Water Is an Ingredient Why the quality, source, and availability of your animal’s water deserve as much thought as what goes in the food bowl. We spend a lot of time thinking about what we feed our animals. We compare ingredients. Read labels. Debate proteins, preservatives, supplements, and sourcing. We notice when a food doesn’t […]

Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks? Yes. What aging changes — and what it doesn’t — about the canine brain. “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks” may be one of the most confidently repeated lies we’ve told about dogs. Older dogs can learn. They may learn differently. They may need more repetition, shorter

anxiety, misunderstood “Our emotional state does not stop at the boundary of our skin. While we are trying to understand what our dog’s nervous system is telling us, they may already be listening closely to ours.” Recognizing the subtle signs of stress, overwhelm, and the quiet communication happening in both directions. When most people picture

Positive Punishment & Negative Reinforcement: What Those Terms Actually Mean Why “positive” doesn’t mean kind, “negative” doesn’t mean cruel — and why changing a behavior is only part of what a dog is learning. If you’ve spent any time around dog training, you’ve probably heard someone say: “I only use positive training.” Or “I would

Cue, Not Command: Rethinking the Language of Dog Training Why cooperation, communication, and choice matter more than obedience. There is a small language change I have come to learn and care a lot about in dog training: I don’t give dogs commands. I give them cues. At first glance, that might sound like semantics. Sit