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Dog Separation Anxiety: Back-to-School Survival Guide
The lazy days of summer are wrapping up, and families everywhere are shifting gears into early mornings, school buses, and jam-packed schedules. For kids, that means new teachers and new routines. For parents, it’s the balancing act of lunches, drop-offs, and work....
4 Dog Walking Tips Every Frustrated Owner Needs Today
Have you ever stepped outside with your dog and thought, “Here we go again?” The pulling, the barking, the lunging at every squirrel or dog that crosses your path—it can feel like more of a battle than a bonding time. You are not alone. Many owners struggle...
How to Stop Dog Fights Before They Start
If a fight breaks out, remember: don’t use your hands. You can get bitten even if your dog loves you. Instead, try making a loud noise, pouring water, or sliding a barrier like a chair between the dogs. If two adults are present, the “wheelbarrow method” (lifting the...
Traffic Light Game to Stop Your Dog From Jumping
Does your dog launch themselves at you when you walk in the door? Jump on your kids when they run in the yard? Leap all over visitors like they’ve been gone for ten years? Here’s the good news: you can fix it without yelling, pushing them off, or resorting to...
Proper Dog Routine: The Work-Rest-Play Formula
What if I told you the #1 reason your dog is misbehaving isn’t because they’re stubborn, dominant, or broken—it’s because their daily routine is out of whack? It’s easy to think a tired dog is a good dog. Or that giving them endless affection will calm them down. But...
Should You Teach Your Dog to “Look” at You?
Why One Viral Trainer Got It Wrong—and What Real Dog Owners Actually Need Have you seen that viral clip? A well-known trainer opens with, “If there’s one thing I would NEVER teach a dog, it’s to focus on me.” Then he tosses a ball for his Malinois on a beach, moves...
Teaching the Place Command: A Real-Life Guide for Real-Life Dogs
Are You Actually Teaching "Place" — Or Just Hoping Your Dog Stays Put? Karen here. Let me ask you something straight up: when you tell your dog to go to their "place," do they go there, stay there, and know what that even means? Or is it more of a hopeful suggestion...
Adopting Dogs: 5 Big Mistakes New Owners Make
Are you thinking about adopting a dog? Maybe you've already brought home your rescue pup and are wondering, "Why isn't this going as smoothly as I thought?" You're not alone. Post-pandemic, shelters are bursting at the seams, and thousands of well-meaning people are...
Heat Pet Safety: What Every Dog Owner Needs to Know
Ever wonder if it’s really "too hot" to walk your dog, or if you’re just being overly cautious? I get asked that a lot. The truth is—if you’re wondering, you’re probably right to pause. Dogs can get into serious trouble in the heat, and they won’t stop themselves...
National Pet Fire Safety Day: A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way
Ever come back inside to something that makes your heart stop? I have. Years ago, I was relaxing in the evening, candles lit, dogs settled, house calm. You know the vibe—dim lighting, flickering flames, a chance to breathe after a long day. I took one of my dogs out...
How to Calm a Dog During Fireworks
Have you ever watched your dog tremble, pant, or bolt under the couch when fireworks start exploding outside? You’re not alone. Fireworks might be fun for us—but to your dog, they’re a terrifying, unpredictable war zone. And every year, around holidays like Canada Day...
RV Life for Dog Owners: Travel, Work, and Camp With My Dog
Ever wonder what it’s really like to live out of an RV while running a business and bringing your dog along for the ride? Well, I’ll show you. I’m Karen Laws, the Ontario Dog Trainer—and this June (which happens to be National Camping Month, who knew?), I hit...
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