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balanced dog trainers Barbara Hodel behaviour chains book calm calmness cute puppies dog parks dogs dog socialisaton dog training fallout from punishment force free training goodog health How to love and survive your teenage dog ineffective training learning no fear parvovirus paypal positive reinforcement punishment in dog training puppies Puppy puppy pre school puppy training safety teenage teenage dogs
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- Decoding your canine summit Nov 2023Hi Goodog clients, If you want to your dog to live his or her best life, then reserve your spot in the Decoding Your Canine November 2023 Summit: Discover the secrets to having the perfect dog. The Masterclass Series covering training, health and well-being. My friend Ness Jones has brought together 25+ top experts and influencers…
Read More - Barbara’s top 10 tips for your teenage dog!Yes, teenage dogs are challenging but it does not have to all be drama. Here are Barbara’s top 10 tips for teenage dogs to keep you on track: 1 It is a phase All living beings need to go through the teenage phase to reach maturity. Most dogs come out the other end just fine….
Read More - Boxing Day Sale 2022-2023$30 OFF selected Puppy & Teenage Courses $15 OFF Recall Workshops
- Goodog now with PayPal Pay in 4Skip to Pay in 4 info on: Puppy Preschool | Teenage Course | Workshops | One-on-One | Agility Puppy Preschool Teenage & Rescue Dog Courses Workshops One-on-One Agility More info: PayPal Pay in 4
- Free Dog Masterclass Series – July 2022You’re invited to this free dog masterclass series: Decoding Your Canine Do you want to learn more about your best friend? Are you struggling with behavioural issues or health woes with your dog? If so, then join me and 28+ top experts and influencers as we delve into the world of dog, what makes them…
Read More - Special Announcement: ParvovirusSpecial announcement: ParvovirusThere is now a diagnosed case of parvovirus in the Palm Beach area. Parvovirus is highly contagious and potentially fatal to dogs. Goodog asks you to read the following article to prepare yourself on what to look out for and to reduce risk – Parvovirus in Dogs. Parvovirus can stay in affected areas for up to 7 months…
Read More - Teenage dogs are the P platers of the dog worldBarbara talks to Dogs NSW about how teenage dogs are the P platers of the dog world and her book How to love and survive your teenage dog. By Barbara Hodel September 2020 – reposted from Dogs NSW(all rights reserved) How to love and survive your teenage dog – and keep your sanity! The teenage phase is a challenging…
Read More - Teenage dogs at the vet and how to help them cope!Goodog owner Barbara Hodel addresses – Teenage dogs at the vet and how to help them cope – for Pet Insurance Australia in an excerpt from Barbara’s new book – How to love and survive your teenage dog. By Barbara Hodel September 2020 – reposted from Pet Insurance Australia(all rights reserved) Teenage dogs at the…
Read More - Barbara on ABC Radio: Focus with Josh SzepsFriday 14th August, 2020 Barbara chats with ABC Radio’s Josh Szeps, answers caller questions and provides tips. Barbara is the President of the Pet Professional Guild Australia and is the owner and operator of Goodog. The audio has expired: ABC Radio Sydney – Focus with Josh Szeps In 2015 Barbara completed her Diploma in Canine…
Read More - How to help your teenage dog and keep your sanity!Want to know how to help your teenage dog and keep your sanity? Goodog owner Barbara Hodel answered this question for Australian Dog Lover. By Barbara Hodel July 2020 – reposted from Australian Dog Lover(all rights reserved) Is your dog jumping on you and your visitors, pulling like a freight train and does not come…
Read More - Why is it important to socialise puppies and dogs?We hear a lot about dog socialisation, and it really is essential. So why is it important to socialise puppies and dog? A well-socialised dog has a much better quality of life as they can go to many places, including coffee shops, off-leash beaches and on holidays. Having fun and a fulfilling time with their…
Read More - Change Is Difficult – We Are Humans After All.Goodog owner Barbara Hodel addresses how change is difficult in humans too. As trainers we sometimes talk about compliance by our clients or maybe more accurately the lack of it. Part of our job as dog trainers is to find ways to motivate clients to make changes to the lives of their dogs. Often this…
Read More - What is the purpose of a real dog?Why are we getting dogs when we try to prevent them from doing what dogs normally do more often than not. And why do we find a lot of things real dogs do inappropriate or even offensive? Sometimes it seems we consider a lot of the things a dog does as gross, dirty, annoying, or…
Read More - Expectations, Disappointment and OpportunitiesWhen we get a new puppy, as a first time or an experienced dog owner or as a competitor in a dog sport, we have certain expectations. We hope for the perfect companion or the perfect agility dog. Depending on our level of experience we try to make sure we get it right. We might…
Read More - Is calm really just another behaviour?What is the most difficult thing to teach our dogs? Coming back, or a great recall? While I do agree that this is a difficult behaviour, I do think teaching calm is much more difficult. Being calm is not the same as a cued ‘sit stay’ or ‘down stay’. Without becoming too airy fairy: Calm…
