By Sean O'SheaI often get asked by clients and other folks why I recommend the "Heel" command and what is the value of it? It's a very good question. For me, it goes much, much deeper than just the aesthetic of having a dog walk next to you (although it does look good! :)), and there's some obvious practical value of having a dog in a well managed physical position, close to your side to keep him or her out of trouble and harm's way. But in my opinion that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are some really valuable state of mind and relationship benefits as well. Let's take a look at a few!-Dogs have to utilize a ton of impulse control and focus to keep themselves next to you on the walk in the face of many distractions and exciting triggers. This ends up being a fantastic training and state of mind exercise for the dog.-The physical position of the dog indicates the mental position as well - or in other words, if the dog is working to keep himself next to me, I know he's focused on me instead of the environment, I know he's managing himself, and I also know that his intensity level is under control. (Most dogs as soon as they get agitated or stimulated start to move around and lose position either farther back or forward, and these are great warning signs.)-A respectful, polite, courteous, and tuned-in state of mind isn't the state of mind that reacts to dogs and other things in the environment.-Having your dog honor your request to walk in a certain position, at a certain pace, and ignoring distractions, is a huge positive relationship builder.-Dogs who are paying attention, respectful, polite, and courteously walking in a heel feel far less inspired, entitled, and empowered to bark, lunge, and disagree with things they disapprove of in their environment.-Dogs in a heel, that are practicing self-control are far less stressed and anxious, and therefore far less apt to make poor decisions around dogs, people, cars, bikes etc.-Dogs in a heel are actually deeply connected to their owners. They therefore feel far less stress and anxiety because they are being guided/led through the world rather than being in charge of assessing and sorting out what is safe and what is dangerous constantly. (Especially important for nervous, anxious, fearful dogs, who make up the majority of reactive cases.)-Asking more of your dog makes you a leader. A dog with a leader is relaxed and comfortable. A dog who is a leader is stressed and anxious.-Dogs being respectful on-leash tend to be respectful to the environment. Dogs being brats on-leash tend to be brats to the environment.-If the dog is using 75% of their mental focus on keeping themselves in a heel position! that only leaves 25% to get into trouble with.If you haven't worked on "Heel" with your dog yet, and you'd like to benefit from some of these juicy "Heel/Healing" results, drop me a comment and I'll connect you with a link to my video that shows how easy it is to create this very cool command. :)____________________Here are a few links of mine to help you with healing your heeling!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nxKaTYQFJIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrrQJto8xJU____________________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Click Here to visit our website.Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O’SheaHey guys and gals, this is a special collection from our Train The Trainers seminar series that focuses on personal development. I've put together what I've found to be the most important and transformative principles. There are of course many, many more, but these seem to be the foundation for everything. I've dedicated years to the study of life improvement and have attempted to distill all that info down to the most important and easy to follow principles.A few of the biggest issues with personal development work are typically that there is too much stuff, it's overwhelming, and "where would I start?" Another issue is trust. As in any field there are bound to be those who operate from integrity and those that don't. I worked tirelessly to find people (authors and speakers) who after searching through tons of their work still held up as solid people with solid integrity. I pulled this info from what I found to be the best of the best.These laws in and of themselves won't change your life, but if you use them as guide on your journey to consistent study, care, and attention to improving your internal skills, they absolutely can. What I would suggest is that you simply use these as a reminder of the fundamentals of living the great life. Commit daily to at least 30 minutes, or even better, an hour of studying transformational information, and like clockwork, the amazing concepts start to become a part of you. And then your life starts to reflect that all back to you with better relationships, opportunities, happiness, finances etc. Remember, your outside world is simply a reflection of your inside world. We become what we expose ourselves to. Expose ourselves to great stuff and we become, well, great stuff! :)Change what you think and believe, and that will change your actions, and that will change your results, and that will change your reality. It all starts with your mind. :)The 10 PrinciplesBy Sean O’Shea1) 100% ResponsibilityYou have to stop all blaming, all whining, all complaining. You have to honestly accept that the only thing responsible for your state of mind, results, and ultimately what happens in your life, is you. That everything you have at the moment, you've created through your thoughts and actions. Negative people? You let them in. Unhealthy relationships? You let them in. Financial trouble, you allowed it to happen through action or non-action. Unfulfilled or not where you wan to be in life? It's not the world's fault, it's yours. But that's the great news - if you're responsible for creating the crap (meaning, it wasn't just dumb luck or circumstance, it was you're doing), you can also create the great! Once you make this shift, you take back 100% control of your life - you are liberated from circumstances. This single shift changes the entire dynamic/power of your life. When we blame others we are powerless victims, when we take responsibility we are powerful creators. If you look closely you'll realize that there's always one person at the scene of the crime in your life - and that's you! :)Action Step: Challenge yourself to become aware of your blaming vs responsibility habits in very moment.2) InfluenceNothing impacts your beliefs, habits, thoughts, actions, goals, dreams, relationships, and finances more than the people, the books, the TV, the radio, and the movies that you expose yourself to. If you truly want to be successful, happy, healthy, and fulfilled, you have to remove the toxic/negative/lack influences of all of the above and replace them with positive, healthy, successful, happy, growing, and improving people and content. Remember, we become what we expose ourselves to repeatedly.Action Step: Become aware of all of the negative influences you expose yourself to on a daily basis through tv, fb, internet, magazines, friends, family, movies, and actually FEEL what they make you FEEL when exposed to them. Become sensitive the feeling of the negativity, and use it as guide to steer you towards healthier influences.Bonus Action Step!: Start systematically removing negative influences and replacing them with positive ones. Nothing gives you permission to be stuck and toxic like other stuck and toxic people. Remove them.3) HabitsWhat we do repeatedly is what we become. You don't’ create your future, you create your habits, and they create your future. In many ways, success and failure are very simple: practice world-class habits consistently, and you end up with a world-class life. Practice substandard habits, and you end up with a substandard life. Success and failure aren’t created with earth-shattering breakthroughs or cataclysmic mistakes - success and failure are determined by hundreds of tiny, seemingly inconsequential choices and actions you make and take every day. You either move incrementally towards success, or incrementally towards failure - there is no neutral. Master your habits, and you master your life - let your habits get away from you, and life will master you.Action Step: Become acutely aware of your little habits and routines and what they're leading you towards. Remember, habits stack! One bad choice makes the next bad choice easy and the next good choice hard. One good choice makes the next good choice easy and the next bad choice hard.Bonus Action Step!: Read The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.4) MindsetA positive mindset attracts positive people and opportunities. A truly positive/healthy person (and the opportunities they can offer) will only be attracted to and want to work/associate with someone who is also positive/healthy. A negative/toxic attitude (complaining, whining, gossiping, integrity issues, character issues, narrow-mindedness, and victim mentality) will repel awesome folks and opportunities. Great people and great opportunities will gravitate towards equally great people - your job is to become someone that successful people and opportunities are attracted to. Few things are as powerful for opening doors and "magically" creating opportunities and "luck" like a great attitude and mindset.Action Step: Become highly sensitive to both your attitude as well as others in every moment. How do you FEEL when you're around negative people/mindsets? Do you want to spend more time with them or less? This is how others feel about you when you're attitude is negative or toxic. Work to become someone that others feel lifted and joyful around and awesome people and opportunities will start to magically appear. This is how you become a magnet for success and happiness.5) Prosperity ConsciousnessHow you feel about money will determine how much of it finds you. Ask yourself how you feel about this statement: I want as much happiness as I can get in my life. I want as much love as I can get in my life. I want as much money as I can get in my life. How do you feel about people who are rich? How do you feel about money and material things? Do you feel that what you have takes away from someone else? Are you aware of all the negative programming surrounding money and success? Have you been affected by your parents’ and society’s beliefs about money? How you feel about money, wealth, prosperity, and rich people will determine what you ultimately go after, and what you ultimately have. Money is neutral - it is neither good nor bad - it is simply a medium of exchange. Money magnifies what you already are: if you’re nasty, it will make you more nasty; if you’re generous and giving, it will make you more generous and giving. Prosperity is simply a value for value exchange - we get paid for bringing value to the marketplace. Wealth is created by adding value, solving problems and helping people.Action Step: Start looking at money as the physical representation of value shared with others. See others with more money than you as people who have given/created more value than you have. (This one sticks in everyone's craw! But it's a great exercise!) View creating more money as a noble enterprise that simply signifies value you've created for others.Bonus Action Step: Follow Randy Gage's blog and books.6) Goal SettingIf you want to be successful, you absolutely have to have goals, and they have to be written down. Clearly-defined goals pull you toward their successful completion - they have power and magnetism. They create emotional excitement and direction which motivates. This single step will massively differentiate you from the crowd, and will massively accelerate your success. Clearly-defined goals give your conscious and your subconscious mind a clear target/direction to aim for. Without this defined direction, your mind will dilute its focus, will be sidetracked often, and you will run the very real risk of ending up in a location not of your choosing and not of your liking. Your mind is simply a goal-seeking and goal achieving device - it is a super computer designed to help you achieve whatever it is you desire - your job is to furnish it with the information about what exactly it is that you want so it can get you there. Goal setting is probably the single greatest differentiator between successful people and those that struggle.Action Step: Read Laura Morgan's awesome post on goal setting: http://eatyourcakeandcountyourchickens.com/2013/12/31/operation-goal-set-2014/7) Constant Learning and GrowthMake the decision and the commitment to dedicate your life to constant learning and constant growth. This principle will furnish you with the wisdom, insight, skills, awareness, and consciousness to create true success. Because all success is created in the mind, this work of expanding your consciousness is the most important work you can do for yourself and your future.Action Step: Start a library of transformational resources (books, CDs, downloads, dvds) and set aside time daily to read, listen, and watch. Personal recommendation: Read for an hour first thing in the morning to set your day and mind off right, and listen to awesome audios whenever driving.8) Take ActionAll the greatest ideas in the world mean nothing if not acted upon. Action takes lots of work, and opens us up to risk - which is why most people avoid it. Action is the moment when thoughts and dreams move from the mental world to the world of reality. The moment you take action you have begun to change your life, and change the world. And remember, you don’t need a perfect plan to get started, you simply need the first plan. Just start wherever you are, today, right now, because that is the perfect plan.Action Step: Take some form of action immediately! Oder a book or DVD, delete some nasty/toxic fb "friends", read something rather than watch tv or surf the net, call someone you've been avoiding or putting off, share your brilliant idea with a trusted friend, take a walk instead of the couch.9) Be Willing and Excited to FailNothing gives better information and feedback than failure. The quickest way to succeed, and to break through, is to simply take more chances, dream bigger, and fail more often. Failure is not the enemy - as long as you learn form an experience, it simply moves you closer to success. The fear of failure is the single greatest block to living the life of your dreams. The quickest way to succeed is to simply fail more. Work on letting go of the societal pressure and stigma that goes along with failing. Small people stay safe, don't risk, and never fail - except at living a big, exciting, fulfilling life. Anyone who has done anything great, life changing or valuable to others has failed...lots! Let failure be your accomplice that tells you you're living an epic life!Action Step: Take a chance, get of the fence, and make decision/take action about something important that you've been stuck on.10) Never, Ever Give UpThe one thread you will find that runs through every successful person’s story is that no matter how many times they failed, no matter how many times they stumbled, they never gave up. They simply picked themselves up, dusted off, and got back to it. The only moment you really fail is the moment you give up.Action Step: If there is a dream you have, or even something highly important and valuable to you that you've let go of, dust it off and get back to it. If it's really important and valuable it shouldn't be easy to achieve! Anything worth having SHOULD be hard!!____CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'Shea from the The Good Dog Training and RehabilitationThe three things you're reactive dog wants to know before he/she stops reacting...1) Can you believably control yourself? (In times of stress and pressure are you calm, relaxed, confident, in control? Or are you unsure, nervous, tentative, angry, and stressed?)2) Can you believably control him or her? (Are you able to keep your dog relaxed, calm, and tuned-in to you even in situations that would cause stress, anxiety, or explosions?)3) Can you believably control the environment? (Are you able to create a safe zone around you and your dog that no other dog or person can violate?)When you're able to effectively master all three of these challenges, your dog will finally be able to relax knowing you're qualified to keep them safe. Once they truly believe that you've "got it" they will finally be able to give up the job of attempting to do it themselves.Without these three in place, the stress and anxiety that comes from not trusting you, themselves, or the world, will continue the cycle of reactivity.How are you doing with the Big Three??____CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'SheaTruth be told, we almost never specifically address issues head on. What we do is what we always do - we work our foundational program. We teach the dog how to be calm, we teach the dog how to be respectful, we teach the dog that we'll be handling the big stuff from now on, we teach the dog that he doesn't have a million options, we teach the dog that every sound or sight isn't necessarily cause for a meltdown, we teach the dog who has been moving his entire life how to finally sit still, and we teach the dog that we will advocate for him.Once we create the above, the dog's state of mind is so dramatically changed; he is so much calmer, so much less stressed, so much less anxious, so used to practicing impulse control, and so used to deferring to people that the laundry list of issues he came with have almost always disappeared.Learning this and learning how to consistently create this transformation was probably my biggest personal breakthrough as a trainer. When I started out I used to try to address each problem head on - I was attacking the symptoms rather than the problem - and it was hard on me, hard on the dog, hard on the owner, and far less successful. Once I had the realization of how true transformation was created - by removing foundational stress and anxiety - everything changed.So if you're looking to change challenging behavior issues, remember that these issues are only the symptoms of a bigger, deeper problem, not the problem itself. When you learn to see how the foundational state of mind creates everything else, you finally have the magic key to unlocking and resolving all of your dog's issues.____CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!To learn more about us visit our website www.thegooddog.netOur groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Los Angeles Dog Trainer Sean O'Shea1) Thou shalt not pet, soothe, or share soft energy with a nervous, fearful, anxious, or aggressive dog. I unfortunately still see this one all the time, even with really smart owners (and I totally understand why). While this behavior can be useful when applied to humans who are distressed, when it comes to our dogs, they read these interactions as reinforcement and agreement of their distressed state of mind - which means you're very likely see more of the behavior, both frequency-wise and intensity-wise. It's also a reminder of the lack of confident, strong, dependable leadership energy you represent, which causes more stress and anxiety and creates more emotional fallout - nothing is more terrifying for a nervous, insecure, fearful dog than to feel that he/she is the strongest, most powerful presence in his/her world.2) Thou shalt not let your on-leash dog meet/interact with other dogs on-leash.Dogs on leash are almost always compromised behaviorally. They are either overly excited to meet the other dog, but are restrained by the leash and so then become highly frustrated and stressed, OR they're nervous, anxious, and unsure about the other dog, but are restrained by the leash and feel trapped, frightened, and stressed. Either response puts the dog into a stressed/anxious state where the dog is likely not to give his best behavior, and even two very social dogs could have a potentially very negative interaction/fight. Also, many owners think their dogs are safe and well behaved, but are either unaware of the dynamic of the Second Commandment, are unaware of their dog's true behavior, or are in denial about a Fluffy being sweet as pie, when Fluffy is really a nasty little so and so. :)3) Thou shalt not let your dog pull you through thresholds, or pull you on leash (This includes pulling towards trees/bushes, potty spots, other dogs, or just the garden variety pulling straight ahead!)When we allow our dogs to pull us in any of the aforementioned capacities, we're creating several things that work against us. We teach our dogs to ignore us as a leader; we teach our dogs that pushy behavior does in fact get them what they want; we create a stressed/agitated/adrenalyzed state of mind that is not able to make good choices (think of how you feel when your late for an appointment and driving in a rushed, edgy fashion through traffic - your attitude/state of mind is absolutely not your best, highest functioning you, and you're likely to make choices and engage in behavior that you're not entirely proud of once you calm down and relax once at your destination); and, in the end, we create little (or big!) snotty, bratty tyrants that are reactive and often not so pleasant for us to walk, or our neighbors to endure.4) Thou shalt not let two dogs that are new to each other "work out" their relationship issues on their own.This one seems to come from the dark ages of dog training/ownership. The best way to ensure that two dogs get off on the wrong foot while being introduced to each other in a new home environment, is to let them engage without the benefit of human guidance - to let the dogs sort it out themselves. This is especially true if there has been, or is currently, tension between the dogs. Oftentimes dogs that are new to each other will be uncomfortable, on edge, overly-excited, stressed and anxious about each other's presence, and these states of mind are a perfect set up for one dog or both to make less than fantastic choices around each other, and possibly even fight. And the unfortunate reality is that, like humans, once a grudge or bad blood is created it is very hard, and sometimes impossible to remove. By taking our time, removing excitement, stress and anxiety from the interaction, and giving some human guidance, we give our dogs the opportunity to assess the situation free of negative mental states that set them up for failure.5) Thou shalt utilize the dog park at your (and your dog's) own risk.Dog parks are an awesome concept, in theory. I love the idea of them! Dogs roaming freely, un-encumbered by the oppression of leashes and restraint, just being dogs! Beautiful. Except when it's not. The dog park in reality is often a place where overly-adrenalyzed/highly stressed, negative, anti-social, and out-and-out dangerous behavior is allowed to unfold on a regular basis, unaddressed and unattended to. I've had many, many clients show up after their social and friendly dog has has been bullied or attacked at the dog park and has now become anti-social, untrusting of other dogs, highly dog-reactive on walks, or possibly even out-and-out dog aggressive. You wouldn't allow your kids to play with just any other kids - especially unsupervised - so be very careful about the situations your dog is subjected to as well.6) Thou shalt not use verbal or emotional intensity to control or correct your dog's unwanted behavior.This is a very easy one to fall into. When we don't have effective tools or strategies to train, communicate, and cultivate positive interactions with our dogs, we tend to become frustrated, annoyed, and angry. As humans, when we find that we're not getting where we want with our dogs behavior wise, it tends to lead us to raised voices, posturing, and emotional intensity - all of which tend to undermine our communication, our relationship, and our status as leaders worth following in our dog's eyes. It also adds stress, anxiety, and fear to the equation, which only makes everything worse. It's much better to simply put a training collar and leash on your dog and quietly, and calmly create the desired behavior/effect.7) Thou shalt not pick a dog who's physical energy is higher and who's state of mind is stronger than yours.When we pick a dog with either significantly higher energy levels than us, or a state of mind/demeanor/attitude that is much firmer/stronger (or both!), we begin a relationship that can be very challenging (and sad and frustrating) for both owner and dog, or in it's extreme instances, doomed to failure. High energy dogs living with lower energy humans can create dynamics of constant tension for both species. The dog will often be unsatisfied and subsequently on edge, and the human will also often be on edge and annoyed/frustrated. This can create a sad loop of both species being unfulfilled and not enjoying the relationship. With strong-minded dogs and softer humans, we often see a dynamic of the dog taking advantage, pushing boundaries, disrespecting, and, in extreme cases, setting rules and limits for the human (i.e. growling and biting). This can lead to dire outcomes such as surrendering, rehoming, and even euthanasia. Of course, there are some great things to be done training and lifestyle-wise for both of these situations, so if you're in one or both of them, don't lose hope!8) Thou shalt not let your off-leash dog run up on a dog walking on-leash.This one gets played out in cities and neighborhoods across the country (and world) daily, and is likely the cause for much of the human race's frustration, and inability to peacefully co-exist with each other! I get it, you have (what you think) is a nice, friendly, social dog, and you love having your dog off-leash, and what could be wrong with him running up to say hi to another dog? Unfortunately there's plenty that could be wrong with this one. Like we mentioned in the Second Commandment, dogs on-leash rarely act as they would off-leash, so the dog that is being run up on by your friendly dog is likely going to be frightened, stressed, worried, and feeling trapped, or excited and frustrated and feeling stressed - either one is very likely to create a negative reaction for that owner and his/her dog. (Remove both leashes and you would likely have a totally different reaction.) And here's a few other things to consider when the person with the dog on-leash starts to freak out: One, their dog may actually be very dog-aggressive and highly unsafe, and may actually try to attack/kill your dog - seriously. Or two, your dog (and others like yours who have run up on this dog in the past) are causing this dog and his owner to become dog-reactive - meaning dog and owner start to become conditioned to feel unsafe and untrusting around other dogs, and it may actually create serious dog reactivity behavior problems for this dog and owner. Or thirdly, the owner and dog may be in training and attempting to work through dog-reactivity and dog-trust issues, and these kinds of interactions are usually the best way to undo whatever progress they've made. To be honest, and sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, letting this dynamic occur (allowing your dog to run up on another on-leash dog) is highly selfish, and highly irresponsible. Sorry, it has to be said. :)9) Thou shalt not (overly) baby, spoil, or humanize your dog.Did I really make this big kahuna of dog issues only number nine?!?! This one is usually the most common cause of behavior problems in dogs, and relationship problems between dogs and their humans. When we overly (meaning excessively and without corresponding balance) baby, spoil, and humanize our dogs, it feels emotionally awesome for us, but unfortunately is a first-class ticket to bratty, snotty, stressed, anxious, overly-dependent, separation-anxiety-filled, unhappy dogs. Love is great. Affection is great. Enjoying and even celebrating our dogs is great! But sharing all of these in the absence of the balance of strong leadership, guidance, rules, structure, and consequences for unwanted behavior is, well, I have to be straight with you here, the great undoing of the dogs we love. True love, healthy love, is imbued with the awareness of, and commitment to doing, what's right for those who are left in our charge - those who are in many ways completely helpless and at our mercy, those who look to us for the information and tools to move through our world comfortably and in an emotionally healthy and balanced fashion. It may not be as easy, as fun, and as self-fulfilling to actually have to balance love with discipline and rules - and sometimes being the heavy - but it's what great dog ownership, and happy, healthy dogs (and kids!) are all about.10) Thou shalt not mistake anxiety/excitement for happiness, and calm/relaxation for sadness. This one gets by lots of owners (and trainers!). Oftentimes we see dogs in an overly-excited state (which is often actually stress/anxiety/adrenaline) and think they are experiencing joy and happiness. The problem with misreading this is that we can miss the signs that our dogs are practicing and building negative emotional and behavior habits, and that while in this state (at say, a dog park?) they may engage in negative or even dangerous behavior (because stress/anxiety/over-excitement can cognitively impair dogs and often causes them to make poor choices), and are likely not truly happy dogs at all. On the flip side of this is the dog who is being asked to be in a command (place or down) or is simply chilling out in his own, and is looking, well, chilled and relaxed. For many owners (and, once again, some trainers), the lack of bouncing off the ceiling energy is a sign of a sad, unhappy, and unfulfilled dog, when in reality this calm and relaxed dog is the one who is likely more comfortable emotionally and physically in his own skin, and is likely making great choices because of his state of mind. Dogs who live in a constantly agitated and overly-excited state are the dogs that usually come to stay with us for two weeks of expensive training and rehab work because they're usually engaging in negative, neurotic behavior! And, strangely enough, our job then is to teach them how to be calm, relaxed, and chilled out - which interestingly causes all of their behavioral issues disappear! Just to be clear, there's nothing wrong with dogs having a great time, having fun, and being a little crazy now and then, but when owners see this as the preferred state, and when dogs live there consistently, it makes for unhappy, unbalanced dogs.Click Here to learn more about Sean O'Shea.PREORDER Sean's Learn To Train The Good Dog Way: Foundation, part of The Good Dog's training DVD series releasing in March 2014! Visit the pre-order page at www.TheGoodDogWay.com and watch the teaser HERE! 

