New Content
What Puppy Toy Next?
By Anna Bradley
If you're anything like me, I absolutely love buying my dogs new toys. The look on their faces is pure joy and excitement when the novelty factor of a new toy kicks in – there's nothing like it! But then they get bored after a while and are already waiting for ...
The Essence of a Dog: A Free Education from a Free Choice Walk
By Kristi Benson
One cold day last spring, snow still clinging to the ground and ceding to the warm sun only on the tips of south-facing hillocks, I decided to do something new.
I wouldn’t ...
A Safe Escape
By Dr. Lisel O’Dwyer
The Adelaide Hills, South Australia have recently faced severe brushfires, an unfortunate situation that has prompted the discussion of the logistical differences between ...
Latest Articles
Sheepherding, from the Lamb’s Perspective (Part Two)
Following my first interview with the lambs I was intrigued and felt even more determined to understand the experience of sheepherding from their perspective, so the next time Renee brought Chris and Rue to practice I went into covert “sheep mode” and joined the flock. Oh, I did not don a ...
Laying the Foundations
This article was written by Barb Levenson and first published in BARKS from the Guild, July 2014, pp. 24-26.
I was attending an agility trial recently and was sitting by the crating area massaging my dog. A couple sitting behind me had two Labradors, the older one their agility competition ...
BARKS Podcasts – Teach Me Force-Free
Teach Me Force-Free
If you're gonna teach me, teach me force-free
People can be good and kind and that's a great philosophy
I can flourish, I can learn if you'll just help me
Show me, guide me, be my friend and train me happy
I can be the best dog I can be if you believe in me
And if ...
Can you FIX my dog?
When clients contact me, they often ask, "Can you fix my dog?" It has become something I smile about now, but nonetheless a pet peeve. There's nothing wrong with the word itself, but let's take a look at it applied to a living, breathing animal.
Used as a verb to FIX something by ...
How Best Not to Catch a Loose Dog
Stolen dogs are constantly in the news at the moment. Losing a dog is not always because someone has taken him, however. He may have simply run off and become lost or have been stolen then dumped. He may have escaped from the yard, something may have spooked him on a walk or he may simply have ...
What’s In A Name?
What's in a name? "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare was right when he penned those words to his classic play over 400 years ago because regardless of what you call a rose, it won’t change its intoxicating scent. But what about other ...
Provide for Your Pet’s Care in an Emergency
One of the saddest things I see at the shelter is pets whose owners have passed away and left no provision for them in their wills. These pets are heartbroken and confused. I’m sure their owners would be devastated to know their beloved friend is pining in the animal shelter.
If you love ...
Very Clear on the Concept
Jana started learning concepts and putting things into categories way back when she was a puppy, before Chaser was even born. Chaser is the most famous “categorizing” dog; she has learned the names of well over 1,000 items and can group them into the right categories: toys, balls, Frisbees, ...
How Force-Free Training Helped Save My Dog’s Life!
Written by Louise Stapleton-Frappell
Yesterday I shared a post on Facebook about Pamela Johnson's "Rattlesnake Avoidance Training Using Force-Free Methods," a Pet Professional Guild webinar. (You can register and watch the webinar here).
Last night we had a thunderstorm and my Staffy bull ...