Teaching through Relationship, Communication & Trust

© By Linda Brodzik, Dog Trainer & Behavior Specialist

I believe that we all have a "Lassie Movie" running through our heads when we choose to bring a canine companion into our lives. By this, I mean that we all have a vision of how we see ourselves interacting and living with our new friend. We see the excitement of coming home to a dog that is always happy to greet us. We see games of fetch, relaxing walks, and just "hanging" around on lazy days.

The Basics of Separation Anxiety

© By Linda Brodzik, Dog Trainer & Behavior Specialist

Dogs are social pack animals that rely on group living for both comfort and safety. Strong attachments are made between pack individuals (canine and human). Like many social animals, dogs may display distress when separated from their companions. These behaviors are made in an attempt to reunite with other pack members. Behaviors commonly displayed include vocalization, hyperactivity and destructive behavior such as digging and chewing.

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Shaping Temperament

Whether a breeder, trainer, other animal professional, or average companion dog owner, we all want to have dogs with "good" temperament: breeders strive to produce puppies that are genetically sound in body and mind; pet owners hope that they will adopt a puppy with a happy disposition; competitors and trainers often evaluate and discard dogs that don't display the correct attitude; and approximately 70% of dogs who are adopted as companion dogs are discarded due to behavior/training or temperament issues. So what exactly is temperament? What factors determine a dog's personality? Is it genetic, and therefore passed from parent to offspring? Is it shaped and guided by the environment and experiences a dog encounters? Can we change temperament through training? If so, how do we teach a stable disposition?

The Power of Play

Oh, the games puppies and adult dogs play, by themselves, with each other and with us! Wrestling, tugging, chasing, stalking and stealing items away from their opponent, it’s all just fun and games. Or is it?

The truth is all that fun and frolic actually has a purpose. By understanding this purpose we can successfully use play to benefit our relationship with our dogs and enhance their mental, emotional and physical health.