Chubby, Tubby, Plump and Pudgy

Jelly-Belly, butterball, husky, portly.  We jokingly refer to chunky animals as this, but it's no laughing matter.  Experts estimate that nearly 55% of companion animals are overweight. This directly increases their risk for many serious conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, breathing problems, and heart disease.  They blame the pudgy pet problem on too many treats …

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The Problem with “NO”

Tuesday's Training Tip: The Problem with “NO” There is nothing inherently wrong with telling an animal “no,” except that it doesn't give them enough information. Instead of saying “no!”, show them what you want them to do instead. Animals don't generalize; their behaviors are very specific, so we should be specific. For example, when the …

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Dog Language

So often we interpret dog behavior through our human thoughts and experiences.  But dogs do not communicate using our language.  Canine language consists of a large variety of signals using body, face, ears, tail, sounds, movement, and complex expression.  If we study the signals dogs use with each other, we increase our ability to communicate …

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