Senior dogs are similar to puppies, they are opposite sides of the same coin, a tender trap of sorts. A senior dog will require more of your time, more of your observational skills, and a gentler and kinder environment with you in it more often. But truly it is standing in reverence of a life…
Tag: Paws & People
Canine Resource Guarding
Canine Resource Guarding refers to a dog that guards a resource, anything the dog perceives as valuable or important, from other dogs or people. Is this normal behavior? Yes and no. All mammals guard, us included. It is primal and ensures survival. Where it enters the not so normal zone is when it was accidentally…
learn me …
“We hardly know one another” “You can learn me…” “Learn you?” “Yes or No” ~ The Constant Gardener I am asked, almost on a daily basis, why dogs respond to me the way that they do. I think this always catches me off guard, a little or a lot, as I don’t really think about…
Direct or indirect communication?
When I was a child you knew what hate was, there was kind of a line, not a blurred line, but a for real line. Racism was alive and well, it wasn’t hidden or disguised with pretty word salad articles that danced around the subject, but full on name calling, white robe, hanging tree, Guess…
my cautious, fearful, Ocean – part 3
As Ocean and I were growing together, our household grew as well, intentionally I might add. Story came to our home when Ocean was three, and $eeker moved in just two years later. Again, I think it would be fair to state that Ocean would have preferred to be our only dog, possibly the only…
my cautious, fearful, Ocean – part 2
Ocean was growing into the most gorgeous dog I could have imagined. Actually, I didn’t know what to imagine. She was the only ‘mostly white’ one in her litter, the rest were black and white like the Border Collie mom, or blue merle like the Australian Shepherd dad. She was changing, and I loved waking…
and what if …
And what if your dog jumps up on you And what if your dog is sound asleep on your sofa And what if your dog eats tasty treats under your babies high chair And what if your dog carries your shoes into another room and hides them And what if your dog barks at a…
a simple dirt road lesson
In 2003, every Friday for an entire summer and fall, Ocean and I would get in the car at 4am, drive about 100 miles to a friends farm, tend to and work sheep, do some farm chores, and then come home. I was so addicted and loved every minute of that journey and adventure. My…
I am a coach
I am a coach. I coach our Teams, both people and dog. I coach my dogs, who are my Team. And through coaching I have found one of my parts that is truly me. While I am a certified professional trainer, it is my coaching that I focus on, that I love, and where I…
puppy school of hard knocks
It isn’t that uncommon to hear people, especially at dog parks, express the feelings and/or sentiments of ‘letting older dogs’ put their puppy in it’s place. Usually it’s the high energy, performance, working line puppies that are often the brunt of this philosophy. Maybe, just maybe, if another dog really scares them enough, they will…
Nancy Tanner 