Is playing with my dog enough exercise?
Adequate exercise for your dog I have had many people ask me, “What is the right amount of exercise for a dog?” My answer is always, if your dog spends a good majority of the time with you, in a relaxed state; no pacing, no destruction and no anxiety, you know your dog is getting enough exercise. All dogs need exercise to be happy and healthy. Their natural instinct is to walk for miles, following the leader to find and hunt for food. This is why you never see a pack with a m
Is it mean to crate my dog?
I recently read a couple of ads on craigslist that truly bothered me and I have to touch upon this subject. One owner has a dog that is chewing up the walls in their house the other is having housebreaking issues. Even though I generally will not read the responses from people trying to give advice on craigslist, I fell into the trap and started going through the answers the general public were giving. I was horrified to see what some people were saying and upon contactin
Who is the leader of your pack?
OK, so over the years I have heard many people say, “Let the dogs work it out. They need to figure out the pack order.” I have also heard some trainers tell people to feed their dogs in pack order, the “alpha” first. This is so wrong!!! First thing I need to say, the alpha in your house needs to be you. You need to be the leader. If you let the dogs “work it out” or allow one dog to be above the others, you are responsible for the dog fights in your house! As harsh as th
What do you want from your dog?
With summer now creeping up, I receive more and more calls about dogs that are dog-dog reactive. Yes, I said reactive, not aggressive. The truth is most of the dogs I see are not truly dog-dog aggressive. What is the difference? A dog-dog reactive dog is given a job they don’t want or put in a situation where they are forced to take control or correct another dog. A truly dog-dog aggressive dog will break skin on just about every bite they deliver. They will bite, hold, and s