River Valley Dog Training

Pink Floyd and the Power Of Premak

  “How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat!!”

You might be wondering what a line from a song made famous by Pink Floyd has to do with training your dog.. but bear with me and let me explain.

You probably remember your Mother or Grandmother saying something like this as you were growing up..

“You can’t watch t.v. until you get your homework done.”.. or, “You can’t go play with…

Three Tips To Help Curb Your Dogs Barking While On A Walk

If your dog is barking on leash and it’s ruining your walks,.. then I have three tips that will help you get control over your vocal dog..

There are many reasons your dog will bark while out for a walk..but the main reason is because he or she hasn’t been taught otherwise.. so here are the tips that will get you back in the driving seat and on the path to enjoying your walks again with your fuzzy…

A Strange Dog Is Charging You and Your Dog, What Do You Do?

Good morning and Happy St.Patties Day,

“May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows your dead.”

Yesterday I posted to Face Book the question, ” What do you do when a strange dog charges you and your dog and you have no opportunity for retreat?”

There was a lot of great discussion about this and I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave a comment.

Now let me start by saying…

Three Tips To Help Turn Your ‘Wild Child’ Dog Around

Good morning and Happy Monday morning to everyone..

I hope you have a wonderful day in spite of he dreaded time change!!

How many of you can relate to this..

You’re out on the street with your dog and he or she suddenly begins to act out..jumping around, biting the leash, pulling,lunging,barking at everyone who passes by..people are staring.. and the more you try to get control of your loving…

How Social Should Your Dog Be With Other Dogs?

Good morning ,

I hope you are all doing well .. it’s Friday and some of you will be heading out with your dogs to take part in various weekend activities,. so I wanted to chat with you for a minute about your dogs before you head out..

I am often asked to help people train their dogs to be more social with dogs they meet on the street and in the dog parks instead of being a loner and avoiding…

How To Deal With Your Dogs Aggression

After all these years of working with people and their dogs..the one thing that still gets me every time ..and quite frankly the one reason I continue to do what I do.. is the feeling of joy I get when the dogs owner has that “light bulb” moment..

That moment when they realize what they were doing was the cause of their dogs behavior.

Today I want to speak to the dog owners who are having trouble…

What Happens When You Take Your Dog Or Pup To The Dog Park

Good morning, I hope you are all well and having a great day with your pups.. today I wanted to chat with you for a bit about the dog park.. just a few things I feel is important for you to know in order to have the best possible experience for both you and your dogs, and while I am not a fan of the dog park, I know a lot of people are so if you are determined to take your dog or pup to the park…

Why Crate Training Your Dog Could Save Their Life

I want to talk to you about crating your dogs.

A lot of people I talk to struggle with this concept and think its cruel and unusual punishment, or they did use a crate when housebreaking their puppy but no longer use the crate.

I get emails almost daily from people whose dogs are chewing stuff, destroying the furniture and peeing and pooping every where..

This is taking place when they are away…

How To Train Your Dogs The Place Command

I am often called to help people who are struggling with a dog that just won’t calm down,.. inside the house or out..the door bell rings and they steam roll anything in their way to get the the door barking and jumping.. and have to be pulled away by the collar. One of the best things anyone can do to ensure peace and harmony is to train the dog to go to a mat or bed lay down, stay there.. and be…

How To Foster Peace and Tranquility For Your Dogs

Today I want to talk about how you can foster peace and tranquility in your home by training your dogs to go to a place and lay down and be quiet..

Now I know many of you struggle with getting your dogs to stop barking when someone comes to the door, or passes by the window..so this is what you can do..

Put the barking on cue..

Instead of yelling “quiet!” over and over ..which in most cases…

How To Gain Control Over Your Reactive Dog

Today I want to lay out a plan of action that will help you get control over your reactive dog..

If you got a dog that pulls you down the street, sniffing and barking at dogs and other people, and you find yourself pulling back on your dog,.. talking to them or yelling,..only to end up very frustrated, then this post will help you turn this around..

I want you to look at your dog like a stick of…

How To Train A Dog The Right Way For Protection

  If you are thinking about training a dog to bite you are only setting yourself up for a law suit. If you feel the need to be protected for any reason my advice is to get a human body-guard.  Only the most highly skilled trainers like law enforcement or military personnel should be engaged in this kind of training. Having a dog that is trained to attack and take down perps is a life long…

You Can Never Be Your Dogs Alpha

When people ask me about the importance of being your dogs Alpha I always say the same thing..it don’t matter how many times I eat before feeding my dogs, or come in the house and ignore them.. I will never be able to convince my dogs that I am a dog.

I don’t have anal glands,

I don’t have four legs, or ears that move around to catch the slightest sounds in the environment..

and I can’t smell…

Learn To Communicate With Your Dog In Their Language

Many people think the best way to communicate with their dogs is to bark out commands..

Come!,

Sit!..ect..

They have a harsh Alpha mentality that is based in myth..

My understanding of dogs is rooted in the fact that they are predators.. and as such are in conflict with us at times..

Because we too are predators.. so quite often they resist our efforts to communicate with…

One Of The Best Ways To Train Your Dog To Come When Called

Some one asked me yesterday, what is the best way to train your dog to come when called..so I thought I would share that with you today.

The easiest way I know of is to play hide and seek with your new puppy or dog.

There are many benefits to this method..

It engages your dogs prey drive and enhances your dogs attraction to you and other family members..which is important if you…

The One Thing You Need To Do In Order To Have Well Trained Dogs

                I was talking with a friend of mine this morning and she asked me what one thing is most important in order to have well-trained dogs..

I thought about this for a moment and realized that the one thing I do that makes all the difference in how any dog responds to me is that I always work with them when my mind is clear and calm..

I have found a way to shut out thoughts about…

How To Introduce A New Dog To Your Family Dog

I have been asked to talk a bit about the best way to introduce two dogs without having conflict..

Having rescued many dogs over the years this is how I manage those first meetings and begin to foster relaxation in times of great emotional intensity.. it would be the same if someone were to come visit with a dog that has no history with mine..

I always take the dogs on at least a 30 minute…