say it how it is – series There are those that like polite, easy to digest information, a fast food version of what is going on with their dog. Scratching the surface, tickling the tip of the iceberg, but nothing more. And there are others that like the deeper more full-bodied list of details, savoring my…
Tag: dog behavior
NO!
NO! This two-letter word means nothing, absolutely nothing, to a dog. It is the inflection in a voice, the menacing tone, the hard human eyes, and sometimes the raised primate arm or finger that mean something. The body language and tone tell a dog, all is not well. But it is used all of the time, over…
It’s a TONGUE thing …
If you are into canine body language than you are one of those persons on this planet that is hyper aware of how a dog uses their tongue. A student of the tongue more or less. It is one of the first overt body language signals a new dog trainer learns to observe, in social…
I don’t want my dog to think that just because …..
It is a warm, nearly hot, sunny summer morning. And yet, my feet are tucked under Story as I sit and type this out. Even with the heat, the weight of his body and the wooliness of his fur on my feet feel just about perfect. Just so you know, almost everything I have written…
Is there really such a thing as a stubborn dog?
Every day of every week I have a person tell me their dog is stubborn and won’t do ‘this or that’. And just so we are clear, this is the formal definition of STUBBORN – ‘having or showing dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments…
the dog not of your fairy tale
I am somewhat sensitive to emotions, body language, and energy. Not just the human type, but all animal type, with the exception of reptiles. I don’t get reptiles and I am pretty certain they don’t get me. I don’t need verbal communication to get what is going on. While my title is professional trainer, it…
How to Build a Dangerous Dog – the indicators
Sometimes a bark is just a bark, squinty eyes are just squinty eyes, and standing still is just being still. But sometimes they are not. Sometimes when a single innocuous behavior appears in a cluster of behaviors, it becomes a sign of something very serious that is underlying, and professional help is needed. As with all…
shutting a dog down
It isn’t hard to shut your dog down, lots of people do it. Shutting a dog down means ‘taking the wind out of their sails’. It is an effective way to let a dog know they have no choices, and it is your way, period. Family pet owners to seasoned professionals are capable of doing…
Golden Retriever, at the door, jumping up!
It’s early and I have been pondering stuff while sitting on the couch, in front of the fire place, with my hot coffee in hand, and border collies on my lap. Yes all of them, it can get a bit snugly at times. Pondering is one of my pleasures, and I make no apologies here….
Rainy Fall Evening with Calvin – part 8
I’ve been out of town giving a workshop so I haven’t been able to socialize, train, and walk Calvin for the past week. I did hear however, that he might have a new dog walker on a weekly basis which would be super cool! We walked in the rain, puddles, and around the evening students…
Nancy Tanner 