Back to School!

As kids all over are getting ready to head back to school, I'm getting ready to start another round of puppy classes.  I'm ever hopeful that the weather will cooperate and these classes won't be too hot for the puppies (and their people!) who are enrolled. I did have one puppy owner reach out to me for more information, on a referral to my classes by her veterinarian. Her main question was, quite simply, "Why do we need to take puppy classes at all?  We've had dogs before!" This is actually a great question and one everyone should ask before enrolling in classes.  You see, while I love teaching my puppy classes, I know that puppy classes aren't for every puppy. I also know that it doesn't matter how many dogs you've had over the years, this puppy will be different, even if it's the same breed you always own.  And most importantly, I know that the science behind puppy development is changing all the time which means training methods are going to be different now than they were even 5-10 years ago. While I know not everyone is as science-minded as me, I do think that my love of scientific research and learning means that the information I bring to my students in class is the most current and based on actual studies done on developing puppies, and not based on something I saw on TV or read on some random website on the internet.  I won't shove the science down your throat, but if you ask me why I do something a certain way or why I don't do something a certain way, I'm going to give you an answer that's rooted in research.  Here are a few examples:

So, why do I do two to three short play sessions in every class and why do the playgroups change weekly?  I do this so that puppies get a chance to meet one another, but in small enough groups not to get overwhelmed.  Shorter play sessions, whether in class or on your own at a playdate, are a must. Puppies go through fear stages during their first year of life, so keeping play sessions short, and rotating participants, creates a more stimulating, but still safe, learning environment.

Why do I have puppies doing tricks in class instead of regular obedience?  I do this for two reasons.  First, because most people taking my classes have taught sit, down, and come, but don't know where to go from there. Second, because tricks are fun for people and for dogs, and if you are having fun, you're more likely to do the work.  The added bonus is that every trick I teach in class has a real-world application.  For example, teaching a dog to roll over is cute.  But teaching a dog to lay down, then flop on its side, and then roll over has value because now your veterinarian (or their staff) can examine your puppy's abdomen and legs with ease. 

Why don't I teach puppies to heel?  I don't teach a strict heel because the puppies in my class are still very young, for the most part. While I'll work with the older puppies on the foundation for heel, I want the owners of the younger puppies in particular to work on just getting their puppies to enjoy walking on a leash without zig-zagging or slamming on the brakes.  Frankly, heeling is boring for dogs, so I keep it to a minimum.  I'm not saying I let people get dragged around by their puppies, or vice versa, but I don't feel like puppies need to be in a strict heel.  We work more on moving with their owners, around cones and other obstacles, with a loose leash.  I like that much better and so do the puppies!

While I try to screen out fearful puppies beforehand, every once in a while, I'll get one in class. I try to give them a chance to acclimate just in case they are simply slower to warm up, but if they are truly afraid, that will inhibit their ability to learn and make gathering in a group setting a negative experience.  Some dogs, like some people, are introverts who learn better in a non-classroom/group environment. For those puppies I suggest one-on-one work first, and then they can try a class again in a few months when their puppies have gained some confidence. Any even if those puppies are too shy to ever take a puppy class, that's okay too. There are plenty of other ways to learn, grow, and thrive in the absence of group instruction.

So, if you or someone you love has a puppy right now, and they are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, send them my way.  For those of you out of the area asking about virtual attendance for my classes, I'm working on that!  I'd love to be able to use Zoom to get my classes to you in the near future.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Henley doesn't know it yet, but he'll be attending this round of puppy classes.  

He loves other dogs and he loves to learn, so I'm hoping he enjoys the experience

 as much as I'll enjoy having him there with me. And Ozzie and Desi will enjoy the break!

Why Crates Can Be So Helpful!

I worked with a client last week who wants to crate train her puppy, but has never used a crate before and wanted to make sure she does it right.  I was thrilled to be asked to help her with this as I think getting a puppy off to a great start with a crate does take some planning.  And as I started to talk with her about all the different ways to use the crate with her puppy, and then the myriad of uses for the crate when here puppy moves through adolescence and then on to adulthood, she was truly sold on the idea.  After leaving that appointment, it got me to thinking that she wasn't the only client I've ever had who thinks that crates are just a means to an end with puppy house training, so I wanted to go over some of these other opportunities for using a crate for your crate trained dog well beyond the house training phase of their development.

