By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor Happy Valentine’s Day from Love Wags A Tail Dog Training
Don’t Be Cruel
February 12, 2014 by
There was some good news that came out of the controversial Farm Bill that the U.S. Senate recently passed. That is anyone who knowingly attends an organized animal fight will face penalties of Federal law. In this case, up to one year in prison for the violators. In addition, if anyone brings a child to participate in the viewing of these horrific events, the time spent in jail increases up to a possible three years. This includes cock fights, dog {Read More}
Luigi’s 12th Birthday
February 5, 2014 by
Today was my Luigi’s 12th birthday. We started it off right and the way he wanted, playing fetch with one of his favorite toys, the Goughnut. It’s a tough rubber toy that has lasted a couple years. He ate breakfast, took a nap, and then joined me on some errands. He’s not exactly fond of taking rides, but he doesn’t object. Now a days, it’s a little harder for him to jump into the truck, and as a matter of {Read More}
Counter Surfing
February 1, 2014 by
Surfing is great for those who love to do it and it involves the ocean and a surf board. A dog who surfs the counter for food, though, may be having a great time, but rarely is such behavior appreciated. Even if it’s a Kong on the counter that is destined for his dinner bowl, a dog’s paws should be off the kitchen counter at all times. This is not only for the convenience of having a civilized dog in {Read More}
Watch Dogs
January 28, 2014 by
I was feeling guilty that I let my dog watch-dog bark at the mail carrier’s daily deliveries. But frankly, I’d come home before when I had a shield on the inner door over the mail slot and found that it had been crashed through and the ex-pen I’d once kept around it had been slammed into the door. This suggested someone, who was not a mailman, had tried to force his way in. Thank goodness for my watch doggies, though. {Read More}
Barking Dogs
January 27, 2014 by
Dogs bark. It’s in their genetic make-up. Sometimes, though, dogs bark too much or at inappropriate times. Demand barking, for example, is when a dog wants to get attention, a treat, or something else that he’s been given before when he tried barking to get his way. Dogs learn fast when things work for them, and demand barking is a prime example of dogs doing what works. Watch dog barking is another type of dog barking that we love, but {Read More}
Training Treats Cheese Cookie Recipe
January 21, 2014 by
Here is a new dog treat recipe from Melani. Cheese cookies made with love and delish for her beautiful dog, Alice. Alice’s Training Treats Cheese Cookies Ingredients 1-1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup oats 3/4 cup chicken stock made with no onions Salt 10 oz grated sharp cheddar 2 eggs. Directions: Roll out flat, cut into cookie shapes, and bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Watch for burning. The whole house will smell like cheese biscuits. Yum! Homemade dog treats and {Read More}
Approach-Avoidance Conflict From Low Grade Fear
January 19, 2014 by
Dobermann Luna resolves her sudden low-grade fear of a Nylabone through an approach-avoidance dance. What is approach-avoidance? Approach-avoidance is “a motivational conflict resulting from the presence of a single goal or desire that is both desirable and undesirable.” So the conflict causes someone to be simultaneously attracted and repelled to carry out an act. If you’ve ever been on a diet, and had something in the fridge that was calling out to you, a brownie, for example, you know the {Read More}
Dogs Digging in Yards
January 15, 2014 by
Although it’s quite natural to dogs, hole digging isn’t always welcomed by their people. When dogs dig up our flower beds, lawn, and other botanical wonders it can send some of us into shock. We love our dogs, but the gardener in us loves the fruits of our green thumb, and competing with our dogs for digging space can be a puzzler to figure out. I can help. Contact me for methods to keep peace between you and your dog {Read More}
Joyful Dog Training
January 7, 2014 by
Here is a fun video of me and my dog enjoying ourselves during a training session. We’re gearing up for a holiday video to come towards the end of the year. That takes a lot of planning! Meanwhile, if you and your dog don’t have as much fun as we do training, contact me for an appointment to get started bringing joy into your dog training sessions. By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor {Read More}
Shelter From The Cold
January 5, 2014 by
This time of year makes me think of the many pets who live outdoors or are indoor/outdoor pets, and may face some cold, if not frigid weather. Some freeze to death. It’s hard to fathom, but it’s true. Pets need shelter. I ran across this photo on Facebook. It may seem like a small contribution, but to a small animal out in the cold, this shelter can make a difference between surviving or not. Three containers are nestled inside each other, {Read More}
Puppy Training
January 3, 2014 by
Puppies have so much to learn and it’s important to start them off as soon as possible. Socialization, for example, has a small window of opportunity, and that window needs to be exploited. There are many behaviors a puppy needs to learn. Housetraining and impulse control are two big ones to start. And as cute as they are, puppies have razor sharp teeth and they need to learn where to use them. Before your puppy gets to practice habits that {Read More}
Housetraining A Dog
January 2, 2014 by
Do you have a new puppy who needs housetraining? Have you adopted an adult dog whose house training skills are rusty? Or perhaps your dog was never completely housebroken, and you want to start fresh to housetrain your dog right. Even a senior dog can be house trained or re-housetrained. As long as a dog is in good health, s/he can be housetrained. The most efficient path to a housetrained dog is through Love Wags A Tail’s Housetraining 123 board-and-train {Read More}
Dog Training Fun and Social Facilitation from Frasier, RDWRER
December 29, 2013 by
I think my all-time favorite television show has got to be Frasier. The writing, cast, and especially the well-trained JRTs, Eddie and in later episodes, Enzo, made it a fabulous comedy series. I still haven’t watched all the episodes, and came across this one a couple days ago and have watched it four times already. It’s Frasier‘s Happy New Year episode of the millennium, and JRT Eddie had a couple of fabulous moments in the plot that were laugh-out-loud pleasures. {Read More}
The Investment of Training A Dog
December 23, 2013 by
People occasionally call me for help after having had bad experiences with dog trainers who’ve made no difference in the behaviors of their dogs or even made their dogs worse. These people needed help, unwittingly invested in ineffective and/or inappropriate training and lost money while their dog was handled carelessly. In some professions, this would be called negligent. But… Dog training is an unregulated profession, and formal education, experience, nor certification is required for a person to call themselves a professional {Read More}
