Dog Training

Halloween at the Mall – A New Sam and Bubbles Adventure

October 31, 2011
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The plan was simple. To have a family friendly public access outing at a mall. “Let’s make it low key,” I think. “Give Sam and Bubbles and the adults a chance to practice in a not t00 overwhelming environment but one that will allow for various stimuli.” So, a rendezvous was planned at Beachwood Place [...]

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Doctor Doctor, Give Me the News!

October 15, 2011
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Wishing it so doesn’t always make it so. But today I like to think Sam learned the magic of wishing and his mom saw a dream come true. Today Sam had 2 doctor appointments. Never a fun task. Two in one day! Often, per mom’s reports, such endeavors involve lots of dragging of child and [...]

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Bubbles Part III

October 5, 2011
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It’s been exactly two weeks since Bubbles paired with Sam. I have to admit I’m quite impressed with the speed with which they have bonded although I’m not surprised. It really speaks to my motto of getting the right make and model of dog for the job. And there’s the significant and measurable improvements in [...]

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Bubbles Repurposed – Part 2

September 29, 2011
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Part 2 – Placement (Part 1 – Repurposing) As you may recall, Bubbles arrived in my care back in January 2011 as a 9 week old golden retriever puppy selected for specifically for an autistic boy —  her sensitivity, beauty, good health and breed type all taken into a balanced consideration for the best functioning [...]

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Bubbles Repurposed

September 26, 2011
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This year winter splashed into spring, spring to sultry summer, which slipped subtly into fall, the harvest time of year (although my tomatoes never did seem to ripen). Later this week marks Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, considered the new year of people, animals and legal contracts. In the Jewish oral tradition, Rosh Hashanah [...]

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Must be time for School!

September 10, 2011
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I’ve put my white shoes away, school buses and blinking school zone lights remind me schools are back in session, the days are shortening and the dogs air sniff for new odors. It must be fall! Brush up on rusty skills, learn new ones, have fun with your dog. Join us for group classes beginning [...]

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Learning Styles

August 30, 2011
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I don’t intentionally wait until the last minute to get something done. I just fill up the vacuum of time allotted to tasks with additional chores that I somehow convince myself need to get done. A large distraction is the particular fondness I have in a pet and kid friendly house for sucking up prolific [...]

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International Assistance Dog Week 2011 Har-Vest Hurrah

August 8, 2011
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It’s that time of year again — International Assistance Dog Week. The week was created to recognize all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs helping individuals mitigate their disability related limitations. The goals of IADW are to: Recognize and honor assistance dogs Raise awareness and educate the public about assistance dogs Honor puppy raisers and trainers [...]

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Har-Vest Celebration – Countdown Begins, Bubba Leaves

July 20, 2011
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Six months of nurturing, training, reinforcing, encouraging, stifling, socializing, supervising and loving one fluff of a golden puppy service dog in training in a metamorphosis from hapless to hopeful leads me to the eve of her permanent transition into her working home. Bubba moves out tomorrow!! To celebrate her accomplishments, A Better Pet LLC is [...]

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Bubbles 8 month review

July 13, 2011

Adolescence summed up in just over a minute. In this video, 12 year old Sophie and 8 month old Bubbles, both in the throes of adolescence, test each other. Note how both check in with “the mama” (i.e., me the videographer) and upon being ignored, are forced to deal with each other. I love how [...]

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