Never Underestimate the Powers of a Dog

Rogan doing his impersonation of a human smile If you have a close relationship with a dog, you already know that dogs can empathize with others―it's just so obvious. But some people feel the need to prove it in the...

Posted by KP on August 7, 2008 5:22 PM

Patience!

Phantom: "See? It was worth it, wasn't it? Look how well behaved I am now!" The following is a guest post from my energetic and very compassionate friend Alex. A lifetime ago, I lived in Alaska and spent my days...

Posted by KP on December 14, 2007 6:38 PM

Through a Dog's Ear

Stella: "What an unpleasant sound―won't you please turn it off?" If you were to poll my dogs regarding their least-favorite human-created sound, the shrill whine of the vacuum cleaner would certainly win, paws down. I'm guessing that the sound of...

Posted by KP on December 10, 2007 5:14 PM

Bark if You Hate Being Bored

Lady: "I'm bored and lonely!" A happy, mellow dog doesn't stand around idly barking. Dogs who bark nonstop are barking for a reason. Are they bored? Lonely? Frustrated? If you really care about your dog, you'll get to the root...

Posted by KP on December 5, 2007 5:31 PM

Visualize Good Behavior

I wonder what Bordy is visualizing. Probably a big fish! Similar to visualizing world peace (or whirled peas, as the case may be) but much more attainable, visualizing good behavior in your dog can help you realize your dog-training goals....

Posted by KP on November 28, 2007 5:33 PM

Carpe Canem!

My beloved pack from 1992 to 2002: Shandy, Darby, and Rogan. Thanksgiving is a great time to give thanks for our wonderful canine companions and all that's so very special about them. But for me, a corollary to giving thanks...

Posted by KP on November 21, 2007 5:40 PM

Why I Hate Crates

Click here for a larger view. Whenever I'm at the dog park, inevitably I’ll hear someone talking about putting their dog in a crate or even exclaiming, "Oh, my dog LOVES his crate!" At that moment, my hackles go up...

Posted by KP on November 19, 2007 5:14 PM

Walkies-Talkies

Keeley is proud of his language-recognition skills! The following is a guest post by Alisa Mullins, who has been writing for PETA since 1991. Talking to dogs can really enhance our relationships with them. They understand a lot more than...

Posted by KP on November 9, 2007 5:43 PM

'The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself'

Carly thinking things over: “Yeah, that makes sense—let’s skip the drama.” Just recently in the dog park, I met a beautiful, playful young Great Dane. All was well for nearly an hour, when she suddenly turned on my Dexter and...

Posted by KP on October 10, 2007 5:18 PM

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Koro winking, 1985 You know, our dogs are much more attuned to our body language than we realize. Believe it or not, they even enjoy copying us sometimes. Try this: Catch your dog's gaze and then wink at him or...

Posted by KP on October 3, 2007 1:34 PM

Patience and Pin Cushions

Sarah Over the past year, I've fostered a series of small dogs who came from bad situations (actually one big bad situation). They came to me extremely skittish and with very few, if any, everyday canine skills, such as leash-walking...

Posted by KP on September 28, 2007 9:36 AM

Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough

Many, if not most, dogs around the world suffer from harsh treatment—forced to pull sleds and live outside in the snow in Canada, killed and eaten in Asia, experimented on in labs throughout the U.S. and Europe, and on and...

Posted by KP on September 20, 2007 1:53 PM

Accentuate the Positive

One of the basic ideas behind “positive” dog training, as I understand it, is that you reward the behavior that you want to encourage and you ignore the behavior that is driving you insane. I don’t think this will...

Posted by KP on September 12, 2007 10:48 AM