January 2007
Shouts and Whispers
Subscribers Only You presented (“Don’t Whisper,” December 2006) some of the same observations I have made in viewing “The Dog Whisperer,” but I believe that you failed to give him credit for two key points.
Utilizing Target Training for Better Leash Walking
Subscribers Only Does your dog know how to target? If not, the two of you may be missing out on one of the most versatile behaviors to come along since the rise in popularity of the positive dog training philosophy.
Tracking Your Dogs Training Progress
Lately, it seems like there’s an epidemic of people around me who can’t see their own and their dog’s progress. In a similar vein, I’ve been surprised by the number of clients who seem to take their dog’s improvement for granted, yet continually expect more and more.
Pet Food Manufacturing Plants
Subscribers Only Not long ago, I was talking with Jay Weinstein, professional chef and editor of Kitchen & Cook, another one of Belvoir Publications of magazines, at a meeting with our publisher in Florida. Weinstein asked me where I had flown in from. I told him I had attended a pet products show in Chicago, and was touring some dog food factories on the trip, as well. Ugh! Jay protested, his fine dining sensibilities temporarily offended. Why do they have to be called dog food factories? Why can't they be called dog food kitchens, at least? Or pet nutrition facilities?
Treating Canine Compulsive Disorders With Acupressure Techniques
Subscribers Only Does a worried dog sing a worried song? A dog’s worried “song” is often expressed in quirky, repetitive behaviors and anxiety disorders known as Canine Compulsive Disorder (CCD). A dog with CCD does more than exhibit anxiety in the face of an immediate threat; he often compulsively repeats a behavior that has nothing to do with escaping a danger or trigger.
Dog Training Using Positive Techniques
We’ve come so far since those dark days just over a decade ago when virtually all dog training was accomplished through the use of force and compulsion. I know those days well; I was quite skilled at giving collar corrections with choke chains and attained several high-scoring obedience titles with my dogs using those methods.
Dog Gear of the Year
Subscribers Only There are millions of pet products being marketed to dog owners for direct use on, in, or around their dogs and puppies: foods, treats, supplements, toys, training tools, garments, medical supplies, grooming tools and unguents, beds, fences, and crates.
New Year, Old Tricks
Subscribers Only Who were your favorite teachers in school? Picture those individuals for a minute, and I’ll bet I can describe them: Interesting, exciting people who made learning fun. People who were kind to you, and made you feel respected and appreciated.
