Naming a new puppy can be both challenging and fun. Whether you choose a name from a list of popular dog names or come up with one on your own, it’s a big decision. After all, you’ll be referring to your new pup by that name for a long time.

Once you’ve chosen a name, the challenge of teaching it to him begins. You’ll use it not only to show love, but to call your pet back after an escape or to get his attention whenever you need it. For these reasons, teaching your...

If you have a dog, you probably know just how much mischief he can get into with his mouth. That book or shoe he chewed up tells you that chewing is a favorite pastime, especially for younger dogs. Dogs love to pick up anything that smells like you - clothing, telephones, remote controls, etc. While sometimes this behavior amuses us, it can often be dangerous for your dog and expensive for you. Recently I worked with a dog who took batteries off of a counter, swallowed them whole and had to...

Did you ever stop to wonder what your dog could possibly be thinking? You aren’t alone. Our little family members can’t tell us their thoughts, hopes, and dreams, so we’re left to try to read it through expressions and body language.

But there are some things we have learned about dogs over the years and that knowledge can come in handy when it’s time to train your companion. Here are a few insights into the mind of your favorite dog.

The Secrets of Dog Psychology...

Service dogs are trained for a very specific job. Once that training is complete, your new helper should be able to navigate a wide variety of environments, from airplanes to restaurants to grocery stores.

If you have a new service dog, though, it’s only natural that you’ll have a few questions about venturing out into public together. Here are a few tips that can help.

Taking Your Service Dog Out in Public

Understanding Service Dog Rights

Before you leave home, first familiarize...

If you’ve read through my dog training tips, you may have noticed that they focus heavily on verbal commands. But you can also communicate with your dog through body language in ways you don’t even realize.

Using Hand Signals to Communicate with Your Dog

When you accompany your commands with hand signals, you can get even better results. If your dog is hearing impaired or loses hearing in old age, these signals are essential for communication. They can also be used when a normal...

By now, the way we live and interact will have dramatically changed. Nearly everything about our day-to-day lives has been altered in some way. Hopefully, soon things will return to normal. But for now, we are in unchartered territory.

It can scary.

But it’s important not to trade one danger for another. A stressful diet of 24-hour news and live virus-tracking maps can take nearly as much a toll on our well-being and health as a virus.

Mastering Pandemic Panic

But, Chris, how about my...

Training a dog takes time and patience, but it pays off with years of good behavior. There are a few basic commands that every dog needs to learn right away, but many use similar training techniques. Before you get started training, invest in some small, tasty treats that you can use as a reward and gather your patience.

Getting Started With Basic Dog Training Commands

I fully believe in the value of positive reinforcement. You’ll get much better results by praising your dog for...

Just like humans, dogs have personalities. Yes, a dog’s temperament is somewhat determined from birth, but there are some things you can do to shape your furry family member’s personality. The key is to first fully understand what your dog’s natural temperament is so that you can work with it rather than against it. Here are a few tips that can help.

Discover Your Dog's Temperament

Know the Breed

The first step in discovering your dog’s temperament is to research the...

Could there be anything better than a new puppy? Especially if that puppy is your very own.

But if you haven’t enjoyed the company of a puppy lately, you may have forgotten just how challenging they can be. It’s probably time for some training. Which means you’ll need a hefty dose of patience.

Communicating with Your New Puppy

The first step in training your puppy is knowing how to communicate. As much as we like to think of our furry family members as almost human, we know...

When you call your dog over, what happens? If you’re like many pet owners, you can’t guarantee your dog will come running. But this unpredictably can actually be dangerous, especially if your dog runs into traffic or gets too far out of your line of sight. But even without that danger, having a dog that comes when called is a huge convenience.

Training a dog to come when called isn’t easy. But with a little patience and a few little tricks, you can teach your dog to come on...