Read More - Living with a teenage dog – They are not giving you a hard time, they are having a hard time.Most new dog owners find puppy hood challenging but at least they are getting the support of a puppy class as these classes have become main stream. There is also the novelty and the children, who desperately wanted a puppy, are still on board. But once the cute pup turns into an adolescent delinquent, things…
Read More - “Performance dogs” – Do they have fun?I got told a couple of times lately: Shellbe (my German Shorthaired Pointer who I compete in Agility with) really covered you there! It was in competition or training when I made a mistake and Shellbe did everything she possibly could to make up for it. And she did! Isn’t that what friends are for?…
Read More - Jekyll and Hyde – Social Off Leash But Reactive On Leash?It might be a coincident but over the last few weeks I have met a lot of dogs who are reactive on leash. They bark, lunge, whine and pull towards other dogs on walks. Some will aggress if given a chance and hurt another dog. Leash reactivity presents in at least two forms, dogs who…
Read More - Beware of the Behaviour ChainsIsn’t it frustrating, we try to train your dog not to jump up but it gets worse? It is the ‘behaviour chain syndrome’. We train behaviour chains all the time, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by mistake. Behaviour chains can be great and useful or useless, ineffective or even dangerous. There are lot of behaviour…
Read More - Dogs and ChildrenI recently shared some training tips with Bupa Pet Insurance. I mainly talked about the interaction between dogs and children. Recent research indicates that while children will recognize an angry dog they have difficulties recognizing when a dog is scared. Children are very likely to get bitten by their own family dog. However, if both…
Read More - Close the doorTeach your dog to close the door or turn on a light: These tricks are taught with targeting. Teach your dog to touch your hand with her muzzle first. Present your open hand about 10 cm away from your dog’s muzzle. It is better to start with the hand to the side and not right in…
Read More - Having fun with your dog!I do not know about you but I love having fun with my dogs. There are a lot of different ways of having fun and it means something different to everyone. It depends on you, your age, fitness level, personal preferences, imagination and personality. It also depends on your dog. Their age and fitness level,…
Read More - Are you Ready for your New Puppy? And if Yes for how Many Years?Puppies are just too cute, it is almost beyond words. However these cute puppies grow up very quickly and become ‘real’ dogs. The puppy stage only lasts for a few months and the honey moon phase is often over after a couple of weeks of sleepless nights and urine stains on the carpet. So make…
Read More - Dominance, Resistance to Learning and SwitzerlandWhy is it so difficult for some to let go of the dominance myth and associated punishment based methods? I just re-read an interview with John Bradshaw. If you have not read his book ‘In Defence of the Dog’ you are missing out. No I will not write another blog on dominance. I think we…
Read More - What is balanced dog training?September 2022: Goodog is in the process of updating this page, return shortly for the latest thoughts about balanced training. Balanced dog trainers are popping up right left and centre. But what does ‘balanced’ dog training mean? Sounds good, doesn’t it? Balanced trainers define themselves (and I try to keep this objective) as using all…
Read More - Socialise your puppy but let them play, too!50 years ago not too many trainers or owners talked about socialisation. Not because puppies did not need it, but because for the most part puppies ‘self-socialised’, they wandered and roamed the neighbourhood, accompanied children to school, hung out with other dogs, sometimes got into bingle with one of them, occasionally a child got bitten…
Read More - Just another day at the off leash park!Author: Barbara Hodel from GoodogFirst published on www.australiandoglover.com There is mum, three kids and their exuberant six months old Labrador. He is jumping in everyone’s face while mum shouts: He is friendly and just wants to play. The other dogs try to run but there is no escape. The local dog trainer is there with…
Read More - Teenage dogs!This is only week three of our teenage dog training class! First we did a little bit of trick training, then stays under distractions (the star jumps are a bit of fitness for the owners during class), then the very first part of loose leash walking while the other dogs practice the coffee shop.We also…
Read More - The dog park!Just a quick one on the dog park. There are a lot of well socialised, friendly and happy dogs out there who do not want to go to the off leash park and play with strangers. The dog park is full of dogs who approach, interact and play inappropriately and rough. Mainly because no one…
Read More - Fearful puppiesSometimes we see a puppy in class who is really scared of other dogs and displays behaviours such as growling and barking when other puppies approach even on their owner’s lap. Not because they are excited and want to play but because they are scared. These are behaviours which I consider ‘out of the norm’….
