|
Dog Trainers' Training Tips, Puppy House Training Aids & Information
Pupforum.com's contributing columnists include some of the best and highly sought after dog trainers from all over the world who give you some of the best advice as specialists in a wide variety of methods in dog obedience training. With advice on how to make use of dog training aids to helping you understand the differences between a number of different kinds of dog training collar options are out there, our team of experts can give you the advice you need.
While the information given in these columns is intended to be informative — dog behavior, handlers and situations vary widely; for example, puppy training versus training an older dog use very different tactics, and there is a marked difference in how to go about puppy house training and teaching a puppy not to chew on household items. You should always consult a professional dog trainer to assess your own dog obedience situation. Click here for more information.
Have a question for one of our dog trainers? Submit your dog training questions here and get dog training tips! Ask a trainer
for the training advice you need.
 columnists contact Evelyne submit a question
Ev lives the Lower Mainland of beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she has been training dogs since 1969. She is experienced in many methods including clicker and motivational training. Ev is an original Superdog Performance Team member and her own dogs have travelled and performed with the Canadian Superdogs since 1984. She has also served as an A.A.C. judge and is an original Member/Trainer with the Dogwood Pacesetters Agility Club.
Catahoula Is Talking Or Growling?
By Evelyne Bliss (12/2/07)
My male Catahoula puppy is now 7 months old. He growls at me when I get within 12 inches of his face & then turns his head real fast. I'll be petting him & talking to him, but he gets this real serious look on his face & growls when I get close, and tries to get up & leave even. Two times I noticed him growling at toddlers, when they approached him. This happened on different days. How can I correct this and why is he doing it?
read the rest of this column
Elderly Dog Is Acting Very Strange
By Evelyne Bliss (10/3/07)
Chinese Shar Pei - age 12 Monte has been a wonderful dog and I would like to make sure that the rest of his life is as happy as I can. Monte has started to act strangely. He will shut himself in a bathroom and then destroy it trying to get out. He has chewed the molding and pulled everything out from under the sink.
read the rest of this column
My Boxer Is Jealous Of My Boyfriend
By Evelyne Bliss (7/25/07)
My boyfriend and I have a 6 month old boxer/lab mix. We go for walks and runs with her twice a day. We have taught her sit, down, and rollover. Recently she started going under our dining room table when we eat our meals and barks at us. She puts her snout in our crotches and barks and nips at us. It’s not at all enjoyable. We also found that when we sit on the couch she keeps trying to jump up. She will not stop. It seems to be only when my boyfriend and I are together that she acts like a completely different dog.
read the rest of this column
Doberman Is Hard To Walk
By Evelyne Bliss (6/28/07)
Hello, I have a five year old male Doberman named Hunter. He is overall a wonderful boy! He was housebroken easily at 10 weeks old, does not chew on anything, he is very lovable, and loves kids and other animals. I would really like to walk him on a leash but when he was a puppy I got pregnant and had to tie him out rather than walk him. Now he pulls me all over the place when I try.
read the rest of this column
Mastiff Puppy, Fearful Or Dominant?
By Evelyne Bliss (3/15/07)
Mastiff puppy, is his barking dominant or fearful? I have 8 mastiffs, all fit into slots of dominant and so on down the pecking order. All eat together and we have only the occasional minor disagreement. I have always known how to deal with each dog, but I have a 4 month old make who is sending cross signals , when I take him out and he sees strange dogs, he barks nonstop, stands stiff legged and alert, chest extended, hackles up, head and tail raised. If the other dog approaches him, he turns tail and runs away; stopping to turn and bark.
read the rest of this column
German Shepherd Is Digging In The Yard
By Evelyne Bliss (2/12/07)
We have a 6 year old German Shepherd male and a 3 year old German Shepherd spayed female. The male is constantly digging in the backyard. He digs around propane tanks, under the house. They have a large fenced in backyard to run and play all day in. I feel they get plenty of exercise.
