(re-run) When Violet, the Chihuahua, moved in along with my son, I was worried about how she’d get along with my two bigger dogs. Daisy, the Russell Terrier, is 20+ pounds, and Pepper, the lab mix, is 55 pounds. We have a system. Violet enjoys the added wing of the house with a child gate… Continue reading Doggy Drama
Category: animal training
Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita
(re-run) Beth’s husband had two Akita dogs. She wanted to get one for their six-year-old son. She got Lee a puppy and named him Kuma, which is Japanese for Bear. The two older dogs kept attacking the puppy. The marriage wasn’t going well, either. Beth and her son moved out and got their own place… Continue reading Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita
How to Teach your Puppy or Rescue to Play Ball
(re-run) Put on a pair of pants with pockets. Fill your pockets with yummy treats torn into tiny pieces. You can use cooked chicken, pieces of cheese, or beef strips from Costco. Take your ball launcher or strong throwing arm and two balls. Take your puppy to the yard, park or green belt. Walk him… Continue reading How to Teach your Puppy or Rescue to Play Ball
Daisy’s New Perch
(re-run) My suburban house is cozy but dumb. The small bedrooms are on the front of the house, with the family room tucked behind the garage. There are no good windows for Daisy to see out of, no couch to jump upon to watch the street. Until the day I cleaned my office. I ended… Continue reading Daisy’s New Perch
How to Make Sure Your Puppy Has a Soft Mouth
(re-run) This means that your puppy will take treats from you without biting you. As you probably know, puppies have shark teeth until their adult teeth come in. Baby puppy sharks running down the hall with those shark teeth makes a person want to avoid their puppy’s mouth. That is the worst thing a person… Continue reading How to Make Sure Your Puppy Has a Soft Mouth
Daisy’s Bloody Tuesday
(re-run) Woe is me. I have a weirdo for a rescue dog. I am her third owner. Things go well most days, but then she growls at my bigger dog, who is usually chill with the little goofball. But sometimes the big dog goes off on the little dog growling at her. She pins down… Continue reading Daisy’s Bloody Tuesday
A Great Dane Story
(re-run) When I was almost thirteen, I hung out at my neighbor Bonnie’s house, just one block away from mine, but it was different world. Both her parents worked full time, so we teens could hang there with no parental supervision. We were supervised, though, by the family’s Great Danes. I remember three dogs, but… Continue reading A Great Dane Story
Daisy Rescue Dog One Year
(Re-run from 2018) Tomorrow will be Daisy’s adopt-a-versary. That’s right, the day after Christmas! I had looked at free dogs at the local SPCA, but all that was left were big dogs: pit bulls, overweight standard Dachshunds, and other large mixed breeds. I gave up on the “free dog” idea and came home to look… Continue reading Daisy Rescue Dog One Year
Murray, the Naughty Lab
(re-run) Mary was a hair dresser and agreed to dog-and-house sit while one of her clients went to Cancun for a week. She was in charge of a ninety-pound chocolate lab named Murray. Cindy instructed Mary to walk Murray a couple times a day since he was only one and still had puppy energy. She… Continue reading Murray, the Naughty Lab
How to Get your Dog to Come to You
(re-run) On a recent meet-up hike, there were four small dogs with 15 or more people. One person was saying how hard it was to get his one-year-old dog to come to him. I remembered back to one of the many dog training sessions I’ve attended in my life – training Tess, the spaniel/heeler, Penny,… Continue reading How to Get your Dog to Come to You
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 