I have quite a large background with dog training. In high school I raised service dogs and did their basic training. I also showed my husky in 4-H dog shows, and did a lot of volunteer humane society work. I also walked and watched a lot of dogs, plus I worked in dog kennels and dog grooming. My whole family has a lot of dogs so if you name it- I've probably seen it!
This little devil below is my biggest inspiration for me.
This here is Bella. She was a foster project (along with two other puppies here in this picture)
The other puppies got adopted and of course I ended up keeping her.
She is the devil.
Okay, only some of the time. She is the most challenging training project I have ever had- I did all the things I have always done; socializing her, exposing her to tons of situations, strangers, dogs, etc. Started obedience early....
Didn't matter! She is terrified of strangers and other dogs. She is an energetic basket case, fiercely devoted to me, and has a dug a number of holes, eaten the trash, ate a garden hose, and even ripped the siding off of my house.
Yeah...
So, in my desperate attempt to fix her issues we started doing all kinds of training classes, and I am happy to say that she is significantly better. She still is iffy with strangers at first, and I have to keep a close eye on her (like all puppies) but she has been the biggest learning lesson for me. You can never know too much about one subject, and when something doesn't work, you have to keep trying other things.
And success! She has taught me so much about dog training, so now I enjoy writing articles about various topics.
Still pretty cute though. She likes to lay here and help me paint.
These are my dog training articles on examiner.com. Please take a look! Also if there are any suggestions or questions I'm happy to help. I always can use new writing material =)
Destructive Dogs:
http://www.examiner.com/article/help-my-dog-is-the-devilhttp://www.examiner.com/article/the-truth-about-pitbulls
Cat Litter Training Issues:
http://www.examiner.com/article/six-reasons-your-cat-isn-t-using-the-litter-box
Dog Training Fundamentals:
The concept of positive reinforcement:
http://www.examiner.com/article/positive-reinforcement-what-is-it
Clicker training- What it is and how to condition your dog to the clicker:
http://www.examiner.com/article/how-to-clicker-train-your-dog-loading-the-clicker-3-easy-steps
The importance of treat value and how to use it effectively:
http://www.examiner.com/article/treat-value-and-giving-jack-pots
Teaching Sit: http://www.examiner.com/article/training-fundamentals-teaching-sit
Teaching Down: http://www.examiner.com/article/training-fundamentals-teaching-down
Teaching a Recall:
http://www.examiner.com/article/fundamentals-of-training-teaching-your-dog-to-recall
http://www.examiner.com/article/recall-exercises
Walking with a loose leash:
http://www.examiner.com/article/fundamentals-of-training-loose-leash-walking
Types of training methods:
http://www.examiner.com/article/types-of-trainers-compulsion-method-or-positive-reinforcement
Teaching Leave It:http://www.examiner.com/article/fundamentals-of-training-teaching-the-leave-it-cue
Addressing Problem Behaviors:
Jumping: http://www.examiner.com/article/addressing-problem-behaviors-jumping
Dog Anxiety and Aggression:
A rant about irresponsible dog owners and awareness....:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-truth-about-pitbulls
The concept of counter conditioning and how to use it with anxiety:
http://www.examiner.com/article/counter-conditioning-the-anxious-dog
A few techniques and explanations for different types of aggression:
http://www.examiner.com/article/dealing-with-dog-aggression
Dog Nutrition:
Choosing a quality dog food: http://www.examiner.com/article/nutrition-for-your-dog-what-s-your-food
