I am sure that if you hang out with “dog people” – especially folks that are interested in dog sports you have heard the term “drive” and its derivatives such as: “high-drive”, “low-drive” etc. used ad nauseam. But what is “drive”, really? The answer(s), of course, depends on whom you ask. Drive has been described…
This morning I am gathering the Frisbees and the energy to start working with my dogs. Both Deuce and Rio appear excited at this point. Good, I think. I throw my first air-born Frisbee for Deuce and he remains standing looking at me as if asking me what do I want him to do about…
I am about to make some popcorn – one of my favorite snacks – as John is out walking with the dogs. I pause to think of what to put on the popcorn. Not so much because I am undecided about what I want, but because I normally share the bag of popcorn with Deuce…
Previously I wrote about ways by which we could ascertain if a behavior modification plan is actually working in changing the targeted behavior. Today, I’d like to expand on another reliable way of knowing whether success has been reached or even if we are on the right track. I recently met with a couple that…
John and I are spending some time cleaning the leaves from the outside plants that are now living in our living room for the colder months. I take a cloth with some water and I wipe off some white residue that stubbornly returns to the leaves even after we have sprayed them with some benign…
The dogs and I are playing outside with the beloved “orange ball”. Deuce is running to get the ball while Rio is tugging with gusto with me. I see Deuce running past me holding the big ball tightly in his mouth. He is dashing towards the house literally ignoring me as I call him to…
I am meeting with first-time clients regarding inter-dog aggression. This is one of those instances where I brace myself for potentially delivering news that the owners most likely do not want to hear. As I read through their questionnaire, I realized that their situation is not an easy one and that a good outcome where…
A client of mine tells me that her little dog did not want to go for a walk last week. She cannot understand why her dog refuses to walk on a lead and basically popped her bottom on the ground in protest. I am not very familiar with this dog as I have only seen…
We can all agree that taking a walk or a stroll with our dog is one of the healthiest ways of spending some quality time with our four-legged friend. Not only do walks increase our health by keeping us on the move but, it can also have a very positive impact on managing stress. I,…
I am at my client’s and we are talking about how her tiny Chihuahua pup loves chewing on deer antlers – the ones made especially for dogs. “Good, good, I tell her, it is great that Katie enjoys these so much! The point I am trying to make is that giving dogs something to chew…