Puppy Teething & Nipping: Survival Tips & Misconceptions

“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 is the cause of some undesirable behaviors that puppies demonstrate.

When is my puppy teething?

Most puppy owners don’t actually know when teething starts […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2024-04-18T15:20:15-04:00April 18, 2024|Helpful Hints, Myth Busting, Puppies, Tutorials and How-To Guides|0 Comments

Agility is a Behavior Chain

Do you know what a behavior chain is? All agility competitors should understand this concept. If this is unfamiliar to you, this will change your understanding of how dogs learn. Let’s get started!

What is a behavior chain?

A behavior chain is an event in which units of behavior occur in sequences and are linked together by learned cues. -Karen Pryor

What does that mean in English? A behavior chain is a performance in which behaviors are strung together by cues the learner understands. Cue-behavior-cue-behavior-cue-behavior-cue-behavior, followed by a […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2024-04-08T10:09:57-04:00April 2, 2024|Dog Agility, Helpful Hints, Training|0 Comments

What Chew Should I Bring to Dog Training Class?

At Crossbones, we have an unusual item on our group class “required equipment” list: an edible chew or enrichment toy. After many years of teaching group classes (Katherine started back in 2007!), we realized it’s difficult for owners to manage their dogs and listen to the instructor at the same time. To set everyone up for success, we now coach owners to bring something tasty that […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2024-01-29T15:30:09-05:00January 29, 2024|Blog, Group Classes, Helpful Hints, Tutorials and How-To Guides|Comments Off

What Makes a Great Training Treat?

Be sure to pick a training treat that your dog enjoys!

The number one question I receive from owners learning to clicker train their dogs: what makes a great training treat? Here are the things I recommend you consider when choosing treats to use while training your dog.

Size

You will be using a lot of treats when training your dog. In order to avoid weight gain, cut your training treats into the tiniest pieces possible. My rule of thumb is that treats should be no larger than the size of a pea; […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2022-08-15T19:43:45-04:00August 15, 2022|Helpful Hints, Training|2 Comments

How to Chop Dog Treats in 5 Minutes or Less

In our Day School program, we go through a lot of dog treats! During our busiest weeks, it is not uncommon for us to use 10 pounds or more. We’re always looking for the fastest and most cost-effective ways to prepare and store this much food in our training studio.

When it comes to food rolls, we have this down to a science. We recommend and sell Happy Howie’s treat rolls. Happy Howie’s rolls are way less crumbly than other rolls on the market, which is why they are our favorite. These are 1- or 2-pound chubs of semi-soft dog treats which you can […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2017-12-30T03:42:59-05:00September 7, 2016|Tutorials and How-To Guides, Helpful Hints, Product Reviews|2 Comments

Choosing A Best Friend: What to Consider When Finding a New Dog

There are so many choices when it comes to adding a new dog to your household. There are hundreds of breeds to choose from, not to mention the thousands of wonderful dogs in shelters across the country. If you have never had a dog before, or haven’t had one since childhood, it can be overwhelming! Here are some things to consider when adding a dog to your family.

Not all dogs would be so tolerant of this child’s advances! (Photo Credit: Giulio Nepi)

Do you have children? Dogs weighing less than ten […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2016-02-02T15:34:26-05:00February 2, 2016|Helpful Hints, Puppies|Comments Off

Creative Puppy Socialization

Good puppy socialization requires a bit of creativity. Read on some suggestions for getting your new addition “out and about” in the real world.

Always be on the lookout for new people for your puppy to meet! This German Shepherd puppy is learning that people in uniform are a good thing. (Photo by Nicholas Wadler)

Remember that when socializing your puppy, your goal should always be exposure without overwhelming him. We want your puppy to experience novel things without getting scared […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2017-12-30T04:20:29-05:00December 31, 2015|Helpful Hints, Puppies, Training, Tutorials and How-To Guides|Comments Off

The Power of Peanut Butter

Behold! One of the most versatile dog training tools known to man. (Photo Credit: Victoria Chilinski)

What’s your favorite training tool? Dog trainers are always looking for the latest and greatest items to add to their bag of tricks. My answer can be found at any supermarket or convenience store: peanut butter!

For Agility Dogs

My passion for peanut butter began while attending agility classes with Tessie. She is a whiner, and would anxiously await her next turn on the equipment by making all sorts of strange noises. Springers are capable of making […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2015-12-15T21:18:55-05:00December 17, 2015|Group Classes, Helpful Hints, Reactive Dogs, Training|1 Comment

Stop Free-Feeding: How to Feed Your Dog Regular Meals

Is there always a bowl of food on your kitchen floor? If so, you’re free-feeding. (Photo by JnL on Flickr.)

One of the first management recommendations I make to my clients is to stop “free-feeding” their dog. Free-feeding means leaving a bowl of dog food on the ground for hours at a time, if not all day long, rather than giving the dog regularly scheduled meals which need to be eaten immediately.

Here are some of the problems with free-feeding:

Free-fed dogs are harder to housebreak. Scheduled input of food means […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2015-12-02T16:00:02-05:00December 7, 2015|Helpful Hints, Training, Tutorials and How-To Guides|Comments Off

Puppy Nipping: A Plan to Stop It

Puppy nipping is one of the most frustrating behaviors that new owners report. It hurts! But you’ll see a big reduction in puppy nipping in a short period just by getting some human cooperation.

If this is a familiar sight, it’s time for a new training plan! (Photo Credit: Renata Lima, Flickr)

Let’s start by examining why your puppy is putting his mouth on things. I don’t like to spend a ton of time pondering why a dog is doing what he’s doing, but puppy nipping is such a frustrating behavior for owners […]

By Katherine Ostiguy, KPA CTP CPDT-KA|2015-11-23T02:27:07-05:00November 23, 2015|Helpful Hints, Puppies, Training, Tutorials and How-To Guides|Comments Off