By Sean O'SheaUse your energy, state of mind, and body language to pull the dog your working with in the emotional direction you want them to go.If you're dealing with a highly anxious, nervous, reactive, or excited dog, focus intensely on slowing everything down: your breathing, your speaking, your movements etc. And be sure all of your actions have a super smooth, non-jagged/jumpy feeling to them. This will calm the dog down, slow the dog down (physically and mentally), make him feel far more relaxed, trusting, and safe with you, and will allow the dog to 'hear' what you're trying to share with him. (Because you will be removing stress/anxiety/excitement through your actions rather than increasing them)All the best tools and strategies in the world will be rendered virtually useless if you're unaware of the enormous conversation your energy, state of mind, and body language is having on the dog you're working with.Remember, pull the dog in the emotional and behavioral direction you want him to go, through your own modeling and intention.It's powerful stuff!Visit our website www.thegooddog.net 

By Sean O'SheaWhen it comes to working with our dog's behavior issues, we are often told we simply need to "be" calm, assertive, relaxed, and confident. That that state of mind will change our dogs and us.Honestly, I think it works in reverse. A calm, confident, relaxed, and assertive attitude/mindset is the natural byproduct of having tools, strategies, and mechanics in place that work.When things work, it's easy to step into a different mindset.Yes we can decide/cultivate/manifest/manufacture some degree of determination, relaxation and confidence when working with our dog's problem behavior as a baseline starting point - and that's a great mindset to start with - but the real stuff, the stuff that is palpable, that changes the way your dog feels about you and your relationship - and hence changes your dog's behavior - comes about through the confidence we get when we know what we're doing works. When we use tools and strategies that leverage our abilities, that allow us to feel in control of our dogs and ourselves, we begin to truly transform. (This is one of the many reasons we utilize prong collars and e-collars in all our work; because they help everyday people to be far more successful, even with serious problem behaviors)Great training doesn't make it harder for owners and dogs to succeed. Great training makes it easier. Great training empowers everyday people, people who don't live 24/7 in dog world, people who aren't dog trainers, people who very likely don't have 8 hours to devote every day to dog training, to be successful.Real confidence comes not from the ether, not from attempting to manufacture that which doesn't yet exist, it comes from success.Visit our website at - www.thegooddog.netFor more dog training tips, info, and for help with questions or issues, connect with me on Facebook (The Good Dog Training And Rehabilitation) and YouTube (TheGoodDogTraining)

