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

“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

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,

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

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

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...

One of the games that Penny, a one year old Yellow Lab, loves to play is “chase me.” Also known as “keepaway.” Outside in the yard, the...

Roger is a rambunctious 4 year old German Shepherd whose owners called me to help them with a behavioral problem. When I rang the...

We’ve discussed all manner of dog emanations in this blog, from drool (The D word) to pee (Anything vertical) to poop (The other P word)....

I confess that I do things for my dogs that some people (NOT the people who own dogs themselves, of course) would regard with a critical...

Seth is a seven month old Pomeranian whose owners are getting a tad frustrated with him. Its not really the stealing of the flip flops or...

Thinking about springing a visit on friends or family this summer, with your dog in tow? Here’s a quiz for you to take on your dog’s...

Watching a young mother at Price Chopper recently, I was reminded of something called “learned behavior.” Yes, a tragedy was averted, the...

Forgive me if I talk about barking yet again. This time, the topic is owner-directed barking. Also known as back talk, sass, and lip....