One of the biggest points I try to get across to people is that training dogs effectively is really about creating a partnership, learning to work together, and learning to communicate effectively with each other. It’s not about “teaching the dog who is boss” or establishing “dominance” because if that’s your main goal, you’ve already [...]
Prior to my Vizlsa, Romeo, all of our dogs have been adult dogs adopted through breed rescue groups. I’m a big believer in helping homeless dogs find their forever homes, and helping dogs remain in their homes so they don’t end up homeless. But more than that, I am a big believer in helping dogs [...]
Hard to believe our Vizlsa, Romeo, turns 3 years old on June 8 (2012)! We brought him home on August 1, 2009, just two days shy of 8 weeks old. I had been visiting his litter since they were two weeks of age. I took pictures for the breeder to send to the other families [...]
One of the things I miss about being in the suburbs (perhaps the only thing!) is the variety of dog-walking routes we had available. Although we had some favorites routes, I tried to make sure I included plenty of variety, even if it was walking the opposite way or on the other side of the [...]
We know that our own stress can greatly affect our performance and ability to function, but do you ever consider how your dog's stress level might affect his/her performance? Not only your dog's stress level, but your own stress level can affect his performance as well. My Sunday afternoon Basic Training Class graduated recently. Our [...]
