Whether you've just brought home a puppy, a rescue dog, or you're ready to start training a beloved family pet, there is no better time to get started with dog training. Young dogs, old dogs, and all breeds capable of learning new tricks or changing unwanted behaviors as long as you have the right training approach.

When done right, training is beneficial for both you and your dog. In addition to creating a well behaved dog and avoiding unwanted behaviors, training makes you seem like a confident leader to your dog, giving him confidence and security. It provides mental stimulation, and helps the two of you learn to work together, increasing the bond you have with your pup.

What You Need to Start Training

Although there will be some challenges along the way, going into training with a plan and the right tools can help you and your four legged friends succeed. Patience and a positive attitude are key as you get started with training. There is bound to be some frustration on both your part and that of your dog and training will take time. Some dogs are anxious to please and learn very quickly, but others may need frequent reminders.

The good news is that as you get started and master the basics, later training will become easier as both you and your dog improve your communication. To get started, make sure you have:

• Resources - Most dog owners are not experts in training, but expert advice is readily available. If you want to handle training on your own, find books or online resources to guide you. Just as if you were choosing an in person trainer, you will want to take some time to research and read feedback to be sure you are using resources from a reliable trainer.
• Training Tools - What you use to train your dog will vary based on your preferences and those of your dog. A leash and collar are necessities to help guide your dog. You'll also need a type of reward that you know your dog enjoys such as treats or toys. Some trainers will also opt to use a clicker or E-collar to help reinforce behavior.
• Goals - You also need to know what you want to accomplish with your dog. You may want them to know the basics like sit, stay, and heel. You may want to train out an undesirable behavior like barking or getting in the trash. Or you may want to try advanced skills and tricks. Whichever you choose, it's best to start small and proceed at a pace that is comfortable for you and your dog.

If your goal is to train out problems like aggression where there is a risk to people or other animals, or you simply want a little extra help in getting started, working with a professional trainer is the best way to help correct your dog's behavior and build a strong foundation for all future training.

While breeds like huskies are known for their “talkative” natures, most dogs are not particularly chatty. They may bark when they are excited or defensive, and they may whine when they are upset or want something. Otherwise, your dog probably does not vocalize their thoughts often.

But this does not mean that your dog is not talking to you. Dogs speak with their body language, and nowhere is this more obvious than their tails. It is also more complicated than a wagging tail means happy and a tail between the legs means sad. Your dog can actually tell you all kinds of things with her tail as long as you know how to interpret her language.

How to Decode a Dog’s Tail

There are two aspects of the tail wag that you can translate. The first is tail position and the second is wagging speed, or lack of movement. Other body language, such as posture and ear position, can also give you extra clues on what your dog is thinking or feeling in the moment.

Let’s start with position. Here are some common tail positions and what they mean:

• Tail Up - A tail pointing up indicates that your dog is excited and alert. If there is wagging involved, she is probably happy. If the tail is still and ears are pricked, your dog is watching and might be getting ready for confrontation or chase. The raised tail releases more scent from the anal glands, announcing their presence.
• Tail Out - Many dogs will hold their tail out or slightly down as their neutral position. Straight out is usually a sign of curiosity and exploration.
• Tail Down - Depending on the downward angle, this can be anything from neutral to submissive. A relaxed downward angle is neutral, and the dog is either bored or relaxed. As the tail moves between the legs, the dog is perceiving a threat and trying to avoid it. The lowered tail blocks scent from the anal glands, making her less obvious to other dogs.

The tail moving between positions is also indicative. Moving from a neutral position to a raised tail is often a precursor to aggression while moving from neutral to down is a sign of submission.

Whether or not the tail is wagging is also a sign of your dog’s thoughts. Fast movement indicates excitement. Broad wags show happiness, while more narrow wags are for agitation. Slow wags or no wags mean your dog is more neutral about a situation, but not unhappy.

Another important sign is when your dog goes from wagging her tail to standing still. This is often a sign that she noticed a threat and is attempting to avoid it without seeming aggressive, such as when a person approaches her with unwanted pets.

“Listening” to your dog by knowing and responding to her tail ways is one of the best ways to increase the positive communication between your dog and. It lets you anticipate unwanted reactions and behaviors, as well as advocate for your dog when she is in situations where she is uncomfortable. And it also offers confirmation that your dog is happy to be around you, which is always a welcome reminder.

It’s hard not to smile at your dog when she comes running to you, tail wagging. But can your dog tell by your smile that you are happy to see her? Or for that matter, can she tell that your frown means you are upset after she eats one of your shoes?

Scientists have been studying dog behavior and recent research reveals that dogs do have some ability to understand our expressions, but relying on expressions alone may not be the best way to communicate with your pup. Here is how dogs respond to our expressions and what that means for your training.

