Spring cleaning is great for your home, but can be dangerous to your dog! Thankfully, there are now more options than ever for cleaning with pet-friendly products. Continue Reading >
Senior dogs make amazing companions and have a lot of love left to give. Check out these reasons why you should consider adopting an older pup! Continue Reading >
Our author's comprehensive review of the BARK brand of dog toys for you and your dog! Continue Reading >
The French Bulldog is becoming more and more popular because of its small size and adorable characteristics! Continue Reading >
Celebrate St. Patrick's day with your dog, support shelter dogs in need, and feel the luck of the Irish! Continue Reading >
Dog bites can be dangerous, scary and stressful. Learn what to do if your dog bites someone. Continue Reading >
Reflecting on reflective gear! Up your visibility game during early morning and late-night walks with your pup so that you both stay safe. Continue Reading >
When temperatures drop, dogs need special care. Follow these tips and ideas to keep your dog safe from frostbite, hypothermia and other weather-related injuries this winter! Continue Reading >
Adopting a pet does so much good! Bringing an animal home with you from a shelter saves a life, gives hope to other homeless pets, and brings joy to your world! Continue Reading >
Maintaining the health of your dog's teeth is super important to ensuring he lives a long and healthy life! Continue Reading >
Maximize sharing your small apartment space with your pup with these 5 great tips! Continue Reading >
Learn to care for your dog in the best possible way with our suggestions for the 5 best pet-care apps! Continue Reading >
All Hail, our new Dogs-In-Chief! Meet Major, President Biden's German Shepherd... the first ever shelter dog to live in the White House! Continue Reading >
All dogs can be house trained if you have the following simple ingredients: patience, consistency and a positive attitude! Continue Reading >
Training you dog can be time consuming and tedious! Set the conditions for success by following these 6 suggestions. Continue Reading >
As exciting as it is for humans, New Year's Eve can be scary and stressful for our dogs! Make sure your four-legged-friend is safe and happy during your celebration. Continue Reading >
The holidays are here and there is no better way to spread joy and love by helping dogs in need! Give, Foster or Adopt! Continue Reading >
Learn the story of Pero, and amazing sheepdog and his 240 mile journey! How do dogs find their way home? Continue Reading >
Colby has been in our family for almost a decade... it is important to let her know how loved and appreciated she is, just for being her! Continue Reading >
Does your dog suffer from allegies? Learn how to use an Elimination Diet to determine if ingredients in his food are making him itch. Continue Reading >
Helping your dog overcome his or her aggressive tendencies is an important step toward a healthy relationship with your pet. Here is one owner's story of how she helped his furry friend! Continue Reading >
Start your dog off on the path to a long and happy life with the basics... good food, good health and good behavior! Continue Reading >
Help your new dog feel comfortable, safe and loved! Learn how to make the transition to your home an easy one for your new family member. Continue Reading >
Share some screen time with your dog this Thanksgiving. Watch the National Dog Show and give thanks for all dogs - purebred and mixed-breed! Continue Reading >
Finding it difficult to get to they gym this fall? Work out with your pup! Your health, well being, and your dog, will thank you! Continue Reading >
Autumn is a great time to be a dog! Be a good caretaker and know what dangers to be on the lookout for during the fall months to keep fido safe. Continue Reading >
When you are ready to add a dog to your family, consider the temperment of the dog and the lifestyle of your family before choosing your fur-ever friend! Continue Reading >
Thinking about giving your dog a sibling? Be sure to take several factors into account before bringing home a second dog! Continue Reading >
Addressing the issue of behavior, taking into account both nature and the environment (nurture) of rescue dogs. Learn why you must train based on your dog’s responses to cues, regardless of background and upbringing. Continue Reading >
Chemicals often found in Halloween candy can be deadly for dogs. Learn what to keep your furry friend far away from, and what to do if he ingests something dangerous! Continue Reading >
Training your dog to navigate agility challenges is a great way to increase and improve your communication with your dog! Make sure he is ready for his first competition. Continue Reading >
One dog owner's story of how her dog's poop helped her veterinarian identify the causes for Lulu's illness. Continue Reading >
