Dear Inquisitive Canine

Dear Canine Enthusiast,

My name is Joan Mayer. I am a canine behavior coach and a Certified Professional Dog Trainerbased in Ventura California. My sidekick Poncho is a ten pound mutt who knows a lot about dog and human behavior. Together we founded The Inquisitive Canineto empower dog guardians with a rewarding education that helps them further develop and enhance their everyday relationships with their dogs.

After receiving numerous questions from our dog training class students, Poncho and I began our Inquisitive Canine blog. It only seemed natural for us to start a dog behavior advice columnas a way to share our expertise and love-of-dog-training philosophy with you, the inquisitive pet owner.

In addition to teaching dog guardians positive ways to reinforce real-world manners in their dogs (like sit, stay, coming when called, greeting people politely, walking nicely on leash), we also help them learn to address specific behavioral issues such as aggression, resource guarding, incessant barking, chewing, isolation distress, and eliminating (house training) in undesired areas.

Although these days people tend to lead remarkably full and busy lives, we strongly believe that no matter how much or little time you have, you can take steps towards better understanding your dog and positively reinforcing the behaviors you want, while limiting and preventing inappropriate habits.

Being a dog mom I understand the challenges both humans and dogs face in everyday life. Therefore, I try to infuse my canine coaching with realistic expectations. Our Dear Inquisitive Caninedog behavior advice column is a fun place where inquisitive dog owners (and their dogs!) can seek practical guidance and solutions for making any situation work.

And while we encourage you to take advantage of the training tips, tools and advice you read here, it is important to keep in mind that this column is not intended to be a substitute for consulting with a qualified professional dog trainer. However, it is a great resource for supplementing any training you have undergone or any education you plan to embark on.

We encourage you (or your dog) to email us directlywith your dog behavior questions. My trusty canine sidekick Poncho and I respond to as many questions as possible, but please feel free to check out our dog training blogfor more coaching tips!

We are thrilled to be joining the Calling all Dogsfamily and look forward to meeting you and your inquisitive canines!

Woofs and wags,

Joan & Poncho