Just Dogs Archives - Karen Shanley

10 Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe on Walks

February 26, 2025 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

Safe Road Walking: A Guide for You and Your Dog

Walking your dog is one of the most enjoyable and beneficial activities you can share with your dog. It provides exercise, mental stimulation, and an opportunity to bond. But walking your dog on roads, especially busy ones, comes with its own set of challenges and risks.

As someone who shares life with three dogs, I’ve learned that walking them safely on roads requires more than just a leash and good … Read More

Are You Prepared for the Unthinkable? Emergency Plan for Pet Owners Living Alone

February 18, 2025 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

When we choose to share our lives with animals, our lives are often enriched in ways we could never imagine. And we add new levels of worry that didn’t exist before. This can be especially true for people who live alone and have animals.

I’ve been “blessed” with a lot of unusual life experiences. Like, when I lived alone and had two houses totally destroyed by fire in the same year. Neither fire was my fault. And, yes, I lost … Read More

Talking With Your Dog Using Button Boards

February 4, 2025 / Dog Training / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m betting you’ve seen these button boards. Even mainstream media is on the bandwagon.

This new communication technique, developed by speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger, has opened new ways of understanding our dogs using structured, intentional communication methods.

How Do Button Boards Work: The Fundamentals

Button boards consist of programmable sound devices that, when pressed, play pre-recorded words or phrases. These “buttons” give dogs a concrete way to express their needs, desires, and observations. … Read More

Tug of War – The Great Divide in Dog Training

January 28, 2025 / Dog Training, Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

There’s been a bit of a war going on in the dog training world.

Have you chosen your side? The side between the alpha wanna-be’s group (the old-fashioned punitive types) and the your dog is never bad, you are just a bad trainer group (the violently positive types)?

The Great Divide in Dog Training: Finding Balance in a World of Extremes

In the world of dog training, a heated debate has been raging for years, known as the “Training … Read More

Understanding Small Dog Syndrome: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

January 10, 2025 / Dog Training / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

See that cute little Cavalier there… safely tucked under her big Aussie brother’s belly. She’s there seeking cover because she just finished barking her head off at the postman stopped in front of our house. But then, when he actually walked up to the front door… Well, not so tough anymore.

Yup, she’s got a touch of the case of “Small Dog Syndrome.” Since I’m working it through with her, I thought I’d share what it is, what causes it, … Read More

I Understand…

January 3, 2025 / Just Dogs, Life, spirituality / By Karen Shanley / 2 Comments

I’ve never been one to turn away from the raw and real, and nitty gritty about life. I don’t seek it out, but if it comes looking for me, I’ve tried to equip myself to the best of my ability to meet it. Hence my training as an EMT, my training in psychology, and my involvement with dog training and rescue. I figure that pretty much covers most of the bases.

As life often has a tendency to bunch up, … Read More

What Are the Best Grooming Brushes for Australian Shepherds and Dogs with Double Coats

December 22, 2024 / My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

Arrow has a gorgeous coat! Soft as silk! We can’t go anywhere without people remarking. Even people driving by in cars will stop in the middle of the road to tell us! It’s really something.