Hosting webisode on DogStarDaily

A while back I got an e mail from Dr. Ian Dunbar, who's pretty much the Godfather of modern dog training. (to me it was a little bit like getting a call from Bruce Lee if you're an martial artist or Scorcese if you're a movie director.) Anyway, he asked me to shoot an episode on dog training for his Web TV channel/site DogStarDaily and have it featured under a series of shows called America's Dog Trainers. The idea was to feature different trainers of the "new" generation and have them show what they do and who they are and how they work. My show just went live and is featured this week (but will stay up forever) and the topic is Kids and Dogs. Please go take a look and forward the links to anyone you think might benefit from the information in it. It'll also give you a pretty good idea f how I work and who I am if you're considering working with me.

Let me know what you think. There are two different videos so click on both to see all.

(Part 1) Rikke Brogaard - Kids and Dogs | Dog Star Daily

(Part 2) Rikke Brogaard - Kids and Dogs | Dog Star Daily

I don't really advertise this a lot but......

I will, on occasion, board dogs at my house. It tends to be client's dogs but I will take dogs that are good with children and no dog aggressive dogs (to be fair to my Olive). I find that a lot of people are uncomfortable with leaving their dog at a kennel or boarding facility where they'll spend the majority of the time confused and stressed in a crate, and where they don't know who will be handling their dog. Plus, some day care facilities and boarding places are little germ farms so there's always a chance that a dog will come back with something. It doesn't always happen, but it can. When a dog stays with me they'll live with us as a member of the family. That means park walks (or jogs) and cuddling in the evenings and lots of interaction and no stress. It's also handy if the client has an issue they'd like to work with their dog on and we can schedule training sessions while the dog is with me. Olive, my Great Dane, is what I call a Slowly Moving Couch. She is super mellow and gets along with everyone. Nothing can rattle her. Pesky puppies chewing on her ears; No Problem. Crazy adolescent Lab bouncing on top of her; Whatever, Dude. It makes it very easy to have an extra dog staying here and she makes an excellent buddy for fearful dogs. I love having dogs here so it works out for everyone. Give me a shout or send me a mail if you're interested in having your dog stay at my house; info@rikkebdogtraining.com or call 917-821-6752 for availability and details.

Little Eddie

How cute is this little bulldog? We've been working on basic manners and he's just so much fun and picks everything up so quickly so we threw a couple of tricks in there. This is Eddie doing "BANG"!! At the sight of the hand signal (hand with fingers pointed like a gun) and the verbal cue BANG, he has to "drop dead". He's done it perfectly for me a few times and this is the owner's first time trying. Almost perfect; now she just needs to practice and perfect it a little more.

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A word on Owner Compliance...

Yes I am a dog trainer, and I both teach dogs new behaviors and sometimes I teach them to feel differently about something or someone. BUT, while I can probably get dogs to jump through hoops in a relatively short amount of time I cannot promise your dog will do it forever or continue to do so without YOU, the owner. The success of the work we do together is very much up to you as well, and about how consistent you are when the training sessions are done. Unless you put an effort into the work, and unless you're willing to practice and work with your dog even when I'm not there it's not going to be as effective as if you do. My goal in working with you and your dog is to teach YOU to interact and succeed in communicating with your dog. I often get calls from dog owners who ask me to take their dog for a week or two or however long it will take me to train their dog, but unless the owner is willing to also work with the dog it doesn't make a lot of sense. If they need to get training jump started and the owner needs to feel encouraged and see progress I'm happy to do it but I ask for a commitment from the owner as well so we can do a few sessions together and so I can teach the owner what's going on with their dog.

Having said that, I understand that it can seem overwhelming when your dog is not complying or doesn't seem to listen to you so I'm always careful to tailor the training and home work to the client's schedule so it's realistic for everyone. This is supposed to be FUN!!!

Check out this book review.

For those who are truly interested in understanding how dog's view the world, and how they collect information, this book may be for you.

Check out the review in The NY Times today.

Book Review - 'Inside of a Dog - What Dogs See, Smell, and Know,' by Alexandra Horowitz - Review - NYTimes.com

One of my favorite, interactive, dog toys

Anyone who's ever worked with me knows I'm big on getting people to engage their dog and to teach them how to play with interactive dog toys so the dog has something to do and has a way of engaging him or her self when you're not ready to throw a tennis ball for two hours. Here's Hudson, a less than one year old Golden Retriever (a sexy, sexy, dog) figuring out that if he knocks the Twist n' Treat around kibble will fall out.

I love my dog...

OMG I"m so in love with my dog. I want to marry her.......and it's not like I have any better offers, so.......

Olive is the easiest and the most mellow dog I've ever had. She is a big on cuddling and lounging. We should all have an Olive in our lives; there's be no more wars or stress....