Read More - Activities night at puppy pre schoolThe last of our classes focuses on a revision of all the things learnt and then introduces a few challenges to socialize the puppies in an appropriate way to new and potentially scary things like a hoop, seesaw and tunnel. This also introduces new surfaces and sights. We only do this in week four to…
Read More - Growly puppies and how to prevent resource guardingAnother important topic in puppy class is safety. I know that does not look or sound fancy but unsafe dogs don’t live very long. We all want safe dogs. However, dogs can develop the tendency to guard things (food, toys, humans, places). It is most often seen with food. A resource guarding dog is a…
Read More - Let puppies playSupervised play in a puppy preschool is not the same thing as taking your puppy to the off leash area which you should not do under NO circumstances. However, we all want puppies who are social with people but a lot of owners also want their dogs to be social with other dogs and go…
Read More - Do professional trainers need to be able to train a dog?A long time ago a very experienced and accomplished dog trainer said to me, the new one on the block then: If you are serious about being a professional dog trainer you need to be able to train your dog to someone else’s standard and proof that in a competitive environment. I thought, no way,…
Read More - A dog is not an accessory!A dog is not an accessory, piece of furniture or another object. If you work full time and have a busy life style think again. Yes you can use day care and yes there are great dog walkers. However, during the first months a puppy or a rescue dog will require a lot of time…
Read More - Your dog is training you.Your dog is training you! I hear that a lot. Mainly at competitions when I do not just lock Shellbe up in her crate (she prefers to hang out with me) but spend most of the time with her. Or if I walk them and I let them sniff, or they come up for a…
Read More - But punishment works in dog training!But punishment works. Of course it does and I know that. Punishment is designed to suppress behaviour. However in my training I do not just want to suppress a behaviour, I want to establish a new more appropriate behaviour. If your dog barks or jumps up and you scream ‘no’, your dog might stop barking…
Read More - How to choose a good puppy preschoolHow to choose a good puppy preschool:
- House training for your puppyMy puppy is house trained, she just has the occasional accident. If that ‘occasional accident’ is once a year, I would agree. If it is once a month I do not. A house trained dog should have no accidents unless they are unwell, have been locked up for too long, are having a stressful time…
Read More - But my old dog never did this.My old dog was never that active! My old dog learnt this much quicker. I feel for the puppies that have to follow an old dog. I think we tend to forget and we are often more than 10 years older than when we had the last puppy. Puppies have not changed much, they nip,…
Read More - Does your dog really need to heel?Does your dog really need to ‘heel’? Only if you do competitive obedience otherwise a different skill set might be handier. In our classes we do teach ‘heel’ but only because it then makes it easier to teach both the dog and the owner to walk on a loose leash. If you want to know…
Read More - Thunderstorm phobias in dogsI have talked to a lot of dog owners this week about fear of thunderstorms or even worse thunderstorm phobias. This is an extremely distressing situation for the dog and the owner. As with most cases, prevention is better than cure. If you have a dog or puppy who is not scared of thunder, storms…
Read More - Tired dog happy ownerTired dog happy owner. I see a lot of pictures of destroyed yards, couches, dog beds… you name it. Most dog owners underestimate the amount of mental and physical stimulation dogs need so they can be calm when left at home. In most cases a walk around the block will not be enough. I recommend…
Read More - Going past other dogs nicelyOne of the essential skills we teach in our teenage and rescue training classes is to walk past other dogs calmly. Either in a coffee shop or on the footpath. When I took the dogs for a walk this morning we met three other dogs: One was barking, one was lunging and barking and one…
Read More - See you later, baby! – Or how to train a great recallHow to train a great recall is not as hard as it seems. Goodog owner Barbara takes you through the steps below. Or, join a Goodog Recall Workshop and learn how to train a great recall from Barbara herself. Gee we were lucky. We did a great recall workshop this afternoon and we did not…
