why i love living with dogs

Posted by MaryanneTPP on Dec,Thu, 2011 in blog, health and wellness, living with dogs | 0 comments 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...
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kids and puppies – a natural fit?

Posted by MaryanneTPP on Dec,Sat, 2011 in kids and dogs, living with dogs, puppy training, Uncategorized | 0 comments 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...
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are dogs that love the water susceptible to leptospirosis?

Posted by MaryanneTPP on Nov,Tue, 2011 in blog, health and wellness | 0 comments 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...
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turn your dog’s natural behaviors into fun tricks!

Posted by MaryanneTPP on Nov,Fri, 2011 in blog, tricks and games | 1 comment 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...
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training games for the whole family – “puppy in the middle”

Posted by theprop9 on Apr,Fri, 2011 in blog, puppy training | 0 comments The whole family should be involved in training – consistency is key! Teaching your puppy to “Come” (Recall) is so incredibly important – perhaps the most important behavior he will ever learn. It could keep your dog out of trouble or maybe save his life someday. Young puppies will easily come to you when called. They are still dependent on you for so many things and haven’t yet...
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winning your puppy’s trust, respect and confidence

Posted by theprop9 on Apr,Fri, 2011 in blog, puppy training | 0 comments Many people try to win their new puppy’s love by letting the puppy always have its way. The pup is showered with affection and attention because he is so cute and cuddly. Buckets of affection are a wonderful thing for most puppies, but it must be tempered with respect. If you give in to your puppy’s every whim, your pup will never learn self control and self discipline; and respect...
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