Dawn Falk
About Dawn Falk
Posts by Dawn Falk:
Your Dog’s Doo-doo: It’s Your Job
For some time, people were allowed to walk their dogs inside Rosedale Mall on Sunday mornings. How great was that? It gave people a place to exercise and socialize their dogs no matter the weather – an invaluable perk in the land of subzero temps and windchills. Unfortunately, this opportunity came to an end recently […]
Have You Trained Your Dog Today?
My husband and his three-year-old GSD are heavily and happily involved in search and rescue. They have passed several national certification evaluations for land and shoreline HRD (human remains detection – cadaver), and they now are upping their game, working on FEMA disaster search standards with their local team, Minnesota K9 Search Specialists, whose lofty […]
Where Are You Rewarding Your Dog?
Dogs go to where they are rewarded. Well, who wouldn’t, really? But where dogs are concerned, a quick example happens when you feed your dog; if you feed him his meals in the same place every day, he will learn go to that spot at meal times. Some dogs will even go the spot, without […]
Why Tricks?
If you’ve never taught your dog tricks, you are missing out on some serious fun. While it’s true that we often refer to the good manners behaviors (sit, down, come, etc.) as tricks, that’s just the beginning. There are so many more clever and entertaining behaviors your dog can learn – and for good reason. […]
Heel Position – Does Your Dog Understand It?
Heel position. It’s one of the first things I teach my puppy. Being in heel position, for my puppy – or dog, means to be next to me on my left side with her neck/shoulder area in line with the seam of my pants. If I’m standing still, my dog will sit calmly to me, […]
Does Your Dog Have/Need Impulse Control?
Impulse control. It’s definitely a buzz phrase in the dog training world. But what exactly is it? Does your dog need it? Does your dog have it? If not, how do you teach it to your dog? One great example of impulse control can be seen at any agility trial, where a dog, who has […]
Dogs Obey You and Their Instincts – You Decide Which
As pack animals, dogs like to contribute to the survival and the success of their pack. They like to have jobs, they take direction well, and they are programmed to obey a leader – you, assuming you have taught them what to do and have earned their respect. However, absent a good leader – someone […]
Three “Ds” of Dog Training
You train our dog at home, often in the same spot – the kitchen usually. And why not? You and your dog spend a lot of time there, that’s where the treats are, it’s convenient. And guess what? Your dog learns to sit, lie down and pay attention perfectly. It all goes so darn well! […]
Have You Taught Your Dog Not To Jump?
A student recently expressed frustration over the bad habit his dog has developed of jumping on people – especially at the dog park. He is annoyed that people don’t mind when his dog jumps on them, and they even allow it instead of pushing his dog away. A couple of thoughts came to mind immediately. […]