Not Every Dog Can be a Therapy Dog

  “I want my dog to be a therapy dog!”  That’s the comment we hear in many phone calls to Cold Nose College.  The truth is, though many people would like to do therapy work with their dogs, it takes much more than desire to make your wish come true. I never meant to become […]

Career Dogs

Just like most of us humans, there are many dogs that go to work each and every day.  While our own dogs, Cody and Willow, accompany us to class for demonstration purposes and Cody works as a “neutral dog” in our aggression cases, we’d have to call them part time workers.  Career Dogs, are what […]

A Growl is a Good Thing

Has your dog ever growled?  If so, you’re not alone.  Whether it’s in one of our group classes or in an in-home behavior consultation, people seem to be either embarrassed or angry because their dog has growled.  Just as it’s unrealistic for a person to go through their entire life and never raise their voice, […]

It’s Never Too Early….and Never Too Late

  Personally, I can’t think of many things more fun than working with and training a dog, especially my own dog.   Nothing like adding a new puppy to your family to bring home the fact that training certainly needs to happen in order for the little one to adjust to your home.  My girl, Willow, […]

Stinky Turkey Cheese Balls for Your Favorite Canine Kid

  Great for any celebration or for no special occasion! Can’t remember where we got this recipe, but since it’s Willow’s first birthday, something special is in order.  Don’t know why they call them “stinky” ’cause they certainly aren’t. Here’s the easy recipe: 1 1/2 lb. Ground Turkey 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese 1 Cup Steamed […]

Just say NO to Puppies at Christmas

Oh my, Christmas Puppies.  Those are the adorable little, soft, cuddly canine kids who end up being given as “gifts” during this time of the year.  A puppy on Christmas morning seems peaceful, but rest assured – peaceful it won’t be.  Unfortunately, we see a great number of clients who have made inappropriate choices by […]

When Is It Time to Say Goodbye?

Over the course of the last few months, I’ve had a number of friends and clients contact me asking, “How do I know when it’s time to let my dog go?”  A year ago tomorrow we had to make that same decision with our incredibly wonderful Aussie, Gibson. He was fine one morning, then in […]

Hot Dog! Let’s Leave It.

One of the more useful behaviors a dog can learn is to leave things alone when asked.  Dogs and especially puppies, explore the world with their mouth.  Leave It is one of the very first exercises I began working on with Willow when she joined our home. The cue, Leave It, as a finished behavior […]

Wait, it’s important!

Nothing like having a new puppy in the house to remind you how many things a dog needs to know to live happily in our human world.  Oh the things that Gibson knew that I had trained and eventually took for granted and the things Willow does not yet know.  There’s a big gap.  The […]