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…
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…
At times things can go very wrong. Sometimes, if we are paying attention we might not be caught by surprise but in other instances not only can things go wrong but they can do so very, very fast and as a result find us unprepared. At times things can go very wrong. Sometimes, if we…
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…
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…
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…
One of the things I like most about living with dogs is seeing them play. Let’s define play first. Most experts will agree that play is an activity which the sole purpose is to have fun. Play can have rules or not and, of course, it covers a wide range of activities. However, the fun as the…
I am working with a client and her dog with recall (come when called). My client calls her dog and seconds later produces a treat for the dog. The dog meanwhile remains motionless down the hallway of the home. I tell my client that it’s best not to bribe the dog. She looks at me…
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…