy Dog? At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we recently had 8 out of 8 of our trained dogs pass the therapy dog certification with Therapy Dog International. While there are certain people who like the idea of using their dog in one of the registered therapy programs, not…
As you know, at our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we see about 70 dogs per week, so we get to hear the numerous things people are naming their dogs! Here is a list of the top 10 most popular dog names of 2013: Female 1. Bella 2. Daisy 3. Lucy 4. Molly 5….
Everyday at our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, I find myself saying, “Stay is an amateur dog training command.” As you can see in our 400+ videos on our YouTube Channel, we never use the “stay” command; however, the dogs do not budge despite us running around them, cars driving around them, dogs walking…
At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, one of the situations we have to address on a daily basis is dogs properly greeting another dog. In order to do a proper introduction, there are some key elements that should be adhered to: First: Before you let the dogs approach, do NOT assume the other…
We can give your dog the tools to pass therapy dog testing at our facility in Northern Virginia. On a monthly basis, our trained dogs pass their therapy dog testing with ease. If you look at our YouTube Channel, you will see all of our trained actually “exceed” the standards laid out for therapy dogs….
At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, I am a huge advocate AGAINST doing in-home dog training. As I say on a daily basis, “I have never seen a dog that has impressed me in obedience, that did it through in-home training.” I have said this phrase for years, and despite us training 7…
