I wish I could have a do-over with all of my previous dogs. With Jubilee, it took me way too long to realize she was in pain. Looking back, I feel so bad for her and what I asked her to do. With Enzo I didn't know enough about toy play so I built conflict into the game. Traditional games didn't work for him so we blamed the dog instead of the method. Maxi - oh she was the sweetest. I don't have a lot of regrets with her, I just wish I took more time to cuddle and hug her. Ramses - his illness...

I hear that constantly. Usually it's followed by: that method doesn't work, or my dog is different. Both might be true. But there's a third option that almost nobody considers: the method had prerequisites, and nobody told you what they were. The technique is the tip of an iceberg. The foundation underneath is what makes it possible. Miss a piece of that, and the technique fails — not because it's wrong. Here's an example. I recently shared how we train dogs to take a pill to earn something...

Is your dog a master at avoiding medicine? You've tried all the things? You've tried putting the pill down their throat. You've tried grinding it into a powder and hiding it in something awesome. You've tried tricking them by wrapping it in cheese or hot dogs. You've even tried the rapid fire method. ... sometimes a trick works for a bit, then it doesn't. Did you know that eating is a behaviour, no different than sit, down, or shake-a-paw? We can train our dogs to sit to get a treat or toy,...