If you’ve got a new dog, you’ve got a lot to think about. Your hands are full with training and socialization and vet visits and all that. I’m going to add one more “to do” to your list. Please don’t hate me. The thing is, this is an extremely important to-do. Especially if you have [...]
“So,” I ask the customer walking the kennel rows. “What are you looking for in a dog?” I’m a volunteer adoption counselor at the pound, see. It’s my job to make sure people are matched with the right dog. It’s fascinating. Lots of adopters I meet have no idea what a dog is! Often when [...]
Ah, puppies. Everyone loves puppies, right? But many people are confused by their puppy’s behavior. People often experience a sort of “culture shock” when they introduce a new baby dog to their household. Has your new ball of fluff got you wondering if all her crazy antics are normal? Here’s a quick guide to what’s [...]
It is my humble opinion that the dog crate is the most awesome invention to hit the world of Dog Stuff since the tennis ball. They’re a great tool for keeping mischievous canines out of trouble, and for traveling. Crates make the dreaded housetraining process so much faster and easier, since dogs don’t like [...]
Note: This post is part two of a housetraining series. Check out part one, Housetraining 101: The Basics Here it is: your simple, magic-secret-free guide to housetraining your dog. How long this process will take depends on how consistent you are with it and what experiences, or lack thereof, your dog has already had with [...]
Housetraining is not all that complex. But do a search on Google and you’ll find all kinds of sites proclaiming they have the “secret to housetraining,” or “ten potty training secrets!” All this complicates things way more than they need to be. If there is a secret to housetraining, it’s that there isn’t a secret [...]
When I adopted my dog Merlin, I made a couple of rookie mistakes. One: he was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision; my life and home were not prepared to handle a six month old border collie. And two: I let him have free roam of the house and yard way before he was ready- before [...]
These are a couple of myths about shelter/rescue dogs I hear all the time, and am pretty tired of hearing. Why are these two so prevalent? Maybe it’s because rescuing a dog from a shelter is a cool thing to do right now, and these myths help make it seem even more like an even [...]
Every time something like this happens, a collective groan goes up from responsible breeders and shelter workers everywhere. It usually happens with movie dogs like Siberian huskies from Snow Dogs, cocker spaniels from Lady and the Tramp and the star breed from 101 Dalmations. Now it looks like it’s going to happen with the Obamas’ [...]
Getting a puppy can be an overwhelming experience. No matter how much or how little planning you did beforehand, when the pup arrives home, it’s common for new owners to freeze up and go, “what do I do now?” The following is a list of four critical steps. Work on each one, and you’ll lay [...]
