The Dog Blog

Pages

Name Game

Dr. Nicholas H.... | Thu, 06/21/2007 - 07:25

Following the recent release of Puppy’s First Steps – The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well Behaved Puppy, I have turned my attentions to my next project, a new book for the owners of adult dogs.

While the puppy book helps guide owners from birth to 1 year of age, the next book will take owners from age 1 through the adult years, up to and including old age. The first draft is all but complete and publication is slated for Spring 2008.

But there’s a problem. Neither the publisher, Houghton-Mifflin of Boston, nor I can come up with a suitable title and that’s where I would like some help from readers. But first, I should tell you something about the book.

Surf's Up, Dude!

Cindy Bruckart | Wed, 06/20/2007 - 16:02

Okay, let’s do a little visualization. I’d tell you to close your eyes, but that would make it hard to read this. So, keep your eyes open.

Imagine you work in an office (maybe you really do, which will make this easier). In your office there is a cupboard and you don’t know what is kept inside. One day, you decide to open the door and check it out.

Inside, you find a $10 bill! Cool, huh? You put the money in your pocket and think, “Wow, I’m glad I finally checked out that cupboard!”

Do you think you’ll look in that cupboard again? Of course you will! So, let’s say the next time you check the cupboard, you find a fresh slice of your favorite pie! Woo hoo! It’s a magic cupboard full of wonderful surprises! What a discovery!

Dog/People Training in Vietnam: Entry - June 19th, 2007 Taipei International Airport

K9guru | Wed, 06/20/2007 - 07:13

EPIC RESULTS FROM MY TRIP!!! A HISTORICAL ADVENTURE IN THE WORLD OF PROPER DOG/PEOPLE TRAINING!!

In case some of you did not get to the last of my 4th entry here it is: Mr. Ha the director of the training facility (my new second home) has had a major change of mind in the methods of training of the dogs and his trainers under his care.

He had his trainers write him letters saying that they would never hit the dogs!!!! If they did they would be fined X amount of Dong ($$$), do it again and the fine doubles, do it a 3rd time and U B history. Out of the program!!! Finished!!

Mr. Ha and I plan on introducing animal cruelty laws to the government of Vietnam in the future. This all takes time and will require the same strategy I use with my clients, baby steps.

Stop Your Dog From Pooping!

Cindy Bruckart | Mon, 06/18/2007 - 15:52

Pooping is an annoying, smelly and common problem among dogs. It’s important that owners put a stop to this kind of behavior right away. I say, nip it in the bud (or butt)! No dog should be allowed to poop anywhere at anytime, and no owner should ignore this unsavory behavior.

Sound crazy? Good. It is. But I’ll tell you what...when owners ask me how to stop their dog from chewing, it sounds just as crazy to me. STOP a dog from chewing? Why in the world would someone want to do that to a dog?

Now, some of you will say, “Oh, Cindy, I think they mean that they want to stop the dog from chewing inappropriate items. They just don’t want the dog to chew up their shoes or their table leg.”

Musings on Cesar and A Few Other Things

Trish King | Sat, 06/16/2007 - 18:16

Just read yet another article about the Cesar Milan phenomenon. It seems that wherever he goes, he attracts hundreds if not thousands of people, many of whom believe he can do no wrong. He appears to be the canine messiah to his followers.

I wonder why he strikes such a chord with so many people. Is it because he is the epitome of control? He certainly appears to exude confidence and knowledge, which is probably very heartening to people who’ve been living with a problem dog for some time. Maybe it’s because his mantra is so simple – exercise and pack leadership. He doesn’t spend a lot of time (at least on the programs) discussing the individual dog, just what the dog should learn to do, and what the people should do to teach him or her.

Identity Crisis

Dr. Nicholas H.... | Wed, 06/13/2007 - 08:05

This week somebody forwarded me a link to an episode of the Today Show in which host Meredith Vieira and others discussed DNA testing of mixed breed dogs to determine their breed origin. To do this, a cheek swab is taken from the dog and sent to MetaMorphix Inc. in Davis, California. The teaser was Meredith questioning what her own dog, Jasper, had hidden in his genes. Although she was told that he was an Aussie-Poo with papers to prove it, she had her doubts about this and sent a cheek swab off to the lab.

Modern Muttly Monikers

Nicole Wilde | Fri, 06/08/2007 - 16:42

See Spot. See Spot run. See Spot run out of steam as a popular dog name, along with Fido, Rex and Lassie. Today’s muttly monikers are creative, humorous, and sometimes downright odd. Consider the following categories:

Playing Against Body Type: At a rescue center I worked with, we had an enormous white German shepherd/wolf mix. His name was Tiny. At the other end of the spectrum, a training client’s teacup Chihuahua was named Goliath. And a perfectly proportioned, pert and cute teacup yorkie I trained is named Quasi Modo.

Human Names: Bob. Bill. Hank. Sadie. Are they your friends? Co-workers? Nope. They’re dogs. Somehow I find watching someone instruct their poodle, “Bob, stay!” a bit disconcerting. Then again, I once dated a guy named Spike. Who am I to question anyone’s taste?

Dog/People Training in Vietnam: Entry- June 5th 2007 Hanoi

K9guru | Tue, 06/05/2007 - 20:16

Friday night here in Hanoi. Everybody is out & about doing what people all around our planet do on a Friday night, be with loved ones. Here the young just do it Vietnamese-style. They cruise around on Scooters cuddling each other as they weave through some of the most insane traffic I have ever seen. I have learned to cross the street fairly well now. Proven by the fact that I am sitting here writing to you still intact and upright......

Report From France

Kelly Gorman Dunbar | Sat, 06/02/2007 - 14:49

Bonjour! I am writing this entry on a train that has just left Paris and is heading for Toulouse, France. The wonderful people of Animalin, Catherine & Alain, invited me and some of our other Dog Star Daily bloggers to speak to French dog trainers at an educational conference hosted by Animalin in the City of Lights. I feel very honored to have been included in the three-day line-up of international speakers.

Dog Star Daily’s own Roger Abrantes flew in from Denmark to be there, and DSD’s Dr. Ian Dunbar came from California, as did the brilliant and talented Ms. Donna Duford of the San Francisco Animal Care and Control.

Saving Ollie - Part 5 in a series about a shelter dog with severe behavior problems

Jeff Silverman | Fri, 06/01/2007 - 11:06

Click to read Part 1
My series on Ollie the Great Dane has been on an unplanned hiatus for the last month. I hope some are still reading as I start examining some of the larger questions my experiences with Ollie and AAF have raised for me.