Blogs by Colleen Safford

Happy Fourth of July! It's time for beaches, bbq, and noise phobia?

July 1, 2010 by Colleen Safford

Happy 4thof July! It's the quintessential American summer weekend.

This fun filled holiday brings family & friends together for classic summer celebration.

While most of us humans love the hoopla that comes with beach weekends, bbqs and fireworks; a majority of our furry family members feel quite the opposite. So, do yourself and your best pooch a favor this weekend by leaving him AT HOME if you plan on attending fireworks.

The loud and unpredictable sound of

June 23, 2010 by Colleen Safford

Truth be told, like us, dogs are not keen on working without some form of pay. You can say, “ but dogs have a strong desire to please,” all you want. Time and again though, science, research and studies show our "unconditionally" loving pooches like to collect the bacon!

As a dog trainer, one of the most important parts of my job is finding great motivators and reinforcers. Consistently reinforcing calm and desirable behaviour is the key to developing good pooch manners! Simply

June 10, 2010 by Colleen Safford

It's that time of year when most pet parents take a well deserved, kick up your heels vacation. If you're like most pet parents, you'd far prefer taking Fido with you. Unfortunately, unlike the lucky pooches of Paris, the US/Canada still have a way to go in the department of, "Dogs Welcome!"

So, for those who will not be taking Fido along, here are some tips for choosing your pup's vacation spot. I am a big supporter of doggy vacations, and if you choose a facility wisely your

June 3, 2010 by Colleen Safford

One of the best ways to develop a good dog, is to teach your pup to say, "PLEASE," in a mannerly fashion for the things he wants. That means, offering a polite sit versus barking incessantly until you give in!

Owners can often make the mistake of using obedience more like tricks. Meaning, they only require their pup to sit when they are going to offer him a special biscuit from the treat jar.

Instead, use the activities in your pooch's daily routine, such as meal

May 30, 2010 by Colleen Safford

A warm woofing welcome to Secrets to a Good Dog!

My name is Colleen Safford and I will be authoring this blog of fantastic dogginess. I am a dog trainer, business owner, proud mama to a furry menagerie and mother of two children.

My companies NY Walk & Train and Far Fetched Acres have been providing award winning services (Toot! Toot! "Best of NY" by New York Magazine!) to the fur kids of Manhattan for a decade. As a dog trainer, I have been afforded the