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Some years ago, I read a short piece by one of our long-time contributors, Barbara Dobbins, talking about dogs she knew, including one of...

In the February issue, which will be in mailboxes and online soon, we have an article about a new model for communities looking to improve the...

Recently, I witnessed an older couple struggling to carry a crate into a puppy kindergarten class. Once inside, they opened the crate and a large and...

I'm the owner of two middle-aged dogs. I'm also a friend to many people with senior dogs with serious medical conditions. I've started worrying about my middle-aged dogs, especially Otto, my 70-pound wonder mutt / heart dog." (Small dogs live longer

I was walking Otto the other day when his head and tail went up and he gave a little whine – one that usually indicates that he's spotted a dog in the yard we are about to walk past. In our town, there are lots of dogs that are lying on porches or under trees in fenced yards, and when you walk by with your dog, they come flying toward the fence: some barking hysterically, some staying silent until the last terrifying moment when they hit the fence and let out a roar. Otto is as good as any dog I've ever seen about holding our course in the face of these dramatic approaches; he neither runs nor retaliates nor attempts to fight through the fence, but he usually will let out a whine of anxiety or excitement, prance a little, and (occasionally) will stop and lift a leg on the fence, and sometimes the very nose of the offending dog on the other side of the fence!

I’ve had a number of older owners book lessons with me lately—more than half a dozen individuals and couples in their 70s and even 80s, all wanting some training help with their new dogs or puppies.

When you have a career that involves dogs, everyone you know sends you memes and articles about dogs. Unfortunately, those little gems, meant to...

Dog trainers are most likely to hear from new prospective clients when the clients’ dogs are in the throes of adolescence – and it’s...

Ack! My brain is jumping around. This is going to be a short-attention span blog post! A Great Chance to Learn From the Experts I finished writing...

Think about your dog’s microchip – he HAS an implanted identification microchip, doesn’t he? Is it currently registered with a microchip registration company? If so, does the registry have your current contact information

Sunday evening there is a knock at my door. It's the neighbor across the street and a glance out the window shows that she is disheveled and crying. When I open the door, she bursts into fresh tears. Her dog has died, in front of the whole family eating their dinner. Poor woman is crumbling and weeps, “I don't know what to do". I take her by the hand and say let's go home and take care of things. I lead her to her house and see yes, the dog is indeed dead there on the floor of the silent, seemingly deserted house. Yellow haired Lab-mix, she has peed a bit in her dying. She is stiffening but still warm. Where are your children, I ask. She has sent them to their room. I sigh. Here is my task. I look her in the eye. Get them. She hesitates. Get them, this is sad, but not horrifying. This is a lesson for them about death. Keeping them away will make them more afraid. Let them say goodbye to her.

Once in a while, I hear of a unique idea to support a great cause that really grabs my attention. In this case, it's movies going to the dogs… more specifically, the Ruff Cuts Film Festival, a canine-themed event founded in 2014 by Service Dogs of Virginia (SDV). Taking inspiration from great film events such as Banff, Sundance, and Cannes, the Ruff Cuts Film Festival puts a new twist on the idea and features dog-themed independent films. Founder Peggy Law established the festival not only as an annual fundraiser for the non-profit SDV, but also as a way to celebrate the amazing relationship between people and dogs.