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Editor’s Picks

Is Your Dog Feeling Fearful, Anxious, or Stressed?


I highly recommend that we all try to identify the signs and causes of stress in our lives, and our pets’ lives, so that we can begin to eliminate or reduce the stressors that may be adversely affecting our mental and physical well-being, and that of our pets. Dogs show many signs when they are fearful, anxious, or stressed. Here are some of the canine body language signals indicating fear, anxiety, or stress that you could learn to recognize: Identifying the triggers – those stimuli such as smells, sounds, or… Continued

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Book Review: Zoodle Needs Some Space by Anastasia Gargiulli


Zoodle Needs Some Space is a delightful children’s book that sheds light on the challenges facing reactive dogs, and on the importance of being empathetic and understanding of how reactive dogs experience fearful situations. Author Anastasia Gargiulli, is an early childhood education teacher and passionate advocate for dogs with special needs.   The story centers around Zoodle, a happy dog who loves her family and her ball. However, Zoodle becomes worried and anxious on walks, leading her to display defensive behaviors, such as barking, in hopes of attempting to scare away potential… Continued

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Latest Articles

What to Look for in a Pet Care Professional–Part 2: Knowledge, Skills, Competence, and Credentials


In What To Look For In A Pet Care Professional–Part 1, I discussed the importance of carefully reviewing the ethics policies of any pet care professional before entrusting your pet to their care. Here, I’ll discuss the importance of pet care professionals acquiring knowledge and skills and demonstrating competency through independent accreditation bodies. Lastly, I’ll address the importance of continuing education. Acquisition of Knowledge People might become pet care professionals because they have a passion for animals. However, living with them as pets, or breeding them, is unlikely to provide… Continued

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Dogs Are Food Motivated – They Need It for Survival


It’s our role to figure out what rewards work best in different situations! At DogNostics, we hold a two-day Pet Care Professional Certification workshop where a question that we often hear is, “How can I train a dog who isn’t food motivated?” At The DogSmith, we also encounter clients who say that their dogs are not motivated by food, so we thought that a blog regarding this topic would be useful for pet guardians. Is There a Health Concern? There are many reasons why a dog may sometimes not wish… Continued

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Is Your Dog Feeling Fearful, Anxious, or Stressed?


I highly recommend that we all try to identify the signs and causes of stress in our lives, and our pets’ lives, so that we can begin to eliminate or reduce the stressors that may be adversely affecting our mental and physical well-being, and that of our pets. Dogs show many signs when they are fearful, anxious, or stressed. Here are some of the canine body language signals indicating fear, anxiety, or stress that you could learn to recognize: Identifying the triggers – those stimuli such as smells, sounds, or… Continued

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Book Review: Zoodle Needs Some Space by Anastasia Gargiulli


Zoodle Needs Some Space is a delightful children’s book that sheds light on the challenges facing reactive dogs, and on the importance of being empathetic and understanding of how reactive dogs experience fearful situations. Author Anastasia Gargiulli, is an early childhood education teacher and passionate advocate for dogs with special needs.   The story centers around Zoodle, a happy dog who loves her family and her ball. However, Zoodle becomes worried and anxious on walks, leading her to display defensive behaviors, such as barking, in hopes of attempting to scare away potential… Continued

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Keeping the Welfare of Your Best Friend at the Forefront of Dog Training


calm: [adjective] not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.  Note that the dictionary definition of calm includes what a human or animal is feeling, not just the outward behaviors. Dogs are sentient beings, and research on brain activity and behavior shows clearly that they experience the same emotions that we do—they love, they fear, they seek enrichment and happiness.  Knowing this, I was deeply disturbed by a video from a shock collar trainer, demonstrating how crate anxiety (and associated whining and pawing) can be “cured” with one of… Continued

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