Read More - We love trick training for dogs!I love trick training. Occasionally I get a client who tells me: But I only want my dog to ‘heel’, or come when called, or go to the mat during dinner times. While I train all of these behaviours, I do think trick training makes life much easier. Your dog does not really care if…
Read More - A puppy is not an accessory!A puppy is not an accessory! And no you do not need one to be the perfect family. There are puppy classes on offer every single day of the week, day time, evenings, weekends. If you cannot find time to do any of those please do not get a puppy. The window of socialisation is…
Read More - Empathy and creativity in dog training? – You bet!I have been going on about empathy in dog and human training for a long time now. I think in addition to having a solid education and experience empathy is one of the most important traits of a good trainer. Only too often do we trainers get caught up in our own little world forgetting…
Read More - Do you need to rehome your dog?I love GSPs but it seems more and more are coming up in rescue. Just for the record, my puppies were sold with a contract that states if they have to be re-homed for any reason during their life time, they have to come back to me. I do not have a problem per se…
Read More - Do some dogs need a heavier hand?It comes up again and again. Someone has a ‘strong’ breed, or a large breed or a stubborn breed etc etc and they are looking for a ‘strong’ trainer. Assuming that these dogs need a heavier hand then your ‘average’ dog. All dogs learn the same, regardless of their size, breed or temperament. Some might…
Read More - Children and dogs, it is not always easy.A mother recently posted on facebook that a certain dog should be put down because he bit a child. I do not comment on the case as I do not have enough information. However, what got to me was she said next. That she had lovely children who would run up to every dog to…
Read More - What is choice in dog training?I have been talking about choice in dog training for a while now. And I am talking about the dog’s choice and a real choice! Some might remember that you were told to show the dog food in your hand, if the dog tries to take it, close your fist and do not let…
Read More - Kicking dogs is not a training methodI try to be civil in my comments and try to be fair with trainers who use methods I would not use because I think they are not necessary and in no ones best interest. There is also solid scientific evidence that punishment based methods (and this includes so called ‘balanced’ methods) do more harm…
Read More - Do you really want and need to go to the dog park?The other day I observed a ‘conversation’ between humans and dogs at an off leash area. There is a person at this park with a group of very large dogs (about 5). The person and the dogs think they own the park. She will tell everyone that her dogs are friendly, despite them ganging up…
Read More - No is a big ‘no no’ in dog trainingAnother day another owner yells ‘no’ or ‘ahah’ at her dog as instructed by the trainer. I always say 50 % of dogs think their name is no, 40 % ‘ahah’ and the rest have no clue. Assuming your dog thinks her name is no then by yelling ‘no’ you are reinforcing the unwanted behaviour…
Read More - Puppies are too cute but a lot of workI know puppies are cute but become a nightmare if you do not have enough time to socialise and train. Unless you are prepared to organise day care, dog walkers and more for your puppy. Puppies don’t do solo very well. It is much easier once the children are older or the workload reduced. It…
Read More - Owner expectations and a new puppyMeet Sebastiao or Baster for short. Such a sweet pup. The owners just needed a little bit of a reality check. Baster is only 12 weeks old. At this age you should not try to teach heel or stays. You can do preliminary work on these behaviours but if you are too serious it will…
Read More - Check chains and prong collars? Give me a break!The main difference between a check chain and a prong collar and a head halter and a front clip harness is that the check chains and prong collars are designed to inflict pain and hurt. The head halter (which I do not recommend) and the front clip harness are not. The dog might still find…
Read More - Solitary confinement is not training the dog it is abuse!Another day and another trainer recommending solitary confinement (guess what always the same company). I know I sound like a broken record but it really upsets me to see these dogs suffering. Solitary confinement is abuse and in a human context considered torture. I consider it abuse and torture in a canine context. It is…
Read More - Loose leash walking – It is a difficult concept.Imagine, two different species, one two legged, one four legged, one sniffs, one watches and they are trying to walk down the street at the same pace. The dogs do not get it and most owners don’t get it either. Before you start you will need a few things: a flat collar, a front clip…
