In the last post I wrote about the importance of having an independent certifying person certifying anyone that gives advice about pet behavior to pet parents or that work hands-on with the dog. At present the only “voluntary” third-party certification is the Certification Council for Professionals Dog Trainers (CCPDT). Another important factor that comes with…
Recently I received an email with the following information from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). As you will read below, the time has come for organizations such as CCPDT to recognize the urgent need to pass legislation in order to regulate the now unregulated profession of pet dog training. It is mind-blowing…
This post is the second installment on the work I have been doing with Katie. Katie is an under-socialized and very fearful Chihuahua. She especially fears meeting people at her home. As I mentioned on the previous post, the ultimate goal is for Katie to be so comfortable with my presence first, followed by being…
Katie was adopted as a puppy by one of my clients. When I met her, she was already a fearful dog. She did not like to be held by anyone other than her “mom” and struggled to be in attendance in one of my small classes. Fast forward to today, even though she has accepted…
It is very wind outside, and there is dust and pollen everywhere. I decide to pass on kicking the ball for the dogs outside and instead we play one of our favorite indoor games come dinnertime. The dogs and I love this game. It is fun, quick and it sure beats eating out of a…
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…
As I stated in the previous blog post, the dominance model does very little in really helping us understand dog social stratification. More importantly, it does not help us in keeping harmony in the home within our dog population or resolve problems when they arise. Instead, consider the following suggestions to keep the peace at…
By now most everyone that lives with a pet has heard about the “dominance” theory also known in the popular literature as being the “alpha of the ‘pack’”- which frankly is very unfortunate. Unfortunate because this watered-down premise does very little to advance our day- to-day relations with our pets and does much harm in…
It feels strange writing about activities with our dogs in the snow since, at least in the Southwest high dessert, we are seeing balmy temperatures and no snow in sight. We did have an opportunity to take the dogs for a fun walk in the snow a few days ago. This walk was definitively different…
Okay the title is a trick question. I would argue that yes some dogs are gaining too much weight because they are given too many treats, and perhaps high caloric treats in addition to their daily meals. A dog that is even a few pounds overweight can be considered obese so it is really important…