Should I get a puppy or a dog? After having both at the same time we quickly found out that there are major differences between training a puppy vs dog. It has been many moons since we last fostered an older dog. That all changed 9 months ago when we brought home a Golden Retriever […]
Dog Training Certification: How Do I Become A Certified Dog Trainer?
I’ve been training dogs (not just my own) for over 10 years now. I know some of my colleagues have gone on to get their dog training certification and I started to think: Do I want to get certified and if so, how do I become a certified dog trainer? I come from the world of I.T. Certification […]
Stetson Our First Guide Dog Puppy In Training
Stetson was my first guide dog puppy in training. He was the reason I started this blog. It’s been over a month since Stetson passed. Yesterday, I was talking to my wife and she said our 2 year old daughter told her that she missed Stetsie. I nearly broke down and cried…I miss him too… […]
New Puppy Checklist – I’m Getting A New Puppy, What Do I Need?
“I’m getting a new puppy, what do I need? Do you have a new puppy checklist?” –C.M. On January 7th, 2005, I asked those questions to the employee at the local pet store…wait a second, lets rewind… That morning I didn’t know it, but in the afternoon I’d be bringing home an adorable, little Aussie […]
How To Stop A Puppy From Barking In His Crate At Night
Crate training a puppy is an exercise in patience (with Stetson it certainly was). If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a guide dog puppy raiser it’s how to crate train a puppy. More importantly I learned how to stop a puppy from barking in his crate at night! I’ve been raising puppies now for the […]
How To Handle Your Puppy’s First Night At Home
Your puppy’s first night at home. It’s definitely exciting…It’s definitely fun…Here are some things to think about before your puppy arrives at your home. It’s been about a year (UPDATE: Yowzers! It’s been almost 12 years now!) since I brought a 7 week old puppy named Stetson home from Guide Dogs of America (GDA). It made me […]