by Vanesssa Taylor | Apr 16, 2026 | Basic & Advanced Obedience
Your dog used to come when called. Then recall slowly became optional. You say “come.” They finish sniffing. You say it again. They look at you. You say it a third time. Eventually they wander back. That pattern is usually not a dog deciding to become stubborn....
by Vanesssa Taylor | Apr 13, 2026 | Basic & Advanced Obedience
You say “sit.” Your dog looks at your empty hand. Then looks at your pocket. No treat appears, so apparently the meeting is canceled. Training dogs with treats works extremely well when the food reinforces a behavior. Problems begin when the dog learns they only need...
by Vanesssa Taylor | Apr 7, 2026 | Basic & Advanced Obedience
Inside the house, your dog looks brilliant. Outside, one squirrel appears and the entire training program seems to evaporate. That is not unusual. Dog distraction training is the process of teaching familiar behavior to survive changing environments, increasing...
by Vanesssa Taylor | Feb 5, 2026 | Basic & Advanced Obedience
“He knows this.” That is what makes it so frustrating. Your dog sits immediately in the living room. In the yard, you repeat yourself. At the park, you wonder whether you brought the same dog. If your dog listens at home but not outside, the most likely explanation is...
by Vanesssa Taylor | Dec 12, 2025 | Basic & Advanced Obedience, Behavioral Dog Training
The car pulls into the driveway. Your dog already knows. Footsteps approach. The barking starts. The bell rings. Now your dog is bouncing at the door while you are trying to open it six inches without creating an escape attempt. Good dog visitor training starts before...
by Vanesssa Taylor | Oct 15, 2024 | Basic & Advanced Obedience, Training Gear
Most people think off-leash training starts when you take the leash off. It actually starts long before that. It starts when your dog can stay while you move farther away. When they can hold that stay instead of following you. When they can leave something interesting...
