Articles Archive

When you acquire a dog or new puppy you take on the responsibility to  ensure you give your dog the best of everything and this includes training. There are so many different approached out there, some scientific, some self-proclaimed theories, some ‘old school’ and some too ‘new-agey’, and/or a combination of the above. I still [...]

Since the airing of National Geographic’s Dog Whisperer featuring Cesar Millan, I’ve had a few calls about what I think of the program.
I’ve been debating if I should write about it, because when trainers disagree, it seems to be put down to ‘professional jealousy’, lack of confidence and pettiness. On request of a client I [...]

I was watching Carte Blanche Medical the other night and they featured a research-couple in America working on a cure for colour blindness in humans. And off course all studies are usually always done on animals first.
From a behaviourist and animal lovers point of view there were two things that I was happy about. Firstly, [...]

”My dog stressed??!! … Never, they live in paradise, they have fallen with their little butts in butter, they live in absolute luxury.”

What to do about the neighbour’s dog that barks incessantly? I frequently get frantic calls from owners that have received complaints and from neighbours who want to know what they can do about the next door barking dog.

Jumping up is a common behaviour problem probably experienced by most dog owners. Jumping up is usually invited and encouraged by owners as a greeting ritual, expression of affection and play.

Broadly defined resource guarding is displayed by a dog who becomes aggressive when you try to take something away from them or even approach them when they are in possession of a resource.

Physical therapy for animals is a growing area of treatment for problems with the musculoskeletal system. Owners are looking to reduce the need for long term usage of anti-inflammatories and hence reduce the side- effects. The therapy may take the form of massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, acupressure, soft tissue release, acupressure, acupuncture or chiropractic.

Successful introductions depends a lot on each dog’s previous experiences with other dogs and how well the first introduction goes.

Are you considering getting a puppy or know of some one who might be looking for a puppy. The following pointers can assist you in making an informed decision.

Sue Sternberg is probably the leading authority on the rehabilitation and successful re-homing of shelter dogs in the USA. The following are some pointers she suggests to look for when being approached or approaching a strange dog.

For a while now I have been searching for a way to make the experience of cutting my eldest dog’s nails a pleasant one.

All children should be taught to respect other living beings, be they animal or human, even if your household does not contain animals, your children should still be taught the basics.

For those of you who know me or have been to my training know how passionate I am about not using choke/check chains (or prong or e-collars).

Touching and petting your puppy or older dog provides a very valuable reward for them. Studies conducted (by Tuber) in 1986 have found that dogs that respond to petting as a reward exhibit cardiac deceleration while being petted.

Correct and positive house training methods are very important in a puppy critical developmental period (3-16 weeks of age) as many behaviour problems in adolescent and adult dogs can be traced back to improper housetraining techniques due to non-contingent punishment (punishment after the act) and inconsistency on the owner’s behalf.

In most of my workshops I ask how many people have trouble cutting their dogs’ toenails. Usually a lot of hands go up.

One of the most useful tools of the Tellington TTouch Method is a simple ace bandage known as a Body Wrap.

There’s nothing like the love and loyalty you can get from a pet. Dogs are known as man’s best friend for good reason. Sadly, however, not all pet owners are good friends to their animals, and many grossly underestimate the cost; financial and emotional of caring for a pet.

With the current extreme heat we are experiencing I still notice dogs in yards without shade, people walking there dogs in the middle of the day and yes, dogs in parked cars.

Having a multi-dog household can be as much joy and fun as it can be over whelming. The saying the more the merrier can be true for a house filled with well mannered dogs but it can also mean more canine chaos in a house without clear structures and boundaries.

We have all witnessed the sometimes remarkable changes in animals following a few minutes of TTouch or work in the Confidence Course. The hyper, twirling dog suddenly stands in balance and looks calmly around the room.

As we and our animals live our lives, our environment makes demands upon us. A thunderstorm, an injection from the vet, the departure of a caregiver, may place us in a situation perceived as threatening, thus evoking an acute stress response.

Puppies experience certain developmental periods during which they are more adaptive toward novel stimuli. If a puppy is not exposed to a wide variety of experiences during the critical social periods, behavioural problems are more likely to occur.

Nowadays dogs are far removed from their original function. It would be great if our water dogs could swim, our herding breeds could herd and if terriers were allowed to extinguish vermin all day to keep them physically and mentally stimulated.

The buzzword paradigm shift is used to describe anything from handling post-apartheid prejudices, to improving one’s self-esteem. It can also be applied to man’s best friend.

Ripping out plants, pulling bedding out of kennels or tugging on your couch is very enjoyable for your dog. The tug-stimulation they get from these behaviours are intrinsically reinforcing; so why not provide appropriate alternative outlets for the dogs enjoyment, rather than letting the dog reward himself in the form of unwanted behaviours.

Anybody that has seen dogs digging with gusto at the beach (or at home) will know how much they enjoy it. I often watch my dogs from my office window

A puppy or dog chewing is as natural as breathing. We cannot teach dogs NOT to chew, we can only teach them what objects are acceptable to chew.

There’s a method to their wagginess, Italian study discovers. Every dog lover knows how a pooch expresses its feelings.