Category Archives: barking and lunging

Temple of the Dog

I recently had Lasik surgery.* Contact lenses had become really uncomfortable, so I preferred wearing glasses, but they interfered with my ability to take pictures using a DSLR. (Not to mention they got rained on and fogged up all the time.**) That’s one of the reasons I’ve been slacking on taking pics of my pups.Continue reading “Temple of the Dog”

The Accidental Recall

Thanks to Fern Camacho for having me back on his Great Dog Adventure podcast! He’s started having real-world case studies, and I was more than happy to brag about how well Leo is doing with my magic string cheese method. When I heard that the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop theme for this month is “Recall,”Continue reading “The Accidental Recall”

That stupid Pack Leader myth

The dog world is having the hardest time freeing itself from the pervasive myth of Dominance Theory. Not even positive trainers get it right all the time. The first reward-based training class I took began like this: The trainer explained that all our dogs’ problems began at home. “Does this sound familiar to anyone? Your dog free-feeds, meaning he eatsContinue reading “That stupid Pack Leader myth”

How to exercise your dog during the short, dark days

As if anticipating the short, dark days ahead, Leo has been antsy since we set the clocks back Sunday, even though we’ve been keeping up with our regular exercise schedule! On both Sunday and Monday, after he raced around at the park, when I was ready to settle down with my book, he started pulling thingsContinue reading “How to exercise your dog during the short, dark days”

Big Leo goes to camp

Not much to report for this Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, and I’m being negligent for Walk Your Dog Week, since I won’t be seeing my dogs for the rest of it. Instead, let’s celebrate my good boy Leo. I’m so proud of the dog he’s grown up to be. Yes, he’s leash-reactive and barksContinue reading “Big Leo goes to camp”

Last gasp of summer

Well, it’s that time of year when I have to start thinking of new places to walk the dogs. We’ve had a great summer taking them to dog parks and doing managed training walks around neigborhoods where I can anticipate triggers. Now that school is back in session, there are more people everywhere, making moreContinue reading “Last gasp of summer”

Why Rescue Dogs Need Positive Training

Sometimes I feel like a fraud joining the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop. You see, aside from the String Cheese Counter-Conditioning Protocol (which, don’t get me wrong, definitely counts as Positive Pet Training), I don’t train my dogs. I just burnt out after Isis. I’ve tried Rally O with Leo, and we have really nice agility equipmentContinue reading “Why Rescue Dogs Need Positive Training”

When you know better, you do better

I accidentally posted the perfect blog last week for this month’s Positive Pet Training Blog Hop theme: Improvements/Successes. If you haven’t read Leo vs. the Track Team, check it out after you read this one, and be sure to hop on down the Linky List of my fellow bloggers. To continue on the theme of Improving asContinue reading “When you know better, you do better”