dog care and dog training

How to Train a German Shepherd

German Shepherds are brilliant, sensitive dogs with a built-in job description: notice everything and keep their people safe. That combination can look like “wow, what a good dog” or “why is my dog losing it at the end of the leash?” and the difference often comes down to two things you can control...

Top 10 Low-Energy Dog Breeds for Apartment Living

Apartment living can be a dream setup for the right dog: cozy routines, predictable walks, and lots of together time. It can also be loud and stressful, especially if you accidentally bring home a dog who needs two hours of hard running a day. As a CPDT-KA dog trainer (and former vet tech), I want...

Wet vs. Dry Dog Food: Pros, Cons, and How to Mix Them Safely

If you have ever stood in the pet food aisle holding a bag of kibble in one hand and a case of canned food in the other, you are in excellent company. In my years as a vet tech and now as a trainer, I have seen great-looking, happy dogs thriving on kibble, on wet food, and on a thoughtful...

Labrador vs. Golden Retriever

If you are stuck between a Labrador Retriever and a Golden Retriever, you are not alone. In my training sessions, these two come up constantly because they are famously friendly, biddable (eager to work with you), and great “first big dog” candidates. But “great family dog” is not...

Homemade Bone Broth for Dogs

Bone broth is one of my favorite “small effort, big payoff” add-ons for dogs. Done right, it is warm, soothing, and can be a helpful way to add extra fluids and a little flavor to meals. Done wrong, it can be too salty, too fatty, or include ingredients that are risky for dogs. Below is my simple,...

Best Foods and Chews for Dog Dental Health

If you have ever picked up your dog’s lip and thought, “Oof… we need a plan,” you are not alone. In the vet clinic, dental disease was one of the most common issues I saw, and it sneaks up fast because plaque starts forming within hours after a meal. The good news is that the right foods, chews,...

Raw Dog Food Diet: A Beginner’s Guide

Raw feeding can feel like the ultimate “back to nature” choice, and I get the appeal. As a former veterinary technician and a certified trainer, I have also seen how quickly food decisions can affect skin, stool, energy, and even behavior. If you are thinking about switching to a raw dog food diet,...

Joint Supplements for Senior Dogs

If you live with a senior dog, you know the look: they stand up a little slower, hesitate at the stairs, or take a beat before jumping into the car. Sometimes it is just normal aging stiffness. Sometimes it is arthritis, old injuries, or the quiet wear-and-tear that adds up over time. Joint...

Resource Guarding in Family Dogs

Resource guarding can look scary fast. One minute your dog is happily chewing. The next they stiffen, hover over a bowl, freeze over a toy, growl when someone walks by, or even snap. If you are dealing with this at home, take a deep breath. Guarding is common, it is not a moral failing, and in many...

Dog Poop Color Chart

If you have a dog, you have had this moment: you bend down with a poop bag and think, “Huh. That looks… different.” Not glamorous, but truly useful. Stool color is one of the fastest, easiest clues you get about your dog’s digestion, diet changes, and sometimes bigger health problems. This guide...

Dog Collar vs. Harness for High-Energy Training

If you live with a high-energy dog, you know the “walk” can feel less like a stroll and more like a full-body sport. The right gear matters, not because it magically fixes pulling or lunging, but because it changes what your dog can physically do and what kind of feedback their body receives while...

Dog Food Allergies vs. Environmental Allergies

If your dog is itchy, licking paws like it is a full-time job, or bouncing between soft stool and “why is there mucus in this poop,” it is natural to assume it must be the food. Sometimes it is. Often, it is not. As a trainer and former vet tech, I see a lot of well-meaning pet parents get stuck in...

How to Stop Puppy Biting and Nipping

Puppy biting is one of those "I love you, please stop" phases of dog ownership. The good news is that nipping is normal, it is not a sign your puppy is aggressive, and you can absolutely teach a softer mouth with a few consistent routines. From years working in training and veterinary settings, I...

Mastering the Recall

If I could magically gift every dog parent one finished behavior, it would be a truly reliable recall. “Come” is the cue that keeps dogs safe when a gate swings open, a leash clip fails, or a bunny rockets across the trail and your dog’s brain briefly leaves Earth. But reliable recall is not about...

15 Human Foods Highly Toxic to Dogs (And What to Do If Eaten)

I keep a jar of treats on every counter in my house, but I still treat “people food” like it comes with a warning label. Not because you are a bad dog parent if something gets dropped, but because some everyday pantry items can cause life-threatening poisoning fast. This guide walks you through 15...

Socializing a Fearful Adult Rescue Dog

Adult rescue dogs do not need to become “social butterflies” to live happy lives. What they need is to feel safe. Socialization for a fearful adult dog is really about teaching predictable, positive associations with the world, one tiny win at a time. As a trainer and former vet tech, I have seen...

10 Essential Dog Commands Before Age One

Your dog does not need to be a tiny furry robot who follows directions 24/7. But in their first year, many puppies can learn a handful of core cues that make life safer, calmer, and a whole lot more fun to share. (And if your dog is past puppyhood, you can still teach every single one of these.)...

Grain-Free vs. Grain-Inclusive Dog Food: How to Choose

“Grain-free” has a way of sounding automatically healthier. I get it. As a former veterinary technician and a certified dog trainer who spends a lot of time translating nutrition talk into normal-people language, I see the same pattern over and over: pet parents want to do the right thing, but the...

How to Transition Your Dog to a New Food Safely

If you have ever swapped your dog’s kibble and immediately regretted it (hello, midnight diarrhea and a dog who looks personally betrayed), you are not alone. In my years as a veterinary technician and now as a certified trainer, I have seen more “new food disasters” than I can count, and they are...

Clicker Training vs. Lure-and-Reward

If you have ever wondered why one trainer swears by a clicker while another happily teaches everything with a treat in hand, you are not alone. Both clicker training and lure-and-reward fall under the same big, science-based umbrella: positive reinforcement. The difference is how they communicate...