I tend to be careful about the things I choose to react to…I once heard a line in a cowboy Western years ago, where the lead character admonished another person with the line, “I let people kill their own snakes.” I’ve tried to live by those words of wisdom, letting others fight their own...
READ MOREEP10: Dogs, Wrestling Rattlesnakes and Scorpions navigating by the stars: Mysteries of the World Around us in Apache Junction, Arizona
What you’ll learn in this episode: Differences in how people, dogs, and other creatures, such as rattlesnakes, sense and perceive their world How these differences impact our perceptions of behaviors, and thus our reactions to the behaviors of other creatures How modern developments in technology have changed our perceptions of the behaviors and thinking...
READ MOREWhat if your Free Range Dog in Garden Grove, CA decides to take a hike?
Drake, our yellow Lab, took a flyer yesterday. I had him out for pigeons the morning before. We were set up under a flight path of feral pigeons flying into a food source. I managed to scrape down a few for Drake and Scout to retrieve. He woke up the next morning figuring that...
READ MOREEP 9: Maggie, the Griffon, and her Family, the D’Amores
What you’ll learn in this episode: How to say goodbye to a family dog Things to consider before bringing in a new dog Children and puppies: who’s training who? The importance of exercising your dog How crate training your dog benefits everyone, but especially your dog Welcome to another episode of Free Range Dogs...
READ MORESwimming with dogs in Honolulu, Hawaii
How many dogs? That’s a question folks need to ask themselves. I had a conversation the other day with a friend who just brought a second dog into his family. This was after an older dog had recently passed, bringing their family dog number back down to one. As parents, they were very careful...
READ MOREEP 8: Bret Wonnacott and the One True Dog- the English Setter
What you’ll learn in this episode: The qualities of English setters as hunting dogs and family dogs What is a pointing dog? Considering the needs of different breeds of dogs in daily life Joys of just watching dogs run Free Range Dogs can be found all over the world Welcome to another episode of...
READ MOREHere’s Looking at You, Kid, in Aspen, Colorado
Recently we talked about rope, the primary and simplest tool a dog trainer needs. In this week’s blog we will explore the second essential training tool: your voice. It’s the one thing we all use to communicate, and yet we underestimate its power and potential peril when used to train our dogs. Since we...
READ MOREEP 7: Swimming Dogs on the Wasatch Front
What you’ll learn about dogs in this episode: Swimming is a good and enjoyable exercise for all dogs, particularly older ones Some dog breeds naturally take to swimming, while others need be introduced more slowly and methodically Doggie Day Care is a relatively new service and reflects a change in how people view and...
READ MOREA Community of Dogs in Kentucky
Nicole was unpacking her suitcase this morning and examining her new walking shoes that had just completed their first sojourn. We had just returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Kentucky. I spent mornings and afternoons in a deer stand while Nicole went for daily restorative walks along the narrow travel lanes in this picturesque...
READ MOREEP 6: Talking Border Collies- Instinct and Talent in Ogden Valley, UT
What you’ll learn about Border Collies and the role genetics and instinct play in dog species: Border Collies are herding dogs that require exercise and training Working dogs require obedience training, exercise, and brain stimulation Connections with their “person” are vital to their lives Early training begins very young and develops essential bonding to...
READ MORE