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The Other End of the Leash - Nature & Animals
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More Great Books! - The Other End of the Leash
Can we all just retire from everything else and read dog/animal-related books for the next few weeks? No? Me either. But still, so many new great books out there! Here are some I am excited about, in no particular order: Welcoming Your Puppy From Planet Dog, by Kathy Callahan. Kathy writes regularly for Whole Dog […]
Just Photos Today. No Labor on Labor Day! - The Other End of the Leash
I’m continuing my tradition of “little labor on Labor Day,” and so am posting a pot pourri of pictures in hopes you will enjoy them. I’m writing this as Jim drives us back from the WWWSDA Midwest Championship Sheepdog Trial outside of Hudson, WI. Skip and I didn’t run, but both dogs got to work […]
An Eye on Guide Dogs-What They Want Us To Know - The Other End of the Leash
One of my greatest pleasures is getting to know loyal blog readers. Bonus: Their dogs! Laura Lauteret (Laura L now) has commented often for several years, and many of us had heavy hearts when we learned that her beloved guide dog, Seamus, died of hemangiosarcoma four years ago. What a joy to meet her new […]
"Intelligent Disobedience" - Thank Heavens for It - The Other End of the Leash
I loved Jennifer Holland’s book, Dog Smart: Life-Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence, so much that I asked her if we could talk more about it sometime. Jennifer is one of those great adventurers, fueled by grit and curiosity, who scuba dives with sharks, and camps with Indigenous people in Papua New Guinea. She is the […]
Less is More, She Says Again, and Again and . . . - The Other End of the Leash
I’m just back from a “Writer’s Retreat” organized by the Madison Writer’s Studio. It was a glorious three days, full of inspiration, support, and teachings about the craft of writing. I’m grateful to Jim for holding down the fort, and for Susanna Daniel and Michelle Wildgen, the forces behind the MWS, for organizing such a […]
Summer Summer Summertime! - The Other End of the Leash
Well, you can’t say it’s been dull. First, to get this out of the way, because I’ve never learned to be comfortable with this kind of thing: There’s a big “Everything on Sale!” bonanza going on at patriciamcconnell.com. I’m posting this earlier than usual because the sale is over at midnight (eastern) on Monday. I […]
Overheating in Dogs - The Concerns Increase - The Other End of the Leash
A few weeks ago Skip and I were in a trial when it was in the high 80’s and humid. Very little breeze. In short, awful. Of course, I was worried about Skip, given his bad heart, and wouldn’t have run him if the course hadn’t been a short one. I got him in the […]
Board and Train: Good Option or Not? - The Other End of the Leash
Lately there has been an increase, in my area anyway, in “Board and Train” businesses (B & T). You give them your dog for one, two, or three weeks, and get back a dog who is . . . what? Much better behaved? Perfect on leash walks, never jumps up, and only barks on cue? […]
Preventing Thunder Phobia with Thunder Treats, or, Skip Becomes a Rug - The Other End of the Leash
Ah, the irony. I had planned to repost a piece about helping to prevent or treat thunder phobia, and then ended up in the cellar last Tuesday night after the TV weather dude said, not quite in these words, “There’s a tornado moving toward your house, it just hasn’t touched down yet.” We are not […]
Guys: We Need You In Dog Training Seminars - The Other End of the Leash
I’ve been to a lot of dog-related seminars, and, at every one, the female/male ratio is something like 90/10. Or 95/5. I thought it would be different at the Im-PECK-able seminar put on by K9 Behavior Consortium, thinking of all the guys I’ve run into over the years with law enforcement dogs, especially drug and […]
Spring is Busting Out All O-o-o-o-ver! - The Other End of the Leash
I was working on a post this morning (It begins: “I may be an idiot for bringing this up, but I can’t help myself . . .”), and then a dental adventure took up too much time and energy, so I’ll post it next week. Promise. So, it’s all about spring and the farm today. […]
Sniffing Out Scent Dog Training - The Other End of the Leash
Well, how fun was that? Last weekend I was at the “Im-PECK-able Training Seminar” put on by Craig Schultz and Sally Dickinson for the K9 Behavior Consortium in Manassas, VA. I went primarily to learn more about sniffer dogs for my next mystery novel (wheeeee!), but reveled in spending time with some great dogs, and […]
Practice Your Observation Skills on Dogs and SHEEP! - The Other End of the Leash
Skip ran in our first trial last weekend, and while watching the video to figure out how the heck he got a shed (the only really good one of the trial), I realized what a great opportunity it was to play the “Sharpen Our Observation Skills” game. I’ll never forget my first day of Ethology […]
Behavioral or Medical? Or both? - The Other End of the Leash
