Search Results for: blog how dogs can train each other

Glucosamine For Older Dogs

My dog Barnaby is an old yellow lab that I love dearly. He’s getting up there in age and I know that within the next few years he’ll probably be leaving us. I don’t want to think about that right now though. While he is with us, I want to be sure his life is as stress free and healthy as possible. Looking at him you’d know he was older, but he acts much younger. Aside from adding a teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar to his water dish each day, I feel I owe it all to the natural … Continue reading →

How Dogs Can Train Each Other

In my home there are three teenage girls, three cats, a rat, and two dogs. The cats are the least amount of trouble since all they require is food, water, a clean litter box and love-on-demand. I’m not very fond of the rat, but he was about to become homeless since his owner packed up and moved out of state, so “Spock” now lives with us. The teenage girls? Well, that’s where my gray hairs and stomach ailments have come from, though for the most part our home is fun, if not slightly disorganized. This brings me to our dogs. … Continue reading →

Dogs Are as Smart as Toddlers (When it Comes to Hand Signals)

Two different studies recently took a look at how well dogs learn and understand hand signals. The first study (from Eotvos University) tested dogs against two-year-old children and three year old children. Testers used a variety of gestures like finger pointing, elbow pointing, and leg pointing to help the kids find a favorite toy… and help the dogs find tasty treats. Both the dogs and the two-year-olds had no problem with the majority of the gestures. Pointing with a knee gave both groups a little trouble, as did an arm pointing one way with a finger pointing a different way … Continue reading →

Dogs and Cats Living Together: Body Language

Dogs and cats may not always get along, but it seems they CAN learn to understand each other. Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel took a good long look at canines and felines who share a household. Taken individually, canine and feline body language often has opposite meanings. For example, a dog with his ears back or stretching out on his back is relaxed and even submissive. In cat speak, those behaviors are actually signs of aggression. But when the two species take up residence together, researchers have seen cats and dogs adapting their language. Dogs often greet other … Continue reading →

Inmates, Stray Dogs, and Rehabilitation

Last night one of the local news stations reported what started out to be a sad story about bad dog owners leaving dogs out in the cold to fend for themselves. The reporter was following around animal control officers who were on “cold dog patrol.” They round up dogs left in yards with no food or water and very little or no shelter. In some cases the dogs have been completely abandoned as their owners have since moved on. Concerned neighbors called in to make sure the dogs got help. I was happy to hear there are laws against this. … Continue reading →

Greatest American Dog: The Final Episode

Somehow, despite my problem, I made it through the entire series of the Greatest American Dog. (Except for the couple of episodes I missed while on vacation, as I mentioned in my last Greatest American Dog commentary.) A Dog is An Extension of The Owner When they were trying to narrow it down from the final three to the final two, the judges were evaluating the owner as much as the dog. They were pretty critical of how the owners were with their dogs. As Laurie put it, it came down to a battle of the training methods. (Which again … Continue reading →

Greatest American Dog: The Art Episode

If ever, oh, ever there was an episode that proved my point that the show is not looking for the greatest American dog but is looking for the greatest American trainer, it was this last one. The Judges: Art Critics or Dog Experts? What was up with them judging the art? I don’t recall in the list of any of their credentials it being mentioned that they’re world renowned dog artists themselves. Okay, so Laurie’s was rather simplistic and “poster-ish” but who are they to knock on her? Like they’d do better? And Beth Joy and Bella Starlet’s creation? I … Continue reading →

Greatest American Dog: Further Criticisms about the Show

One of the reality TV shows I ended up enjoying the most was Kid Nation. I wish the Greatest American Dog had a format more like that. Why I Liked Kid Nation I was not expecting to like the show. A bunch of kids forming their own society? Um, yeah, I couldn’t see how that’d be interesting. So I didn’t watch. But Wayne did. He DVRd the first episode and was raving so much about it curiosity won out. I watched and fell in love with those kids. It was hard not to be impressed by so many of them. … Continue reading →

Are They Looking for the Greatest American Dog or Trainer?

Even before a reader left a comment on one of my “Greatest American Dog” articles about how could I buy the junk the show’s trying to sell us, I was already starting not to like certain things about the show. I’ll address more of those in a separate article to follow later, but for now I’ll talk about my main gripe: it seems they’re not so much looking for the greatest American dog as they are the greatest American trainer. Because forget what happens in the Dog Bone Challenge, it all comes down to how well the owner worked with … Continue reading →

Greatest American Dog: Dancing with the Dogs Episode

I finally had a chance to watch last week’s “Greatest American Dog.” As have the other episodes, it’s sparked some reflection on my behalf. (The gist of which is reflected in the subheads below.) The Good Again, I have yet to watch this show without crying. (Which isn’t entirely unexpected due to my problem.) However, this week it was the people, not the animals, who had me bawling. It started when Bill was talking about being so homesick and Star’s body language mirrored his sadness. It was heart wrenching to hear him say how much he missed his wife and … Continue reading →