Category Archives: doggies

Follow my lead

Q. How do I stop my dog from barking and lunging on our walks? A. Don’t take him on walks. Ha. That’s only partially a joke. Contrary to what the Dog Whisperer tells you, it does not help a reactive dog to keep parading her past the things that make her react. Remember, doing theContinue reading “Follow my lead”

How do I know if it’s working?

Name a technique or device intended to reduce dog anxiety or aggression and I’ve tried it. Acupuncture, Dog Appeasing Pheromones, Prozac, Thundershirt, Tellington Touch, Calming Cap… Have to say, the Calming Cap was my favorite. The stretchy blue fabric over Isis’s head made her look like a superhero. We put it on her, sat her onContinue reading “How do I know if it’s working?”

Separate Walks

Remember how eight months ago I vowed that I was going to conquer Leo’s bicycle reactivity? Well, I’ve finally started cracking down on that. All spring and summer, it felt like enough to let the dogs run around the backyard and take them for the occasional romp at the off-leash park. But as the weatherContinue reading “Separate Walks”

What’s your biggest fear?

People overuse the term “biggest fear,” but mine is having something terrible happen to the dogs. Specifically, I worry about them escaping the yard and getting hit by a car. I saw that happen once in Olympia, or rather, I heard it, a dog running out a front door onto the busy street in frontContinue reading “What’s your biggest fear?”

Dogs doing dog stuff

This isn’t a video of a talking dog or a twerking dog. It’s just my pups in my backyard on a sunny fall day. Leo has a deer bone that he wants to hide, but decides instead to share it with Mia. Then he gets the zoomies. Halloween Head (Carroll) / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0  Continue reading “Dogs doing dog stuff”

Birds fly, rabbits hop, dogs fight

My dogs get in one fight a year. Last year’s was on Labor Day. Rob gave Leo a bit of his hamburger in the living room. Mia was outside and on a diet, but sensed food being given away. There she was, poking her head under the folding TV tray where Leo dropped the burger.Continue reading “Birds fly, rabbits hop, dogs fight”