If you've trained your puppy to sleep in their crate for all naps and for night time sleeping, then this is something you can (and should) continue with going forward into adolescence.  Adolescent dogs still need to have those enforced naps during the day to ensure that they are well-rested and well-mannered.  Adult dogs can easily nap wherever and whenever they choose, but many will choose their crates if you leave those dogs access to them. It's great for them to sleep in crates at night too, even if you choose to leave the crate door open so that they can move around. On hot days, being crated indoors near fans and A/C vents can be much safer and more comfortable for dogs than being outdoors. Plus, if there is a fire or other emergency in your home when you aren't there, having your dogs in crates means that safety workers can get them out of your home easily.

If you like to travel with your dogs, then having them crate trained is a perk!  Many hotels, Airbnb's etc. allow dogs, but feel more comfortable having guests crate their dogs if they intend to leave them unattended on the premises.  Your dog is an unfamiliar environment already, and if you aren't there, that can increase their anxiety. Bringing their crate and bedding from home means having something familiar among all of the unfamiliar things. Plus, you'll have peace of mind when you leave them behind while you do non-dog friendly activities as you know exactly where they are and that they are staying out of trouble.

If you intend to fly with your dog and he isn't your ESA or service dog, then he must be able to crate, either under the seat if he's small enough, or in the cargo hold if he's a medium to large sized dog. Having your dog already used to crating for extended periods of time makes air travel more of a possibility for you if you need it and are going someplace not accessible by car.

If you are having work done on or in your home (painters, plumbers, repair folks, housecleaners, etc.), then having your dogs trained to happily hang out in their crates is helpful.  Having your dogs crated means these workers can feel safe while doing their jobs successfully, not worrying about your dogs following them around looking for attention, or worse, following them around suspiciously, barking, or otherwise being disruptive.  People who come to work on or in your home will greatly appreciate not having to pretend like they like dogs if they don't, or worry about getting bitten.

If your dog has to have any kind of surgery, then being crate trained will be incredibly helpful to their recuperation.  Dogs who've had major orthopedic surgeries, for example, spend weeks on bed rest with limited exercise allowed.  If they've been crate trained, you can set up their space to be comfortable and enriching for their post surgical experience. If they are in their crates, you don't have to worry about them running around the house or yard, jumping up on furniture, or playing with your other pets, all activities which are likely off-limits during their recuperation.

If you have multiple dogs and one or more have issues with resource guarding of food, bones, toys, etc., then being crate trained is incredibly helpful. The resource guarding dog can be crated for meals, when they have bones or bullysticks, and when they play with toys that they love too much to share.

Finally, having crate trained dogs makes life easier for housesitters, daycares, boarding facilities, and your friends who watch your dogs when you are gone. Your dog is already going to be anxious about you being away from home. If they are being left with strangers, or someone new is coming into their home to care for them, that crate will be their safe haven. 

Now, I'm well aware that not all crates are esthetically pleasing.  I've never liked having the airline style crates in my home, but I don't mind them serving as outdoor dog houses.  Indoors, I prefer wire crates, nylon crates, or those lovely wooden crates that can serve as end tables or bedside tables as well. Remember, too, that while you may like those nylon crates, your puppy or adolescent dog may think they are good for chewing on and destroying more than resting.  Pick a crate that is the correct size and age appropriate for the dog you are crate training.  As a puppy matures, you can move on to a different type of crate, or one that goes better with your home decorating style.

Right now, Henley has a wire crate.  He's going to outgrow this one soon, however, and I'll have to figure out what to get him next. I'm leaning toward a wooden one that can double as an end table, but we'll see.  In the meantime, he's pretty happy to nap during the day and sleep at night in his cuddler bed inside his wire crate.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's a happy Henley hanging out in his crate after a much needed nap!

 

Huh? Thoughts on Why Dogs Tilt Their Heads!

An up and coming Bay Area social media influencer asked me a fun question at the Pawsitively Summer Event a couple weeks back.  She wanted to know why dogs tilt their heads and how she might get her dog to do them more often as those were her most engaging posts.  I couldn't help but giggle as I, too, love a good doggie head tilt, but never really thought a lot about what it would take to get them to happen with some kind of predictable regularity.  I worked with her dog for a couple of minutes, getting a handful of solid head tilts, and left her with some ideas to start working on herself.  All the way home in the car, I was still smiling about those head tilts.  Ever wonder why dogs do them in the first place?

