Information on living with, training, and loving Dogs
Riley is a picky eater. A very picky eater. I didn’t even know it was possible to have a dog that’s not totally food driven. Over the course of my life, I’ve lived with 20 dogs and this is a first for me.
Very quickly after Riley arrived, he decided he didn’t like the food that his breeder sent home with him and just stopped eating. No amount of coaxing helped. Going hungry didn’t help. He actually started losing weight. … Read More
1. Shoes put up high off the floor, out of reach of teething creatures.
2. Baby gates everywhere and there is no baby.
3. Dog toys and dog beds strewn about with reckless abandon.
4. Dog treats out on the counter for instant training access.
5. Caught red-handed!
I loved my life with my previous animals. All of them were incredible for different reasons. Kiera was my beloved brilliant partner. Graidy was my sentry dog who probably adored me more than any animal I’ve lived with. Finn was the perfect cat (minus furniture scratching) because he was essentially a dog in a cat’s body. And Wink… Wink was the embodiment of joy and love.
But in starting anew, I’ve had a chance to think about what I would … Read More
Since we’re all adults, I’d like to discuss a few dog parts that have really good reasons why they should never be cut off a dog. Animals come with all the body parts they’re meant to have. If it’s there, it’s there for a reason. Certainly, none of the following should be removed for human vanity reasons.
Some people feel compelled to trim male guide hairs (don’t know what the technical name is for … Read More
Updated for 2024: 
Is your dog food cutting the mustard?
We all want to make sure our dogs are getting healthy, safe foods. (To keep abreast of the latest pet food recalls, go to DogFoodAdviser.com. You can even sign up for alerts.) It can be hard to sift through all the advertising and positioning. Should we go with Dry? Wet? Raw? Freeze-dried? Some combo? Too many options!
I offer the following lists, chart and quiz to help you sort … Read More
I’ve had so many readers ask me over the years what I think is the best gender combination for 3 dogs. Having lived with multiple dogs for more than 30 years, following is what I think based on my experience.
These are pics of the most recent combination of my 3 dogs—two males and a female, all different breeds, and each spaced about 3 years apart in age.
Because I started … Read More
If you love to walk and have a puppy, or a small, sick, or old dog, you’ll want a dog stroller. The freedom it will give you to get back outside and enjoy some fresh air is not to be underestimated. Depending on your needs, probably one of the two strollers below will work well for you.
When Wink was too old to walk, I got … Read More
Housetraining quickly, and teaching Potty and putting it on cue is not hard. But it does require dedicated consistency on your part to help your puppy get it quickly.
This is what good house training should look like after one week. The word “Potty” has been put on cue and Riley solidly knows that outside is for doing his business. So when I say, “Go Potty,” he quickly gets down to business.
…