stop and smell the roses (and the grass, and the air, and the dead stuff)

My fascination with and love of dogs keeps me always pushing my education as a certified dog trainer forward. From ears to tail, there is much to learn and understand.  Lately, I’ve reading about the dog’s sense of smell. In fact, dogs use their noses more readily than they use their eyes. When you come into the room, your dog is more likely to recognize you by the way you smell than by the...
read more

why i love living with dogs

In October I added a second dog to our family. Three cats, a Golden Retriever and, now, a Cockapoo puppy; five four-legged creatures in the house. My husband, Jeff, was not happy with me. Our oldest cat, 18-year-old Pumpkin was not doing well and needed special care and now… a puppy. A 9-week-old puppy that needs housebreaking, needs obedience training, needs to learn the rules for living...
read more

kids and puppies – a natural fit?

I love it when, on the first night of a new Puppy Kindergarten session, mom or dad brings the kids along to participate in the puppy’s training.  Dog trainers talk a lot about consistency – what is true with mom should also be true with dad, what is not ok for the puppy to do today should be not ok for the puppy to do tomorrow. Friends, family, anyone that will be interacting with...
read more

are dogs that love the water susceptible to leptospirosis?

My Golden Retriever, Lucy, is definitely a water dog.  In fact, when there is a lake, creek – even a puddle – within the range of her super sniffer, Lucy seems to forget all of her training. She becomes very focused on a single mission; getting wet! My husband Jeff and I started putting Lucy in the water when she was a young pup. Retrievers do love to swim after all and our Lucy...
read more

turn your dog’s natural behaviors into fun tricks!

Last night while getting ready to take Lucy, my Golden Retriever, for her evening walk I accidentally dropped my hat on the floor while putting on my jacket. Lucy stood there glancing back and forth from me to the hat. I thought, “Lazy me. I really don’t want to bend over to pick that up.”  So I got out the clicker and Lucy’s favorite treats – dog training...
read more