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Freya came home in August of 2015 with huge dog aggression issues and very intense prey drive directed towards my cat. A big project, for sure. The focus of this article is to address the cat issues. At first, meaning for the first few months, I basically kept Freya in my office and only gave her housetime when she was on a leash. Here's a quick run-down of her first few encounters with my cat, Pasca:  1. We pass by kitty, who is sitting on a desk, on our way out to the backyard. Freya puts her whole mouth over...

If you're leaning towards a more holistic approach to your dog's health and wellness routine, here are some things I suggest. To be clear: I am in no way an expert in this area, and always suggest seeking medical advice from a (holistic) veterinarian. This is simply a list of personal decisions I have made for my own dogs, the results of which have been positive for me and my fur-family. 1. Feed a raw diet. Yes, this is important. I'm vegan, and I don't like handling dead animal parts, but buying kibble is a total cop-out in this area. I...

I currently have my dogs on an "attention diet." That means "no touch, no talk, no eye contact," as Cesar Millan would say (and I promise you, this is both the first and last time I will ever quote Cesar!). Why do my dogs need an attention diet? Well, they've received way too much attention indoors, been completely anthropomorphized, overstimulated, over-pet, overly coo-ed to, and in a fairly co-dependent relationship with me for most of their lives. It's only day two and so far, so good. I've been able to practically go "cold turkey" and my dogs are snoring soundly while...

Dogs are like humans in many ways, including their biology. An important biological element that we share is the 10th cranial nerve, also known as the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve connects the brain to the body and helps regulate the autonomic nervous system in both humans and dogs. When all is going well our ventral vagus is in charge, and we have feelings of safety and comfort. Our breathing and movements are easy and joyful. We are in a state of flow, showing playful behavior while interacting with others. When we start to sense fear or perceive danger, this system also helps...

I wanted to share with you some of my recommendations for crate training a puppy. Many people have an aversion to using a crate with their dog because they think it's cruel to put him in a "cage." The first thing you have to wrap your head around is that dogs are den animals, and a crate for a dog is analogous to a bedroom for a human. Try searching Google images of "wolf den" and you will see that they often hang out in little dirt holes. It is safe, it is comforting, and it is their home. Instead...