Nature vs. nurture in dogs?

You’ve heard “it’s all in how you raise them” as a defense for a breed with a bad reputation. that right or wrong? Read here to find out if Nature or Nurture (also known as training or genetics) is more important.

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The Scoop on Dominance Theory

We often hear about dogs who are trying to be dominant over their humans. Is that true? Do dogs want to rule the world one human at a time? No, of course not. So, what’s really going on there? This article tells you how the myth started and what’s really going on.

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Should you train your dog yourself?

Is dog training more like car repairs or like dentistry? You might or might not be interested in handling minor car repairs yourself. Or maybe you prefer to keep your hands clean and let professionals change the oil quickly with less risk that the oil will leak out as you drive down the road. But please don’t even consider drilling your own teeth to fix a cavity - go to a dentist. This short article helps you decide which types of dog training you can resolve on your own and when you should seek out professional help.

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Do You Speak Dog?

Sometimes it’s really easy to tell if a dog is happy. And a truly terrified dog is probably pretty obvious to most people. But what does it mean when a dog yawns? Or freezes? Or looks away from you? How can you tell appropriate play from inappropriate? Is it okay for dogs to growl and bite while playing? Is growling at humans okay? Look inside for the answers.

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Why I train this way...

I emphasize the fact that I don't use force (which I loosely define as the use of pain, fear, or intimidation) to train dogs. Why do I bring that up so often? The answer is simple.

Many trainers, including many in my area, do use pain, fear, and intimidation to train.

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Tim Steele