Last week I visited with a family that had adopted a Wheaten terrier in April of this year. Seven months later and their sad little dog will not interact at all with the family members! Her days consist of sleeping or hiding in her crate, or lying on one of the corners of the small…
Category: Anxiety
When things go wrong
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. Most of the cases I see and the ones that…
Not survive but thrive! Thoughts after the election.
As we try to make sense of what is in front of us as individuals and as nation after the unfathomable election for president of such a bigot, uncouth and ignorant individual, I have heard many voices speaking about “surviving” as in: “we will survive Trump…” Surviving is not enough for me. I want to…
Interested or overwhelmed? Which one is it?
I am taking Thor a lovely and super handsome 5 month old puppy/adolescent for a socialization walk this morning. The intent is to get him super comfortable with all sorts of stimuli such as cars, people of all types, but mainly men and children. I park by a local and not too busy park where…
Just give me a minute, please
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…
Give them what they want!
As part my training services, I offer board & train. For many folks this is a very interesting option because they can either travel or just take a break from their pup while I work with them. Because the pup is going to be staying at my home, I do have certain requirements such as…
What a missed opportunity!
I am sitting at a local eatery waiting for a friend to arrive. A group shows up with a dog and sits almost in front of me. I like the fact that the owner of the dog immediately positions the dog next to her and away from foot traffic. Nice! I think to myself. Someone…
Backyard Dogs
Dogs are incredible 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…
Allergies and Dogs
When a member of the family develops allergies to dogs their doctor most often recommends the following measures: Containment of the dog – preferably by keeping the dog outside at all times Bathing and brushing the dog often (sometimes too often!) Removing carpets and replacing furnishings with fabrics (such as sofas) for non-fabric ones Preventing…
How to help your adolescent male dog with other dogs
On last week’s post I shared with you the excellent book excerpt from Dr. Dunbar about what to expect in adolescence from your dog. In this post I want to concentrate on interactions between male dogs that are not neutered because they are too young to do so, and other male dogs- neutered or otherwise….