Jack the Lab – Escape Artist, Fierce Hunter and Schemer

By |2023-09-12T13:20:50-07:00September 12, 2023|Behavior & Training|

By Neil Lurssen At first sight there was no real reason for Jack to get much attention. As Labrador Retrievers go, he wasn’t the handsomest member of his breed. His eyes were set quite close together for a blocky English lab and his black coat turned ash grey in blotches before he was two – maybe because he liked to plunge into our chlorinated swimming pool several times a day, rain or shine. After his swim he would sometimes find his spot under my desk, soaking wet, his head on my feet and ignoring orders to [...]

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Foster Reunions

By |2023-08-21T18:28:44-07:00August 21, 2023|Behavior & Training|

By Kim Bromley and Susie Harper If you’ve fostered a pet - especially kittens and puppies - you’ve heard this question: “How can you give them back? I could never do it.” And it’s true, fostering isn’t for everyone. We’ve written about fostering before in this blog: the joys and challenges, senior partners and the fun of seeing your fosters in their new homes. What we haven’t focused on solely is reunions. Herewith, one of the many pleasures of fostering: seeing once again and even spending time with foster pets post adoption. Susie Harper, long time [...]

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Who Needs Four Legs Anyway?

By |2023-06-29T12:05:37-07:00June 13, 2023|Behavior & Training|

A feisty little Terrier by the name of Petey is showing everyone at the Marin Humane shelter how he gets about fairly well with only two good legs. Petey was born with his rear legs badly deformed and not very useful for the type of running and playing that every spirited dog enjoys. He has taught himself to be remarkably agile despite this problem. In games of chase in grassy paddocks at the shelter, Petey keeps up with doggie playmates in a way that is heartwarming to see. But his human friends at the shelter have [...]

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Ranch Recalls

By |2023-06-29T11:55:51-07:00May 18, 2023|Behavior & Training|

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” – J.R.R Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings This winter I moved from my adorable, extremely comfortable cottage in downtown Larkspur to live on a 100-acre ranch in Petaluma. A friend inviting me to join her on a Big Adventure initiated this move. As it turns out, it was an act of training derring-do with regard to canine off-leash recalls. Ranch dogs do not use [...]

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Was I Dreaming?

By |2023-08-14T19:44:30-07:00May 2, 2023|Behavior & Training|

By Sal Citarella As I lay in bed, I became aware of something warm and wet on my hand. Couldn’t be my wife; she was on the other side. Could the toilet have overflowed! “Rusty”, I said. “What are you doing here? And why those wings and a halo?” “Relax, Pop”, he replied. “St. Pluto let me come say hello, ‘cause it’s my birthday. Would have been 17 today in your years, that is if you hadn’t let the ACT do what he did. “I’m sorry for that but you were not a happy pup.” “You [...]

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