While not widely researched, there does seem to be evidence to support five possible reasons for the canine head tilt:

1.  Doing so helps makes them more attentive listeners. One study actually found that dogs tilt their heads more when their humans use the words that the dog finds most interesting/important and were thus words that they knew really well.  This makes sense given the plethora of funny viral videos of people saying nonsensical sentences, punctuated with their dogs' favorite words like car ride, walkies, cookie, etc. and the dogs' responses which invariably include head tilts and enthusiasm. So, it would seem one possible explanation is that tilting their heads helps them process what we are saying, picking out the key words and phrases of value to them.

2.  The tilted head makes it easier to see better. A dog's vision could be blocked by a long nose (my collies, for example). Evidence to support this would be the fact that flatter faced dogs tilt their heads with less frequency than those with the longer snouts. So, it would seem some dogs tilt their heads to get a better perspective.

3.  Tilting the head may make it easier to figure out where a sound is coming from.  I've seen this one many times.  My female smooth collie, Pearl, used to sit in the yard like a statue, tilting her head from side to side, before pouncing on a spot and starting to dig.  She was listening for the moles under the lawn! Some breeds of dogs with heavy ear flaps may tilt their heads even more as those heavy flaps can mute or block sounds. So, they may be tilting their heads to listen better.

4.  If tilting their head gets them positive attention, they'll do it for the love. Dogs are smart.  If they see you laughing, smiling, and giving them treats and attention for tilting their heads, they'll do it just for that.  Case in point: All of those videos on social media of dogs cocking their heads!

5. And a more serious reason; the dog has an underlying medical concern. Dogs with vestibular issues (problems with balance and depth perception, turning in circles, etc.) may tilt their heads to try to regain their equilibrium.  Dogs with ear infections may tilt and shake their heads to try to dislodge whatever is in the ear canal or as a way to indicate pain/discomfort in their ears. Head injuries and brain tumors can also cause head tilt in dogs.  So, if you see your dog tilting its head with some regularity and at times when you've not been soliciting and rewarding the behavior, see your veterinarian to further explore the underlying causes. 

So, what did I do to get the influencer's dog to tilt his head? I made ridiculously high pitched sounds and then quickly offered a high value treat for the head tilt.  Within a couple of minutes, I was getting head tilts in rapid succession due to the rewards and excitement.  

My first dog was a Border Collie mix named Shadow, who I know I've mentioned here before.  I could get her to cock her head basically on command.  What was the command? Me saying, "Huh?" and cocking my head.  She'd mimic me!  Never discount observational learning as a way to get a desired behavior as well.

I think I love these fun questions almost as much as the serious ones.  As always, if you have any questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

I'd never tried to get Henley to tilt his head.  How did I get this perfect head tilt?  I made those ridiculously high pitched sounds again.  He tilted his head first, then sat down, 

right before he tackled me!  

You've Got Questions, I've Got Answers!

A dear friend texted me last week about her own dog.  She'd noticed that her young, now neutered male dog doesn't like other male dogs who are intact, that is unneutered. She talked to a dog walker she knows and he said it's a pretty common occurrence.  She was curious if I'd seen this too and thought it might be good to address the topic here in my blog, and she was right!  In fact, I had two people come up to me at the Pawsitively Summer Event series and ask about the same thing.  Let's dive into this topic more deeply, including what you can do if you own an intact male dog and this is happening to you when you are out and about.

First off, why this happens.  Simply put, intact male dogs smell different.  Their hormones mean they smell like a dog who is still male and has the ability to mate. The scent of an intact male dog can cause tensions to rise even before the dogs engage each other.  Neutered male dogs, on the other hand, are believed to smell like female dogs and thus don't automatically put other male dogs on high alert.  Intact male dogs can also trigger aggression in female dogs, both spayed and intact. Why?  Because, once again, those intact male dogs have the ability to mate. It is also true that some intact male dogs engage in postures that elicit negative responses from other dogs, meaning intact male dogs may stiffen their gait, raise their tails, and stare directly at other dogs resulting in an altercation. While dog on dog aggression can occur between any combination of dogs, it seems to be on the rise between intact male dogs and their neutered male counterparts.  Why is it on the rise?  No, we can't blame this one on COVID-19 and a lack of socialization.  Rather we need to look at changes in spaying and neutering trends among dog owners. 

