Training & Management

My dog Honey spent an hour watching us loading a truck. She daintily avoids walking under the stepladder in the foyer. And she barks when we’re upstairs but she can’t follow because of the plastic drop cloths on the stairs. How can we create calm in the middle of chaos for our dog. And for ourselves?

Hang out at a playground long enough and you’ll eventually see this: a running toddler falls. At first he’s surprised. Then he looks up to his parent. If the parent stays calm, the kid goes to play. But if mom looks upset, the kid starts bawling. Your dog is like that toddler. And if you want your dog to …

If you could strengthen one personal trait before adopting a dog, what should it be? Kindness? Patience? Flexibility? Nope, it’s none of those. The best trait for a dog person to have is creativity. Let me tell you why.

If you have a friendly and playful dog, you’ve done the dance. You know the one. Where your dog plays with another dog while you and the other person struggle to keep the leashes from getting tangled. I’ve done it with flexible leashes where I worried that my wrist was going to be amputated. I’ve …

I’m getting a Master’s Degree in fear. First, we worked with a trainer to decrease Honey’s fear of the bike cart. Then we fostered the extremely fearful Cherie. And now, I’m months away from terrifyingly transforming my life by setting out for a life at sea. I haven’t written my thesis yet. But I’ve learned a lot. …

As Honey and I sat on the floating dock watching the ducks, I couldn’t help overhearing the woman talking to her friend behind us. “I could never swim in the lake. Who knows what’s in that water that might touch me? Nope, it’s chlorinated pools for me.” I grew up having a pool. So I understand …

I’ve read the complaints on Facebook and blogs. I’ve heard them on the streets. “My dog never comes when I call her.” “He’s just stubborn.” “I could never trust my dog off leash.” “My dog wouldn’t give me a kiss if I smeared steak on my lips.” You’re lucky. At least you don’t know the …

We’re three days into our sailing adventure with Honey and blessed with great WiFi at the Ganonoque Marina in Ontario. Thought I’d share the results of our biggest worry about taking Honey on a sailboat. How do you get a timid dog, who doesn’t like to swim, aboard a boat? How about a ramp? But …

Honey will sit just for the chance to sniff a piece of fuzz that may have rolled over a cookie. She’ll break the sound barrier during her recall just because I’m standing next to the fridge. But ask Honey to walk through an agility tunnel or stand on a wobbly surface? Time to bring out …

We’re just going to have fun. No big goals. No tough challenges. For our Train the Dog Month Challenge, Honey and I are going to have a good time doing tricks for treats. But sometimes the dog changes the plan. Or some human changes the plan and blames it on the dog. Honey Goes Sailing …