Can Dogs Be Trained to Accept Coyotes?

As first seen on the Bedford-Katonah Patch
I was awoken at 3 a.m.by a sound, eerie and immediately recognizable. Coyotes—not howling, but yipping as if delighted in the capture of prey.
They sounded as if they were in my backyard.… Read the rest

Training a Dog to Roll with Life Changes

As first seen on the Bedford-Katonah Patch
Once again, the stress of moving has taken me by surprise. I thought the hard part—sorting and packing 15 years’ worth of belongings—was over. I assumed my neatly taped boxes would be loaded… Read the rest

How One Change Can Affect a Dog’s Training

As first seen on Yorktown Patch
The transition to our new home continues—days have passed in a blur of sorting, unpacking and organizing as we acclimate to our new surroundings.
Saturday, I came up for air and realized that within… Read the rest

More Than One Dog?

Are two dogs better than one? For families with young children, my answer is often no.
Two or more dogs, lovely as they may be individually, have less of an emotional need to conform: they’ve got each other. They keep… Read the rest

For the Love of a Clean Dog

Last week I explored the joys of a clean dog. After years of surface rinsing our dog Whoopsie she got a full-blown bathing at a local salon. What a difference a good grooming makes! Glistening black coat, clean dog smell…… Read the rest

Stability Transitions

When Lindsay was about 3 years old, she wandered into the kitchen while Roman was showing me his newly-acquired bread knife. We were both somewhat preoccupied by its facility—smooth, evenly sized slices just like pre-sliced! Why did we wait so… Read the rest

Pit Bull Understood

Recently, I visited a New York city shelter. I was there to help choose dogs to bring upstate to an Adopt-a-dog facility in Armonk, NY. We quickly met our quota of three Pit Bull Terriers but sadly, there were many… Read the rest

Recognizing Canine Aggression

Recognizing Canine Aggression
Canine aggression is frightening to witness; it is terrifying to experience an angry, out-of-control dog or one who suddenly bites. Dogs do not, however, become aggressive overnight. There are always signs—sometimes subtle—of a dog’s growing use of… Read the rest