The Dog Blog

Pages

Uh Oh! Caught on the Couch!

Laurel Scarioni  |  Sat, 03/01/2008 - 13:24

Its funny how many people try to shoo their dogs off the furniture when I arrive for their first in-home training appointment. Some of these people really don’t allow their dogs on the furniture. Their exuberant young dog is so focused on his efforts to investigate the stranger that smells strongly of liver and a pack of dogs that he really has forgotten the house rules. It is obvious to me that these owners are genuinely shocked by their dog’s behavior, and they take immediate action to remove the dog from their relatively hair-free couch. On the flip side, I meet owners that look smilingly at their dog as he sits on the hair-covered couch, and then suddenly remember that “THE DOG TRAINER” is watching, and start trying to remove a rather confused dog from his usual perch. These are the ones that make me want to giggle. I ask them, “Do you usually let him sit on the couch?” and they sheepishly reply, “yes”, as if they are confessing to some great sin.

 

“Trainer To The Stars”

Dr. Nicholas H....  |  Thu, 02/28/2008 - 14:35

This week it was brought to my attention that LA-based “dog trainer-to-the-stars” ******* (*name of business owner omitted by Dog Star Daily editorial staff) had copied my Valentine’s Day article for PetPlace.com for his enewsletter ******* and attributed authorship to himself. I emailed him and told him that plagiarism was dishonest and illegal and that the material was copyrighted. Here was his website’s public response (which was similar to a personal email sent to me):

 

“What? Lectures on dog training at a Veterinary Conference? Are you crazy?!”

Valerie Pollard  |  Wed, 02/27/2008 - 07:38

I recently attended a large veterinary conference and listened to most of the lectures on behavior, which is now a very popular subject, and is given the largest lecture halls and filled nearly to capacity at each lecture. Over the years I’ve watched this topic grow from the germ of an idea as the concept of a Veterinary Behaviorist came into existence into a movement that is bringing the treatment of dog behavior issues into the forefront of small animal veterinary practices.

 

A Eulogy for Heyoka

Nicole Wilde  |  Mon, 02/25/2008 - 04:45


Heyoka, a mostly-wolf mixed with malamute, came to live with us ten years ago. He had been one of forty-something wolves/wolfdogs at the rescue center I worked with, having been given up by a private home at the age of two to three years old. At the center, he had been pen-mate to a female wolf/Samoyed mix named Sequoia. As much time as I spent socializing with the rescue’s permanent residents, there were still so many wolves and wolfdogs that it was impossible for any of them to get enough individual attention.

 

Living With Kids and Dogs

Cindy Bruckart  |  Sat, 02/23/2008 - 09:00

One of the biggest challenges for some of my clients is working out the safety, logistics and training of both kids and canines. This is especially true of those parents with small children and those who already have a dog and are expecting a child.

I’ve found that many parents have a deep seated misconception about how children and dogs should play and get along with one another. Maybe it’s due to movies. Perhaps it has something to do with skewed memories of childhood family dogs. I’m not sure. But so many of us imagine an ultra-tolerant dog who is able to sleep with the kids, be dressed up in doll clothes, chase the kids in the backyard and even share their food without so much as a blink of the eye.

 

Beloved Companions or Just Property?

Jeff Silverman  |  Wed, 02/20/2008 - 09:22

There’s a dramatic story in the news this week that elicits powerful emotions from me and probably will do the same for all DSD readers. The story goes back almost a year and a half and raises questions about our pets’ place in society, our moral obligations to them, our relationship to the laws that govern us, and the power of compassion. I don’t know the whole story. I’ve only read about it. I find it both very upsetting, though, and very compelling.

 

Why A Growl Is Good

Marie Finnegan  |  Fri, 02/15/2008 - 15:06

My new Akita puppy Jack was on his bed chewing a fresh bone. I sat down beside him to work on desensitizing him to having things taken away. There is little of higher value to a dog than a fresh bone. I asked him in a singsong voice “What have you got there?” and put my hand on the bone. His response was to clench the bone and give a low growl. My husband was watching this exchange and was flabbergasted when I calmly got up without saying a word to go get my training bag with treats in it. “Why didn’t you correct him?” was his question to me. “And why are you about to give him some treats?”
*

 

It's Your Turn! - What's Your Dog Love Story?

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Thu, 02/14/2008 - 12:54

In honor of Valentine's Day I'd like to give you, our DSD readers, an opportunity to share YOUR dog love stories. How did you meet? What does your dog mean to you? Why is dog-love so very special? (keep it clean folks)

I look forward to reading your comments below. And why stop at comments? I'd love to see photos or video of your canine love too!

Happy Valentine's Day,

Kelly

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite photos from when we first met Dune:

 

* UPDATED 02/09/08 - A Wet Weather Warning & Wake Up

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Wed, 02/06/2008 - 11:04

My dog Hugo just came home from the animal hospital last night after over 30 hours (and several hundreds of dollars) in care due to mushroom toxicity. He is resting and feeling better now, but this has been quite a scare because several types of mushrooms are toxic enough to rapidly cause liver failure and death in both dogs and humans. He is not quite out of the woods yet, we have to do yet another liver enzyme check and observe him closely over the next few days, but I am optimistic that he will survive this violent assault on his poor little system.

 

Dog Scouts of America

Cindy Bruckart  |  Tue, 02/05/2008 - 07:53

I was an awesome Girl Scout as a kid. I loved Scouting. I couldn’t imagine anything better. Of course, when I was a kid, there was no such thing as Dog Scouts!

Can you believe it? A Scouting opportunity that includes dogs! Dog Scouts of America provides education, resources and leadership training for adults along with the traditions of troop membership and merit badges for kids and their dogs. What could be more exciting?

Imagine the potential for the future of our children and the dog-owning community if kids were taught in a fun and exciting way about responsible dog ownership, positive training, and community service. Of course kids are going to just think it’s a lot of fun, but I think the benefits are much more far reaching.

 

Pages

Subscribe to The Dog Blog
Are you a dog breeder? Sign up for the Dog Breeder Behavior & Training Program