Trainer Tips

Does your dog bark and lunge at dogs, people, or other things? Reactivity is a common challenge fosters and adopters face, but it’s one with a high success rate in resolving it. And, OPH has a new video about it. What is reactivity and why does it happen? Reactivity is an over-the-top response to everyday things: growling, barking, lunging, or spinning at the end of the leash. For many dogs, the trigger is other dogs, especially on leash. Reactivity is not aggression. It's a

Struggling with a puppy who tries to chew on his collar? A dog who ducks under her harness and then freezes in place every time you put it on? Or a dog who just runs away whenever you pick up the leash? You can easily acclimate your dog or puppy to a collar, harness, and leash. It’s just a bit of a process. Remember the first time you had to wear dress shoes or a suit, and how uncomfortable it felt? You probably fidgeted the entire time, but as an adult, you don’t even notice

Crating vs. Containment - it’s a frequent topic for OPH Training. Folks reach out to us because a dog is unhappy or even panicked in a crate. That can happen in a confinement area too, but it’s less frequent and usually less severe. While crates are valuable tools, many behavior professionals now recommend starting with a safe confinement area whenever possible, especially for dogs that are anxious or fearful. However, you may need to address the issue of the dog jumping a g