When you share your life with an active dog, there is rarely a dull moment. Energetic dogs are almost always ready for a game, sport, training session. And if you don’t give them these outlets, woe to the furniture that will be devoured, or the children that will get herded, simply out of boredom. Whether naughty or nice, your energetic pup will love these gift ideas!

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Here, we’ll look at pros and cons of adopting a fully mature adult dog. (Considerations for puppies are outlined in a separate post.)

Pro: You know what you’re getting
Adult dogs are more “what you see is what you get” than puppies are. If you go to meet an adoptable adult dog at a foster home or shelter, his temperament, sociability, and activity levels are fully developed. (That said, a noisy, confined shelter can make many dogs anxious, shut down, or irritable. Bear the environment in mind.) If the dog has a behavior problem such as leash reactivity, you are likely to see signs of that during a meet-and-greet. Furthermore, you can easily know the dog’s size and have a better idea of his breed(s) just by looking at him.
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   When a veterinarian and a dog trainer get together, what do you think they talk about? (Hint, the #1 topic is probably "#1" and "#2.") 
   I had the pleasure of sitting down with friend and veterinarian Kaarin Vekman, DVM, to play a little game we called, "Whom should you call first: your vet or a trainer?" As a trainer, I get a lot of questions about topics that should really be directed to a vet. Likewise, vets are often asked behavior questions that are more in a trainer's territory. Then there are other cases where vets and trainers can work together to tackle a dog's issue from both medical and behavioral angles. And so when your dog is having a problem, it can be difficult to know where to start.
   Our game covers issues such as house training, separation anxiety, puppy vaccinations, nutrition, aggression, and nail trims. Though we were both involved in creating the questions, we didn't discuss our answers ahead of time.
   This game was also a good test for Dr. Vekman and me. Prior to playing the game, I was worried we would have widely differing points of view and possibly end our friendship over the contentious "puppy vaccination" topic. And while we do look at the same issue from different angles, it turns out these differences do not lead to confusion or conflict; rather, educating owners from both a medical and behavioral perspective can give them a more well-rounded understanding of their dogs' conditions. 

​   Sure, your dog’s Agility days might be behind him, and the gravity-defying tricks he used to perform are no longer in his repertoire. Still, there is a long list of activities perfectly suited to older dogs, to ensure his golden years are his best years.

Sports for Seniors
   There are several sports that don’t demand much of your senior dog’s body. Even if you don’t live near a training facility that offers sport classes, there are online schools that allow you to learn and practice at home.
   Rally Obedience (also called Rally-O or simply Rally) is a lighter version of competition obedience, and a great way for you and your dog to spend time training together. Rally involves you and your pooch performing a series of obedience-type tasks, laid out on a course. The tasks include lots of heelwork, sits, stays, and so on. Rally is perfect for older dogs because it provides lots of mental stimulation, but at a slow pace. Even at Rally trials, there is a division just for seniors, and exceptions can be made for dogs with disabilities.
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   Dogs just don't seem to share our love of mani-pedis. But can you blame them? Doggie nail trims often involve getting pinned down and possibly muzzled, plus enduring the crrrrrunch of the nail clippers on every toe and and the occasional sting of the hacked-up quick... The horror!
   While there is no instant fix, you can help your dog overcome his fear of nail trims by following the steps in my newest video. In most cases, it's all about building trust and comfort. The first few steps are simply to get your dog to find the sight and feel of the clippers comfortable, and to show him that you won't push him beyond his comfort level.  Taking this kind of slow and steady approach will ultimately yield faster results, as your dog will be willing to accept the clippers without a fight.
   In the video, you'll see I used a nail file rather than clippers. This is because Beans had had a clippers-meltdown a few weeks earlier, and I decided to let her cool off from the clippers for a little while. Conditioning her to something new -- the nail file -- takes much less time than counter-conditioning her to her nemesis, the clippers. However, when I'm ready to re-introduce the clippers, I will use the same method as in the video.
   This method works for nail trims, bathing, brushing, toothbrushing, and any other grooming activity that normally makes your dog squirm.

   You love your dog, that’s a given. But do your neighbors feel the same way? Make sure your dog has neighbor etiquette both indoors and out, so he brings a smile to everyone’s face.
   Well-behaved dogs are made, not born. To ensure your dog is a pleasure for everyone in the neighborhood to be around, a little training and management will go a long way to prevent bad habits from forming. Here are some ways to get started.
   Read the full article here on petguide.com, or click "Read More" if you don't see the text below.
   (Photo by constantism.com. Check him out!)

