The Everything Dog Blog

How Dogs Learn
Denise Mazzola

How Dogs Learn

And Why it Matters! Whether you want to be a high level competitor in dog sports or your goal is just to get your dog to sit nicely while company comes in the front door, it is important to understand how your dog, and really all living, breathing, eating animals learn. When you understand how animals learn you are in

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Hope and Help for Your Reactive Dog

What is a Reactive Dog? Reactive is a term used to describe a dog who overreacts to the sight or sound of a specific trigger. The reaction may include barking, growling, snarling, lunging, spinning or some combination of these behaviors in response to seeing a trigger like another dog, a person, a bicycle, a child, etc. The reaction is usually

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private dog training
Denise Mazzola

Come When Called

Want a Great Recall? Then Practice for a Great Recall! Dogs that come when called enjoy more freedom; running loose on trails, playing in the back yard, or even visiting a beach. Owners who take the time to practice and train a reliable come when called can enjoy many fun activities and outings with their dogs.  Starting Your Dynamite Recall

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dog time out
Denise Mazzola

Time Out Protocol

An Effective and Humane Way to Change Behavior Our training focuses primarily on teaching dogs what we want them to do. We work to place heavy value on sits, downs, stays, come when called and other behaviors we want the dog to perform reliably. There are instances where ignoring a behavior we don’t like will reduce and eliminate that behavior,

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dog barking
Denise Mazzola

How to Stop Barking

Is Your Dog’s Barking Driving You Crazy? Read On! We are often asked by clients, How do I stop my dog from barking? Interestingly, people who cannot tolerate barking tend to have dogs that bark, a lot. Seems counterintuitive doesn’t it? The fact of the matter is, from the dog’s perspective, barking is often reinforced by the person who hates

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