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…
Falling in the Pond
Often when we look at or make plans for behavior modification with our dogs the focus is on management and gradual exposure to stressors that allow the dog to practice alternate coping skills below threshold working to change the dog’s…
Practice saying, “No.”
What phrase have I said more than any other phrase in the past week? “No, but thank you so much for asking!” Can anyone guess the question my response is answering? If you guessed, “Can I pet your dog?” You’re…
Scents of the Season
If any kind of weather is timed to remind that fall is right around the corner, the weather we’ve had here this week is it. Cooler, breezy, and full of smells the dogs are enthralled by. Often season changes prompt…
The Magic of Space & Time
Frequently, it feels, we are all so often rushing, rushing, rushing. And with that rushing, putting pressure on those around us, including our dogs, to hurry up and be who we need them to be. We give small credit to…
Do You Train Service Dogs?
Every so often I’ll receive an inquiry from a person about whether or not Maplewood Dog will help them train their service dog. To begin, let’s start with a few clarifying definitions: Service Animal: In the USA, a service animal…
“Get It” vs “Find It” cues
“Get It” and “Find It” cues can be incredibly helpful for teaching dogs about when a reward is coming and how it will be delivered. Differentiating between the two types of cues, also gives your dog a wealth of information…
Into the Abyss
Imagine you’re on a hike with a friend. It’s your first time on this mountain. You and your friend are hiking along and the trail now brings you to a cliff. Your friend keeps walking toward it, you slow down…
Agility Trial Recap: NADAC Northeast Regionals 2019
Over the 4th of July holiday weekend we competed in the 2019 NADAC Northeast Regionals event. Regional events are hosted once per year in the various regions (as designated by NADAC) of the country. Each year clubs that wish to…