By Sean O'SheaWhen it comes to our dogs, we always have a choice. The choice to see problems or to see opportunities.Instead of simply being upset, annoyed, frazzled, or frustrated with your dog's behavior, ask yourself if there's a gift for yourself in the problem.Are your dog's issues offering you an opportunity to challenge yourself, to grow, to become more? More confident, more emotionally balanced, less anxious, less in a hurry, quicker to problem solve than to anger?Are your dog's issues exposing issues for yourself that need work?It's a very rare appointment in which the dog I'm working with isn't reacting from the human's issues and/or wouldn't benefit from the human growing, challenging, progressing, developing themselves into more fully balanced, healthy versions of themselves.If you only look for the problem your dog is offering, that is all you'll find. But if you'll take a deeper, more honest, and vulnerable look, you'll find the gift he is offering as well.Click Here to visit Sean's website. 

By Sean O'Shea from The Good DogRemember folks, dogs always do what 'works' for them. If pulling on the leash works to get you to walk faster or gets them to a desired tree, they will do it. If barking from the crate works to get the crate door opened and them out, they will do it. If acting the fool when you pull the leash out works to get the leash put on, they will do it. If barking and lunging at other dogs on the walk works to make the other dog go away (the dog's perception) or is just a bunch of fun, they will do it. If jumping up on you works to get attention (even negative attention) they will do it. If pulling you out the front door works to get the walk started, they will do it. If barking at the back door works to get them inside, they will do it. If whining works to get them petted or soothed, they will do it. If chewing/mouthing on your pant leg or your hands works to get you to engage with your dog (what he's looking for), they will do it. If staring or growling at you works to cause you to move away from your dog's food bowl, crate, toy, bed etc, he will do it.And they will do all of these things more and more intensely, and more frequently, the more it works for them.When we respond to our dog's negative behavior in a way that ultimately gives the dog what he wants, we have trained our dog (and he has trained us) to create the reality he desires...which might not be the reality you desire. :)Our job, as our dog's leader and guide is to be sure that we only encourage the behaviors we like - what 'works' for us and our lifestyle - and discourage that which doesn't 'work' for us.The best way to achieve this is to ignore very mild behavior totally and completely, correct more intense behavior you don't like immediately, and to actively train your dog that patience, waiting, calmness, respect, and courteousness gets them everything. It's what 'works'!Dogs, while being some of the most awesome creatures around, are also awesome opportunists! Left to their own devices, they will create a world for themselves (and for you) that is exactly to their liking. It's up to you to pick which reality 'works' for you, yours or your dog's.(If your dog's behavior is dangerous or frightening, or if you are unsure about how to proceed, please do not attempt to correct or train him on your own. You should seek the help of a trained professional who, if qualified should be able to help you sort these issues out.) 

