Last week, a woman came for a consultation for her Schutzhund 3 working line GSD. She had bought the dog from Germany, was unequipped to handle him, and –no surprise—the dog had started lunging, barking, and snapping at people. The owners came to see me because they had gone to a veterinary behaviorist and, again…

Right now, I am working with a lovely woman and her lab. The other day, she asked me, “Steve, why is it that when you pull the leash while my dog is wearing the prong collar, my dog’s tail wags? This is the opposite of what I’d expect. I mean, if someone told me that…

I don’t use food or toys when training foundational obedience. Don’t get me wrong. I am not averse to using either when it is appropriate. For instance, there’s nothing wrong with starting off using food with very young puppies. Using food can be useful for gaining trust with new, shy dogs. And when it comes…