People call me with stories of their stubborn, willful, spiteful dogs, and the list of derogatory adjectives go on from there. And I understand. People are frustrated, and we are people after all, so we are going to think from a people-perspective. But dogs aren’t people, so they don’t think the way people think. Dogs aren’t any of those unpleasant terms we apply to them. What dogs are doing when they behave unfavorably is either entertaining their own interests or {Read More}
The Expressive Dog
May 3, 2016 by
VOCAL EXPRESSIONS Dogs make sounds. Lots of them. Some are breed-specific, like the yodel of the Basenji, which resembles a howl, but yields a different vibration, apparently due to a variation of the shape of their larynges. A dog’s vocal expressions include whines, whimpers, snorts, mumbles, and growls. Have you ever heard a dog sigh? They do that too. As well as sneeze, yawn, grumble, and more. REVERSE SNEEZING When it comes to reverse sneezing, who’s better at it than {Read More}
A Dog’s Urge To Mark
September 21, 2015 by
Dogs are like people in some ways. Some have urges to do things that others don’t. For example, marking. Marking’s when a dog, usually a male, has to lift his leg just about everywhere to leave some of his urine for whatever reason he has. To let other animals know he’s been there, to flavor the environment, to add extra scent to someone else’s scent, create a boundary over territory, or something else. We don’t know exactly what drives each dog {Read More}
The Errant Kibble Caper
April 7, 2015 by
There’s a saying that if you find a Cheerio on the kitchen floor, your dog’s not doing his job. Well, dogs have all sorts of talents, and in this case, my little Cockapoo board-and-train, Noli, shows off her flexibility while demonstrating what an excellent kitchen floor cleaner she is. The interesting thing is to see how motivated this little dog is to get one stray piece of kibble. That is why training with food is so fabulous. Eating food is {Read More}
How Dogs Smell
February 12, 2015 by
A client emailed me about his 5-month-old pup suddenly sniffing around the perimeter of the lower floor of the house. This particular breed was developed and employed to work as a retriever as well as to sniff out truffles. After the work was done, the Standard Poodle enjoyed being the elegant companion of his people. Nowadays, this breed has found its place in our lives mostly as a cherished pet. But you will find with any dog, their sense of smell is something {Read More}
