This year it feels sometimes as if time is just slipping by. At other times, as if I can feel every second as it slowly ticks past. Realizing today Zora is 6 years old has come as a bit of…
Walk the Plank
As Tom is getting up there in years, I’ve been considering a ramp of some sorts for our car. He’s still well able to jump in and out of the backseat where he usually rides, but seeing as he’ll be…
40 minute meals
Keeping Tom and Zora entertained is taking a bit of creativity. We walk, we train, and then they dejectedly lie around the office while the humans work. As a consolation for their humans being on the computer for so long,…
Pavlov’s Dogs
The lack of external cues has been throwing our household for a loop. While I’m generally rather good at creating routine, none of us realized just how much the dog’s feeding routine and cues were based on external triggers. Like…
Home, Home all the time
With the many closures of non-essential businesses, businesses shifting to work from home, and school closures, many of our dogs are suddenly finding their people home, home all the time. While this might be exciting and fun at first, having…
Routine
As with the rest of the world, these past few weeks have required adjustment. We are now past the 2 week mark and with my spouse working from home for at min the next month we’ve learned somethings about our…
Boundary Skills
Place targets, body targets, waiting at doors, and loose leash walking are all versions of boundary skills. All are very valuable in helping our dogs understand and succeed in our human world of fences, leashes, gates and endless number of…
Elevated Dog Feeding Stand v. 2
A few years back I repurposed an old tray table into an elevated feeding stand for Tom. It well served its purpose, but recently it came to my attention it needed replacing. Can’t have splinters after all! This weekend included…
Best Cue Ever
It’s the weekend. The corgi is bored. I am otherwise engaged. She is standing, staring at me, willing spontaneous adventure to begin. “Zora, go find William.” She turns tail and determinedly trots off through the house to find her other…
Don’t Take Good for Granted
With all of the millions of behavior choices available to our dogs in any given instance, it never ceases to amaze how frequently the behaviors they chose are ones that are pretty darn wonderful. That isn’t to discount the moments…