Training & Management

Hopefully you train your dog off leash. If something happened while you were out walking and you had to drop his leash, would he stay where you told him to? Or if he wandered, would he come back to you when you called him? The only way to know is to test him. That’s why …

Want to know how not to train your dog with food treats? Follow my lead. Because I really blew it.

When I’m frustrated, my jaw tightens and I make aggravated, deep-throated utterances. When my dog Honey feels frustrated, she sits down and scratches. Frustration is our body’s way of telling us something. What does it teach us about dog training?

If you want to live on a boat with your dog, you’ll both benefit if you build your dog’s confidence first. Here’s some ideas for how to do it.

When Honey was a puppy, she had no idea what she was in for. She was going to be the subject of a training regimen usually only seen by service dogs. But sometimes the best dog training is the training that doesn’t happen. And it’s all because of our training mantra.

We’re early in a new year. Time to set training goals for my pup. But what more can I teach my Mary Poppins dog (practically perfect in every way)? Maybe it’s not the dog that needs training. Maybe it’s me. And the training I need is in how to trim my dog’s too long nails.

Santa must be puzzling over whether our dog Honey will earn a piece of coal or a package of liverwurst. Is she a good dog or a bad dog? After all, what do you do if naughty and nice are the same thing?

On the water, we’re on a constant watch for warships, submarines, cruise ships, commercial fishing boats, recreational fishermen, tugboats, powerboats, sailboats, kayaks, and yes, even seaplanes. It’s almost as challenging as walking the dog.

If disaster strikes is your dog trained to deal with it? Here are our best cues for emergencies.

Honey is a damn good dog. Certainly the best trained dog I’ve ever lived with. But she’s not perfect. And after seven years training her, I’ve discovered the secret that would make her perfect. Do you want to know what it is? It’s to not let people mess up her training.