Blog | Taming the Wild

Stuck in the Middle - Five Tips for Training During the Transition from Puppyhood to Adulthood

September 18, 2021 | Tips

The middle game is one of the most challenging phases of the chess contest, and most experts agree that it is here that victory or defeat awaits its contenders. But, chess experts also agree that it is here that we get the full orchestration of the game, where each player has the opportunity to make use of all of their pieces to carry out strategic combinations, launch attacks, and create defensive systems.

5 Basic Commands Every Dog Should Know

August 28, 2019 | Training, Tips

Training your dog is one of the best things you can do for your canine pal. Not only will you be giving them possibly life saving skills, you are providing them with physical and mental stimulation on a daily basis. While there are a number of commands you can teach your dog, there are five basic ones that should be on every pet owner’s list.

Socializing your Dog

July 08, 2019 | Training, Tips

Socialization in dogs is extremely important. Not only will it make your life easier when you go on walks or take your dog places, but it will make it safer for both your dog and others in the long run. Without proper socialization, you will have no clue of how your dog will react when he runs into another, unfamiliar dog.

I dont deserve your dog taming the wild blog

I Don't Deserve Your Dog : Controlling Your Dog in Public

March 20, 2019 | Training, Tips

I knew the bite would happen a few seconds before it occurred. It wasn’t an unlucky guess on my part. Rather, my hunch was based on my personal experience of having been bitten by a dog under similar circumstances and my observation of the attacking dog’s behavior before the bite.

7 Seconds - Proper Dog Training Requires Our Attention

March 01, 2019 | Tips

Recently, I was advised by an Emmy award-winning news reporter that I have 7 seconds to capture my audience with my blogs, articles, Facebook live events, radio shows, and so forth, or otherwise, they’re gone. Only the week before that, I was warned by a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert that prospective clients spend, on average, a mere 7 seconds on a website’s page before they bounce (that’s SEO slang for they’re gone). To make matters worse, a month previous, I was informed by a clinical psychologist that the average attention span of most people is approximately 7 seconds. All of which means, by now, there’s an excellent chance I’m writing this blog for myself.

Eye See, Eye Learn - The Importance of Visual Signals for Training Your Dog

January 21, 2019 | Tips

In the blink of an eye, your dog lights out across the open lawn, but before you can react, it disappears into a far-off stand of trees bordering the park. Calling for your dog, you race to the spot where you last saw it while your mind races even faster to figure out what caused your dog to suddenly bolt from your side and run off without even a backward glance in your direction!

Wise Wants - Addressing Needs Before Wants Leads to Enjoyable Dog Companionship

December 24, 2018 | Tips

When I was a young boy, my mother would ask me each year what I wanted for Christmas. So each year, my answer would include the stuff of boys’ dreams like a G. I. Joe, a new BB gun, a train set, model airplanes, and fishing poles. One year, I really went big and asked for a new Yamaha dirt bike. However, to my disappointment, when each Christmas morning rolled around, I was seldom given the toys or other items I had so desperately wanted and instead, handed freshly wrapped boxes containing socks, underwear, boots, jeans, and flannel shirts.

Five tips for helping fido survive the holidyas 1

Five Tips for Helping Fido Survive the Holidays

December 19, 2018 | Tips

Just the other day, I was driving home from an outing with my dog when I passed a billboard announcing the annual, pre-Christmas sale at a major, local retailer. I remembered thinking, really? How can this be? Weren’t the holidays just here yesterday? Suddenly, the relaxing day I was having turned into anything but that as I began to go through my annual, mile-long, stress-inducing, pre-holidays mental checklist.

The Master Teacher - Overprotectiveness Can Be Harmful to Our Dogs

November 28, 2018 | Tips

In the cold, predawn darkness, I could barely make out the form of my four-month-old Siberian Husky pup, Tikaani, as he tugged against the ten-foot line that was secured to a nylon climbing belt fastened around my waist. With a low center of gravity built for easily pulling a heavy sled across frozen terrain and a nearly black coat, I was only aware of his presence because of the persistent jolts to my lower spine and the accompanying wheezing and hacking that occurred each time Tikanni threw his weight against his choke collar in an attempt to make me walk faster.

Willow the Wallflower: Not All Dogs Want to Play

August 26, 2018 | Tips

“Willow, come play!” Willow winced as she pressed her hind end as hard as she could against the rusty chainlink fence that surrounded the two-acre dog park. Years ago, she had discovered the fence’s ability to protect that area of her body, while her teeth took care of defending the rest.

Watchful Walter: Paranoia Exists Among Dogs

June 10, 2018 | Tips

The 2 am chiming of the handmade Freiburg Grandfather Clock, whose presence overwhelmed the small dining room where it rested, temporarily drowned out the click, click, click sound of nails being dragged across the hardwood floor as Walter systematically scanned the dark outside world from the vantage point of every window in the house. However, the clanging, four-note melody, which repeated itself three times every hour, failed to distract Walter from his nightly vigilance.

Samson the Great Protector: Your Dog is not Always Protecting You

April 13, 2018 | Tips

As Samson watched, the young woman standing a few feet from him kept stealing nervous glances in his direction. With each flick of her eyes, she would simultaneously jerk the leash she was gripping in her left hand to keep the small dog on the other end from getting too close to him. Even though the little dog had succeeded in coming within a few inches of Samson’s muzzle on a few of its lunges, the dog was nothing more than an annoyance to Samson whose eyes remained fixed on the young woman.