Studies Regarding Dogs and Facial Expressions

Researchers have long done studies where they measure dogs’ brain activity when shown pictures of humans with different facial expressions. By using an MRI machine and studying behavioral cues, scientists have seen that a dog responds differently depending on whether the dog is looking at a happy face or an angry one. Dogs also show recognition of their owner’s faces over other faces.

Much of this is likely a result of training, rather than a completely innate understanding of what we convey with our expressions. Think about how your dog experiences your facial expressions while she is a puppy:

• You often smile before you give your dog treats, pets, or attention.
• You look upset before you deliver a reprimand or correction.

A recent study from last year supports this idea. In the study, researchers looked at brain activity in dogs when they looked at a face and the back of a person’s head. The result? The activity was the same. The dogs knew they were looking at a head, but a face with an expression was not any more exciting to them than the back of the head.

One of the reasons for this is that dogs communicate with each other using their entire body. The way they hold themselves, their tails, their ears, their teeth, and their tongues all convey their thoughts while people rely in large part on our facial expressions. Dogs learn to recognize our facial expressions, but are not naturally attuned to it.

The fact that dogs learn how to read our expressions shows how adaptable they are to living alongside people. They even change their own behavior. Pet dogs will display more intense expressions when they know a person is present as opposed to when they are only with other dogs.

Building communication skills between you and your dog is an essential part of training, and it is something that you will both learn over time. Helping your dog understand your forms of communication, such as expressions and eye contact, is another skill you want to focus on training, rewarding, and correct, as with all other behaviors.

As dog owners, we often like to convert our dog’s age to “people years” using the age-old 1 dog year equals 7 human years. Recent research studies on dogs’ DNA show that the math is actually a bit more complicated, and that the ratio of dog years to human years changes as the dogs age.

There is value in converting your dog’s age to human years since it will give you a better understanding of where your dog is at developmentally and health wise. Depending on their size, dogs become mentally adults at 2 years old and reach senior status between ages 7 and 10. Calculating your dog’s “human age” with this new formula will help put those numbers into perspective.

How to Calculate Your Dog’s Age

When we map a dog’s age progression to a person’s, we find that dogs age more rapidly in the first years of their life. The aging process slows down as they get older. We can break it down like this for the average dog:

• The first year of life for a dog is equivalent to 15 years for a human.
• The second year of life is equivalent to 9 years for a human.
• Every year after that is about 4 or 5 human years.

So if your dog is 5 years old, they are approximately 36 people years old. A 10 year old dog is about 60 years old.

Size and breed also impact these numbers. In general, the larger the dog, the shorter the life expectancy. This is an interesting phenomenon because giant breed dogs - those over 100 pounds - age more slowly in the initial years and are often not considered full grown until they are more than 2 years old. Their aging process then speeds up rapidly, and some are considered seniors by the time they are 5 years old. In human years, a 1 year old giant dog is about 12, and by 10 years, they are 80 human years old.

Of course, your dog’s behavior is more important than the match in figuring out what your dog can do. Some dogs will keep their playful puppy nature well into their adult years and others will begin slowing down at the human equivalent of 40 years. In the end, it is more important to tailor exercise and stimulation to your dog rather than the numbers.

It’s hard not to smile at your dog when she comes running to you, tail wagging. But can your dog tell by your smile that you are happy to see her? Or for that matter, can she tell that your frown means you are upset after she eats one of your shoes?

Scientists have been studying dog behavior and recent research reveals that dogs do have some ability to understand our expressions, but relying on expressions alone may not be the best way to communicate with your pup. Here is how dogs respond to our expressions and what that means for your training.

Studies Regarding Dogs and Facial Expressions

Researchers have long done studies where they measure dogs’ brain activity when shown pictures of humans with different facial expressions. By using an MRI machine and studying behavioral cues, scientists have seen that a dog responds differently depending on whether the dog is looking at a happy face or an angry one. Dogs also show recognition of their owner’s faces over other faces.

Much of this is likely a result of training, rather than a completely innate understanding of what we convey with our expressions. Think about how your dog experiences your facial expressions while she is a puppy:

• You often smile before you give your dog treats, pets, or attention.
• You look upset before you deliver a reprimand or correction.

A recent study from last year supports this idea. In the study, researchers looked at brain activity in dogs when they looked at a face and the back of a person’s head. The result? The activity was the same. The dogs knew they were looking at a head, but a face with an expression was not any more exciting to them than the back of the head.

One of the reasons for this is that dogs communicate with each other using their entire body. The way they hold themselves, their tails, their ears, their teeth, and their tongues all convey their thoughts while people rely in large part on our facial expressions. Dogs learn to recognize our facial expressions but are not naturally attuned to it.

