Transitioning from pee-pads to going outside

It was going to have to happen sometime. Now that it's warmer in Toronto and I want to take Farfl places, she needs to be properly house trained so that she knows that it's not appropriate to "go" indoors. But how do you make that transition? Farfl is so used to being able to go whenever she pleases  because she's had access to a pee-pad at all times - I wondered how to teach her that it's best...

What Do You Do With Your Dog When You Go On Vacation?

My husband and I had planned a trip to England for a few days. Michael is a writer and was invited to appear at Jewish Book Week in London.  A fantastic opportunity for him to promote his work to the British market and a perfect excuse for me to get back home, eat fish and chips and drink real beer. But what should we do with Farfl while we were gone? We couldn't take her with us because she...

“The Puppy Whisperer” Book Review

Did you ever buy a book and think: "I wish I'd had this book before I...."? Well, that's pretty much how I felt when I picked up and read a copy of Puppy Whisperer: A Compassionate, Non Violent Guide to Early Training and Care. I took a quick look inside before I bought it and thought: "What the hell, I'll give it a try." I started reading it yesterday and I just finished it - what a fabulous...

Housetraining a Chihuahua

Small dogs get a bad rap when it comes to house training Because they're little, it can be easy to overlook a chihuahua puppy's accidents, because they're not as gigantic or disastrous as those left by a rottweiler or shepherd puppy. But this is a big mistake. I live in Toronto, which is very, very cold and snowy in the winter time. This makes housetraining tricky because it's not safe to take a...