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Off Leash Dogs

Trish King | Fri, 07/06/2007 - 11:48

Not too long ago, I was asked to be a guest speaker on dogs for a horse riders' organization. I was peppered with questions about dog behavior and dog body language. It was amazing to me how little some of the horse lovers knew about dogs, even though many of them had dogs. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, as many dog lovers don't know much about their animals. At any rate, one of the questions was why do dog owners want to have their dogs off leash? When you think about it, that's a very interesting question. I know I love to walk my off leash dogs, but why?

In Search of the Truth

Dr. Nicholas H.... | Thu, 07/05/2007 - 13:12

Canine behavioral problems are believed by some authorities to be associated with hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels). For example, in a study involving 1500 dogs with behavior problems, 62% of them had low or low-normal thyroid function. While the mechanism by which low thyroid levels contribute to aggression is not entirely clear, it has been suggested that hypothyroidism leads to low or unstable levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a brain chemical associated with mood, attention, emotion and sleep. Another possible mechanism could be that the stress hormone cortisol is increased in hypothyroid animals, mimicking a stress-like state.

Dog Community

Cindy Bruckart | Wed, 07/04/2007 - 23:00

I have been so busy with puppy classes, adolescent classes and working privately with dog owners with more specific doggy issues that I've had very little time to write about it all.

I have a feeling that there is something important in this. I am overwhelmed, and I think sometimes spoiled, by the respect and inclusion of dogs in this part of the country. Dogs are literally everywhere in Portland, Oregon! We have dog beaches, a pub that allows dogs, a restaurant that has a separate doggy menu, tons of dog parks, over fifty dog daycares, dog friendly housing and hotels, all kinds of dog-related events and very few dog-free sidewalks.

Parking Lot Puppies

Sue Pearson | Tue, 07/03/2007 - 20:20

Not long ago, as I walked through the parking lot of a major discount store, a large crowd had gathered around the back end of a tired looking van. “Free Puppies,” was hastily scrawled on a brown cardboard sign, and taped to the outside of the vehicle. Inside there were seven, maybe eight, active balls of fur. Some were eager for attention, their noses pushing to the front of the pack, while others lingered in the back of the truck, uncertain and reluctant. Odds were good that some individuals and families, who had come looking for a new appliance, would instead leave the parking lot with a new puppy. Despite the sign, puppies always come with a financial and emotional price tag.

Dog/People Training Ha Noi, North Vietnam, Entry: July 1, 2007, Malibu, California

K9guru | Mon, 07/02/2007 - 07:52

Yes, I am back in L.A., but just for a short time. I am looking forward very much to my new Mission. So, I just read Nicole's Blog and wanted to share one of my loose dog stories because it happens all too often and it is one of my "pet peeves". Keep in mind I have MANY loose dog stories, this is just one.

So, I was driving westbound on San Vicente Blvd in Brentwood. The Brentwood country club is on my left, very nice homes on my right, and I am getting close to the 26th Street intersection when I see up ahead of me a little Schipperke darting back and forth through traffic while sporting a very nice royal blue full-leg cast on his front right leg......... YAP ............ OK, bear with me here.

Dog on the Loose! Part Deux

Nicole Wilde | Fri, 06/29/2007 - 17:13

Ironically, this morning, just days after posting my blog about what to do in an emergency “dog on the loose” situation, I encountered one. On my way to see a new dog training client, just around the corner from the woman’s home, a Viszla ran across the road in front of my Jeep. I saw the dog in plenty of time not to hit her, but I kept an eye on her as she ran onto a nearby lawn and began to sniff the grass. She was wearing a bright blue collar with ID tags. With a sigh of acknowledgment that I was surely going to be late for my appointment, I pulled over, figuring I could at least phone the owner and hold on to the dog until the owner could claim her.

Who Needs An Apple A Day To Keep The Doctor Away?

Dr. Nicholas H.... | Thu, 06/28/2007 - 19:13

Pets are good company but did you know they're also good medicine? Talk to them and play with them as often as you can and you'll unleash their therapeutic effects.

Pets may actually help us live longer because of the positive impact they have on our health. A study of dog owners in Pretoria suggests that petting and talking to a dog reduces blood pressure and increases the release of feel-good chemicals.

Scientists in Australia report that pet owners have lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides than their petless peers.

According to one New York-based study, pets cause a 15 percent drop in blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, and dog owners visit their doctor less often and are less likely to require heart medication. Hospitalized patients who receive visits from a trained service dog have been shown to have increased self-esteem and experience less depression than those who do not receive visits.

Truly Amazing!

Chirag Patel | Thu, 06/28/2007 - 09:44

Recently seeing a nine week old Rottweiler puppy searching a living room for and indicating the presence of bomb material, seeing a group of pet owners attending a ‘nose work’ class I was assisting, and attending a few seminars and workshops lately on working dogs got me thinking…

Pet dogs, cancer detection dogs, assistance dogs, police dogs, pets as therapy dogs and these are just a few roles that dogs fulfill in society today!

The New Scientist Magazine (UK) wrote some time ago, “Dogs do as well as state-of-the-art screening tests at sniffing out people with lung or breast cancer. The research raises the possibility that trained dogs could detect cancers even earlier and might some day supplement or even replace mammograms and CT scans in the laboratory.”

Hurry! Limited Time Offer!

Cindy Bruckart | Sat, 06/23/2007 - 09:57

Dog owners may be surprised to find how often trainers will bring up the subject of early puppy education. There are reasons, you know. This isn’t my first post on the subject, and it certainly won’t be my last.

The reason it’s brought up so frequently is because it’s a near desperate situation that seems to be very difficult to clearly get into the heads of puppy owners and potential puppy owners. Perhaps as a trainer I have been speaking too softly about it. Maybe it’s time to play hard ball.

Here’s the deal. If your “puppy” is over the age of about four and a half months, you cannot realistically call me for puppy classes or puppy training advice unless you are looking for advice on a future puppy you intend to take into your home. The dog you have is done being a puppy. You missed it. You messed up. You blew it. You are now asking me to let a teenager into kindergarten, and I can’t do that.

Emergency! Dog on the Loose!

Nicole Wilde | Fri, 06/22/2007 - 07:33

Regardless of how careful we are to keep a watchful eye, doors secured and gates closed, life happens. Dogs get loose. Even the most responsible owner may one day find herself with heart pounding, frantically chasing her beloved fur-kid down a busy street, pleading with the dog to stop and come back.

Of course, having your dog reliably trained to come when called under any circumstances is ideal, and is a goal that is well worth working toward. But in the meantime, here are a few tips and tricks for a “dog on the loose” emergency situation: