Nurture Your Dog's Behavior, Don't Dominate It

Instinct. Emotion. Feelings. Your dog has all of these traits and more but often displays them in what seems like uncon-trolled be-havior. To him it's natural; to you it's frustrating. Help him become a happier, more confident and better behaved family member with the motivation and enthusiasm of relationship-based training.

Positive reinforcement is important for training any species – even humans! – by creating an upbeat, constructive environment rather than one that elicits fear and shame. Lynette Seekatz from Dancing With Dogz says the key is to ignore incorrect behavior and praise/reward your dog when he performs the right one. The first time you see your dog have that light bulb moment as he's figuring out the desired behavior, you'll appreciate how relationship-based training taps into a dog's natural abilities. Their joy of accomplishment is contagious. Set them up for success from the beginning and you'll see results almost immediately.

Be confident when choosing the right dog trainer by following these tips from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Phoenix folks have the proven track record of Dancing With Dogz LLC, which offers in-home lessons for puppies and adults on such issues as housebreaking, biting, jumping and pulling. Call 602-391-8333 or email seedogz007@hotmail.com for day/evening appointments.

"Lots of people talk to animals. Not that many listen though. That's the problem." - Piglet in The Tao of Pooh