I have been a China watcher for a long time. During “The War” I thrilled to the news of the Flying Tigers and other units that helped defend China, and for years prayed with my Christian-school classmates for the American missionaries who were hiding, first from the Japanese invaders and later from the Communists who …
Why use a crate? I certainly wouldn’t want to spend hours locked up in area barely big enough to stand up and turn around in. BUT — I am not a dog, and neither are you. A dog is a den animal. If you look at where your dog chooses to spend his sleeping time, …
Here is my method of teaching fetch to a puppy using a clicker. When my newest Border Collie (BC) was about two months old I rolled a tennis ball and she said, yea, a ball, so what. I rolled it again and she looked at it — c/t (click and treat) I had already taught …
Dogs that bite might be broadly categorized into two groups: dogs that think they can; and dogs that think they must. Dogs in the first group think they can at the dog’s discretion. Dogs in the second group have, in the dog’s perception, been put into the position that it feels it has no other …
Dog breeds are usually grouped—often arbitrarily or erroneously—into from five to ten categories based on function, superficial appearance, or geographical origin, depending on the registry organization. Just because it may make more sense to assign them to groups based primarily on ancestry and then on historical function, does not mean that such will be the …
Revised December 2011. To claim that a particular dog cannot swim is akin to saying that one knows of a certain duck that cannot float. But it was my singular fate to have bred and trained such an animal. I speak of the dog, of course, since the only ducks I have ever come close …
Management is another word for controlling the environment. It involves making changes in your dog’s immediate living conditions and situations. Management will help you to PREVENT some problems from happening, especially with a puppy or young dog. You also decrease the likelihood of a recurring behavior problem developing. If your puppy …
Your dog sees the world differently than we do. If we learn to “think dog”, we can avoid some kinds of trouble (especially with dogs and small children) and communicate with our dogs more easily. To a dog, a pat on the head can be a sign of dominance. Scratching a dog …
Retractable leashes can come in very handy for exercising your dog in safe places. They let your dog run around a bit at a distance while still being attached to you, without the leash getting tangled. But you need to be aware that they do have a dangerous aspect. I have known the following things …
It was another great show, another great tour, and another wonderful group that I conducted to see the biggest breed show in the world, followed by sightseeing and breeder visits. This year, with the show again in Karlsruhe, we also had the opportunity to tour a little of France, sample the …