The Smart Dog U Blog

Dogs in Public: Lessons Learned by Doing

If you want your dog to behave in public, you have to teach him in public. Teaching your dog at home or at obedience class is a good start, but if you expect that teaching to carry over to "real life," you're going to have to work in that situation. 

Because public work is a necessity for service dogs, we start our public training very 

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Service Dog Training: What It Takes to Make a Good Service Dog

Are Your Expectations For Your Dog Reasonable?

Are Your Expectations For Your Dog Reasonable?

Are Your Expectations For Your Dog Reasonable?
November 2012

There’s a middle ground for everything. When it comes to their dogs, though, owners usually expect too much or too little from their dogs. From those that expect too much, it goes something like this: He knows how to sit! He’s just too stubborn to do it when people come over.

 

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Dog Training: Dogs Are Different as Night and Day

Dogs are just like people: no two are the same. Even littermates can be vastly different from one another. Throw breed differences, genetics, and environment into the mix and it's easy to see why dogs are so different from one another both in looks and in personality. 

 

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Introducing A New Puppy - Asti Spumante, Labrador Pup

And the cycle begins anew... Siena's found her forever home (thank goodness, I really like them!) and a new puppy starts her training journey with us. We still have Siena, thank goodness, as she's showing the new pup the ropes...

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Bittersweet: Siena's Got a Home

Sweet Siena, the loveliest spotted Great Dane, has a wonderful new home. Anytime one of "my" dogs (not really mine, by the way -- all these dogs are really Service Dogs of Virginia's dogs, I just raise them) goes to a new home, whether they're placed as service dogs or are career changed like Siena, I'm full of worry that their new home will love them enough. 

 

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Siena: Officially Released + Looking for A Home

It's official. Sweet Siena is going to be a pet! This is good news, really. As service work just wasn't a good fit for her. She's a homebody. She doesn't like a lot of change. I'm helping spread the word because I think the more people who know about her, the better our chances of finding her the perfect home. Here's a taste of who Siena is...

 

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Puppy Training: House Training (aka Potty Training) Setbacks

We had torrential rains all day Tuesday. Siena doesn't like to get her feet wet, so getting drenched was not on her list of things to do that day. Which means she didn't go to the bathroom outside very often. Which is a nice way of saying she went to the bathroom inside a lot. 

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Dog Training Fun: What is It With Great Danes and Naps?

I didn't get much sleep last night. So a nap was in order for today. All the other dogs happily snoozed along with me, but that silly Siena. She was here and there, pouncing on dust bunnies, digging at dried slobber on the floor, and generally making as much noise as she could. I finally got up. And she went to sleep. Aargh! 

 

 

 

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Service Dog Training: What It Takes to Make a Good Service Dog

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Dog Training: Ask the Trainer - When Can I Get Rid of the Crate?

 

Puppy Talos loves his crate!

Crating is a skill that your dog may need for the rest of his life. Dogs being treated for an illness or injury are very often on crate rest for long periods of time. If you've let your dog's crating skills diminish over time, it's going to be a tough recovery for them. Tough because of the physical issues, but even tougher because now they have to learn how to crate in addition to recuperate from the illness or injury. That's a tough combination for a dog. I'd rather have the crate already be a familiar and welcome place for the dog to be -- he's likely to actually seek out the crate for rest and recuperation instead of fighting it.

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