I recently had a great talk with Emily Priestley, the author of Urban Sheepdogs. I reviewed her book a few weeks ago, and although I noted some issues, I am a big fan of her attempt to help people understand that the behavior of their border collies or cattle dogs is not a mystery or […]
March 11, 2024 - The Other End of the Leash
Last week a dear friend brought her teenage Bernedoodle, Leo, over to meet Skip and Maggie. Leo was like Sheldon at a Comic Con Convention (can you tell I’ve been watching Big Bang Theory?)–all enthusiasm and no social finesse. This is Maggie after he tried to mount her head. (Please supply caption.) In spite of […]
Book Reviews: Who's a Good Dog? & Urban Sheepdogs - The Other End of the Leash
I don’t pretend to be able to keep up with all the dog/animal behavior books being published right now, but two books got my attention this week that I thought you might find interesting. In some ways, they couldn’t be much different from each other. Who’s […]
Winter Get Away in Jamaica - The Other End of the Leash
We’re just back from a week in Jamaica. Good to go, good to be home. Usually winter trips around here are motivated by a desire to escape the cold. Not this time, I think it was in the 50’s when we left. We basically had about two weeks of real winter–very cold, lots of snow–but […]
Dark Eyes in Dogs, or Light? (& Other Preferences About Looks) - The Other End of the Leash
I just read a fascinating article in the Royal Society Open Journal finding that dark-eyed dogs were rated friendlier and less mature than light-eyed dogs by people viewing photos of just their eyes and muzzle. It included dogs of multiple breeds, whose images had eyes that had been both darkened and lightened (toward yellow, not […]
How Dog Training and Editing are the Same. - The Other End of the Leash
Continuing my ability to relate just about everything in the world to dog training, I offer you some thoughts about how good editing is like good dog training. For example, here is a typical editing progression, starting with: “I really think that dog is too hot to keep working.” Eeeps, delete the “really”: […]
2024: A Year of Delight in Small Things - The Other End of the Leash
First, and most importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Of course, we all know, it’s really just another day, the “year” concept being an arbitrary construction of our brain’s need for order. But, hey: “Just another day?” Maybe there’s no such thing. Not “just another day,” but HOLY S___!, WE GET ANOTHER DAY!!!! 2023 has not been […]
The 5 Things Our Dogs Want for the Holidays - The Other End of the Leash
While feeling a bit reflective, and thinking about what to write today, I went into the archives to see what I’d written this month ten years ago. I ran into this post, which I’d forgotten about, and decided it deserved to come out of moth balls, like some Christmas tree decorations stashed in the back […]
Call Me Crazy, but I LOVE gifting for the Holidays - The Other End of the Leash
I know. Really, I do. There are many downsides to the commercialization of the winter holiday season. We all know that they are-too focused on material things, leading to too much stuff in the world for the environment, and too hard on folks who can’t afford food much less gifts. I’m always resistant to make […]
Unilateral Deafness in Dogs (and Skip?) - The Other End of the Leash
Ever since I got Skip, three and a half years ago, he has turned preferentially toward me to his left, even if to the right is shorter. If I call him when I am at six o’clock, and he is facing three, he turns to his left and runs 3/4 of the way around the […]
Love and Dogs and Dogs and Us - The Other End of the Leash
Feeling a tad raw today. A combination of the untold suffering in the world, worries about the future (mine, yours, our country’s, humanity), and recovering from facial surgery on an eyelid–just a small carcinoma, but eyelid surgery is not to be recommended. Nor is anesthesia during reconstructive surgery when you have CFS and POTS symptoms. […]
Do Dogs Need a Job? - The Other End of the Leash
A reader told us he’d repeatedly read that “dogs need a job.” Such advice is not hard to find, including on the AKC site, “How to Give Your Dog Jobs.“ Our reader then asked: Do they? Really? Ah, good question. Before we all try to send our border collies to coding school and turn […]
Cavorting in Cape Breton - The Other End of the Leash
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. What a fabulous place! Jim and I feel crazy lucky to have been able to have spent a week there with three other couples. We rented an AirBnB on Boularderie Island together, inspired by Celtic Colours, an island-wide celebration of music, and the sights and sounds of a truly multi-cultural place. […]
Do You Teach "Don't Do That?" - The Other End of the Leash
Here’s an interesting question: Should you teach a dog the concept of “no, don’t do that?” If so, how would you teach it? This came up during a discussion generated by an earlier post, “Asking versus Telling.” It was mentioned that very few classes teach the concept of “Don’t do that,” but lots of owners […]
