Puppies
Promoting Healthy Play (Part 3 of 3)
The last two posts on dog play styles (Part 1 and Part 2) covered the main categories of play, what they look like, and management techniques to keep all dogs playing safely and happily. If you haven’t read them already, please go back and read those posts before reading this conclusion. While consent tests work…
Read MorePromoting Healthy Play (Part 2 of 3)
Last week I discussed the two main styles of dog play: wrestling and chasing. If you missed that post, please go back and read it before continuing onto this one where I’ll expand those ideas in the context of confidence, over arousal, and management techniques. The biggest challenge we see in our Puppy Practice and…
Read MorePromoting Healthy Play (Part 1 of 3)
Puppy and adult dog play can often be troubling to watch if you don’t know what to look for. “Is Fido really having fun? Because that doesn’t look like fun if I were the one playing!” I regularly have clients ask me during Puppy Play Time what appropriate dog play looks like and if their…
Read MorePuppies and Cookies and Teeth, Oh My!
Are you living with a land shark? When you give your dog a treat does he take a finger with it? There are several reasons dogs take treats too hard: they haven’t been taught not to, they are overly aroused or anxious, or you are simply holding the treat too high. The most common reason…
Read MoreDog Socialization
When I bring this subject up with most dog owners, their mind immediately goes to their dog’s relationship with other dogs. Often they respond: “we have another dog at home, so do I need to socialize him?” or “We’re socializing him. He goes to the dog park regularly.” I’ve even heard “He’s never going to…
Read MorePuppy Socialization
I talk a lot about socialization with young puppies both in my seminar Understanding Your New Puppy, and in Puppy Kindergarten class. But even after laying a firm foundation in early puppyhood, socialization is an ongoing process, as Karl reminded me over the last few days. He recently began showing fear towards unfamiliar men in…
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