June is National Pet Preparedness Month. While we sincerely hope you’ll never have to face an emergency or disaster, we know that being prepared is the best way to safeguard you and your loved ones, whatever may come your way. We also know your pets are family and you’ll want to include them in your household’s preparedness plans. As you do, consider the following tips: # 1 … Read More
As National Rescue Dog Day approaches on May 20, let’s flip the script, and think about the ways that sometimes our dogs rescue us: Inspiration – Little did I know when we adopted a dog in 2003 that my life would soon go to the dogs! The original Inquisitive Canine, Poncho Gonzales Hunter Mayer sparked my interest in understanding the science of animal learning. … Read More
The Inquisitive Canine is a force-free zone. Albert Einstein once said, “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” We agree – and find that training your dog is a fun way to strengthen your bond through collaborative understanding. We are proud to be part of the pawsitive cultural shift in dog training, using methods that enhance the human-canine … Read More
A composed dog greeting, be it at home or out and about, is one skill that is of the utmost importance in our human world. Everyone appreciates a polite pooch — us included! Below, we outline how to teach your dog that sitting to say hello gets tons of attention – petting, praise, food, play – while on the flip side, jumping up gets … Read More
I see it all the time — kids and enthusiastic adults running up, in an erratic and surprising manner, extending their hands right into a dog’s face and hovering there, squealing something about how much they love dogs. What can pet parents do in that instant, crucial moment to avoid disaster? Jump in and shove treats into your dog’s face and tell her how … Read More
“Colleen Paige, animal welfare advocate and pet and family lifestyle expert, founded National Pet Day in 2006 to celebrate the joy pets can bring to us,” states the website, nationaltoday.com. That means that us pet lovers can mark our calendars for February 20, 2021 and start thinking about how we can honor the furry friends who bring so much affection to our lives. Here, … Read More
Dogs are always learning. They’re paying attention to their surroundings, trying to figure out how to get more of what they want or less of what they don’t want. So that means many times, even when you aren’t actively engaged in training classes or exercises, you’re passively training your dog. As an outside observer, being both a dog mom and a trainer, I will … Read More
Training your dog can be a simple process. In my years of experience as a certified professional dog trainer, and of observing inquisitive canines and working with their parents, I’d venture to bet that more often than not, in general, dogs enjoy “going to school” and participating in their lessons. Fun and games like tug, fetch, and other forms of enjoyable attention from humans, … Read More
In our recent post on Creating a Successful Pawliday Season, we explored some of the hidden dangers for pets around the holidays – and how to avoid them. However, there is one hidden danger that requires its very own post: getting a pet as a gift for someone. The biggest risk of giving an animal as a present is that the person might not … Read More
Next up in the series, Homeschooling Your Dog: Inquisitive Canine Edition, is teaching the cue “Go to Your Place.” This is referred to as a targeting exercise, where dogs learn to “target” (place) a body part -or even their whole bodies- on an object. Since dogs can learn to offer this behavior in a variety of places and/or situations, it’s ideal for any time you’d … Read More