Frustrated with Puppy Potty Training? 6 FREE Tips from Way To Go! by Patricia McConnell and Karen B. London

Posted on April 23, 2025April 23, 2025 by doglifepro

April 23, 2025

Puppy Potty doesn’t have to be frustrating. With the right approach, you can build good habits from day one and avoid common mistakes that lead to accidents, confusion, and stress. Way To Go! How to Housetrain a Dog of Any Age by Patricia McConnell and Karen London is a 19-page bible on potty training. This concise, science-backed guide is the foundation of the potty-training strategies I use during one-on-one dog training at Dog Life Pro.

If you’re looking for fast, reliable results when housetraining a puppy—or even an older rescue dog—here are some key insights straight from the book, and my hands-on experience:

Prevent Mistakes Before They Happen

The fastest way to potty train your puppy is by managing their freedom indoors. McConnell and London recommend using crates, baby gates, and leashes to prevent unsupervised wandering. Let them earn access to the whole house. Download a FREE copy of my document on Crate Training, which you’ll need because potty training depends on crate training first.

Follow the Rule of Timing

Take your puppy outside after every nap, meal, play session, and chew session. Stick to a schedule, and you’ll quickly learn your puppy’s rhythm. When they go potty outside, you need to be within a few feet so that you can praise them immediately and reward them with a treat within 5 seconds.

Use a Verbal Cue

Want your puppy to eventually go potty on cue? Start saying “potty” right before they begin eliminating. Over time, they’ll associate the word with the action, making potty breaks faster and easier—especially in bad weather or at new locations.

Don’t Punish Accidents

If your dog has an accident indoors, clean it with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature’s Miracle and move on. Harsh corrections only make dogs anxious and can slow down progress. Even yelling “no” can scare your puppy, which may lead to your puppy fearing you. Remember, training is about guidance, not punishment. You want to be a benevolent leader not a reality TV show alpha! P.S. Read the instructions carefully on the Nature’s Miracle and be sure to leave the spray on the spot and let it dry on its own.

Consistency Is Everything

The more consistent you are, the faster your dog will learn. That means the same routine, same rewards, and same level of supervision—day after day. The more routine you instill in your puppy’s day the easier it will be for them to understand what

Positive Reinforcement

Your puppy will learn to potty outside if you’re right there to reinforce them right after they relieve themselves. They’ll learn even faster if you can deliver the treat within 2 seconds of them finishing. After 5 seconds they may not even make the association. If you stand at the door and give them a treat when they return from the backyard, they’ll think the reward was for coming in or coming to you. Those aren’t bad, but not the goal here.

Common Questions About Puppy Potty Training

How long does puppy potty training take?
It varies, but most puppies can be reliable by 4–6 months of age with consistent training. In the meantime, confine your puppy to small areas without carpeting or rugs. Let them

Should I wake my puppy at night to potty?
Yes—especially for very young puppies. Take them out once or twice during the night until they can hold it. The last thing you want is to teach your puppy it’s okay to relieve themselves in their crate.

What if I work full-time?
Hire a dog walker or arrange for midday potty breaks. Holding it for 8+ hours is too long for most puppies.

If you’re looking for a complete step-by-step method, I highly recommend picking up Way To Go!. It’s short, affordable, and full of helpful illustrations and tips—and it’s the book I trust most for housetraining advice.

Want personalized help with puppy potty training in Chicagoland? Contact me to schedule a one-on-one training session.

If you’re looking for fast, reliable results when housetraining a puppy—or even an older rescue dog—here are some key insights straight from the book, and my hands-on experience:

Prevent Mistakes Before They Happen

Follow the Rule of Timing

Use a Verbal Cue

Don’t Punish Accidents

Consistency Is Everything

Positive Reinforcement

Common Questions About Puppy Potty Training

What if I work full-time?
Hire a dog walker or arrange for midday potty breaks. Holding it for 8+ hours is too long for most puppies.

Want personalized help with puppy potty training in Chicagoland? Contact me to schedule a one-on-one training session.

What Lip Licking and Yawning Really Mean: Understanding Canine Calming Signals

Posted on April 18, 2025April 30, 2025 by doglifepro

April 18, 2025

What Are Calming Signals?

First introduced by canine behavior expert Turid Rugaas, calming signals are the body language cues dogs use to defuse tension—either within themselves or between others. These signals include:

Lip licking
Yawning
Turning the head away
Sniffing the ground
Slow movements
Sitting or lying down suddenly

Each one can be a dog’s way of saying: “I’m feeling uneasy. Please give me space or reassurance.”

