Frequently Asked Dog Training Questions - Home Dog Training In Phoenix, Arizona

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Question: Will neutering my dog help him to calm down?

Neutering a male dog does not alter their drive, temperament or personality. If your dog is a fence jumper and likes to
wander the neighborhood and hit on the girls, neutering can help. There have also been studies that show an intact
male may be more prone to aggressive behaviors. But neutering does not change energy levels. If you have an overly
energetic dog, we recommend exercise and activity. Neutering can help prevent territorial marking and dominance
mounting and we also recommend it to reduce the risk of health problems for your dog later in life.

Question: When walking my dog, he pulls uncontrollably on the leash. Looking on the web,
I found that I am supposed to stop and just wait for the pulling to end. This doesn't work.
As a matter of fact, nothing seems to work. Can you help?

We can normally end leash pulling during the first session. A walk is an exciting time for a dog. The outside world is
filled with sights, sounds and, especially, smells that over-stimulate your dog. Leash manners need to be taught to your
dog or they will try to take over and control the walk.

Anyone who has spent time surfing the web for dog training advice can tell you that there are many different, and
conflicting, opinions on the methods you should use to train your dog. Stopping and waiting for your dog during a walk
can be a tiresome and tedious method. It can take the fun out of the walk for both of you. It's not the method that we
teach. Instead, we teach your dog to focus on you during the walk and to look to you for his cues on proper behavior.

Question: I tried to take my dog's chewy away from him and he growled and nipped. How
long will it take for him to grow out of this behavior?

This isn't a behavior that dogs will just "grow out of". Aggressive behaviors are self-reinforcing. If he gets away with it
once, the odds increase dramatically that he will do it again. You should always take any act of aggression seriously,
including resource guarding. It's unacceptable for a family pet to exhibit this behavior. See our page on Dog Behaviors
for more information on dog aggression.

Question: I took my puppy to a group lesson. I thought it would be good for his
socialization. He didn't really learn anything and we were scolded for unruliness.

Group lessons can be very stressful for a dog and they are full of distractions (like other dogs!). A dog learns better in
their own environment and they will build a stronger bond with their owner when they are trained in the home.
Socialization should be addressed in a controlled atmosphere where the interaction is under the right circumstances.

Question: I've taught my dog the sit and lay down commands but getting him to perform
them is a challenge. I know he knows the words. It's very frustrating.

Basic obedience commands are the foundation for teaching your dog to strengthen his willpower. A dog has to fight
against his energy level and natural behaviors to perform for you. Our methods will teach you how to help your dog build
his willpower to a level where he is performing commands even in situations where he is dealing with heavy distractions.

Question: I bought my dog to be a watchdog but he barks all the time.

Barking to alert is a normal behavior for most dogs. We
want our dogs to bark under the right circumstances,
but they should obey our command when we tell
them that enough is enough. As the pack leader
it is your job to determine whether an intruder is
welcome or not. Once you've made that
decision and communicated it to your
dog, they should respect your
command.

Question: I can't take my
puppy's biting anymore.
Can I smack him on the
nose?

Never hit your dog. If a dog
learns that physical violence is
acceptable within the pack, you
can experience a trickle-down
effect where your dog is using
violent behaviors against pack
members that he perceives as
having lesser status than him or
outsiders. We can show you how
to control any dog or puppy
behavior with positive methods.

When your dog learns and performs basic obedience commands, you will find that he is generally much more calm. He
will learn to look to you for instruction and leadership. This naturally makes them a more secure, confident dog.

Question: My dog respects me but not my wife and children. How can I make him listen
to them?

With our methodology, you will learn how to elevate every human in the house above your dog in the pack structure.

Question: We rescued an older
dog from our local shelter. I've
heard the old saying that "you
can't teach an old dog new tricks".
Does this mean that we are stuck
with his problems and poor behaviors?

No dog is too old to learn new things. It is true that changing a
behavior is more difficult than teaching them proper manners from
the start, but any dog of any age can learn. With our system, we
tailor our lessons to your dog's needs. Don't let your dog's age, breed
or specific problem stop you from taking control. We can show you how.

Question: I have read that I should be rolling my
dog onto his back and standing over him to establish my dominance. It makes him mad.
Should I still do it?

Never, never, never roll your dog over and hold him down. It's called the "Alpha Rollover" and it was sighted as a training
method in a book called "How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend". The authors of the book, The Monks Of New Skete,
eventually took this method out of the book and stated that it was based on flawed science. It can actually cause
aggression and break down pack structure. Don't do it.

Question: My dog is not taking to housebreaking very well. When I find an accident, I show
it to him, I put his nose in it and then I send him outside. What else should I be doing to get
him to go in the right place?

Putting your dog's nose in an accident actually works against you. He doesn't understand why you are doing it and if he
starts to associate his mess with punishment, he may start to think that it is better to get rid of the mess by eating it.
Going outside to eliminate is not a natural behavior for a dog. It must be taught. Teaching them by using proper
methods and techniques is the key to having a reliably housebroken dog. Dogs do not eliminate in the house out of
spite, anger or boredom. They eliminate in the house because they have not been properly trained.

"I just wanted to send you an
update on how Audi is doing.
She's fabulous and we're on
our second foster dog. I think
it's really helping her deal with
distraction and still listen to us
at the same time because I've
noticed a HUGE improvement!
We've been working with long
distance recall and she's
getting much better at coming
to us when called but there is
still more work to be had.
Everyone comments on how
she looks to us for 'permission'
before she does something
and they all think it's really
cool. I'm like 'yeah, I know,
she's my girl!' "