Bringing a puppy home is exciting… and also a little overwhelming! Many new puppy owners start searching for guidance right away, often landing on a local “puppy kindergarten” class. But: can a weekly puppy training class really prepare your puppy for life? The Limits of a Puppy Kindergarten Class A typical puppy training class looks [Read more...]

For online registration, we have used Acuity Scheduling for many years. They are on the cusp of rolling out an update that we think would make signing up for classes and appointments unnecessarily difficult for you. This update was due to arrive on very short notice, and we have hustled to move everything over to [Read more...]

Why is jumping up on people such a pervasive dog behavior? Because everything we naturally do to stop the behavior actually serves to reward it. Dogs jump up on people because they are seeking social contact. They hope we will look at them, talk to them, and/or touch them. So, if we look at the [Read more...]

Crate training and acclimating your puppy to "alone time" doesn't have to be stressful! Wick chooses to sleep in his crate because that's where his cozy bed is. Are you worried about creating separation anxiety in your new puppy? By having a plan to safely introduce "alone time" in a way that meets [Read more...]

Here at Crossbones, our goal is that you hit the ground running and start making progress in your very first dog training class. In today’s post, I’ll outline some common but costly dog owner mistakes when it comes to attending classes. Set yourself up for success and get the most out of your dog training [Read more...]

"Teething" is perhaps the most misunderstood concept in puppy raising. In today's blog post, I'll explain what it is, what it isn't, and how to work through your puppy's nipping behavior effectively and with kindness. Teething refers to the period of time where a puppy's teeth are erupting. The discomfort associated with the teething process [Read more...]