In 2020, the results of a study at UC Davis were published, examining the rates of some joint disorders and cancers in 35 breeds of dogs, looking at the correlation between early spaying/neutering (at or before 6 months of age) and those specific health concerns. As a result of this study, many veterinarians have begun advising their clients to postpone spaying/neutering their dogs until after a dog's first birthday, and for some breeds, even longer than that.  While timing of spaying or neutering varied with breed, one thing seemed quite clear; larger breed dogs had a higher incidence of joint issues and cancers if they were altered early. This is likely due to the absence of hormones which provide a certain level of protection from those health issues. 

Back in the 1970's when I was a kid, very few people in our neighborhood altered their pets.  And yet, I can remember very few aggressive encounters.  Why is that?  I chalk it up to different pet practices back in those days.  Dog owners didn't spay or neuter, but they also didn't take their dogs to dog parks, doggie daycare, or to restaurants and stores with them. Rather those dogs were mostly in the house or yard, and walked on leash in the neighborhood with little chance to get into an altercation with another dog. While the techniques used to spay and neuter pets have been around since the 1930's, it really didn't become a common practice until the 70's and beyond.

So here we are today, having come full circle.  We are delaying spaying/neutering if we do it at all, knowing that keeping our dogs intact may protect them from some very common health concerns. But we are also taking our intact dogs everywhere with us, including to dog parks, daycares, off leash at the beach, etc. Doing this means we are exposing our intact animals to potential negative encounters that could result in aggression.  

I was also asked why intact male puppies don't trigger these same aggressive responses and the reason is still all about hormones.  Testosterone peaks around 10 months of age when a dog reaches adolescence.  Research seems to indicate that these adolescent dogs have testosterone levels 7-10 times higher than intact, adult dogs, which explains why so many intact, adolescent male dogs are getting aggressed by neutered adult male dogs.  They smell like a threat.  The bigger issue here for owners of those adolescent dogs is putting those dogs into situations where they have to face this overt aggression daily, which may result in fearful or preemptively aggressive behavior in their young dog. So, what can you do to protect your intact adolescent dog?  For starters, avoid the dog park or any other place unknown, off leash dogs congregate. Keep your dog on leash and only allow off leash interactions with known playmates who have an established relationship with your dog and are therefore less likely to behave aggressively toward him.

Now, you may be wondering when (or if) I will be neutering my newest collie, Henley.  Based on the above mentioned study (and here's the link to it in case you want to explore it in more detail:  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full), I've got options.  Of the 116 total collies they looked at in the study, they found no increased occurrence in joint disorders or cancers associated with neuter status in the male dogs.  They did find, however, an increased cancer risk in female collies spayed earlier than 6 months, and an increase in urinary incontinence in female collies spayed between 6-11 months of age.  So, I always encourage my friends with female collies to wait until their dogs are over a year of age to spay them.  For me, I still think I'll wait for Henley to reach at least his first birthday before I neuter him, unless he starts urine marking in my house, something that could happen given that I have a household full of male dogs!  Ozzie started marking in my house when he was just shy of his first birthday, so he was neutered before he hit that milestone.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed with Henley!

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

He's getting bigger all the time.  His ears don't look like they belong to someone else any more!

My Favorite Advice!

As you know, I did a special event for the Golden State Warriors last weekend to kick off their month of Pawsitively Summer activities in San Francisco. It was a lot of fun to attend and participate in a dog-friendly environment.  One of the people who interviewed me at the event asked me for my favorite behavioral advice that I regularly give to dog owners.  I told her that would be a great topic for my next blog post, so here goes! Here are my top 5 pieces of advice given regularly to dog owners:

1.  Aim for well-behaved dogs, not obedient. I love a well-behaved dog just as much as the next person, however well-behaved doesn't always mean obedient per se. You see, while I do know some amazingly obedient dogs, not all of them are well-behaved; they can perform sits, downs, long stays, and come when off leash, but they still bark at other dogs, jump up on people they meet, etc. I love a good community dog, that is one who can walk through a crowd without jumping on people, one who doesn't lunge at other dogs to greet them, and one who quiets when asked.  I'm always mindful to tell people their goal should be a well-behaved dog first, with rote obedience taking a back seat to that.

