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Let's Rally?
I am absolutely the first to admit that I have slacked off on Rio's obedience skills. He doesn't really have a solid "front," he doesn't have a good stay, he bounces up on his downs semi-regularly, he doesn't have a stand, and I never did any footwork with him to...
read moreHappy Thanksgiving!
I have quite a lot to be thankful for this year--a mom who was willing to take me in after I lost my job and lost my apartment, a mom who lets me live here for free in exchange for buying all the groceries each month and cooking regularly, a 10 year old car who (yes...
read morePre-Thanksgiving Thanks
Fair warning... I'm not entirely sure if I will be posting the rest of the week or not... it depends on schedules and how much time I can avoid my family before they notice I'm missing. Weather is also supposed to be nice this weekend after a week of rain so I'm...
read moreA rare gem of a dog…
Although many people get dogs "for the kids," there are many dogs who do not really enjoy spending time with children and others who are downright not safe around children. I am someone who has a very high level of concern about dogs and kids living together, it...
read moreOne of my difficult training issues…
I have had chase for just under three weeks and he learned down reasonably well within about 3 days with a few sessions a day (that may or may not have actually included 'down'). That is a FAR cry from teaching Ralph the bulldog to lay down. It has been a nearly 3...
read moreWhy it's hard… owning a ….CAT?!
I heard this mysterious crunching noise coming from the other room--it sounded like someone trying to chew the top of a soda-pop bottle. I looked around and counted one...two...three...four dogs.... for a change it couldn't be one of them. But what the heck would a...
read moreIt's all in the mechanics…
I know I've said it before, "It's all in the time and effort you put into the training" and as much as I do believe it... there's something that has to be said about how we do our training. I'm not just talking about the training philosophy one has, though I do think...
read moreA favorite toy…
It's a really ridiculous name, but the "Pooch Ball" is a long-term favorite toy in my house. It seems to find its way to the surface of the toy box every few months and today Chase found it when I rotated the toys around. This was one of Rio's favorite toys as a...
read moreMeet Chase video
Chase's neuter went really well yesterday. He came home pretty alert and had an appetite with no vomiting. He was clearly not quite himself since he was extra cuddly and not terribly interested in anything but cuddling. He settled in his crate not quite as smoothly...
read moreBuilding focus
I am frequently asked the question about how to deal with a dog who doesn't acknowledge that there is a handler at the end of the leash when outside. It takes patience, cheese/chicken/hotdogs, a clicker, and time. It's actually pretty simple, but it does take time. ...
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