Often, signs of separation anxiety in dogs are misinterpreted as misbehavior. Figure out if your dog is in a state of panic and how to help him when you leave the house! Continue Reading >
Have you and your dog mastered the elusive art of recall? You can work to train your dog to always return to you when off leash! Continue Reading >
The canine flu poses a low threat to people, but can make your dog seriously sick. These tips can help keep your dog healthy through any dog flu outbreaks! Continue Reading >
Herding dogs are some of the smartest, loyalest dogs you'll ever meet. With a bit of understanding on your part - and the right levels of activity - your working dog can live happily in the city, even withouth a herd of livestock to tend! Continue Reading >
When you have decided you want to adopt or buy any pet, it is vital to make decisions with your head AND your heart. Continue Reading >
Dogs are just as much part of your family as your other family members. There’s no denying they show you love, you may just not realize it until the signs are pointed out to you! Continue Reading >
The intelligence of a pedigree is generally measured in one of two ways: the ability to follow new commands and their ability to perform them at least 9 times out of 10. Continue Reading >
When done properly, crating can be a very good experience for your dog. Continue Reading >
Giving your pet a luxurious life doesn’t have to be time-consuming, and you can provide for your pet even if you’re short on time. Continue Reading >
While some types of aggression can be reduced and sometimes cured, pet parents should never let down their guard. Continue Reading >
Thinking of traveling but can’t bear to leave your furry friend behind? You don’t have to! With these simple tips, you can ensure that your dog is along for the ride. Continue Reading >
No matter what behavioral problems you face with your dog, positive reinforcement training reshapes your dog’s behavior using kindness and praise. Continue Reading >
“Fighting like cats and dogs.” The old saying has some truth behind it, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Continue Reading >
There was a very special dog named Cocoa who always seemed to understand what I was feeling and was always there for me. Continue Reading >
Dogs, like humans, can develop allergies to things in their environment and to their food. They can even experience seasonal allergies! Continue Reading >
A dog is for life . . . not just for Christmas, according to an old saying Continue Reading >
You’re a responsible pet owner and your dog rocks, of course. With some training, you can get the AKC to back you up on that . . . and you get a title to brag about! Continue Reading >
When choosing to own a dog, you are choosing to positively impact your life by gaining a priceless bond, and you will find yourself wondering how you ever lived without a four-legged, furry friend. Continue Reading >
Traveling on vacation can be an enriching experience, especially if you get to enjoy a location you’ve never been to before. Yet, leaving our beloved dogs behind can be difficult at the best of times, let alone for a week or more. If you’ve been thinking of taking your pooch on a trip with you, here is how you can avoid any travel mishaps. Continue Reading >
You’re bringing home a new best friend. No, it’s not a new roommate or a friend from work or college. Instead, you’ve found one with four legs and covered in fur. Continue Reading >
Your house is on the market, and you are hoping for plenty of showings. Cleaning and preparing the house is probably the first thing on your mind. However, you also need to start thinking about your dog. If you have one or more dogs in your household, you are in good company. Continue Reading >
Much like humans, getting your dog to exercise is necessary for their health. Your dog may get bored of just roaming the yard around your house. You may want to consider taking him on an adventure, such as hiking. Going hiking can provide several benefits - Here are some of those benefits. Continue Reading >
Who among us hasn’t wished that our dog could talk to us? The truth is, however, our dogs communicate with us every single day. Their body language speaks volumes about their moods, their needs, and how they feel about you, their owner. Continue Reading >
For many dog owners, going out in public with their pooch is inevitable. They take their pups to restaurants and on trips, allowing them to be a part of the family every day. In many cases, these dogs become comfortable enough with their excursions to get socialized, meaning they can easily handle being around people and other dogs. Some pets, however, need a little training before they’re ready to hang out in public spaces, both for their comfort and everyone’s safety. Continue Reading >
