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| Subject | Date Asked |
| Boston Terrier aggression | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: Our Boston Terrier is 2 1/2 years. He is an indoor dog. He is friendly with all our family and ... A: He may not like the dog park and may not be suited for it, too many dogs he does not know and he may ... | |
| training a resue dog | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: I am thinking about adopting a four month old puppy from a local shelter. He is a stray that was ... A: No, 4 months is really young! Dogs can be trained at any age. There is no problem separating the ... | |
| When I'm not home | 5/29/2010 |
| Q: I saw a question on here that kinda answered my question but not really. My dog is a very obediant, ... A: If you're gone, only way I can think of is preventing it physically. Closing bedroom door, or using ... | |
| Friend's Growling Dog | 11/10/2009 |
| Q: My friend has a black lab mix and she always growls at me whenever I come over, but she never used ... A: No, it's probably not abuse-related. But it is a fear issue, most aggression stems from fear. ... | |
| Heel-work , stop and sit. | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: I have a six months old Portuguese water dog. Wonderful little girl and I love her to bits. I am ... A: This should be a pretty simple thing for an obedience instructor to teach you, so I would find a ... | |
| Biting - is this agressive or not? | 10/29/2009 |
| Q: My male maltese is 13 weeks old and I have had him for 2 weeks. He is constantly trying to bite my ... A: No, it's not true aggression, if you define aggression as the intent to harm. It's a normal fiesty ... | |
| Papertraining | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: I have new maltipoo puppy (born April 26). We've had her since she was 8 weeks old (about a month ... A: Honestly, it's easier to just train a dog to go outside. Puppy Pads are unreliable for most people, ... | |
| HELP! Puppy aggression! | 6/27/2009 |
| Q: I have a 10 week old male puppy. He is a Chihuahua Pekingese Pomeranian mix. I got this dog when he ... A: So he did not have his mother dog to raise and discipline him. Have you seen a mother with pups? ... | |
| AGGRESSION | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: I have an 11 y.o. Bull Terrier and a 2 y.o. French Bulldog. I've had the BT since he was 4 and the ... A: Poor Bull Terrier getting bullied by a little guy, hah! They are both tough breeds, they are ... | |
| puppies | 6/14/2009 |
| Q: We are getting two puppies at the same time. In the past we've always had just one dog, but now we ... A: I would not do it, personally, but some people do. If you do, keep them separate. Do not crate ... | |
| deaf dog | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: we have just adopted an American Bulldog (male, approx 1-2 yrs old) who is deaf. We have a 3yr old ... A: A good trainer would be helpful, one who has experience training deaf dogs. There are collars you ... | |
| Puppy biting while walking | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: we have a 5 month old mixed breed puppy. She is a great puppy and has come a long way in her ... A: If a dog stops walking, or starts to chew on their leash, the best thing to do is start walking, and ... | |
| Crate training | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: I have two dogs one is 2 1/2 yorkie/pom and a 9 month old puppy. The puppy is crate trained and does ... A: He is probably going to the washroom all over the house at night because he knows he can get away ... | |
| 4 month old shepherd fear aggression | 10/26/2008 |
| Q: 2 weeks ago I adopted a 4 month old anatolian/german shepherd mix. He is healthy, neutered and seems ... A: It sounds like you will need more training than anything at PetSmart can provide. The problem is ... | |
| yorkie out of control | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: I have a Yorkie that will be 2 this December. She was a gift during a tough time in my life I had ... A: For the housebreaking, crating is really the best solution, and regular bathroom breaks. If you ... | |
| housebreaking | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: I have this new puppy but its been a month and I still have not got her housetrained.Can you give me ... A: Use a crate, search "crate training" or "housebreaking a puppy" online for more tips. When a dog is ... | |
| Dog pees when they know they've done something they shouldn't have... | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: I am looking for help on how to get my 1 year old Shih tzu to stop peeing when she knows she's done ... A: It is submissive urination. A dog will do this to another higher-ranking dog to signify submission, ... | |
| DOG GOING INHOUSE | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: DOG IS TRAINED BUT ONCE IN WHILE HE GOES IN THE HOUSE. WHAT DO I DO TO STOP THIS. HE IS 9 MOS. OLD. A: Go back to crate training. Then give him one room at a time, if he keeps clean, expand his freedom. ... | |
| Therapy Dog Training | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: Hack, Hello. I am a student working on a project about therapy dogs and was hoping that I would be ... A: I think it would be best to ask a therapy dog group directly. Here is a link to one that is in ... | |
| Shelter GSD Aggression and other behavioral issues | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: While at an animal shelter today, we came across a beautiful German Shepherd (or at least 99% ... A: He sounds like a good dog; it's hard to evaluate a dog when they are under the stress and chaos of a ... | |
| peeing | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: I was cooking dinner and my husband came in the kitchen for about a minute when he returned to the ... A: I don't know the relationship between the dogs and the husband, so it's hard to say. I have heard ... | |
