Enjoy Your Dog – Enjoy the Journey

Tonight I received a link for a video on YouTube that had been put together by Susan Garrett. I don’t know this trainer, but I have to say her slideshow really hit home. I didn’t get to see all of it, YouTube was being temperamental but it got me really thinking.

Sometimes we are so busy “training” a dog that we forget to stop and listen to what they are trying to communicate to us.

Strange Dogs and control the kids!

I was out walking with a client last week who owns a very large male Rottie. We were at the park and working on loose leash walking when from out of nowhere a young child comes up and starts hugging this big boy. Mom kind of sauntered up behind her child, and stood their watching. I held my breath and then stepped in between the dog and the child, concerned even a well behaved dog like this Rottie was has a limit. I

How do I find a good veterinarian?

Oh this is a tough one for me. WHY? because I have had the same fantastic  vet for over 14 years (Dr. Sandy Sanford at Sweetwater Veterinary Clinic in Agua Dulce, CA). Needless to say, there ARE times when I’m not close enough to be able to get my dog in to him, or there are times when I can’t get in for whatever reason and I have used other area vets as well. 

“How do I crate train my puppy?”

 

Maestro enjoys his crate

Crate training is a simple way to keep a pup out of trouble, or to give an older dog their own “bedroom”. Dogs, as den animals, are generally more comfortable in small confined spaces. It can help them feel more secure, and provide a safe haven from a variety of problems. 

Bonding with your puppy!

  

Bonding  with your puppy is one of the greatest joys of owning a puppy. There is something to be said about the close relationship between a handler a pup he/she has raised from a young age. Not that you can’t create a close bond

Pet Stores that sell puppies – stop puppy mills!

When it came time for me to get my own personal first dog, I could hardly wait. I owned a macaw at the time, but had always wanted my own puppy. My mom told me that if I rehomed the macaw I could get a dog(I kept the macaw for quite some time after getting my puppy anyways:-)). I had been at the mall a few days prior to this, and had seen a very cute cocker spaniel puppy in the window. So we headed off to the mall “just to look”. We brought Tyler home that day. He had “championship lines” and he had the sweetest personality. He never got sick (though he did have eye problems throughout his life) and he lived to be 14 years old. I loved that dog. But what we didn’t know at the time, was that he was a puppy mill puppy. His “championship lines” consisted of 1 champion, 4 generations back. And we had lucked out…we got one that was healthy.

What do you feed your dog?

People have asked me several times over the past few months what I feed MY dogs. Generally with clients I will only describe how to read a dog food label and how to find a food that works best for their dogs since all dogs do different with different brands of food. Invariably the question comes up though about what I feed my own animals.

Help! My dog is aggressive with other dogs on the leash!

In our last post on this topic, we talked about reasons WHY a dog can be more aggressive towards other dogs when on the leash. Here we will give just a few tips on things to do to handle this problem. We of course have more tricks up our sleeves to deal with this annoying problem, after all, where would we be without a job? But these are some things to think about and do to lessen the behavior while you’re trying t find a trainer to come and help you with this problem.

Dog Chew Toys!

Most dogs love to chew. Sometimes they do this out of boredom, because they’re teething, out of anxiety (think of people chewing on their fingernails, it’s the same concept), and sometimes they do it just because they can and/or want to. Most trainers recommend as part of a protocol to help dogs that chew, appropriate chew toys.

My dog reacts aggressively at the front door?!

This can be a common problem. And it’s often a frustrating one for owners, especially those that have a lot of company come over. It’s always best to consult a professional trainer or behaviorist when dealing with any type of aggression. But we can give you a few tips on what NOT to do here.