Should you get littermates? I don’t usually get this question. Normally, I hear “Help, we got littermates!” That comes after the littermates are already home and the people are feeling understandably overwhelmed. Most dog trainers, if asked, would say “No way, don’t do it! Never get littermates.” Meanwhile, most dog owners say “We got littermates because…”: […]
Boundaries – Movie Review
Boundaries – Movie Review I’m often asked to review dog-related products, treats, and food, but earlier this month, I was asked to do a movie review for a Sony Pictures movie called Boundaries. I was intrigued. Me, do a movie review? Why on earth would Sony Pictures ask me to screen a movie? Curiosity got […]
Teaching a Puppy to Listen in Public
Teaching a puppy to listen in public takes time. It also takes training, patience, and reinforcement. Rogan is slated to be a service dog when he grows up. If you’ve ever seen a service dog working with his parter, you may have remarked “He’s so calm!” Or “”Nothing fazes him.” That’s because from puppyhood, that […]
Puppy Training: Walter’s Ready for His Family
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 […]
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 […]
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