When humans experience back pain, they will often see a chiropractor, but did you know that there are chiropractors that will treat your pet too? Yes, animal chiropractic is a real veterinary practice that is backed by the Animal Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA). Many pet owners are sold on chiropractic – and it isn’t necessarily new. Continue Reading >
I vaguely remember this incident from the time when I was a toddler. I felt a gentle tug at my skirt while I was loitering in the corridors of our old Assam-type* house. I looked down to find a tiny snout peeking out through an opening in a wooden box, biting at the flowy material. It was a German Spitz that my uncle had brought along on his trip home. Continue Reading >
Imagine you are sitting on your couch, but are really craving a soda or a water. Wouldn’t it be nice to just be able to send your dog to go retrieve you something to quench your thirst? Or what about those large grocery hauls? Wouldn’t your furry companion be the perfect extra set of hands to help you carry those bags into the house? Lots of these types of tasks are teachable to any dog with the proper foundation and motivation. But how do you even get started in teaching something more complex like this? Learning and understanding the concept of backchaining can be a very helpful theoretical foundation to assist you in teaching these behaviors. Continue Reading >
It's often said dog is Man’s best friend. Through ups and down, through highs and lows, a dog will sense your feelings and be with you, faithfully and unconditionally. I've never known what it is to have a pet dog, neither the pros nor cons that come with it, if any. This is just a personal story on how I overcame my fear for dogs. Continue Reading >
As a whole, many of the dogs that I see come in for training arrive on my doorstep due to unsavory behaviors that a client is trying to train out of their dog. Many of these behaviors revolve around fear or aggression, such as reactivity. Removing undesirable behaviors from a dog’s natural set of responses can prove to be a challenging task - it does not happen immediately, and it requires some systematic work to help a dog to replace a poor behavior pattern with something that is more desirable. Continue Reading >
Canine obesity is a significant problem in the United states. An estimated 54% of dogs are obese or overweight. An obese dog is an unhealthy dog, a ticking time bomb. It is a suffering animal, often enduring great pain and has a shortened life span to look forward to. The problem is, many owners don’t acknowledge that there is a problem or don’t understand they are subjecting their dog to very serious health risks. Continue Reading >
Before we adopted dogs into their modern, cushy lifestyle, they used their many natural skills in the pursuit of food. We also used dogs for work, such as herding, hunting, and search and rescue. Continue Reading >
New dog owner here, and I am going to talk about poop. Or what happened to make me completely obsessed with my dog’s business. Continue Reading >
Previously, we discussed how to begin to build a recall with your dog. While for many dogs those steps help to build a reliable recall, some dogs are more easily distracted and will need some additional work to help further proof this behavior. Nothing beats the guidance of a one-on-one trainer, but below you will find some skills to practice to help build motivation for the recall. Continue Reading >
“Little Big Mouth.” That’s what one of our neighbors nicknamed our undersized English Setter Mix, who’s real name is Payton. The nom de guerre is well deserved though. Payton barely passed the 26 lb mark and everyone thinks she’s a puppy by her high energy levels, LOUD BORKS, and small stature. In reality though she’s somewhere between 8-10 years old and has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer. Continue Reading >
Many humans mistakenly believe that dogs get plenty of exercise by running around the backyard chasing whatever bounces into their boundaries. But nothing could be further from the truth, and the majority of activities dogs do on their own are in short bursts and don’t offer any real benefits. Dogs, like humans, thrive when their bodies stay in motion. Young dogs, especially, need regular exercise to expend pent-up energy. And when you exercise with your dog, you create a bond and establish patterns of good behavior. Continue Reading >
Everyone has that dream of being able to take their pup off leash at a park or the beach, but that dream can frequently turn into a nightmare if your dog does not have a reliable recall. Because the outside world can be SO stimulating for most dogs, this can be a very difficult command to build since distractions are more than prevalent. Fundamental skills should be developed to help build consistency for a solid recall. Continue Reading >
