Today, I return to my series on quotes that have inspired me. The first in this series was way back in January of this year when I wrote about the danger of assumptions. This month, I’d like to talk about the value of admitting that we don’t have all of the answers. Data and evidence are… Continue reading Embracing the Unknown
The benefits of appropriate challenge We talk about enrichment in the dog world all the time. How important is it, really? It turns out that it’s very important! In fact, the very definition of enrichment states that it improves animal welfare and wellbeing. Today I am going to focus on the topic of cognitive enrichment,… Continue reading I challenge you – the relationship between enrichment, challenge, and wellbeing
A heartfelt thank you to two of the researchers—Karen van Haaften, DVM, DACVB and Emma Grigg, PhD, CAAB —for sharing their feedback for this blog article! Behavioral— or psychoactive— medication can be an important aspect of treatment for behavior issues in dogs. Many of the readers are probably more familiar with the term ‘behavioral’ medication… Continue reading Owner attitudes regarding behavioral medications
Leena barks, lunges and generally loses her mind when she sees other dogs on a walk. Her owner and I are walking in the park so I can teach the owner how to change Leena’s behavior. When we see another dog at a distance, Leena freezes and her head comes up, mouth closed. She’s about… Continue reading Lost in Translation: Sorting through commonly confused learning terms
This week, Finn found his teeth. That means we’ve been doing some work on settle and impulse control. I am also continuing to work on socialization, loose leash walking and handling. In my posts I focus on the training we are doing as well as the issues he’s having and how I’ve been addressing them.… Continue reading Journey of Finn – Are You a Puppy or a Piranha?
Hello everyone! I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how best to serve my clients – both dogs and humans. I have a lot of ideas floating around and would love to hear from you. I would love to get feedback from you about the ideas I already have, but would also… Continue reading Tell us what you want!
(I am taking a break this month from talking about getting a new dog. Instead, I’m going to use this time to talk about my personal journey with my dog, Darwin, in the hopes that it will be beneficial to others as well.) I’ve been working hard on embracing failure lately for a number of… Continue reading The Evolution of Darwin
Last month, I talked about choosing the right breed in part 1 of my series on “Starting off on the Right Paw”. This month I will talk about finding a good breeder. If you choose to get a purebred puppy, finding a responsible and knowledgeable breeder is key to bringing home a puppy that will… Continue reading Starting off on the Right Paw – Part 2: Choosing a good breeder
There is so much that’s exciting about bringing home a new dog. For me, the best part is anticipating the new bond and complex relationship that will form between the new dog and the rest of the family. However, for some families, this match making can go terribly wrong. Many of the problems my clients experience… Continue reading Starting off on the Right Paw – Part 1: Choosing the Right Breed
One of the most common complaints I get from clients is that their dog is constantly pestering them for attention. Picture the scene – you come home from a long day of work and sit down on the couch to relax. Except that you can’t relax because your dog won’t stop pawing at you, whining,… Continue reading How to Manage Your Dog’s Indoor Energy Level
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