read the rest of this column
Husband And Wife Can't Agree On A Puppy
By Evelyne Bliss (1/12/07)
Choosing a puppy by what charateristics? I have read how to pick your dog part I and II, and with these questions, have narrowed down my pick of a Welsh Terrier puppy. Unfortunately my wife has made her pick also, and we don't see eye to eye.
read the rest of this column
Destructive Goldendoodle
By Evelyne Bliss (12/3/06)
I have a wonderful Goldendoodle Mojo. He is a wonderful dog, except that when we leave the house, he goes crazy. Our doorframe is clawed, he knows how to open the front door, he has even jumped out of a second story window, twice! We left him in the car about a week ago, and in 5 min, he chewed off of a seat belt, tore the interior off, and scratched everything while we were paying for gas.
read the rest of this column
10 Week Old Boxer Mix Plays Very Rough With GSD Mix Brother
By Evelyne Bliss (9/25/06)
I just bought a 10 week old female Boxer/Pitbull mix who is such a sweetheart...until she plays/wrestles with my 6 month old intact male who's a Pitbull/German Shepard. He too is very sweet and such a lapdog! I've had her for about 10 days now and my male will not hurt her, but she goes after him as if she is trying to be the alpha.
read the rest of this column
Old Dog, New Dog
By Evelyne Bliss (8/10/06)
We currently have a male 7 year old terrier mix who is a very gentle submissive dog. 3 days ago we adopted a male 6 month old golden retriever puppy. Our terrier mix is having a hard time adjusting to the pup.
read the rest of this column
Another Skittish Rescue Dog
By Evelyne Bliss (7/12/06)
When she is alone in the yard she plays like any normal pup so I know she feels okay. The only one she seems fine with is my 2 year old granddaughter. It has only been one week but I truly want to make
read the rest of this column
My Skittish Pit Bull
By Evelyne Bliss (6/13/06)
He is extremely skittish. the only way he will come in from outside is if you open the door and walk away from it. if you stand at the door waiting for him to enter he will sit and wait for you to walk away leaving the door open.
read the rest of this column
10 Week Old Puppy Is Chasing Feet
By Evelyne Bliss (4/28/06)
Hi, I have a new 10 week old puppy that I just brought home yesterday. She is tiny, 2.5 lbs! Anyway, she is obsessed with our feet. From day one she jumps up no matter what she's doing so she can chase our feet as we walk across the house. Of course it's cute but I want to break her of this immediately because she's going to get hurt. She runs right in front of our feet and she's so little we have to be so careful not to step on her when she's doing this.
read the rest of this column
Aussie Bumps Owner On Walks
By Evelyne Bliss (4/19/06)
I walk our Aussie pup daily and she does VERY well except for one quirk that she has ALWAYS had and we can't seem to break her of. She watches me thru out the walk...but she also BUMPS ever so gently into my leg...sometimes almost causing me to trip!
read the rest of this column
Goldendoodle Wants To Play In The Evening
By Evelyne Bliss (2/22/06)
I have a 6 month old Goldendoodle, she is great during the day but around 6pm she is a different dog. She will come up and bump you with her nose and then bark and growl and snap at us. I know she wants to play but she is too aggressive. When either my husband or I sit in a recliner at night she attacks our feet, nipping at them again growling and barking.
read the rest of this column
Newly Adopted German Shepherd is Very Shy
By Evelyne Bliss (2/8/06)
I have recently adopted a beautiful white German Shepherd that goes by the name of Jeff. He had sores that indicated that he always slept on concrete, he never barks, whines or makes a peep, which indicated to me also that someone might have kept him in an apartment. But the most disturbing thing of all is that he is NEVER aggressive! I think that the previous owners may have broken this beautiful animals spirit. Is there anything that I can start doing to regain it back?
read the rest of this column
Growling Papillion
By Evelyne Bliss (1/10/06)
I got a Papillion from a dog rescue about 1 1/2 years ago. He had a very rare problem with nipping when anyone did something he did not like, but was very infrequent. The majority of the time he was on anyone's lap who would let him. Now his
read the rest of this column
Puppy Housetraining
By Evelyne Bliss (11/15/05)
We recently bought an Airedale Terrier pup, he is now 13 weeks old (we got him a week ago). We are trying to housetrain him, and we need some help. We take him out and will sit with him for 15-20 minutes, and he does nothing...as soon as we bring him in he goes on the carpet. We take him for walks daily, but he doesn't go then either.
read the rest of this column
Ok To Adopt 2 Puppies From The Same Litter?
