Author Archives for Sydney

Puppy Personals

Meet My Puppy My make-believe puppy Petronilla has shared a bio. What is the point of this fanciful canine caper? A look at life from your pup’s view. When Petronilla writes about herself she doesn’t list going for leisurely walks on a busy sidewalk as her favorite way to spend an afternoon. She might also… View Article

3 Dog Toys That You Should Have

From humble beginnings to a multi-billion dollar industry, dog toys have come a long way. Funny though, I know many dogs who prefer a broken-down soccer ball found at the park or a plastic bottle to the latest and greatest dog toy.  That said, I am a self-proclaimed dog toy fan. During this pandemic, I… View Article

Kids and Puppies – Tips for Success

Disturbing Trends Dog bites are on the rise. More folks getting puppies, more kids home with puppies. And, a big misunderstanding about what the early days of raising a puppy need to include. Simon Usborne’s recent article in The Guardian, Dog-Bite Britain: the problem with the pandemic puppy explosion explores potential causes for the uptick… View Article

Puppy Training Plans

A new puppy means puppy training. This is where a plan comes in handy. You very likely have a plan for your bathroom and crate training. You are rolling with your socialization plan too. What I want to talk about here are short training plans for teaching your puppy the foundation behaviors that will evolve… View Article

How To Manage Puppy Biting

There is no magic answer for how to stop puppy biting. Curious young canines use their mouth for exploration. Their teeth are sharp and puppy biting can easily get folks feeling rattled and edgy. Along with your new pup you can expect to encounter some puppy biting but it does not need to be exasperating…. View Article

Before You Bring Your Puppy Home

There will be plenty to do when a new puppy comes to live with you. But did you know there are some key things you can attend to before you bring your puppy home? Let’s look at three things to get organized ahead of time. The Bathroom Spot Before you bring your puppy home, give… View Article

Never Gonna Let You Go

To Have & To Hold Let that go! Leave it! Drop it! So much pressure! A puppy explores the world with his mouth. It is a built-in behavior. Show downs and tug-of-war matches will only serve to break down trust, create resource guarding and frustrate you and the puppy. There is a better way. How… View Article

5 Socialization Resources

Puppies Won’t Wait Dog training has changed a lot over the last decade or so, including how we approach our socialization strategy with young pups. But it hasn’t changed the fact that this stage of development ends early. The goal to create positive associations with a variety of people, places, surfaces, and sounds before they… View Article

What Now? Part 3

Kids & Puppy; Feeling Harangued? Right now most of us are feeling strange to say the least. Day to day changes and new routines at home can feel overwhelming. Adding kids and puppies to the mix makes it even more complex. To help with the flow of things at home as we all wade through… View Article

What Now? Part 2

Home Alone In Part 1 we looked at some of the ways to get creative with socializing our puppies during this health crisis. Now I want you to consider another important preventative measure. Preparing the pup to be comfortable with spending time alone. For obvious reasons, a puppy being raised right now, will not be… View Article