Whether It be business, financial, relationship, personal, or even dog training (make that especially dog training!), if you're not harnessing the amazing power of visualization, goal setting, and creating intentions, you're missing out on some of the great secrets of success!I personally am a big subscriber to the power of these tools, and they have helped me tremendously in all aspects of my life.Let's take a super quick look at how these work, and then we'll see how they might just help you with your dog...and maybe more.When you set a goal, visualize an outcome, or create the intention of what you'd like to create, you set several things in motion:1) You cause your brain's filter (known by its fancy name as R.A.S. - Reticular Activating System), to adjust its focus toward helping you accomplish the goal you desire. Your brain filters out most of the information that it is bombarded with, in order to protect your sanity, and to help you survive/accomplish the things you have deemed important. The famous example is where you decide to buy a new car and suddenly begin to see the same car everywhere in great numbers. The amount of these cars on the road didn't increase massively overnight - what happened was that your filter suddenly adjusted itself to find/accomplish the things that are foremost in your mind. In this case the car you are fascinated with/focused on. Some folks call this Law Of Attraction, I personally enjoy the scientific explanation the most. So once you create a goal, visualization, intention, your mind's filter begins to filter out all that is unhelpful to achieving your goal and filters in all that is helpful to achieving your goal. Often ideas, strategies, and solutions will simply pop into your mind as your supercomputer of a brain hyper-focuses all of its power on solving the problem you are working on. Is it magic? It's pretty close to it.2) When you visualize exactly what you want to see, before you create it, you become positively charged with certainty and confidence, rather than tentative, unsure, and clumsy. People actually perform physically and mentally at a much higher level when they utilize the power of visualization. (Star athletes and other performers have used these tools for years, and there many scientific studies that back up the efficacy of the practice) You set yourself up for success when your brain has a defined set of images and goals to shoot for rather than a vague groping. And scientists have also found that we tend to get what we expect, and find what we're looking for.3) Clear set goals have a magical pulling power, they actually pull us in their direction. And the clearer, more defined the goal, and the stronger the emotional connection to it, the harder it pulls you towards it. Without clearly set goals, our focus and efforts tends to wander here and there. We dilute our power to accomplish great things through the scattering of our focus and attention. Defined goals bring us back again and again to our purpose. So if we want to create great things, we simply need to intensify and focus our intentions like a laser on what is we wish to create.4) When you visualize or project an outcome, you create a psychological response, which in turn creates a physiological response. An example would be that you're walking your dog reactive dog and suddenly see a dog walking towards you...you immediately see in your mind's eye your dog whirling around, snapping, lunging, barking like a mad beast. What happens at that moment? Your psychological conversation has now caused your breathing to become shallow, your body to become tense, and stress hormones to be secreted - all signals to your dog that not only is trouble afoot, but also that you are in no way the person who is capable of either managing the situation or protecting your dog. That little negative visualization almost always guarantees a negative reaction from your dog. But if you develop the habit and skill of instead seeing what you want, rather than what you don't, you have a far better chance of maintaing normal breathing, maintaining a relaxed body, and keeping the stress hormones under wraps - all of which convey confidence and certainty - and this positive visualization process can yield major results as you and your dog work towards solving problem behavior.Personally, I utilize these concepts every time I'm working with a dog. On the large end of goal setting, every dog that comes in to us gets a chart made up of the owners goals and our goals that we wish to achieve before the end of our work together. On the small end, I set goals or an intention for every single training session - even if it is only a momentary issue - set the goal first and watch as that decision pulls you to the achievement of your goal. And in conjunction with the goals I set, I also visualize every outcome, ahead of time working out exactly as I wish it to. The combination of deciding ahead of time exactly what you want and what it looks like are an incredibly powerful set of tools. And the more challenging the dog, the deeper I go into this process. This keeps me positive, totally clear about my objectives, focused on solutions rather than problems, relaxed and confident. And all of these elements give me the extra edge when I'm working with challenging dogs or humans!If you're having problems with your dog or you just want to improve his/her training, you want as much of this creative, problem solving mojo on your side as possible! How do you think a dog (or the world!) would react to a confident, certain, positive person, with a clear image of what he wants to create versus the opposite? I know you know the answer to this one! :)So regardless of whether you're a dog trainer, a dog owner, or just one of those weird people without a dog, if you'll practice seeing what you want, defining what you want, and feeling what you want, you'll be harnessing some of the most powerful tools that man has at his disposal.And you might just create a little magic of your own. 

 By Sean O'Shea - visit our website thegooddog.netYou don't start swinging the bat the day of the World Series. You don't throw your first Shot Put the day of the Olympics. You don't sit down at the piano for the first time the day of your recital at Lincoln Center.Of course all of these examples are silly, and no one in their right mind would actually contemplate them. BUT, as crazy as these examples are, this is exactly what I see so many dog owners do. And it's one of the biggest causes of failure in their attempts to train/rehab their dog. It's fascinating that something that we so intuitively understand in the human world (that being the necessity of using baby steps and constant preparation in order to achieve a bigger goal/accomplishment) regularly escapes us and frequently sabotages our attempts to train our dogs.We somehow believe that the dog with the maniacal door reaction (or even worse, an aggression issue) will respond to our frantic attempts to keep him in "place" the one day someone shows up at our door, rather than practicing, preparing, and conditioning him to respond appropriately, to respect, listen and defer to you for the 3 weeks preceding the visit.Or, we let our dog wander on the walk, smelling here and there, pulling us to and fro, teaching them ever so consistently that they need not respect or listen to us...and then our dog sees the little obnoxious dog from down the street and decides to not only bark, growl, froth, and spin, but also to share a bite on your leg for your trouble.In the dog world, these are all World Series moments, and to think you can simply suit up and knock it out of the park on game day, without having spent the necessary practice, preparation, and skill building time, is folly.If you're looking to train or rehab any serious behavior problem, be sure that you practice, prepare, and condition both you and your dog with massive repetition and small, incremental challenges long BEFORE game day. Much of our success with severe behavior issues comes from utilizing this simple formula.Remember, if you're going to rock the stadium, you gotta work through T-ball, little league, high school, college ball, and then finally, if you've worked your butt off, you graduate to the big leagues. And if you approach your dog training with the same mind-set, you can accomplish something just as amazing!

