Good Dog! Two words that we most enjoy saying to our beloved canine companions and so it should be. I’ve been struck by the lack of attention paid to positive reinforcement in the popular dog training programs on television where so much emphasis is placed on obedience, discipline, and being the dominant “alpha” in your […]
When Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety Separation Anxiety is a crippling state of mind for a dog. It is heart rending for owners to see the manifestations of their dog’s fear when they are left alone. Dogs are inherently social animals that crave being part of a group or pack. For some dogs, being separated […]
Why, When and How to Say No to your dog. Likely the most discussed and disagreed upon facet of guiding and teaching our canine companions is…. discipline. It’s one of those facets of dog behaviour about which it’s said that the only thing two trainers might agree on is that the third trainer is doing […]
When we hurt, we’ll likely treat it ourselves if it’s minor, or if it’s more significant we can explain it to someone else, such as a doctor, and get help from them. Our pets can hurt too, but they can’t come and tell us, at least not directly. It’s our job to understand how our […]
I was enjoying a sunny afternoon at the beach, in search of washed-up treasures in the sand. A young couple arrived, along with their Dachshund puppy, who had evidently arrived for his first swim lesson. The little dog trotted to the water’s edge, and with a display of bravura equal to that of a Great […]
MYTH #1: A wagging tail means a dog is friendly. FACT: This is a common misunderstanding. A more accurate definition of why a dog wags its tail is a “willingness to interact.” This definition leaves a lot of room for different intentions on the part of the dog. Is the “willingness to interact” for good intentions or […]
Click here for a similar article about cats. Like humans, dogs don’t all age at the same rate. There are many factors that combine to determine the rate at which your dog ages and how long he will live. If you’re very lucky, you might have a dog like Bluey, who was the oldest dog […]
Let’s begin by trying to understand just how sensitive a dog’s nose is. Think of humans who rely on their “noses” for their livelihoods – perfumers, chefs, and wine makers, for example. Let’s put Sherlock Holmes in, too – someone able to “sniff” out the tiniest molecules of whatever poison lingered in the room or […]
A dog breeder is defined as a person who raises and sells a specific breed of dog. A reputable dog breeder, on the other hand, is much more – this is a person who also loves the type of dog he or she raises, and wants to ensure that each dog is placed in a […]