While service dogs can stay at any hotel, how about if the dog is still in training? Continue reading

We train service dogs, and every once in a while we get a Golden Retriever that has the gene called GR ICH1 (a PNPLA1 mutation). This gene causes bad dandruff, also known as Ichthyosis. We have tried vitamin E, cod liver oil, and several kinds of medicated shampoos. Here's what finally worked. The shampoo is from the veterinarian and is a combination of Chlorhexidine Gluconate USP and Miconozole Nitro USP. Perhaps other dog shampoos work, too, because I'm told it was the process as much as the shampoo that was important. Note that it was a client family who figured out this complete process, and the kudos go to them for figuring this out! :-) Continue reading

Do you have a French Bulldog and want to help rescue dogs who are hurt or homeless due to the war in Ukraine?   Continue reading

Note: We are not veterinarians, and we are not giving veterinary advice. We are simply writing about what we have done in the past and this should not be construed as veterinary advice. CBD can be quite calming for dogs, and can last for a whole day. By giving the CBD in an oil, and placing it under their tongue for 60 seconds, you don't have to give them as much CBD (which is quite expensive). If you gave a dog CBD orally, perhaps in a pill or gummy, they would need quite a lot of CBD because the vast majority of CBD does not get through the stomach all the to the bloodstream. By giving the dog the CBD under the tongue, you don't have to use much. Here's an example of a dog who is NOT stressed: Continue reading

"Chaining" is a training method that involves teaching your dog to perform a series of behaviors in a specific order. This can be a useful technique for teaching your dog complex behaviors. Continue reading

When a dog is thirsty, they pant. Oddly, they also pant when they are aroused (either through stress or excitement). When a dog a dog is hungry, they may lick their lips. Oddly, they also lick their lips when they are stressed (or aroused). These indications of arousal (it's easier to call it arousal rather than try to immediately determine whether it's stress or excitement) are so different that what humans do. It's important to notice these signals so we can understand what a dog is going through. Treating a dog like a human doesn't work because, for one reason, their arousal signals are different than the way humans react to things. Continue reading

Have you met someone who's pretty good at training their dog what to do? Do you know one way to tell the difference between that person and a GREAT dog trainer? The difference is that the great trainer uses a "marker word." Continue reading

The Dunbar Potty Training works especially well for a future service dog because it is so positive and it allows the puppy to succeed. Two things to remember are: 1. An eight-week old puppy has little control over their bladder and can only hold it in for a little over an hour (that's not very much!) Bring the puppy out potty BEFORE he/she needs to. 2. Crate-train the puppy (keep the puppy in their crate at night, for instance). While hard at first, this crate-training will solve a lot of future problems. Note that an eight-week old puppy cannot keep it in all night, so it's best to wake up at 3am or so, wake up the puppy, and take them out to potty. Continue reading

Have you ever met a dog that is afraid of thunder? Or men? Or shiny floors? It's because the dog did not become exposed to these things during their "critical period" (8-12 weeks old). If you miss this critical period, it's extremely hard to accustom the older puppy or dog to these stimuli later (in general, they'll be afraid of everything they didn't experience during their critical period). Continue reading