Working with a mix breed dog is, as Forrest Gump would say, like a box of chocolates -- you never know what you’re going to get. So when Jessie Piermont from Norwalk called with her dire story about Toby, I was quick to react. Toby was showing signs of aggression and even though he was about the size of a large house cat, his behavior was unacceptable in polite society.   Jessie called me, frantic. She had adopted Toby about three weeks earlier. Billed as Lhasa Apso/Poodle mix, Toby was affectionate, playful and loving as long as you were a woman. Men? Men were not Toby’s cup of tea. If a man…

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of presenting a lecture on dog aggression at The Pet Pantry Warehouse in Greenwich, Ct. During my talk, there were several happy “ah-ha” moments. It was really gratifying to watch my audience go from anxious concern to confident understanding. I brought my whole crew: two adult dogs and a rambunctious puppy. I always bring my dogs and I’m puzzled by trainers who don’t incorporate their own dogs into their lectures or events. After all, I am a dog trainer and if my dogs don’t know how to behave, then what message is it sending to people who might turn to me for…

Word is getting out that we welcomed a new puppy dog into our fold. It is happy news! Theoretically, she’s my daughter’s dog, but the middle-of-the-night potty trips have fallen to me–what a surprise. It’s ok–it helps me bond with my new puppy clients! Hootenanny-Anny for short–entered our home as a foster puppy. Her adoption fell through over the Christmas holiday and it felt like a sign. Yes, I have written numerous articles cautioning against holiday puppies but here she is, our holiday puppy. She walked into our lives like she’d intended to be here from the start.  While the …

Last week my article “Dogs Without Borders” highlighted the growing effort to save dogs from high-kill shelters in the south. In the rural south, neutering is uncommon, leash laws are non-existent and dogs breed prolifically. To save the time, effort and money required to care for and rehome these dogs, shelters resort to mass executions of unwanted pets. In the past decade however, rescuers have successfully adopted and transported thousands of dogs, bringing them north where they can be neutered, cared for and re-homed into a loving, committed homes.  If you log onto one of the rescue sites…

When I look back on this year, there is much I am grateful for: my family, my wonderful collage of pets, our home where we gather friends like wildflowers—it all colors my life. I have finished the 3rd edition of Puppies for Dummies and continue to work with clients of the two- and four-footed variety. One of the best things about being a professional dog trainer is that my work brings me in contact with so many dog-loving people. This year I had the fortune of connecting with one of the many dog groups rescuing dogs and puppies from high kill shelters in the south. Ruff Start Rescue is a …

Last week, I wrote about December’s holiday upheavals from your pet’s perspective. Frantic activity, changing schedules, trees, candles, bows, parties, music … yikes! Now we’ll look at another holiday dog issue: The Gift Pet. Combine over-the-top cuteness with the unstoppable persuasive powers of children or grown-ups (who are still children at heart) and it’s no wonder that puppies, kittens and other young creatures top many holiday gift lists. Experts caution against it, but the irresistible allure of a bow-collared puppy romping with over-stimulated, pajama-clad children is just too much …

Trees, candles, company, travel. Can you guess what month we’re in? December represents a spectrum of human emotions and activities. From decorating and entertaining to travel and vacation time, it is a month to enjoy the pleasure of traditions, family and friends. For dogs and other pets, holidays are exciting but a bit confusing. Trees—normally perfectly good places to pee near—are brought indoors. Soft, colorful ornaments dangle temptingly. Visitors come and go, kids are wound up and the daily routines get shaken up like a snow globe. It’s enough to make even the most laid back dog wonder …

A few weeks after my husband and I moved our family to Sun Meadow Farm, Hurricane Irene swept through and knocked out our power for a week.  My editor at the Patch asked if I could do a piece on it, but without power…and a week late, the piece seemed moot. After all, it was a freak occurrence.  A ten year storm. Only the second time in history that so many residents had had extended power outages. So I let it slide. Then it snowed. In October. And we lost power for another week. And for the third time in history, thousands of residents experienced extended power outages. Our power is restored…

Editor's note: Ask the Dog Trainer was delayed due to Sunday's snowstorm—but we're posting today, in advance of rescheduled Halloween celebrations. Halloween—the irresistible combination of costumes, candy and an extended bedtime has created almost uncontrollable anticipation in my kids but the dogs are getting concerned. Amplified pre-holiday behavior always worries the four-footers and by the time the doorbell starts ringing on the big day, they’re agitated and a bit unnerved. It’s important to consider the holiday from your dog’s perspective. Your home is their den and the front door is …

Ticks, possibly the least lovable of all the multi-legged creatures, get very busy in fall. Like their warm-blooded meals, they enjoy the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, so here we are in the midst of a seasonal tick outbreak. A tick uptick, if you will. To conquer the onslaught, you need to think like a tick. What do ticks think about? No big surprise really: breeding and eating. That’s about it. Understanding these limited goals will help you reduce tick exposure. Ticks love to lay eggs in the loose, fallen leaves that accumulate in fall. From these eggs emerge hundreds of new and …

