I just wanted to give a huge thank you to Matt White! Last year I enrolled my full pit bull terrier in Matt's Focused Dog dog training school and I can truthfully say that I have seen so much improvement with my dog.  As a puppy my pit bull, Maggie, was very easy as far as potty training and being very gentle and loving with me and my family. At about 6 months Maggie developed this INTENSE liking to chewing up every single thing in my home she

CoCo CoCo, my one year-old Airedale terror (Oops, did I actually say that? I meant “terrier”. LOL!) has just completed both of Matt’s Beginning and Beyond Basics classes. I wasn’t sure we would get through day one of the first class. CoCo spent most of her first class session pulling on her harness, raised up on her hind legs, and barking constantly at the other dogs. Poor Matt! I’m sure he wondered (as did I) what we were going to do with

Our chocolate Labrador Retriever, Timber, started training with Matt when he was five months old. He is a happy puppy, but can be very rambunctious. We all learned so much through the Focused Dog program and had a lot of fun too! We wanted to find an independent dog training program where Timber would get a lot of individual attention. We really enjoyed the small class size and the focus on positive reinforcement in Matt’s classes. Matt is a true

Quick Fixes   As Americans we want our food in an instant, and we get impatient if there are a few people in front of us in line at the grocery store.  In general, we really hate to wait!  One of the biggest challenges trainers face is convincing dog owners that dogs don’t always learn as quickly as they’d like.   Some in their impatience want to resort to inhumane treatments at such times. I know of some people who have experienced

I Dig It  Are you among the many frustrated owners who has a dog that is digging all over the yard?  About the time they’ve dug up quite a few plants/flowers I usually get a call. They ask, “Can you train my dog not to dig?” It’s important to realize many dogs love to dig.  (Some breeds more than others)  Here in the hot Valley, can you really blame them for wanting to create a cool spot to lie down?  Others dig because they’re bored,

How to and not to Introduce Yourself to a Dog As a dog trainer I meet a lot of dogs as you might imagine.  Since I really don’t know the dog, or how they’ll react to strangers it’s important to be mindful of my greeting posture.  Whether you’re at the dog park, or over at a friend’s house you can adopt this same greeting posture to ensure your safety and help the dog be more at ease.  If your dog is fearful of strangers, it’s also

Take it to the Bank Several times a month I make may way over to the bank to make deposits and withdrawals.  Could you imagine if there came a time where my withdrawals exceeded the deposits?   Obviously there would be a great penalty enforced for that and I would be in debt.  Nobody wants to be in that position, so we save for the future and prepare for inevitable expenses.  So it’s important in our personal lives to make sure we have plenty

Boredom: A recipe for disaster Many of the problem behaviors people come to me with are traced back to a bored, and under-stimulated dog.  If a dog is rarely exercised, and has nothing to occupy their time, they’ll start to look for things to do.  All of a sudden the thought runs through their mind, “Hey those shoes look like fun!” Exercise, exercise, exercise!  Your dog needs it more than you realize.  I also suggest giving them an adequate

Have you brushed your dog's teeth lately? February is National Pet Dental Health Month. If you're like most pet parents, you've neglected this important area. A healthy life is linked to a healthy mouth for us, and the same holds true for our pets. Ideally brushing should be done daily, but at the very least 3 times per week. It's important to select a toothpaste formulated for dogs. I'm fond of Petrodex, and it comes with a handy dental kit. My

On-Leash Reactivity When we introduce ourselves to someone, it’s typically face to face and with a hand shake. Dogs introduce themselves to each other far differently! Some under-socialized dogs simply don’t want to meet and greet other dogs on leash and when forced to do that they can become aggressive. The leash prevents them from retreating and avoiding the encounter.   Fear is often behind the response.  Social interaction on the street