Training

Depending on who you talk to, “hunting dog” means very different things. The only thing in common may very well be that the human end of the leash historically toted a gun in pursuit of some type of “game.” The game in question was not after-dinner parlor entertainment, but the entree on your dinner table. That might be pheasant, duck, or squirrel. Through hundreds of years, the real-life pursuit of food for one’s family has morphed into a competitive sport for people who rely upon Safeway to meet their nutritional needs.

a Papillon in training to become a service dog, demonstrates a stretching/hand-control exercise where the client is asked to roll the ball toward the dog, and the dog rolls it back.üTim (Debi's husband) demonstrates some of the exercises that dogs can help with during animal-assisted physical therapy. In this exercise, the dog was directed to stand in place as the client maintained his balance while reached and stretching toward the dog.

I was recently contacted by a friend about a darling Border Collie puppy whose photo she found on Petfinder.com – and who was deaf. This friend is crazy about Border Collies, and also knows that I have a deaf Chinese Crested. Thus, she thought of me when she saw this puppy. The person who was fostering the pup was unable to keep her much longer, and did not want to send her to the local shelter as that would almost certainly result in the puppy’s euthanasia. Why? Because that shelter considers all deaf dogs as “unadoptable.”

Stress is not specific to humans – it affects all species, including our dogs, and it takes a toll on every living thing that...

When Orbit came into one of the classes I offer for puppies and their owners, in Santa Cruz, California, he was in most ways...

It is well known in the dog world that our canine companions are primarily body language communicators, i.e., visual learners. This makes sense; they...

When your dog has learned how to search, this makes a great rainy day indoor exercise activity. You can also routinely scatter her meals around the yard so she has to search through the grass to find them; put her on a long line if you don't have a fence. You can also name her favorite toys and have her find them. You can even have family members and friends hide and have her find them.

Although your dog seems to be fine with visitors to your home, you’ve noticed that she’s become increasingly aggressive toward people who approach the...

I confess: I have a hard time fitting in enough exercise for myself and my dog. Nothing earth-shattering about this admission; I think not getting enough exercise is a universal condition. Even though my dog and I walk daily, life and age just keep creeping up, making it harder and harder for me to stay fit. And, my high-energy herding dog seems to always need just a little more in the way of activity than I have time and energy to provide.

Autism is not yet a diagnosis that can be given to dogs. Autism-like symptoms such as repetitive behavior or episodic aggression can be very challenging for dog guardians to understand and safely manage in the home, and it may be tempting to put the autism label on a dog if it fits. But Dr. Parthasarathy explains that a detailed history of the dog is essential for professionals to come up with a diagnosis.

Do you and your dog absolutely love people? If so, this rewarding volunteer activity might be for you. Here’s how to prepare yourself and your canine partner for providing comfort to people in need.

There's a new dog coming into your life who needs to learn her name. A puppy perhaps? Or maybe an adult rescue do-over" dog? You might even have a dog who's been with you for a while