By Sean O'Shea from The Good Dog Training and Rehabilitation How much impact would 5 dollar speeding tickets have on drivers speeding habits?Probably not much.And why is that? Because the reward for driving over the speed limit  - whether it's running late for an appointment, impatience, or just the thrill of some extra speed - outweighs the consequence. No one is going to change rewarding behavior for a 5 dollar penalty...why would they?When a reward outweighs a consequence, the consequence will be ignored. And the behavior that the consequence was supposed to impact/change/prevent/stop simply continues on.If speeding tickets were 5 dollars, folks would likely be driving like maniacs...it would be chaotic, it would be dangerous, and it would be unpredictable. (This is strangely similar to dogs we see who live in a world of few rules and insignificant consequences for negative behavior).So what changes a driver's speeding habits? What changes anyone's habits? It's simple really. Significant consequences for breaking known rules. When consequences become significant, behavior changes...for all of us. (That's why speeding tickets and the ding they put on your insurance are so heavy...in order for them to be significant)In working with dogs, I see the 5 dollar speeding ticket issued all too often by owners in an effort to stop or change unwanted behavior. And the fallout is: The dog's negative behavior continues; owners become frustrated/annoyed/resentful; the unwanted behavior becomes even more deeply patterned; and worst of all, the dog begins to view the human in a disrespectful, dismissive light...and this spells massive trouble.So knowing that insignificant consequences undermine what we're trying to achieve, and significant consequences help us to achieve what we want, what stands between us and the promised land of stopping bad behavior and creating great behavior? Lots of things. For one, many owners are far more prepared to share affection and fun than they are discipline and rules. For others they are unsure about how to create and share fair and appropriate consequences for their particular dog (and this is an important point - this is not a one size fits all - for some dogs a stern voice is significant, and for others this would mean absolutely nothing). Others still are unsure about which tool or approach or strategy would be best to help achieve this. Some owners are worried that they might hurt their dog's feelings or undermine their relationship. And maybe the biggest one of all, owners have been told over and over that correcting their dog will create aggression or other serious behavioral fallout. In all of the dogs I've worked with, I have never, repeat, never seen this be the case. But, there is an awful lot of propaganda saying otherwise.Once you've clearly and fairly taught your dog the rules of life, the next step is finding just the right consequence motivation that causes him to make good, healthy and safe choices. And in many cases, the best course of action is to hire an experienced, balanced trainer, who can help guide you through the best choice of strategies, tools, and reading of your dog, to ensure that you share exactly the right balance of reward and consequence for your particular dog...and that you leave that 5-dollar speeding ticket far behind. 

By Sean O'Shea from the The Good Dog Training and RehabilitationWhen we start to have problems with our dog's behavior we naturally focus on our dog. It's natural - the dog is doing something wrong, what's wrong with him? Why won't he stop barking? Why is he attacking Aunt Ethel? Why are my dogs fighting? Why does he always destroy the house when I leave? Why does he try to attack every dog on a walk? It's normal to try and problem solve by focusing on the problem at hand, but problems are usually just the result of other issues left untended to, that have now grown into bigger problems.It's easy for us to focus on our dogs, but oftentimes the better and far more valuable question is: How are YOU doing? This is usually the best place to start and the last place examined.If you honestly assess yourself, what percentage of the day do you spend being anxious, stressed, guilty, resentful, sad, fearful, needy, impatient, conflicted, angry, manic, depressed or worried, vs peaceful, calm, relaxed, confident, happy, assured, positive, patient and balanced?If you've spent any prolonged time with a person in any of these negative states, you know how uncomfortable, draining, and agitating the experience can be. Our dogs feel the same way - except they aren't able to leave for a breath of fresh air - they simply have to stay, endure, and absorb all of the negative energy.Two things happen when our dogs are repeatedly exposed to this kind of negative human energy: First, it has a profound effect on their fundamental state - because they are forced to live in an uncomfortable emotional environment, they become heavily stressed, and this stress will cause them to engage in all manner of negative/neurotic behaviors. These behaviors can range from chronic barking and licking, to serious aggression. You cannot force an animal to consistently live in a toxic environment and not expect some serious behavioral fallout.And second, by presenting yourself as an unbalanced, unsafe, inconsistent, unpredictable human, there is no way that your dog can allow you to lead him - it simply makes no sense - why would a dog, or anyone else for that matter, follow an emotionally unstable leader? And if a dog has no leader, he will become stressed from the pressure of having to try to lead, and from the absence of guidance.So the negative impact on your dog is compounded by both of these dynamics - and the effect is fairly staggering.Because our dogs cannot speak verbally, they become convenient scape goats and unfortunate victims of our unresolved issues. But the truth is, if you watch your dog, you'll see in his behavior - whether balanced, comfortable and happy, or unbalanced, uncomfortable and stressed -  that he's speaking volumes about you and the environment you've created for him.So if things have gotten dicey or problematic with your dog, it might be a good time to sit back and ask: How are YOU doing?

  By Sean O'SheaOkay, so you're driving down the freeway, minding your own business, enjoying a serene moment of automotive bliss. Suddenly a car pulls up along side of you, the driver fixes you with his gaze, and then he begins to yell and motion with his hands. You look over and roll down your window, straining to figure out just what this other motorist is trying to share with you. And then you hear him - he's telling you to pull your car over, that you're driving too fast, that he's going to write you a ticket for speeding. You pause for a second and assess the situation. You look down at your speedometer - you're doing 74 in a 65 zone - you know you're speeding, but this doesn't exactly qualify as a major International incident - you look back at the other motorist and you realize, he's just an ordinary citizen, a regular dude - you're baffled and confused...just who does this guy think he is to tell me what to do?The gentleman is not a Highway Patrolman or even regular police...he's simply a regular citizen who, for some reason, has decided it's his duty to police you - to create some rules and consequences for you. After getting over the shock of the absurdity of the situation, you smirk over at the gentleman, wave mockingly, and just to make sure you put the proper exclamation point on all this silliness, you actually speed up, and while leaving the aforementioned gentleman in the dust, you think to yourself: "That dude MUST be crazy!"A few minutes later, while still reflecting back on the earlier interaction, you look over to your left, and there, somehow, without you having noticed, a Highway patrolman on a motorcycle has snuck on up and is cruising right next to you. You freeze, your heart starts to beat faster, adrenaline starts pulsing, and you know your goose is cooked. The patrolman motions for you to pull over, and you immediately and sheepishly comply. You're busted, and you know it. It feels just like it did when you were a youngster and your Dad would catch you red-handed in some nefarious activity - suddenly you're a 10 year old again. You are incredibly compliant, eager to please, apologetic, and a bit nervous about your future! The officer informs you that you were doing 74 in a 65. You apologize, and assure him it was a mistake. But the reality is that you knew the rules - you had been taught exactly what was expected of you, and you knowingly broke those rules - and now it's consequence time!So how come you reacted so differently to the two different situations? You were breaking the rules in both cases. With the first situation, with the "regular dude", you laughed at his attempt to control you, and actually behaved worse, because of the interaction. But with the second situation, with the Highway patrolman, you immediately and completely not only complied with the request, but your entire demeanor and state-of-mind shifted into a very sweet, compliant and, dare I say, submissive mode.Now I'm sure that this is all entirely obvious from a human standpoint. The first gentleman is an ordinary citizen, he is not an established authority figure, therefore, it makes absolutely no sense for you to allow him to influence you or change your behavior. But in the second situation, when an established and accepted authority figure enters the picture, you immediately comply - because you have been conditioned and trained to view him in this fashion. The police have cultivated this relationship and association with you from the time you were tiny. So when they say pull over, you say "Yes sir!"So here's the takeaway for dog owners: If you haven't cultivated, through lifestyle and conditioned through training, a relationship of authority with your dog, it makes absolutely no sense for your dog to listen to you when you suddenly decide to try to influence/change his behavior. When you attempt to block his barking, his jumping, his digging, his mouthing, his biting, or anything else, without first becoming an authority figure, you appear to your dog exactly as the kooky citizen did who tried to pull you over earlier - you look like a crazy person - and crazy people tend to get ignored. When it comes to our dogs, we don't get to skip steps, or take shortcuts. Like yourself, your dog isn't programmed to follow just anyone - he wants to follow a safe, consistent, trustworthy, and dependable leader - and that kind of leadership isn't just when it's convenient or crisis time, it's 24/7. P.S. in the next post we'l cover how you actually become an authority figure in your dog's life...

