Chirag Patel and the “Bucket Game”
I wrote about Chirag Patel, as a rising star in the dog training world in July of 2018 (or, a million years ago, in the Before Times), and am loving the opportunity to write about him again. What he calls "The Bucket Game" has gotten a lot of attention lately, as well it should. I'm sure many of you know about it, but it feels worthwhile to talk about it now for several reasons. First, of course, not everyone knows about it, and second, it's helpful to see how it really works on a variety of dogs, and how to respond to actions that don't quite fit the mold. The Bucket Game allows us to do husbandry on our dogs in such a way that gives dogs a voice in the procedure. As Patel says, we can Read More
Hello Spring!
It's all photos today, part of my celebration of spring. And wowser! It really does feel like spring now, which I am still struggling to wrap my head around. Is winter really over? This is Wisconsin after all, where it can dump massive amounts of snow in April, but it's going to be 75 today and snow feels like an impossibility. Time will tell. Right now the daffodils, crocus and scilla are in full bloom, and seeing all that color outside is heartening in a deep and primal way. Here's a little fun with my macro lens and a crocus: The return of color comes in many ways, including these eggs that Jim and friends D and J colored as part of our Easter tradition. After we color the Read More
Teaching the “Emergency Stop” (or “Flying Lie Down”)
Will your dog stop on cue when trotting, loping or full-out running away from you? I consider it an essential tool for any dog that is ever off leash. (When I say "running away," I mean "running with their faces turned away from their humans, not "running away" as in packing up their dog beds and leaving home.) I can't imagine having a dog who won't stop right away if he or she is regularly off leash. Frankly, I'd be a nervous wreck on walks if I didn't know my dogs would stop when told if they flush a deer from the brush. But wait, no I wouldn't, because I simply wouldn't let my dogs off leash if I wasn't confident that my dogs would stop when I said "Stand." It's something I work Read More