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Well trained dogs make leash walking a calm and relaxed time.

Most Satisfying Moments in Dog-Ownership

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.
DJ has sadly left his family behind and will be missed.

Updates on Some Blog Posts From the Past Year

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.
Overweight dogs can suffer many health issues due to their weight.

Canine Obesity: It’s a Big Problem

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.
A dog can break their teeth playing in the house.

No Balls in the House!

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.
A mislabeled bottle of prescription medicine for a dog.

What We’ll Do For Dogs…

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.
Looking for dog advice on online forums can be a bad idea.

Stop looking for (or giving!) health and training advice from strangers online!

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.
This foster dogs is staying at a succession of foster hopes until she finds one forever.

Home-to-Home Fostering

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.

Digital Memories Can Hurt – But Time Heals

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.
A prominent display of dog park rules.

Aggression at Dog Parks

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.
Spring is the time of year where a dog's allergies might be most aggravated.

Spring Allergy Challenges

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.
Teaching your dog proper leash manners requires practice.

How to Improve Your Dog’s Leash Manners

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.
Trade expos like the pictured Superzoo, or the upcoming Global Pet Expo lets manufacturers show off their upcoming wares.

Global Pet Expo

Expos are where pet products companies come to set up elaborate booths to show what they are making and selling these days. All the pet food companies, gear makers, and veterinary pharmaceutical companies will be there with gigantic, elaborate booths.

Latest Blog

Too Old to Adopt?

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.