The DogSmith Blog

Here is the second lesson for Gizmo in her Agility classes. Gizmo lives at The DogSmith National Dog Trainign Center so she is exposed to, and lives around lots of Agility equipment. With her eagerness and speed i am sure she is going to be a star Vist our My Space page to view her [...]

The methods we use to teach dogs new behaviors are so dog friendly we can begin training them at a very early age. Pet Dog Training can commence when puppies are 6 to 7 weeks old. I have a 9 month old mixed breed puppy that is already learning some of the skills for agility. [...]

The DogSmith National Dog Training Center is located in rural Florida – An ideal dog training venue for year around use and the perfect environment for candidates studying to become professional dog trainers. The multi-use facility is very flexible and includes several acres of fenced pastures, classroom buildings and kennel areas. The pasture areas are [...]

There are over 71 million dogs in the US with 63% of American households owning at least one.  Half of these households have more than one dog and 45% of these dogs are 40 lbs or larger.  By every indication, the trend in increased pet ownership will continue and by offering a pet friendly community [...]

Teaching a dog a sit and stay behavior is a great control behavior. It can be used in many different situations to prevent, maintain or control dogs’ actions. When you are busy with children, in the kitchen or out and about, there are always situations where a solid sit and stay behavior can make your life easier and your dogs life safer

I was recently interviewd regarding dog bites, children and prevention. Many of these questions come up over and over so i thought it useful to post them here. Enjoy! Question;  Why do half of all bites involve children and the family dog? Is it simple proximity, kids provoke dogs; dogs are frightened of children, etc? [...]

Well dogs pull or lag behind on a leash when we walk them because…. They are allowed too. They pull to get to other dogs, smells, people and places. We tend to overly correct our dogs when they are on a leash by jerking and pulling them. If you jerk or tug your dog to [...]

The study of motivation concerns why dogs do what they do. Motivation can be described as the direction and persistence of action. Common characteristics of motivation are typified as an individual phenomenon and are usually described as intentional and multifaceted. The purpose of motivational theories is to help predict behavior. Motivation is the driving force [...]

Puppy Socialization Made Simple Shared via AddThis

What is a dog bite?  One of the leading authorities on the modern day Pet Dog Training Industry is Dr Ian Dunbar who developed tangible criteria for assessing dog bites.  His criteria allow canine professionals to discuss dog aggression using an objective scale.  Based on an assessment using this scale, a canine professional can determine [...]