We walk, think, and dream dog...

Seems our dog brains rarely power down, and there has to be a depository for all our musings. We hope you enjoy this ongoing collection of our training thoughts, with a bit of CNC news thrown in here and there.

Brain Games for the Dog Days of Summer

Here we are in what’s known as The Dog Days of Summer. In Western North Carolina where we live, August is typically the hottest and muggiest month of the summer.   Honestly it’s hard to believe it could be any hotter than it was just a few short weeks ago when

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When Your Dog Has Cancer – A Resource for You

Unfortunately, it’s highly likely that you have either had a dog with cancer or know of a friend whose dog has been diagnosed with this disease. Just this past month, more than a handful of my friends and training colleagues have received cancer diagnoses for their dogs. It’s a shocking

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Canine Influenza: How to Keep Your Dog Safe

By Sarah Foster, KPA CTP | July 15, 2015 The Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) is an unwelcome visitor to Georgia. Earlier this year, the virus spread throughout Chicago and parts of the Midwest. The strain in Georgia is the same one: H3N2, which before Chicago, was only found in Asia.

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Stump the Vet, starring Cody Waggoner

Cody’s been the star player in a two-year game of Stump the Vet.  He’s see a variety of local vets, specialists in private practice, specialists at UGA veterinary teaching hospitals and Cold River Veterinary Center, a holistic specialist in Vermont (via distance consults). Symptoms presented have been chronic lameness, which

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Autoimmune Disease in Dogs

As many of you know, our dog, Cody, has recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.  Because of his specific multiple symptoms over the course of the two years we’ve been seeking answers and the recent ANA test that was positive, we suspect it’s Lupus. It’s been a very long

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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

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Toxins? Just say No!

  It’s November and a time of giving thanks.  I do feel thankful each day because I’m passionate about the work I do, but I’m feeling particularly thankful today because my Aussie, Gibson is now home and feeling well after four days in the University of Georgia Veterinary Hospital ICU

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Thunder Phobia and our dog Cody

This spring has been particularly active with thunderstorms so it’s no wonder that so many of our training friends and other professionals in the business of dogs have been writing about thunder phobia. My purpose in writing this is to chronicle our own experience with our dog Cody who is

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Holiday Hazards for Dogs

by Lisa Lyle Waggoner Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, how lovely are your branches…..and what a hazard you can be.  No, I’m not talking about a fire hazard.  All those wrapped presents around and on the Christmas tree, all those special human goodies everywhere and all those poinsettias that

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Punishment and Positive Reinforcement Trainers

As clicker trainers and trainers who use positive reinforcement to work with our animals I sometimes find it interesting just how punishing we, as a group, can sometimes be.  R+ trainers know that we can teach far more efficiently and with longer lasting results using positive reinforcement methods, but when

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