Romeo was not a natural retriever when he was young. He liked to take things and run off with them, but his natural inclination was never to bring things to me. I knew I wanted a dog who would retrieve for me, even if it wasn't one of his favorite games to play. So I [...]
An ongoing debate among dog trainers is the use of and need for punishment. Some trainers use primarily punishment to train dogs. Some use primarily positive reinforcement and try to avoid using any punishment. Most fit somewhere along the spectrum. Some say you can have a highly trained reliable dog without the use of punishment. [...]
The holiday season tends to be very hectic for most of us. This means some of our usual routines go out the window. Unfortunately, for our dogs, this often includes training, walks and other important bonding and exercise time. When people travel without their dogs, many people see their dogs' manners and training take a [...]
I've counseled lots of people on how to help get through times of mandatory R&R for their energetic dogs. This week (November 2010) has been my chance to put that advice to the test. Romeo was neutered last Friday, and the vet recommends a week of no running and jumping. That would be fine if [...]
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 with our plan to get Romeo neutered (November 2010), it's been on my mind. So I decided to find out. [...]
