Yummy Chummies are one of the highest value training treats I use. Dogs love them! The good news is that they are now available in Costco nationwide. We don’t know how long. Products at Costco are fleeting. But if you want to help show your appreciation for having Yummy Chummies local and at a great price, now’s the time to buy! And there’s a coupon! By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor Cookie Trainer, {Read More}
Separation Anxiety in Dogs
March 2, 2014 by
Not all naughty behavior stemming from your absence means a dog is suffering from separation anxiety. And suffering is what a dog with true separation anxiety does. To put a sep anx dog’s feelings and reactions into perspective, imagine this. While on a walk alone in the wilderness, you trip and slip into an abandon shaft and land on your rump 20 feet further into the ground than where you’d started. Except for the light at the shaft’s opening, which {Read More}
Lifespans of Dogs Compared to Humans
February 27, 2014 by
Here’s an interesting chart that compares dogs in years of age to humans. Though if you want to reverse this to find out how old you are in dogs’ years, I’m not sure if this chart is applicable. We think our lifetimes are short. Imagine living the short life of a beloved dog. By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor Dog Trainer and Guradian of Her Own Beloved Dogs
TreatStik
February 21, 2014 by
Having a variety of food toys available for your dog is a good thing. Why? Dogs need mental stimulation, and unless they’re playing or training with their guardians, they need something to challenge their capacities the other hours in the day. That is, when they’re not catching up on their beauty sleep. Dogs need brain games, and because dogs are predators, most self-rewarding toys will be about food and to get that food out. The TreatStik is a food toy {Read More}
Sensitives
February 18, 2014 by
Some of us are more sensitive than others. Some of us are so sensitive that we sense what others never even notice. And some dogs are like that. Take for example the girl on your left, Luna. She came with that name. Coincidentally, there was a full moon on the night I picked her up. Luna’s got special sensing gifts. For one thing, it’s really interesting how she’ll notice an insect or lizard on the ceiling when none of my {Read More}
Hyper Dogs
February 17, 2014 by
Hyper dogs are a lot of fun, but you may get frustrated when looking for the switch that turns them off. That’s because hyper dogs wake up with a certain amount of fuel in their tanks each day and need to spend that fuel some way. Their fuel tanks are bigger than other dogs’. The best ways to help them spend that energy are through training and activities that will keep them occupied both mentally and physically. Otherwise, they’ll find {Read More}
February 14
February 14, 2014 by
By Helen Verte Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, Certified Trick Dog Instructor Happy Valentine’s Day from Love Wags A Tail Dog Training
Don’t Be Cruel
February 12, 2014 by
There was some good news that came out of the controversial Farm Bill that the U.S. Senate recently passed. That is anyone who knowingly attends an organized animal fight will face penalties of Federal law. In this case, up to one year in prison for the violators. In addition, if anyone brings a child to participate in the viewing of these horrific events, the time spent in jail increases up to a possible three years. This includes cock fights, dog {Read More}
Luigi’s 12th Birthday
February 5, 2014 by
Today was my Luigi’s 12th birthday. We started it off right and the way he wanted, playing fetch with one of his favorite toys, the Goughnut. It’s a tough rubber toy that has lasted a couple years. He ate breakfast, took a nap, and then joined me on some errands. He’s not exactly fond of taking rides, but he doesn’t object. Now a days, it’s a little harder for him to jump into the truck, and as a matter of {Read More}
Counter Surfing
February 1, 2014 by
Surfing is great for those who love to do it and it involves the ocean and a surf board. A dog who surfs the counter for food, though, may be having a great time, but rarely is such behavior appreciated. Even if it’s a Kong on the counter that is destined for his dinner bowl, a dog’s paws should be off the kitchen counter at all times. This is not only for the convenience of having a civilized dog in {Read More}
Watch Dogs
January 28, 2014 by
I was feeling guilty that I let my dog watch-dog bark at the mail carrier’s daily deliveries. But frankly, I’d come home before when I had a shield on the inner door over the mail slot and found that it had been crashed through and the ex-pen I’d once kept around it had been slammed into the door. This suggested someone, who was not a mailman, had tried to force his way in. Thank goodness for my watch doggies, though. {Read More}
Barking Dogs
January 27, 2014 by
Dogs bark. It’s in their genetic make-up. Sometimes, though, dogs bark too much or at inappropriate times. Demand barking, for example, is when a dog wants to get attention, a treat, or something else that he’s been given before when he tried barking to get his way. Dogs learn fast when things work for them, and demand barking is a prime example of dogs doing what works. Watch dog barking is another type of dog barking that we love, but {Read More}
Training Treats Cheese Cookie Recipe
January 21, 2014 by
Here is a new dog treat recipe from Melani. Cheese cookies made with love and delish for her beautiful dog, Alice. Alice’s Training Treats Cheese Cookies Ingredients 1-1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup oats 3/4 cup chicken stock made with no onions Salt 10 oz grated sharp cheddar 2 eggs. Directions: Roll out flat, cut into cookie shapes, and bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Watch for burning. The whole house will smell like cheese biscuits. Yum! Homemade dog treats and {Read More}
Approach-Avoidance Conflict From Low Grade Fear
January 19, 2014 by
Dobermann Luna resolves her sudden low-grade fear of a Nylabone through an approach-avoidance dance. What is approach-avoidance? Approach-avoidance is “a motivational conflict resulting from the presence of a single goal or desire that is both desirable and undesirable.” So the conflict causes someone to be simultaneously attracted and repelled to carry out an act. If you’ve ever been on a diet, and had something in the fridge that was calling out to you, a brownie, for example, you know the {Read More}
Dogs Digging in Yards
January 15, 2014 by
Although it’s quite natural to dogs, hole digging isn’t always welcomed by their people. When dogs dig up our flower beds, lawn, and other botanical wonders it can send some of us into shock. We love our dogs, but the gardener in us loves the fruits of our green thumb, and competing with our dogs for digging space can be a puzzler to figure out. I can help. Contact me for methods to keep peace between you and your dog {Read More}
