Animals Unfolded

Walking your dog is one of the most fun and important things that you can do with them. It's a great activity that dogs of all ages can do and best of all - you're both outdoors! It's physical, mentally stimulating and a great way to bond any time of year. The number of people who share life with dogs has grown substantially -  more than  72 million dogs in the United States alone. With all of these pets and people in close proximity, there are a few rules of engagement to keep in mind. Good manners on leash is essential, of course as is one other very important thing: picking up after your pooch. No one likes to see waste on the local trails , on streets or worse yet - on sidewalks. It's just unsightly, not to mention unsanitary.  With all of the walking that I do, I can attest to the scowls from some people when they see a pooch that I'm accompanying might possibly stop on their lawn. It's understandable, certainly. I see dog waste left behind in very...

I'll admit it. As a pet care professional, I am not a fan of "The Dog Whisperer". I cringe when I see the commercials for the show, and the poor dogs being subjected to methods of interaction that are cruel, and even dangerous. Cesar Millan, star of the show and self-professed dog behavior guru offers his methods and advice to millions of people across the country on the National Geographic Channel. I will say that I do appreciate Millan's emphasis on dog's getting enough exercise and humans being more involved with their pets. flickr photo courtesy of pmarkham Alas, Millan relies heavily on the " dominance theory ", which is for so many reasons, just backward thinking. In fact, the trainers who get the best results from their client rely on positive reinforcement techniques. The Alpha roll , stringing up/hanging - all things that Millan is in favor of - are counterproductive, detrimental to actually teaching a canine anything besides, well, agg...