Owners of two or more dogs will tell you that dogs are just as guilty of peer pressure as any group of teenagers. Herd mentality, mob rule, collective behavior, flocking, swarm intelligence, or team players – whatever the terminology, dogs (and people) in packs act differently than they do on their own. Chance and Joey are two male Havanese, age three. They are from the same litter and have been together all of their lives. They are rarely, if ever, separated. When they are,

Some dogs seem to regard bicycles, motorcycles and yes, skateboards as entrees on the run. Three-year-old Shepherd mix Simon enjoys napping on the sunny spot in the dining room, tossing his Wubba, and playing with his friends at the dog park. His favorite sport, however, is chasing anything that moves. Lately, this includes not only motorized vehicles, but also hapless joggers and even strollers. His owners suspect that an early run-in with a tricycle may have caused his obse

Or what to do if the dog won’t walk Lulu is a 2 year old Basset Hound that will not walk. She’s happy enough to have the leash put on and to go out the door. Her ears swing as she descends the stairs, she pauses to sniff the air, her tail waves in slow undulations, and then, hold everything, her enormous paws touch the grass. She collapses into a warm, giddy, writhing carpet of upside-down Basset, freckled belly pointing skyward, lips flayed and shining, eyes closed in ecstas

The ultimate in scratch-off lottery games for some dogs would be Leashtastic!, Lucky Leashes!, or best of all, Win 1,000 Leashes a Week for Life! Three-year-old Yellow Labrador Ian goes through leashes as if they are lamb kibble soaked in gravy . Yet Ian’s owners swear that they can never catch him in the act of dismembering his leashes. After his walks, Ian’s leash is always scrupulously hung behind the door and remains untouched until morning. But by evening, the leash is i

Who was it that said “All good things must end?” Certainly not your dog on a walk. Or your dog getting attention. Or chowing down on...

I saw a car go by today with a woman driving, a small dog on her lap, his head out the open window. Dangerous and misguided as that may...

I’m at a lesson to help with a common dog problem. For demonstration purposes, one of the family members goes to the door and selects a...

Its a pandemic puzzle (or maybe a Corona conundrum?). We humans, at home for the foreseeable future, have lots of entertainment options:...

Claire used to walk a meticulously planned route every morning and evening. She had determined the streets most likely to NOT have a dog...

JoJo is a Black Labrador puppy with enormous paws and disarmingly soft eyes. She also has the look of a canine about to burst into the...

If you have a guy dog, you know exactly what I mean. Going for a walk is actually going for a whiz. And another. And another. Ad nauseum....

Eleanor is a 5 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. Among her litany of unwanted behaviors – she’s an escape artist, a counter cruiser, a...

Everyone who has two dogs, raise your hand. Everyone who has two dogs AND walks each dog separately because one or both are terrible on...

Raymond is a 4 year old Shiba Inu. He lives in a nice home in Burnt Hills with his two adult humans. He has a pretty cushy life. He eats...

I confess that sometimes I judge people. For example, when someone says they paid $3,000 for their purebred puppy, I imagine a well-to-do...

I remember thinking when my kids were little how life was full of incredible joy and equally incredible frustration. My clients’ dogs...

Boston Terrier Tazo’s owner claims that her dog has moments when he blanks out completely, is unaware of his surroundings, and has to be...

The trouble with being in a RUT is their nature. Ruts don’t move. Dogs get into ruts, too. I’m thinking of Swifty, a mildly overweight...

One of my clients cannot speak. She recently adopted a two year old Shepherd mix named Glinda. Glinda has a tendency to see an open door...

At the risk of sounding like a naysayer, I confess I must share a significant No No with you. Yes, I know, one of my recent blog posts...