Make sure your dog actually needs a bath. Frequent bathing can irritate a dog’s skin so ask your vet what’s best for yours. Have fun and treats in the area where you’ll be giving the bath. For example, if it’s your bathroom, use that as your new room to play tug. Or practice tricks, if […]
Puppy Socialization – You Can't Remember Everything!
I worked very hard to expose Honey to many different things in her early puppyhood. We wanted her to be socialized to accept just about anything in stride. And she seemed to be fearless. It was rare to see Honey startled by anything–sirens, thunder, fireworks, power tools. But on a recent camping trip, we discovered […]
10 Ways to Be Sure You (and Your Dog) Survive Her Convalescence
Hopefully most of you will never have to nurse your dog through a major accident, illness, or surgery. But if it does happen, here are some ways to ensure you (and your dog) survive the experience. Learn to lift your dog so he feels safe and you don’t hurt yourself. You may have to carry […]
Bonded or Trained? Getting a Golden Retriever to Ride in a Kayak
Finally, a good opportunity to see if Honey would join me in the kayak. I took both of my last two dogs kayaking. But neither of them could be called enthusiastic kayakers. I hoped Honey might be different–Honey the water dog. I started thinking about how a trainer would go through the steps in getting […]
Teaching a Golden Retriever to Swim
Our recent vacation was a perfect chance for Honey to release her inner water dog–to swim far and free. Did she do it? Not so much. On our first walk to the seaside I feared Honey would find the crashing breakers overwhelming. Nope, the smell of shellfish buried in the sand overcame any notice of […]
What's in a Name?
When we’re out and about, people ask me my puppy’s name. I reply, “Honey,” and they nearly always reply with a smile and say “Oh, of course.” Everyone seems to think it fits. Before we knew which puppy from the litter would be ours, we brainstormed names: “Sugar”, “Lyric”, “Muffin”, along with 20 others. I […]
Take Your Dog to Work Day – Every Day
Honey has been going to work with me since she was 8 weeks old. She’ll be 15 weeks old tomorrow. I thought I’d share some of what I’ve learned that might help someone else looking to do the same thing. Invest in infrastructure. As you can see, Honey has her very own apartment in my […]
Too Great Expectations
Honey is very nearly perfect. She’s smart and quick to learn. She loves everyone. She’s very brave. Curses! The problem is that I get so used to everything sailing along so easily that I sometimes forget to keep up the hard work of socialization. Yesterday, I learned this lesson twice. In the parking lot at […]
What We Don’t Know About Puppies Could Fill a Blog
This weekend I heard my young neighbor trying to get her exuberant, adolescent dog leashed for a walk. “Sit, Riley.” “Riley, sit.” “SIT, Riley.” “SIT! SIT, RILEY!” “RIIIIIILEEEEEY! SIT! SIT! SIT!!” What don’t we know? Puppies don’t speak English. And oh, by the way, shouting at someone who doesn’t understand English does nothing to aid […]
Puppy Meet and Greet – Socialization
I knew I was in good hands when Honey’s breeder asked me to read an article on puppy socialization. Research into dog behavior shows that puppies are at a critical time between 8-12 weeks old for being exposed to new people and experiences. For that reason, we’ve been advised to make sure Honey meets at […]