Dogs have been with us for a long time. Learning what science has to say about dogs literally changed my life in so many wonderful ways. In order to share some of the joy and wonder, I began writing about dogs and my experiences living and learning with them. There are three different series of essays for you, each with a slightly different perspective.
Sensible Canine is about looking at our lives with our dogs and trying to make sense of the various trends, information, and techniques we use in training with our dogs. Not everything in dog training is about the methods or equipment we use to teach our dogs. There are “two ends of the leash”, so to speak. We should always consider the human element and how our own thought processes affect how we work with our dogs. Dog training may seem simple but it isn’t easy to do it well. How informed we are and the time we spend thinking about how we approach dog training can help or hinder our communication with our dogs. A little more thinking can mean a lot less effort!
Canine Nation is a series of essays about dogs, behaviour, and training. For years I trained my dogs using well-worn methods by the Monks of New Skeet, Barbara Woodhouse, and others. All compulsion based, dominance focused methods that worked well enough until they didn’t. They led us to a dangerous confrontation with our 18-month-old dog Vince. That forced me to re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about dogs and training. My 16+ year journey through changing how I live and work with my dogs is reflected in these essays. You can read them at the Life As A Human website. They are the basis for my podcast episodes.
From the Hill is a series of more informal essays on various dog related topics – training, behaviour, professional trainers, social media and more. They are a bit more personal. A bit more rambly. They come from a more philosophical point of view. Just an outlet for my reflective side to come out. They are generally more off-the-cuff thoughts that occur to me from time to time. These essays can be found here under the Writing menu. Just click on “From the Hill” to browse through them.
Guest Authors – From time to time I ask other dog people to allow to post their writings. I am grateful to know some very smart, very insightful people. Some are dog professionals, some are academics, some are dog owners and dog lovers Most are all of the above. I am pleased to have them sharing their thoughts here!
