My question this week was: Can music really calm a dog that’s upset? Several people answered an enthusiastic Yes! and a number of them mentioned a CD specifically — and scientifically — designed to elicit that response in canines. Bridget K. Smith, speaking for her dog, Wrigley, mentioned that they had even collaborated on an…
Only the nose knows: A Frankie mystery tale
As you have surely noticed, Frankie is a very handsome dog. He has many appealing features, including soulful eyes and a tousseled chic coif. But the one attribute that stands out for me — literally — is his nose. Black and cute as a button, it’s like the cherry on the top of an ice…
Training Tuesday: Will Not Work for Food
First, the good news. The counter-conditioning portion of the get-Frankie-into-the-car-comfortably program is going great. I demonstrated last week how our trainer, Crystal, is accustoming Frankie to street noise by having him associate it with eating. I served Frankie his meals semi-alfresco, moving his dish closer and closer to a door that was opened progressively wider.…
Friday Focus: Music to their ears?
It’s said that “Music has charms to soothe the savage breast.”* Does it? If so, what kind of music? And for how long? And how savage a breast can be soothed? I know, that’s too many questions. So let me distill that into: Can music really calm a dog that’s upset? Do share your experiences…
Saturday Blog Hop!
In case you were contemplating going out and getting some fresh air or getting some working done or even playing with your dog… fuggedaboudit. There are pet blogs to be perused! And you eventually get to be the perusee too.
Friday Focus: BSL Bites
I try not to get political in this blog, but when you live in Arizona, it’s hard not to think about how one might determine whether or not members of a particular group might be illegal. Which in turn makes me think about how everyone in my family in Austria was declared illegal in the…
Training Tuesdays: Owners need reinforcing too
Positive training can be frustrating. We all want to see results RIGHT AWAY — which is why certain programs that show behavior changing dramatically in a single (highly edited) segment are very popular. I’ve been discouraged because I’m a clicker clutz, because my body positioning is off, and because I’m an impatient person who doesn’t…
Six Dog Training Myths, Part 1
When I first got Frankie, I knew virtually nothing about dogs. Who was I to question the common wisdom that was offered up about how to deal with one? Slowly, after much reading and research, I began to sort out the truth. But, some five years later, I’ve realized how firmly entrenched a great deal…
Friday Focus: Breed Specific Legislation
First things first. Having chosen the name Friday Five for this series, I was tying myself into knots trying to come up with five links, initially, and then five headings for every topic I decided to explore. But it’s tough enough figuring out what I think without worrying about a quintuplet presentation. So it’s buh-bye…
The Friday Five: Crate…with Caution
I posed the question earlier this week: Is crating ok? First a definition, just so we’re all on the same page. By crate I mean an enclosure that’s large enough for a dog to stand up in and turn around but not large enough for him to take a stroll in or do a cha-cha.…