The Smart Dog U Blog

We're God Parents!

I've never yearned to be a god parent. I don't have brothers or sisters, so the chance of me being one was slim to none anyway, but I'm just not the kind of person to be voted god parent. 

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Deep Dog Love: The Ties That Bind

I'm writing from Chicago at a conference about blogging. BlogHer is a big conference for women who blog. I'm here alone, don't know anyone, and there is not one session that is dog-related. Basically, I'm a fish out of water.

I'm extroverted, though, and can make friends quickly, but I feel most comfortable with dog people. I don't mean people with dogs, I mean *dog people*. People who enjoy dogs to their core.

BlogHer attendees fall into some broad categories, but the main ones are mommy bloggers, fashionistas, and foodies. I love to eat food -- that's about how much I have in common with this crowd.

Or so I thought.

To my delight, I was in the middle of a session by some food photographers and videographers (storytellers, really), White on Rice Couple (http://whiteonricecouple.com/), when I suddenly found myself crying. Actual tears.

This couple are phenomenal storytellers -- with photography and with video. And guess who starred in their own personal stories? Guess what recharged their batteries at the end of their long days?

Their dog.

They are dog people. There's no doubt that they GET dogs. The tears came unexpectedly. They were there before I even knew they were coming. The tears came because the way these folks told their story was exactly how dogs make me feel, too. It was like finding someone in a foreign country who speaks your language. It was bliss.

Coming to a conference that's out of my comfort zone is important, albeit difficult. What I'm getting while I'm here, though, is affirmation that I am living my passion. There's nothing I want to do more than help dog lovers -- not just people who have dogs -- enjoy their dogs even more.

For all my fellow dog people, dogs are the ties that bind. I don't care how much money you do (or don't) make, I don't care what church you do (or don't) go to, I don't care what political party you do (or don't) belong to. If you are a dog person and love your dog like he's family, we've got a lot in common.

And that makes me really happy.

What's A Dog Girl Doing at BlogHer13?

I'm not just a girl who loves dogs. I'm a girl who loves dogs and wants every dog to have a fantastic life with his (or her) people. So I blog about how you can make your dog's life as magnificent as caninely possible. 

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Shock Collars: Necessary or Not?

All of us who love dogs wouldn't intentionally cause them pain. They are our true friends. Our faithful friends. Unconditional love.

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Train Your Dog Like You Love Him

The 3 Essentials for Your Dog: Teach. Play. Love.

Penguins? Whales? Dogs? Yep, All Trained the Same Way!

If you've ever seen a Sea World animal show, visited a zoo, or been lucky enough to see a show at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, you've seen clicker training in action. While in the marine mammal show, they use a whistle instead of a click, the premise is still the same. It's good old positive reinforcement training at work. 

 

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Dog Training is Like Weeding A Garden

We went away for the long 4th of July weekend and had a blast. When we returned home, unpacked, and sat on the patio to relax in the afternoon sun, I was dismayed to find that the flower garden, that I'd just weeded before we left, was overrun with new weeds! 

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Dog Owner’s Survival Skills for the 4th of July

Dogs don’t really celebrate the independence of the U.S. They don’t even know they’re in the U.S. They certainly don’t see the beauty of – or understand – fireworks or why we’re even celebrating. I think the 4^th is one of the noisiest celebrations of the year. And unfortunately, lots of dog owners want their dogs to celebrate and be part of the noise.

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