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Dogs in General

Info, Tips, Health

Part 1: What You Can Do to Avoid Getting Bitten By a Dog –10 Common Mistakes People Make Greeting Dogs

/ Dogs in General, The Mail Bag / By / 21 Comments

From the mailbag: Andrew writes: “In just the last couple of months I’ve had two scary run-ins with dogs and wish I knew what the reason was. The first incident happened when I was visiting a client for the first time and the dog came out and bit me hard on the leg. This was chalked up to the family’s new baby as it must have been protecting the family. But then today – visiting another new client and an … Read More

Providing for Your Dogs in Case of Delay or Death

/ Dogs in General, Finnegan the Coon Cat / By / 9 Comments

Most of us have wills providing for our significant others and children in the event something happened to us. But what about our animals?

If you were in an accident, or delayed from getting home from a trip, or you suddenly died, what would happen to your animals? Do you have a plan in place? Do you have people lined up and willing to step in and help? Have you set aside the resources to pay for food, vet care, … Read More

Thinking of Adding a Dog With Young Children in the Home? Here’s an Important Check List.

/ Dogs in General / By / 4 Comments

dogkid1When is the right time to bring a new puppy or dog into the family?

Rarely is someone in the position of being in the perfect time/perfect place — home most of the time, big fenced yard, older or no children, significant dog experience, familiarity and experience with the intended breed, etc. But there are varying degrees of “the right time” based on the individual’s experience and life situation, which should include some combination of the aforementioned.

There are also … Read More

How to Choose and Introduce a New Dog to an Old Dog

/ Dog Training, Dogs in General, The Mail Bag / By / 18 Comments

From the Mail Bag: Renee asks: I have a mini Aussie a little over a year old. I’ve been thinking of getting another dog as a companion for her. I am home most of the time, so I have time for two. I play with Sierra a few times a day throwing Frisbee, etc. but she still badgers me to play at times when I’m busy. I thought having another dog may be good for her. My sister visits every … Read More

Dog Separation Anxiety– How to Help

/ Dog Training, Dogs in General / By / 4 Comments

One of my blog buds has asked about Separation Anxiety, so I thought I’d share some info on what has helped two of my dogs who had Separation Anxiety.

First, let me state, I am neither a professional trainer, behaviorist, nor vet. Anything shared here should be run by your own team of professionals. It’s also just plain helpful to include their support and knowledge in your program.

Depending on the severity of the Separation Anxiety (SA), there are several … Read More

How to Find a Good Dog Trainer

/ Dog Training, Dogs in General / By / 11 Comments

There are lots of trainers out there. Some certified, some not. Some positive, some traditional. Some good, and some bad. So how do you go about finding a good one that meshes with your values on dog rearing and training protocols?

If you’ve been a regular reader of this blog, you know that I favor relationship-based training. And you also know that I don’t think very much of Cesar Millan’s, or Jon Katz’s approaches to training. Just stating my … Read More

How to Introduce a Kitten to a Dog

/ Dog Training, Dogs in General, Finnegan the Coon Cat, My Dogs and Me / By / 4 Comments

I’ve received several requests asking that I share how I introduced Finnegan, our Maine Coon cat to Kiera and Graidy, our two dogs at the time (Wink came after Finn).

First, a little background. When Kiera was a puppy, we had a cat with whom she got along just fine. And Graidy had been tested on cats by his rescue group. So I knew that both dogs, even with high prey drives, stood a good chance of eventually being fine … Read More

Scientists Decode Dogspeak

/ Dogs in General / By / 6 Comments

From LiveScience:   Scientists Decode Dogspeak: Software analyzed barks sparked by fights, strangers, playtime

 

Artificially intelligent Dr. Doolittles can understand dog barks as well or better than humans do.

These findings suggest computers might significantly help people comprehend animal communication.

Scientists tested artificially intelligent software on more than 6,000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs. Six different kinds of barks were taped:

… Read More
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