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Not everyone likes or owns guns, but if you're one of the millions of Americans who do, how can you train your dog not to be gun shy? Even if you don’t hunt or own a gun, you still want a dog that is not noise shy. Gun or noise-shy dogs panic and run away when they hear a loud noise. They’ll often dart into the street, often getting hit by a car.

Who wouldn’t feel safer knowing their family pet was also a trained guard dog!? If you have small children, live alone, or in a less than safe neighborhood, a trained protection dog can be an extra element of protection for you and your family. If you don’t like guns, or worry about whether you're skilled in self-defense, think about training your dog to be a protector.

Any veterinarian will tell you the two things that will cure almost every problem a dog has are “exercise and diet.” If you feed your dog the proper diet and get them the right amount of exercise from the day you get them, you’ll eliminate most of their health issues for their entire life. Depending on the breed you have, your dog may experience genetic issues.

Most owners can easily tell when a bark is a warning, or when their dog is yelping in pain. But other barks can indicate anything from boredom and attention seeking to “asking” for help. Do you know what your dog’s barks mean?

The annual Colorado Rockies Bark at the Park is around the corner. They encourage all owners and their dogs to come out and enjoy the ball game and being outdoors and around other dogs. If the most socializing your dog gets is with family, or at your local dog park, this is a great opportunity for them to have an even greater time - but ONLY if they’re ready for it. Are they?

Dogs are very trainable, and most love to learn new commands – especially when there are treats involved. Sit, stay, fetch, and high five are some of the most common beginner commands, but I like to start out the dogs I train with the commands that will keep them safe. Different trainers teach different things, but these are the commands I like to see a dog learn first:

Dogs may develop aggressive behavior for a wide variety of reasons, and identifying the type of aggression your dog is displaying is a huge part of treatment. The average owner is not equipped or trained to deal with aggression in their dog, but most aggression can be identified and corrected by a professional trainer. Seeking professional help is a great way to keep you and your dog safe.

Why? Dogs evolved eating the raw dog food diet. They are not ‘designed’ to eat corn and wheat which comprises about half of what is in commercial kibbles and canned pet foods. Feeding your dog raw means you will be in complete control of everything, just like the control you have about the food you eat or serve to your family.

Toys can be a great training tool if used in the right way. Many people make the mistake of having their dog’s toys strewn around the house for him to have whenever he pleases. Avoid this. Have one special toy that is used for training purposes. The dog will covet that toy and see it as a reward for good behavior. Toys should generally be reserved for outside play. When the dog is in the home, you want him to be calm and relaxed. You should be the one to dictate when it is play time, not the dog. While you should not have toys around the home, firm (not hard) plastic chew bones and the like are perfectly fine in moderation.

I try and maintain a very open mind when it comes to the dog training methods I employ. For me, anything goes. It really depends on the situation and the dog I am working with. I never rule any method out unless I have directly experienced it for myself and found it to be lacking. People who insist on attributing some type of label to my training approach would probably describe me as a balanced trainer; however, none of the approaches I employ involve balancing equal amounts of anything.

The idea of sending a difficult dog away to a board and train program in Denver sounds like the perfect solution. But while these programs may sound convenient, they’re often too good to be true. The truth is that you can't send your dog away to a board and train facility and expect a perfect dog to be delivered back to you. I’d like to offer you important considerations and an alternative perspective that you should absolutely consider before committing to a board and train Denver program.

People are lured by false promises that simply sending their dogs to an expensive facility for a couple of weeks will be the solution to all their problems. Believe me, it won’t. I discuss the core problem with board and train and give you important considerations for effective dog training.

While you’re introducing your puppy to these new experiences, ensure that they’re guidance and attention is from you. This way, your puppy will learn positive associations with these new experiences. When they have a successful interaction with a human or another dog, reward their proper mindset and good behavior. Praise is the perfect reward. It’s free, always available, and won’t cause your dog to gain weight.