The following advice is for people whose dogs tend to get over excited when someone comes to their home because they love interacting with people and not because they are concerned about who is in their home or dogs that are apprehensive about interacting with a “stranger”. From my perspective there are a few options…
Most of the work I do for clients is to teach their dogs the skills to better cope with difficult situations. The goal of the training, of course, is to reduce displays of fear and aggression because the dog has been able to learn other behaviors that are more social and acceptable. It is important…
As it is customary, I give the dogs their evening chewies. Deuce dashes to the living room and he settles on the carpet – in the same spot as he does every night to happily chew. Rio runs to the dog bed in the kitchen. I am next to her and I take the opportunity…
Doggie daycares are the rave these days. As with any service, the quality of the establishment can vary to very good (really hard to pull off) to terrible. Personally I do not see doggie daycares as the solution to dog home alone. I think some dogs can benefit from attending a *reputable* daycare perhaps once…
As we all well know, canines are predators. As such they all come hard-wired for chasing after their food. Even our domesticated pampered dogs come hard-wired for hot pursuit even when a warm dinner awaits them – day in and day out. How close to the surface are these hard-wired behaviors varies from dog to…
It is one our dogs’ most salient instinct: to hunt/search for their food. They are indeed scavengers. The fact that some of the world’s dogs live their lives in a people’s world means lots of good stuff for these pups, such as them actually leading pretty “comfy” and safe lives that can also translate into…
Do you have aspirations of remaining young for a long, long time? If so, then consider getting a playful pup. I have noticed that one of the best things my dogs contribute to my life and me being active is their spontaneity. Dogs have an amazing ability to entertain themselves and to taunt us into…
These two concepts really shed some light as to how dogs learn. They are important for us to understand because it will help us feel less frustrated when things with our dog are not going our way and to maximize learning. Dogs do not generalize: Here is an example of what generalization means: If I…
Dog parents have learned about the importance of taking their pups to puppy classes to ensure their puppy will not only be a delight-of-a-dog to be around, but also one that is comfortable and thriving in all sorts of circumstances. In other words: well socialized. But what is socialization? Socialization is the process of exposing…
I am back with Deuce from sheepherding and back at work in my office when I hear a “strange” bark coming from Deuce. I ask John if Deuce is with him in his office, which is on the opposite side of the house, and he tells me no. So I get up and go towards…