My dog Fletcher was a TERRIBLE “counter-surfer” when we first adopted him as a one-year-old. He’d been living on the streets – though we don’t know if he was a “stray” for 10 months or 10 days or 10 minutes. A “counter-surfer” is what dog trainers call a food stealer. He was flexible and agile […]
Pet festivals can be a lot of fun for you and your dog, but they can also be challenging! Here are some tips on making sure that your dog has a good time. Keep an eye on your dog; don’t get too distracted. Sure there are cool demos and some interesting products to check out, […]
Here’s an excerpt from the upcoming Office Buddies book. Dog containment options at work Dog trainers like to say that “management” is a key to a well-behaved dog, and by this we mean setting up the dog’s physical environment so that they cannot make mistakes. Many office dogs get in trouble because they have too […]
PSI’s Take Your Dog To Work Day® (TYDTWD) is coming up – it is always the Friday after Father’s Day. It was started by Pet Sitters International in 1999. Are you thinking of participating this year? Here are some checklists for Owners and business Managers to prepare for your new Office Buddies! Owner Checklist – Take […]
At Office Buddies, we’re all about making workplaces better for dogs and their owners (and making dogs better for workplaces, too!). Unfortunately here in Silicon Valley we’ve seen a massive number of high-tech job layoffs, so there may be many dog-owners out there looking for new employment soon. Here are some tips to find a […]
This is Part 2 of a special set of articles on working from home with your dog, written in response to the Covid-19 pandemic “shelter in place” orders. Part 1 is here. Conference Call Time Let’s take a moment to talk about what to do when you know you have to attend a virtual meeting […]
Want a simple game that will increase your dog’s attention to you, calm their excitement, and be a foundation for deeper communication? The Up and Down Game is the trick! My pandemic “silver lining” was being able to do a deep dive into the concepts of a training system known as Control Unleashed. At its […]
Exercise and mental stimulation when you can’t go outside. When the weather is stormy or the air quality abysmal (or if we’re asked to quarantine to contain a rampant viral pandemic) we may need to find some creative ways to help our dogs deal! Why is this sort of “environmental enrichment” important? It reduces stress […]
Advice from Wendy Dreyer – copied with permission Note: If you are buying a puppy from a breeder, ask them about their breeding practices and use this to evaluate their answers! Introduction I consider breeding a huge responsibility and a joy. My greatest joy every year is a litter of healthy beautiful puppies and a […]
“Anybody can train a dog to be a delightful companion and member of society, especially with clicker training” — Dani Weinberg Clicker Training is an exciting way of communicating with and training animals. While it’s been used for years with marine mammals, research animals, and a variety of commercial projects, only recently has it begun taking […]