Living with a Border collie is frankly a lot of fun! There is so much about the breed that I enjoy. I personally love dogs that are intense in focus and great team players. Of course, like any breed, they also come with their challenges such as their possibly obsessive disposition for toys & balls…
Category: Fear
Is your dog a barker?
A dog barking is one of the most (normal) dog behaviors for most people. Part of it is because of how stressful noise is in general and in part frankly because we fail to understand what barking is all about. Barking is not simply just noise coming from our dogs or embedded with one significance….
Is a dog bite just a bite
When it comes to any behavior including dog bites, looking at the context surrounding the episode will give us some very much needed information. What I am saying is that not all bites are the same. Even sometimes people cannot even agree on what they call a bite. This is the typical example of a…
Does your dog bark, lunge at other dogs while on leash? Here are some tips
Unfortunately, leashes and other barriers such as windows in homes and cars, fences have contributed greatly to dogs feeling frustrated about seeing other dogs and not being able to interact with them. When this frustration becomes too much to bare, dogs can begin to exhibit what is called barrier frustration. Most dogs when frustrated because…
How does our “love” translate to our pets?
I have a beef with rescue organizations when they equate a good home for a dog just purely based on love. Yes, really. So, my rumination begs the question: How does our love translate in our daily life with our pets? Let me explain my position above. Not long ago I had a client who…
Behavior modification for “real” life
I am busy Wednesday morning trying to get Deuce ready to go sheepherding. I know that if I do not leave in a few minutes I will be late. I have Deuce on a leash as we step outside the front door. He puts on the breaks. Darn! The car issue is becoming worse. For…
Jolly Routine
I have been working with Mocha and her “mom” in helping Mocha feel more comfortable around large dogs in her home. We have done quite a few sessions with four dogs that vary in size, color, and personality. However, all these dogs are dog savvy and dog friendly which is important in order to keep…
Do’s and don’ts of dog & dog interactions.
Ah, the world-wide web and even books are a lovely thing. However, like all things in life there are also some sore spots about both of these venues. Ask any professional on pretty much any field how they feel about the advice promulgated on the web or in “how to books” and you will get…
Should you muzzle your dog?
While dogs that wear muzzles often carry the stigma of being “bad” or “dangerous” and while that is really unfortunate, muzzles indeed are tools that can often not only keep people and other animals safe, but they can also – believe it or not, improve the life of the dog wearing it. ANY dog – and I…
Helper Dogs
I am working with a smallish dog that is apparently afraid of other dogs, especially dogs that are bigger than her. I designed a set of training plans so that she can be exposed to different large friendly dogs that and in the process help gain some confidence. Our second goal is for her to learn how to…