This is entirely up to your preference! Whether you want your dog to sleep with you on your bed, or their own space (their own bed or crate) make sure that it's something you have them practice from a very young age! Dogs are a creature of habit and if sleeping on your bed is something that works for them, then they're going to repeat it until something else works better/instead, and it can be your responsibility to get them used to an alternative early on, so that you know you both have options, and as your dog gets a bit older and can understand you preferring one over the other at times. Be as consistent as possible early on so that you build the habits you want and that your dog is successful with before deciding to make changes!

To communicate and show how they're feeling at that specific moment, about the environment around them! A wagging tail can mean friendliness, happiness, excitement, and feeling good about something. To be more certain of how your dog is truly feeling, please make sure that you're looking at your dog's body language in its entirety. Ears, eyes, hair, body stiffness, mouth etc!

Generally speaking no. This can be a cause of stress for dogs and oftentimes the scenarios where it looks like our dogs are 'protecting' us from something or someone is more likely a case of resource guarding, where the resource they're guarding is you. Even resource guarding, which is common for dogs and animals (including us) to do for one reason or another isn't a pleasant one. And although the idea of our dogs wanting to protect us and vice versa can be nice, it's best that they play the role of family pet, friend and companion rather than protector. As there are many complicated human-made scenarios where dogs just aren't well equipped to know and differentiate whether they should respond in one way or another, meaning it's better to take the safer side and have ourselves be the ones to protect them and be there for them!

Absolutely not! However.. as we ourselves get paid for the work and efforts we do, there's no reason our dogs shouldn't get compensated for wanted behaviour. That said, there are many ways that we reward ourselves and others when we do something we're happy about. Simply feeling accomplished is a reward, but while we're working on shaping a wanted behaviour in a dog, especially a puppy, we can use treats, and sometimes even their kibble (which they will be getting on a daily, anyway) to reinforce desired actions. Just as well, incorporating food into daily activities and exercises can and will make a healthier, more responsive, fulfilled, and obedient pooch!

100% However not in terms of what type of training but rather what type of enrichment activities and exercises you should consider based on your dog's breed. A common misconception is that a breed is harder to train or raise than others, and although they each have different needs and at different levels, when we first consider training we must think of setting our dogs (regardless of their breed) to be successful thanks to our guidance. A pug can end up requiring more training than a german shepherd, if we don't provide him with proper guidance, training and what they need as a dog and individual from the start, first and foremost!

Let's jump straight into a few examples! 1. When you're walking your dog and you ask him to sit but he doesn't listen. If sitting is something your dog normally does on walks with little difficulty, if you're finding that they're struggling to do so all of a sudden, you should first take a moment to wonder if there are any external factors (such as noises, smells, people, dogs, or cars, etc) that are either distracting or concerning to your dog. If so, then the best thing you can do is avoid repeating the verbal command/cue and instead help your dog walk away in a fun, light way until they feel more at ease and you can reconnect with one another, before trying again. 2. When you're in a classroom (for dog training) and your dog isn't listening. Break down the lesson you're trying to work on, with your dog that you're finding they're struggling with. Your trainer can help you with this, but the most important thing when it comes to your dog not listening is how you react. Practice making things easier for your dog by re-trying the lessons/commands you're working on with your dog, in a way that is more doable for you both. If your dog isn't listening, chances are they're either having an off day, they're tired, overstimulated, or feeling too distracted. Ge what you can during class but be sure to practice again, at home. 3. When you're at the dog park/at a social setting and he doesn't listen. From experience, in social settings, most pet parents tend to speak and expect their dogs to listen when they're doing something they're not happy with. If this is a habit that has been forming over time, it might be wisest to revisit these environments as a whole. If your dog isn't successfully listening to you here and there, the best thing for you to do is to help them walk away (preferably done using a leash) and try speaking to them once again when they've reconnected with you and given you more of their attention. If they're struggling to focus on your voice in a social setting, it could be due to similarly challenging elements as the first example. To conclude, the common denominator among all examples above is that before expecting your dog to listen to you, you will want to practice even more listening on your part. One thing is for sure: dogs aren't listening on purpose or because they don't want to. They're simply reacting to their environment around them and if you pay close attention to it and them, you will be even more in tune with your dog which will let your dog know that you listen to them as well!

