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)…
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…
I am having dinner while both dogs are chewing on their nightly chewy. Rio is sort of waiting for Deuce to finish his so that she can go explore to see if there is anything left that she can have. I notice this from the corner of my eye as Deuce comes into the kitchen…
While taking a break from playing with the whippet, I spot Rio peeing on one of her toys. The coffee cup that I am holding in my other hand prevents me from reaching towards it in an effort to stop her from continuing peeing on it because at some point during the game I am…
The following advice is for people whose dogs tend to get over excited when someone comes to their home because they love interacting with people and not because they are concerned about who is in their home or dogs that are apprehensive about interacting with a “stranger”. From my perspective there are a few options…
Most of the work I do for clients is to teach their dogs the skills to better cope with difficult situations. The goal of the training, of course, is to reduce displays of fear and aggression because the dog has been able to learn other behaviors that are more social and acceptable. It is important…
As it is customary, I give the dogs their evening chewies. Deuce dashes to the living room and he settles on the carpet – in the same spot as he does every night to happily chew. Rio runs to the dog bed in the kitchen. I am next to her and I take the opportunity…
Need I say more? Adolescence in dogs is very similar to adolescence in people in the sense that both sets of adolescents begin to look away from the comfort and security of their caregivers and begin to explore their surroundings. When it comes to dogs, owners notice that the polite social graces their dog had…