Dogs will naturally roll over to clean themselves or satisfy an itch. Teaching your dog to roll over on command is a simple task any dog can learn. Is it really necessary though? Does it have any practical benefit to your dog or to you, except to amuse your family and friends? Is entertainment a good enough reason? I confess… read more →
If dogs run free, then why not we Across the swooping plain? If humans never interfered, dogs would run free. It’s their instinct. It is a higher need. We prevent dogs from running free. It would be a messier and more dangerous world for humans, if we suddenly let all dogs run free. So, we’ve bred them over centuries to… read more →
Developing an ability to successfully communicate with you is the highest need your dog has. If you are tuned in, your dog’s desire to communicate with you should be palpable. Your dog depends on you and has no alternative to trying to get through to you. It is up to you to help your dog communicate with you. Building your… read more →
It is amazing to me that your dog will happily trot in the rain and mud, but if you bring a hose around or spritz your dog with water, it will object. Most dogs, at least the medium and large varieties have no problem at the beach or jumping in a lake. Unless there has been a bad water experience… read more →
Nobody knows when the domestication of gray wolves began. The contributions of these proto-dogs to human survival is clear though. Their tracking skills helped hunters, while their ability to sense predators alerted the community to nearby dangers. Native Americans even used dogs as pack animals before the introduction of horses. Through selective breeding, special skills like herding and pointing enhanced… read more →
In my book The Heart of Your Dog I have a chapter about housebreaking. I mention that I prefer the crate method. After Chimo was housebroken the crate has remained as a permanent fixture in our house. It is out of the way and kind of hidden. The purpose isn’t to confine her. It’s always left open. It’s there as… read more →
Dogs instinctively understand human hand signals better than just about any other animal species. This can useful when your dog is chasing a tennis ball. It’s not unusual for your dog to anticipate your throw and start heading off in the expected direction before you have a chance to toss it. If you are a few seconds late your dog… read more →
Dogs love to curl up and nap by your feet. Awww. It warms your heart that it wants to be so close to you. That’s probably true. But another reason your dog has for such proximity is that when you move, it will be alerted that something might be happening. Dog’s love to be underfoot for that reason. Too often… read more →
When your dog reaches its senior years and has been an ideal companion, faithful in every way, show it some extra consideration. Like older humans your dog is apt to have good days and bad days. Some days your dog will be ready to romp. You might even see glimpses of its former puppyhood. On other days your dog will… read more →
Beetle Bailey is an old school comic strip and it shows! This strip may illicit a cynical laugh, but we know better. It’s humor is predicated on outdated notions about dog intelligence. “Dumb dog” is an uninformed invective. As pointed out in this blog, in The Heart of Your Dog, and elsewhere, dogs are surprisingly intelligent and perceptive animals. Now,… read more →