| GSD/agression towards other dogs | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: You have been so helpful to me. I thank you. As you have suggested, I am not taking my GSD to the ... A: Sure, at some point you have to use other dogs while you train a dog who is dog-aggressive. It is ... | |
| dog howling when i leave him | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: my 14 yr old cocker spaniel appears to have separation, anxiety problems...whenever i leave without ... A: The dog is 14 years old, and did not have this problem before? I would try to find a dog day care ... | |
| My dog is pooping in a different area | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: My dog is 11 years old and has just recently started pooping in a completely different area. He has ... A: Depending on what breed the dog is, 11 years old can be fairly old. For example, some breeds life ... | |
| Pooping Issues | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: I have a 4 year old border collie/shepherd mix that has been housebroken since she was a puppy. We ... A: The goal is to get the dog to go to the bathroom outside in the morning. Some things may have ... | |
| Biting Problem and deworming during vaccination?? | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: I have a very agressive 10 wk old female chug. She is VERY mouthy, which would not be a big ... A: I would give her something TO bite. Puppies explore with their mouths. She should learn that ... | |
| Dog suddenly acting agressive toward our other dog | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: We adopted a dog about 4 years ago, Casey. We have another dog in the house, a 13 year old lab mix. ... A: Dominance between dogs can change and shift, and it appears Casey is now the dominant one. I think ... | |
| My 1 1/2 yr old Old English Bulldog/Boxer | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: I have a 1 1/2 yr old Old English Bulldog/Boxer mix, male. He is a fun, friendly dog. My husband and ... A: You are right, that certainly is dangerous and frustrating for him to be running away. Sure, it may ... | |
| dog peeing in house | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: "Hi ~~ My boss's family recently added a 4 year old male Irish Water Spaniel(Diver) to their ... A: I am not sure how long they've had the dog, but it's probably safe to say the dog is undergoing a ... | |
| Pooping problems.. | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: My boyfriend and I just recently moved in together with our 2 Jack Russells (both female). My dog, ... A: I think she needs to be acclimated to the crate, and crated until she can be more reliable in ... | |
| New Papillion 1 year old female | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I recently adopted a female papillion 1 year old. It appears she was not sociallized very much. ... A: If you have had the dog for about a week or so, it will still take more time before you see the dogs ... | |
| Mini-Dachsund takes submissive urination to a new level | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I have a mini dachsund, and he will be two years in december. He's pretty good about going to the ... A: When you say he is "pretty good" about going to the bathroom outside, does that mean he has a ... | |
| Dog aggressive lab mix | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I have a 2 1/2 year old female lab mix that my family and I adopted from the local shelter when she ... A: Your fear is valid. If she is escaping there is a chance she could kill or seriously injure ... | |
| aggression/barking German Shepherd | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: My GSD is a little over a year and a half. She is spayed. We use a bark collar when we take her to ... A: It sounds like you put the bark collar on the dog because she was displaying aggression and barking ... | |
Answers by Expert:
Top Expert on this page
Jennifer of www.DynamicDogsChicago.com I can answer questions on dogs- specifically on all types of training (protection training, pet training, competition, sport), behavior issues, breeds and breed history, some heath/veterinary, and any questions on nutrition or supplements. I like to give honesty from my experience and knowledge, and creative solutions to problems. BEHAVIOR PROBEMS, NO MATTER WHAT I TELL YOU- if you are having aggression problems, you need to find a qualified trainer. Behavior with dogs has to be seen in person, because owners interpret it in different ways. You cannot correct a dog who isn't trained, all dogs need a foundation of obedience training before you can fix these behavioral problems. PLEASE NO MORE QUESTIONS ON HOUSEBREAKING- Read my article on housebreaking www.dynamicdogschicago.com
I am a Professional Dog Trainer and Behaviorist in Chicago, IL. I have experience with ALL breeds of dogs, and specifically more with working breeds. I have been around dogs all my life and have studied dogs in both behavioral research and theory, as well as hands-on. I have personally obedience trained hundreds of dogs for clients. I tend to stay away from un-balanced training or "trendy" training (such as "purely positive") that does not fix problems but wastes time and causes owners to give up on their dogs. I don't believe in one-size-fits-all. A balanced technique uses positive reinforcement and marker training as well as corrections, with an understanding of the individual dog. It is not about "methods", although HUMANE methods is a must, it is about reading dogs, truly understanding them, and getting concrete results. I also do rescue and train those dogs as well. I also have experience in holistic health care for dogs, including raw diets, nutrition, and homeopathic remedies.
Publications
http://www.examiner.com/x-7848-Chicago-Dog-Training-Examiner
Education/Credentials
background in Clinical Psychology, CPDT (dog training certification), self-taught, apprenticeships
Past/Present Clients
http://www.examiner.com/x-7848-Chicago-Dog-Training-Examiner

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