Uncategorized – Old Dogs New Tricks Dog Training

My Position on The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Training Position

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has strengthened their position statement on training methodology and has come out to say they recommend reward based training methods only for training. You can read that position statement here. What does that mean in English? No shocks, no prongs, no mother’s bites, no choke chains, no “stim”Continue reading “My Position on The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior’s Training Position”

The Heart of a Champion

Tilly is fourteen years old, and has been a much loved family pet for years. Until now Tilly did not go to class because Tilly did not need class, she has basic obedience down and is generally a mellow girl. But the family thought that Low Impact Agility looked like fun, and that maybe TillyContinue reading “The Heart of a Champion”

Allow me to brag . . .

When your 14 year old dog earns his second Wag It Games Sniff It Title you are supposed to brag right? Shadow earned his fifth qualification in Search last night getting him his Search Wag It Games 1 Title. So proud of this boy! He has only been working for a little over a yearContinue reading “Allow me to brag . . .”

Katy Bug the Brave . . .

What does a beagle do when they come to scent class? They put their nose to the ground and they get to work! This video is extra special because just a few months ago Katy was living in a lab being used for pharmaceutical testing and research. In December she found a home and nowContinue reading “Katy Bug the Brave . . .”

Find it!

We just started a Scent Class for reactive dogs, and two weeks in I am not only impressed at how great the dogs and their owners are doing, I’m also excited by the positive feedback we’re already getting. I’m hearing how the dogs have more confidence, how they are happier, how they are sleeping afterContinue reading “Find it!”

Tabby

Tabby started in our home as a foster dog, for two years through Peppertree Rescue. Tabby is a shy dog working very hard to be brave in the world and looking back at the early pictures, and e-mails, oh how she has grown. Tabby was a fearful dog, and a life lesson for me. WhenContinue reading “Tabby”

Yaddo

Yaddo, also known as Shadow, also known as the Elkie. A senior Norwegian Elkhound that brought a lot of laughter to our lives, and who I am pretty sure was around to keep me humble. While he was officially a Canine Good Citizen, Canine Good Citizen Advanced, and a Therapy Dog, Yaddo was also aContinue reading “Yaddo”

Fluff

Losing Owen left a hole in our lives, a hole quickly filled by a dynamic dog who had no idea she was supposed to be a sedate senior. At 11 years old Fluff arrived with little fur but a lot of spirit, and our lives have never been the same. It was Fluff whoContinue reading “Fluff”