Recommended Reading: On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas — This 73-page book is a must-read for any dog parent serious about understanding their pup’s inner world.

Why Learning Calming Signals Matters

For decades, dog training was mostly a one-way street: “I give the commands, and you follow.”

But dogs aren’t robots—they’re emotional beings with needs, preferences, and communication styles. Learning to interpret calming signals can:

Deepen your bond with your dog
Make training easier and more effective
Reduce problem behaviors linked to stress
Help prevent bites or fear-based reactions

A dog who feels heard and understood becomes more confident, less anxious, and more connected to their human.

Start Watching for These Signals Today

Next time you’re out on a walk or welcoming guests into your home, watch your dog closely. Are they:

Licking their lips?
Yawning when they’re clearly not tired?
Turning away from people or other dogs?

Each signal is a piece of a puzzle—and when you start putting the pieces together, you’ll discover what your dog has been trying to tell you all along.

Final Thoughts

Understanding calming signals is more than a training tool—it’s a relationship tool. When you start responding to your dog’s emotional cues, you’ll unlock a new level of connection based on empathy, respect, and trust.

Internal Links to Add

How to Introduce Dogs Safely — link in the sentence: “welcoming guests into your home…”
Top Treats for Training — link in the bullet point about training
The Stress Escalation Ladder — link in the first paragraph under “What Are Calming Signals?”

What Are Calming Signals?

First introduced by canine behavior expert Turid Rugaas, calming signals are the body language cues dogs use to defuse tension—either within themselves or between others. These signals include:

Lip licking
Yawning
Turning the head away
Sniffing the ground
Slow movements
Sitting or lying down suddenly

Each one can be a dog’s way of saying: “I’m feeling uneasy. Please give me space or reassurance.”

Recommended Reading: On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas — This 73-page book is a must-read for any dog parent serious about understanding their pup’s inner world.

Why Learning Calming Signals Matters

For decades, dog training was mostly a one-way street: “I give the commands, and you follow.”

But dogs aren’t robots—they’re emotional beings with needs, preferences, and communication styles. Learning to interpret calming signals can:

Deepen your bond with your dog
Make training easier and more effective
Reduce problem behaviors linked to stress
Help prevent bites or fear-based reactions

A dog who feels heard and understood becomes more confident, less anxious, and more connected to their human.

Start Watching for These Signals Today

Next time you’re out on a walk or welcoming guests into your home, watch your dog closely. Are they:

Licking their lips?
Yawning when they’re clearly not tired?
Turning away from people or other dogs?

Each signal is a piece of a puzzle—and when you start putting the pieces together, you’ll discover what your dog has been trying to tell you all along.

Final Thoughts

Internal Links to Add

How to Introduce Dogs Safely — link in the sentence: “welcoming guests into your home…”
Top Treats for Training — link in the bullet point about training
The Stress Escalation Ladder — link in the first paragraph under “What Are Calming Signals?”

What Is Superstitious Learning in Dogs?

Posted on April 10, 2025May 5, 2025 by doglifepro

April 10, 2025

What Is Superstitious Learning in Dogs?

Superstitious learning occurs when a dog forms the wrong association between an event and a consequence. It’s similar to how humans might believe that wearing a “lucky” shirt helped them win a game—except in dogs, the stakes are often higher.

When superstitious learning happens in a training context, it can lead to fear, confusion, and unpredictable behavior.

The Hidden Danger of Aversive Tools Like Prong and Choke Collars

Let’s say your dog lunges toward a squirrel during a walk and feels the pinch or squeeze of a prong or choke collar. If at that exact moment, a child walks by and your dog sees it right before or during the pinch, your dog may mistakenly associate the pain with the child.

This can lead to:

Unexplained reactivity toward children or people nearby
General anxiety during walks
Increased aggression in specific environments
Distrust toward certain triggers (people, bikes, dogs, etc.)

This is a textbook example of how punishment tools like prong and choke collars can result in fear and anxiety caused by a dog’s superstitious learning.

Short-Term Compliance vs. Long-Term Fallout

Many prong and choke collar users report that their dogs “listen better”—but this is often a short-term illusion. The dog isn’t truly learning why a behavior is undesirable. Instead, they’re simply trying to avoid pain.

This type of training suppresses behavior without addressing the root cause—and it creates unpredictable side effects. While a prong or choke collar may work, it leaves the door open for a risky and undesirable side effect that harms your dog.