A dog’s impulse to chase and capture moving objects—running, rolling, bouncing or floating—is no mystery, even to those who don’t own dogs. In last week’s piece, I talked about why dogs chase things. Now let’s see what can be done to manage that instinct. Meet Rusty, a husky mix with a taste for the neighbor’s chickens. The invisible fence won’t hold him. His owner’s commands fall on deaf ears. But the neighbor’s threat to shoot the dog are being heard loud and clear. Next, there’s Meghan, a lovely and cheerful sable collie. In my teens, Meghan and I earned a CD title in the obedience ring …

On Monday, my kids learned a little bit about the predatory instincts of cats. Gus, our newly adopted cat, captured a baby chipmunk. Gus did what cats do, leisurely tormenting the terrified rodent until Lindsay intervened. Stunned and missing some fur but otherwise unharmed, Chippy the chipmunk was installed in a cardboard box for a period of rodent rehab. A few days of bananas, grapes and unsalted cashews, Chippy was good to go. We returned him to his little woodpile home. And then – kitty karma. Several days after the chipmunk incident, Gus was chased up a tree by a neighbor’s dog. For 8 …

Autumn is all about change. Leaves, schedules, activities…you name it, fall changes it. All summer long, most dogs enjoy a looser schedule with plenty of outside time. Now, days are shorter, temperatures are cooler and kids are busier, so isolation increases. Frantic back-to-school activity can ratchet up the overall household anxiety level, so dogs may start to act out, hoping for attention in their own dog-like way. If you’re raising dogs and kids together and find yourself in this boat, follow this advice: The basics. Don’t forget to feed your dog, let him out to potty and to check the …

When I hand out the diplomas at my group dog training graduations, I always feel a mix of pride and melancholy. Over the years, I’ve shared joy and frustration with hundreds of clients and watched as their puppies and dogs learned to be calm, well-behaved members of the family. Many of my clients return to continue their dog’s education or to take agility training or pet therapy, but after I hand out the final certificate and watch the last dog jump into the back of the family car, I get a little wistful. Just wait until my kids leave for college. Oh boy. This season’s commencement speech …

In last week's article I started a discussion about living in the presence of coyotes. In today’s piece I'll add some discoveries to those I shared last Sunday. Since moving from my safe suburban enclave in Katonah to my 1850s farm house here on Sun Meadow Farm in South Salem, I am enjoying all that country living has to offer, from wide open spaces to a sprawling porch to a fenced enclosure for my dog training clients — oh, and did I mention Coyotes? I’ve got a healthy population thriving in the 400-acre preserve behind my house. Try as I might to trust the balance of the ecosystem, worry …

I was awoken at 3 a.m.by a sound, eerie and immediately recognizable.  Coyotes—not howling, but yipping as if delighted in the capture of prey.  They sounded as if they were in my backyard.  I did an instinctual head count—2 kids, 2 dogs, a kitty and a rabbit—but still had trouble getting back to sleep.  What had I done moving my family into the woods here?  Bugs the size of their fingers, no coffee shop for miles, nightly mopping to combat the mud…and now coyotes in my backyard.  Perhaps an urban environment would prove a more suitable sanctuary.  I knew coyotes, bears and likely bobcats …

I’m a bit of a perfectionist. When I recently moved, I gave myself about a week to get set up, restain the outdoor furniture and organize my training space.  With several boxes still unpacked after almost 2 weeks, I sunk deeper and deeper into a state of sleep-deprived anxiety.  What pulled me out of it?  Prozac?  Zoloft?  Some other wonder drug?  Nope. Puppies. My first group puppy training class at Sun Meadow Farm pulled me up and out and gave me insights that will last a lifetime. During week four, the puppies got a visitor: Gus, the cat who thinks he’s a dog. Unaware of the traditional …

As the temperatures continue to inch upward, my dogs spend most of their time wandering from the deep shade beside the training studio to the enticing cool of the frog pond. Balder, still young enough to muster some dramatic bursts of energy, expends most of it during our early morning romps. The rest of the day is spent sprawled next to Whoopsie, patiently waiting for the relief of sunset. I don’t envy dogs during the summer. Trapped in fur coats without the ability to produce a cooling sheen of salty sweat, dogs pant to regulate body temperature. And while I’m not a huge fan of sweating, it…

Driving to a new client’s home, I was giddy with anticipation. My new student was Calvin, an 8-month old Goldendoodle puppy. Calvin’s family had listed the usual puppy concerns in the “Frustrations” section of their appointment form – jumping, nipping, chewing – and I drove along, musing about Calvin. Would he be a 20 pound mini Goldendoodle or a larger guy, maybe 40 pounds or so? Either way, I thought. A sweet, misguided puppy, getting up to normal mischief…quickly resolved in a fun-filled 90-minute session. As I pulled into the driveway, my reverie was interrupted by a massive, fur-covered …

Once again, the stress of moving has taken me by surprise. I thought the hard part—sorting and packing 15 years’ worth of belongings—was over. I assumed my neatly taped boxes would be loaded onto a truck by burly but polite men who would distribute them throughout our new home according to my clear, block-lettered labels. I would gracefully supervise the whole affair and within a day or two, my kitchen would be organized, my dog and puppy training studio humming and my canine agility course set up. Two weeks and very little sleep later, I’m almost there. The ‘graceful supervision’ part never …