Oh my my my. Life has a way of being so interesting. Last night Willie boy reminded me of the joys of a well-trained dog. I am still full of relief and pride that he was such a good boy. Here's what happened: Willie and Hope and I were outside right before dark, enjoying the perfect evening (most appreciated after a week of hatefully hot and humid weather). We tend to stay behind or beside the house, because of the road that runs by the farm in the front of the yard. We are situated at the bottom of a steep, curvy hill in one direction, and a blind curve coming the other way. There aren't a lot of cars on the road, but when they go by, they go by very, very fast, and most of them couldn't stop if they wanted to. Needless to say, if I'm going to have dogs loose outside in the yard Read More
Tail Wags Translated
I love tail wags: they are such an interesting expression of internal affect and indicator of a dog's emotional state. And I know the professional trainers who read this blog know how often they can be mis-interpreted by the general public. "But he was wagging his tail...!!!!" is a phrase heard painfully often, by people who have been bitten, or whose dog just snapped, nipped or bit. Ah, but a tail wag is like a smile: often an indicator of happiness, but not always. For example, we all know what a "phoney" smile looks like. The lips part and the corners of the mouth rise but the eyes never change. I'm remembering one person who smiled at me in a way that caused me to think I was in danger. There was nothing friendly about this guy's face, because his eyes were cold and hard, and the Read More
What Training Can Do, and What It Can’t
The PATRICIA McCONNELL RETURNS A PUPPY! brou-ha-ha (It's almost been worth it just having an excuse to use that word: brou-ha-ha. Say it over and over and try not to laugh!) has brought up one of the most important questions in dog training. What "problem behaviors" can be ameliorated by training and/or management, and what can't? Ah, the answer is a book unto itself (and yup, it's going to be a topic of the book I'm about to start writing), so I can't answer as fully as I'd like here. But here are some thoughts, that relate to my recent experience and to our relationship with dogs in general. First, as many wise readers have noted, there is such a thing as temperament in dogs, just as there is in people. Temperament is defined as a set of behavioral predispositions that are seen very Read More
Two Great New Books!
There are two great new books out, one I have mentioned before that I drank up like a cup of hot chocolate on a warm day: Scent of the Missing, by Susannah Charleson is out, and I just loved it. I liked it so much I contacted her PR rep with the publisher and said "Please bring her to do a signing in Madison!" Here's what I wrote about it: " A brilliantly written book that should be on every dog lover's bed stand. Charleson's use of language is so rich I'm not sure I want to read her book or eat it." Micheal Perry, who wrote the gorgeous book Truck, and a first great book, Population 485--(wonderful wonderful books) wrote "... With lean, lovely prose she takes us on a clear-eye, compassionate journey into a mysterious world in which every story begins as a ghost story." Scent of the Read More
The Puppy Chronicles: Chapter 2
I took him back. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, because I adored so much about him (see last post). Mick, as I named him, is extremely responsive (came EVERY time I called and clapped), very happy to investigate new things, is not sound sensitive, was already fetching, and was starting to play with Will. He is going to be a great dog for some lucky person.T But the primary reason I got a puppy was for Will. He needs a playmate, and he needs to not have exclusive access to everything in the house, me and Jim included, for too much longer. I need a dog who is going to get along beautifully with Willie, and who, unlike Will, is totally comfortable around unfamiliar dogs. I want a dog who is bomb proof with people and children, a dog who loves other dogs and will be a Read More