How ya feeling?
Seeing as we humans have these super special brains (according to them anyway) you'd think they'd be more inclined to take advantage of all the stuff they are extra special because of (according to them anyway). Stuff like introspection and self-reflection, a couple of things that that they think other, lesser brains, are not capable ...
It is so not about being tired
"A tired dog is a good dog." Ugh. Seriously? A good dog is a good dog from the moment they wake up in the morning. I understand that many dog trainers think they need to dumb down concepts for pet owners and present them in the context of how they will benefit the owner. "Your ...
Something else is sometimes nothing
Some dogs are afraid of stuff. Stuff they are unfamiliar with, stuff they see routinely. Some are ok with stuff inside the house, but not stuff outside. Other dogs are ok with 'things' but not people or animals. Trying to get fearful dogs to stop being afraid of anything is challenging and I am often ...
Picture them naked
There is an emotion attached to every behavior. Sometimes it's a potent emotion, sometimes not so much. The potency of an emotion doesn't change given a size difference in the body experiencing it. The size of that body might influence our emotions though. When I first stepped into the stall where Nibbles, my current foster ...
Junk food isn’t cheaper & punishment isn’t faster
There's an article in this weekend's New York Times, in the Week in Review section if you care to read it. It compares the costs of fast food vs home prepared meals. There were some who argued that the challenge of getting people to stop eating fast food was the cost. Being less ...
Nabbing Nibbles
No recall is complete if you can't get your hands on the dog. I am continuing to try to get footage of Nibbles as we take the journey from fearful foster dog to playful pet dog (who needs a forever home BTW). I apologize that I haven't improved my wardrobe. When I interact with any ...
How to get ‘less adoptable’ dogs adopted
When the term 'less adoptable' dogs is mentioned different images come to mind. Some might think of dogs with physical disabilities or old dogs. Others might think of dogs with behavioral challenges, dogs that don't get along with other dogs or certain members of the human race. When I think of less adoptable dogs I ...
Selling Dr. Doolittle
A question was posed on a dog training forum about how we, as dog trainers, could teach the general public to be more critically minded when it came to choosing trainers. My immediate response was tinged with disbelief, how do dog trainers teach people critical thinking skills? Why should that be what we are spending ...
Hanging on to a sinking ship
Learning about the most effective and humane ways to work with fearful dogs has given me plenty of opportunities to ponder why people behave the way they do. I am not the first to wonder why it is so difficult for people to give up- or even less- question why they continue to believe the ...