“The ASPCA believes that pets and people belong together; that financial circumstances alone are not reliable indicators of the capacity to love and care for a companion animal, and that strong bonds between people and pets make for stronger communities.” - ASPCA Continue Reading >
Teaching a dog tricks not only helps to build engagement for training, but it can also bring fresh enthusiasm to your regimen, mentally challenge your dog, and encourage skills that can be used for other tasks or for physical conditioning. Many tricks can build off of a handful of core skills that we can teach to help build more complex behaviors down the road. Continue Reading >
“Ouch!” Playtime can be rough when you have a new puppy, and their little teeth can hurt. Trust me, I know. Nipping has been the bane of my toe’s existence for the past month, but I am now happy to say that our family pup, Lake, has finally lightened his touch. Here’s how we did it: Continue Reading >
When you turn your dog out in the yard, you don’t usually think about organic hazards that may be growing within the confines of your fence. The truth is, there are many types of plants that can make your dog sick – or worse – and mushrooms top the list. Continue Reading >
As a Bay Area native, I am deeply aware of the challenges that come along with living in this amazing place. Scare apartments, high rental costs, and most importantly, the limited selection in places that are dog friendly. With so many people having dogs and so few availabilities, knowing how to best market yourself and your dogs can go a long way in being able to secure your new home! Continue Reading >
My beautiful chocolate lab, Angie, was not my first lab or my first rescue dog when I adopted her more than five years ago. But, she was the first in many other ways. Continue Reading >
Dog stress is real! Just like humans, our little lads and lasses need comfort and serenity, too, particularly in these uncertain times. In 2018, a few standout products emerged as dog favorites, according to several industry experts. Continue Reading >
We were far from civilization. There were no police stations nearby. Nothing. So what do we do? How do we save the dogs? Continue Reading >
While growing up in Assam, we were familiar with the fact that there are certain sections of people in Northeast India that eat dog meat. Dog meat is a delicacy in Northeastern states in India like Mizoram and Nagaland, much like mutton, pork and beef are for other communities. Continue Reading >
If you’re a true animal lover, you may have no issue with letting your dog cozy up in bed with you. With conflicting information about whether it’s good for your dog to even sleep in the same bed, it’s hard to determine if it’s even a healthy habit. Here are some reasons why it’s okay to let your pup jump on in bed with you tonight. Continue Reading >
Chewing is a natural part of a dog’s well being. Chewing on toys or other healthy items is beneficial for a dog’s mental health and sense of comfort. Beware of the following items below, however, because they can cause your dog more harm than good. Continue Reading >
Dental hygiene is just as important for dogs as is for humans. In fact, according to Billings Animal Family Hospital, keeping up with your dog’s dental hygiene is not simply aesthetic; It can add two to four years to your dog’s life. Continue Reading >
My friends with rescue pups often talk about how their dogs choose them. Continue Reading >
Walk into a pet store, and you will find at least one aisle dedicated to tools to walking your dog on a leash. Walk down the next aisle, and you are sure to find more equipment dedicated to training - everything from treats and clickers, to crates and pee pads, wanting a well behaved furry family member has become a huge market for the sale of a wide variety of training equipment. So how do you decide what is the best for your dog? And most importantly, what actually works? Continue Reading >
San Francisco has great weather nearly all year round, which is why so many of us love to spend time together as a family (dogs included) in the garden. If you are thinking of bringing a pup home for the first time, however, you may be surprised to learn that your garden may pose risks to your pup’s safety. Organization, the right selection of plants, and escape prevention are just a few steps you can take to ensure Fido is safe and sound while frolicking in the back (or front) yard. Continue Reading >
Getting a dog to offer a new behavior with increased frequency in order to put it on cue requires precise marking and reward timing. In my experience, I find that I utilize two major techniques when trying to implement a new behavior into my dog’s repertoire - luring and free shaping. Continue Reading >
There is no better feeling that having the confidence in your dog to be able to comfortably let them off of their leash and know, without doubt, that they will come back to you when called. It is an elusive accomplishment for many dog owners, and probably the most frequently stated goal for new clients coming in for training. Continue Reading >
