The Canine Lowe-Down

When the French bulldog nabbed “Best in Show” honors at the National Dog Show last year, bells pealed and people cheered. In that celebratory moment, folks all across America thought, “maybe I ought to get me one of those!” Perhaps. And perhaps you are one of the many individuals considering bringing on a “frenchie,” as the French bulldog is affectionately known. “And why not?” you may ask. “After...

When COVID hit, we locked down… and we got PUPPIES!!! 🐾 The little furry family members grew up loving life with their immediate family. But the developmental costs of limited social exposure, and a predictable life within the four walls of the home, created a slew of adult dogs whose reaction to novel situations was often nervousness, distrust and suspicion.  It’s time we taught these grown...

Question for you... Does your dog come when you call? Chances are, for many of you, your dog’s recall performance is 50/50 at best! 😑 Well, it’s time to change that! I’ll explain how on this episode of The Canine Lowe-Down. 🐾 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

We all love our dogs. No doubt about it. But nothing disrupts the peace and quiet of our homes like our beloved furry family member erupting in explosive barking when the Amazon delivery driver drops a package on the doorstep—or when the neighbor strolls by the window with her dog in tow. So how do you get your dog to stop exploding at the windows and doors of your house? You want your dog to aler...

Dogs love food. That fact is nearly indisputable. This has led many well-meaning dog owners to believe that an endless supply of treats is the best way (or sometimes the ONLY way) to get their dog to obey them! Then there’s a matter of giving a dog “people food.” But hold on...is there any such thing as "people food" to a dog? We’re talking rules for food (and treats) on this episode of The Canine...

Leash aggression. It’s a commonly discussed problem among dog owners—and a commonly misunderstood one. There are some well-meaning but misguided narratives out there, including the belief that fear drives leash aggression, or that correcting a leash-aggressive dog will make them worse. Not true, and not true.  Let’s talk leash aggression today on the Canine Lowe-Down See Privacy Policy at htt...

My dog is so jealous!” I hear it all the time. For some folks, their beloved furry family member barks, growls and/or becomes disruptive when, say, mom is being hugged by dad—or even by one of the kids. And many two-dog households cannot pet one of their pups without the other “bulldozing in” to interfere. So what’s this behavior all about? Is it truly jealousy? Is there a way to solve it? Answers...

The story begins in 2006 when I took up volunteering at a large dog adoption facility in South Carolina. The rest, as they say, is history... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Dogs engage in lots of behaviors that people can find annoying. One behavior that often ranks as most obnoxious of all is “jumping up”— something many canines do when “greeting” a human. If the dog is a 6-pound Maltese, the annoyance is usually mild and fleeting. But if a 175-pound Newfoundland is fond of throwing his gargantuan front end up on guests in greeting, well...you have another level of...

Is it bad to love dogs? OF COURSE NOT!! (If I didn’t love dogs I would never have chosen this profession!) That being said, acquiring a dog in order to meet your emotional needs will nearly always put the dog in the unwanted, detrimental position of authoritative parenting and possession. A tense, anxious and/or neurotic dog is usually the result. Love for dogs should motivate us to become thinkin...

At the junction where human and canine cultures meet, misunderstandings and frustrations abound. My clients often contact me in desperation, bewildered, puzzled, even grieved, by an unwanted behavior in their dog that they just can’t seem to solve. As a dog trainer, if I had to identify a single unwanted canine behavior that MOST exasperates human owners, it would be this one...peeing in the house...

Few things bring folks greater embarrassment and anxiety than having their dog react violently to another person or another dog they encounter. My clients are often stumped as to how their sweet, loving family member can suddenly turn into a snapping, snarling werewolf when encountering a strange dog or person. There are reasons for everything—including your dog’s bewildering reactivity. We’re goi...

“My dogs are my children.” I hear this a lot. Dogs become “fur babies,” and our bumperstickers proclaim, “My Kids Have Four Paws.” “So what’s wrong with that?” you may ask. “What could possibly be wrong with babying our fur-covered family members?” Believe me, I know how attached we can get to our dogs. But the reality of a domesticated apex predator lounging in our living room seems to be lost om...

