I’ve previously written about the fallout effects specifically of shock collars. But I wanted to more broadly touch on our regular interactions with our dogs, especially puppies in their critical socialization window, and why things like clamping a puppy’s mouth for puppy biting is such a bad idea. Recently I’ve come across other rough handling suggestions like grabbing/twisting a dog’s ears, scruffing them, muzzle clamping (even outside of puppy biting), grabbing a dog’s tail and other horrible suggestions as “training advice.” These are of course in addition to the “normal” suite of b ..read more

It’s been almost a month since we said goodbye to our precious BooBoo. I’m still navigating grief and her loss daily. But I wanted to make this post as my first one back to help others. As an end of life pet doula, and general advocate for planning, both for humans and animals, I always want people to think ahead and have plans in place. I strongly believe that planning reduces stress in the long-term. My post What If Your Animal Outlives You? talks about proactively thinking about difficult things and making arrangements for your animals in the event that they outlive you. Sure, these are tou ..read more

  Last week, as many marveled as daylight plunged into darkness during the eclipse, our world plunged into darkness just two days later, as we said goodbye to our sweet BooBoo, one day after her 15-1/2th birthday. We had a beautiful 4661 days together on this planet, yet it will never have been enough. And I can still barely breathe. I am so deep and raw in my grief, I honestly do not know how I will go on without her by my side. On tough days, I used to look at her and remember both our lives could have ended very differently and that compassion, understanding and kindness always overcom ..read more

As a trainer whose primary focus fear and aggression cases, I’m often contacted by clients after they’ve been through several other trainers and are at their wits end. A lot of times in my consult they have some fantasy idea about what their dog needs that they can’t provide – some magical cure for the dog that will somehow “fix” all of the dog’s problems and make them a happy, behaviorally sound dog. And, coming from the rescue and shelter world, I’ve heard it there too. We’d get dogs being returned and people would say things like “he just needs to be adopted by someone who has a yard” or “h ..read more

  Today I’m sharing a post I wrote for Pets and Their People, a resource dedicated to pet owners, provided by the Pet Professional Guild, which is a force-free organization that I’m proud to be a member of. I am also a committee member of their Shelter and Rescue Division. If you are a shelter or rescue volunteer or staff member, and are committed to positive reinforcement, force-free training and handling methods, I strongly encourage you to join at the Shelter & Rescue Organization Level member (this is for individuals as well as organizations.) Membership has its benefits and you’l ..read more

  With many of us thinking ahead to the upcoming solar eclipse, and ordering those special glasses to protect your eyes for this once in a lifetime event, you may be wondering if you need to worry about your dog (or other pets) for the eclipse. Well, I checked with vet ophthalmologist Dr. Micki Armour, VMD, DACVO at Armour Veterinary Ophthalmology at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington DC to confirm, there’s generally no need for your cats and dogs to use eclipse glasses. However, if your dog is prone to watch things that you do, like TV, or follow your gaze, then she suggested ..read more

  Few things frustrate owners more than their dog pottying inside, whether they have a new puppy or a newly rescued adult dog. Housetraining issues can be super frustrating and really zap the joy out of having a new dog in your home. Nobody likes to clean up constant messes. But not all potty accidents are the same.  I’ve covered normal housetraining basics here. And for fearful dogs and dogs who are afraid to go outside read this post. Today’s post is about dogs who urinate when they’re excited, unsure or frightened. We call this submissive, appeasement or excitement urination and c ..read more

  This might surprise you, but I think teaching a dog to sit is one of the the skills your dog really doesn’t need. Now hold on, hear me out before you hate me. It might be convenient but it’s not essential. It’s not a life or death skill, like leave it or recall. And in most contexts when owners tend to use sit, we could easily swap out stand instead. Sit is such an overused, under-rewarded skill. People ask their dog to sit, for no real reason, far too often. Why does your dog need to sit to get a treat? Do you perform a “trick” every time you go to the cookie jar for a snack? Do you pe ..read more

This Valentine’s Day week, I am resharing one my popular posts about how to truly love a fearful dog. Often well-meaning but mistaken people tell others that fearful dogs “just need love” to get better. This is like telling someone with a fractured leg that they just need love to heal their fracture. And yes, while there are degrees of fracture severity, like there are degrees of fearful dogs, all broken legs need some type of medical care for proper healing and long term recovery. While a very simple fracture may only require a brace, ice and rest, other, more complicated fractures require an ..read more

  Displacement behaviors are normal behaviors that are performed out of context and they can indicate if a dog is conflicted or anxious. I talk about them when I’m reviewing dog body language with clients, especially for fearful dogs or with my separation anxiety clients. I make the analogy to humans when we’re a little unsure of a situation and we may fidget and do activities like twiddle our thumbs or maybe play with our hair. We do something to occupy ourselves in moments of uncertainty to fill the time. And dogs can do the same thing when they’re feeling unsure. When I start to point ..read more