I wrote an article for the “Pet Tips And Tricks” section of the Fox 28 - Spokane, WA website about having pigs as pets. What should you expect when getting a pig? How are they as pets? Are they smart? I answered all those questions an more in the article. Take a look!
Read MoreWho would have thought that a little slime in the bottom of your pet’s water dish could cause big trouble? Well, it can cause all sorts of dangerous health issues.
Read MoreSo I'm sure you're envisioning a program where we give dog biscuits to dogs in exchange for their AK-47s and the like. Well, that's not the case here. Canine disarming is about cutting down the canine teeth of a biting dog so he can't do (as much) damage. Now, you may think this is a great solution! The dog is not as much of a liability, which is always a concern when someone owns a dog that bites. However, it makes the owner more...
Read MoreAt 9 weeks old, Ricky, a Shiloh Shepherd, came to live with two older German Shepherds. The oldest being a 12 year old male, the other a 6 year old female, both altered. When Ricky arrived, Fred, the male was very clear that there would be no playing between them. However, the female, Lucy, was not so clear. She was so happy to have a puppy to play with that she let Ricky wrestle & grab her all he wanted. The owner didn't see the wrestling as a problem and continued allowing the playing/wrestling because the breeder said that is what they do, all her dogs do it. Forward 9 months...
Read MoreAs a dog trainer I deal with many behavior problems. Aggression is one of the most common reasons I get called to someone's home, whether it is aggression directed towards a person or another animal (usually other dogs). In my 25+ years’ experience as a dog trainer I have found that aggression is usually caused by one or more of a few things:
1) under-socialization/fear
2) a traumatic experience when the dog had little to no "padding" of good experiences
3) mishandling of the situation by the owner
4) genetics
I saw this article yesterday and just had to write something about it since obese dogs are one of my biggest pet peeves. About 20 years ago when I graduated from school my very first client had a huge German Shepherd. When I say huge, I mean *huge*...
Read MoreOne of the calls I get most often is about dogs that are leash reactive and dog aggressive. This could mean they make noise, bark & lunge because they are happy to see the dog or person approaching, or it could mean they are not so happy to see what's coming towards them or behind a fence they are walking past...
Read More