New Content
Pups and the Power of Positive Touch
Don't you just love being able to have that closeness with your dog? The snuggling in, the mutual touch, and just really enjoying each other's affection?
But sadly it's not always like this. Not all dogs enjoy or are comfortable with our advances or attempts to hug, stroke, ...
Meet Geek Week 2021 – The Sequel
By the Pet Professional Guild
We’re Back – and Better than Ever! Geek Week: November 13-17, 2021 Early Bird Discount till July 31!
We had so much fun last year and learned so much about ...
The Problem with “Furry Little Humans”
By Andrea Carne
Let’s open this discussion with the whole cats vs. dogs “thing.” Honestly, why do we continue to debate this ongoing battle of the species? Social media is filled with ...
Latest Articles
Do Docked/Missing Tails Lead to Miscommunication in Dogs?
Are dogs with docked or missing tails vulnerable to miscommunication or misunderstanding by other dogs? Or do they learn to rely on other body language communication?
I have a little rescue dog (right) who came to me from Romania with her tail missing. I don’t know where it went or why it ...
Prettier by Another Name
How much does a dog's breed matter, particularly when that dog is of mixed breed heritage?
When people are seeking a pet dog, breed, or, more likely, what they think they know about various breeds, can heavily influence their choices. But in the end, knowing — or guessing at — the dog's mix ...
The Benefits of Keeping Cats Indoors
By Paula Garber, MEd, CATEP, CFTBS
Some cat owners believe it’s “natural” for their cat to be outdoors, or that their cat won’t be happy unless given the opportunity to roam. These days, most pet cats aren’t as suited to outdoor life as one might think. They are simply ill equipped to ...
Socialize Your Puppy but Let Him Play, too!
Fifty years ago not too many trainers or owners talked about socialization. Not because puppies did not need it, but because for the most part puppies ‘self-socialized’, they wandered and roamed the neighborhood, accompanied children to school, hung out with other dogs, sometimes got into ...
Quick Fix or Never Fix
When someone first calls me for help, they usually hope their pet behavior problem will be resolved in a couple of weeks. They have tried everything they can think of for themselves, watched TV trainers and scoured the internet. Now they have decided there is nothing for it but to pay for ...
What’s in the Bag?
What you don’t know could kill your pet.
Like all dog owners I want my pets to be healthy and enjoy a long life as members of our family. My first puppy, Samanatha, was the joy of my life and it came as a painful shock when she died abruptly at just over 12 years of age.
It was not long ...
To Prompt or to Reinforce
Click – treat, click – treat, click – treat. As trainers, we all know what is going on here; someone is conditioning a clicker. But the lines can get blurred from here.
First we click and treat until the animal alerts to the click. Then we use the click to indicate to the animal that they ...
Teaching Your Dog to Eliminate on Cue
Teaching your dog how to eliminate on cue (when asked) can be very helpful. I often think back to my service dog training days when discussing the benefits of a dog knowing how to poop on cue. For example, you may know that you are going on a 12-hour car ride and going potty now will help ...
Teaching Your Dog to Be Alone
Dogs are naturally social, enjoying the company of other dogs and people. As a result, when you leave them, they may panic that they are alone, or they can simply get bored. Even if you are there all the time, teaching your dog to accept being by himself can be very useful.
Start with ...