Do dogs want to please us?  Do they reason?  We tend to think they must want to please us because of their enjoyment of our affection.  We have all witnessed behavior that would indicate dogs have the ability to reason.  The ongoing research regarding canine cognition is sure to reveal scientifically what we can only assume based on what we see.  However, there needs to be care taken not to assume dogs think, reason, learn, or respond as humans do.  We are setting someone up for failure to th... Read Full Story

Posted on Nov 18, 2009 Adopt a Shelter Dog, Labradoodle   From puppy to dork all in a year!  Read Full Story

Some dogs have a very strong prey drive. You don’t take or “train” that out of them; rather you work with it. It can be especially challenging when working on their recall or teaching them to come when called. Be patient, consistent with training, and follow through with the command as they mature. You will gain their respect and pleasing you will become more important than whatever the prey may be. Read Full Story

Posted on Nov 10, 2009 Behavioral Modification, Dog Humor, Dog Psychology, Dog Training Lola, a beautiful Goldendoodle belonging to a friend of mine living in Arizona, has been trained by Cesar Millan!  While I would like to receive a little credit for her obedient behavior, I have to admit the credit goes to Cesar, the Dog Whisperer (as if I needed to add his title). The amazing aspect of her training is that she never met Cesar!  I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t se... Read Full Story

As my dog ran inside eating something not intended for dog consumption, I said, “drop it!  You’ll be sicker than a…..a…..a dog?”  I quickly changed it to sicker than a human.  Generally speaking, I believe dogs are much healthier than their humans.  Considering the amazing food they have for dogs and that the requirements for food-quality are higher than on human food, dogs aren’t what I think of when someone is sick. Read Full Story

When at a dog park, it’s not the dogs I am concerned about!  It’s their humans.  Dogs are excellent at being dogs.  Take them to a dog park without them responding to you, and you will really get to witness dogs in action.  They aren’t being bad by being a dog - they are doing what they know to do until we teach them to be what we call a “good dog.”  Dog parks are filled with more scents and pent-up energy than we can imagine. Read Full Story

Posted on Oct 30, 2009 Barking, Behavioral Modification, Dog Psychology, Dog Training Again, I say dogs bark.  That’s what they will forever do.  Some feel the need to express vocally more than others, and can be worked with to reduce their anxiousness through proper behavior modification. Lassie was known for actually “saying” something with a bark; i.e., “Timmy is in the well.”  “The barn is on fire.”  His people knew when he barked, it meant... Read Full Story

I receive a lot of calls regarding dogs who are uncontrollable (their human’s words) on a leash when out in public.  If the dog sees a bicycle or another dog, they pull and “go crazy!”  One of my first questions is have they done basic obedience with their dog? Read Full Story

Posted on Oct 22, 2009 Behavioral Modification, Dog Psychology, Dog Training, Retractable Leashes I see one, maybe two, uses for a retractable leash - 1.  To give your dog some “freedom” if you have to walk them to potty and you want to provide a sense of space for them. 2.  A reason other than the one above that I don’t know about! If you’re intention in having your dog on a leash is to learn to listen, respond, and respect you, then don’t use retractable... Read Full Story

Posted on Oct 18, 2009 Crate Training, Dog Humor, Dog Psychology More accurately, this post is about how NOT to crate train a dog.  The images below tell the story.  In this case, the dogs were very clever and were able to look pathetic and confused enough for the human (let’s just call him David), to demonstrate how to get into the crate.  Mackie and Mac had other ideas and out-witted yet another gullible human. Fortunately for David, another human was available to show the dog... Read Full Story