My Dog & I Archive

So this month we are not going to talk about puppies or training or discipline. This article is about allowing ourselves to enjoy the fruits of our labors and about rewarding our long time companions for their years of service! Our dogs these days are living longer… with the advent of better care and more […]

And so it begins…and of course, everyone wants a new puppy, what fun!! The kids and a lot of the grownups too. A cute, furry, loveable bundle of amusement and joy. How could you resist? And although we often use the kids as an excuse, we are also responding to our own impulses too. You […]

I know it seems like I contradict myself sometimes…I know it can be confusing to hear many different and opposing pieces of information but try to stay with me just a little bit longer… I have spent several articles advising folks about over-touching their dogs. Interference with an animal’s energy force should never be taken […]

Well, I was standing in the vets office this morning, trying to figure out what to write about this month, when the obvious hit me!! It is so interesting to think about how full of complex interactions this visit can be!! In most eventualities, the trip to the vet is simply routine; shots, tick meds, a nail-trim…no […]

Thank Goodness! Yes, it’s that wonderful time of year when we can finally put away the fingerless gloves and thermals and find our flipflops… It is with great relief that I know I can count on mostly warm days and some river fun! So lets talk about some ways to make your Summer enjoyable for […]

Our lives are moving very fast these days. We seem to be trying to fit so many tasks into  such a short amount of time. The “to do” lists of our days have become so dense that we never seem to be able to fulfill all the expectations. It is not surprising then, that the […]

There is nothing sadder than losing a companion that has shared your life for a decade or so and honestly, it doesn’t seem fair that our dog friends don’t hang around as long as we do… The fact is that their lifespan is simply not as long as ours and although we know this on […]

A recent email from one of my trainee dog’s owners provoked a lot of thought about this month’s topic… She was delighted to see her dog on a walk with all of my pack, not on leash, not rough housing and not running away but…was interested in hearing how the “training” was going. I did understand […]

Usually at this time of year I am writing about the snow and all the fun, cold stuff we are doing with our dogs BUT as the heavens would have it, we are apparently not going to have Winter until I get my first seeds planted… Sooo, I am going to write about my favorite […]

This my favorite and most useful command after “come”…  Because we humans need time to process our thoughts before action (some longer than others), it is essential to be able to ask your flying, supercharged or even simply clumsy dog partner to pause for a moment while we put our brains in gear.. I have […]