I have a story. It’s long, and I don’t know the ending yet. It’s partly a testament to my impulsivity and partly an explanation for why I have a red dog, with blue eyes that are going to creep out my mother-in-law, lying on my living room rug (Which he chewed a corner off of …
Let me begin by saying that I’ve been observing dog play, and facilitating dog play in various settings (puppy classes, adult fearful dog classes, “out and about” classes, sheltering situations, obedience class situations) and for different purposes (building social skills, building response to handlers when with other dogs, enhancing quality of life, imparting remedial social/play …
Tricks? Why? Why would I teach a Livestock Guardian Dog, whose primary job is to chase off coyotes, bears, and cougars, to do silly tricks? Good question! The answer is, because training is training is training. If the dog is learning something, and the handler is building a bond with the dog, it’s training. Even …
Today I did something I have never done before. I returned my puppy to her breeder. After 6 days at home. She was 17 weeks old. I have advised clients to do this very occasionally, but I have never done this myself, and I am battling loads of guilt and self doubt, and just plain …
I’m calling this Beginning Dog Training, because every time we start to train our dogs, we’re beginning dog training. I don’t care how advanced my training skills may or may not be, or how advanced my dog’s skill set may or may not be, every single training session is a new beginning. So get into …
To the guy at the park who kicked his dog, I want to apologize. I was totally in bounds and okay to scream “Don’t kick your dog!” at you, the part I’m apologizing for is the part where I followed it with, “What the FUCK is WRONG with you??”. I apologize both because this was …
To the Guy at the Park Who Kicked His Dog (trigger warning-language!) Read More »
Why don’t I answer the phone? Everyone wants to have a phone consultation before they set an appointment. I can understand this, I also like to know what I’m getting into before I commit to something that will cost money and involve interaction with my family. I’ve seen the pamphlets on “How to Choose a …
It occurred to me today while working with a client’s dog that many dog owners really don’t know if their dog guards resources or not. So many people never give their dog anything that is truly considered high value by the dog, that sometimes we find out the hard way that the dog will guard …
I think that there is a danger in any profession of moving to a point where you know so much, that you have a hard time believing that you may be wrong. There, I said it, wrong. It’s a hard thing to be, and a harder thing to admit to being. We work so hard …
I’ve seen a lot of “personality tests” and articles titled “You May Be An Introvert If…” on the web recently. Sometimes they’re just silly, sometimes they’re based on actual tools used to define personality types, like the Myers Briggs inventory. No matter what the origin, people have been taking them, and talking about them, and …
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