Author Archives: john
Looking for a dog daycare?
Questions to ask when looking for a dog daycare The following questions are intended to help you decide on a dog daycare that’s right for you and your dog. Because there are so many differing opinions and levels of expertise, we encourage you to visit and observe each option you are considering before taking your own [...]
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Home Alone Time
Home Alone Time Dogs are social animals which can make home alone time difficult. Dogs that cannot manage being left alone are anxious and as a result may be vocal, destructive or have potty accidents inside. Our responsibility is to teach our dogs to cope and relax in our absence. There are a number of [...]
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Crate Training
Crate Training Crate training is a wonderful aid for a variety of reasons. It's helpful for short-term confinement of your dog (up to 4 hours max) when you can’t supervise him. If he’s in his safe, quiet crate relaxing with a stuffed Kong®/chewie, he won’t be practicing “inappropriate” behavior – like chewing on the wrong things, having potty [...]
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Socialization
Puppy Socialization New Puppy? Now’s the time to socialize! Puppies socialize much easier than adolescent or adult dogs – so get started! Expose your puppy to a variety of people, animals, sights, sounds, surfaces, places, etc. to insure he develops into a confident, stable adult with a wonderful temperament. Inadequate socialization can result in a dog who is [...]
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Exercise
Exercise “A tired dog is a good dog.” All dogs need and deserve adequate mental and physical exercise. If their exercise requirements are met, they will be more likely to be happy, healthy and well-behaved. Dogs with an excess of energy can become stressed and/or develop behavioral problems such as destructive chewing or excessive barking. Create both [...]
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Housetraining
Housetraining When a puppy is with his mother and littermates, he learns to eliminate away from the sleeping area. We can make use of this natural instinct when housetraining our puppies. Your job will be to teach your puppy where and when to eliminate. Careful supervision is key! Supervise your puppy to avoid accidents when [...]
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Playbiting
Playbiting & Mouthiness Puppies explore their world and initiate interactions with their mouths. This is normal puppy behavior. When puppies play, they bite one another. If a play bite is too hard, one of the puppies will yelp and stop playing. This teaches the rough puppy to inhibit his bite if he wants play to continue. We [...]
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Leadership
Leadership All dogs need owners to provide leadership so they can be well-adjusted and polite family members. Without a leader to provide structure, guidelines and training, dogs may become pushy, out-of-control, prone to tantrums, stressed...you get the general idea. Being a leader does not mean being rough or harsh with our dogs. We can get the message [...]
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Dog Park Etiquette