There are so many doggie ‘misdeeds’ that are unintentionally taught by people. Of these, one of the most commonly complained about is jumping up on people to say hello. There is a wide variety of dog jumping styles; the least egregious is the little dog who trots over and delicately places his or her front paws on someone to say hello (unless the person is wearing stockings which may be ripped). Then there is the bounder and bouncer. This dog comes bounding up to you and bounces about in between paw jabs. The jumper and grabber is the one that seems to cause the most angst for pet parents. This dog jumps up and uses his or her front paws to grab your leg or waist as if to say “I’ve got you and I’m not letting go until you give me a nice scratch behind the ear.” Friends and.

A big woof of welcome to Michele C. Hollow, blogger at as our guest blogger. To follow is her wonderful story about one child who is doing so much to teach other kids to respect and care for animals. While most kids are indoors playing video games, 9-year old Enzo Monfre can be found outdoors observing bugs, hedgehogs, and other critters that are native to his Texas backyard. It’s not that Enzo doesn’t like video games; on the contrary, he enjoys them. He just prefers to be among nature. “Animals are really cool, and some are weird in a cool way,” he explains. A few of his favorites are insects, snakes—such as pythons, constrictors, and anacondas and hedgehogs. Enzo prefers playing with his pet hedgehog over the game. According to his dad, Pete, “Enzo has been, some say, obsessed with science ever since he was three.” Exotic Animals He grew.

Lydia M. of Akron, Ohio, was understandably upset when she contacted me for help. Her family had been begging her for years to let them get a dog, but she resisted because she didn’t think her husband or three children (ages 7 to 13) would help care for it. Lydia finally gave in, and they adopted Roscoe, a 6-month-old Siberian Husky mix. After the first week, not only was Lydia the one feeding, walking, and cleaning up after Roscoe, but she was often the only one who played with him. Her family’s lack of participation in Roscoe’s care made Marin feel overwhelmed, but it also meant that she was the only person bonding with Roscoe. “I knew from the start that my husband and I would be the main caregivers, but I wanted my children to participate in some way if only so they would learn to enjoy spending time.

The game of fetch is a well-deserved favorite which has many added side benefits aside from being fun for you and your dog. Playing fetch is a way: -To exercise your dog. -To get him focused on toys, which means he will be less inclined to chew on inappropriate objects. -To continue to improve manners and obedience (by asking your dog to sit, down or hand target prior to tossing the toy and to call him back to you when he picks it up). -To bond with your. -To get him outside for social exposure and enrichment. While some dogs are certainly more inclined to have a natural affinity for this game (hello Labrador Retrievers!), almost all dogs need guidance to learn the ground rules of the game of fetch. Otherwise, a pup might start off running to fetch a toy, but then decide to run off with it and.

Does your dog glance at you with the equivalent of a canine grin and trot off in the other direction when you call him? Don’t feel too badly, some owners might consider you lucky to have a dog that even acknowledges you with a glance! Unfortunately, it is uncommon to see a dog who bounds towards his owner when he has been called, especially when faced with enticing distractions like other dogs. But fear not, because teaching your dog to come when called is really quite easy. Since most people seem to be most successful teaching their dogs not to come when called, let’s quickly go over the two don’ts of teaching a reliable recall: 1. Don’t call your dog when you are about to do something he doesn’t like (like leaving the dog run). Don’t worry, eventually you can do this, but not until you have established a strong.