You may be a bit puzzled by the title of this episode of the podcast. Isn’t feeling sympathy for a canine in distress a natural response for most human beings? Indeed it is...and therein, ironically, lies the problem. You’ll notice that the title of this podcast episode isn’t “Feel Sorry for a Dog.” It’s “HOW to Feel Sorry for a Dog.” While there’s certainly nothing wrong with feeling sorry for a...

There are, perhaps, few things more embarrassing than having to apologize when your over-excited canine jumps all over a guest! Many of my clients have contacted me with very concern, believing that their dogs manic jumping is a result of their happiness to see a new person. One of the first things I have to explain to them, however, is that what they are seeing is NOT happiness! You may be as sur...

Over the years I have been contacted by concerned expecting couples who aren’t quite sure how to integrate their dog with the tiny human family member who is about to arrive. Their anxiety is often palpable. They want desperately for dog and baby to relate as harmoniously and peacefully as possible, but they’re not sure how to make that happen! Much well-meaning advice has been dispensed on this t...

It’s a fact… each holiday season dogs are given as gifts for Christmas. But the recipient’s initial cry of surprised delight often becomes a groan of dismay months later when the new furry family member is tearing up socks, pooping in the house, and barking incessantly at anything that passes by the windows.  So how do you choose the right dog for your family? And what do you do once you take...

I have trained dogs for over 16 years. Thousands of dogs. Countless situations. You might be surprised to learn that my training boils down to this—how to teach people to disregard their own instincts in order to understand their dog’s. Strange but true— and especially true when it comes to fearful dogs! Human intuition says, “comfort them, talk sweetly to them, help them find a safe place.” The t...

In the year 2000, Mel Gibson started as Nick Marshall in the movie, “What Women Want.” The film depicts the stark (and often humorous) discrepancies between what men THINK women want...and what they ACTUALLY want!  In this episode of The Canine Lowe-Down, we’re going to talk about “what a dog wants.” Not what we humans THINK our dogs want…but what they ACTUALLY want. 🐾 Take a listen and see...

Over the years I’ve been contacted by clients who are extremely frustrated that their dogs just can’t seem to get along. Nearly every situation—from toys and treats to favorite beds—seems to be an occasion for the dogs to bicker and form rivalries. There’s a simple solution to this thorny problem. So simple, in fact, that it may surprise you. We’ll talk about it on this episode of The Canine Lowe-...

It’s a fact—most folks love their dogs so much they indulge in “baby talk” when addressing their furry family members in sentimental ways. “So what’s wrong with that?” you may ask. “If we talk to our human babies that way why can’t we talk to our fur babies that way?” There is an important reason to avoid baby talk with your dog—especially if that baby talk is high-pitched! Sound ridiculous? Sound...

To crate, or not to crate--that is the question! Advice abounds on the internet and social media. Some owners say that their dog absolutely LOVES its crate. Others say their dog panics once inside the crate's confines. The necessity of crate training is affirmed by many experts, but is this always the best practice for your beloved canine? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C...

Puppies! How we love them! Few things in life elicit such effusive emotions of Love and tenderness as a warm, cuddly bundle of fur, squinting and squeaking endearingly. But the emotions can quickly cool when this romantic little bundle is brought home and promptly begins shredding socks, depositing frequent puddles of pee, and lacerating tender human skin with tiny, needle-sharp teeth! Raising a p...

The loss of a canine family member can be devastating and frequently leaves a hole in our hearts and homes. Many struggle to open their hearts again to a new furry family member, pained at the notion that their dear departed dog can be replaced when they know they can’t. My guest today is Brian Calvert, owner and trainer of Dixie the Praying dog. Many know Brian and Dixie from their star...

We all know the heart pounding anxiety we experience when an angry dog charges the fence barking thunderously. And regardless of which side of the fence you find yourself on, whether you’re the hapless jogger or you’re the apologetic owner, the fact remains the a manic dog snapping at a fence line is enough to put everyone on edge. Today on the podcast we’ll talk about why dogs can get so nas...