By Evelyne Bliss (11/1/05)
We have just adopted two mixed puppies from a shelter. They are 9 weeks old, both male and neutered. My question is, is it a poor choice to adopt two brothers from the same litter? Will they have problems as adult dogs?
read the rest of this column
Counter Stealing
By Evelyne Bliss (10/13/05)
I have a GS/Husky pup 6 months old that is about 60 lbs and he is constantly getting on the table and counter and getting what ever he can get off of it and take it and run. I have tried correcting him and he seems to know it is wrong but does it anyway. I know this may sound simple but he is a very strong willed dog.
read the rest of this column
Poodle is Digging Up the Carpet
By Evelyne Bliss (9/13/05)
I have a tiny toy poodle 7 months old. He seems to be training well in most areas. I am having one major problem - he keeps digging at the carpet until he has the nap gone. It is getting so bad; I am ready to have him declawed. Any advice?
read the rest of this column
How to Introduce Little Dogs
By Evelyne Bliss (8/8/05)
We want to get another little dog & want to know the best way to introduce our dog to one at a shelter that we are going to visit.
read the rest of this column
Cocker Spaniel Chasing Chickens
By Evelyne Bliss (7/28/05)
My 1 year old cocker spaniel, who is a bird dog, is constantly chasing my chickens; one new chicken in particular. I have tried verbal commands, electric collars and have tried slapping her on the rump and nose but she wont stop.
read the rest of this column
Two Rescued Dobes Want To Stay In Bed All Day
By Evelyne Bliss (7/15/05)
I have adopted two rescued Doberman pinschers, a male about 2 years ago and a female about a week ago...My question though is: How do I get them "off the couch" so to speak to play.
read the rest of this column
Feces Eating Puli
By Evelyne Bliss (6/29/05)
I have a 6 month old male Puli. He began eating his own feces 2 months ago. I have tried the Deter in his food, I have tried an vitamin & mineral supplement called "Seameal" that was recommended, it's supposed to make sure he is getting all nutrients from food, however nothing is working.
read the rest of this column
Feisty Labradoodle
By Evelyne Bliss (6/16/05)
We have a Labradoodle. . . He has always been difficult but smart. He is obedience trained, but only behaves when he wants to.
read the rest of this column
Introducing Agility to a Border Collie
By Evelyne Bliss (5/29/05)
My aunt has a border collie Lexus that I am teaching agility to. I was wondering if you could tell me how to train the basics (jump etc.)?
read the rest of this column
Barking Bull Terrier
By Evelyne Bliss (5/12/05)
She has ALWAYS barked at people walking past our gate, I have never discouraged it, nor reinforced it. I ignored it. Now recently she has been tormented by some children on bikes, hitting the fence, yelling at her and I suspect also throwing things.
read the rest of this column
My Shar-pei is Scared!
By Evelyne Bliss (5/11/05)
I have a 1 1/2 year old male Shar-pei. He is afraid of everything.Sometimes, he even runs from us, mostly my husband. We really don't know what's wrong or what to do.
read the rest of this column
He is Afraid of Everything.
By Evelyne Bliss (5/4/05)
Hello, I have a 1 1/2 year old male Shar-pei. He is afraid of everything.
read the rest of this column
Odd Behavior
By Evelyne Bliss (4/10/05)
Ev answers member questions concerning odd dog behavior
read the rest of this column
Just Can't Contain Himself
By Evelyne Bliss (4/3/05)
We found it helpful to take him out frequently and the accidents are less when we do so. However, he doesn't tell us when he needs to go. We just assume when it's time to go. Are we doing this wrong?
read the rest of this column
Cujo II?
