Poco a poco!
Keep an eye on this blog for regular updates of Mary in New Hampshire working with her foster dog Aaron. Mary's Dogs Blog
Maybe it isn’t a surprise
People are usually surprised, if for some reason it comes up in conversation, to learn that I was a timid child, afraid to be away from my home until I was an older teenager. They're surprised because for the past 25 years I have organized and led travel adventures for women and students. Prior to earning a living this way, I traveled by myself to [...]
Bond!
On Mondays nights at 9:15 a fabulous group of dog lovers moderate an exchange of ideas on twitter using Tweetchat. Called '#dogtalk' the topics vary as professionals, specialists and enthusiasts are invited to be guest tweeters. Last Monday's was about dog rescue featuring Kyla Duffy of @happytailsbooks. The conversation drifted to fostering a dog as people shared their experiences of caring for dogs that were [...]
Some of the chains that bind don’t hurt
I hear them often, sad stories. Dogs that cower, shake, hide, run or attack, because they're afraid. Owners who are not sure what to do, believe they've tried everything, wonder if there's any hope for their fearful dog. I share what I can about the concepts of triggers, thresholds, counter conditioning and desensitization, and how emotional responses cause behavioral responses, and if handlers address the [...]
You can’t always get what you want but…
It's assumed that dog trainers have the interest to work with their dogs. Whether or not the people we live with or come in contact with share our interest is another story. Years ago I made the decision that maintaining the relationship I had with my husband trumped attempting to turn him into a dog trainer or force him to share my enthusiasm [...]
Huh?
While staying with friends in Costa Rica I had the chance to watch a family interacting with their 7 month old terrier mix pup. Duke (unfortunately pronounced 'Dookie' in Spanish) was everything you'd want in a dog; engaging, playful, responsive, friendly and cute to beat the band, a classic little scruffy Disney character. My Spanish is limited and when the father of the family began [...]