Guides

Dogtrainingguides

Straight talk from thirty years and twenty thousand dogs. No fluff, no bribery, just what actually works.

Where can I find reliable Alaska dog training information?

The Dog Savant publishes 11 free guides written by Brett Endes, a trainer with 30 years of experience and more than 20,000 dogs trained. The Alaska specific guides cover leash laws by jurisdiction, recall around moose, bears, winter training, break up season, and moving to Alaska with a dog. Local rules are cited to the codes they come from.

What is the leash law in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley?

There is no single one. Anchorage Title 17, Mat-Su Borough Title 24 and Alaska State Parks under 11 AAC 12.130 each govern different ground, and Mat-Su consolidated animal control across the whole borough on July 1 2026. The full jurisdiction by jurisdiction comparison is in the Anchorage and Mat-Su leash laws guide.

Alaska specific · 6 min read

Training a Dog Through an Alaska Winter

Most Alaska behavior problems get blamed on the dog and are actually the winter. Five and a half hours of daylight, ice underfoot and a house everyone is stuck inside is a different training problem than anywhere in the Lower 48.

Alaska specific · 5 min read

Recall in Moose Country, the One Command That Has to Work

Anchorage's designated off leash areas include unfenced ground and trails through genuine moose habitat. That raises the bar on recall from a nice trick to a safety tool, and most dogs are nowhere near it.

Local rules · 8 min read

Anchorage and Mat-Su Leash Laws, Compared by Jurisdiction

Three different bodies of law can apply to one walk in Southcentral Alaska, and Mat-Su changed hands on July 1 2026. Here is every authority compared, the full list of legal off leash areas in Anchorage, and the state park rule almost nobody knows about.

Training Guide · 7 min read

Twelve Steps to Ending Your Dog's Treat Addiction

If your dog only listens when you are holding a treat, you do not have obedience, you have a negotiation. Here is how to fix it in twelve steps.

Training Guide · 6 min read

How to Stop a Dog Pulling on Leash

If every walk is a tug of war, the problem is not your dog's strength, it is the structure. Here is how to fix leash pulling for good.

Training Guide · 7 min read

Dog Separation Anxiety Solutions That Actually Work

The howling, the chewed door, the panic the moment you grab your keys. Separation anxiety is real, and it is fixable. Here is how.

Method Guide · 10 min read

Balanced vs Positive Only Dog Training, an Honest Comparison

One of these camps will tell you the other is abusive. The other will tell you the first is naive. Here is what the two methods actually are, and which problems each one genuinely solves.

New Adopter Guide · 8 min read

Bringing Home a Shelter Dog, the First 30 Days

Brett was asked by NBC to tell new adopters what matters in the first weeks home. This is the full version of that answer: low pressure, routines, trust first, and training that starts gently on day one.

Alaska specific · 9 min read

Moving to Alaska With a Dog: What Actually Changes

Every dog that moves to Alaska loses something it relied on: a fenced dog park, a predictable daylight schedule, a world with no moose in it. Here is what actually changes, what the law actually requires, and what to fix first.

Alaska specific · 7 min read

Break Up Season: The Six Weeks That Undo a Winter of Training

Every spring, Southcentral owners discover that the dog that was fine in February is impossible in April. Break up is not a weather inconvenience, it is a behavior event, and it is predictable enough to train for.

Alaska specific · 6 min read

Dogs and Bears in Southcentral Alaska: What the State Actually Says

The belief that a dog makes you safer in bear country is half right, and the half that is wrong is the half that gets people hurt. Here is what ADF&G actually says, and what it means for how you train.

Ready to Start

Ready to fix your dog's behavior?

If you are dealing with reactivity, anxiety, or control issues, the first step is a simple phone evaluation so we can map out a clear plan. Real world results, permanent change, 30 years of doing this for families and their dogs, now in Anchorage.

You'll be saying, who's a good boy? in no time.

Schedule a Free Phone Evaluation Call Now

Call (907) 203-0788 Text Brett

Serving Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley · Anchorage, AK · Open 7 days, 8am to 8pm