Blog

Most people aren’t interested in learning theory and the timing of the dopamine release and whether a dog is intentionally signaling aggression when his hair stands up—but I am fascinated by all of those things and can’t even resist telling you right here and right now that he’s not!

Two training accomplishments above all others are the most pleasurable for me—and thus the most important for me to work on with my dogs: a tack-sharp recall and the ability to walk on leash without pulling.

Life with dogs has ups and downs, and I thought I’d share some of the recent happy and sad outcomes to some of the stories I’ve shared with you this year, starting with the most recent and going back in time.

Most of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight, their owners don’t know it, and their veterinarians don’t feel comfortable talking to their clients about it.

Boone lunged toward the ball first – but he’s not a good catcher – so the ball bounced past me toward a steel and stone side-table, with Boone in pursuit. He pursued so hard, he smashed his face right into the edge of the steel table.

Viagra or sildenafil is a treatment for the conditions known as megaesophagus, a condition that causes dogs to regurgitate their food. It is a bit awkward picking it up at the pharmacy.

Tobacco and carrots are not good for deworming a dog. This and other advice that you get from online forums and message groups is probably best discarded in favor of advice from a reputable source.

The best alternative I’ve ever seen to rehoming dogs through shelters is called a home-to-home model. A new and ideal name for what rescue groups have been doing forever.

There’s every chance that you, like me, get regularly smacked in the face by a Facebook “memory" of your beloved heart dog who passed some time ago. It’s just as likely to make you smile as bring tears to your eyes.

We’ve all got stories about terrible things that we’ve seen or heard about that happened at a dog park. I would argue that there are just as many potentially aggressive humans at these parks as there are dogs who exhibit aggressive behavior.

It’s spring-time allergy season around here. My own incredibly itchy eyes would fully inform me of that fact even if Woody's constant licking didn't.

I occasionally teach a “leash manners” class at my friend’s dog-training center. In the first class, their hands are all over the place, and cues are, “NO! NO! STOP it!” I almost always see a tiny improvement in week two.