When you open a door, is it a race between you and your dog who gets out first? Or if in the car, does your dog barrel over or through you to hit the pavement first? Do you feel angst when you’re about to open a door because your dog may get loose and you’ll be unable to catch him? That thought is a dog parent’s worst nightmare, especially when the worst case scenario is the outcome. This behavior of {Read More}
Dogs Who Jump on People
March 27, 2014 by
Puppies who jump on people are cute and manageable. In fact, most of them can be picked up when they jump, but they’re being rewarded for the deed every time they’re picked up. But as puppies grow, their jumping habits also grow because of the encouragement they received through the months of their youth. Then they get yelled at or worse, when all along, they were encouraged to jump, most likely by owners who weren’t thinking ahead and didn’t know {Read More}
A Dog Not Allowed On The Bed!?!?
March 24, 2014 by
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”http://www.lovewagsatail.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/A-Dog-Not-Allowed-On-The-Bed.mp3.mp3″] Dogs know when they can behave without getting reprimanded, and when they cannot. In this case, apparently, the guardian of this dog doesn’t allow her dog on the bed. I know people have rules like that, and we can train dogs to stay off furniture, but they do learn when it’s safe to get up on that bed and when it’s not. Dogs who learn this, and any dog who’s a dog can learn this, are not being dominant {Read More}
Dog Training Is Unregulated
March 22, 2014 by
Jean Donaldson of The Academy for Dog Trainers “Informed consent means no obfuscating language regarding motivators. Owners should ask any dog trainer what actual physical events will be used to motivate their dogs, as well as whether there are less invasive methods and procedures available to achieve outcomes.” Jean is my brilliant mentor and that is her gorgeous Chow Chow, Buffy. Ask me these questions, and I will be happy to answer you. When I train dogs, motivation is fun {Read More}
Equal and Appropriate Pay or Else
March 18, 2014 by
Here’s an amusing, but telling video, on how animals distinguish equal pay for equal work. In this case, capuchin monkeys. Keep in mind, that we are told that the same experiment was done with other animals besides the monkeys, including dogs. I am assuming the same results were produced. This leads me to conclude that, if we have and are working with multiple dogs, we should reward them with equal pay for equal work. Otherwise we may hear from their {Read More}
Funny Bones on St Patty’s Day
March 16, 2014 by
As much as it’s painful to lose a beloved dog, as we truly have a short time with them, during that shared time, there is so much room for laughter. Through training times and through day-to-day life. That’s one thing about dog parenting I appreciate, a dog with a sense of humor. I’ve had more dogs with senses of humor than not; and though I loved them all, the ones with humor dug a deeper wedge in my heart. Even {Read More}
What Breaks Your Heart?
March 14, 2014 by
Pippin Verte Schwarzmann March 3, 2002 to February 24, 2014 Leissl Verte Schwarzmann April 27, 2001 to August 16, 2013 Bouchard Verte Schwarzmann January 10, 2003 – June 17, 2013 Oliver Verte Schwarzmann December 1, 2001 – July 16, 2012 Baby Verte Schwarzmann April 28, 1997 – June 1, 2010 Ginger Verte Schwarzmann March 3, 1999 – November 9, 2009 Regis Verte Schwarzmann Deceber 15, 1996 – January 4, 2009 By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, {Read More}
The Privilege of Meeting Our Own Maturity
March 12, 2014 by
St. Patty’s day is just a few days away, and today, I ran across some excellent Irish wisdom, so I thought I’d share. This one brings tears out of one of my eyes, and a gleam of gratitude out of the other. We all age, and mostly it seems to happen at an insignificant rate. Until one day. One day, we look in the mirror and wonder how maturity settled in so fast. It’s a shock. I was speaking to {Read More}
You Can Change Your Opinion
March 6, 2014 by
[sc_embed_player fileurl=”http://www.lovewagsatail.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/YouCanChangeYourOpion.mp3.mp3″]I often wonder if, out of all the careers on the planet, dog training isn’t the one with the most old wives’ tales still on the table and being used by some industry professionals. Or old husbands’ tales. Let’s not be sexist. One of the big reasons for that conundrum is the fact that dog training is an unregulated profession. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can call themselves a pro dog trainer, have their set of old wives’ tales {Read More}
Buy Yummy Chummies At Costco
March 4, 2014 by
Yummy Chummies are one of the highest value training treats I use. Dogs love them! The good news is that they are now available in Costco nationwide. We don’t know how long. Products at Costco are fleeting. But if you want to help show your appreciation for having Yummy Chummies local and at a great price, now’s the time to buy! And there’s a coupon! By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor Cookie Trainer, {Read More}
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
March 2, 2014 by
Not all naughty behavior stemming from your absence means a dog is suffering from separation anxiety. And suffering is what a dog with true separation anxiety does. To put a sep anx dog’s feelings and reactions into perspective, imagine this. While on a walk alone in the wilderness, you trip and slip into an abandon shaft and land on your rump 20 feet further into the ground than where you’d started. Except for the light at the shaft’s opening, which {Read More}
Lifespans of Dogs Compared to Humans
February 27, 2014 by
Here’s an interesting chart that compares dogs in years of age to humans. Though if you want to reverse this to find out how old you are in dogs’ years, I’m not sure if this chart is applicable. We think our lifetimes are short. Imagine living the short life of a beloved dog. By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor Dog Trainer and Guradian of Her Own Beloved Dogs
TreatStik
February 21, 2014 by
Having a variety of food toys available for your dog is a good thing. Why? Dogs need mental stimulation, and unless they’re playing or training with their guardians, they need something to challenge their capacities the other hours in the day. That is, when they’re not catching up on their beauty sleep. Dogs need brain games, and because dogs are predators, most self-rewarding toys will be about food and to get that food out. The TreatStik is a food toy {Read More}
Sensitives
February 18, 2014 by
Some of us are more sensitive than others. Some of us are so sensitive that we sense what others never even notice. And some dogs are like that. Take for example the girl on your left, Luna. She came with that name. Coincidentally, there was a full moon on the night I picked her up. Luna’s got special sensing gifts. For one thing, it’s really interesting how she’ll notice an insect or lizard on the ceiling when none of my {Read More}
Hyper Dogs
February 17, 2014 by
Hyper dogs are a lot of fun, but you may get frustrated when looking for the switch that turns them off. That’s because hyper dogs wake up with a certain amount of fuel in their tanks each day and need to spend that fuel some way. Their fuel tanks are bigger than other dogs’. The best ways to help them spend that energy are through training and activities that will keep them occupied both mentally and physically. Otherwise, they’ll find {Read More}