The fact that dogs learn how to read our expressions shows how adaptable they are to living alongside people. They even change their own behavior. Pet dogs will display more intense expressions when they know a person is present as opposed to when they are only with other dogs.

Building communication skills between you and your dog is an essential part of training, and it is something that you will both learn over time. Helping your dog understand your forms of communication, such as expressions and eye contact, is another skill you want to focus on training, rewarding, and correct, as with all other behaviors.

2020 and the coronavirus pandemic brought changes for many families. Thousands of workers moved to remote work. At the same time, people adopted a record number of dogs. Our new furry family members, and the dogs that we already part of our families, got used to having someone home with them 24/7.

Now as the country reopens and we return to in-person work, school, eating out, and running children from place to place, our dogs will suddenly be spending more time alone. By making a plan to ease your dog into the new routine before you return to work, you can prevent separation anxiety and the unwanted behaviors that stress can cause in dogs.

Strategies for Preventing Dog’s Separation Anxiety After Covid

Veterinarians and dog trainers advise that training your dog to be comfortable alone takes about 4 weeks on average, although this will vary between dogs. Starting as soon as possible will give you the most time to prepare before you go back to work:

• Begin Small - Start by leaving your dog alone for only a few hours at a time and work up over time to the full length of a workday.
• Start a Routine - A routine gives your dog peace of mind because she knows what to expect. Feed, walk, and exercise her at the same time each day, and try to stick with the routine even on weekends.
• Add in More Exercise - An extra walk or game of fetch can help your dog burn off the energy they save up while you are gone.
• Crate Train - Consider refreshing your crate training. The crate gives your dog a comfortable den to hang out in while you are away and lets you be sure she is not getting into any trouble.

Another option for easing your transition back to work is to hire a professional dog walker who will stop by your home during the day to take your dog for a walk, spend some time playing, and give her some attention. This is especially useful if you didn’t have enough time to get your dog comfortable before you had to go back to in-person work, but is helpful to any pet parents. It limits the time your dog is alone and helps both of you adjust to the time apart.

Finally, sometimes what you need most is training. If you'd like additional help training your pet during this transition time, contact us today for more information about training for both puppies and adult dogs. We are available via Zoom as well as in person within the Chicago area. 

Whether you’re bringing a new puppy home or looking to get your family dog a more comfortable place to nap, a dog bed is a must. Yet the number of beds available can make the decision of what to buy your dog overwhelming. This guide explains some of the differences between beds and which types work best for certain dogs.

Bed Options for Your Dog

Read more ...

It seems like dogs can, and do, fall asleep anywhere - sprawled on the floor, curled in a tight corner of the couch, or even face planted in their dog bowl. Some dog owners know the frustration of buying an expensive dog bed only to have their pup sleep anywhere but on their bed. With these habits, you might wonder if it’s really worth buying your dog a bed.

The fact is that giving your dog a comfortable spot of their own to sleep has many benefits. For dogs that are resistant to spending time in their beds, there are also some easy training steps that will make them happier to curl up there.

Read more ...

A dog’s fur is one of the quintessential parts of his appearance. There’s the color, the length, the texture, and the patterns. The coat also determines his grooming needs and how he handles different weather conditions. The two different coat types are grouped into single coats and double coats.

Coat types can be traced back to the breed’s original purpose and habitat in most dogs. The double coat has an undercoat of soft, thin fur for insulation and an outer coat of “guard hairs,” making them better suited for cold weather or running through brush. Single coated dogs have only the outer layer of “guard hairs.”

Read more ...

An ear infection is a painful experience for your dog. Occurring when bacteria or a fungus enters the ear, they typically require a vet visit and medicine to cure. All the while, your dog suffers. Paying attention to some common indicators of a problem with your pet’s ears can help you catch an infection early.

Any dog could potentially get an ear infection, although there is some evidence that breeds with long and floppy ears have a greater risk. Breeds like Labradors naturally produce more earwax and Chow Chows have a smaller ear canal, both of which can trigger infections. Regularly checking your dog’s ears and cleaning them when necessary helps prevent infections.

Read more ...

The first time you witness your dog reverse sneezing, it can be worrying, especially if you are not sure what’s happening. During one of these episodes, your dog will quickly breathe in through her nose. It makes a snorting sound that sounds as if the dog is sneezing and inhaling at the same time.

Paroxysmal respiration is the scientific name for this behavior, and it’s relatively common. Reverse sneezing is also harmless in most cases. Temporary irritation can cause your dog to reverse sneeze for a few brief moments before they recover on their own.

Read more ...

Your local dog park can be a great place for your dog to socialize and get some off leash exercise. But not all dog parks, and not all dogs, are the right fit. A disastrous dog park trip can lead to injury, stress, and lingering anxiety. In preparation to visit a dog park, consider the parks around you and whether or not your dog is ready. 

Read more ...