When you are looking to expand your family by adding a dog to the home, there are several different outlets. By far, the 2 most common ways to find a furry friend is through a breeder, or a rescue/shelter. Some of the common misconceptions about breeders vs. rescue is that breeders offer purebred puppies, and rescues offer dogs looking for a second chance, sometimes older dogs. Within my family, I have purchased, adopted, and rescued my three dogs respectively. Here is what I know.

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably thought a lot about how to avoid situations like this.  And like most people, you might think that keeping children safe around dogs boils down to just two basic elements: good manners and adult supervision.  After all, if you teach your child to be gentle and respectful around dogs and you or another responsible adult is always around to supervise their interactions, it seems like everything should go smoothly.

We all know that dogs are descended (very distantly) wolves: from the tiniest Chihuahua, quaking with excitement, to the most powerful Bull Mastiff with his dopey, drooly grin, they all share a common ancestor. So when that Chihuahua or Mastiff starts misbehaving and training starts to feel like an uphill battle, it might be tempting to think we can “cheat” by using their wolf instincts to our advantage. 

By using proper reward based training in dogs (R+), we get the best learning without causing new fear triggers. The teaching and learning aspects of dog training become fun for you and your dog. And, you get long lasting results while bonding with your dog.