There's nothing natural about restraining an animal and keeping them captive on the end of a piece of rope. If it were, teaching your dog to walk without pulling would be a cinch.

Archeologists believe the use of sled dogs first began around 8,000 years ago based on carbon-dated remnants of sleds and harnesses found with canine remains in Siberia.

Walking or hiking off-leash looks deceptively easy, but most dogs need extensive training before earning off-leash privileges.

Instead of teaching our dogs that the world outside our front doors is a frenetic and crazy place, we can help our dogs become more balanced and calm as they make their way through our human world.

My heart skipped a few beats when we turned left into Golden Gate Park at 36th Avenue on reopening day and saw the many terrific upgrades to this once dilapidated place.