It’s tough being the second child in a family. I know this from personal experience. The first-child thrill is gone so you get fewer pictures taken of you — not to mention hand-me-down clothes. You also get compared to the one who came first, and often not favorably. But it could be worse. Much worse.…
Dogs in Need of Space
I realized, as I shared this poster on Facebook this morning, that I had meant to blog about this issue and about Notes from a Dogwalker, the site that has done so much to publicize it, months ago, when I first discovered its existence. Dogs in Need of Space (DINOS) come in all forms. Frankie…
Five Freudian Principles That Can and Should Be Used in Dog Training
Two weeks ago, I posted the first part of this two-part series by guest blogger Lee Charles Kelley, who discovered that the principles of Sigmund Freud were applicable to dog training. I left you with a cliffhanger about Annie, an obsessive Wheaten terrier. Here’s the conclusion to the story, and some wisdom that Kelley gleaned over…
Sigmund Freud & the Case of Annie, the Doorknob-Licking Wheaten Terrier
When I started exploring my family ties to Sigmund Freud — ties by proximity and by meat shopping — I had no idea where that journey would take me. Today I’m very pleased to report that it’s taken me to Lee Charles Kelley and a fascinating piece about Freudian principles as applied to dog training…
How Dogs Read Us, Part 2
Last week, in How Dogs Read Us, Part 1, I discussed some studies that explore the way dogs decode our signals, an ability that is passed along genetically. This second section, adapted from the same article for Your Dog newsletter, addresses the fact that not all dogs are equally skilled at reading signals and not…
How Dogs Read Us, Part I
You pretend to throw a Frisbee in one direction, then toss it in the other. Your dog swiftly shifts gears to catch the disk in mid-air. Or you’re in a bad mood and your pup intuits that a sloppy kiss will cheer you right up. All dog owners have experienced, and likely marveled at, such…
Andrea Arden Talks Dog Training – & People Training
Kelly Dunbar had a terrific conversation with Andrea Arden on Animal Cafe this week but before I get to the substance, I need to get a little gush — and one small whine — out of the way. I’ve seen Andrea on various Animal Planet shows and I’m a huge fan. I was trying to…
Master & Commander: Decoding Dog Training Terms
I like to think I’m sensitive to the nuances of language. I spent a great deal of time in graduate school doing close readings of literary texts, especially poetry, and as a writer I struggle for precision, laboring over every sentence, sometimes every word. I also know that good dog training is based on communication.…
Karen Pryor Academy Training, First Hand: Part 2
Last week I explored the question of why the talented Deborah Flick decided to take a break from her blog, Boulder Dog, to attend classes at the Karen Pryor Training Academy. This week I get into the nitty gritty details of the experience, and find out what Deborah — and Sadie — took away from…
Karen Pryor Academy Training, First-Hand: Part 1
If you’re like me, you have been missing the always insightful posts of Deborah Flick at Boulder Dog. Deborah has blogged occasionally, but wrote back in June that she was going to be busy studying at the Karen Pryor Academy and would return to more regular blogging when she completed the course. Being the impatient…