For some unknown reason Deuce’s guarding of certain objects, such as his precious ball, has gone up in frequency. I noticed just the other night that he began to vocalize in his typical high-pitched tone when he was lying on the couch next to me as Rio was cruising by. For the most part, when…
One of the most difficult cases to resolve in my experience are cases that involved at home dog / dog conflicts. The motivation(s) behind the conflicts or fights can at times be difficult to parcel out. In addition, these kinds of situations require constant and competent supervision by those living with the dogs. One (still)…
The dogs and I are playing our usual soccer game in the morning. I see Rio turn towards Deuce, as they both are trying to get to the orange ball, and she playfully grabs his tail in her mouth and gives it a tug. Deuce’s focus is on the ball and potentially landing so he’s…
Dogs are incredibly social beings that thrive as companion animals. Isolation, for this reason, is very hard on most dogs and as such a welfare issue for the dog. Isolation is hard on dogs at all stages but is extremely difficult on young puppies. We can for sure make the lives of “outside dogs” more…
Rio and Deuce have finished eating dinner and as we do every night, I proceed to the laundry room just after having said out loud: “Does anyone here want a bone?” Immediately I hear hurried paw steps towards the laundry room in anticipation of “dessert”. I have been trained well by these two and I…
I am reading a trade journal where I am learning about Brambell’s Five Freedoms, which was a program that originated in Great Britain to ascertain the welfare of livestock raised in factory farms. Later on, the British government established the Farm Animal Welfare Council in efforts to define the “freedoms”. The freedoms addressed are: Freedom…
Over the weekend, I spent the time upping my Frisbee game with my dogs. Playing Frisbee is: A. A fantastic way of exercising the dogs in just a short time since it is a highly aerobic form of exercise and …B. Much more technical than people give it credit. There are so many skills the…
Recently I found some store-bought a-mazing Quinoa. They are pretty healthy, super tasty, and quite pricey! So I decided to try and make my own version of delicious vegan quinoa cookies. My friends have often complimented me on my animal training abilities, but my cooking, well not so much. However, I decided that I was…
I have written in the past why the model of Dominance or the idea that dogs are pack animals in search of a “pack leader” (the owner) is not only an erroneous construct but really bad news for all dogs. There is so much to say about this construct, but today I want to focus…
I am having a conversation with John who works in the solar industry. We are discussing the fact of how safety protocols – which are abounding in his profession – are sometimes in conflict with what the client wants: less downtime and more production. As he is sharing with me this everlasting conflict, I begin…