Working from home with a dog can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it gives us extra time with the dogs we love, but on the other, our dogs don’t always understand work schedules and deadlines. Balancing playtime with work can be difficult, especially if your dog is used to a high level of attention and lots of play.

This brief history of the evolution of modern day dog training provides readers with insight into how today’s dog training methods were developed. Our goal in reprinting this article by Dr. Mary Burch is to help you, caring pet parents, understand how the different approaches in dog training were developed and to, hopefully, choose positive methods over force-based ones.

Preventing separation anxiety in dogs is far easier than trying to treat it once panic behaviors have set in. The process should begin the day your new puppy or rescue dog comes home and continue anytime your household routine, environment, or work schedule changes. Many cases arise when dogs adopted during holidays or work-from-home periods get constant attention—only to struggle when suddenly left alone for hours once normal routines resume. By building independence from the start, you can keep your dog calm, confident, and content when home alone.

Five Key Steps to Prevent Separation Anxiety

• Gradual Alone-Time Training: Begin with short absences of 1–5 seconds, then gradually extend the time only when your dog remains relaxed.

• Predictable Goodbye Cues: Use a calm phrase like “back soon” to signal departures and avoid emotional farewells that fuel anxiety.

• High-Value Enrichment: Offer food puzzles, stuffed Kongs, or lick mats reserved just for confinement training to create positive associations with alone time.

• Safe, Comforting Spaces: Set up a crate or gated area with cozy bedding, soothing background noise, and a familiar scent from you.

• Balanced Daily Routine: Combine exercise, play, and mental stimulation through training games and enrichment to ease restlessness.

By consistently practicing these preventive strategies—and adjusting them after vacations, moves, or major changes—you’ll raise a dog that feels secure when left alone and avoid the struggles of separation anxiety later in life.

Dog Training Tips: Learning how your dog thinks and makes decisions is the “KEY” to getting your dog to do what you want, when you want, without the need for yelling, intimidation or constant supervision.

Dog Training Los Angeles: It’s Your Choice (IYC) is a critical core foundation game because it sets the stage for teaching self-control over all future reinforcers (reinforcers = anything your dog likes or enjoys). It teaches our dogs that all things of value must be earned. The premise of the game is that the “work” is what earns the reward not just the presence of those rewards in the environment.

Dog & Puppy Training Tips: Dogs are social creatures that benefit from being included in family activities. However, if a dog is afraid of fireworks, Independence Day can be a terrifying experience for them. To ensure the 4th of July doesn't turn into a traumatic experience for both you and your dog, it's important to have a plan for keeping your dog safe and comfortable when the fireworks go off. Here are some tips from a Los Angeles dog trainer on how to get your dog or puppy ready for Independence Day.

Los Angeles Dog Trainer Aims To Change Public Perception Of Dog Training

PRESS RELEASE (February 26, 2018) - Leash reactive dogs—dogs that bark and lunge aggressively at other dogs or people while on a leash—have become an epidemic in Los Angeles. 

At Dog Savvy Los Angeles, we believe dog training should be fun, easy, and effective. One of our favorite games? Hide & Seek. This simple game takes little effort but delivers big results—boosting your dog’s recall skills by creating strong, positive associations with coming when called. You can play it anytime, anywhere, and your pup will love it.

Puppy Training 101 - An essential aspect of puppy training is teaching a puppy not to bite you. The first step a puppy parent must learn is how to respond appropriately when a puppy first sinks its teeth into you. 

Understanding how consequences affect your dog is all you need to know to train your dog like an expert dog trainer. So how do you correct a dog using positive reinforcement dog training methods? Find that out and more on the Dog Savvy Los Angeles dog training blog ...

Taking your dog to a dog park in Los Angeles can be a bit of a mixed bag experience. To ensure you have the best time possible, it's a good idea to do a little dog training beforehand such as teaching your dog to come when called and to know the do's and don'ts for keeping your dog safe at the dog park.

Not sure how to potty train your puppy? Get a professional dog trainer’s top 5 tips for how to quickly and effectively housebreak your puppy.

Dogs were built to roam and, more than anything, love running around free. Dog parks, therefore, can be a great way to grant your lovable furball some much-desired freedom where they can blow off some steam. Here are some ways to ensure the dog park always remains a positive experience. 

Does your dog take you for a walk instead of the opposite? Perhaps pulling so hard that their breathing is impeded in the process? Do you dread going for a walk, as a result, not only because you don’t want to be pulled all over the place, but because it seems to be causing undue strain for your dog, as well?

Planning on getting a puppy or adopting a dog from the shelter? Get some expert tips from the dog trainers at Dog Savvy Los Angeles on the best way to prepare for bringing home a new dog or puppy.