dog behavior

No, You Can’t Pet My Dog

September 21, 2023 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

Question… Do you let random strangers come up to you or your child, get into your personal space and touch you or your child? No, of course you don’t. Why? Because you don’t know them, because it would be uncomfortable, because it would make you feel nervous, anxious or even scared. Because it’s just plain weird. Well, it’s no different for your dog. Having someone they don’t know approach them and come into their personal space, make direct eye contact, touching them, talking to them etc… makes most dogs uncomfortable.

You may not know this because you are unaware of the myriad of dog body language cues that you don’t know how to read. Such as, just because a dog is wagging it’s tail doesn’t mean it’s happy.

Dogs wag their tails for many reasons, even right before they attack. There are many very subtle body cues that dogs give off when they are uncomfortable. Some thing as simple as turning their head away, or looking away, or yawning or licking their lips are just a few of the cues they display. With repeated exposure to strangers your dog can become reactive (growling, barking, lunging, biting etc).

But you can learn to advocate for your dog. Advocating simply means protecting your dog. When you advocate for your dog, you strengthen the bond of trust and help your dog to feel its safest and secure. And when you are around strangers, whether in your home or out in public, that can be as simple as not allowing people to interact with your dog. You may ask, “But what about the dog that is excited and looks happy and pulls towards other people they don’t know?” That dog can become reactive as well out of a overarousal and excitement.

Remember, it’s your dog! No one has the right to invade your personal space, ever. If you feel awkward saying no, here are some pleasant and polite ways you can respond when someone asks,

“CAN I PET YOUR DOG?”

“No, he’s in training, but thank you!”

“No thanks, he isn’t friendly.”

“No, he needs his space right now.”

“No, my dog wouldn’t be comfortable with that.”

“No, we are working on ignoring people today.”

“No, not today, but thank you!”

Remember, you wouldn’t let strangers approach your child, let alone touch them! Speak up and advocate/protect your dog from entitled, albeit well meaning strangers. It very well may save your dog from going down the road of reactivity.

Introducing the New Dog, What’s the Rush?

April 21, 2022 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

What’s the Rush?

Terie Hansen

As the saying goes “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”. The same applies when introducing a new dog/puppy to your current dog(s). My best advice? Go slowly through the process. And it IS a process. Let’s face it, it could go either way if you just put them together to see what happens. Which is what most people do. It could turn out just fine in the short term, but in the long run it could be building towards a fight.

Taking it slowly means, for the first few days to a week just allowing the dogs to exist around each other. Not interacting and certainly not playing. Have a separate crate/area where, at least the new dog is confined for sleeping, meals and down time (preferably for several weeks) and when you need a break from supervising/working your dogs. Walk the dogs together (preferably you and another person each with a dog). Having the dogs hold a command such as place or down around one another. Having them on leashes that are tied to doors so that they can’t make contact. Working each dog through obedience commands while the other looks on.

Remote Collar Dog Training, Yes or No?

September 8, 2021 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

Remote Collar Dog Training, Yes or No?

Petco says “stop the shock” and has decided to stop selling the low quality, remote collars they carry.

I say “good riddance” to those crappy systems, but not to high quality systems that are available through companies like E-Collar Technologies that, in the hands of professionals, who know how to properly train and use them are saving dogs lives on a daily basis.

But seriously… Things are heating up in the dog training world!

While this is an important conversation, you should have all the facts.

Some say… “Shock collars have been shown to increase fear, anxiety and stress in dogs… “. The same could be said of any tool (even a leash) used improperly.

A good trainer doesn’t increase these issues. The dogs come to us already with these issues and we work to alleviate them.

First of all, the e collars they sell in Petco or Petsmart are crap. The consumer who walks into a pet store to buy a crappy, low quality remote collar system without knowledge of how to properly use one or without help from a professional could certainly impact their dog in a negative way, but so does owning a dog and showering it with love and affection but not training it, not setting boundaries or creating structure. This can yield the same or worse fear, anxiety and stress and even result in the death of the dog. Remote collar dog training is not just about correcting bad behaviors. It’s so much more.

Hundreds of thousands of dogs are euthanized yearly because they are ill mannered (because they were showered with love and affection but weren’t trained. Love and affection are easy, training

Heart breaking photo shows how many dogs are being euthanized at one shelter a day.

takes effort and dedication). Euthanized because they jump too much, bark too much, fight, bite, run away, get hit by a car, pee and poop in the house, get into something harmful, have to have a surgery that the owner is financially unprepared for etc.

Yes there are many ways to train a dog and remote collar training is one of them, and If you’ve never owned a dog that needed another level of training such as remote collar training (not that you can’t use them to train all dogs, because you can) than you can’t speak to this.

