Bedtime story
Here's the scariest story I know. You can lie down if you like, but leave the lights on. You'll probably sleep better if you make a donation to help animals sleeping in shelters. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z9BWfZxaU0?rel=0&w=640&h=480]
Stress wreaks havoc
Stress wreaks havoc on brains and bodies. The list of signs of how stress affects mammalian brains is long. These signs include physical changes; headaches, nausea, body aches. Emotional changes such as; depression, anxiety, agitation. And cognitive changes; confused thinking and poor memory. People can talk about how they feel and what they are experiencing. ...
My pledge to my dogs
Every now and then I find myself thinking that I am going to swear off dogs. I'll see the three I currently have through to the end of their lives and then that's it. No more dogs. This usually occurs when I am speeding to the emergency clinic, often after hours, a dog with a ...
Pride & preferences
Reward-based, positive reinforcement, progressive positive reinforcement, force-free, dog-friendly, truly dog friendly, science based....whatever you call it, it's how I want to train dogs, for two reasons, personal preference and professional pride. In general, I prefer to have relationships in my life that do not include conflict and bad feelings. For years I've worked as a ...
Targeting
This post was written for Blog-a-thon 2011 to help raise money for homeless animals at the Nebraska Humane Society. Click here to donate! Teaching a dog to target is one of the easiest skills for them to learn. You can teach a dog to target with any part of their body. Nose targeting is usually ...
Maybe I forgot!
Recently I got a juicer. I was inspired by a couple of documentaries to find ways to improve my diet and being a reluctant cook decided that drinking raw juice fit the bill perfectly. When I assembled the juicer and prepared to juice some beets I was so excited, I bypassed all the 'read these ...
Give them a break
When I volunteered at our local shelter and ran a 'working with the dogs' orientation for new volunteers, one of the suggestions I made was to give dogs a break. When most people volunteer at a shelter they usually think in terms of walking or playing with the animals. Both are wonderful things to do, ...
Getting to first base
I'm participating in Blog-a-thon 2011 to help raise money for homeless animals at the Nebraska Humane Society. Click here to donate! The first step toward helping a newly rehomed dog is to provide them with an environment where they can feel safe. What this means will vary from dog to dog. Some dogs settle in ...
What have I gotten myself into?
Sometimes something seems like a good idea, at the time, and then when it comes time for follow through, I have to question my judgement. This doesn't mean that what I chose to do wasn't worth doing, or that I regret making the decision, but I do have to ask myself, "What were you thinking?!" ...
