An Offer They Can’t Refuse
When we meet a dog, especially a dog in a shelter or in the rehoming process somewhere, the first piece of information we need to give them is why they should engage with us. Most of us, dog lovers that we are, would never say to the dog, "Because I said so!" when it came ...
Does My Dog Need Prozac?*
The subject of using medications to treat dogs with fear and anxiety issues is a controversial one among pet owners and trainers, and one I frequently feel inclined to address in regard to working with fearful dogs. Drugs have been a blessing and curse for humans. They can both save and destroy lives. Deciding to ...
Shoring up the Foundation
When we ask a dog to do something in exchange for something they want it's not about "no free lunches" or that dogs need to learn to work for what they want. Every organism on the planet, if they are going to be around for long already has this information. If they didn't there would ...
Did You Check the Oil?
Imagine taking your car to a mechanic to find out what was wrong with it and having a discussion like this- Mechanic: When did you get it? Car owner: Six months ago? Mechanic: Â When did you notice something wasn't right? Car owner: Not long after I got it. Mechanic: Tell me what's wrong. Car owner: ...
Going To The Dogs
Theories abound on what dogs need in order to be happy and successful pet dogs. Happy may be subjective but successful means they remain in the home they find themselves. Some will suggest they need love, leadership, dominance, training, etc., and definitions of each will vary from person to person. But the one thing we ...
Tipping the Scales
For dogs without fear-based challenges it may only take one introduction for the dog to feel safe with you. For others it might require a dozen, and for another hundreds. This is likely the reason many fearful dogs are able to be ok with their primary caregiver(s). There are enough repetitions of positive interactions to ...
Giving My Dog A Life
Giving My Dog A Life Please feel free to "like" my latest Facebook page and post your own pictures of the good life you give your dogs. Let's stop shaming dogs and give them a life!
Take It When You Can Get It
In November Sunny will have lived with us for 8 years. He has remained wary and afraid of my husband for those 8 years. There are likely a variety of reasons for this. John is a man, dogs tend to be more afraid of men than they are of women. Early on in their relationship ...
Packing Up Their Toys
There was a blog post going around recently that could have easily been parody as serious. It was written by a volunteer trainer at a shelter who was declaring he was never going to volunteer at an animal shelter again because of his recent experience at one. The reason for his defection? Were dogs being ...