Dogs, Play, and the Audience Effect - The Other End of the Leash
Dogs play more together when being watched, a research result I’ve been fascinated by since it came out in 2021. Maggie, playing with Skip in the photo above, is the poster child for this phenomenon. She’ll stop, look at me, pointedly. Why? We all know I’m just guessing, but I get the distinct impression that […]
Celebrating Labor Day (by Doing Little Labor) - The Other End of the Leash
It is Labor Day as I write this, a holiday that deserves a lot of attention. There is controversy about exactly who got it started, but forces gathered in 1882 to pay tribute to laborers and workers who rarely get attention and acknowledgement. It feels especially important now, given the Writer’s Guild of America strike […]
Asking versus Telling Our Dogs - The Other End of the Leash
This post is inspired by Katha Miller-Winder’s new book: Practicing Partnership: A therapy dog and his person. My favorite part of the book (definitely recommended for anyone with, or about to have, a therapy dog), is on page 7 and 8: “If I’m being a true partner for my dog, I’ve given the dog […]
Vacation. And, ah, yes, life. - The Other End of the Leash
Today it’s all (sort of) MEANWHILE, down on the farm, because I’m spoiling myself and writing about our family vacation in Vermont, and the “joys” of reality at home. First, the good. The very, very good: We splurged on a Billings family vacation in the Green Mountains of Vermont last week. Jim’s two sons, wives/partners, […]
For the Love of (a) Dog - The Other End of the Leash
It’s not often that an author emails you and asks your blessing to use what is essentially the title of one of your own books. But I got an email in January from Pilley Bianchi, the daughter of Dr. John W. Pilley, who not only made his dog Chaser famous, he changed our expectations […]
Evaluate this Video! - The Other End of the Leash
I’m so curious what you think of what’s happening in this video. As you can see, it’s label suggests that the dam is “teaching her puppies to be calm.” What I’m especially interested in is the reaction I got when I posted this on Facebook yesterday. Many people agreed with my evaluation that “teaching calm” […]
Traveling with Dogs - The Other End of the Leash
Last week we traveled to the Rush Creek Sheepdog Trial outside of Sidney, Ohio. We took it slow, took two days to get there and two days back, and every day I felt grateful for how fun it is to travel with Skip and Maggie. Our meandering trip–lots of small roads off the interstate–meant three […]
The Thrill of Victory Comes with the Slump of Defeat (No Agony Necessary) - The Other End of the Leash
So, last year Jim built me some beautiful raised beds so that I could grow veggies without fighting the jungle of weeds that encroach all my gardens like an advancing army. The beds are so high that I don’t have to bend over to tend them—Jim actually had to make one shorter when I realized […]
The Bitey End of the Dog Podcast - The Other End of the Leash
Wow. I just listened to the first episode of Season Four of Michael Shikashio‘s podcast, The Bitey End of the Leash. He interviews a range of great thinkers related to canine aggression in his podcast, including, this season, Karen London and Mark Beckoff. But the first episode was with me, focusing on trauma in dogs. […]
Is Your Dog Doing Something You Don't Like? Do Your Own Intake Interview! - The Other End of the Leash
I’m not seeing clients anymore, beyond helping out an occasional friend, but a conversation with some colleagues got me thinking about the value of thinking through an issue with your dog as if you were your own client. I’ve used this technique before myself–writing out the “problem behavior,” deciding what behavior I do want in […]
Excellent New Book on Companion Animals and Mental Health - The Other End of the Leash
Recently I had the honor of writing the forward for an important and timely book: The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders. Published by the American Psychiatric Association, this book is a testament to the hard work of mental health researchers and practitioners who are doing their best to find when, […]
What's the Key to Polite Dog Play? - The Other End of the Leash
Watching dogs play well together is one life’s greatest joys. One of my essential criteria when looking for a dog to replace Willie was whether he played well with Maggie. We tried two dogs out before we found Skip, neither of whom had any interest in playing with Maggie. Maggie ignored one, and hated the […]
Punishing Yourself with Positive Reinforcement - The Other End of the Leash
Cookies! Praise! Belly Rubs! Using positive reinforcement feels so easy, and is such a great way to have a healthy and happy relationship with your dog. The research is overwhelming that training with R+ builds trust, reduces stress, and is effective at teaching new and desired behaviors. And. Yet. There are plenty of pitfalls to […]