Dog Training Tips & Behavior Advice
Practical answers from Scott Lovel, drawn from fifteen years and more than three thousand dogs. Browse by topic below.
Crate vs Playpen for a Puppy: Which Is Better?
Use both, for different jobs. The crate is for sleep and short confinement, the pen is for supervised awake time. Here i…
4 min read
How Much Freedom Should a Puppy Have in the House?
Only as much space as you can actively watch. Here is how to expand room by room, what has to be proven first, and when …
4 min read
Should You Cover a Dog Crate?
Often yes, for dogs who settle better with less to look at. Here is when a cover helps, when it makes things worse, and …
4 min read
Should a Puppy Nap in the Crate During the Day?
Yes, and most puppies need two or three a day. Enforced naps stop the biting and the wildness that owners usually blame …
4 min read
How to Set the House Rules Before Your New Dog Comes Home
Settle the rules before the dog arrives, not after. Here are the nine decisions to make, how to get everyone to agree, a…
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Where Should a New Puppy Sleep the First Week?
In a crate, right next to your bed, for the first week or two. Here is why, what the first three nights look like, and h…
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Why Does My Adolescent Dog Suddenly Ignore Recall?
The long line goes back on today. Here is why recall breaks at ten months, how to rebuild it in six weeks, and what to s…
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How to Teach a Dog to Calm Down After Play
End with a cue, a stationary behavior, and ten minutes of sniffing. Coming down is a trained skill, and most dogs have n…
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Should Your Dog Walk Beside You or Is Walking Ahead Okay?
Ahead is fine when the leash is loose and he still responds to you. A formal heel is a skill for specific moments, not a…
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How to Teach a Dog to Check In With You on Walks
Pay the glances you did not ask for. Here is how to turn voluntary attention into a habit in two weeks, and why calling …
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How to Teach a Dog to Ignore People Who Want to Pet Them
Make greetings permission based, pay neutrality, and learn to say no to strangers. Here is the script, the helper drill,…
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How to Stop a Dog From Blocking Doorways and Hallways
Teach him to move on cue instead of stepping over him. Here is the yield drill, why nudging with your feet backfires, an…
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Does a Wagging Tail Always Mean a Dog Is Friendly?
No. A wag means the dog is activated, nothing more. Here is how height, speed, and stiffness change the meaning, and wha…
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When Does Dog Adolescence End?
Somewhere between 18 and 30 months depending on size. Here is the timeline by breed, what improves first, and why maturi…
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Why Does One Dog Constantly Correct the Other Dog?
Frequent correcting means the dogs need more management from you, not that one should be disciplining the other. Here is…
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What Does It Mean When a Dog Raises Their Hackles?
Hackles mean arousal, not aggression. Here is what the rest of the body has to tell you before you can read it, and why …
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Why Does My Dog Play Too Rough With Other Dogs?
Rough is fine, one sided is not. Here is how to read the difference in ten seconds and the interrupt schedule that keeps…
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Why Does My Dog Turn Their Head Away When I Pet Them?
He is asking for less social pressure. Here is the consent test that tells you what he actually wants, and how to pet a …
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Should You Let a Reactive Dog Watch Other Dogs From a Distance?
Yes, but only briefly and only while he can disengage. Prolonged staring rehearses fixation. Here is the two second rule…
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How to Teach a Dog to Pass Another Dog in a Narrow Space
Train the pass at a distance first, then shrink the gap. If the space is genuinely too tight, turn around instead of for…
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How to Walk a Reactive Dog in a Busy Neighborhood
Plan the route, not the reaction. Here is how to pick times, use parked cars and driveways as cover, and turn early enou…
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How to Stop a Dog From Staring at Other Dogs
Staring is the step before lunging. Interrupt it in the first two seconds and most reactions never happen. Here is how t…
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What Is Trigger Stacking in Dogs and How Do You Stop It?
Stress adds up across a day until a small thing causes a big reaction. Here is how to spot stacking, how long it lasts, …
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What Is the Difference Between Fear, Anxiety, and Reactivity?
Fear has a trigger in front of it, anxiety does not, and reactivity is the behavior on top. Here is how to tell them apa…
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How to Train a Dog Who Gets Frustrated Easily
Barking, biting the leash, and quitting are frustration, not defiance. Raise the reward rate, shorten the gap, and make …
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What to Do When Your Dog Shuts Down During Training
A shutdown means the pressure is too high. Stop the session, get one easy win, and lower the criteria. Here is how to sp…
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Do You Need a Clicker to Train a Dog?
No. A marker word does the same job and you never leave it at home. Here is where clickers genuinely win, and where they…
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Should You Hand Feed Your Dog for Training?
It is a useful tool, not a requirement. Bowl feeding does not weaken your bond. Here is when hand feeding earns its keep…
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Can You Train a Dog Too Much?
Yes, and the damage is real. Sessions that run long produce worse learning than no session at all. Here are the limits a…
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How to Get a Dog Comfortable With Having Their Teeth Brushed
Build it in tiny steps over three weeks, from muzzle touch to lip lift to brush. Never restrain through panic, and stop …
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Why Does My Dog Get Wilder After Exercise Instead of Calmer?
Hard exercise raises arousal instead of lowering it. Here is why tiring him out backfires, and the four things that actu…
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How to Help a Dog Switch Off After Guests Leave
Do not extend the excitement once they leave. Move him into sniffing, chewing, and rest, and expect the recovery to take…
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How to Keep a Dog Calm in a Hotel Room
Bring the crate and the same bedding, rehearse settling at home first, and manage the hallway noise. Here is the arrival…
4 min read
Why Does My Dog Pant and Shake in the Car?
It is motion sickness, fear, or heat, and they need different fixes. Here is how to tell which one you have and the shor…
4 min read
Should You Use a Doggy Door?
Not for most dogs under two. It quietly undoes house training structure and hands your dog unlimited yard barking. Here …
4 min read
Should You Walk Your Dog Every Single Day?
No. A rushed over threshold walk is worse than no walk. Here is when to skip, what to do instead, and which dogs genuine…
4 min readYour best dog is closer than you think.
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