Thanks Amanda, I’m really happy you found us too! I always say to owners that dog training and dog behaviour are two very different things and this often confuses a lot of people. Training commands, or obedience training, is great but it’s kind of like the icing on the cake and alone it won’t solve behavioural issues. It’s great to have it but if you don’t have a cake first then under the slightest amount of pressure all that icing will come crashing down. Which is what happens when we frequently hear owners say ‘my dog is great at home but as soon as there are some distractions he/she won’t listen to me!’ So we provide the cake, which is the most effective way to avoid and overcome all behavioural issues AND improve obedience training. Thanks for posting, Doggy Dan

I am about to become a first time dog owner! After deciding to get a puppy, in preparation, I started doing lots of research on puppy training and how to be a good dog parent. I read a dog training book that I thought was helpful, and a lot of tips online, however, when I stumbled upon your website, it was like hitting a gold mine! Every previous book and website that I had read focused on training and how to get your dog to follow commands, but they never touched on dog behavior, why they do what they do, how to communicate with them in a way they understand and how to change unwanted behavior. You explained all of this so clearly and I am so grateful to have found The Online Dog Trainer! The 3 day trial led to me becoming a member and I plan to continue as a member while my puppy is young. I know I will continue to reference the site and will have the Forum available for support. I want to thank you for helping so many people – including myself – to understand our canine friends and be better owners! I am getting an 8 week old goldendoodle puppy and will be bringing the little guy home tomorrow! I actually feel prepared (thanks to you!). It is very exciting! Thank you again!

Amanda

Hi Alva, thanks for your kind feedback and I’m glad you have found the course to be so enjoyable! All the best….Doggy Dan

Hi Patsy,
Great idea pinning the 5GR’s in a location where the entire family can view them!
With young dogs you do need to show them how to correctly interact with other dogs at the park or beach and the key to doing this is for you to be consistent at the point with which you intervene. I advise owners to keep an eye on their dog’s excitement level and behaviour and if you see they are getting to a point where they are just too full on then calmly step in and help them calm down by holding them by the collar or clipping them back on-leash for a minute or so. If they calm down you can allow them back to play but repeat the technique if necessary. This allows your dog to understand the level of play that is acceptable and they will then start to self-regulate their behaviour and use self-control.
Some behaviours to look out for are if your dogs is jumping all over another dog, mouthing/biting them, pinning another dog or standing over the top of them, or if the other dogs seems really unhappy about the interaction and is trying to get away. These are all times where I would separate the dogs and calm things down a little before continuing the play, or ending it if the other dog is unhappy.
Remember, if you are a member of my website we have a Forum where you can ask questions if you need to and we will respond. All the best, Doggy Dan