Dog Training
5 Secrets to Stay Training Success
5 Secrets to Stay Training Success Congratulations on embarking on the journey of teaching your dog the invaluable skill of staying! With patience, consistency, and the following secrets to success, you'll soon have a pup who can hold a stay like a pro: 1. Begin training sessions with short durations and minimal distractions. Set your dog up for success by [...]
A Promise to Your Dog
Before you embark on your behavior and training journey with us, know that modifying behaviors is a process. There are no quick fixes or immediate solutions. Though they can [...]
Canine Good Citizen & Pet Therapy
Therapy dogs, service dogs, and emotional support dogs are all the rage these days - but what does it all mean? And furthermore, what type of training do these [...]
How to Identify Resource Guarding in Dogs
How to Identify Resource Guarding in Dogs Resource guarding happens when a dog tries to protect something valuable. It can include food, toys, people, or even space. Understanding dog body [...]
Health & Safety
Beware the Giant African Land Snail
Beware the Giant African Land Snail By Kimberly "Kim" Archer, CPDT-KA, CTDI The Giant African Land Snail is an incredibly dangerous snail invasive to Florida, and it is also irradicated with an equally dangerous bait, [...]
Say “No” To Dog Parks: Here’s Why & Better Alternatives
Say “No” To Dog Parks: Here’s Why & Better Alternatives By Kimberly Archer Dog Behavior Technician As a dog parent you just want the best for your pup, and as such most of us want [...]
Laser Pointers & Our Dogs: Are They Really Having Fun?
By Beth Napolitano, CPDT Many of us are familiar with the red or green beam of light from laser pointers that may be useful during presentations to direct the attention of an audience. Perhaps even [...]
Dog Agility Training
AKC Offers a New Agility Program for Newcomers to the Sport
The American Kennel Club has begun offering a new program that makes agility more accessible to newcomers. According to the AKC’s website (https://www.akc.org/events/agility/act-program/), the ACT will be available in two levels. “ACT1 is designed [...]
Tighten Those Turns
By Brenna Fender Several dog sports benefit from tight turns. Agility is the most obvious one, but rally and traditional obedience also include about turns that are best done tightly around the handler. Turning tightly [...]
Homemade Agility
By Brenna Fender Before you could buy agility equipment online, and even before plans for making agility equipment became available, people practiced agility for fun in their backyards, and you can too! As long as [...]
Courteous Canine Articles
The Scoop on Scooping Poop
The Scoop on Scooping Poop Scooping poop is more than cleanliness—it is about health, safety, and community respect. Every responsible dog owner should understand why it matters. Dog poop is a serious slipping hazard. Everyone [...]
Conquer the Challenge of Agility
Conquer the Challenge of Agility Agility is often seen as a sport that celebrates canine athleticism, but behind every successful dog is a dedicated human partner. In “Conquer the Challenge: The Human Half of the [...]
To Crate or Not to Crate
By Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., C.D.B.C, CAP2 designed by Kimberly "Kim" Archer, CPDT-KA, CTDI It has become a popular notion to crate dogs, especially during adolescence to encourage a reinforcement history with people [...]
Empowerment Training: Being the Best Dog Parent
1 You are limited to controlling your own behavior. You can’t truly control your dog. The only being we can control is ourselves. Remember how much power there is [...]
The Problem with Shock Collars
The Problem with Shock Collars Download The Problem With Shock Collars as a PDF SHOCK COLLAR MALFUNCTION The first potential problem is that the unit itself may malfunction. Malfunctioning shock collars can cause electrical burns, [...]
The Art and Science of Heeling
The Art & Science of Heeling By Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., C.D.B.C, CAP2 Designed by Kimberly "Kim" Archer, CPDT-KA, CTDI "Heeling is a dance of special connection with my dog. Some view it as [...]
Why I Kiss My Dogs
Why I Kiss My Dogs What my dogs taught me about finding the joy in life By Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., C.D.B.C, CAP2 edited by Kimberly "Kim" Archer, CPDT-KA, CTDI Stevie Life is [...]
Beware the Giant African Land Snail
Beware the Giant African Land Snail By Kimberly "Kim" Archer, CPDT-KA, CTDI The Giant African Land Snail is an incredibly dangerous snail invasive to Florida, and it is also irradicated with an equally dangerous bait, [...]
The Power of Fun in Dog Training
The Power of Fun in Dog Training Being a fun detective pays off huge in dog training It’s six am and while sleeping in your bed, feeling cozy and content, your puppy has pounced on [...]
Why Counter Conditioning Doesn’t Work
A common criticism of counter conditioning is that it does not work. While there can be many reasons why a behavior modification protocol based on counter conditioning fails it is almost always user error not [...]
Being Wrong is Right
Loving Being Wrong Turns out that humans have a huge problem-- we love to be right. Unfortunately, this tendency can be dangerous and actually causes serious tragedies and even death, according to Being Wrong: Adventures [...]
Dog Training 101: What is Clicker Training?
Dog Training 101: What is Clicker Training? By Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., CDBC, CAP2 edited by Kimberly "Kim" Archer, CPDT-KA, CTDI Clicker training is a training method using a handheld plastic box that makes a clicking [...]
Tampa Bay Times Interview: Dog’s good manners according to a Lutz expert
By Philip Morgan, Tampa Bay Times Correspondent Originally published by the Tampa Bay Times here. Angelica Steinker loved dogs early on. “When I was little, I begged my parents for a brother or sister, and [...]
Click & Praise
Click & Praise By Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., C.D.B.C, CAP2 Imagine a reward your dog will never fill up on, a reward that can last exactly as long as you want, and makes your dog incredibly [...]
Play, Don’t Train
Play, Don't Train By Angelica Steinker, M.Ed., C.D.B.C, CAP2 Are your clients less motivated then you would like them to be? Stop telling them to train their dogs, and start telling them to play. It's [...]