Puppy training can be fun. Puppy training can also be exasperating! When you think about it, there’s an awful lot to teach a puppy. And if you’re going to do it right, you need to pack a lot into 8 short weeks. Why 8 weeks? Assuming you get your pup when he’s 8 weeks, you have […]
Introducing Service Puppy in-Training, Rogan
Introducing Service Puppy in-Training, Rogan Welcome, Rogan! We’re back in the world of raising service puppies again! I promised our seniors (Nemo, Lily, and Tango — service dog dropouts themselves) that as they entered their “golden years,” they could retire from helping us raise service puppies. Levi was the last service dog we raised. We […]
DNA Tests for Dogs: What Breeds Make Up Your Dog’s Heritage?
Got a mixed breed? Ever wonder what breeds make up your dog’s heritage? You’re not alone! Hundreds of thousands of people have submitted DNA of their dog to identify what breeds make up their dog’s heritage. There are plenty of reasons people want to identify the breeds in their dog. Curiosity It’s kind of fun […]
Introducing Walter, the Labrador Puppy
Walter, the Labrador puppy is a lot of things. But no, he’s not mine. And no, he’s not a service dog pup. Walter is the first pup I’m raising for a client. He’s also a balm to help soothe the pain of losing all our dogs. He’s funny. He’s just what we needed. I’m not […]
Knocked Down. And Then Again.
I’ve had “write blog post” on my daily schedule for the last six days. I keep moving it. Regular readers (ha, as if I’ve been a regular writer) know that for the past thirteen or so months, my life has been more personal and less business. It started when our 11-year old “healthy” dog, Nemo, died […]
Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Great Danes
Schooner, our Great Dane, was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. Apparently, dilated cardiomyopathy in Great Danes isn’t uncommon. It was quite a blow to us. He’s relatively young (not yet 5 years old) and until very recently has been healthy and athletic. I run with Schooner and I’d noticed that on the last two runs he’d […]
Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking? – Guest Post
Is There A Difference Between Heeling and Loose Leash Walking? Guest Post by Hannah Branigan of WonderPups Training. It’s our lucky day, folks. One of my very good friends, Hannah, has written a piece for Smart Dog U’s blog. Hannah’s a self-professed dog nerd, a brilliant trainer, and a wickedly funny person. If you haven’t […]
Our New Normal
Our New Normal Almost a year ago, our apple cart was upset twice in one month. We lost our Nemo and then Tango had emergency surgery when a somewhat-routine ultrasound showed an unhealthy spleen. After that surgery, he had a rough recovery and we spent a lot of time at the veterinary hospital for one […]
I Wrote A Book for Vacation
I wrote a book for vacation. Not a novel. Nope, nothing but nonfiction for me. You see, I left a Great Dane (with a tricky infection) and an old Labrador (on meds four times each day) behind while I scampered to the middle of nowhere and saw Wyoming from atop a horse. It was probably […]
Ren: Temporary Service Pup In-Training
Ren: Temporary Service Pup In-Training So you’re finding out about this little gem right before I have to turn him back over to the service dog organization. We were on a long break from raising service dogs. The older dogs, two of which are now gone, sadly, just didn’t enjoy having a new pup every single […]
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