Congratulations to this awesome group of pups, who completed my BKLN Manners™ class at Brooklyn Dog Training Center! L to R: Handsome the staffie, Oak the basenji, Pablo the cockapoo, and Lan the mystery mix. (Not pictured: Lily. Get well soon!) These guys worked their butts off and made so much progress in only four weeks! 

   Yesterday, on a whim, I took Beans to a Barn Hunt Fun Clinic at Cassio Pet Resort on Newtown, CT. I had no expectations, as I know little about Barn Hunt and my infinitely sweet Beans is neither an athlete nor a scholar. But oh man, as the video below shows, we had a blast. 
   There were three requirements for her run: to find a rat that is safely protected inside a tube and then buried in some hay, to put all four paws on the top of a hay bale, and to go through a tunnel made of hay bales. (By the way, rats in Barn Hunt are treated very well, secured in the tube and taking turns so not to spend too long in there.) I was so impressed when Beans immediately found the rat, and then she looked at me rather than fixate on the little guy. Apparently our years of counter-conditioning to rodents has paid off.
   Hopefully this is just the beginning for us!

   If your neighborhood is anything like mine, it's littered with dangerously delicious "treats": chicken bones, garbage bags awaiting pickup, food wrappers, and more. Teaching your dog a reliable Leave It is essential for his safety. 
   I teach several levels of Leave It, which allows the dog to develop impulse control first in simple situations, then in moderately difficult ones, and finally in very challenging food-on-the-sidewalk scenarios. To execute it correctly, use both the video below and the detailed steps in the BKLN Manners™ book to guide you. 
   The video follows a training session with Gritz, a Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue pup and friend of Doggie Academy. He had learned Leave It but needed a refresher at each level. Though our session all took place the same day, a dog learning this behavior for the first time may need weeks to get a reliable Leave It.

The best part of summer is bringing your dog to the dog-friendly cafe. If your dog's cafe manners need some work, join me May 31 for this special event at NYC's only totally-dog-friendly-even-indoors cafe, Boris & Horton! This 90-minute event starts at 6:30pm, and seating is very limited, so book your spot early!
The workshop will focus on:

• "Place" on a mat
• "Stay" when the owner gets up
• "Emergency Recall" to get a dog back if he's in trouble
• "Hand Target" to move a dog away from another dog, fallen food, etc.

There will also be plenty of time for Q&A. Get your ticket here!

   My newest video focuses on one of the most important training behaviors: recall! BKLN Manners uses a hand target for recall, as many dogs seem to find "touch" a lot more fun than "come."  (To see the steps of a basic hand target, watch my video here.) And if your dog thinks it's fun, he'll respond much more easily.
   This video features the perfect pittie duo Penelope and LooseSeal (Check them out here on Instagram!) Recently LooseSeal slipped out the front door and gave her family a scare as she played the "can't catch me" game. The recall techniques we used in this training session are meant to prevent a future incident.
   As with all training, the key is to increase the difficulty methodically, raising only one criterion at a time. As you'll see in the video, we are increasing either distance between dog and handler or distraction level, such as toys in the vicinity. Both Penny and Loosey nailed their recalls during our session, meaning they can soon start to practice on long lines in areas that offer slightly greater distance and more distractions, like a quiet corner of a park.

As if the release of the BKLN Manners™ book wasn't enough excitement for one week, we just got word that a segment Sarah Westcott and I did for a Japanese TV series has aired. (It's almost entirely in English.) Watch it here!
   The segment, which begins at the four-minute mark, gives you a glimpse of how to teach polite leash walking, not jumping on people, recall, a trick, and agility. In addition to Sarah's dogs Hank and Fever and my dog Batman, our wonderful client Margaret and her dog Grace volunteered to take part in the filming. Grace picked up hand targeting and jumping through a hoop with lightning speed.
   On a personal note, Japan is a country close to my heart, where I have both family and friends. But dog training there isn't as robust as it is in the States, at least not yet. (However, excellent trainers like Miki Saito are changing that!) Therefore, I couldn't be happier to share what we do at Brooklyn Dog Training Center to a Japanese audience!

   Does your dog know how to sit, stay, and come in the house? What about in the park? If that second question makes you cringe, you’re not alone. 
   A dog’s inability to respond to cues outdoors is a common problem, but there’s hope! Some patience and methodical training can help you teach your dog that “sit” means “sit,” no matter where you are.
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