No matter how clever a pet dog is, nor how amazing the skills of a service dog, most of them start off by learning these ten basic commands.
Tag Archives | Dog training
How to Teach Your Dog to Maintain Etiquette in Unfamiliar Situations
Even the best behaved dog can become nervous, excitable or reactive in a new situation. Bernie the Boxer, that erudite canine composer, has some practical advice for we dog guardians to help our beloved pooch maintain his/her best self, even in novel or difficult situations.
Tightening the Leash on Fake Service Dogs
Having a service dog is a privilege, but it comes with the not so great benefit of a disability serious enough to warrant the need for such a dog. Unfortunately, like those who use a handicap sign for parking when they are perfectly able to walk, more and more people are claiming their precious pooch […]
Canine Good Citizen
The American Kennel Club provides an opportunity for dogs to earn a Canine Good Citizen certificate which, as the name implies, recognizes those dogs who have passed a 10-step training test. Started in 1989, the CGC program is designed to reward dogs who demonstrate good manners at home as well as in the community. All […]
Surprising things we do that dogs do NOT like!
We love our dogs and we think they love us. And they do! But the kind of affection we show to other people is, often, exactly the actions even the best dogs can barely tolerate. Of course, dogs can’t tell us what they like – or don’t like. But animal behaviorists who study dog reactions […]
Spoiler Alert! For those who baby their dogs.
You’ve seen them – whether it’s an adorable Papillon (the kind whose ears look like butterfly wings) or sturdy service dogs—they’re dressed up like ballerinas on their way to a rehearsal of Sleeping Beauty, carried in posh Louis Vuitton bags, or spoken to while they lie at the feet of Madame who’s feeding bits of […]
An Extraordinary Revelation: Decoding Dog Thoughts
Can you imagine getting a dog – even a service dog – to go into the loud, dark tunnel of an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and lie there quietly, without moving, while the machine scans the dog’s brain? I never imagined it could be done or, more accurately, why someone would want to do that – unless, […]
Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Ask Your Vet or Dog Trainer (Answered Here!)
If you have a dog, you love him or her. Yet, as much as we like to “humanize” our beloved canine friends, they are really, really, really . . . not human (gasp!), nor are they cuddly little humans wrapped in fur (more gasps!). Thus, at some point or another, we bump up against […]
Doggie Kisses: Disgusting or Divine?
I kiss my dog. A lot. I know, I know . . . “You shouldn’t do this!” is a refrain I’ve heard all my life – from my mother when I was little to my latest vet who says that, by now, I should know better. (Note: When asked: “How old are you?” I […]
Children Ask the Trainer
All About Dogs: Kids Ask the Darndest Things. Is anyone old enough to remember the Art Linkletter television show, called “Kids Ask the Darndest Things?” Some of those moments were truly precious — and some, rather embarrassing (especially for the poor parents watching). I’m happy to say that the questions we have received will not embarrass […]
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