Training & Management

Honey goes where we go. And we go by bicycle. And sailboat. What will it take to teach a Golden Retriever that fun adventures await if she rides in a bicycle cart or climbs aboard a sailboat? Some special training. And lots and lots of patience. Where the Training Began We had been clumsily introducing …

Honey Visits the Sniffing Shopping Mall You’ll be disappointed to know that when we took Honey to the Pet Expo at the Shops at Ithaca Mall two weeks ago, Victoria’s Secret did not want her to pose in their window display. Or maybe you’ll be pleased because you don’t like buying bras with dog hair …

It’s January. Which means you’re probably tired, stressed, and broke. And, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, cold. It’s also National Train Your Dog Month, sponsored by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Put it all together and you’ve got the Something Wagging Train Your Dog Month Challenge. Can a month-long dog training …

Gretchen Rubin wrote in The Happiness Project about the year she spent “test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy.” The Puppiness Project is my attempt to learn the same from Honey, my Golden Retriever. Building Puppy Confidence Honey is a shy girl. She …

My big learning project for the summer is sailing. Yep, I’ve made it to 45 years old without thoroughly humiliating myself. That means it’s time to take up something new. But how will we teach our dog to sail before we buy a boat?

Honey off leash Runs up to twenty steps past me before looking back to see where I am. If I’m doing anything remotely interesting to her like digging in my pocket (“do you have a treats?”) or turning around (“where are you going?”), she comes running back to my side. I’m like a planet and …