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Bark! Confessions of a Dog Trainer blog
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Rachel R. Baum
3 min read
Let the chase begin
I confess I am amazed at the number of dog owners who resort to chasing their dog when he runs off with an item he has stolen. Let’s...
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Rachel R. Baum
3 min read
The spare dog
Three year old Cocker Spaniel Moe lives with his human companions in a nice house with a fenced yard. He has everything a dog could want:...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Not what you think
I confess that sometimes I judge people. For example, when someone says they paid $3,000 for their purebred puppy, I imagine a well-to-do...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Odd man out
Edgar is a 2 year old Miniature Dachshund who has never known a day without his siblings Rottweiler Hannah and Pitbull mix J.P. All of...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Take this dog and…
I remember thinking when my kids were little how life was full of incredible joy and equally incredible frustration. My clients’ dogs...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
How to feed a dog
Embry is a four year old Black Lab mix whose life revolves around mealtimes. In the evening, at about an hour or so before his owner...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Nursing home for dogs
I confess my own dogs are getting older. They are 14 and 16 years old, and although they are both little guys, the aging process is...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
The doggie in the (car) window
This is not a post about hot cars and dogs. We all know by now that they don’t mix. In the summer, leave the dog home unless you want a...
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Rachel R. Baum
3 min read
Wood molding with a side of carpet
Mike and Carly called me in near hysterics. They sent me a photo of the damage that greeted them when they came home from work. Their 9...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
The dog that wouldn’t sit
Maisie is a 4 year old Golden Retriever that never learned to sit. There is nothing wrong with her physically to prevent her from...
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Rachel R. Baum
3 min read
Whose bed is it?
Let me make this clear: I have nothing against owners sleeping with their dogs. For some odd reason, when I ask a client whether their...
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Rachel R. Baum
3 min read
Wallflower at the dog park
Oscar is a Lab Shepherd mix, 4 years old, and recently adopted by a young and very earnest couple. No one knows, of course, what Oscar’s...
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Rachel R. Baum
1 min read
Do not remove this label
Some people think puppies are a clean slate – no skills or knowledge, sure, but also no bad habits or unwanted behaviors. But here’s the...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Your dog said what?
Who hasn’t had the following conversations with their dog? “Who’s here? Is mommy coming home? Is that your mommy? Where’s mommy? “Okay,...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
The right way to get a purebred puppy
Yes, I know. My motto, theme song, tag line, reason for living, is “Don’t Shop! Adopt!” The rest end up in shelters or euthanized. That...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Cat-aclysm
Nothing will upend a dog’s life more than the addition of another dog to the household. Except maybe the addition of a cat. Let’s...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Is breed destiny?
So you get this dog from the shelter. The tag on the cage said “Lab Shepherd mix.” You bring the dog home. What can you expect? Will he...
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Rachel R. Baum
3 min read
What makes stuff happen
Sally Mae is a terrier mix with a tendency to vocalize. That is, she barks. A lot. She barks to be let outside. She barks to come back...
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
Afraid of….everything
Just like the shy little kid who hides behind her mother’s legs rather than talk to anyone, Aristotle is wary and skittish around people....
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Rachel R. Baum
2 min read
The thrill of the chase
One of the games that Penny, a one year old Yellow Lab, loves to play is “chase me.” Also known as “keepaway.” Outside in the yard, the...
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