FernDog – Dog Training and Behavior Consultations in New Jersey

I just heard something that needs to be addressed. I got a call from someone that was having some issues about their black lab. I was doing my usual routine of asking lots and lots of questions to discover what the real problems were and what the dog’s possible motivations for the behaviors might be. The woman describing to me how her dog was acting aggressively toward people but “his tail was wagging . . .” Ahhhh, every dog trainer has heard this one numerous times and every time it makes us want to scream. There’s no bigger misconception in … Continue reading →

About a month or two ago something happened that really made me question my career. I can’t remember exactly what I was doing but for some reason I asked my dog Hayley, who’s been with me for ten years now, to go “down.” Immediately upon hearing the command and seeing the accompanying hand signal Hayley did absolutely nothing. Zip. Nada. She just stood there, looking at me. Taken aback by my dog’s noncompliance, I repeated the command and exaggerated the hand signal. Still nothing. I couldn’t believe it. After all, I’m a dog trainer – I should have the most … Continue reading →

When I adopted my dog, Hayley, just over ten years ago, rawhide was the bone of choice to give your dog when he was looking for something to gnaw on. And I, like so many others out there, bought them in large quantities and happily gave them to my dog thinking I was doing her a huge favor and was so proud of myself for being such a good dog owner. Looking back now, I see how much we took for granted about our dog’s health and well-being. We figured that if pet stores sold it, it must be good. … Continue reading →

Last week my best furry best friend, Hayley, celebrated her eleventh birthday. Where has the time gone? Was it really ten years ago that I visited that apartment in New York City to see a super hyper pit bull that was being fostered? Back then it was definitely love at first site for both of us and our feelings for each other have only grown over the years. Time really does fly by . . . Hayley has been, and continues to be, such a huge influence in my life. When I decided to adopt a dog back in 2001 … Continue reading →

Yesterday I was at a one-year-old birthday party with my wife and two daughters. About an hour into it I found myself sitting down watch my girls wait to get balloon animals (that would pop in the not so distant future causing a meltdown of three-year-old proportions), when a woman seating close by asked me a question. “Is there some kind of pit bull support group I can join?” she asked with an undertone of frustration. “I’m so sick of people avoiding me on walks or refusing to come into my house because I have a pit bull. He’s the … Continue reading →

One of the things that I (and pretty much all dog trainers) recommend when bringing home a puppy is getting informed early on and beginning training right away. And one of the best and most cost effective ways to do that is to enroll in a puppy class. Puppy classes can be a great way to get some very important information on how to properly raise your puppy, teach the little guy some manners and enable your pup to interact with both people and dogs, scoring him some critical socialization. To me socialization is the #1 thing you should be … Continue reading →

I’m going to tell you something that is going to sound bit surprising: I want to put myself out of business. Yep, you heard me correctly. My new professional goal is to make sure you never hire me. The bulk of my clients call me because they are having some behavior problems with their adult dogs. These dogs are often between the ages of 1 and 3, and the behaviors have usually been going on for a while by the time they actually reach out to me. In almost every case the problem stems from lack of socialization. Personally, I … Continue reading →