We are on our regular walk with the dogs. One of the things that we do while hiking with them is practicing coming when called. If we want reliability, we must practice. If we want reliability, we must also pay the dog. Deuce is really, really reliable at recall, and that makes me smile with…
One of the things on some dog owner’s list is to crate train their dogs. Most of my client’s dogs are either crate trained or are in the process of being so. Besides the added benefit of helping a puppy with house training, crate training an adult dog comes with a lot of perks for…
Even in the world of training, concepts are thrown around with the implication that everyone else knows and agrees with the definition of said concept. When it comes to training, and setting behavior goals, it is so much more valuable to be as specific about what we can observe in our dogs instead of labeling…
Few of us have the forethought of getting ready in the event of a natural disaster. Here in the Santa Fe area, our biggest concern are fires. With summer days here and temperatures on the rise, the risk of a forest fire also increases. Yet, how many of us have a plan in place for…
Cutting-edge research in psychology has helped us understand the importance of play in general and social play, particularly for the rehabilitation of timid and fearful dogs. I define social play as the engagement between a person and their dog that is voluntary and with no purpose other than to have a “good” time and “connect”…
I am reading an intake questionnaire from a new client and my internal alarm goes off. Reading a potential client’s intake form is very helpful in learning about what the present situation is like, as well as learning what the client’s goals and expectations of training are, and what their future life with their dog…
Many dogs are labeled: “hyper, “stubborn,” “problem dogs,” or “aggressive” when in fact, it is their lack of Confidence that is the underlining factor for their behavior. As the guardians of these dogs will attest, living with a dog that lacks Confidence is a challenge. Luckily I am offering a four-week course that will explore…
A dog barking is one of the most (normal) dog behaviors for most people. Part of it is because of how stressful noise is in general and in part frankly because we fail to understand what barking is all about. Barking is not simply just noise coming from our dogs or embedded with one significance….
This is a continuation of last week’s post on the same household dog fights. As I mentioned in that post, having to manage and live with dogs that are injuring one another is not a picnic. It can be very stressful for the dogs as well as the people. Also, depending on the severity…
We are at the vet’s office having Rio’s bandage changed when an acquaintance walks through the doors with her dog. Her dog appears somewhat shaken-up and has a bloody injury close to his eye. “What happened?” I inquired. They tell me that this is the fifth time their dog has been attacked by their other…