Right now, I have a lovely black German Shepherd guide dog that I trained for a blind woman 4 years ago. She is back to me to help her stop barking at other dogs. Why does she bark at other dogs? She was attacked by a pit bull in a grocery store about a year ago and now her blind owner can’t use her anymore. This isn’t a comment about pit bulls, it’s a tragic tale of how a fake service dog can destroy another, fully trained service dog in a flash of a second.
Oh boy! We are going for a ride in the car! That always means something fun! I love running and playing! I especially like the river! “Oh boy! Here we are! Look at this big space for me to run! I hope mom brought treats, too! It’s so fun to play that ‘come’ game where she calls my name, and when I get to her she gives me treats! I love that game so much!
An energetic puppy sure can be hard to live with! A smart puppy is inquisitive and busy. Much of her energy can be enjoyable as we watch her explore and learn about life every day. It can wear us out just as fast as your pup can make it from one end of the house to the other! There is so much encouragement to exercise puppies to tire them out so they are easier to live with. This is very true, but there can be some physical dangers to OVER-exercise.
A question I am always asked is, “what should my dog be trained to do?” There are minimum safety behaviors any dog should learn. This is my list of should do’s and don’ts. Should do’s: Sit and wait at a door - to prevent darting out into the street or running someone over. Sit for meals - this teaches dogs respect for humans and food. Sit for petting – ANY time, not just with visitors.
It’s not just obedience. Essential dog training is teaching a dog the essentials of life and how to live in a family. Very few dogs I work with are professional dogs that live in kennels only to come out to work. Most of my dog clients are all integrated into the family and are treated like family members. The very basics every dog should have aside from sit, down, stay and come, include teaching puppies to accept “restraint.” Restraint is holding a puppy snuggly until he relaxes.
A while back, a flight attendant was bitten by an Emotional Support Dog (ESA) and required 5 stitches. This is a travesty for all dogs, service dogs, the flight attendant, as well as the general public. Being exposed to - with nowhere to escape inside a plane – an aggressive dog is a horrible experience. Yet, consistently, people claim their pet dog to be an ESA by buying a doctor’s prescription online, and a vest. Anyone who does this is not only being fraudulent,
If you have ever visited my website, you will find a page called “No Bones About It” which is my two bits of free advice and how I arrived at this newspaper column title. This is where I tell it like it is without any sugar coating. I talk about having two puppies, especially from the same litter: “Two puppies (especially siblings) are not better than one, unless you don't want to have any relationship at all with your dogs.
Never has there been a more highly debated conflict in opinion among dog trainers in the history of time. Either one purports the “Dominance Myth” or you are just wrong. How difficult does this make finding a dog trainer for the everyday dog owner? In my experience, “dominance” has been equated with harsh punishment. In my humble opinion it should not be.
We all remember that kid in school with a gang behind him that bullied someone who was a bookworm, or wore glasses, or even just didn’t have the cool clothes. The bully had to prove he or she was stronger, cooler, or just wanted a good laugh. We are all aware of the cyber bullying going on in schools now with the proliferation of cell phones resulting in the emotional devastation to the victims. Well, in the dog world things are not much different.
Our hearts go out to the dog that is shy or even fearful about life. We are drawn to the dog in the back of the kennel at the shelter that appears to have had a rough life and is afraid to even come visit you. We instinctually want to nurture this dog back to a happy dog. Or we are drawn to the puppy that crawls into your lap seeking shelter from the other puppies. As humans, we have big hearts and want nothing more than to help!
AFTER AN EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE, I WILL BE RETURNING TO WORK MARCH 1st!
