Good Dog,
Happy Home

You see another dog turn the corner and your stomach drops. A second later your dog is on their back legs, barking, lunging and pulling so hard you can barely hold on. The other owner crosses the street. You feel embarrassed, worried and a little exhausted. Maybe you have started walking at 5am, or skipping walks…

If you are reading this, there is a good chance you have already tried a few things. The online videos, a group class, a new harness, a lot of patience. Walks are still a battle, guests still get jumped on, or your dog's worries are starting to shape your whole day. Somewhere along the way someone mentioned board and…

At four months your puppy sat when you asked, followed you from room to room and came running when you called. Now, a few months later, they look at you, look at the squirrel and leave. They pull on the leash, jump on every guest, steal socks and seem to have forgotten their own name. Welcome to the teenage dog phase….

A dog who comes when called gets more freedom. They can run at the beach, explore on a hike and play in the yard, while you relax, trusting them to turn around when you ask. A recall is also one of the most useful safety skills your dog can have. It is also one of the hardest cues to get right. If your dog comes in the…

You sit down on the floor to cuddle your new puppy, and within seconds there are needle-sharp teeth on your fingers, your sleeve and your shoelaces. The kids have started keeping their feet up on the couch. You know it is normal, but it still hurts. Puppy biting is one of the most common things new owners ask us about,…

You bring home a crate, set it up in the living room and lift your puppy inside. They cry, scratch at the door and look at you as if you have betrayed them. It is easy to decide crates are not for your dog, when usually they just need a slower introduction. Done well, crate training gives your dog a quiet den of their…

You walk through the front door and your puppy launches at you, all paws and tongue. It is sweet at ten weeks. A few months later, when they knock a visiting grandparent off balance or leave muddy prints on a guest's clothes, it is a lot less fun. The good news is that you can teach a different way to say hello. This…

Your dog is stretched out on the couch and you need them off. You reach for their collar and they go stiff, roll over or slide just out of reach. Or a squirrel darts up a tree on your walk, and suddenly you are attached to a dog who has forgotten you exist. A hand target can help with both. It is one of the simplest…

Your puppy has a beautiful sit. In fact, they sit for everything. Ask for a down and they sit. Ask again and they sit harder, looking very pleased with themselves. They are not being difficult. They are guessing, because sitting has paid off so often before. Puppy push-ups are a quick, fun game that teaches your puppy…

Two dogs are growling, wrestling and chasing each other around the yard, and you cannot tell whether to laugh or step in. Dog play is loud and rough, and to people it can look a lot like fighting. Most of the time it is fine. Sometimes it is not, and knowing the difference keeps play safe. This guide covers what…

Everyone tells you to socialize your new puppy: the vet, the breeder, the neighbor with three dogs. But what does that actually mean? Does your puppy need to meet a hundred people? Go to the dog park? Get passed around at a family barbecue? Not quite. Good socialization is less about how many things your puppy meets…

A visitor leans down to pet your dog, and your dog backs away, then stiffens and growls. Or a dog who has always been easygoing snaps when a child hugs them. It can feel as if the aggression came out of nowhere. Usually it did not. Dogs say a great deal before they ever growl or snap, and a lot of what looks like…

It is 6 a.m., you are standing in the yard in your pajamas, and your puppy is sniffing every blade of grass except the one you hoped they would use. Then you come back inside and they pee on the rug. If that sounds like your week, you are in good company. Potty training, or housebreaking, is mostly about routine and…

Your dog trots past with something in their mouth and that look in their eye. A sock, the TV remote, a chicken bone from who knows where. You lunge, they run, and now it is a game of chase around the coffee table that your dog is clearly winning. "Drop it" turns that moment into something calm. It teaches your dog to…

You call your dog's name from across the room. Nothing. Not a flick of an ear. Then you rustle the treat bag and they appear at your feet in seconds. Your dog can hear you perfectly well. Their name just does not mean anything worth turning around for yet. The Name Game changes that. It is a short, simple exercise that…

The doorbell rings, the delivery driver is holding a box, and your dog is already halfway down the hall. Or you are carrying a hot coffee across the kitchen with a dog weaving between your feet. A solid stay turns those moments from a scramble into something calm. Stay asks your dog to hold a position, usually a sit or…

Your dog is having the time of their life: zoomies around the living room, a toy tossed in the air, a happy bark. Then a guest walks in or the kids start running, and the excitement turns into jumping, mouthing and a dog who tunes you out. For many dogs, getting excited is easy. Calming back down is the hard part. Go…

The front door opens and your dog is through it before you are. The car door opens and they leap out into the parking lot. You put the food bowl down and get mugged on the way. Each is only a few seconds of chaos, but some are genuinely risky. "Wait" is the cue for those few seconds. It asks your dog to pause and not…

You sit down to dinner and your dog circles the table, nose at plate height. You stop to chat with a neighbor and your dog winds the leash around your legs. In both moments, you wish your dog would just lie down and relax. A solid Down gives you exactly that, and it is the start of a dog who knows how to switch off….

You clip on the leash, open the front door and your shoulder takes the strain before you reach the end of the driveway. Your dog zigzags from smell to smell, drags you toward every person and dog, and the relaxed walk you pictured turns into a tug of war. Pulling is one of the most common problems families ask us…

Sit is usually the first thing anyone teaches a dog, and for good reason. It is quick to learn, easy to reward and useful dozens of times a day. A dog who is sitting cannot also be jumping on a guest, bolting through a door or mugging you for their dinner. Yet plenty of dogs only sit when there is a treat in sight, or…

On a walk, your dog is busy with everything except you. Smells, birds, leaves, the dog three houses down. At home, the only time they look at you with real interest is when the fridge opens. You start to feel like the person who just happens to be holding the leash. Some dogs find focus easier than others, but it is…

A slice of pizza on the sidewalk. A chicken bone under a bush. The sandwich your child just put down at exactly nose height. Every dog owner knows the half second where you see it, your dog sees it and you both move. "Leave it" wins you that half second. It teaches your dog to turn away from something they want,…