• All
  • Awakening Inner Knowing
  • Awareness Tune Up Challenge
  • Cait and Me
  • Dog Training
  • Dogs in General
  • Finnegan the Coon Cat
  • Funnies
  • Just Dogs
  • Life
  • Life of Riley
  • My Dogs and Me
  • My Favorites
  • My Garden / Recipes
  • Nature
  • Nature's Grocery Store
  • On Writing
  • Podcasts
  • spirituality
  • Tech Tips & Product Reviews
  • The Mail Bag
  • Thought for the Day

Dog Training

Helpful Pointers for Training Your Dog

Talking With Your Dog Using Button Boards

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

small dog dressed in a training outfit with training gearThere’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

cavalier & aussieSee 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

How to Train a Reactive Dog Not to Jump on People

Arrow is a happy, excited boy! He loves to greet people as enthusiastically as he likes to play.  Not necessarily typical Aussie behavior, but I’ll take it over shyness or aggression. Much easier to train!

So we’ve had to jump back into some remedial training. Here are some quick tips to help you if you are facing similar challenges.

Understanding Reactive Behavior

Before diving into training techniques, it’s important to understand why your dog is jumping. Dogs may jump for … Read More

Is My Australian Shepherd Puppy’s Energy Level Normal?

running aussie with grass in mouthFrom the Mailbag: Stacie writes: My daughter brought home a 2 month old Aussie pup. I had never had one or didn’t know anything about the breed. I have 2 dogs that got along great and just need affection and some backyard time and they are fine. I have some major medical challenges and am trying to make this work with the new pup. He ,as everyone says is super smart but I’m just not sure I can provide what Read More

How to Stop Your Dog From Marking in the House: A Comprehensive Guide

Wlaking 3 dogsYou may have noticed lots of pics with Arrow lately. That’s because we’re keeping him while Cait finishes up a master’s program. And while I love this dog to pieces, going from two to three dogs wasn’t in my plan. It changes the whole dynamics from eating to who gets affection when, to playtime, to walks, to… you get the idea.

And from the title of this post, you should have guessed that having two males with a female, also … Read More

Introducing New Dogs to A Dominant Dog

Introducing a dominant dogI recently received this question from a reader. Her situation brings up several tricky greeting/living situations, so I wanted to share my response with all of you. The way she writes her questions already lets me know that she’s more than a little worried and stressed about this. Anyone who’s had to deal with dominance issues can likely relate. It ain’t fun.

We have 2 female show Miniature Bull Terriers aged 5 yrs and 3 yrs both intact. There were Read More

Step-by-Step Guide to Help Your Puppy Overcome Separation Anxiety

red tri australian shepherd puppyCait’s puppy, Arrow, has started experiencing some separation anxiety. Cait, having grown up in a house that has always had dogs, knows the drill. But for those of you who don’t have a lifetime of experience, here is a step-by-step guide to help you help your puppy overcome separation anxiety.

Since I’m all about getting to the point quickly, while you can do this on your own, and the information that follows will help you do this on your own, … Read More