When Hand Signals Come in Handy
Often when I’m working with training clients, they seem impressed that their dog can respond to a hand or arm motion alone without a...
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Nicole Wilde
- Oct 31
- 3 min
When Walking Your Dog is Downright Scary
If you have a dog who is reactive to other dogs, going for a walk can be a scary experience. There you are, wanting to get some exercise...
298 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Sep 13
- 3 min
What Constitutes a Deal-Breaker?
I recently had a training call from a woman who was very distraught. Between crying jags, she explained that she was afraid she was going...
1,028 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Jul 27
- 3 min
Adjusting as Our Dogs Age, and Car Stairs Video
I remember when Mojo, our beloved 120-pound German shepherd-malamute-rottweiler-wolf mix, was a senior. Like so many dogs, his back end...
600 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Jul 19
- 2 min
What are "Red Zone" Dogs, Really?
If you’ve watched television in the last 10 years or kept abreast of dog training culture, you’ve probably encountered the term red zone...
547 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Jul 11
- 2 min
Do Older Dogs Care Less?
You might be familiar with the adage about how, as we get older, we care less about what people think about us. I wonder if the same...
552 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Jun 29
- 3 min
Can you REALLY ever stop using treats?
A concern I sometimes hear from clients as far as the use of training treats goes something like, “But then won’t my dog only listen when...
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Nicole Wilde
- Jun 7
- 2 min
Are You Dog-Centric?
I have a friend who, every time we go somewhere in public, ends up talking to mothers with young children. A baby stroller is a sure sign...
503 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- May 3
- 2 min
Using Competition to Train Dogs
I recently worked with a client who has three dogs. We’d trained each dog separately, and then decided to practice group recalls as well...
536 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Apr 5
- 2 min
But is it a Conditioned Reflex?
At a recent training session, I was talking with a client about the skills we would be teaching his dog. When I mentioned the recall...
757 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Jan 20
- 2 min
Cognition Versus Emotion
While many of my posts are prompted by experiences with my own dogs or others, this one started with a sentence from my latest (not yet...
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Nicole Wilde
- Jan 4
- 2 min
It Just Makes Scents
A dog’s strongest sense is his sense of smell. Dogs can detect odors buried 40 feet underground, find hidden bombs, and even sniff out...
1,152 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Dec 7, 2021
- 3 min
The After Fight Cooldown
My dogs got into a fight this morning. It was over food. Well, not exactly food, but a daily supplement that looks and tastes more like a...
3,061 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Nov 23, 2021
- 2 min
When Canine Crankiness Isn't Just Behavioral
I’m pretty sure every dog owner knows what I mean when I say a dog is getting cranky. Maybe you have two dogs and one is acting snarkier...
670 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Oct 12, 2021
- 3 min
Is Your Dog Spoiled?
I have to say up front that I really dislike the word “spoiled”. When it comes to kids, it’s often followed by the word “brat”. I don’t...
1,134 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Aug 6, 2021
- 3 min
Is it Safe to Leave Your Dog with a Sitter?
A recent article on the CNN website reported an incident concerning an owner leaving her nine-month-old poodle mix with a sitter she...
1,010 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- May 4, 2021
- 3 min
Dog Trainers to Avoid
If you’re reading this with the anticipation of hearing specific trainers’ names, sorry to disappoint you. Oh, sure, I could list local...
4,008 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Apr 28, 2021
- 2 min
Decisions, Decisions
This morning as I let my dogs run down a secluded hiking trail ahead of me, Bodhi spotted a bunny. He froze in place, all of his focus on...
557 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Apr 14, 2021
- 2 min
The Truth is Not Always Easy
I hate being the bad guy. I’m a social person by nature, and I don’t like having to tell people things they don’t want to hear. But...
3,180 views0 comments
Nicole Wilde
- Apr 6, 2021
- 3 min
A Quick Technique for Improving Your Dog Training Skills
Whether you’re a professional trainer or someone who trains their own dogs, there’s always room for improvement. But how can you get...
829 views0 comments