Doggerel means trite or bad poetry. It's derived from the Middle English word 'dogerel' meaning fit for a dog. Dogerel describes my goal - teaching that's fit for a dog.

I teach dogs and people ways to live more comfortably with each other. That can mean teaching a dog useful behaviors such as come or sit, or it can mean helping people to see who their dogs are-perhaps their Bassett Hound doesn't want to do agility, but have you thought about nose work? Or it can mean ways to occupy your dog's attention during the day so she won't devour your living room rug.

Socialization, training and enrichment done correctly can set you up for a lifetime of enjoyment with your dog. Let's take a minute to explain what I mean by each of these.

Socialization is the process of exposing your dog to a range of people and situations. Done properly, it will teach your dog not only to be comfortable in a variety of settings but it will also give him the confidence to explore novel situations. The Goldilocks standard is key to successful socialization-either too much or too little exposure to the unknown can teach a dog that the world is a scary place and he should do what he can to keep it at bay. Done just right, socialization will develop a confident, adaptable dog capable of fitting into your life.

Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog" first published in 1984, revolutionized dog training by illustrating the utility of the work of Pavlov and Skinner in training. As a result, today's training techniques are rooted in well-established scientific principles. These techniques are not only much more effective in teaching dogs the behaviors necessary to live successfully with their people but they also create a stronger relationship between dogs and their people.

Enrichment is simply creating an environment that engages a dog. Without our intervention, a dog will create its own enrichment-which I can guarantee you will not like. Or the dog becomes so dulled by her environment the she loses her zest for life. Enrichment can be as simple as creating foraging opportunities by hiding kibble in different places or as elaborate as remote controlled toys. It is anything that captures a dog's attention and gives her something to do.

These three, socialization, training and enrichment, are the building blocks for a successful relationship and what I focus on at Dogerel.