by Lindsay Stordahl on July 1st, 2010
8 Comments »
Note: This is a guest post by Kathleen Chamberlin and her daughter Heather Chamberlin-Scholle. Kathleen is the author of “Marcy Mary: The Memoirs of a Dachshund-American Princess, The Early Years.” You can learn more about Kathleen and her book at http://marcymary.com. Heather is a licensed clinical social worker. Ginger was a white boxer with pink and black jowls that got caught on her misaligned canines. This ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on June 26th, 2010
5 Comments »
I’m supposed to be on vacation right now. But I wanted to share three of my favorite dog videos. The first video, “GoD and DoG” was written, recorded and animated by Wendy Francisco. The video has been sent to me by more than one person (thanks Tawna and Mark!). I always replay it two or three times when I watch it. The second video is my favorite dog film. It is by Sam Hearn and Richard Penfold. It ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on June 19th, 2010
36 Comments »
My dog has a drinking problem. No, not that kind of problem. Ace does like booze, but we’ll save that for another post What I’m referring to is Ace’s obsession with drinking water, and how I’ve managed to train him to think he’s not supposed to drink any water at all. Ace came to me with a few OCDs – retrieving and drinking. He does not have an “off switch” and will ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on June 12th, 2010
29 Comments »
“Too much energy” is the No. 1 behavior problem in dogs. Almost all problems such as aggression, anxiety and hyperactivity stem from the dog’s high energy levels and the owner’s failure to give the dog something constructive to do with that energy. You will always be able to re-direct your dog’s attention to you when faced with distractions as long as your dog views you as the greatest & ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on June 4th, 2010
20 Comments »
Dogs will purposely scratch themselves around the collar area in order to avoid doing something else. At first I thought this was something annoying my dog did, but lately I’ve noticed the behavior when observing other people and their dogs. This scratching behavior happens a lot during dog obedience classes. If a dog does not feel like doing a command, he will instead scratch himself for a few seconds while th ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on May 29th, 2010
15 Comments »
I recently received a free FURminator pet brush from PetsBath.com, a company that sells dog bath tubs and accessories. Every dog and cat owner needs one of these brushes! No other pet brush works as well as the FURminator. The fine-tooth comb pulls the dead hair trapped in the undercoat as you can see below. The brush works well on dogs and cats with any coat length. I enjoy brushing my mutt and two cats now because ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on May 26th, 2010
19 Comments »
Shock collars are valuable dog training tools that can help a dog or even save her life in certain situations. I fostered a Pomeranian mix named Elli who was terrified of being alone in the car. Whenever I opened or closed a car door she would go into a complete panic attack and bark, scream and pant. I spent hours and hours using positive reinforcement dog training techniques to help Elli with no success. Every day ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on May 20th, 2010
5 Comments »
I just want to thank some of the advertisers who support the costs of running this blog. Please check out their links below: Crash! is a children’s book by Mayra Calvani about a boy who sets out to choose the perfect name for his puppy. Crash! is available from the publisher and from Amazon and B&N. Pet Discussion Forum is a great place to discuss anything related to pets. Check it out if you want to get ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on May 18th, 2010
20 Comments »
One of the best parts about owning a dog is being able to take him places without worrying how he’ll respond to other animals, people or objects. I love that I can take my mutt Ace anywhere and know that I can trust him (he might drool on you, though). Ace will comfortably go for walks next to busy traffic, through large crowds or in a state park. When we pass other dogs that are barking or lunging, I know I c ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on May 8th, 2010
27 Comments »
It’s sometimes impossible to live with a dog that has “separation anxiety.” A loud or destructive dog creates stress for everyone in the house, costs extra money and ruins good relationships with neighbors. Well-meaning dog lovers aren’t always aware of a dog’s anxiety issues before adopting or fostering, and this can lead to big problems, especially in an apartment setting. I know what ...