It is Friday afternoon and I am wrapping one more work-week. I turn my attention to my own two dogs. What can I teach them next? My inspiration in working with my own dogs might vary slightly to what I do day in and out with client’s dogs. It is true that on occasion I…
Recently I was talking to the participants of my Agility class about the benefits of engaging their dogs in novel experiences as a way to build up their confidence. But what exactly does that mean? So here is how I think of building confidence in our dogs. The goal of any confidence boosting exercise is…
While taking a break from playing with the whippet, I spot Rio peeing on one of her toys. The coffee cup that I am holding in my other hand prevents me from reaching towards it in an effort to stop her from continuing peeing on it because at some point during the game I am…
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…