Canine Nation

Dogs can end up in shelters for lots of reasons, some bad, some awful, and some that couldn't be avoided. Shelter workers have incredibly difficult jobs. They take in and care for these dogs, not knowing what is in their past or what their future may hold. And they care. That may be the hardest part of all. Caring for these dogs is no easy task but I am grateful that dog training professionals are starting to help out shelter workers with new tools and techniques. Anything we can do to make their jobs easier, I say. I'm so thankful they are out there.

Training our dogs is like a game of charades. We're just trying to get them to do the thing we're trying to teach them. But who wins and who loses? Well, since we're the ones running the game, I guess we get to decide. How often does your dog win? How often do they lose? Do they know the difference? You bet they do! Dogs who feel like "winners" are more likely to want to work with you. No one likes losing, after all.

It was Autumn and there were dogs flying up and down the hill in our back yard. It's a tradition here at our home to let the dogs get their exercise by scrambling up and down the hill in some spirited play. Their recent romp out back reminded me just how important play is for dogs and how much we can learn by just watching them play with each other. Every graceful movement and spit-filled bark is filled with life affirming joy!

I talk quite a bit about dogs and science in my articles. But other than reading about it in books, it can be difficult to find real research and science on canine cognition, biology, genetics, or behaviour. I was fortunate to attend a conference recently with some of the leading scientists researching dogs. To say it was amazing would be a huge understatement. It's incredible to see the things we are just now learning about dogs!

We have all kinds of signals for our dogs. Most common are "that's wrong" or "that's right." But do we have other signals for our dogs? There are some we might not even realize we are giving them. They know when it's time for a walk or when we are preparing dinner. Maybe they even know when we're not paying attention to them. If we teach our dogs the signals we would like them to know, think of the possibilities!