Many a dog’s lives have been saved and are happier than they’ve ever been as are their families because of remote collar training. Would you rather those dogs be euthanized?

And by the way, 90% of training with a remote collar dog training program is positive reinforcement! But nobody talks about that of course. When training a dog, most of what we do is positive reinforcement. That’s how we teach dogs good behaviors such as sit, down, place, come, heel, kennel etc. But you must stop the negative behaviors as well.

Negative behaviors that can kill a dog such as counter surfing, trash diving, digging under or jumping over fences and many others can all be stopped with remote collar training. Can these behaviors be stopped without the use of a remote collar? With some dogs yes, but not all. So that begs the question, what about those dogs? What would you have us do with them??

Do you know a dog that counter surfed and died? I know of many, and many more who needed surgery to remove an obstruction. Wouldn’t you rather have stopped the behavior? I would.

Sadly, it’s this lack of control that is the number one cause of dog abandonment and euthanization in the United States, and that’s the truth.

What’s more inhumane? Allowing these behaviors to go on? Euthanizing the dog? Why not just stop the behavior with remote collar training?

High tech, high quality remote collar systems and professional training results in a happy well-balanced well-trained ALIVE dog.

In the many years I’ve been in business, I have worked with hundreds of clients who have been through dog training at Petsmart and Petco (or were currently training there when they reached out to me), only to realize that their methods are not working for the their dog. I also continue to have many clients referred to me by TRAINERS at Petsmart and Petco.

I’m not saying that there aren’t some great trainers that work at Petsmart or Petco, but the methodologies that they use can only take a dog so far and certainly don’t work with all dogs.

People feed into the belief that all dogs can be trained by 100% positive reinforcement, force free methods, no corrective measures needed, because wouldn’t that be wonderful? If that were the case, that is what would be happening!!! Just ask the owners of the dogs who have tried those methods with no success.

Because it sounds so much better than the fact that WE DO sometimes have to correct our dogs. WE DO have to share consequences. WE DO have to set boundaries. We cannot reason with the dog. It is not a human being. Mother nature herself corrects and shares consequences with animals of all kinds. Just because a dog lives in our home does not mean they are exempt from the rules of nature.

Not to mention, people live with behaviors in their dogs that would not be tolerated by other dogs if they lived in a pack in a natural environment.

Overexcited, over aroused, pushy, bratty obnoxious, demanding behaviors would not be tolerated. In fact it wouldn’t ever get to that point because at a very young age the adult dogs would be teaching the pups appropriate behavior. And yes, corrections would be involved! Here is a great example of a mother dog correcting her pups for unwanted behavior…watch and learn, it’s a beautiful thing to see mother nature in action… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHBe0jT6S3U

People seem to think that their ill behaved, out of control, or even mildly disobedient dog is as happy as it can be. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The bar is low for what a well balanced dog should be.

There is a movement out there trying to brainwash people into believing the fact that we should never say “no” to our dogs, there shouldn’t be consequences for their negative actions. And if they don’t know how to live within this realm of everything being positive then there must be something wrong with the dog. So we throw them away, let them harm themselves and others or worse, we euthanize them!

These people are on a mission to take away the training tools that allow us to get these dogs in a better state of mind so that their families can keep them and live together happily and peacefully. Do not let this happen! Trainers and owners alike, stand up! Speak up!

Petco says…

“Today, we stop the pain for Buddy because he barks at the doorbell.

We stop the stress for Sadie because she jumps for joy all over the neighbors when they walk in the door.

And we stop the fear for Cooper because he prefers a good pair of sneakers over all the chew toys on the market”.

WAIT WHAT?!! ?

So what they’re saying is it’s OK for your dog to bark his fool head off in a state of over excitement or panic just so we won’t have to correct the behavior.

Or it’s OK for your dog to jump all over people, while scratching them and possibly knocking them over just so we don’t have to correct the behavior. Are they serious??!!

Or it’s OK for your dog to chew on your shoes or something that may harm them because they prefers it to a chew toy?!!??

Get real people! Do any of us live without consequences? What kind of world we live in if we did???

Again I say, Do not let this happen! Trainers and owners alike, stand up! Speak up!

Tell the stories of how you and your dog’s life have been changed and improved by the use of balanced training methods with or without remote collar dog training. People Who don’t know any better need to know. We are not harming dogs, we are saving dogs!

Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Useful information Tagged With: balanced dog training, board and train, clicker training, dog behavior, Dog boarding, dog collars, dog training, dog training atlanta, dog training classes, dog training collars, dog training near me, gooddogcoachingandpetcare, how to tips, puppy training

The Single Biggest Mistake You May Be Making

March 16, 2021 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

The Single Biggest Mistake You May Be Making

Terie Hansen

This may come as a surprise to many dog owners but, allowing your dog to meet other dogs or people while on leash may be the single biggest mistake you ever make. It can result in a multitude of negative outcomes and behaviors.

Repeated on leash greetings can take an otherwise relaxed, happy, social dog and turn it into a nervous insecure dog or an over stimulated excessively excited dog.

When dogs are in an uncomfortable situation they can get into flight or fight mode. In social interactions, where your dog is not on a leash they can move away (flight) if they feel stressed, nervous, fearful or anxious. That would be an excellent choice on the dog’s part. However, when they are leashed, they no longer have that option, and they know it. That leaves them looking for alternate ways to deal with the situation. One option may be to fight. This may not have happened yet, but with repeated exposure to stressful on leash interactions your dog may one day choose the fight option. In their mind, you are not advocating for them. In fact, YOU are placing them in the stressful situation in the first place.

At the very least you can end up with a leash reactive dog (one that barks, growls, lunges at other dogs or people while on leash). REACTIVITY is the way that that many dogs choose to deal with stressful situations. Reactivity can be mild or pretty scary. One thing for sure is, if you don’t address the behavior it will worsen.

Who and how do you let dogs interact with? Happy, social dogs that you know, off leash in an enclosed area (house/yard). Also, doggy daycare is a great choice. It is a social environment that is structured and supervised by trained professionals.

Next time you think it’s a good idea to let your dog meet another dog on leash, put yourself in their place. Would you like to be repeatedly placed situations where you couldn’t get away if you wanted/needed to?

Terie Hansen is Owner of Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. More information at www.gooddogcoaching.com

Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Pet Care Health and Wellness Tagged With: aggressive dog, balanced dog training, dog behavior, dog collars, dog trainer near me, dog training atlanta, dog training classes, dog training collars, dog training near me, good dog coaching and pet care, puppy training, reactive dog, reactivity

How to Train a Dog to Be Balanced

September 9, 2020 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

To HAVE what others don’t, you’ve got to DO what others won’t.

These words are as true for dog training as they are for anything else. How to train a dog

Many people say they want a well trained dog but not as many are willing to do what it takes to achieve that.

It’s easy to share love and affection. It’s not as easy to share structure and discipline.

But these things in combination are the things that yield a well-balanced dog.

Too much affection and freedom create anxiety and nervousness. Which often leads to a reactive even aggressive dog.

Implementing a level of structure, leadership and boundaries will create a relaxed, well adjusted dog. Teaching your dog how to remain calm in any and all situations goes a long way in creating a well balanced dog. Socializing your dog to different situations, environments, people, places, things while teaching your dog to just exist, not get excited by the newness.

Exercise, training, down time in their crate are all a part of the process. And it IS a process.

You must also redefine what love is.

True love is giving your dog what they NEED not just what feels good to you the human.

Love your dog by training your dog.

There are no shortcuts. You must put in the time and effort. But what you and your dog will gain in the process is a bond like no other as well as the ability to take your dog anywhere. Which enriches both your life and theirs!

#love #effort #balance #structure

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Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Useful information Tagged With: balanced dog training, balanced training, board & train, board and train, clicker training, dog behavior, Dog boarding, dog collars, dog kennels, dog training, dog training atlanta, dog training classes, dog training collars, dog training near me, ecollar, good dog coaching and pet care, Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care, how to train a dog, How-to, pet care, puppy training

Get Your Dog Walking In Following Mode

May 17, 2020 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

Get Your Dog Walking In Following Mode by using these techniques.

I get so many calls from people that have dogs that are reactive on the leash when they are walking them.

Reactive towards people, dogs, bicycles, cars, motorcycles, kids, skateboards, squirrels, cats and the list goes on. Teaching your dog how to walk properly on a leash in the “following mode” (heel position, their nose should be no further up than your heel) is very important. It puts your dog at ease and helps them to be more relaxed while you share leadership by leading the way!

Start with your dog walking in your driveway. Doing driveway drills up and down your driveway. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Useful information Tagged With: board and train, dog behavior, dog kennels, dog training, dog training atlanta, dog training classes, dog training collars, dog walking, how to stop a dog from pulling, how to train a dog, how to walk a dog, How-to, pet care, reactive dog, reactive dog training, reactive dogs, stop leash pulling

Fido, July 4th Fireworks 6 Simple Safety Tips

July 1, 2019 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

More pets go missing July 4th through the 6th because of Fireworks. Sadly, on average only 14% are returned to their owners! Here are 5 Simple safety tips about Fido , July 4th fireworks and how to minimize the trauma.