The iFetch Frenzy is a dog toy that does a lot of the leg work (or arm work in this case) for you! The iFetch is an automatic ball launcher that you can set up and teach your dog to use so that he/she has easy, ongoing access to a fun game of fetch. Highly energetic dogs can definitely benefit from and enjoy this additional outlet for their physical stimulation (and mental, in the early days of this toy as they figure out just how it works). As someone who has used this toy and works with a large number of dogs who have additional energy they’d love to burn, I do recommend this toy. However.. just like with any, engaging dog toy (or any type of highly engaging activity), there are a few things you will want to keep in mind when using it. 1. Preventing an obsession. Dogs, especially young ones can easily form an obsession with this type of toy if it’s one they can access at any time, particularly when they’re already feeling very energized and excited. Therefore it’s important that your dog is at all times well socialized with this toy, in a way where he/she gets to interact with it in different ways. Such as by eating food around it (snuffling, using their nose) and resting close to it. Doing so will prevent an obsession with the toy and the excitement it can bring. Toys can and should also be associated with relaxation and calmness. That way your dog has a few different ways of being and feeling around it, to prevent an obsession. 2. It doesn’t replace time with you. Activities and time with your are more important than anything else in your dog’s life, and although an automated toy like the iFetch can buy you a bit of time when you’re busy, it will never be as good and as fruitful and time and other enrichment activities that you can do together. You want to make sure that any activity similar to this one is only a small part of the games and things you do together, as this can also help prevent any kind of obsession and further strengthen your bond around toys, people, and other environments. 3. It doesn’t meet all of your dog’s physical needs. The game of fetch in general is really only one of the few types of exercises you should be doing with your dog. Walking, jogging, running, chasing, tugging, crawling, jumping and many other types of activities are key when raising a dog. So make sure that if you love playing fetch with your dog and are considering getting an iFetch, you’ve got all the other areas, and more, covered!

100% yes! Dog training schools that offer agility training will likely have a minimum age requirement (as they should!) for pups to join their agility training program and perhaps even a set of skills required as well. You will also want to double-check with your vet as to how young your pup should start doing agility training in general. That said, most agility training programs will start with very basic and beginner-level exercises, not only for safety reasons but also to make it as enjoyable as possible for you and your pooch! But the moment you feel ready to start, please do! Agility Training is one of, if not the best way to provide a wonderful enrichment outlet for your dog's physical AND mental energy, while also strengthening your bond and connection with your dog. This is because overcoming exercises and obstacles together will provide you with the biggest treat: feeling like you've accomplished amazing things alongside one another! If you don't have an agility training service or program near you, you can opt for an at-home option. Even if you don't have a backyard, agility training equipment can work around the space you have and we know energetic dogs aren't picky. They simply want to have fun with you! You can click here to browse agility training kits from Amazon.

Using a hands-free/waist leash can help keep your hands free for when you're doing a lot at once with your dog, especially if they're a pup! You can use it to prevent unwanted behaviours that happen indoors, instead of letting your pup roam free and it's a great tool to introduce on-leash manners indoors as you focus on rewarding every good step! Hands-free training will make it so your puppy can spend some time focusing their attention on your (which is essential to bond building and leash training) as you reward them for it, all while you're getting to do other things around the house like your laundry, cleaning, and other chores. Why not have your pup join you? You will want to avoid practicing hands-free training in environments that are too distracting or overstimulating for your puppy, as a hand-held regular leash will be a better option for you to more easily guide your pup towards refocusing on you.

Dogs are very social animals, some even more than others. Which makes it so that being left alone can be very challenging at times, especially as young pups. The 2 most common reasons behind dogs who experience separation anxiety revolve around them being left for longer than they've been capable or handling as well as being left alone, for short or long periods of time, with pent up energy. This means that if you re-introduce being left alone by working on short periods as well as when they feel the most relaxed and mellow (thanks to healthy outlets to not only their physical but mental energy needs as well) you will then have a better chance at having a dog that will not only be able to handle being alone but also partly enjoy getting to have some alone time to rest!