  By Sean O'Shea from www.thegooddog.netOne of the biggest challenges I experience in working with clients who are having issues with their dogs is helping them to understand why rules, structure, and leadership are absolutely essential to creating a well-behaved and balanced dog.Most owners have a very strong opinion on what fulfillment to a dog looks like, and it usually entails loads of affection, loads of freedom, and a suspiciously small amount of rules, structure, and leadership. Inevitably I start sharing analogies in the hope of connecting the dots of what I believe to be fulfilling to dogs in a way that will resonate with their human experience. Anyone who has worked with me has probably heard me use the "policeman driving behind you" analogy, as well as many others.The other day, while walking the pack, this one popped into my head...I think it's a good one!Let's use the LA riot as an example of what can occur when humans are suddenly faced with a massive leadership/authority void:As the beginnings of the riot got under way, it wasn't long before authority (the police presence) almost completely disappeared. As soon as people realized there was no longer a police/authority presence (read: a threat of significant consequences for poor choices), lots of interesting things occurred:Some people, who realized no one was there to protect them, and that they were highly vulnerable, became highly stressed, nervous, and fearful (many small business owners, for example). These people very quickly became proactive - using guns and firing on anyone that they perceived to be a threat. When one feels vulnerable, and no one is there to protect and advocate for you, the incredible stress and fear will cause you to make decisions you absolutely would not make in a different situation.  And the interesting thing is, just prior to the riot, most of these people who lived in close proximity to each other co-existed mostly peacefully. But now, suddenly, with the disappearance of authority, both were attempting, and succeeding at killing each other.Some other people, once they noticed that the authority presence was gone, decided that all of this chaos was a fantastic opportunity to engage in some uber-exhilarating, adrenaline-spiking fun...like robbing, looting, attacking/beating innocent folks etc. For some folks, when authority is on hiatus, fighting and engaging in violent, unlawful behavior is a fantastic, but obviously toxic release for their frustrations.Other people simply acted out in obnoxious, petty ways, thumbing their noses at what used to be the rules - not necessarily doing major harm, but definitely getting into some general knuckle-headedness.   Why? Because the lack of structure and authority creates both excitement as well as stress...and physically acting out is a nice release and reset for this stress and excitement. It's a way to balance back out.The upshot here is that many, many people, influenced by stress, panic, fear, adrenaline, or exhilaration, due the obvious authority vacuum, began to make very different decisions than they would normally have, had an authority presence been, well, present. We like to pretend that we human beings are quite a civilized and sophisticated bunch, but the truth of the matter is, when authority, structure, and rules disappear, the politeness of human society takes a pretty immediate vacation.Ok, so how exactly does the LA riot tie into the behavior of our furry K9 friends? It ties in in an unbelievably strong parallel:When dogs perceive a leadership vacuum, here's what we see - nervous, fearful dogs, who have no leader to advocate for them/protect them, and are keenly aware of the chaotic, unpredictable environment they live in, become highly stressed, anxious and fearful, and eventually will start to do just what their human counterparts above began to do - become proactive in their attempts to keep themselves safe. They begin to make poor choices, and start to view every dog as a potential threat, regardless of the other dog's intentions. Many will simply attack first and ask questions later.Other dogs, once they feel the void, will start to bully and attack anything that moves. Why? For some it's because it's fun and exhilarating. It offers a major adrenaline dump, and is a great release for their frustrations - and as I mentioned above, a nice reset for the stress of chaos. For others, bullying is the best way to cope with and camouflage their own insecurities, anxieties, and fear. Either way, when there isn't an authority figure sharing limits, or consequences for poor choices, reactive behavior, whatever it's origins, simply happens.And then you have your basic knucklehead dogs - they sense the leadership void, and they're not necessarily fearful or serious bullies, but once again the stress of no rules and guidance will cause them to become hyper, pushy, destructive, jumpy, and well, a giant pain in the butt...thumbing their noses at your lack of authority, in an attempt to balance out  and reset.With me so far? Ok, so here's the real kicker: as soon as authority (the police presence/National Guard) was restored to the Los Angeles area, the majority of issues, conflicts, and poor behavior simply disappeared. I mean, quick like. Yeah, there was some residual bad feelings and isolated issues, but once again, with the presence of authority and consequences for poor behavior/choices present, things went from absolute chaos, danger, and mayhem, to relative peace, quiet, and harmony - and if it wasn't always harmony, it was at least a begrudging tolerance. And guess what, it's the exact same thing with our dogs.When I walk into a home where there is absolutely no authority, and chaos reigns supreme, and the dog is engaging in any number of serious behaviors (from attacking other dogs, to attacking people, to nervous/insecure behavior), I know that once I create a relationship of leadership, authority and respect, structure and rules, the dog is going to immediately change his behavior - he will start to relax, become more comfortable, and make better choices, simply due to the presence of a believable authority figure. Remember, leadership creates comfort! When leadership, guidance, structure and rules are present, along with consequences for poor choices, behavior changes...almost instantly!Remember, both K9's and humans become massively stressed, fearful, unpredictable, and even dangerous when leadership, rules and authority are on holiday - and that both species will behave in ways we never would when our basic needs for security aren't provided for.As Cesar Millan says: "Your job as pack leader is to protect and direct" I think that sums it up pretty efficiently.In reality, this stuff isn't rocket science, and is fairly easy to implement. If you're not sure how to go about it, contact a qualified professional for guidance. (Drop us a line here at The Good Dog, we have a great list of talented balanced trainers across the U.S.) And please, don't let a riot go down in your living room...be your dog's authority figure! .

