The Dog Guy

10/23/2026

WHAT A DOG REMEMBERS

Many people have a hard time believing dogs live in the moment and that their memory span only lasts about 20 seconds.
But, dogs have learned to react to commands and please humans. So, dogs can know how to respond to the command ‘retrieve’ without having a memory of the specific event in which they learned that command.
A dog remembers people and places based on associations. Associative memory can work both positively or negatively.
The stronger the association, the harder it is to replace.

www.thedogguy.co

10/22/2026

PASSIVE owners CREATE out of control DOGS

10/21/2026

DOGS LIVE IN THE MOMENT

As humans we forget that dogs live in the moment, and this can be an impediment to rehabilitation and training. Dogs that have lost a limb,hearing or sight do not worry about the abilities that are gone. They deal with the abilities they still have, and they don't waste time feeling sorry for themselves.With our human obsession with the past, we are the ones who relive a dogs former traumas and then overload them with sympathy and affection that, in the dog’s mind, is unearned.
This natural living in the moment is what makes it possible to rehabilitate dogs. Because they do not cling to the past or worry about the future, they are open-minded and constantly learning in the present.
They do not resent being corrected or disciplined because, once its over, its over. They associate it with the moment it happened, and then they let it go.

www.thedogguy.co

10/19/2026

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT NOT TO HUMANIZE YOUR DOG

One of the most frequent problems I deal with is that owners think their dogs are just like them.
Usually we use human based emotions for our dogs sadness or depression.
Although dogs do have emotions they do not have the ability to reason, so they are not as complex as humans.
Dogs do however sense the emotions coming from humans. They feel their emotions as energy and energy to dogs is either positive or negative. Dogs read negative energy as weakness, and then react accordingly.
Because we are constantly explaining dog problems in human terms our relationships with our dogs suffer. What we fail to see time and time again is that the solution we would use for a human (only using positive reinforcement) is wrong for solving a dog’s issues.

www.thedogguy.co

10/15/2026

10/13/2026

We got called in by the owners of this little Morkie because he was leash reactive, would bark at other dogs from the balcony and had a few other issues that the owners wanted to stop.

We visit people in their homes and show them how to greet, feed and walk their dogs, in other words, we show people how to build a relationship with their dog so they can trust and respect them.

We also give people techniques to work on any unwanted behaviours, such as excessive barking, reactivity, fear, bolting out the door, begging from the table and ANY other concerns.

The fall is always a busy time for us, school is back, and people are travelling less.

We are looking forward to doing more FREE consultations on dog behaviour at various Pet Valu locations, but we do not think we will get the chance until the new year.

www.thedogguy.co

WE ARE OTTAWA’S ONLY CANINE BEHAVIOUR SPECIALIST (SINCE 2006)

WE VISIT YOU IN YOUR HOME AND EXPLAIN HOW YOUR DOG INTERPRETS THE WORLD, AND THEN GIVE YOU THE TECHNIQUES TO STOP ANY UNWANTED BEHAVIOURS

10/11/2026

You have to UNDERSTAND the PSYCHOLOGY of DOGS, if you want to CHANGE your RELATIONSHIP with them

10/10/2026

CHALLENGING YOUR DOG’S MIND

Keeping your dog mentally challenged and exposing them to new things can be just as important as taking them for walks and exercise. Bored dogs develop destructive behaviour and take their negative energy out on things like your furniture and shoes.

HOW TO SOLVE BOREDOM

You can work on a new trick with your dog or try linking commands together like sit and retrieve. Learning new tricks, no matter how old your dog, is a great way to challenge your dog’s mind.

PLAY WITH INTERACTIVE TOYS OR GAMES

Canine puzzles that allow you to hide treats is great for your dog, there are many variations available. A snuffle mat or even scattering dry food or treats around the house will work as well.

CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE

While waking your dog try and go on a different route, a different direction, or even better a differentl location.

GIVE THEM A JOB

Many dogs are bred for a specific task such as herding or tracking. Try a find a activity that allows them to use their skills. All dogs appreciate having a job, especially those that have a lot of energy.

SOCIALIZE YOUR DOG

Dogs are social animals, you should try and nurture this by planning play dates with other comparable dogs.

www.thedogguy.co

10/07/2026

DOGS BEGGING AT THE TABLE

It is important not to feed your dog from the table while you are eating. You only have to do this once or twice and your dog will think it is normal and will look for it each time.

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T

When a dominant dog wants something from a more submissive dog they will stare at them from across the room, eventually the other dog will walk away from whatever it has, such as a toy or a bone, and the dominant dog will go over and take it.
So,if you give and and feed your dog they have manipulated you into giving up somehting that they want. When this happens you are not acting like a pack leader so your dog can not trust or respect you. Dogs, like all pack animals need a leader, it creates a lot of anxiety in a predatory pack animal if no one is making decisions.

HOW TO CORRECT

You can do one of two things you can ignore the behaviour ar correct the behaviour, both approaches work.
When you ignore the behaviour the dog sees that they can not manipulte you and gives up.
The proper way to correct the behaviour is to 'herd' your dog away from the table or the location you are eating, using your body language and your calm, confident energy.
When your dog is ten feet away or more, ask them to sit. The closer a dog is the more powerful they are and the farther away the weaker they are. When your dog is away from you and your food and sitting, ignore them, eventually the dog will give up on you and do something else.

www.thedogguy.co

10/05/2026

HOW TO STOP YOUR DOG FROM DIGGING


When your dog is digging up your garden or lawn and you want them to stop it is best to take ‘possession’ of the hole. By claiming or owning the area where they are digging you are acting like a dominant dog or a pack leader.

This is very normal and natural in the dog world. If you address the dog from behind you will not get the same results. You have to walk in to the dogs space and get them to back away from the hole so, using a calm, confident energy approach your dog from the side, you want them to see you coming and then walk over the hole so you are claiming it. Most dogs will sit and look up at you, when this happens you walk away. If your dog tries to go back to hole you can physically block them with your body. Once you claim the hole the dog can’t go back to it or touch it without your permission. You may have to do this more than once.

If your dog likes to dig than it is best to give them an area where they can dig, possibly in the corner of your yard.

For some dogs and to a lesser extent some breeds this is something that they enjoy. It is also a good way for them to get rid of energy which is so important, after all a tired dog is a good dog

THE DOG GUY