I enjoy getting paid for my work (although I enjoy it so much that sometimes I can’t believe I get paid for it…especially during puppy class!). I have spent many hours reading, training, coaching, and learning to get where I am. There are times I offer help for free when asked. But generally, there is [...]
Baby it’s HOT outside! Now that summer has finally, and officially, come it’s time help your fur-kid adjust to the heat. Fur coats aside, please think about how the heat can burn their paw pads and give them heat stroke. A fellow trainer & friend has written an great, short article I highly recommend you [...]
Virtually all dogs enjoy digging – it’s a natural behaviour. But in this season of freshly planted gardens, many dogs ignore the memo strictly forbidding the digging up of expensive rose bushes or tomato plants. What can you do? And no, shouting at your dog does not translate the “no digging memo”. In fact, that [...]
Recently I was getting gas at my local Shell station, and I saw a message on the pump display that caught my eye. It’s the photo you can see here on my blog. It’s actually for a campaign run by Shell Canada to support environmental projects and organizations selected by voters (Shell will grant a [...]
Tomorrow, at the end of Brianna’s pet store birthday party, she will learn that she gets to keep a Teddybear Hamster. BTW, she has “hamster-sat” a friend’s hamster a few times over the last year, so she/we knows what to expect. Introducing a small, rodent into a house with a fun-loving, squirrel-chasing German Shepherd is [...]
I have two professional “Kong-stuffers”. Fortunately, they live in our house and help out with this activity with creativity and gusto! I only have to say to one of my daughters, “Can you please stuff a *Kong for Luna?”, or more recently, “We will be gone for a while, so can you stuff her supper [...]
My dog has leash reactivity issues. What’s that mean? Well, she does not like, trust, and is often afraid of strange dogs when she is on her lead. What does she do? Well, her response is normally considerably less than a year ago, but she may bark, lunge, and jump towards the strange dog. Why [...]
I love playing with my dog. Luna gets totally into it, and doesn’t get distracted by texts, TV shows or the phone (although the squirrel running along the fence is another story/blog entry!). But I find I can squeeze in some really great training — during playtime. Like “tug-of- war”, for example. We have a [...]
At Smart Paws, we use positive reinforcement training techniques to teach you and your dog the skills needed for a happy, co-operative life together.