Puppy adolescence, also known as the puppy teenage stage, can come as quite a surprise and shock to many dog owners. But it makes sense that dogs go through stages too, albeit quite a bit faster than humans. Puppies hit their teenage stage at around 4 or 5 months and it lasts to about […]
Worlds Best Dog Training Game: Be a Magnet
I am on a mission to keep dog training fun for humans and their pups. If dog training is EASY & FUN, humans and their dogs will be willing to do the time. Plus – dogs will get trained faster, better and more solidly than practicing the same boring sit/stay/come day after day after day… One of my […]
Building Value for Good Behaviors
Which sounds better to you? A) Taking time to create the dog companion you really want; or B) settling for “good enough” and living with a barking, leash-pulling, dog-hating dog? Obviously, the first option sounds best, doesn’t it? But it takes a lot of time and work. Did you know there’s a better and more fun way […]
Why You Should Play with Your Dog
Dogs are great experimenters and many have a sense of humor. My 12 year old dog Simon had become bored and melancholy – but I discovered a swishy game with a nylon sock that he loves, and so do I! The trick is learning your dog’s play style and not getting too rough and wound up. WHY […]
Teach Your Dog To Be A Star
I’ve recently finished training CANDY and EL – two dogs – for OSF’s “Shakespeare in Love”. (They got rave revues like this one: “Candy had the audience in the paw of her foot.”) It was a lot of fun! Could your little dog be the next big STAR? Does he know a couple of tricks and love […]
How Dogs See with Their Noses
Did you know dogs “see” the world mostly through their noses? Their vision is not as sharp as ours, but they more than make up for it by with their sense of smell. A dog has 300 smell receptors compared to your 5! (that’s a LOT of smelling) According to Alexandra Horowitz dogs also smell […]
Is It OK to Hug Dogs?
Last April, Dr. Stanley Coren published an informal study where he concluded that most dogs do not like to be hugged. There was a lot of hoop-la in the media about this and a lot of debate ensued. Then, I was asked in class the other day: Are YOU pro or con hugging dogs? My […]
Dog Parks: Don’t Mix Big & Small Dogs
I was at the dog park watching a tiny Papillon barking and running with big dogs and was wondering “how safe is that dog – really?” You may not know about the risks of big to small dogs so read on: Size matters! Chewy the Chihuahua loves Boxers & Ronny the Rottie adores Dachshunds. It’s […]
Helping Your Holy Terror
Do you have a holy terror – I mean terrier? You know if you do: Barks first – asks questions later Terror on leash Sees squirrels, cats or dogs and will bark! Bark! Bark! Visitors to your house? What a Barking Bonanza! Here are some tips for you and your little terror: HUNTING GAMES: terriers […]
Barn Hunting with Your Dog!
Have you heard of the new sport of Barn Hunting? It’s only a few years old but is now the fastest growing dog sport in the US. It’s open to all breeds of dogs, and is fun for dog and owner alike. In Barn Hunting, dogs search for one or more rats that are hidden […]