I don’t know about you but I find it both very heart warming and very nerve wrecking when a dog reaches double digits. Tom has now officially hit the big 1 0 and as the vet mentioned at his last…
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…
Happy 5!
Happy 5th Birthday, Zora! She had a good birthday week with fun walks, friends, snacks and a stuffed octopus nearly as big as her! Here’s hoping for a year where it’s really fun to be 5!
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…
Your Dog’s Need and Your Want
Agility (or any competitive dog sport) is generally considered a want. A human want. The competition piece of it at least. Enriched environments and mental activity is a need and want for many dogs, and agility training in generally can…
What Does Your Dog Do for Fun?
What does your dog do for fun? When left to their own devices, what activities or behaviors does your dog initiate for enjoyment, relaxation, silliness, fun? Why does it matter? I think it matters what our dogs do for fun…
DIY Automated Puzzle Toy Dispenser
A number of years ago an amazing product came onto the market. It was one that allowed a user to put into the machine a bunch of stuffed kong puzzle toys, then it would dispense the Kongs on timed intervals…