KEEP YOUR PETS INDOORS! Preferably with no access to any exterior doors. If your dog is crate trained, this is a great time to crate them. Place their crate in an interior room, turn on music to help drown out the sounds of fireworks, close blinds to minimize the flashing lights.
BRING OUTDOOR PETS INSIDE! At least into your garage for safety. Dogs can and do jump fences and/or dig out. Even if they never have before, there is higher likelihood of them doing so during fireworks.
DESENSITIZE YOUR DOGS. Prior to these events, work to teach them not to be afraid. You can do so by doing obedience training, using positive reinforcement with food. You can download fireworks sounds from the net, play them very quietly at first while you have your dog do simple tasks such as sit, down and place drills (lots of repetition). Gradually (over time) increase the volume while training. Use high value treats, hot dogs, boiled chicken etc. You can actually teach your dog to like the sound because it has a positive association with food. When you get a new puppy, start right away. This can be a life saving training exercise!
MICROCHIP YOUR PETS! But also make sure they are wearing a collar and have name tags. People are much more likely to approach a dog with a collar on because they know it belongs to someone. Without a collar it looks like a stray. Also the tags make it easy for the good Samaritan to act quickly and easily. These days they have dog collars that you can have your phone number and dog’s name embroidered right on it!
LEAVE YOUR DOG AT HOME! Don’t bring your dog in the car to fireworks displays. They are likely to escape when you enter and exit your vehicle. Follow tip #1 while you are gone to a fireworks display.
HIRE A PET SITTER! Many people don’t just go see fireworks. They go to parties that last for hours. While you are away enjoying the festivities, hire a pet sitter to come keep your pets company! This can go a long way to minimize the stress your pets feel. Just knowing someone is there can be hugely helpful.

You love your pets so, follow these simple measures to avoid losing Fido July 4th Fireworks.

Filed Under: Articles, Pet Care Health and Wellness, Pet Sitting & Dog Boarding Tagged With: 4th of July, blog, cat care, cat collars, dog behavior, Dog care, dog collars, dog trainer, dog training, Fido & Fireworks, Fido on 4th of July, fireworks, fireworks display, Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care, gooddogcoachingandpetcare, how to tips, July 4th, July 4th Pet Safety, July 4th Safety, Lost Cat July 4th, Lost Dogs July 4th, micro chip, microchip, pet safety, pet sitter, pet sitting

Dog Shock Collars ? The Truth About Contemporary Remote Collar Dog Training Off Leash K9 Training

May 17, 2019 By Terie Hansen 2 Comments

Dog Shock Collars? The Truth About Contemporary Remote Collar Dog Training Off leash k9 training

Terie Hansen

When most people hear the words “Shock” collar it can be both scary and offensive. The “Shock” collars of old are nothing like the contemporary Remote Collars of today. Dog shock collars off leash k9 training.

While many people think that the dog is being “shocked” into submission, the truth is, contemporary trainers, using high end remote collars apply a “pressure” that is neutral, mild and based on the same technology as TENS machines used for physical therapy in humans. Dog shock collars off leash k9 training is freedom!

Remote collars do not “burn” a dog’s skin and in fact many quality systems of today are completely water proof! Dog shock collars off leash k9 training equals freedom for your dog.

Low level remote collar training done properly, communicates to your dog with a mild sensation that is not harming to them mentally or physically. Even at higher levels while the sensation is enough to get your dog’s attention to deter negative behaviors, won’t harm your dog or your relationship. It is non-combative in it’s approach which is especially important for reactive dogs. It owners to communicate in a fast and effective manner. In fact, shared training sessions will actually improve your bond with your dog. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Pet Care Health and Wellness Tagged With: bark collars, best dog shock collars, board & train, board and train, Bonker, dog aggression, dog basic commands, dog behavior, Dog boarding, dog shock collars, dog shock collars near me, dog trainers near me, dog training, dog training collar, dog training in gwinnett, dog training tips, dog's, embedded collar, fearful dog, Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care, how to tips, invisible fence training, obedience dog training, obedience training, off leash k9 training, premier pet bark collar, prong collars, puppies, puppy training, remote collar training, remote collar training near me, remote collars, remote collars near me, shock collars, shock collars for dogs, truth about shock collars

Dog Training How To, Patience, Persistence and the Right Tools

January 3, 2019 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

Dog Training How To, Patience, Persistence and the Right Tools.

