Out and About at the Beach: Dog behavior and proper etiquette

I received a request from a writer for the AKC regarding "tips for taking your dog to the beach". I applaud them for publishing such great information. I say, the more responsible dog guardians are, the more places we will be allowed to bring our beloved four legged friends - We have so many wonderful beaches here in Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Summerland, Carpinteria etc... it would be great to keep those places dog friendly!Some general guidelines...

Pet First Aid & CPR Course Coming March 8th

Ninety-two percent of dogs and cats will experience an emergency during their life-time. Do you know what to do to help your four-legged friend? My friend Denise Fleck of Sunny-Dog INK knows what to do, and she wants to share it with you!Her PET FIRST-AID & CPR CLASS will be offered at Veterinary Medical & Surgical Group (2199 Sperry Avenue – Ventura 93003) on Sunday, March 8th, 2009 from 10:00am – 3:00pm. Cost is $55 per person with a...

House Training Issues: why do our dogs use the inside of our homes to eliminate?

Poncho and I have both been receiving questions regarding dogs - both puppy and adult- and house-training issues. Poncho answered one question more in-depth for our Noozhawk column, but I thought I'd address it myself.As we all know, or you'll soon learn, dogs aren't known to generalize behaviors we want - this includes "knowing" the proper place to go potty. Sure, they've learned where to go where they live, but often times when you take them to...

Dog Behavior and Exercise: a look at before and after

My friend Emilia just emailed me a great photo of her dog Nellie. They were in my Manners Class this last Autumn, along with Nellie's dad Nick. Nellie is an absolute sweetheart! Friendly as can be, totally outgoing, motivated to learn, pays attention in class! Her mom and dad have always said she has lots of energy, and that sometimes it's hard to...

Adaptation: Dogs have this trainer beat!

"Adaptations are structures or behaviors that enhance a specific function, causing organisms to become better at surviving and reproducing. They are produced by a combination of the continuous production of small, random changes in traits, followed by natural selection of the variants best-suited for their environment" - from the works of Charles Darwin. Okay, so it's another heat spell here in Ventura - at least by my standards. Hot and dry! I swear,...