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Information on living with, training, and loving Dogs

AVMA’s Latest Guidelines for Responsible Pet Ownership

/ Dogs in General / By / Leave a Comment

The Executive Board of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently released their new pet ownership guidelines.

Guidelines for Responsible Pet Ownership

  1. Owning a pet is a privilege and should result in a mutually beneficial relationship. However, the benefits of pet ownership come with obligations.
  2. Responsible pet ownership includes:
  3. Committing to the relationship for the life of the pet(s).
  4. Avoiding impulsive decisions about obtaining pet(s), and carefully selecting pet(s) suited to your home and lifestyle.
  5. Recognizing that ownership of pet(s)
… Read More

Bringing Home an Australian Shepherd Puppy: What You Need to Know

/ Dog Training, Dogs in General, The Mail Bag / By / 48 Comments

From the Mailbag: Hi, I’m Jared. I just visited your site, and I want to know more about the basic things I have to get them and stuff to look out for. I’m getting a Red Tri Aussie next week and I want to be a good owner.

Jared, you don’t mention whether your new Red Tri Australian Shepherd is a puppy or an adult, so I’ll assume you’re getting a puppy.

Let me say that, in general, Australian Shepherds … Read More

The Difference Between Herding Dogs and Field Dogs

/ Dogs in General / By / 4 Comments

Kiera is 100% Australian Shepherd. She’s a herding dog through and through. All of her instincts are to stay close to her flock and protect, while looking for guidance and direction from her team-mate (me). I got Graidy from a Border Collie Rescue group. They thought he was a BC mix. He sure has the breed’s extremely high energy. But the only thing he herds are birds. Oh, and planes. And helicopters. In other words, anything moving up in the … Read More

Want to Talk with the Best Dog Book Authors — Join DogRead

/ Dog Training, Dogs in General / By / Leave a Comment

Even though my dogs are well trained, and I’m fairly comfortable with my dog rearing skills, there’s always more to learn and I like to stay on top of the latest thinking and exploration. I’m lucky enough to have direct access to the top dog trainers and researchers in the world. Yes, in the world! I can ask the greatest dog minds any question I can think of.

But it’s not because I’m special. Anyone can participate in this unparalleled … Read More

Dog Writers’ Oscars — The 2011 DWAA Awards

/ Dogs in General, On Writing / By / 7 Comments

DWAA logoI’ve just received the happy news that my blog post, What You Can Do to Avoid Getting Bitten By a Dog: 10 Common Mistakes People Make Greeting Dogs is in the running for a prestigious DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) Award.

The last time I had the honor of being in the running was back in 2007, when my book Dogs of Dreamtime was a finalist in the general book category. It lost to a book about the Search … Read More

Here In This House

/ Dogs in General, Life / By / Leave a Comment

Though this poem was written with a dog in mind, I believe it speaks to the care we owe all living beings. In this season of thanks-giving, I am thankful for all the four-footeds who bring me so much joy “here in this house” of mine.

Wishing you and yours peace and blessings this Thanksgiving.

Here in this house…
I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs ‘out there’.
I can sleep soundly,

… Read More
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