Do you have an aggressive dog? Has it growled at or bitten someone in your household? Does your dog act like “Cujo” when you take it for walks?
Well now there is help at www.DogAggressionExperts.com . Take a look and then pick up the phone and call!
One of the questions I’m asked most often is how old should my dog be before I start formal training. As far as I’m concerned that’s an easy answer, 4 month (16 weeks). At four months old your puppy is like a blank canvas waiting to be painted with all the training you want for your new family member. At four months your dog hasn’t developed a bunch of bad habits and he’ll never be easier to physically manipulate because he’s getting bigger everyday. Years ago we used to wait till the dog was 6 months to a year old but not today. Ten years ago training methods were different, not as motivational as they are today. If you choose a trainer who uses motivational methods 4 months is the time.
So now that we’ve established the age what type of training should we do? It gets confusing here because there are several choices, including group classes, private in-home lessons and even the board and train programs that many trainers offer. Let’s talk about each type of training.
1. Group Classes
A group class is an inexpensive way to get your dog trained and also has the advantage of socializing your dog around other dogs and people. However if your dog is easily distracted the group class may not be the best option. I have literally conducted group classes for thousands of people over the years and I can tell that it works for some dogs and not others.
2. Private In-Home Lessons
In-Home lessons are my favorite for training the new puppy for several reasons. First we are training in the home, and usually that’s where we want the dog to behave the most. In-Home lessons allow us to see the dog with the family in its environment so that we can not only help train but also help solve behavior issues. Also in this type of training there are no distractions so the dog and the owner get the full benefit of the lesson without distractions.
3. Board and Train Programs
Board and Train programs are also sometimes called Doggy Boot Camp. This is where you leave your dog with a trainer from 2-4 weeks depending on the programs provided. The trainer trains your dog on a daily basis and SHOULD give you back a trained dog GUARANTEED. If they don’t guarantee it don’t leave your dog. The key to the success to this program is the follow up lessons for you. The trainer has to teach you how to handle the trained dog and you need to train on a daily basis to establish your relationship with the dog.
So if I needed to make a decision on which type of training to do, the in-home private lessons are a no brainer as long as I will commit to training on a daily basis. If I have NO desire to train then the board and train program is the answer. Group classes come in last.
This article is going to give you information about breed rescues. Which breed you ask? Any breed. If you absolutely must re-home a dog using a breed rescue is the perfect way to do it.
I know you are saying to yourself that you should never get rid of a dog because it’s a commitment. That’s true however there are times that re-homing is the only option.
Quite often dog owners ask my help in finding a good home for their dog and I always suggest breed rescue. There is virtually a rescue group for every breed and they are located all over the United States.
Why am I so sold on breed rescues? Simple because they care about their specific breed and go out of their way to save a dog. They will even travel 100’s of miles sometimes to either pick-up or deliver a dog to its new forever home.
Most breed rescues or at least the ones I have seen in action are tough when it comes to adopting a dog from them. In fact I have had clients tell me that it was harder to adopt a dog than to adopt a child. Of course that isn’t true but you get the idea.
Having tough, thorough guidelines for adoption is what makes breed rescues so good. They want to find each and every dog its final home and they want it to be a good fit.
Of course there is almost always an adoption fee. That fee is what keeps the organization going by paying for food and vet care. I can assure you that there are not any breed rescues out there making a bunch of money. In fact most of them operate with the help of donations from people in the community that care as well as from their own volunteers.
So how do you find a breed rescue for your dog? That is really easy. Go to Google and type in (breed) breed rescue in (your state). You should get some to choose from and if you don’t find one in your state they do the same for states that are close to you.
If your dog is not a purebred but looks almost like a specific breed they may also be able to help or at least offer some advice as to where you may be able to place the dog.
I hope this information is helpful if you ever need the services of a breed rescue and keep in mind that they are also a great place to rescue a breed that may interest you.
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Do you need help training your puppy or dog? We can help. Please remember we can help you with dog training or problem solving no matter where you are located. In fact we have clients all over the U.S. so just give us a call.
If you have an aggressive dog please be sure to visit www.DogAggressionExperts.com for help…
Until next time,
P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist? If so CLICK HERE now!
About Wayne: Wayne Booth is owner of which is headquartered in Nashville, TN but serves clients all over the U.S.. If you have a dog with aggression, behavior problems or simply needs training feel free to contact him.
Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network. If you would like to become a Professional Dog Trainer he can get you started.
This is a BIG very IMPORTANT question that you as a new puppy owner should know about.
