9 gift ideas for someone whose lost their pet The loss of a pet is one of the most difficult things imaginable to me. It’s losing a family member, with the same profound effects and maybe more. Studies have shown that losing a pet is often harder on people than the loss of a human …
Teaching your dog to a figure 8 trick is a fun trick for both kids and adults! Start with your feet at least shoulder distance apart. Wide enough that your dog can easily fit through. Start by bending and put ting your weight on one leg and lure your dog under that leg. It help’s …
Mental enrichment is so important to our dogs’ well-being. A tired dog is a happy dog and keeping their mind active is as much a part of daily exercise as going for walks. If you missed my recent post about our favorite puzzles and games, you can check it out here. But fortunately – as we’re …
The jump through arms trick also often called the hoop trick is always one of the favorites when we volunteer at hospitals and I’m sure it will be a hit whenever you do it too. We’re going to be teaching your dog to jump through your arms. A quick note if you have a puppy …
Pet health insurance. Like everyone else who’s been in and out of the veterinarian’s office with their pet, I’ve heard of it. But is it worth it? Does it make sense? What exactly does it cover? Is it crazy to buy my dog insurance? After pondering these questions myself, I went in search of answers. …
Social media is a funny thing. We are so grateful for all of the friends and connections Maggie and I have made due to social media. Our circles of friendship and support would be much smaller without social media. But the internet definitely isn’t our whole or ‘real’ life, and I admit social media can …
Easy and fun crate training for you and your dog I crate train all my dogs. I recommend crate training to all my clients and crate-train their dogs as part of my program. Still, I sometimes get pushback against crates. Isn’t it cruel to leave a dog locked in a box? Will my dog be …
Thanksgiving usually conjures up visuals of long tables covered with harvest vegetables and a giant turkey, surrounded by family members crowded inside to escape the end-of-autumn cold. But we live in Los Angeles, where our weather averages 78 degrees in November, and my family is anything but big. As you might expect, our Thanksgiving here …
Being a therapy dog and what it takes For the past few months, Maggie and I have been volunteering with a wonderful program called The Peacock Foundation. The Peacock Foundation calls itself a ‘new breed of therapy’ – what it is is therapy sessions for at-risk children, with animals involved in the sessions. Maggie and …
7 Easy steps to get your dog to lay down So you’ve mastered sit! It’s time to move on to teaching your dog to lay down. I use this from teaching them to relax (on a lap, in a dog bed, etc), calm greetings with nervous dogs and humans, and later for teaching other tricks …
