A miscellany of thoughts about dogs, cats, writing, life in the Ozarks, & occasional book reviews
We've been working on our own version of the 'engage-disengage' game. (If you want the longer explanation with examples of the engage-disengage game, read my post titled Look at her now! ) Today, Sasha added her own twist. Once Sasha disengages from barking at an approaching dog, I verbally "click" and treat. Ironically, we haven't encountered many …
Continue reading Outsmarted by a Sheltie
When Sasha first came to us last year, she was terrified of loud noises (clickers at obedience class frightened her senseless), anxious around strangers (men in particular), had no leash skills to speak of, and tended to be very vocal around other dogs. And judging from the condition of her coat and skin, grooming was an unknown …
Continue reading Look at her now!
Does your own sweet dog turn into a Dogzilla when suffering from excess stimulation? Is the heat turning your routine activities into a stress test and making both of you miserable? Maybe it's time to give yourselves a break and relax. I'm talking about a staycation for you and your pooch. When the outside world gets too much, maybe …
Continue reading “Staycation” Canine Style
With warm weather on the horizon and a holiday weekend ahead, chances are you'll see a lot more people out and about enjoying the outdoors with their dogs. Some dogs, like people, are super-social and love spending time with others. If you have a dog like this, a dog park might be a fun destination. …
Continue reading Play Nice: Good Manners, Canine Style
In Dangerous Deeds (#2 in the series), Waterside Kennels owner and amateur sleuth Maggie Porter finds herself caught in the crossfire when community members take sides over a proposed "dangerous dog" ordinance to ban specific breeds. For the record, Maggie agrees with the AKC that breed-specific legislation (BLS) is not the way to go. Her refusal to support the ban …
Continue reading At the Crossroads of Fact and Fiction