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Why I DON’T Train My Clients’ Dogs to Heel
In the basic obedience classes I teach as a dog trainer, I don’t spend hours training the dogs to heel. I don’t even spend much time on loose-leash walking as a trained behavior. I simply direct my students to the smorgasbord of anti-pull gear at the local pet store (front-clip harnesses and head halters), and move on to other items on the curriculum, like safety recalls, jumping up, and leave-it. It’s not that training dogs to heel isn’t fun–it certainly can be, if we toss the out-moded leash-pop and use a modern training plan. But few of my students actually … Continue reading →
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Important Trail Etiquette You Should Know When Walking Your Dog
I love walking with my dogs on the local rail trail in New Hampshire or on the beach in the off-season on Cape Cod. I feel rejuvenated after getting some fresh air and some vigorous exercise and I know the dogs are better for it. They are more content, less destructive and there is an overall calmness. My partner likes to say that dogs need more energy-withdrawals than deposits. Dogs that sit around the house, day after day are making energy deposits. Dogs that are walked regularly or go on hikes are having energy withdrawals. I believe there is dog … Continue reading →
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Breathwalking? How to Meditate With Your Dog & Positively Condition Your Mornings
It’s no secret that the modern world as we know it today is a pretty hectic place. It seems that from the moment we awake in the morning, until the time we lay our heads down at night, we have somewhere we need to go, or some thing we need to do. Say goodbye to loosening your tie, or letting your hair down after a hard day at the office–in the age of the smartphone, work, and your many responsibilities have no official hours—we’re always connected, day and night. You remember charge your phone daily, but did you remember to … Continue reading →
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