Welcome to the HotDogs Blog

This is the second part of a two part series on teaching our dogs how to focus on us in interesting places. PART ONE examined the concept of 'focus' from a dog training perspective and looked at how to teach the foundation skill of reorienting to us from...

Trouble Teaching Your Dog to ‘Focus’?

What is 'Focus'? A very frequent comment I hear from dog handlers is that their dog can’t ‘focus’. Their dog is ‘distracted’ by the environment or specific things within it. So, I’d like to take a closer look at this very common problem. This is especially true of...

4 Ways to Undermine Your Dog Training – and How to Avoid Them.

It’s such a common story: get puppy, go to puppy class, go to basic manners class, go to the next class. Give up. Your dog is still an out of control nut job who won’t listen to you outside of class or unless you have food clearly in your hand. What went wrong? You...

Are You a Proactive Or Reactive Trainer? And Why Does it Matter?

This is something that many people new to positive reinforcement (R+) training struggle with. Why does 'fixing' behaviour problems (or any training problem) seem so much harder using positive techniques than using punishment or force? I mean, you're rewarding the...

Is My Dog Dominant… And Should I Be Concerned About It?

Here's a question I get asked frequently: “Is my dog dominant? Is that why he misbehaves all the time?” It’s an interesting question and I’d like to unpack it (excuse the pun!) and take a closer look. Before we start, I’d better lay out what is meant by the terms...

4 Reasons Why On-Lead Greetings Are a No-No!

I often get asked by clients whether they should allow their dog to greet other dogs while either is on a lead. I ALWAYS say “No!” This is sometimes met with surprise but I have good reasons - and it’s not because I’m a kill-joy control freak! (Well, not totally…) So,...

Can You Handle It?

by Sarah Ripley | Happy Handling

No, the title doesn’t refer to the current heatwave New Zealand is experiencing! I’m asking if you can handle your dog’s body. Can you check ears, eyes, mouth, feet and ‘private bits’? Can you groom, trim or apply minor first aid if needed? If the answer is “Umm, no…”...

The 8 Most Useful Things to Teach a New Puppy

We have a new puppy! Felix the border collie, who came to live with us at 8 weeks, is now 14 weeks old and people have been asking what I’ve taught him so far. Well, the answers might surprise you! First up, things he DOESN'T know: Sit - on...

What is Competitive Obedience?

Ok, so I'm totally biased here! Competitive obedience is my passion. I love to watch and train happy, enthusiastic dogs performing precise moves and exercises with attitude and pizazz. There is something about having a dog so tightly and joyfully synchronised with...

What is Rally-O?

Rally-O, short for Rally - Obedience, is a relative newcomer to the dog sport world. Unlike traditional competitive obedience and agility, which have been around for many decades, Rally-O has only been officially recognised as a sport here in NZ for a few years....

What is ‘Nosework’?

Nosework is the sport of scent detection. Very recently it was recognised by Dogs New Zealand (New Zealand's 'Kennel Club') as a discipline in it's own right - and competitions will be coming to a place near you very soon! Apart from the fun of competing with your...

Dog Sports For Fun. Why Sports Training is Worth it – Even if You Never Compete.

I hear it all the time. People take their dog to training classes or see a private trainer to fix problems and get the basics. And then they stop. Just like that. The problem is fixed. The dog civilised. Why do more?

Dog Training Books. Reader Beware!

by Sarah Ripley | Opinion pieces

Don’t believe everything you read… You have a dog. Maybe you just want to know more about training. Maybe you have a problem. For whatever reason, you decide to get yourself some education so you buy yourself a dog training book. I love reading training books –...

Socialisation. Not What You Thought it Was…

Contrary to popular belief, socialisation does not mean throwing the dog in the deep end, trying to take him to lots of busy places then introducing him to every new person and dog that approaches. ‘Socialisation’ is the process of familiarising a dog or puppy to all...

Introducing a Cat to Cujo

A few weeks ago, I did something bonkers. I decided to get a cat. That might not seem so strange until you realise that I live with a dog who kills things. Breezy is a 9 yr. old husky x border collie. He has killed birds, rodents and rabbits. He would have LOVED...

The 5 Biggest Mistakes New Puppy Owners Make – And How To Avoid Them

Puppies are just SO much fun!! Who can resist that cute little bundle of joy, energy and...teeth??? However, as many new puppy parents find out, if you aren't prepared it's easy to make some huge mistakes that will take that soppy smile off your face in less time...

What does “say please” have to do with dog training?

For most dog owners, the thought of having to carry food or toys everywhere is a turn off. Who wants smelly dog treats or soggy toys in their pockets all day? Yuck! Well, with a bit of effort it doesn’t have to be that way. All dogs have things they LOVE to do....

Puppy Education – To ‘Puppy Class’ or Not ‘Puppy Class’? That is The Question…

Puppies... Lovely little cute bundles of learning potential. A dog trainer’s dream! Puppy classes... Often crowded, badly managed and focused on teaching irrelevant things. Some dog trainers’ idea of a nightmare. So, how do you pick a good puppy class?...

The Multiple Reasons Your ‘Performance’ Dog Didn’t Perform. Part 4 – Arousal

So, in parts ONE, TWO and THREE we’ve looked at the common ways our training can shoot us in the foot, how we can deceive ourselves into thinking we have something we don’t – a performance ready dog. But what if there have been no mistakes made? We’ve polished...

The Multiple Reasons Your ‘Performance’ Dog Didn’t Perform. Part 3 – Payment

In PART ONE and PART TWO we’ve looked in detail at some of the fluency issues that can scupper performances. Now let’s look at another area that can be fraught with pitfalls and mis-information. Rewards and payments, or, more scientifically, reinforcement. Most of us...

The Multiple Reasons Your ‘Performance’ Dog Didn’t Perform. Part 2 – Attention

Following on from PART ONE about why things go wrong in the ring and our discussion about fluency, there is a ‘hidden’ behaviour that also needs to be fluent and yet so often isn’t. That behaviour is Attention. Some dogs come out the womb just looking for the...

The Multiple Reasons Your ‘Performance’ Dog Didn’t Perform. Part 1- Fluency

The big day has dawned bright and sunny, perfect temperature and mild breezes. A perfect competition day. TODAY you are going out there and knocking ‘em dead! This time it WILL work… Don’t we all have that feeling when we rock up at a show? And for some it routinely...

How Do I Stop My dog….???

Most people think of dog training as teaching the dog NOT to do something. However, counter-intuitively, this is not the best approach to take. Sure, we can punish our dog for doing things we don’t like but that only teaches him to not to do that specific thing – it...

Is a Tired Dog Really a Good Dog?

Today I’m tired. I had a busy weekend at a show, lots of things going on; mostly good and fun, some a bit nerve wracking. A bit of traveling, didn’t sleep so well and new places are always a bit unsettling just because they are. So my batteries are flat and I feel...

What IS “Positive Training”? And Why Shouldn’t I Correct my Dog When He’s ‘Naughty’?

Some of you may have noticed there is a definite theme to my website. I talk about ‘force free’ and ‘positive training’ a lot. I don’t mention ‘punishment’ or ‘correcting bad behaviour’ much. So what do I do?

What Happened to My Perfect Puppy???

Remember this picture? Little bundle of fluff happily following at your heels, sleeping quietly when you settle in the evening and always coming when called? It’s now 6 months down the track, pup is 8 months old and what do you see? Raging hormones, endless energy...

Things They Won’t Tell You About Getting A Puppy