The Dog Charmer by Tom Shelby How to help an anxious new puppy stay home by itself Dear Tom, She came to us at 12 weeks at the start of pandemic lockdown. Well, I know it’s my fault for taking her everywhere with me, for putting her in her crate at night and staying until she settles, etc. With three adults in the household, she focuses on me ALL the time. If I go out without her, she’s a mess…
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Dog Charmer by Tom Shelby Stories from a working dogs life My two working dogs were Michelle and Mike, both Dobermans. Michelle found two people alive and some not alive. Mike tracked a woman 11 miles. They were search and rescue dogs. Readers, as you’re reading this you are dropping about 40 thousand dead skin cells a minute. You and I have about five million olfactory cells in our noses, Michelle had more than 200 million.…
The Dog Charmer Making a crate into a den Hi Tom, I have a 15-week-old mini aussie doodle whom I adopted at 13 weeks. The first two weeks were fairly smooth until he developed what seems like a sudden fear of his crate. He won’t go in at bedtime he cries and screams like it’s the end of the world (he has a soft bed, puppy chew toys, a snuggle puppy in the crate, I’ve added a t-shirt with my…
The Dog Charmer How To (Leash) Train Your Yorkie Dear Tom, I have a lovely Yorkie that I was given three years ago. She is a great dog. She’s affectionate, athletic, cuddly, curious, smart. There is, however, one little issue that drives me crazy and, angry at times. We take several walks a day and we live in town so she must be on a leash. When I get myself all suited up for the walk, she gets excited about…
The Dog Charmer Making Peace With Bubba Dear Dog Charmer We got Bubba two years ago. From day one he did not like my adult son. He is fine with children and women but iffy with some men. My son lives with us and every time he walks in the room the dog goes nuts. My son has been nipped a few times. Now we try to keep them apart. How can we get Bubba and my son to live…
THE DOG CHARMER Finding The Good Breeders Hi Tom, Question: How do I really know I’ve found a good breeder? There are a lot of scams out there with slick websites and darling puppy photos. ELEANOR Dear Eleanor: This is an important question for those who are intent on acquiring a specific breed, especially in today’s world consumed with artificial intelligence and its ability to be convincing in its dishonesty. To me the answer revolves around one word, communication. I’m…
THE DOG CHARMER Griff Must Learn To ‘Drop-It’ Dear Dog Charmer: We are hoping that you might settle a family dispute. We have a 6-month-old pup who loves to play tug-of-war. Some books advise that tug-of-war is a good game for dogs to play, helping dogs burn energy and gain confidence; this is the side my husband takes. I’ve found that the more our puppy plays tug-of-war, the more she tends to bite; she is very gentle, but uses her…
The Dog Charmer Act Now To Relieve Dogs’ Separation Anxiety To the Editor: Because of the pandemic too many dogs are getting used to having their owners around 24/7. In many cases this will result in possible severe separation anxiety (panic attacks from being left alone which can result in lots of unwanted behaviors: barking, peeing and pooping, destructive chewing, etc). As a preventative – LEAVE YOUR DOG ALONE SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK! The separation anxiety section in my book,…
Trainer To The Stars’ Dogs Adopt SSPCA Dog? Nationally Known Expert Will Train It By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN – No matter how badly she wants the treat, Paula Jean, Tom Shelby’s standard poodle, knows that if she hears the word “leave it” to do just that. “’Leave it’ is such an important command,” said Shelby. “You can use it for pizza crusts on the street, a person who’s afraid of dogs or if they see a…