It's easy for suburban and urban dog owners to forget that dogs need time for off-leash play with other dogs to exercise muscles and manners, be joyful and burn off energy and become more confident around other dogs. That's why A Better Pet offers all clients who gone through at...
The Art & Science of Matchmaking – Service Dog Style
Three years ago yesterday, Ella arrived. My first English Springer Spaniel puppy from Meadowland Springers in Baltic, South Dakota. Training her to be a service dog was such a joyful experience that I've had a least one Springer Spaniel puppy underfoot every fall since then. Cort, Ella’s brother, arrived from...
Treat-O-Meter
Positive training requires the use of treats. Some people think trainers like me are "cookie pushers". So let's understand treats. Category I: Food - ranging from banal (dust bunny covered stale cheerio) to extraordinary ("canine equivalent of a hot fudge sundae"). Category II: Everything else the dog likes that isn't food in...