Five year old Beagle Carlos hates the dog next door. He can’t see Cockapoo Sheldon. An 8 foot stockade fence separates the two dogs. It doesn’t matter, though. The first thing Carlos does when he is let outside to do his business is to race the fence and skim the base of it with his nose, hunting for Sheldon. Then, let the barking begin. How the Carlos/Sheldon feud began is a mystery. Carlos’ owners moved into the neighborhood first. When Sheldon’s family arrived, it appeared

I always ask my clients to let their dog greet me at the front door they way they would with any other guest. I like to see how a dog reacts to the arrival of a stranger on his home turf; it tells me a lot about the dog’s temperament and standing in the house. If I could describe the greetings I have received over the years in a poem, here then is an ode to the exuberance of dogs at the door: How do I greet thee? Let me count the ways. I greet thee by body-checking you at ful

Labradors are mouths on legs. Not all Labs put everything in their mouths, and there are undeniably other dogs that will ingest anything and everything. But Labs are notorious for considering the sidewalk to be their own personal buffet. There is a scale of ingestion by Lab color: Eats 80% of stationary objects = Black Labs Eats 90% of stationary + dead objects = Yellow Labs Eats 110% of stationary + dead + moving objects = Chocolate Labs Moses is a 9 month old Chocolate Lab.

“My parents absolutely spoil my dog. I love that I can bring Eddie to their house and leave him there when I have to go out of town, but when he comes home, it’s like all of his training has gone out the door!” Here is what you tell your parents when you ask them to take care of your dog in your absence: Eddie eats at 7:00 AM and at 5:00 PM. He gets a cup in the and a cup at night. No scraps or table food. Eddie is not allowed on the furniture. Make sure Eddie sits before you

On any given day, Pretzel is both a sweetheart and the terror of the neighborhood. Pretzel is a Cockapoo with two owners. One of Pretzel’s owners – let’s call her Debbie – adores Pretzel. The dog is in her lap whenever she sits down. Pretzel follows her throughout the house, even when she is in the bathroom. Debbie swears that she and Pretzel have a very special bond, that they communicate with each other without words, that they are soulmates. Pretzel’s other owner – Dave –

It’s the existential question for humans and dogs: where is my place? If dogs could meditate, PLACE could be their mantra. PLACE…..PLACE…..PLACE…… if I had a PLACE, I could go there when…… Whoever is cooking in the kitchen doesn’t want me underfoot; When there are guests that don’t particularly like dogs; At mealtime, so I don’t beg at the table; I need a quiet place to go when I’m feeling overwhelmed; I’m really hungry and dinner isn’t ready yet; Before a walk, so I don’t go

“I don’t believe in crates,” said the new puppy owner. I don’t want my dog to be confined; it’s cruel. She’s part of the family; she shouldn’t be in a cage, she should be with us.” If you are guessing that this owner called me about housebreaking issues, you would be correct. I’m not sure when the idea of crates became an ideology with its share of advocates and detractors. Crate-resistant people get really adamant – and vocal – about not using crates. 8-month-old Cavalier K

It started with Lassie, the Collie. Or maybe it was Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd. Or that dog Petey from The Little Rascals, an American Staffordshire Terrier. Asta, the Jack Russell Terrier, from The Thin Man series. Fala, the Scottish Terrier, FDR’s companion. Beethoven, the St. Bernard. 101 Dalmations. Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Bo, the Portugese Water Dog. Dogs made famous by movies and their celebrity owners have inspired many people to get that particular breed. Once

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

Because some dogs can swallow a sock faster than I can stop them Here’s the thing. All dogs can be trained – that’s my motto and my goal. Does that mean that every single dog responds the instant I walk in the door? Of course not. Here’s what can happen (and HAS happened): A Doberman eats money - actual dollar bills -and checks, too - with or without Dave's Insanity Sauce; A Husky swallows socks - the sock touches the floor, the sock is inhaled so fast you're not sure

ONE dog can make a lot of noise. Is there an equation that measures the increase in decibel levels when TWO dogs see the garbage truck? I’m pretty terrible at math so I won’t even attempt this one. All I know is, a pomeranian mix and a Cairn terrier, fenced in and highly indignant that a vehicle should appear and STOP in front of THEIR house, are likely to wake up the neighborhood at the bracing time of 6 AM. Consider it a community service alarm clock. Another dog – a Blac

Or maybe it should be “Bite, interrupted.” Because some dogs will take the briefest of nips and back away so quickly that you’re not sure it really happened. Even the so-called victim might be unaware of the damage, if any, that may have occurred. Here is how such an incident might play out in a court of law. COOPER –VS-THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILD SCENE: The setting is a courtroom. The plaintiffs are the parents of a 5-year-old girl. The defendant is Cooper, a neutered male 2 year

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

I love puppies, as long as they are someone else’s. Don’t get me wrong. There is nothing cuter than that little face while he is sleeping, the sweet smell of the top of his head, and the delightful way he bounces instead of runs. But I will take an older dog every time. And I have. All of my dogs are getting up there. The oldest is Nellie, a Cairn Terrier, going on 14 and still hiking and kayaking with us. Sure, she is slower, needs frequent rest stops, and has to be carried

Does your dog love going to the veterinarian, or dread it? For some dogs, the obligatory annual appointment is the equivalent of a stint of water boarding. Three-year-old Pointer mix Annabelle recognizes the veterinary clinic parking lot immediately. She engages the brake pads in her paws; her owner half-carries her to the door. Once inside, her nervous trembling causes her short hair to shed and drift throughout the waiting room. Her face is wide-eyed and terrified as she aw

Chickie is a Spaniel mix, sweet-faced and sweet-natured. Her human companions had driven 3 hours in the pouring rain to pick her up. Yes,...

Households with two or more dogs are more common than you think. Here’s the scenario I hear over and over: “We went to the breeder and there were only two puppies left. We had only planned to get one, and we picked out the one we wanted, but then the other one looked so sad to be left behind, so we took that one, too.” Uh-oh… This occurs so often that I’m beginning to wonder if breeders put two puppies in the pen and remove the other littermates to some other place while ther

Teddy, an eight-year-old Border Collie, has his owner well trained. When Teddy’s owner was between jobs, each morning the two would take a ride in the family pickup truck into town to get a coffee and a newspaper at the local Stewart’s shop. Now that Teddy’s owner has a job again, Teddy insists on the morning trip regardless of his owner’s new responsibilities. Here is the script for TEDDY: THE MOVIE: Cue light orchestral music that gradually swells with the appearance of the

This morning, a neighborhood cat left a dead mouse next to my car. It was a thoughtful gesture of appreciation, since we set food out daily for Pat the Cat – our unisex name for him/her, and no, I’m not going to get personal with Pat to find out the answer to that question. The gift led me to think about cats, dogs, and presents. I know, you’re thinking – cats and dogs! Fertile subject matter for a blog! Sorry, this one is about gifts, because who doesn’t love to get a presen

This is not a post about hot cars and dogs. We all know by now that they don’t mix. In the summer, leave the dog home unless you want a...