Feature Stories
This Month’s Hot Topics
This month’s issue is supported in part by SF Animal Medical Center and dog lovers like you.
Does My Dog Need Friends? Understanding Canine Sociability
Does my dog need friends? It's a question a lot of dog owners eventually ask, especially if their dog seems less interested in other dogs or people than they expected.
Canine Mental Health: Does Your Dog Need Professional Help?
When we speak of a dog’s health, we’re often referring to their bodies and only their bodies. But what about our dogs’ mental health?
Prepping Your Dog for the Vet: Why Calmer Visits Support Everyone’s Well-Being
As we approach World Mental Health Day on October 10, we remember that a well-prepared vet visit is not only kinder to the dog; it’s also part of what protects the well-being of the people delivering the care.
Hunger Strike: When Your Dog Won’t Take Training Treats
Food is also a great way to change how your dog feels, and how a dog feels shapes what a dog does.
Home Team Update: Local Pair Turns in Strong Performance at World Agility Contest
The U.S. senior team turned in strong runs across the board in Germany, with numerous Top 10 finishes, several placement ribbons, and two individual bronze medals.
Too Hot to Walk Your Dog? Try Indoor Scent Games Instead
There will be days this summer when it’s simply too hot to walk your dog, and knowing what to do instead makes all the difference.
Barking, Chewing, Destroying: Is It Separation Anxiety - Or Something Else?
We love our dogs and they love us. For us, they’re a part of who we are and what we do. But for most dogs, we are everything.
Not Just a Hobby: What Dog Sports Taught Me
My journey in dog sports didn’t start with big goals or podium dreams. It started with the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.
Yo-Yo Go To: An Indoor Game for A Rainy Day
Back in the 1980s, I designed exercises to accelerate the teaching of sport or activity and to test the dogs’ comprehension.
Training vs. Competition: How Dog Sports Build Community
There is training a dog for a dog sport and then there is competing - two very different things.
Guide Dogs’ Public Graduations Melt Hearts: Here’s How You Can Attend
If you’re looking for a unique outing with family, friends, or simply on your own, why not treat yourself to a Guide Dogs for the Blind graduation?
Why Your Dog Listens to Your Trainer, Not You (And How to Get the Same Results)
As a professional dog trainer, I hear it all the time: "Why does my dog listen to you, but the minute I take the leash, it all falls apart?"
Trust First, Train Second
After decades of training service dogs, you'd think I'd have it all figured out by now. But recently, a five-month-old puppy reminded me of something fundamental.
Ring Out the New, Ring In the Old: A Return to Off-Leash Puppy Training
We often assume that newer is automatically better. But when we look at dog training over the past 100-plus years, we see a mix of highs and lows.
Confidence: The Best Gift of All
The best gift we can give any dog is confidence to live in our human world without fearing unfamiliar people, unfamiliar dogs, scary stimuli, and strange scenarios.
Ouch! How Hidden Pain Can Drive Your Dog’s Behavior
Dogs can’t tell us how they’re feeling. And for that reason, many people aren’t aware how often pain and physical discomfort can influence their dog’s behavior.
Your Dog’s Daily Wellness Checklist: The Three Pillars Approach
“What are some important things that dogs need every day?” I opened my volunteer training session at Berkeley Animal Control with this simple question, and hands shot up around the room.
Beyond the Bowl: Simple Ways to Boost Your Pup’s Food Rewards
Like most dog folks, you probably use food rewards as part of your pup’s training. And of course, you can always simply hand your dog a little treat, but what’s the fun in that?
Fueling the Working K9 on a Budget: How to Feed Your Active Dog Without Breaking the Bank
As a Search and Rescue K9 handler, I need to feed my dog like the canine athlete he is.
101 Uses for a Piece of Kibble
It’s been over 40 years since I first started teaching off-leash puppy socialization and training classes and introduced the use of food lures and food rewards to the world of dog training.