If I asked most dog guardians if they liked their dog, they'd quickly reply something like "Of course, I love my dog!" But loving your dog isn't the same as liking your dog. Love and like are different psychological experiences, so it's possible to love your...
If you have a new dog and are online, you've no doubt come across the 3-3-3 rule for new dogs. This idea and various graphics of it circulate often, making the rounds on social media. I am unsure of the origin of this rule, but I suspect it started in the...
While this may not be a happy, joyful post, it's a necessary one. Please, bookmark this post for when you need it. I hope you don't need it any time soon, but when you do, come back here. And, be sure to share this post with friends who need it now. I am a...
Since BooBoo passed away 5 months ago, we've been dipping our toes back into fostering. When Barbo and BooBoo were both alive, we did a lot of fostering. As a family, we fostered over 50 dogs and puppies, many of which were fearful. It was early in my dog training...
Are you expecting? You've no doubt got a lot of things to consider and prepare for. I'm sure you're overwhelmed with emotions, excitement and maybe even a little bit of fear right now. And if worrying about your dog is part of that worry, let me help. As a...
Clients almost always ask "how long will this take to fix?" and I can never give them a concrete answer. I don't have a crystal ball or a magic wand. I'm not hiding anything, in fact, I'm being completely transparent, unlike unqualified trainers who often...
Two months ago I gave you an update on my grief journey two months after I kissed my sweet BooBoo goodbye for the last time, one day after her 15-1/2th birthday. As mentioned in that post, I had been navigating some challenges and promised an update on what...
Today I'm here to tell you, to give you permission, to not walk your dog. Wait, what? Don't all dogs need walks? I'm here to say, no. We've been taught to believe that dogs need walks but many dogs don't enjoy walks. For active, young dogs, we don't really...
So you’ve brought home a new dog (or are preparing to do so)! Congratulations on your new addition! I bet you’re excited to show off your new bundle of joy to everyone! And that’s understandable! But first, let’s look at some important things to help keep your...
A few months ago (before BooBoo passed away...so you will see her in the video if you watch it!) I chatted with Zazie and Kristie from Companion Animal Psychology for their podcast The Pawsitive Post in Conversation about my course, Bringing Home Baby. You...
I've written in the past about behavior regressions in areas like separation anxiety or house training. But occasionally new separation-related behavior issues pop up in dogs who have not previously displayed any separation issues. Sometimes this can be...
Two months ago I kissed my sweet BooBoo goodbye for the last time, one day after her 15-1/2th birthday. And since that moment I've been deep, deep in grief. I've shared a little on social media, both on my personal channels and on my business pages. As a...