Professional Paws Pet Blog
A professional dog trainer’s thoughts on training, animal behavior, pet care and more!
Why I Prefer to Adopt Senior Pets
I love seniors. I just love them. Our two current dogs were adopted when they were over the age of 8 years. (BJ was 10 years young, and our best guess for Tule’s age when we adopted her was 8.) Honestly. I don’t know that I will adopt a puppy or adolescent dog ever again. Don’t get me wrong, puppies are precious. But I am in love with the idea and process of bringing an elderly dog into our home. In honor of National Senior Pet Month, let me explain why.
Training and Communicating with a Deaf Dog
Throughout my personal life and professional career I have worked with, loved, and lived with deaf dogs. Dogs can be born without their ability to hear, or they can lose their hearing later in life due to accident, injury, or just the natural aging process. As far as the training process goes, it is extremely similar to training a dog that can hear. In honor of Deaf Pet Awareness week, I wanted to go over some ways that we can tweak things to make training and communication easier with these special dogs.
7 Tips for Keeping Pets Calm This 4th of July
Here in the United States, July 4th is a beloved and fun filled holiday. Backyard barbecues with friends and neighbors and exciting and beautiful fireworks displays are staples in most celebrations of this holiday. Many humans look forward to these events, but did you know that many of the things we do to celebrate our nation’s independence are frightening to our pets?
Pet Anxiety: When Being Alive is Scary
June is national Pet Anxiety Awareness month, and anxiety in our furry friends is something that is near and dear to my heart. As a dog trainer and professional pet sitter it is something that I encounter on a regular basis in my career. It is also something that I have personally dealt with in our own animals. No pet parent or animal professional enjoys seeing animals suffer, but sometimes it is difficult to know what to do when our dogs and cats are scared. I wanted to share some tips with you!
5 Pet Training Products I Can’t Live Without
It’s time to talk about dog training tools! Now, dog training as an industry has changed vastly in the past 10 years. Educated trainers are using modern and science proven methods over traditional methods that were used to cause pain and/or instill fear into the canine pupil. With this change in technique also came a change in the types of tools that progressive trainers recommend to their clients and use on their own dogs at home. This is a topic that I often discuss with clients and am asked about on a regular basis by other animal professionals, friends, acquaintances, etc. So much that I have whittled down my list of products that I love to recommend and use personally to only 5 items.
Things Dog Trainers Do That Most Dog Owners Don’t
Have you ever wondered what life is like for my dogs? Ever been curious about how I work with my own dogs, introduce a new cue or skill, or deal with a problem behavior? Well, you aren’t alone! Throughout my career I have noticed that professional dog trainers (like myself) tend to do things a little differently than the majority of dog owners. I wanted to take some time and share a few of the “secrets” that I tend to utilize with my own pets.
Choosing a Quality Breeder
You have made the big decision to add a dog or puppy to your household, and you have decided that purchasing through an ethical, responsible breeder is the way to go for your family. Now what? Now we need to begin the thoughtful process of choosing the breeder we want to be responsible for our new family member’s genetic makeup and early upbringing. This is no small decision, but I have put together some points to help make the decision easier. Remember that not all breeders are created equally.
To Spay or Not to Spay?
In honor of World Spay Day and National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month (AKA Beat the Heat Month) I decided to write up my thoughts on what has become a controversial topic. This blog is only going to entail my personal opinions based on my experiences in animal welfare and as a dog trainer. I will not be discussing any of the medical benefits or possible risks from surgery. Please don’t comment asking about these things or to inform me of a study that has been done. I am not a veterinarian and am not qualified to give medical advice. Period. I urge all of my clients to bring this topic up with your veterinarian so that you can discuss the medical side of altering your pet. However, I am also decidedly pro spay/neuter. All of our pets are fixed and I do tend to encourage owners to spay and neuter their animals. Let me tell you why.
Considerations to Make Before Adding a Pooch to Your Family
The holiday season is the most common time of the year to adopt a dog or puppy. It is such a festive time, and as humans, we want to share that with another being. Let’s face it, they’re also super cute. Congratulations on deciding to add to your family! But do you know how to decide what type of dog is right for you? There are SO many things to consider! What breed? Rescue or breeder? Puppy or adult? It is important to really think about it because you will be living with this creature for the next 10-20 years. I am here to help.
How to Have Safe Holiday Celebrations with Your Pets
Safety is something that should be on all of our minds right now. We are all struggling to find ways to celebrate the holiday season and also deal with the COVID-19 pandemic raging around us. If you choose to travel, or if loved ones choose to travel to you, there are steps you can take to keep your pets safe. Plus, they’ll put your mind at ease!
4 Healthy Thanksgiving Snacks for Your Pooch
Thanksgiving Day has finally arrived and you know what that means! Yes! Lots of tasty food for us to make and eat together as a family. All too often, our dogs get left out of the holiday celebrations, so I wanted to put together a list of 4 healthy holiday foods that you can share with your furry friend.
Halloween Safety Tips
Spooky season is here! If you have met me, then you know that I LOVE fall and Halloween! The weather, the costumes, the horror movies, the candy. I love it all. As much as I love this holiday, this can be a really stressful and scary time for our pets. Here are some ways that you can keep your pet safe and still have fun this Halloween!
Pitbulls: Beyond the Stigma
Many pitbulls tend to have similar physical characteristics and mannerisms. We have all seen a pitbull. One of those blocky headed thicc boys or girls with a big grin and an always wagging tail. However, this type of dog has become extremely controversial here in the US, but they shouldn’t be! Let’s discuss why.