The Dog Blog

Chihuahuas wear their emotions on their sleeves and, by doing so, they're excellent at communicating their emotional state. They are extremely beneficial to other young puppies because of their clarity at setting boundaries, moving on and not holding a grudge. They are brilliant learners, love to train, cuddle, and make excellent trick dogs. So when we have a breed in front of us that makes it super easy to understand them, why do we act like it's a problem? These are human issues, NOT breed issues.

Once upon a time, an American Psychologist by the name of Edward Thorndike was credited with the development of The Law of Effect.  The law of effect applies to every species on our planet and is occurring with all beings both through natural and artificial processes.

A good trainer will know their limitations, have case types they won't take on and will refer out. Good trainers know they need to be 100% present for you and your dog. Your trainer should have recent continuing education and gladly tell you about it when asked. It is an indicator they do not fall into the "good enough" mentality. They are the ones asking themselves,"how can I do better for my clients?"

The state of dog training, with all the advancements in the field still has an element missing that is creating welfare implications and unattainable expectations for our dogs and ourselves. How did we get here? Let's explore.

When we were kids, we had a beautiful, gentle dog named Spits. He was our first dog having only had cats prior. Spits was a really good-natured, goofy boy. Leggy. He galloped when he ran. He smiled all the time. He had a really long tongue. My sister and I adored this dog. When I'd get home from school, from outings, from wherever, I always remember that the first thing I would do was find him and say hello and give him a pat. He'd lean his head into me, looking at me with that big smile and tongue hanging to the side.

Our Puppy Day School program is built for young bodies to learn, grow and fulfill their potential. One aspect we're both asked about a lot and can present a challenge in this setting is crating and downtime. I'll address both separately.

In January, my grandparents removed the 50 year old fig tree from their yard. The tree carried a lot of sentimental value as I'd grown up enjoying its fruits and beauty, sharing it with friends, climbing it, and enjoying its shade. I decided to take some cuttings home from California because I couldn't handle the thought of that being the end of it. This meant taking small branches, giving them a home with lots of light, humidity, warmth, soil and water. It was winter. They were coming from California.

Why are private dog training sessions so expensive? You might be surprised to learn that it's all really expensive for us trainers too! I think this question comes up because on the surface, only the hour of time spent with the client is considered, and it's hard to grasp the behind the scenes expense of it, so in an exercise in transparency, I thought it might be helpful to dissect it a bit. After, I'll provide tips on how to keep costs as minimal as possible.

The hallmark of any good professional is knowing his/her limitations. I sometimes get asked about medical issues with dogs. "Is this bump weird?" "Does it look like this dog is limping?" "What should I do?" I can confirm, yes, xyx looks weird, but I immediately refer to a vet. I do this because I am not a vet, and I'm not trained in medicine, my schooling is in behavior. While we're talking about behavior, some behaviors need pharmacological support.

In our classes, I often get asked about dog parks. In the past, I've admittedly been on the fence about them, and at the root of it was my own lack of understanding that led to this stance. I was wrong. Nowadays, I am a huge supporter for the right dogs and let me explain why...

It's universally understood in dog training circles that enrichment activities are a great quality of life increase for dogs. Scrap the food bowl, feed them out of toys. Meals that took them 30 seconds and left them looking for their next activity are turned into a brain game. A puzzle if you will. 20-30 minutes of activity using something they've gotta do anyway - eat.