Friday, August 1, 2014

Stump Kid Link Love: Connection vs Control, Therapy Dogs, Things Dogs Hate

It's time for another round up for Stump Kid Link Love, where I share some dog-related links that I've found interesting and wanted to share with y'all!

Connection and Control (The Cognitive Canine): When we're working with our dogs, no matter the sport--agility, rally, etc.--we sometimes don't catch ourselves when we say we want to be able to control our dog. Control seems to be a harsh word when you think of it. Working with your dog in a sport like agility takes connection--you have to be able to connect with your dog in order to get the most out of your partnership. Yes, partnership...which takes connection....you don't control your partner.

3 Steps to Making Your Dog a Therapy Dog (Woofipedia): I would love for Dally to be a therapy dog! When my grandmother was alive and I'd come home to visit, my mom and I would bring Dally to the nursing home to visit my grandmother (who was a breeder and shower of dogs for most of her life). Dally would march right into the nursing home, walk up to everyone whether they were in wheelchairs or used walkers, and demand attention. She'd lay still on my grandma's bed, allowing her to pet her for as long as she wanted. She loved it. Now, LaMesa, on the other hand...I don't think she's calm enough to be a therapy dog.

11 Things Humans do that Dogs Hate (Mother Nature Network): Ever wonder if some of the doting and love we pour onto our dogs might not be seen as love? Some of this stuff I had a feeling the pups didn't appreciate, but I hadn't thought that a dog really doesn't like having his head patted? But thinking about how we feel about our heads being patted, makes a good point... Is there anything that caught you off guard?

What have you read lately (dog-related) that has made you go "Hmmmm"?