Lisa and David love their dog, MacGyver, but not his habit of putting his paws on their laps or on the table when they sit down to eat. Their solution as been to stand up at the kitchen counter for dinner. They don’t know what to do so they can have a meal together. In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith [...]

You'll be amazed at how positive reinforcement training improves your relationship with your dog ... and your relationships with other people too. Colleen Pelar and Julie Fudge Smith talk about their own experiences with old-school, force-based methods as compared with positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement methods focus on solutions, not problems. These techniques make you and your dog a team, not [...]

Someone's knocking at the door, somebody's ringing the bell. Does your family dog say, "Do me a favor, open the door, and let 'em in," like Paul McCartney does? Is your dog delighted to have someone at the door, or are strangers on the doorstep stressful for your dog? The sound of doorbells and knocking gets many dogs revved up [...]

It seems that all kids know to ask, "May I pet your dog?" That's terrific, but it's only the first step. In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar share tips for helping kids and dogs get to know one another in ways that make them both feel comfortable.   Three Steps for Meeting a Dog Ask [...]

Is it a good idea to get a dog for your child? Can a child be truly responsible for a dog? In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar discuss the difference between a family dog and a dog for the kids. Kids can do a great job caring for dogs, but in the end, we believe that it's [...]

Happy Thanksgiving to our American listeners. No tips today. Instead Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar have a discussion about the many ways that dogs enrich our lives.   Enjoy these thankful posts from Julie's blog: Dogs in our lives The Best Deal on the Planet A Canine Grief Observed   [us_image_slider arrows="always" nav="none" transition="slide" fullscreen="0" autoplay="0" ids="3355,3346,3255,3269,3302,3270" [...]

Intelligence toys are a great way to keep your dog healthy and happy. This week, Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar talk about some of their favorite toys and share tips for making them easy to use. (There's also a great tip for families with new babies.)   We've got all sorts of things for you to check [...]

Some dogs love riding in the car. Others do not. When your dog doesn't like getting in the car, there are a host of associated challenges and limits placed on how you can enjoy your leisure time. No canine sidekick riding with you to the bank or fun outing to a nearby hiking trail. Trips to the vet are especially [...]

Our brains are always making up stories to help us make sense of our world. But sometimes the storories we make up do more harm than good. We see this often when people talk about their dog's behavior. They use words like "resentful," "stubborn," "spiteful," and "angry" to describe behaviors commonly related to stress. Their descriptions can imply a moral [...]

There's nothing better than watching kids and dogs play happily together. Happily--that's the key word. Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar share some of their favorite games that kids can play with dogs under the supervision of an adult who knows how to set everyone up for success. Three rules for games with kids and dogs: Be calm. [...]

As anyone who has ever loved a dog knows, the pain of losing them is inescapable. In today's episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Colleen Pelar talk about feeling all the emotions that go along with love and loss. If you haven't used enough tissues by the end of the conversation, here are some more resources that may help [...]

Choosing a name for your dog ... it's harder than it sounds. Do you love quirky names? Common names? Simple names? Human names? How do you come up with just the right name? Looking for a little inspiration? Check out the Giant Book of Dog Names.