KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Denise Mazzola is a professional dog trainer who runs a global business, Everything Dog.

In the November episode of her monthly show, Ask the Trainer, on WKBK Radio’s Good Morning with Dan Mitchell, she discussed the differences in dog behavior and training approaches in different countries.

Among the key points of her conversation with Mitchell is that socialization is not always the solution for dogs that are afraid or reactive, she said. Over-exposing these dogs can actually make the problem worse. Mazzola emphasized the need to consider each dog’s individual personality and temperament.

She compared dog behavior to toddler behavior, highlighting similarities in issues like resource guarding and jumping on furniture. She encouraged dog owners to address these problems the same way they would with a child.

She discusses the topic of dogs attacking each other to get treats, and the importance of setting boundaries and limits for socialized dogs to prevent these conflicts.

She also talks about feeding time challenges, with one dog finishing their food quickly and then going after the other dog’s food, which could be resource guarding or just opportunistic behavior.

Listen to the full interview: