Scenting Part 2: Putting Your Big Human Brain on Hold

| By Kathleen Call
Categories: Behavior & Training
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I currently have a flock of eager students who are anticipating their first ORT (Odor Recognition Test) this fall. All of them have been with me since foundation classes, tossing meaty treats in boxes, and now they are fine tuning the look of a Trained Formal Response on birch, anise and clove. They have learned …

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Scenting and Shelter Dogs; Doing What Comes Naturally

| By Dawn Kovell
Categories: Behavior & Training
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What do the following titles “Little and Proud,” “The Girls Have It,” “Four Queens and a King,” and “Handler, Who Needs a Handler?” have in common? If you guessed it, then you clearly follow the antics of the Shelter Scents Team as headed and documented by Burt Greenspan. Burt, Donna Kalal and Peter Ornstein run …

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Can dogs predict the future?

| By Neil Lurssen
Categories: Behavior & Training
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Yes – at times. The next time our family pooches start behaving in an agitated way for no good reason that we can see, we may want to check our disaster survival supplies – water, first-aid kit, essential medications, spare clothes, cash money, and the rest of what we need to cope with the Big …

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THE POWER OF ROUTINE

| By Kim Bromley
Categories: Behavior & Training
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Time was, it never rained in Northern California in August. Mostly, that is. Sure, the occasional sprinkle in summer, but as a routine, it “never happened.” Last week, as I anticipated the arrival of our friend, Bob, for our weekly morning walk I was executing the morning routine of preparing for our walk in a …

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Choosing a Name is a Big Deal

| By Neil Lurssen
Categories: Behavior & Training
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Choosing the right name for Fido is a serious business. It requires thought, sensitivity and forward planning. What seems like a cute name today may be cringe-worthy tomorrow. A wrong choice could prove not only embarrassing for you but cruel to your pet when you think about it. You don’t want to give your Mastiff …

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