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Sew Buttons On Your Underwear.

By |2013-01-21T09:39:39-05:00January 21st, 2013|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Anyone who has spent time with prepubescent or adolescent humans has had or heard a conversation that goes something like this after an adult makes a statement or request- Kid: "So?" Adult: "It's important." Kid: "So?" Adult: "I feel insulted when you talk to me that way." Kid: "So?" Adult: "That's a rude thing to say." Kid: "So?" Adult: "I'm losing my patience when you say ...

The 7 Habits of Successful Fearful Dogs

By |2013-01-19T10:42:13-05:00January 19th, 2013|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

"Not sure why you want me to do this, but ok, whatever." On my book shelf is a CD by Wayne Dwyer on the power of intention. It’s an inspirational presentation. But as powerful as intentions are, given the right set of circumstances, habits will win out. Recently I moved the app icons on my iPod around. I deleted a few and moved ...

Creating Harmony

By |2013-01-14T10:21:24-05:00January 14th, 2013|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

When I was a kid I had piano lessons. It was obvious I was no prodigy, and my enthusiasm at the keyboard was in seeing how fast I could play Love Story, but I don't think the lessons were a complete waste of time and money, even though I convinced my parents that they were. Before I succeeded in ending the lessons I had a ...

Webinar-Medications To Treat Fear Based Behavior Challenges

By |2013-01-12T16:06:22-05:00January 12th, 2013|Categories: Alternative treatments for fearful dogs, Dog training, Helping fearful dogs, Medications for fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Yes, yes I know, people use too many drugs. People think drugs are the solution to everything. Drugs have side effects. I won't dispute any of those statements, but at the same time drugs can save lives and the side effects of some conditions are worse than the possible side effects of some drugs. Being scared is no way to live. The reasoning ...

Are Trainers Responsible For The Death Of Shelter Dogs?

By |2013-01-06T10:35:52-05:00January 6th, 2013|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , |

In the dog training world, which has a number of difference sects, stone tossing between them is a common occurrence. I confess I've lobbed a few myself. Some of the criticisms voiced are valid and important, others less so. In many cases there is a fundamental agreement between camps, with differing implementations. The number of unwanted dogs killed daily in shelters around the country is ...

Is there life away from home when you live with a fearful dog?

By |2012-12-29T09:35:38-05:00December 29th, 2012|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Play time with other dogs can be a perk at a boarding facility. Living with a dog with fear based behavior challenges impacts our lives in many ways and the freedom to be away from home for more than 8 hours can be among them. A couple of the options available for our dogs' care when we need to be away are; someone ...

Conditioned Reinforcers

By |2012-12-22T11:53:05-05:00December 22nd, 2012|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

There are some things I take for granted, things that have become part of the fabric of my life with dogs, that I forget that at one time they were new ideas to me. Creating conditioned reinforcers to use in a variety of ways with my dogs is one of them. Here's a quick primer on what conditioned reinforcers are, how you create them and ...

Surviving Adoption

By |2012-12-02T10:42:52-05:00December 2nd, 2012|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs, Puppy mills|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Ray Coppinger studies the world's population of free-ranging dogs. These are the domesticated dog (as opposed to wild dogs) who are not under the reproductive control of humans. There are millions of them and they represent over 80% of the world's population of dogs. He has looked at how dogs end up living as pets. The most common thing that happens is that dogs adopt ...

Choosing To Use Medications For Fearful Dogs

By |2012-11-28T12:29:17-05:00November 28th, 2012|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs, Medications for fearful dogs|

Does My Dog Need Prozac? is the title of the second book I am working on. It is a collection of posts culled from the early years of this blog. The answer to the book's title, in the case of my dog Sunny, is yes, yes my dog does need Prozac or in his case another anti-depressant and anxiolytic administered twice a day. Coming to ...

Project Home Life

By |2012-11-24T12:25:15-05:00November 24th, 2012|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Photo by DVGRR I love this. Flat out love it. At the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Pennsylvania adult survivors of puppy mills are provided with skills to make the transition to being pets. Not only does DVGRR accept mill survivors they actively seek them out and make relinquishing these dogs easy. Their no questions asked acceptance policy means that more dogs will ...

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