For the past three years I have been recommending the Easy Walk™ harness, a product of Gentle Leader, manufactured by Premier to all my puppy and obedience classes. I started using the harness when I got my youngest Australian Shepherd three years ago. Walking both my Aussies was challenging, but with the harnesses they are both under control. Those of my students who have purchased it have been very pleased and now enjoy walking their dog.

The Easy Walk™ harness is different from other harnesses in that the clip to the leash is on the chest area instead of on the shoulder area. Think of this, the dog’s power and strength is in the shoulders. With the clip on the chest when the dog pulls it puts pressure on the chest which stops the pulling. So when they pull out in front of the handler and they reach the end of the leash the tension on the leash turns the dog back to be face to face with the handler. At that moment the handler acknowledges the dog and shows the dog the correct place to walk is next to his leg.

As associate of mine is a professional dog walker and recently sent me this testimonial – (more…)

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Did your dog promise to quit pulling for his New Year’s resolution? Here’s a solution for those of you walking the baby and the dog together.

Before our son was born we did stroller training with our dogs to desensitize them to the stroller and have a fighting chance to take a walk without risking the baby’s safety. Our Cocker Spaniel, TJ, picked up walking with the stroller no problem, but it took a little more work with our Golden Retriever, Rankine. This is a recent video of me walking with Rankine. You will notice that I keep treats in the adult drink cup and I reward very frequently when he is by my side. For most of this walk, the leash was simply draped over the handle bar.

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It’s that time of year! Looking back on the past 12 months we know there are things we should have done differently. Now is the time to look to the future and make that promise that we will do better in 2010! Our pets are no different. When we asked the Online Dog Coach dogs for their new year resolutions, this is what they came up with:

1. Stop eating  shoes
2. Eat more slowly
3. Kiss the baby more often
4. Stop pulling on the leash
5. Watch more Online Dog Coach video lessons
6. Exercise at least 30 minutes or more each day to keep my puppy figure
7. Bark at the neighbors less; bark at the solicitors more
8. Learn to carry my own poop bags
9. Stop leaving muddy paw prints when counter surfing
10. Shed less cuddle more

All of us here at Online Dog Coach think this is a great place to start. Please share with us any resolutions your own dog has made!

Best wishes to you for a happy, safe, and successful year for you and your dog. Happy New Year!

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You can find both good and bad breeders. Some puppy mills call themselves breeders, so do your research with parent organizations for that breed. A good breeder may work out of their home or a kennel.

Choose a good breeder for your puppy.

The best breeders have the genetic and medical history (see links at the end of this complete article) of both the mother and father dogs, and screen for good behavior and good health. Their breeding dogs are often trained in dog sports like agility, taken to confirmation shows, and have titles and certifications. You can locate reputable breeders by contacting breed specific parent organizations. Ask for this information and ask to see proof.

The breeder should carefully screen homes before placing their puppies and make sure you understand the personality and needs of the breed. They often have conditions on what you can do if you cannot keep the dog, and on spaying and neutering if you are getting the puppy as a family pet. If you can get the puppy without going through this kind of questioning, be suspicious of that “breeder.”

Kennels

Kennels may fall under any of the categories I discuss in this series. It could be a puppy mill, a private home hobbyist, a rescue group, or a qualified and certified breeder. Ask to see the facility and figure out what category the kennel falls under before selecting their puppies.

Hint: Don’t even look at the available puppies a business has for adoption until after evaluating their facility and practices. You risk falling in love with one. You may be tempted to think, “but I need to save the puppy,” but all you are doing is providing money and space for a non-reputable business to continue their practice. Report suspicious activity to your local animal control or a humane society and let them rescue the pups.

My next post will look at pet stores. In this series:

• How to Find a Puppy and Avoid Puppy Mills – Puppy Checklist
• Looking at Pet Stores (next)
• Through Private Advertisements
• Adopting from Rescue Groups

Click “More” for a list of helpful links (more…)

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If you are in need of Online Dog Coach gear, Printfection is offering 25% off everything – just visit the Online Dog Coach Printfection Store and use coupon code SAVE25. Hurry the Sale ends November 29th at 11:59 pm.

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