2.  Don't overtrain.  While it's good to work on your dog's training every single day, you don't need to put in hours of work. In fact, too much work can end up backfiring on you when it comes to dog training.  It's better to do frequent short sessions with your dog than to work with them for hours at a time.  This is particularly true of puppies.  Remember too that incorporating training into your everyday activities with your dog is better than a devoted training session.  Working on drop it and leave it, for example, during your daily walks is a much more productive way to work on these behaviors than to just try to do it at home where there are fewer distractions.

3.  Speaking of leave it and drop it. I know a lot of people like to teach their puppies and dogs sit, down, and stay first, but I like to teach leave it and drop it. Why? Because dogs don't have thumbs, so they explore their worlds with their mouths.  Some dogs readily drop items, even before they are asked, while others hold onto (or worse yet, swallow) anything they can get into their mouth, even if it's not technically edible. If your dog has been taught leave it and drop it early on in your relationship, and they know you will trade whatever they have for something that IS delectable and IS edible, then they are much more likely to play let's make a deal with you when they get something they shouldn't have.

4.  Don't compare your dog to other people's dogs, previous dogs you've owned, or even the other dog you live with now.  Each dog is an individual.  Even if you always get the same breed of dog, each dog you add to your family is unique.  Treat each of your dogs as an individual and find out what motivates them and use that to your advantage. While your previous Border Collie may have been ball motivated, your current one might be more treat motivated.  And I've certainly met more than one Border Collie who didn't like to chase a ball and didn't like herding sheep, but did like mozzarella cheese, so that was the motivator used.

5.  Have fun! No matter what you are doing with your dog, find the joy.  Their lives are short and they live to just spend time with you.  So, spend time with them.  You can spend time with them actively (playing, training, going for walks, heading to the pet store, etc.) and you can spend time with them passively (encourage them to sit or lay near you while you work, read, watch TV, or prepare food). And whatever time you do spend with them, have a good time. If you're having fun, they're having fun.  This is precisely why I encourage the use of tricks training for puppies and young dogs.  It's just more fun and if it's fun, you are more likely to do it, and less likely to find reasons NOT to do it.  Plus, most of the tricks I like to teach lead right into cooperative care exercises for making trips to the groomer, vet, etc. easier. 

I'll be back in San Francisco again this Saturday for one more Pawsitively Summer event, and I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Working on a group stay with this gang of Collies! Fun for them and lots of fun for me.  Everyone did great and they all received a small treat for their efforts.  That's a win/win!

 

Hot Fun in the Summertime!

I'm excited to announce that I will be participating once again this year in the "Thrive City Paws-itively Summer" Event series hosted by the Golden State Warriors.  Dog friendly fun will be happening on all of the remaining Saturdays in July, but if you want to see me, you'll have to be there opening day, this Saturday, July 8th, or next Saturday, July 15th. You do need to RSVP for the events, so here are the links for each of those dates:

https://chasecenter.com/thrivecity/events/paws-itively-summer-20230708

https://chasecenter.com/thrivecity/events/paws-itively-summer-20230715

The fun begins at 10 a.m. and ends at noon. I'll be on stage from 11 to 11:30 with collies in tow.  This Saturday, it will be all about Henley,  while next Saturday will be Westley's turn in the spotlight.  Henley will be doing tricks and helping me show attendees how tricks training can help you form a lasting bond with your dog of any age. I'll also be talking about all things puppy and answering questions on leash training and socialization for puppies. On the 15th, Westley will be helping me show what's involved with attaining a CGC, Canine Good Citizen designation.  Should be fun for the collies and a great opportunity for me to work with them around a lot of distractions.  And if you are wondering why I'm not bringing Desi or Ozzie:  This is an outdoor event where it could be quite warm.  Our young, smooth collies will do much better in the warm weather than our older roughs.  If it's cool enough on the 15th, I might bring Ozzie just to show off my Lassie descendant dog, but I won't make him go if it's really warm.  That's no fun and these events are meant to be fun for all involved!

