I occasionally have people ask if they can visit my kennel to see how my dogs live. Here you go…
That is the view from my desk — Harper, Daisy, rePete — and can you spot Rosebud?
We do not have a kennel. The dogs live with us in our house with access to fenced yards. They are members of our family, after all, and not things we keep outside in storage.
And speaking of Rosebud…
Having a kitten involves kitten toys — I have forgotten how incredibly playful kittens are! HOLY ENTERTAINING. And so I am reminded regularly that a puppy who has been rewarded for bringing things is handy…
I like to train dogs with an attitude of instead. If Pozy is delivering a kitten toy, for example, she is not chewing it up.
Sometimes we forget that telling a dog or human what not to do creates a void that can generate anxiety and invites them to try some other behaviors we might not appreciate. So much better to train YES and avoid creating that potentially anxious space where the dog is not sure what she is supposed to do, and so makes things up — this works in dogs and humans, FYI.
Please have a wonderful, compassionate, thoughtful Saturday.