This is a BIG very IMPORTANT question that every breeder, vet, and trainer should tell each of their clients when they get a new puppy. [Read more…]
This is a comment I hear on a regular basis, in fact daily. The dog owner starts off with “my dog needs help because he is hard headed and he will not listen to me”. The problem is not a hard headed dog the problem is an untrained dog. [Read more…]
I just wanted to take a moment and wish you and your family a Happy New Year. [Read more…]
Drum roll……..The answer is………Yes and No and Maybe. What an answer. There just is not a better answer because there are a bunch of things to consider. Let’s talk about this so that my crazy answer can start to make sense. [Read more…]
Dog training is a great idea whenever you bring a new canine friend into the house. While it is quite effective for many animals and can help them to become well adjusted and well behaved members of the family, sometimes it is not enough. When behaviors are out of control and cannot be managed by training an animal to respond to simple commands and respect the pack leadership, sometimes hiring a canine behavioral specialist is the solution. [Read more…]
This article is from our guest blogger Hannah Croscutt !
With Christmas right around the corner, it’s important to know what holiday foods are okay for your dog to have and ones to completely avoid. The last thing we all want around Christmas time is to have an unexpected, urgent vet visit, with Rover in a lot of discomfort or worse. Below are the top 6 foods to avoid giving your dog this holiday season. [Read more…]
This article is going to give you information about breed rescues. Which breed you ask? Any breed. If you absolutely must re-home a dog using a breed rescue is the perfect way to do it.
I know you are saying to yourself that you should never get rid of a dog because it’s a commitment. That’s true however there are times that re-homing is the only option. [Read more…]
Yes, we are happy to announce that we are now serving all dogs and dog owners in the Corpus Christi, Texas area. [Read more…]
That is a good question and one that is asked quite often. The answer depends on you and how much patience you will have with house training and training a new puppy. Puppies can be a lot of work and require a bunch of your time and energy to keep them out of trouble. [Read more…]
Here is an article by our guest blogger Hannah Croscutt.
If you’re like me, you don’t have money trees in your back yard, freely supplying money at all times. As a college student, I’m constantly looking for things to do with my dog, aside from the daily walking, that are fun and get her out of the house. Below are some things we’ve done that are free, fun, and convenient ways to get your dog out of the house.
While daily walks are definitely an important part of your dog’s need for exercise and mental stimulation, there are other ways to have fun with your dog that are also free! Hope this was helpful, and as always, thanks for reading!
About the author: Hannah Croscutt is a dog lover from Atlanta, Ga. She enjoys learning all about dogs from her furry buddy, Piper. She blogs at http://thefurryteacher.wordpress.com.
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Does your dog need help with manners? We can help. If you are in , Chattanooga, TN, Clarksville, TN, Knoxville, TN, Huntsville, AL, Birmingham, AL and Indianapolis, IN visit our website and give us a call.
If you have an aggressive dog please be sure to visit www.DogAggressionExperts.com for help…
Please remember we can help you with dog training or problem solving no matter where you are located. In fact we have clients all over the U.S. simply visit for more information and the give us a call.
Until next time,
P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist? If so CLICK HERE now!
About Wayne: Wayne Booth is owner of which is headquartered in Nashville, TN but serves clients all over the U.S.. If you have a dog with aggression, behavior problems or simply needs training feel free to contact him.
Wayne has also been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network. If you would like to become a Professional Dog Trainer he can get you started.
Yesterday I wrote about when you should start training your dog, at what age. I told you that the perfect age was 16 weeks or four months old, but actually, I fibbed a little bit. There’s another time that you can start training your dog, and that’s any time after eight weeks old. It’s called puppy imprinting.
Puppy printing is all motivational and all fun. It’s not considered formal training. At eight weeks of age your puppy’s mind is like a little sponge, he wants to learn new things. We use treats or even pieces of his kibble to teach him some different exercises that include the sit, the down and coming when you call. Keep in mind that this is fun and there are never any corrections. If your puppy does it wrong, we do it again till he does it right.
At my dog training facility Canine Behavior Specialists in Brentwood, Tennessee we actually offer a program called Surviving Your Puppy. In that program, we discuss all types of things the new puppy owners should know. One of the things we discuss is puppy imprinting. We actually show our clients how to implement the puppy imprinting program. Over the years I’m always amazed when it’s time for formal training at the difference between the dogs that did the imprinting and the dogs that didn’t do the imprinting. The difference is amazing.
When you get your next puppy, find a good trainer in your area to teach you how to do puppy imprinting, you won’t be sorry.
Wayne Booth created this blog site to give you information on dog training, behavior and health. This blog was started for his dog training clients and has grown to a blog for dog owners and trainers all over the world. Read More…