By Evelyne Bliss (3/29/05)
It started with nipping and growling, but now she pulls against the leash with all her might, snarles and bares her teeth.
read the rest of this column
Chicken Bulldog
By Evelyne Bliss (3/20/05)
I have a three year old Bulldog. She is extremely timid and seems to be afraid of everything that is new in a room. She has gotten a little better in the two years I have had her, but is still afraid all the time.
read the rest of this column
Fearing the Leash
By Evelyne Bliss (3/9/05)
I have a very anxious foster dog in my home. She has severe issues with being leashed and shows fear aggression. I am looking for suggestions on more behavior training using other methods of positive reinforcement.
read the rest of this column
Help Me Help Her Help Her Dog!
By Evelyne Bliss (2/26/05)
She is very stubborn (my mother, not the dog) about taking any advice but I really want to find a way to get her to realize that there are far better ways than using painful corrections like the prong and shock collars to get her dog to behave the way she wants.
read the rest of this column
In the Back of the Truck
By Evelyne Bliss (2/15/05)
He will bark non stop then once at the destination will jump out and nip at the other dog and any other dogs around...
read the rest of this column
How to Pick Your Next Dog (part II)
By Evelyne Bliss (2/9/05)
So, you have already decided on what type of dog you want. But now you want to make sure you get the right pup for you. Where do you start?????
read the rest of this column
How to Pick Your Next Dog (part I)
By Evelyne Bliss (2/5/05)
Dogs are not items in a supermarket where you wander down an aisle, pick up what ever is on sale and pay for it at the checkout and perhaps return it later if it is not what you expected. Dogs are living, breathing creatures with intelligence, feelings, and a need to feel love and compassion.
read the rest of this column
Paper Chewer
By Evelyne Bliss (1/23/05)
How to teach your dog to bring the paper, not eat it.
read the rest of this column
Barky Dogs
By Evelyne Bliss (1/12/05)
Collies can be barkers at the best of times and I'd bet that was the main reason for her ending up at the shelter which means she has probably never had the time spent on her to 'curb' the barking.
read the rest of this column
Shadow Chasers
By Evelyne Bliss (12/27/04)
Behavioral quirks can be conditioned but habits are much harder to break
read the rest of this column
Winter Care for Canines
By Evelyne Bliss (12/24/04)
Winter’s cold air brings lots of concerns for responsible dog owners
read the rest of this column
Teaching Right and Wrong
By Evelyne Bliss (12/15/04)
Treat her like a dog, she'll learn in the same manner although your methods will vary from that used on a Bedlington or a Mountain Dog.
read the rest of this column
Resource Guarders
By Evelyne Bliss (11/20/04)
...but a few...have an inborn 'nature' to be aware of their size and do not trust anything of their species that is bigger than they are.
read the rest of this column
Separation Shepard
By Evelyne Bliss (11/11/04)
...it is possible she has found 'heaven on earth' with you which would make the bonding stronger and therefore the seperation that much more difficult for her to handle.
read the rest of this column
Dealing with a Timid Pup
By Evelyne Bliss (11/5/04)
I have been looking at a 11 months old German Shepherd which has all the requirement I need bar one. He is very timid, even scared, of male adults.
read the rest of this column
Seperation Anxiety
By Evelyne Bliss (11/1/04)
What is 'Separation Anxiety' ?
Why does it haunt so many Dog Owners everywhere?
read the rest of this column
Housebreaking Part 2
By Evelyne Bliss (10/29/04)
Part one focused on training puppies. In Part 2 Ev helps a member whose older dog is still not housetrained.
read the rest of this column
Early Morning Barking
By Evelyne Bliss (10/23/04)
Ev offers suggestions for early morning barking.
read the rest of this column
Old Dog / Puppy Rivalry
By Evelyne Bliss (10/20/04)
How to help an older dog adjust to the new addition
read the rest of this column
Scared to go Outside
By Evelyne Bliss (10/17/04)
Ev helps deal with a scared dog.
read the rest of this column
Housebreaking
By Evelyne Bliss (10/15/04)
Follow these simple rules and within a week, your pup should be housebroken.
(if your pup is crate trained, then you are already half way there)
read the rest of this column
|
Login 
