It’s more than four
Mike Graf Mike Graf

It’s more than four

Off for a stroll at sunset? Cool enough for a dog to traipse about? Paws protected?

It's not just the paws. Heat rises. A still-warm asphalt or cement surface shimmers upward with heat. Dogs, especially the low-slung ones, feel that heat on their tummies as they march about listening to other dog owners say, "We go out when it's cool!"

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The fear motivated moment.
Mike Graf Mike Graf

The fear motivated moment.

Whoosh! A river of adrenaline courses through you. It floods into you in a fifth of a second, the one where you see your dog running into traffic.

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Did your puppy sign the crate contract
Mike Graf Mike Graf

Did your puppy sign the crate contract

Didja get it in writing?

Both parties in the Great Crate Debate need to reach an agreement. Or the deal is off. Here's a new way of looking at crates from both brains.

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When a rescue dog named Donkey bites
Mike Graf Mike Graf

When a rescue dog named Donkey bites

Here is a summary of a Skype about a Dog named Donkey.

Dogs with Donkey's background are hyper sensitive to human's body and facial cues. They observe tiny movements the human may be unaware they are making.

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When does a hot dog wear a harness?
Sue Myles Sue Myles

When does a hot dog wear a harness?

"C'mon, honey, let's pick up a cheap hot dog at the Huge Box store. Then we'll go to the opera."

You and your blushing bride pick up the hot dog at the front of the store, and an hour later, leave with a flat screen TV, thirty rolls of paper towels, and a bushel of rice. Well done, hot dog. You performed flawlessly, you loss leader, you.

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Ditch the Poop Bags dangling from your pet's leash!
Sue Myles Sue Myles

Ditch the Poop Bags dangling from your pet's leash!

Please, please oh please ditch the poop bags dangling from your pet's leash. Yes, it's convenient and the little hydrant bobbling about is oh so cute. And, your dog hates it.

In the old days a leash was just a leash. We used it to protect, control and train our pets. It was a six foot length of smooth, usually of leather or cotton, material that did one job.

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Learn to play cues and consequences
Sue Myles Sue Myles

Learn to play cues and consequences

It's the new dog training game! Learn to play cues and consequences and your pup's a winner, each round.

We can dissect training to its most basic form with just these two elements. What's the cue and what's the consequence after the cue? A cue is a command/stimulus/verbal or hand gesture. A consequence is what happens after the dog responds to the cue. Consequences can be happy or unhappy.

To get you warmed up for the first round here's an example of Cues and Consequences.

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Are you a good zookeeper for your pet?
Sue Myles Sue Myles

Are you a good zookeeper for your pet?

Imagine you are the head keeper at the We Love Animals Zoo. Wear a nifty uniform and hat if ya wanna be extra imaginative. You are given the job of creating the exhibit for a new animal, a speckled-horned-long eared-hippo. What to do?

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Give Your Dog A Gift That Really Stinks!
Mike Graf Mike Graf

Give Your Dog A Gift That Really Stinks!

How does your dog know it’s a dog toy? Can he read the label? All you need to accomplish this literary feat is a laundry hamper. Contrary to popular opinion all dogs are literate. They read with their noses and insist that all popular dog novels be prepared in an olfactory factory.

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Social-WHAT-tion?
Mike Graf Mike Graf

Social-WHAT-tion?

"You have to socialize your pup"
"Aren't you socializing him yet?'
"He has to go to the dog park so he can socialize with dogs"

Huh? Exactly what does 'socialize' mean and how do we do it?

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