For dog's sake, it's time to start letting your dog be a dog. He needs to do the dog things. As long as those things don't hurt you or your pup, what's the problem? There may actually be more harm in not letting your dog do the dog things. I recently spent some time...

You all probably know by now that the type of dog training I do is called "positive reinforcement." What that means, really, is that I teach dogs by rewarding the behavior I want, rather than trying to stop the behavior I don't want. Instead, I work to replace the...

As you know if you've been reading my blog for a while - or know me - I came to dog ownership kind of late in life. I didn't get my first dog, Maizy, until I was in my 30s. It was a fast learning curve for me, because I quickly became fascinated with dog behavior and...

Have you ever heard someone say "my dog needs to be socialized more," or "that dog wasn't socialized," or some other similar phrase. Do you know what that means? Do you think the person who said it knows what it means? Maybe. Maybe not. I did a quick poll on my...

On our walk one morning, my dog, Fae, and I ran into a nice couple with two cute little beagles. The first little guy was super leash reactive, lunging at the end of his leash, barking at us. The other one was just hanging out, waiting for the show to be over. Their...

Wow, it's been a long time since I last wrote a blog post. I wish I had an exciting excuse, but I don't. I had carpal tunnel surgery in December, but that was only an excuse for not blogging for about three weeks - max. Since then, I think it's just been my usual...

I've found myself disappointed a lot over the last few weeks. Nothing major, just little things that happen and leave me feeling like I am letting the world down and the world is letting me down. I was getting this feeling over and over - and getting so frustrated....

You need a dog trainer. You might have been thinking about it a while as your frustrations build. Maybe everything was fine until some kind of life event threw a kink in your canine dream world. Either way, you know you are frustrated, the dog is frustrated, and...

October was Shelter Dog Month. So, on this, the last day of October, I want to say something about shelter dogs, life, and you - and me. Each of us has an impact.   Today I want to recognize the impact that you and I and everyone around us has on the community....

A time for change and reflection... The company I work for is being bought and will no longer be in existence come next Wednesday. I've worked there for almost 15 years, so this has been a time of reflection and change for me. Lately, I've found myself thinking a lot...

Let's talk about walks. Most of us take our dogs on walks. They are the number one exercise and enrichment activity dog owners typically offer their dogs. Three Types of Walks I saw a post on Facebook the other day (wish I could remember where so I could give credit!)...

Life without enrichment... boo! Imagine if this was your life: Every morning, someone throws cold cereal in a bowl for you to eat. Then they take you on a march around the block, where you are not allowed to enjoy it, just walk. Then they throw you in the bathroom for...

If you are lucky enough to have a crazy dog, I'm sure you've yelled "Settle down!" (and several other choice phrases) at your dog. If you are even luckier, and are currently experiencing the great joys and great annoyance of a puppy or adolescent dog in your home, you...

Let me tell you a couple of stories about our boy, Max, to share a little bit about disappointment and how I've had to acknowledge it and just keep on moving. Our Sweet Max Man Max is a Shepard/Catahoula Hound mix we adopted from the shelter when he was just a few...

The environment we live in makes a huge difference in how we face and handle the world. The same is true for our dogs. People are increasingly interested in concepts like minimalism and hygge for a reason. Lots of us have realized that the world can be an overwhelming...

I went for a walk with my puppy this morning. You wouldn't think that's big news, but it is. It's really hard for me to share my deepest, darkest stuff with you all, but that's why I started this blog. I want to be real and honest - with the hopes that it helps...

Effective dog training requires a plan. You can wing it and it'll get you somewhere, but with a solid training plan, you'll get a whole lot further in a much shorter time. What are the elements of the plan? An End Game: I like to start backwards when I make a training...

Growing up, I never had a dog. In fact, I was a little scared of them, but also a little fascinated by them. I remember being a little girl and sticking my fingers through the neighbors' fence, trying to make friends with their Border Collie. He bit me (not hard) and...