by Lindsay Stordahl on July 13th, 2010
26 Comments »
Dog owners miss out on opportunities to share experiences with their dogs beyond the backyard. To me, the ability to take my mutt almost anywhere is the whole point of having a dog. I specifically adopted Ace because of his calm manner and athleticism – perfect for all kinds of adventures. Training and socializing him is an ongoing process and one of the most rewarding pieces to my life. Every walk and every s ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on June 19th, 2010
36 Comments »
My dog has a drinking problem. No, not that kind of problem. Ace does like booze, but we’ll save that for another post What I’m referring to is Ace’s obsession with drinking water, and how I’ve managed to train him to think he’s not supposed to drink any water at all. Ace came to me with a few OCDs – retrieving and drinking. He does not have an “off switch” and will ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on April 22nd, 2010
28 Comments »
Many dog owners are turned off by structured dog obedience classes because they find the environment too strict and structured. Others are bored walking in a circle and working on the same commands. Perhaps the very word “obedience” is the problem for some. My mutt Ace and I love attending “obedience” classes because we enjoy working together. I can’t think of a better environment that p ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on April 14th, 2010
28 Comments »
Dog walking or dog running is as much a chore for me as it is anyone else. I’m often tired or it’s cold or snowing or whatever. And walking is often boring. But guess what? If I’m bored, my dog just might find me a bit boring. Here’s an example of the walk Ace and I took Sunday night that was far from boring. We incorporated exercise, training and play: 1. Started out through the front door a ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on April 2nd, 2010
6 Comments »
Do you give your dogs “time-outs”? I give my mutt Ace “time-outs” all the time when he needs to chill out. A time out could mean lying on his bed for a few minutes, lying in his kennel or taking a break from playing fetch. “Time-outs” can be effective for dog training if they are used to help the dog relax. All dogs should learn to quickly relax in any situation. A goal I always sh ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on March 26th, 2010
37 Comments »
What do you do when your dog becomes possessive of a certain object such as a bone, a toy or a sock? Here are my suggestions: First of all, nothing should ever be given to a dog for free. Even if certain objects “belong” to the dog, he should only be allowed to touch them with permission from his owner. Some people will allow aggressive behavior from a dog when the dog is being possessive of food or toys ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on March 18th, 2010
20 Comments »
My mutt Ace automatically becomes hyper in certain situations regardless of how much exercise he’s had. And hyper is an understatement. A lack of exercise is the cause behind most dog behavior problems, but not all. What I’m referring to in this post is a dog’s behavior issues related to his state of mind. Ace’s “problem areas” include agility and retrieving. Ace is obsessive and ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on March 12th, 2010
16 Comments »
My previous dog Brittni was trained to follow the commands “stay” and “wait.” Each command had a clear meaning, and I was consistent about how I used each. The trainer I worked with at the time taught me to use the two commands because stay should always mean stay here in this exact position until I return and release you. Wait should always mean wait here until I give you the next command. A ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 15th, 2010
21 Comments »
All dog lovers want to adopt more dogs. Our significant others and family members have learned this the hard way. I know that at some point there will be a second dog in our household. This very day, week or month is not the right time, but that could easily change. My problem is not whether or not to adopt a second dog, my problem is deciding on “the right” dog. I know the correct way to adopt a dog R ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 10th, 2010
19 Comments »
I’m not a big fan of using treats for dog training. Treats encourage begging and obsessive behavior, and treats make some dogs too excited. I’m all for positive reinforcement and use a lot of treats when teaching a new concept, but other than that I expect my dog to listen regardless of whether I have a treat or not. It annoys me when some dogs will not obey a command unless they think they will get a fo ...