Your dog has already figured out the rules of your house Hey there, Your dog knows every unspoken rule in your house. If the couch or your bed are fair game, what happens when someone knocks on the door, do we greet other dogs or people on a walk? Whether or not you chose those rules on purpose — your dog knows them. There is no 'wrong' set of rules. The trouble starts when you bring home a dog that culture wasn't built for. A second dog. A higher-drive dog. A more fearful or more protective...

"How many tricks does your dog know?" I ask this question a lot. It's not about the tricks themselves, it's about having a robust history of communicating with your dog - having learned things together. The more "tricks" your dog knows, the bigger your communication toolbox gets. A lot of dogs only know a couple of cues - sit, down, maybe shake a paw or stay. Imagine building a house, but you only have two or three tools - a hammer, maybe a screwdriver and a hand saw. It's going to take you a...

Runa is learning to be a truffle dog! There are three separate skills for scent detection, whether we are talking about hunting for mushroom, competing in scent detection sports, tracking, or air scenting for a lost person. Searching for the target odor Finding the source of the odor Indicating to the handler that they have found the source Each of these skills can be taught independently and need to be kept in balance. Too much emphasis put on one of the skills and our dog will false alert,...