How to Reverse Superstitious Learning Safely

If your dog shows signs of reactivity or confusion around triggers, here’s a safe and effective way to rebuild trust:

Remove the aversive tool. Switch to a harness or flat collar.
Identify the trigger. Watch closely to see what sets off the behavior.
Counter-condition. Pair the trigger with high-value rewards at a safe distance.
Teach an alternate behavior. Train a reliable “sit” or “watch me” as a new response.
Be patient and consistent. Long-term change doesn’t come from quick fixes.

Need help understanding your dog’s reactions? Check out this guide to reading dog body language →

What to do instead?

An EasyWalk front clip harness will reduce your dog’s pulling power and give you more control, without delivering pain and risking an unwanted association caused by the prong or choke collar and your dog’s superstitious learning.

For larger dogs, pair the EasyWalk with a nice soft handled leather leash. The leather is so much gentler on your hand then rope or nylon leashes. This leash and others come in several widths, and I’ve tried the thicker ones, but this half inch width is easier to wrap around your hand to shorten the length when needed and it’s plenty strong enough.

What Is Superstitious Learning in Dogs?

When superstitious learning happens in a training context, it can lead to fear, confusion, and unpredictable behavior.

The Hidden Danger of Aversive Tools Like Prong and Choke Collars

This can lead to:

Unexplained reactivity toward children or people nearby
General anxiety during walks
Increased aggression in specific environments
Distrust toward certain triggers (people, bikes, dogs, etc.)

This is a textbook example of how punishment tools like prong and choke collars can result in fear and anxiety caused by a dog’s superstitious learning.

Short-Term Compliance vs. Long-Term Fallout

How to Reverse Superstitious Learning Safely

If your dog shows signs of reactivity or confusion around triggers, here’s a safe and effective way to rebuild trust:

Remove the aversive tool. Switch to a harness or flat collar.
Identify the trigger. Watch closely to see what sets off the behavior.
Counter-condition. Pair the trigger with high-value rewards at a safe distance.
Teach an alternate behavior. Train a reliable “sit” or “watch me” as a new response.
Be patient and consistent. Long-term change doesn’t come from quick fixes.

Need help understanding your dog’s reactions? Check out this guide to reading dog body language →

What to do instead?

Why We Misread Dog Emotions—And How to Get Better at Reading Them

Posted on April 9, 2025May 5, 2025 by doglifepro

April 9, 2025

We Think We Know What Dogs Feel—But We’re Often Wrong

Most people believe they can tell how a dog is feeling just by looking. But research shows we’re far less accurate than we think. In fact, humans commonly confuse signs of fear or stress with happiness or excitement—a misunderstanding that can lead to inappropriate interactions or even dog bites.

What the Research Says

In summary, the research says, we’re not very good at reading dog emotions:

People misread dog emotions more often than expected
Facial expressions are frequently overemphasized
Even dog owners were no more accurate than non-owners
People with professional dog experience (like trainers or vets) had significantly better accuracy
A couple of cited studies:

Human Perception of Fear in Dogs Varies According to Experience with Dogs

Humans are bad at reading dogs’ emotions – but we can learn to do better

Why Humans Misread Dogs

We tend to project human-like emotional signals onto dogs—especially in the face. But canine facial expressions don’t carry the same emotional detail as ours.

Dogs rely heavily on body language, including:

Tail carriage and movement
Body posture (loose vs. stiff)
Ear position and motion
Lip licking or yawning
Turning away or avoiding eye contact

A wagging tail doesn’t always mean a happy dog. Look at the speed, height, and tension of the wag.

Experience Matters—But It’s Learnable

It’s not just instinct. People with hands-on experience—trainers, behaviorists, veterinarians—outperform casual dog owners in emotion recognition. This means that learning to read dogs accurately is a skill, not something we’re born with.

How to Get Better at Reading Dog Emotions

Just review the known signals dogs give us and then spend some time observing dogs:

Focus on full-body cues—not just the face
Look for clusters of behavior (e.g. stiff body + tucked tail + whale eye)
Pause before petting and ask for consent (watch for leaning in or backing away)
Watch the context—what just happened before the change in behavior?
Practice observation in low-stress settings before testing yourself in busy or dog-dense environments

Review the Stress Escalation Ladder by Turid Rugaas. If we apply the contents of this document to the picture in this post, we can see that this Husky is in the FOCUS stage; he is no longer displaying the lower-level conflict behaviors, has a closed mouth and is in a freeze. This dog ends up scaring this kid with an air snap. He was lucky.

Review the Dog Fear Posture Poster by Dr. Sophia Yin DVM MS. The dog in our post is not showing any signs of fear. What you do see in this poster is a dog that looks similar to the dogs in Internet videos whose owners believe they look guilty for naughty behavior when in reality those dogs are displaying fear in reaction to the owner’s tone of voice.