Family dogs probably hear these exclamations more than any others. You probably agree that your dog should hear “Good Dog” much more than “Bad Dog”. It indicates a smooth relationship. You probably also realize that dogs don’t understand the literal meaning of words. To dogs words mean whatever you teach them to mean. “Good Dog” should always mean “Good Dog”… read more →
Practically everything we do is with our hands. We have long multi-joint fingers, flexible wrists, opposable thumbs, and sensitive touch. Dogs are stuck with claws at the end of their legs. Instead they rely on their mouths to do what we do with our hands. Dogs pick up and carry things with their mouths. They “manipulate” things with their teeth.… read more →
You’ll have greater success reaching the heart of your dog, if you always use positive emotions in your voice. Brain scan studies in Golden Retrievers and Border Collies have shown remarkable similarities in the way humans and dogs responses to vocalizations. Attila Andics, a researcher in the MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group in Budapest reported this in the journal Current… read more →
Last week I commented on the issues involved when your dog gets old. Obviously there are physical problems you and your dog have to deal with. An important one is mobility. Chimo is finding it difficult to get up and walk around. She makes the effort, but her body can’t always respond the way she expects. I really sense that… read more →
The Stinky command is a new one. It’s not in the book. Like other commands you can pick your own term. “Stinky” happens to be the euphemism I used when my kids were little. It stuck in our family. When my boys come back from walking our dog I always ask if she made a “stinky”. It’s important to keep… read more →
“Smartest Dog in the World” is quite a claim. Chaser seems to back it up though. In case you missed his appearance on CBS’s 60 Minutes you can view it here http://www.cbs.com/shows/60_minutes/video/cucSLY74AU2N8tLukKHWqFnN1JluvEjw/the-smartest-dog-in-the-world/ Psychology professor, John Pilley, Chaser’s companion, proves the natural communication ability of dogs. Chaser understands over 1,000 toy names. Pilley has been working with Chaser up to 5… read more →