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Romeo's neuter – was it harder on him or me?
Yep, the day he was neutered. Honestly, I'm not sure if the day was more traumatic for me or for him. While he was the one actually having surgery, at least he was oblivious of [...]
Does your dog's reliability change with the context?
Romeo and Jahzara both love bunnies. There is a direct correlation between the pleasantness of our walks and the number of bunnies we see. For the dogs, the more bunnies we see, the more pleasant [...]
Allowing other pets to say goodbye to a family dog
Saying goodbye to a family dog is never easy. Sometimes the end comes quickly, other times an illness or old age causes a long drawn out deterioration of a dog's health. Either way, it's always [...]
What happens when your dog is spayed or neutered?
Ever wondered what happens to your dog when you drop him or her off to be spayed or neutered? I imagine most people don't give it much thought, so perhaps I'm the only one! But [...]
Increasing the value of your dog's food
When I am working with puppies, I always recommend using their regular food for training at home rather than using treats. Save the treats for the more distracting situations when we need something of higher [...]
Never too old to learn
This past weekend I met with a new client (November 2010). The client's father lives with them and asked if he could join us to see if he could learn something. The interesting part is [...]
Training tip – easy nail trims
Do you trim your dog's nails or have someone else do it for you? Either way, life will be much easier and less stressful for everyone involved if your dog learns to happily get his [...]
Romeo's favorite napping spot invaded!
Anyone who knows Romeo knows what a bundle of energy he is! But what most people don't get to see is the very lovey-dovey, sweet, snuggly side of him. Romeo's favorite spot to nap is [...]
Crate training – does your dog love his crate?
Crate training seemed to be the hot topic this weekend for my clients. I had two private training sessions this weekend with dogs who have some separation and crating issues. The dogs are not ready [...]
Do you and your dog look alike?
I have just started reading a book titled: Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals by Hal Herzog. He is a professor of psychology [...]
Is your dog a good traveler?
My husband and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and took the day off last Friday (October 2010). Although the fall colors are a bit past peak, we still enjoyed the [...]
If a dog bites, is she dangerous? Part 2
In my last post (October 2010), I discussed my evaluation of a dog who had bitten someone. In my evaluation, I determined that most likely this dog had been placed in a high stress situation [...]
If a dog bites, is she dangerous?
I am sometimes asked to evaluate a foster dog for Colorado Greyhound Adoption. I conducted one such evaluation last week (October 2010) for a female greyhound who is believed to be around 5 years old. [...]
Tops Tips From Top Trainers
I realize most people don't read dog training books for fun like I do, but I thought I would mention this book since both Dogwise.com and Amazon.com have it on sale right now. The full [...]
Hiking with Romeo: it's an adventure!
If you are looking for a serious workout, try hiking with Romeo! What's the old Navy slogan, "It's not just a job. It's an adventure." Yep, same goes for hiking with Romeo. (October 2010) For [...]
Dog on the loose
Friday morning I was driving down Highway 105 south of Sedalia with Romeo in his crate. The speed limit is 50 mph, but many people drive 55, 60 or faster. As I came over a [...]
Give me a break!
When I was a kid, we had chores to do around home. One thing I noticed even back then was that everyone has different work styles and habits. I preferred to plow through the work, [...]
Celebrating an anniversary
Ed and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this past Saturday (September 2010). Each year we celebrate by going back to our outdoor wedding site overlooking the Continental Divide at Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA outside Fraser, [...]
Putting “leave it” to the test
The other night (September 2010) I was watching TV while snuggled up on the couch with Romeo. Jahzara, the Greyhound, was sleeping on her dog bed nearby. Freighter, the cat, was somewhere nearby as well. [...]
History of pets in America
I read Pets in America: A History by Katherine C. Grier. The book takes a look at records related to pets primarily in the Northeast U.S. in the mid- and late-1800's and early 1900's. It [...]
Did my dog eat a toxic plant?
When you have a puppy, you learn to "puppy proof" your house quickly as s/he can get into new things every day. As your dog ages and is supposedly better behaved, you start to relax [...]