In dog training as in many things you have to have the right attitude and the right tools (whether they be actual tools or techniques) in order to get the job done. Ask 10 dog trainers how to teach a dog any one specific command or behavior and your likely to get 10 different answers. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Useful information Tagged With: Bonker, clicker training, dog behavior, Dog boarding, dog trainer, dog training blog, dog training how to, dog training in buford, dog training in grayson, dog training in gwinnett, dog training in lawrenceville, dog training in lilburn, dog training in snellville, dog training in stone mountain, dog training in suwanee, dog training near me, dog training techniques, dog training tools, e collar, e collar technologies, food training, food training your dog, Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care, gooddogcoaching.com, gooddogcoachingandpetcare, martingale collars, pet corrector, prong collar, remote collar, slip leash, treat training

Why Basic Obedience Foundation Work Works!

November 29, 2018 By Terie Hansen Leave a Comment

Why Foundation Work works!

Uncertainty and fear are relieved by authority. Training is authority. It’s a release valve. -Ryan Holiday Basic obedience foundation work.

When I say foundation work I’m talking about basic obedience such as:

Sit with implied stay

Down with implied stay

Place with implied stay (teaches calm on command)

(The above three commands are taught with an implied stay because, what good is sit, down or place if your dog doesn’t stay in them???)

Heel (tight structured walk)

Recall (Come/Here Command)

Name Game (looking when you call their name)

Thresholds-Respectfully moving through doorways (including in/out of the crate) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Dog Training, Pet Care Health and Wellness, Pet Sitting & Dog Boarding Tagged With: balanced training, basic obedience, blog, come command, come when called, crate training, dog barking, dog basic commands, dog behavior, dog bite, Dog boarding, dog chewing, dog daycare, dog jumping, dog obedience classes, dog obedience training, dog trainer near me, dog trainers near me, dog training, dog training 101, dog training blog, Doggie daycare, down stay, foundation work, heel command, herm sprenger, how to train your dog, leerburg, pinch collar, place command, prong collar, sit stay

Navigation

No, You Can’t Pet My Dog

You may not know this because you are unaware of the myriad of dog body language cues that you don’t know how to read. Such as, just because a dog is wagging it’s tail doesn’t mean it’s happy.

“CAN I PET YOUR DOG?”

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Introducing the New Dog, What’s the Rush?

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Remote Collar Dog Training, Yes or No?

Remote Collar Dog Training, Yes or No?

Do you know a dog that counter surfed and died? I know of many, and many more who needed surgery to remove an obstruction. Wouldn’t you rather have stopped the behavior? I would.

Sadly, it’s this lack of control that is the number one cause of dog abandonment and euthanization in the United States, and that’s the truth.

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

The Single Biggest Mistake You May Be Making

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

How to Train a Dog to Be Balanced

To HAVE what others don’t, you’ve got to DO what others won’t.

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Get Your Dog Walking In Following Mode

Get Your Dog Walking In Following Mode by using these techniques.

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Fido, July 4th Fireworks 6 Simple Safety Tips

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Dog Shock Collars ? The Truth About Contemporary Remote Collar Dog Training Off Leash K9 Training

Dog Shock Collars? The Truth About Contemporary Remote Collar Dog Training Off leash k9 training

Remote collars do not “burn” a dog’s skin and in fact many quality systems of today are completely water proof! Dog shock collars off leash k9 training equals freedom for your dog.

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Dog Training How To, Patience, Persistence and the Right Tools

Dog Training How To, Patience, Persistence and the Right Tools.

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

Why Basic Obedience Foundation Work Works!

Why Foundation Work works!

Have More Questions? Ready To Reserve? Contact Us Today!

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You may not know this because you are unaware of the myriad of dog body language cues that you don’t know how to read. Such as, just because a dog is wagging it’s tail doesn’t mean it’s happy.

“CAN I PET YOUR DOG?”

Remote Collar Dog Training, Yes or No?

Do you know a dog that counter surfed and died? I know of many, and many more who needed surgery to remove an obstruction. Wouldn’t you rather have stopped the behavior? I would.

Sadly, it’s this lack of control that is the number one cause of dog abandonment and euthanization in the United States, and that’s the truth.

Get Your Dog Walking In Following Mode by using these techniques.

Dog Shock Collars? The Truth About Contemporary Remote Collar Dog Training Off leash k9 training

Remote collars do not “burn” a dog’s skin and in fact many quality systems of today are completely water proof! Dog shock collars off leash k9 training equals freedom for your dog.

Dog Training How To, Patience, Persistence and the Right Tools.

Why Foundation Work works!

Call Us Now! 404-422-9832 or simply fill out the form below and we will contact you! IF YOU ARE A CURRENT CLIENT, PLEASE VISIT OUR LOGIN PAGE AND CLI

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Let’s Socialize

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

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