Conversations with Dog

  Living with dogs can sometimes be an interesting experience for your olfactory system. Why do some dogs choose to roll around on dead carcasses? Why does your dog roll around on the carcass of another animal when they happen upon it during your hike together?  What does your dog’s behavior trying to tell you related to these odiferous matters? What questions can we ask about all these stinky situations in order to assure our dogs are healthy and happy? Join Suzy for this engaging conversation!   

Matthew from South Africa has been training his dogs for agility since he was a young boy. At 17 now he has a lot of success with his dog and is winning prizes. He is asking how he can get his dogs to perform better and get the stuff out of the way that limits him and his dogs. He also is wondering if a rescue dog will ever be as great a performer as the dog you raised yourself? Join us in this conversation about agility!

Matthew from South Africa has been training his dogs for agility since he was a young boy. At 17 now he has a lot of success with his dog and is winning prizes. He is asking how he can get his dogs to perform better and get the stuff out of the way that limits him and his dogs. He also is wondering if a rescue dog will ever be as great a performer as the dog you raised yourself? Join us in this conversation about agility!

  I have two wonderful canine friends, a chocolate lab and a blue healer. Both are well-behaved and special beings. Last month, our small town changed its dog ordinances to be very restrictive. There are long beaches that we used to run down, and now I cannot even have the boys on that side of the street. We are adapting slowly, and truly I am more resistant than the dogs. My question is, as someone who has been around the world, what have you seen work for communities with dogs?  What laws and structures work to have a “dog community” get along? Are there any suggestions I could bring to the local government as alternatives to such sweeping restrictions? Suzy will address these questions and offer ideas and stories from her travels in many countries…all that have dogs!

  My Chihuahua, Max, is a year and a half and is mostly a love. Recently, he has exhibited aggressive behavior towards much bigger dogs. The cat he ignores (it’s mutual) and other small dogs are no problem, but if he sees a bigger dog he goes nuts. So far this has worked out for him, but I am concerned that one day soon he will push his luck too far. Do you have any suggestions? Why would he be so aggressive towards bigger dogs?  This week, Suzy will offer suggestions to work with this situation and similar scenarios.  She will discuss dynamics between dogs of all sizes and how to have them interact with ease.

  Dear Suzy, My daughter is afraid of dogs. My husband and I would eventually like to bring a dog into our household and would like to know how we can help her with her fear. I believe her anxiety with dogs started in our previous neighborhood because the neighbor’s dog would run to the fence and bark at her whenever she walked by their house. Now she associates dogs with aggression and barking. How can I help her ease her way back to being comfortable with dogs? How will I know when we are ready to bring a dog into the house, and how can I make sure we adopt a gentle dog for her? This week, Suzy will offer suggestions and energetic clearings to help alleviate this situation. Join us!

  There are so many “training tools” on the market today it can be confusing to know which will work for your dog.  Everyone has their perspective on whether crate training, muzzles, shock collars, clickers and food rewards are appropriate tools to use. How can you know which methods to choose? Also, is it ever useful to have someone else train your dog? What if it was easy to discover what could work for your particular dog? This week, Suzy will lend her experience with a variety of training tools to help you find those that will work for your dog.

Recently I was asked to dog sit my friend’s two dogs. I was excited to have them come over and stay with me and my two dogs! On the first day we were all together, we went to the park to play fetch. Very quickly I felt that I had lost any real control of my friend’s dogs while they were engaged with my dogs in the ball play. Then, when another person and their dog showed up it got even worse. I tried calling my friend’s dogs back to me and they did not respond. One of them became aggressive with the new dog and the other dogs just kind of ran off in different directions. I ran to physically restrain my friend’s dog, and when I called only my dogs came back. It took a while but everyone was rounded up safely. This experience was vey upsetting to me. I now wonder what could I have done differently? How could I have maintained better control of all the dogs that I was responsible for? How can I know what I’m getting into before accepting my dog sitting clients? Join Suzy live this week as she offers suggestions and insights to these questions and more!  

  My older dog has slowed down recently. The vet says nothing is physically wrong, “just old age.” He has always enjoyed the daily routine, walks, food play with the other younger dogs. Now it’s like he has no enthusiasm for life, doesn’t want to walk, is grouchy with the other dogs, and sleeps a lot. My dog seems “checked out”…what can I do? How can aging be an enjoyable experience for your dog? Join Suzy as she offers suggestions and clearings for your older dog to have ease and joy.

Fireworks are beautiful and LOUD! Some dogs have an extreme challenge with loud noises. What are the reasons some dogs fear loud sounds more than others? How can we help them to stay calm when there are fireworks in the area? Is it a good idea to bring your dog to celebrations that may include fireworks? How do you know what your dog prefers? Suzy will offer tips that support calm and ease when fireworks are part of the fun.

  So…the three-year-old rescue dog you just brought home is not house broken and has no basic training whatsoever. How is training an adult dog different than a puppy? What techniques of working with energy can be used to enhance communication? What awareness can you have about how the training is being received by your dog?  Join Suzy as she shares how to start or improve the process of training and communicating with your adult dog. 

Dear Suzy, I am one of three dogs in my household.  We live with two cats (ugh) and then there’s the fish… However, it is the people who are the most difficult. One is loud and demanding when he talks to me. Two of them give me whatever I want, and I don’t listen to what they tell me to do. Then, some people I live with ignore me completely unless they are saying “no!”  I get such mixed signals. Please help! The Dog    * This week Suzy will address the issue of multiple adults living in a house with many pets, and the sometimes conflicting styles of animal interaction under one roof.  

Are you or your dog having trouble with the mail cutting routine? Some tips, tricks, clearings and information to make this easier on you and your dog. What could make this a joyful experience for everybody involved?

  Ever since Jessie the cat, came scratching at Jan’s glass sliders one cold October New Hampshire night about seven years ago she’s been “a dream of a cat companion.” Jessie has recently been acting differently and Jan will ask Suzy about what may be going on.  Jan is in business doing boarding and doggie daycare, usually for one to eight dogs at her condo.  When Jessie first came to Jan, she did not seem to be intimidated by the dogs, but now she doesn't want to have the slightest bit of relationship with them.  She will stay in the bedroom or the guest bedroom where she is protected from the dogs by baby gates.  She can see the dogs but they usually don't even notice her hiding under the bed. Jan wonders what Jessie feels about this situation. Did something happen that affected Jessie’s trust in the canine world or just what is going on with her? Suzy will help Jan ask questions to discover what is occurring for Jessie so that everyone may once again have ease at home. 

  Family trips, camping, hiking and swimming are only some of the fun activities that happen during the hottest time of year. How do we include our pets in these activities and remain sensitive to their needs? What questions can you ask that would contribute to the fun you will have with your dog this summer? Have you asked what your dog wants to do? Suzy will offer tips and suggestions to help this be the best summer of adventure for you and your dog.