I see a lot of fearful and stressed small dogs who very often have issues stemming from human handling. My heart breaks for the little guys because I see them sending out signals to the humans around them that they are uncomfortable but no one seems to be listening! Many of these stressed little dogs would […]
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Leave It! 1
I love the Leave It cue but I call it the second most ignored cue (after Come!) because so often I see people telling their dog to “leave it” and then just dragging the dog away. The dog did not leave anything, he was just physically removed! If done correctly, Leave It is incredibly useful […]
Read MoreLet’s Play Fetch and Tug! 0
TUG! People used to be afraid of playing tug. We were told it was a “dominance game” and that the human “always has to win.” Luckily, science has now proven all that as well, hogwash. Yippee, ‘cause tug is fun! It is also a fantastic energy outlet for high-energy dogs and a great way to […]
Read MoreCreative Feeding and How to Stuff a KONG! 0
Creative feeding is a super easy way to provide enrichment in your dog’s life. He has to eat anyway so you might as well make it a bit more FUN. In fact, if your dog ate all of his meals out of a variety of toys, that would be swell! There are an infinite number of […]
Read MorePupPod a fun, new interactive toy for your dog’s mental enrichment! 0
I am always looking for more ways to provide mental enrichment for my clients’ (and my) dogs so recently when I was asked to try out a new interactive toy called PupPod I jumped at the chance! Here is a short video on my take…
Read MoreBarks & Babes – baby training your dog! 0
Recently, I had three phone calls within a 10-day period from three different families who were looking for immediate help because their dog bit their infant. All of these people were good parents both to their two-legged and four-legged children. They were devastated and frightened and needed help now. None of these folks were bad […]
Read MoreCompassion Fatigue in Dog Trainers 1
Five years ago today I euthanized my dog Pualani. Her story is heartbreaking and complicated and I still think of her, and what I could have done differently, everyday. It has also been a rough week for a couple of my Difficult Dog students and so, a rough week for me as well. Sometimes our […]
Read MoreAll About Cats! 0
Those of you who know me well know that my first love was not actually dogs but cats, and even though I now make my living working with dogs, that’s right, your dog trainer lady is also a bonafide “cat person.” I am currently teaching a six week enrichment class about pets for 2nd – […]
Read MorePlease don’t be one of “those people.” 1
I read this fantastic article last week so, while we are on the subject of rants from a dog professional, I have something I need to get off my chest. I was walking with my dog Rufus this morning through our neighborhood farmer’s market. Lot’s of dogs there, most doing fabulously. Except for these two […]
Read MoreHow Will I Know When To Let Go? 0
Clients and friends often ask me “how will I know when to let my dog go?” Physical aspects we look for to help us make that decision include loss of mobility and cessation of appetite but my answer almost always includes “you will know.” I watched this beautiful short film last night and it hit […]
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