You bring home your new pup and you’re completely in love with your new addition to your family. With all the excitement over your new dog, you may not have considered training him. Once he starts chewing on shoes and barking like crazy at the neighbors, there’s no better time to start training. You can train your dog yourself with some useful resources online or you can contact a professional dog trainer. Continue Reading >
You’ve probably heard of or seen service dogs for the blind, but did you know there are also service dogs who help people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health impairments? Psychiatric service dogs (PSD’s) are trained to perform tasks that help a person who has a psychiatric illness. Continue Reading >
Leash reactivity, sometimes also called leash aggression, is one of the most common problems prospective clients come in wanting to address with their dogs. It can make walk time extremely uncomfortable, even though it should be an enjoyable activity for both you and your dog. So what is leash reactivity? Where does it come from? Continue Reading >
According to Jacque Lynn Schultz, C.P.D.T, approximately 800,000 dog bites every year in the United States are severe enough to require medical treatment. Out of these serious dog bites, around 17 are fatal. According to the same statistics, 50 percent of American children experience a dog bite by age 13. Continue Reading >
Many animal lovers are familiar with the many ways to help shelters contend with their abundance of abandoned, abused, and unwanted pets. You rescue, volunteer, or donate money and supplies, but there is another, lesser-known way to assist these shelters in their mission. Continue Reading >
Is there anything cuter than a captured moment between a young child and a dog? There is something about those interactions that melt my heart. But with all of that cuteness, comes the challenge of properly acclimating a dog to a new human to help set them both up for a successful relationship. Recently, there have been some difficult to watch videos circulating around social media with dogs being pushed past their limits and redirecting their frustration on a child. These incidents are preventable, and it is time that proper techniques for introduction and management were addressed. Continue Reading >
The end of the year is approaching in a haze of gift wrapping and holiday merriment. Puppies in Santa hats gaze out at us from Christmas cards, and many people are inspired to leave a puppy of their own under the tree. But before you rush out, there are some important issues that need to be considered: Continue Reading >
An alarming number of adoptable pets are becoming euthanized in the United States. The unfortunate reason – Too many pets are brought into shelters and not enough people will consider adoption. There are several reasons why adopting is better than buying. Continue Reading >
So the unthinkable happens. Sweet little (insert dog name) loses their bone for a second and ends up biting somebody before you can stop them. Argh! Now what?! Don’t worry I will talk you through it. Continue Reading >
Committing to having a well behaved, furry member of society requires dedication to the entire well being of a dog. A great first step to achieving this goal is to enroll your dog in training classes. Not only does this help you to teach your dog good manners, but it also helps you to build a working relationship and line of communication with your dog that will carry throughout their lives Continue Reading >
I was on my way home from a work trip when I received a text from my boyfriend that he was taking our 4-year-old pitbull terrier, Bentley, to the emergency vet because he had temporarily lost control of his back legs. Continue Reading >
Like with most holidays or big celebrations, when Halloween comes around we can get pretty self-absorbed. In our quest to host a perfect party, build a perfect costume, or make our house the best house for trick-or-treaters on the block, we may forget about how our dogs feel about all of this hustle and bustle. Here’s how to make sure your dog stays safe and happy this Halloween. Continue Reading >
Try as we might, sometimes challenges arise with a dog that are very difficult to train out of them. Dog to dog aggression can often be one of those challenges. Even dogs that were social as puppies can develop dog aggression or selectivity due to bad experiences, over zealous play, or maturation that creates intolerance. Continue Reading >
If you’re like most people, you choose a puppy because they’re too cute to ignore. Maybe your parents had a particular breed and you think you’d like that same sort of dog. The first tip in finding a breed that suits you, is to be bluntly honest with yourself. Continue Reading >
Sign up for monthly news from Barkswell.
