Blog

Part I: First Nights Home and Crate Training

Congratulations! You have added or are wanting to add a puppy to your family. Maybe it’s your first puppy, or maybe it’s not? Either way, chances are that at some point in the next 6 months, you’re going to experience some type of frustration.

Part II: Toys for Fun or Food

Does anyone else despise purchasing dog toys that last less than a few minutes? What a waste of moolah! Next dog toy you buy, invest in one of these. We think you’ll be pleased.

Longer Lasting Chews

It’s that time of year when many people are shopping for the perfect presents. We can’t help you with finding the right stuff for those hard to shop for humans, but we sure can give you the scoop on unique things that dogs will dig. Whether you are shopping for your own pup or a friends’ pooch, one of these longer lasting chews are guaranteed to get their tail wagging.

Part II: Solutions for Puppy Biting

Part I: “Help! My puppy is biting!”

1. Give them space – For some reason, this seems to be one of the most difficult things for people to practice when trying to connect with any pet. It’s really not that shocking when you think about it. When we meet new people or go to new places, most of us would not be very comfortable with touches or hugs from anyone in that new place.

By: Erin Albright

Dogs are my family. I don’t have a big family, and I like to think that this may have been divinely designed so I could have lots of pets throughout my lifetime to make up for it. They serve as constant companionship and provide lots to smile about on a daily basis. Knowing that they don’t live as long as we do is hard, but I have learned to love on them and enjoy them while I can. They are chapters in the book of my life, and I am so grateful for each one and everything that they have taught me.

What do you do if you have a dog who needs to learn some manners, has a few behaviors you’re not pleased with, is scared to leave the house, or maybe you just want to try a new sport or skill with your canine companion? Of course, you call a dog trainer! But, what kind of dog trainer do you enlist? All dog trainers are not created equal and it’s important to find the right one for your job. Just as you wouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer a nail, you won’t fair well if your dog trainer isn’t knowledgeable and experienced in the areas that you and your dog need assistance.

Dogs and people have many similarities. Yet, we are also very different. From greeting rituals to play styles and communication, there are just some things we do not have in common with our canine companions. Recently, I spoke with *Colleen Perry of Pawsitively Waggin’ on the topic of “good dogs”, and brought to light how some of these differences influence relationships with our family pets.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week occurs each year during the second full week of April. The goal is to educate the public about ways to prevent dog bites to themselves, their families, and communities. This year, Smartypaws had the privilege of hosting daily Dog Aware discussions with colleagues from around the U.S. and Canada. We started off the week talking to the Founder of Family Paws Parent Education, Jennifer Shryock B.A. CDBC, about Creating Dog Aware Generations.