Creature Teachers

Saving your Dog from Cancer

This sad story comes from one of our readers who wanted to share with the Creature Teachers community so that his heartbreak didn't have to happen to another loving dog owner.

Teaching "Wait"

"Wait" is a very useful command when it comes to doors in a dog's life. For example, it prevents your dog from rushing out the car door when you reach the park, or from running in the house before you've had a chance to wipe his paws. In this article, I will go step-by-step to help you teach your dog "wait". I have also included pictures to make this command easy to learn.

Teach your Puppy How to Not Bite

All puppies bite. Some breeds, in particular the sporting/retrieving breeds and the large-jawed breeds, tend to be more mouthy than others, but all puppies do bite. The trick is to teach your puppy how to have good social manners and only chew on appropriate toys.

Recommended Training Books

I've read through all of these at the bookstore, and they all seem to have good advice in them. They also are positively reviewed by many other trainers. I have met all these trainers personally, and I would whole-heartedly recommend their services as well.

Childproofing Your Dog: A Complete Guide to Preparing Your Dog for the Children in Your Life by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson

There's A Baby in the House: Preparing your Dog for the Arrival of your Child by Mike Wombacher

Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar

Raising Puppies & Kids Together: A Guide for Parents by Pia Silvani, Lynn Eckhardt

Motivating your Dog to Learn

Motivation affects every living creature. Humans wouldn't go to work every day if they didn't receive a paycheck. Ducks wouldn't hang around cit parks if visitors didn't throw bread crumbs to them. Raccoons wouldn't hide under your house if it didn't provide a safe place for their young. Whether the motivation is as simple as a basic need or as complex as pleasure, all dogs works the same way -- they need to be motivated, such as with food or toys.

The following concepts are things you might consider at the start of your training regimen to prevent dog behavior problems in future.