Jennifer Merritt

I was shocked a few months ago to see some segments on local evening news featuring a force based dog trainer. These local segments were advertised along with the CBS program “Greatest American Dog”, a reality based program that promoted reward based training. Incensed, I emailed the reporter and outlined how I felt these segments misrepresented modern dog training and gave the viewing audience a one sided approach, which simply suppressed each dog's behavioral problems. She admitted that the force-based trainer pitched to segment ideas to them. The reporter was willing to do another set of segments featuring reward-based trainers.

Pulling on leash is one of the most common issues I see both from the dog and their person. One of the many ways that I try to approach the problem and inspire people to change it from physical aspects. Dogs that pull not only affect their own bodies over time, sometimes creating neck and spinal issues from years of constant tension, they can also create physical issues with their handler. Our bodies feel the pressure from up to three times the dog's body weight when they pull putting tension on our hands wrists, arms and shoulders. The dog and the handler are often completely out of balance, definitely not working together.

As my husband and I both approach the age of 40, we find ourselves in an interesting, and in our social circle dwindling, demographic of child-free couples. Most of our friends have joined the ranks of working couples juggling both kids and pets. We are often in awe of them as they multi-task the care, feeding, education, health, and happiness of canine, felines, along with their two-legged kids.

The relationship between parenting children and dogs seems, in some respects, quite similar. I find it fascinating that most of my clients and friends that had well behaved dogs coincidentally also have well behaved kids. Quite often, I can predict how my sessions will go with a client when I meet their children.

It is simply amazing how technology has allowed us to control and manage nearly ever facet of our lives for our convenience. We multi-task at work and at home, programming the TiVo, the Roomba robotic vacuum, even our preferred ring tones, etc. In our world, where everything is prerecorded, edited, and set to our specifications, I'm seeing more new pet parents whose lives are strict routines in which their time is critical.

Not surprisingly, a new puppy or dog coming into their lives can present major inconveniences in their compartmentalized lives. They discover that the wants and needs of their new pup cannot be programmed or scheduled as easily as the TiVo. The dog's needs happen at all hours, even at 4:30am to use the potty. This was not on the agenda!

I consult with people regularly that have recently lost a much loved, and nearly perfect canine companion. Grief is something that I've dealt with both in my own life and in my former career working in a family owned funeral home. Early stages of grief can leave a terrible void and sometimes we try to fill the void quickly. In the midst of grief, a new puppy of the same breed and generally the same sex as the dog they lost is adopted.

Most often, I see lovely retired couples that have grown older and lost an equally lovely, geriatric Golden or Lab. One member of the couple, or better yet, their grown children, adopts a Golden or Lab puppy and gives it as a surprise. It's about a week later that I'm consulted by the family to help them deal with Fido 2.0.