Dog training by Andrew Darov, dog trainer
New puppy? Start here.
Plain, step-by-step help for the three things that keep new owners up at night. Pick the one you need today.
Also: first night home · puppy schedule · potty training · reactivity · all puppy guides
Find a breed
Know the dog before you buy the week.
Original breed guides from Andrew Darov: temperament, training and the problems owners actually meet.
Popular breeds
Sporting
Labrador Retriever A friendly, food-loving retriever that needs daily exercise, training and a job for its nose and mouth.
Sporting
Golden Retriever A fetching, people-facing sporting dog whose gold coat does not lower the daily mileage.
Herding
German Shepherd Dog A versatile German working shepherd that needs daily training, real exercise and a calm settle taught on purpose.
Non-Sporting
French Bulldog A compact companion with a clown reputation and a respiratory system you do not get to ignore.
Non-Sporting
Poodle A water-retrieving athlete that people mistake for a decoration once the coat is clipped.
Herding
Border Collie A brilliant, intense sheepdog that needs real daily work, training and a taught off-switch.
Toy
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel A toy spaniel that wants your sofa and still has a nose that will follow a crumb into the garden.
Hound
Beagle A friendly scent hound that follows its nose and needs patient recall training, sniffing walks and a secure garden.Expert advice
Puppy · 8 min
Should my puppy sleep in my bed? Pros, cons and safety Most young puppies sleep better and stay safer in a crate or dog bed right next to yours. Sharing your bed can work well later, once the puppy is dry at night, gets off on cue and is relaxed about being moved.
Behavior · 8 min
Dog scared of the vacuum cleaner? A calm step-by-step plan Most vacuum fear eases with distance and small steps: the vacuum switched off and still, then moving, then on in another room, with treats each time. Dogs who bite and chase it need the same steps plus a gate and a chew while you clean.
Expert Advice · 9 min
Dog and new baby: how to prepare your dog before the birth Make the big changes months before the birth, so your dog does not link them with the baby: new rooms and gates, new walk times, calm practice around baby gear. Then plan a quiet first meeting and keep an adult between them, always.
Puppy · 8 min
How often do puppies need to pee? A guide by age A young puppy needs a toilet trip after every nap, game, meal and big drink, plus a timer in between. The gaps grow with age, but your own puppy sets the real numbers.
Behavior · 9 min
Golden retriever puppy biting: carry jobs and calm hands Golden puppies were bred to carry things gently and bring them back. Give that mouth a toy to hold at greetings, a short carry job each day and calm, quick handling, and the biting fades faster.
Skills · 8 min
How to teach a dog the quiet command, step by step A quiet cue starts with a thank-you for the alert, so the dog knows you heard it. Then you reward the first moment of silence and slowly ask for longer pauses. Shouting quiet over the noise is the part to drop.
Puppy · 9 min
12 week old puppy schedule: sample day with times At twelve weeks wake spells stretch toward an hour or more, naps drop to about four a day and many puppies move to three meals. A sample day with times, and what moved since week ten.
Behavior · 8 min
Dog wants to go in and out all the time: what to do Scratching to go out, then asking straight back in, ten times an evening. Rule out a toilet need first, then make door trips dull and give the dog better things to do than work the door.
Reactivity · 9 min
Frustrated greeter dog on leash: calm pass-bys Some dogs bark and lunge on lead because they want to say hello, not because they are scared. Take a break from on-lead greetings, work at a distance where your dog can still eat, and reward calm looks and easy pass-bys.
Expert Advice · 5 min
What Is Residential Dog Training? Meaning and How It Works Residential training means your dog lives with the trainer for a while, learns in daily short sessions, and comes home with a plan you can keep up.
Puppy · 8 min
Overtired vs overstimulated puppy: how to tell Both look like a wild, bitey puppy. An overtired puppy has been awake too long and needs sleep. An overstimulated puppy has had too much going on and needs a quieter room first. The clock and the last hour tell you which.
Behavior · 9 min
Dog growls when moved off couch: what to do A dog that growls on the sofa or bed is warning you. Keep everyone safe today: no collar grabs, a food trade to get the dog down, and a gate or closed door while you teach an off cue. Bites or snaps mean it is time for qualified help.
Byline
Andrew Darov
Andrew Darov is a professional dog trainer. He runs a boarding and holding business and takes dogs in for a month-plus residential correction, then publishes that method in these articles. He leads seminars and teaches other trainers and veterinarians. He writes this English site for owners in the US, the UK, and the EU. He is not a veterinarian.
Every page on Dogmindlab carries this byline. Read the veterinary disclaimer and the editorial policy before you treat a protocol as a diagnosis.
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A $150 consultation with Andrew Darov, or $500 monthly curatorship (three sessions, homework review, one problem for the month). Message opens WhatsApp.