Dogs and Dog Training

It is the worst day of dog ownership. It is the day that one must say ‘good bye’ to a cherished friend. That dog is a family member and I know that that day makes me physically ill. Ever since a young age, that dreadful day makes my digestive system do an [...]

It happens so quickly that even people who have had dogs for years would not notice. Most people assume that dogs lap at the water bowl in the same manner that a human would. However, slow motion recordings show that it is an unexpected method:
link: How a Dog Drinks Water
*** I [...]

It befuddles non-dog people. Discussions about a dog for the next president dominates the news. The matter of selecting the dog is a hot topic online:
“Never mind the economy. Hold on a moment, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In his first news conference yesterday as president-elect, Barack Obama said that the issue of a “first dog” [...]

It is very handy to have your dog trained to use a blanket as a place to rest. This can be in a certain area of a room - perhaps, in an area out of the way of general foot traffic. The dog can rest there and watch what is happening in the [...]

When considering a second dog, a frequently debated question is the gender issue. Should it be male / female? Will two males fight? Are two females easier to manage? There are numerous questions. However, the simple answer is really not in the gender matching. The harmony of the household [...]

It may be a sign of the time - and how dangerous it is ‘on the streets’. A Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina is equipping dogs in the canine unit with protection:
“…Sheriff Bill Schatzman said Wednesday his office has received bulletproof, stab-proof vests for eight of the department’s 10 dogs. Schatzman said the dogs [...]

A dog can have exquisite control of its bite. A dog can exert just the correct amount of pressure with its teeth and with its jaw. Much of this is taught in its first eight weeks with its mother and with its litter mates. However, it is possible to continue the lessons started in puppy [...]

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has a high tech dog. He is able to tell where Koni, a labrador retriever, is at any moment. Koni has a global positioning system (GPS) collar and, with that, she can be tracked easily:
“…Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, a close friend of Putin, said the collar, which weighs [...]

Sergeant Gwen Beberg is at odds with Army regulations. She has befriended a puppy, Ratchet, in Iraq and wants to bring the dog back with her to the United States:
“…On Oct. 1, Beberg placed 6-month-old Ratchet on an Army convoy to the Baghdad airport, where he was to be flown to her parents’ home [...]

It is a rewarding, necessary task but it is also guaranteed heartbreak. The task is giving Leader Dogs a good start, so that the possible service dogs can be trained, in the future, for vision and hearing impaired individuals:
“…The main goals of a puppy raiser are to teach the dogs socialization skills and make [...]