Please stop by and say hi if you are there as I always love to see you.  Don't forget to bring water for you and your pup and sunscreen for sure.  Putting water on your dog's feet and head will help keep her cool and the fact that all of the events will be winding down at noon means we'll all be out of there before it gets too warm to be walking around on the pavement and artificial turf. 

And, as always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Here's Henley working on place in a hula hoop.  He's also working on being able to walk through the vertically held hoop, with little hops, when prompted!

Adventure Time!

No, not the TV show your kids used to watch, but taking those puppies out in public spaces to socialize them.  Even though puppies under 16 weeks of age are at risk around other dogs or in places frequented by other dogs given their insufficient immunity until fully vaccinated, they still need to get out and socialize with people.  This can be challenging, however, given that a lot of the places you might frequent are also places where other people take their dogs! Nonetheless, you will want to persevere. Puppies really need to meet lots of new people and if you wait to socialize them until they are 4 months old or beyond, then you will not only have missed your opportunity, you will be doing your puppy a disservice. If you don't want your puppy to be afraid of people wearing hats, children screaming and running, strollers or wheelchairs, then you have to expose her to those things regularly. I really want my collie puppy, Henley, to be my next pet assisted therapy dog, so it's my job to get him out, a lot, and make sure he meets all kinds of people.  I also want him to be comfortable riding in the car, so frequent car rides are a must. So, let's talk about some places that Henley and I go every week to give you an idea of what might work for you as well.

Even though Henley can't go into the post office with me, he can come with me to mail items using the outdoor drop box there.  He can go with me to the bank where I can have him practice sitting and waiting patiently while I make deposits at the ATM. I love taking him out with me for coffee or lunch as he's learning to sit or lay on his mat at my feet and quietly people watch. He's even been to the local farmer's market where he people watched from the safety of a bag over my shoulder. Next week, he'll be going with me to the car wash as I want him exposed to the noises and all of the cars going in and out.  We've sat on a bench and watched the kids at the park, as well as the seniors with their canes, wheelchairs, and walkers who visit the park from a nearby assisted living facility.  Henley is an avid people watcher and gets very excited if he can wiggle and bounce enough to get someone's attention.  He's been approached by children, strollers, people in hats and sunglasses, people with medical equipment, bicycles, scooters, etc.  So far, so good.  I make sure he sits or stands politely for petting and reward him verbally and with a small treat for getting it right.  

While it might seem like pet stores would be the perfect place to socialize a puppy, do be cautious. It's fine to do so if you take precautions such as bringing your pup inside in a stroller, bag, or a shopping cart you've laid a mat or towel in for safe exploring up off of the floor.  Remember, however, that not every dog visiting that pet store with their owner may be fully vaccinated or behaviorally appropriate with your puppy, so keep your puppy's interactions limited to the people in the store.  Do walk your puppy past the birds, pocket pets, etc. so that she can see those other animals without getting over-excited.  Again, since I want Henley to do pet assisted therapy, I want to make sure he sees cats, birds, and guinea pigs as friends not food!

So where won't I be taking Henley? He won't be going to any festivals or large gatherings where folks might be setting off fireworks. I want his first experience hearing fireworks to be at home where he'll feel the safest. Plus, neither Desi nor Ozzie care about fireworks, so seeing them calmly hanging out while there are loud sounds in the distance, is something I'd like Henley to experience on his first 4th of July. We live near the fairgrounds, so fireworks have already been going off nightly as part of the festivities there leading up to the 4th of July. None of the dogs, Henley included, have paid them any attention, which is great. I hope it stays that way! And his first trip to the beach will have to wait until he's fully vaccinated, but I'm looking forward to that as the other collies here love the beach!

Finally, I've had a couple of people ask me if Henley will be attending puppy classes. The answer is yes, as soon as his veterinarian gives him the okay to go.  I'll be teaching a round of puppy classes this summer and I plan to have Henley attend those, handled by my daughter since I'll be the instructor.  While he will already have learned all of the behaviors I cover in my classes, Henley will be attending for the social opportunities with other puppies his age AND for the chance to work with lots of distractions around. So, if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area and you have a puppy who needs puppy classes this summer, let me know!  Your puppy and Henley could be new best friends!

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Henley has learned so much from the older collies here at my house, and no one has been more influential in his understanding of boundaries and respect than my daughter's young adult smooth collie, Westley.  Ozzie and Desi would not want to be doing this puppy thing without his help!