Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 4 minutes Watching mothers teaching their puppies lessons that would hold their value for the life of those little dogs greatly informed my understanding of how to train dogs. The mom, or dam, not only nourishes her puppies, not only keeps them clean and safe, but as they get up onto their feet, as they interact with […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes We’ve all been told our dogs need to socialize with other dogs and with people, leaving some of us with the notion that our dogs and puppies should go to the dog park often or greet every dog who pulls toward them on the street. No doubt about it, we humans love dogs and, more […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s natural to wonder exactly how much exercise your dog needs. Your friend, the marathoner, runs with her dog. Your neighbor, the lawyer, who is gone all day and half the evening, has a dog walker. When you were a kid, you couldn’t wait to get home from school to go exploring with your dog. […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes One of the first articles I ever wrote was called “A Pet for Your Parents.” I’m sure I wrote about all the right things, but now the shoe is on the other foot. Now I am the old person. Now I can tell the story in a much more personal way. Some people feel it’s […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes When the worst thing you can think of happens, when there’s a death in the family, some of the most important help you and your dog can get is from each other. Not surprisingly, it might be the dog’s issues that alert you to the depth of your own, because you might be too frantic, […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes If your dog is not only your pet, your stand-up comedian, your shrink, your exercise companion, your smile inducer, your best friend, but also a therapy dog, you and he can tweak your visits to make them even better than they are today. Years ago, I was asked to bring my Golden Retrievers, Oliver and […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Not so long ago, your dog was barely beyond puppyhood, and you could throw his ball so far you could barely see it and wait for him to race to it, fetch it, and return it. You could toss a flying disc, and he’d leap to catch it. You could throw a stick in the […]
Reading Time: 5 minutes Most tests meant to rate the intelligence of dogs are interpreted as if all dogs were the same. Beagle, Shiba Inu, Golden Retriever, Border Collie, Maltese, one test fits all, without considering that dogs are the most diverse of all species. Of course, if you have lived with a variety of breeds, cross breeds, or […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Is a puppy in your near future? Here’s how to make his transition from rescue organization or breeder to your home as easy as possible. Bringing a puppy home is a joyous time for the people in a family, and it should be for the puppy as well. Planning, play, training, and timing are all […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes What information does your pet sitter need to efficiently care for your home and pets? After 25 years as a pet sitter, I find it falls into two categories: pet care and “all that other stuff.” Here’s how to ensure that your pet sitter knows the most important details about your animal’s care. Meals, Meds, […]