by Lindsay Stordahl on December 19th, 2008
8 Comments »
We had a friend over last weekend and Ace barked and charged the door. I did nothing to stop him, and Josh even yelled something like, “Get’m, killer!” Well, no wonder our dog barks at the doorbell! The doorbell rang yesterday and Ace stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to look at me for direction. Good boy! I had him sit and stay a few feet from the door when I answered it. He stayed until ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 17th, 2008
14 Comments »
I’m trying to develop a habit of complimenting people on their dogs’ behavior. Not their appearance, size or breed, but their behavior. Like with everything else, people are much more likely to compliment or criticize a dog’s appearance rather than her behavior. Just take a Staffordshire terrier to the dog park and watch people back away because they see the “pitbull” rather than the cal ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 5th, 2008
6 Comments »
One of my goals for this loose-leash walking challenge was to be able to take my dog out in all situations without a pinch collar or Gentle Leader and have him under control. To me, under control means Ace is not pulling, whining, choking himself or fixating on another dog or person. Before this challenge, I walked Ace with his pinch collar on almost every day. After working with Ace specifically on heeling for 30 da ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on December 2nd, 2008
7 Comments »
I am living with a dog that is always hungry. We’ve actually nicknamed him the turd burglar because when no one’s looking he steals from the catbox. Then he tries to give me kisses with litter stuck to his lips and in his teeth. Talk about gross! I want to teach Ace to stay out of the kitchen. Since he has been on Prednisone he has wanted to eat nonstop. He’s started tipping over the kitchen garbage ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 29th, 2008
14 Comments »
A few weeks ago I added the top commenters plugin to my blog. I set it so it will refresh every month. To encourage you to comment, I am giving away a copy of “The Ultimate Dog Lover” to December’s top commenter. The book is written by Marty Becker, Gina Spadafori, Carol Kline and Mikkel Becker. The authors claim this book answers any questions imaginable about dogs on health, training, behavior and ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 28th, 2008
6 Comments »
…………………………………………………………………….. Ace has made great progress with loose-leash walking over the last 25 days. Here are some changes I’ve noticed with his heeling: - When I tell Ace “OK!” he chooses to walk at my side. “OK” is Ace’s ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 26th, 2008
7 Comments »
Note: This is a guest post from Apryl DeLancey who writes the blog ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 24th, 2008
7 Comments »
…………………………………………………………………….. I don’t treat my pets the same. I live with three animals: my mutt Ace, my gray tabby cat Scout and Josh’s orange tabby Beamer. Josh and I have not reached the point in our relationship where the pets are “ours.̶ ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 23rd, 2008
1 Comment
…………………………………………………………………….. One of my dog-running clients wanted her dog to socialize and practice walking with another dog, so Ace and I met up with them Saturday. Ace was the perfect match because he is calm and submissive. Of course, the meeting benefited bot ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on November 20th, 2008
5 Comments »
A good trick to get my mutt to walk nicely at my side is to give him something to carry in his mouth. Since he is a retriever, carrying is serious business. I try to avoid tennis balls and give him something like a stick or water bottle. Carrying the stick becomes Ace’s job, and he does not pull ahead or stop to sniff. His whole walk changes when he is “working.” His head is up, and he carries his b ...