  By Sean O'SheaWhile many trainers and training approaches advocate for, and infuse their training with, excitement and high intensity, one of the things that we're always focused on here at The Good Dog is working to train and create calmness.Obviously if you're training for a dog sport or some other kind of competition/performance you're going to want lots of excitement/intensity, but for most family dogs, and especially those with serious behavior problems, calmness is absolutely key.So much of what we do here - and what other trainers who are aware of the value of calmness do as well - is teach impulse control and relaxation. We use lots of anchoring behaviors with long durations, like "place" and downstays, as well as being sure dogs don't pull on leash, don't fly out of crates or doors, wait for food, and generally approach all things in a chilled out fashion...except of course playtime...which is when the dogs are allowed to let it all hang loose...as long as the "loose" is appropriate!This calmness training is one of the biggest secrets to transforming problem behavior, and this style of training tends to be the opposite of most rewards-based training approaches, which tend to create a dog that is heavily excited/worked up...possibly listening to the trainer, but a dog that exists in an amped up state of mind that makes him challenging to live and work with. This is the one of the major reasons we don't use treats/toys to train/rehab dogs. We want an easy, relaxed mind to work with...not an edgy, hyper food/toy-focused maniac.That said, when I work with my girl Belle competing in flyball or doing tricks, I want her goosed up and crazy...that way she does everything in an intense, hyper-fast, hyper-focused fashion...but I would certainly not want that state of mind all the time!One of the greatest side benefits of all this calmness training is, it creates a fantastic relationship of leadership with you and your dog. Once a dog understands you can control his behavior, it creates a new and improved perception of who you are and how he feels about his world.And that is good stuff!

  The Good Dog Tip Of The Day: You can have a nervous, fearful, anxious dog that makes poor choices (barks, growls, lunges, attacks, runs, hides) towards people, other dogs, bikes, skateboards etc, or you can have a nervous, fearful, anxious dog that instead of simply reacting to their nervousness, fearfulness or anxiety, defers to you, and makes great choices around all of the above listed items.Left to figure it out on their own, with no real information about what an appropriate response is, dogs will simply react, and are liable to make very bad choices. It's your job to show your dog what to think, how to feel, and how to react when faced with things that unnerve them.This takes knowledge and leadership on your part and establishing the right relationship with your dog. 

By Sean O'Shea, read more at my website http://thegooddog.net/about/The Good Dog Tip Of The Day: If your dog pulls on leash when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog lunges at, drags you towards, or becomes agitated around other dogs on walks when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog pulls you towards places it wants to sniff or pee when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog jumps on you or your guests when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog barks when you don't want him to, and you are unable to stop him, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog races or pushes past you out of the crate, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog races or pushes past you at any doorway when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog jumps in or out of the car when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship. If your dog steals food or counter-surfs when you don't want him to, you have a problem with your relationship.And on, and on, and on.If your dog doesn't respect and defer to you with these small ticket items, please don't expect to be able to stop or block any of the big ticket items such as dog to dog aggression, human aggression, nervousness/insecurity, or resource guarding.Until you have established the proper relationship of respect with the small stuff, it makes absolutely no sense to your dog to listen to you for any of the big stuff.Start small, and work your way up. If you build this foundation, you can change virtually any behavior problem.

   By Sean O'SheaThe Good Dog Tip Of The Day: Correcting unwanted behavior, in the moment it occurs, in a fashion that the dog takes seriously is one of the biggest reasons why a balanced training approach is so powerful, and why this approach is able to fix/solve/resolve behavior problems and issues that rewards only based training is often unable to help with. In an effort to over intellectualize dog training, many trainers have lost sight or forgotten that the greatest dog trainers - dogs themselves - never ignore unwanted behavior (if it is truly something they dislike), never put dogs in time-outs, and never reward good behavior (with anything other than continued social interaction), they simply, and effectively address the problem, in the moment, with whatever level of intensity that particular situation and that particular dog needs. When we take this most natural and common K9 communication off the training table, we end up with lots of stressed out dogs, lots of bad behavior, wasted time, frustrated owners, a compromised relationship/connection with our dogs, and in many cases, dogs being euthanized or surrendered absolutely unnecessarily.

    By Sean O'SheaHey all!In this post I'm going to cover a bunch of moments/issues/behaviors that typically undermine the relationship between us and our dogs. Many of these "moments" can seem benign or inconsequential, but depending on your dog and his state of mind, these "moments" could spell big problems.Before I run down the list (and it is by no means comprehensive...if anyone has any  other suggestions I'd love to hear them!), let me quickly explain/define what I mean by mixed messages and missed opportunities. In this context, I'm calling a mixed message anything that might confuse your dog about where he sits in the pack, and what position you, as his owner wants to play in his life.Example: Dragging you around on walks and pulling you wherever he wants to go is, in my view, a mixed message...it tells your dog "I'm not looking to play the role of authority figure/leader in your life". Someone who is an authority figure/leader wouldn't allow that kind of behavior/interaction.By the same token, choosing to allow this behavior is a leadership opportunity missed. Instead of teaching your dog about what is appropriate behavior and who you are in his life, you simply allow the behavior and the message to your dog is loud and clear.So, (in no particular order) here are some of what I consider mixed messages and missed opportunities: -Pulling on leash/walking unstructured-Sniffing and peeing at will without invitation-Bolting in or out of crates-Bolting in or out of doors-Free feeding-Not waiting to be fed/not using release/not waiting for patient behavior-Having free access to toys/chews/bones-Owner not starting and stopping game time/playing-Having free access to the house-Not being told where to be or what to do (sit/down/place etc)-Being on furniture (beds/couches etc)-Allowing your dog to demand attention-Allowing demanding or neurotic barking/whining-Unearned or excessive affection-Not immediately correcting unwanted behavior (removing the dog or removing the item form the situation rather than correcting the dog and allowing the him to make better choices)-Allowing pushy, snotty behavior towards other dogs (especially possessive/guarding/bullying)-Allowing nervous aggressive behavior around other dogs-Allowing a dog to run away from or avoid fear/anxiety inducing situations Or allowing a dog to engage in fearful anxious behavior-Using weak, uncertain, tentative approach when dealing/training/correcting a dog who is in a strong or intense state of mind-Using angry, frustrated, tense, freaked out approach when dealing/training/correcting a dog who is in a strong or intense state of mind-Allowing overprotective or possessive behavior of you-Allowing overly or excessive territorial behavior-Allowing your dog to practice negative/bad habits in your absence Once again, these "moments" may or may not cause problems to appear. It depends on your dog's state of mind. There are lots of dogs that you could break every one of these rules with and never have anything worse than an ill behaved dog. But, if you're one of the many clients I see, where the wrong K9 state of mind meets up with the wrong human approach, these missed "moments" can be catastrophic. The results can be heart break, re-homing, surrendering, and sometimes life ending.  If you're struggling with serious problems, these mixed messages and missed opportunities are most likely to blame.And one little extra bit of info: the very beginning of your relationship is the most important! Even if you don't intend to practice all of these rules forever, if you at least start off with things on the right foot (the second your dog comes home), you have a much better chance of not seeing things turn ugly down the line. My advice is it's always easier to lighten up later and be taken seriously than it is to attempt to re-negotiate a leadership position after starting soft and easy.Click Here to visit our website.