Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes I am often asked how long it took to train my dog. I like it best when I am asked this question when I am walking Sky, who will be 14 in November, because my answer is always the same: We’re still working on it. Pet owners often like to think of training as, say, […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Administering medications to birds can be challenging and stressful to everyone involved. For many bird owners, the thought of administering medications brings up images of capturing their frightened or aggressive bird who is rarely handled, wrapping him in a towel, forcing foul-tasting medications into their beak, and possibly getting bitten for their efforts. Rough handling […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When I mentioned to a friend that I was thinking of taking my Labrador Retriever to the groomer, she suggested I shouldn’t do it, out of concern that the COVID-19 virus could pass through her fur if the groomer was infected, or get on the leash, or pass from the groomer to me when I […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Does your dog like to sniff? And does she like playing games with you and learning new things? Then tracking is a sport for you! Tracking helps to build confidence in shy or anxious dogs because it is a natural behavior and one of the few sports where your dog calls the shots. Humans have […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes You waited until the time was right to adopt, or you waited for a special litter to be born and ready to come home with you. You want your puppy to be loving and funny, but also confident, able to go anywhere you want to take him with no problems at all. But what do […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes National Dog Bite Prevention Week has come and gone, but preventing dog bites is a year-round endeavor. Prevention as well as education are key. That was the theme of a recent Zoom press event featuring experts from various fields. Here’s what they had to say. “Dog bite prevention may have more meaning this year than […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Watching mothers teaching their puppies lessons that would hold their value for the life of those little dogs greatly informed my understanding of how to train dogs. The mom, or dam, not only nourishes her puppies, not only keeps them clean and safe, but as they get up onto their feet, as they interact with […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dogs find certain encounters so memorable that learning happens via a single experience — especially if it’s novel, intense, startling, or incredibly rewarding. Sometimes it’s hilarious, as this headline from The Onion perfectly describes — “Dog Takes Pilgrimage to Holy Site Where It Once Found Rotisserie Chicken on Side of Road.” Often, though, a single […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Stop copying me!” I’d yell at my sister, next to me in the car backseat. “Stop copying me!” she’d whine, then stick her tongue out at me. Mercy, she was aggravating. My father would tell us both to be quiet. We’d glare at each other across the imaginary demarcation line in the middle of the […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Before our litter of Labrador retriever puppies went to their new homes, they learned to swim. Some would live at lake homes, others on the beach, and one went to canoe enthusiasts, so it was important to teach them not to be afraid of water. Even if your dog is an adult or senior or […]