Read More - See you later, baby! – Or how to train coming back.For some dogs ‘come’ means run as far away as you possibly can and if possible migrate to the next country, well the next dog park. These dogs have learned coming back means we are going home and the end of the fun. Of all the basic cues to teach your dog coming back is…
Read More - What is it with dog trainers recommending solitary confinement?In a lot of cases inappropriate behaviour is caused by high arousal levels, a lack of training and mental and physical exercise. Chances are really good that solitary confinement is going to make it worse because the dog is bored out of its mind. That approach will not settle the dog down or make her…
Read More - Why is it so difficult to teach humans a new trick?Are people slow to learn new tricks? It seems much easier to teach an old dog a new trick then getting people (or some dog trainers) to change their ideas about why dogs do the wrong thing, or the right one for that matter. Dog owners and trainers who base their training approach on dominance,…
Read More - Is your dog home alone? Here are some training ideas.With our busy lifestyle these days, a lot of dogs often spend extended periods of time home alone. A lot of the problems we are seeing are due to a lack of mental and physical stimulation. Dogs are social animals and it is important that you spend quality time with your dog each day. They…
Read More - Why do dogs bark and why dog training can help.Ever wondered why it is so hard to train a dog not to bark? Some dogs seem to be ‘resistant’ to any training approach. A reason could be that dogs when they bark the barking can elicit the release of neurochemicals which produce euphoric sensations or perceptions. Or put differently barking is self reinforcing or…
Read More - Dog training myth – the backyardDog training myth – dogs love the backyard. I have a big backyard and my dog loves it. Most dogs will prefer quality time with their owner to the biggest backyard. There is no problem at all with dogs being kept inside or an apartment if they get enough mental and physical stimulation. To keep…
Read More - Everyone thinks they are an expert in dog trainingI just do not get it. Why does everyone think they are an expert when it comes to dog training. The groomer runs puppy classes, so does the shop assistant at the pet shop or the vet nurse. Would you send your kids to school with the hair dresser, the nurse or the shop assistant….
Read More - Time travelling dog trainersI recently met a rescue dog who had only been with his new family, an elderly couple, for about 10 days. And I was the second trainer there. The previous trainer did not approve of the dog being in the house (he needed house training), did not want the dog to be on the lap,…
Read More - Do you really have time for a dog?During a one on one session the owner mentioned to me that she was astonished on how much it takes to socialise and train a dog. Just like another child. And yes she is right! Our dogs are so heavily regulated that the only chance of getting out of the house and meeting people or…
Read More - Choice in dog training – connect with your dogDoing my studies and reading a lot on dog behaviour I am finding the idea of ‘choice’ in training extremely important. This is especially true when talking about ‘connection’, ‘bond’ or however you want to call it. Some trainers argue it is necessary to get the dog to do what you want so you can…
Read More - Working with reactive dogsI had two great follow up sessions today with dogs who are reactive towards other dogs. They did great. The most important points when working with this problem: – ‘Pay’ for the appearance of the scary stimulus, not for ‘being good’. – Have a high reinforcement rate – stingy dog trainers don’t go far. –…
Read More - Is your dog allowed to say ‘no’?But does the dog not just have to do as he is told? Well, that depends.. Even if you love your boss if he asks you to do something that is dangerous, unethical or illegal, would you do it. I hope not. It is a bit different with dogs but not that different. If you…
Read More - Getting a new puppy – do you have time?I am getting a lot of phone calls lately from ‘time poor’ new puppy owner who ask me if I could do a one on one instead of them coming to puppy class. I could and it would be great for business but I am really reluctant to sell it. I will sell a puppy…
Read More - Loose leash walking – It is a difficult concept.Imagine, two different species, one two legged, one four legged, one sniffs, one watches and they are trying to walk down the street at the same pace. The dogs do not get it and most owners don’t get it either. Before you start you will need a few things: a flat collar, a…
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