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 […]
Service Dog Training: Schooner’s Adjustment to Career Change
Changing careers is hard, for people as well as dogs. Schooner, the Great Dane pup we raised for service work was recently released from service dog training. The transition has taken some time, but I think Schooner is settling into the new lifestyle of stay-at-home dog. Big changes. Service dogs in training get to go […]
Holiday Stress Relief – Crazy Great Dane Video
Christmas stress relief brought to you by Schooner, the Great Dane service dog in-training. Ever wonder how much fun a Great Dane can have all by himself, with a little recycled plastic lid? The setup. I’m trying to find a stuffed Kong that’s rolled under the bed for Lily (not on screen). Tango, yellow Labrador, […]
Service Dog Training: The Things A Dog Trainer Learns from Her Dogs
One of the reasons I love dogs is because they’re all different. We’re on service pup #15, Schooner, and oh, the things he’s teaching me! One might think that dog training consists of the dog trainer teaching the dog. And yes, that’s true for the most part. My job is to help the dog learn. […]
Dogs Make Good Cheer Uppers
It’s the end of my first week back from vacation. It was a pretty bad week and I’m glad it’s Friday. I have to work all weekend, sadly. Which was a little depressing when I realized it. I happened to be looking through some recent video and this made me smile. So I thought I’d […]
We’re God Parents!
I’ve never yearned to be a god parent. I don’t have brothers or sisters, so the chance of me being one was slim to none anyway, but I’m just not the kind of person to be voted god parent. I mean, I guess I could do it if the kid was like 17 years old, […]
Train Your Dog Like You Love Him
I’ve loved dogs since I was a little girl. I’ve always had dogs. I chose to make dogs my profession. Not because it’s lucrative (it isn’t) or because it’s easy (it isn’t that either). But because I want dogs to have the most fantastic life possible. Dogs don’t get to choose where they live or […]
Service Dog Training: Boosting Enthusiasm
Ever have a day where you don’t really feel like doing any work? Schooner, Great Dane service pup in training, feels that way every day. I gave you the lowdown on his challenges at our last visit to the service dog organization. Here’s what I’ve been doing to help pump up his energy and enthusiasm […]
Dog Safety: Mirrors Break Easily
Mirror, mirror on the wall, why did you have to fall? The best lessons are learned the hard way. This lesson could have been a lot harder to learn and I’m thankful no dogs were injured. I’ve got a full-length mirror on the back of my bedroom door. It’s a recent addition — it’s […]
Fixing Your Dog’s Problems
Schooner, the service dog in training, had his monthly check-in at the service dog organization and we ran into some interesting dog training problems. A couple of comments from blog readers appreciated my honesty in writing about the problems. Yes, even professional dog trainers have trouble. I’m already working on Schooner’s issues and here’s our plan […]