Oh man, we’ve got several yellow jacket nests in the ground behind our home. We’ve had several treated by an exterminator and now the dogs have found another nest. I don’t see much on the web about this. Are dogs allergic to their stings like some people are? My neighbor also has this problem, anyone else? The exterminator knew a lot about treating the problem but not about dogs reaction to the stings. It doesn’t look like they’ve been stung yet but when they get too close to the nest, the wasps swarm like crazy. The person who cuts our grass got stung 4 times Saturday when he accidentally stepped on a nest. Anyone know what to do and if the sting of these wasps is harmful to the dogs?
July 29, 2009
Etiquette at the dog park
We recently got a dog who is about 8 months old and we really want to take her to the dog park. We’ve heard conflicting stories about them…some swear by them and others have nothing nice to say about them. Can anyone tell me about their experiences? Is it good for your dog? What are the pros and cons of this adventure? Are the ownersattentive to their dogs or am I putting her in a positon where another dog will attack her? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
July 25, 2009
Puppy Training Classes or Private Dog Training?
We have an 8 week old puppy and want to enroll him in puppy classes and then dog obedience classes. Which do you think is better…group classes or in-home, private dog training?
July 14, 2009
Puppies may not be good match for home offices
Alison- I work from home too and thought that a puppy would be perfect since I would almost always be around to care for them. Was I ever wrong! Puppy care was by far more time consuming and frustrating than I realized and it was really challenging to “work” at home with all the puppy interuptions. While I adore my puppy, it was not a good choice and I’ve had to hire help just so that I could work during the day! Save yourself and get an older, already trained dog.
July 13, 2009
Puppy hood almost killed us!
I remember puppy-hood. We almost didn’t survive it. We didn’t listen to our dog trainer when he told us to buy all the puppy books we could and to read them BEFORE the puppy came home as we wouldn’t have any time to read them after. He wasn’t kidding. Our next dog will be at least 2 years old!
Puppy care, from your Paws in Training editor
Puppy care is exhausting work yet very rewarding if you have the time and the energy to devote to the task. As mentioned by some of our bloggers, many dog owners are surprised at the amount of work in raising a puppy. Raising a behaviorally healthy puppy takes a village! We suggest that before anyone brings a puppy home that they read everything they can get their hands on relative to puppy needs and early training requirements. Develop a relationship immediately with a veterinarian, a pet sitter (puppies must eat and go to the bathroom every few hours) and dog trainer who is experienced in puppy care. A puppies behavior and temperment are defined within the first 12 weeks of his life. Make sure you have a suitable network and plenty of time to mold your pup into a good member of society.
June 26, 2009
Why didn’t the puppy store tell me?
Hi! I’m hoping to get some suggestions for what breed of dog we should get. My husband and I both had shepherd mixes in our families growing up, so we’re thinking maybe something different now that we’re adults 
We are both around 30 and don’t have any children yet. We have our own internet business that we run from our home, so one or both of us is here pretty much all day. Some weekends, we go hiking and thought it would be great to share that with a dog. We love the idea of rescuing a dog, but also feel we want the experience of raising a puppy. So many options…we just can’t decide what to do! Does anyone have any suggestions?