Blog Archive

howlloween is just a few days away and though it’s a fun and exciting holiday for us, it can be a traumatic, even dangerous, holiday for our dogs. with a little bit of caution and smarts, you can help...

“my dog is friendly. my dog is friendly. my dog is friendly.” i hear this EVERY SINGLE DAY. usually from people whose dogs are off-leash, racing towards mine. i’m happy for them and their dog, but it doesn’t matter....

one of my favorite songs is, “what’s the matter here?” by 10,000 maniacs. the lyrics tell a story of a young boy being abused by his parents. the storyteller laments over what’s taking place in the little boy’s home,...

a common stress signal in dogs is the “body scratch.” i often see this in puppy sessions when the puppy is trying really hard to figure something out. there’s a misunderstanding that “oh, puppy just has an itch,” but...

does your puppy have a bewitching hour? a time when they go a little “psycho,” and turn into a shark toothed, hand biting gremlin (usually caused by being overtired)?   i know the feeling. as a puppy, my now...

there is a very common piece of advice given to people with reactive dogs that can often be detrimental to the dogs. it’s a piece of advice that i often gave a few years back, but discarded three or...

*this piece was written in the summer of 2015 when i spent the month of august with my god dog, oliver. this is just one of our amazing experiences together.* i saw something today that reminded me, once again,...

dog’s best friend’s daily training tip ~ be sure to do a head to tail check of your dog at least once a week. you want to look for lumps, bumps, spots, bruises, etc. sometimes critters like ticks, and...

  when you begin teaching recall/come when called, always start in a quiet, closed in, safe place, with little to no distractions. if outside, always start on leash. if inside, start in a quiet room of the house (kitchens...

i am often asked the question, by adolescent/young adult dog parents, “why has my dog started to bark, or show outward signs of fear/distress/aggression (growl, lunge, etc.) now, when they seemed so perfect the first 10-12 months of their...