Here at Spring Forth, we are huge fans of The Honest Kitchen! All of their products are human-grade and made in the USA. So when the kind folks at THK asked if we'd like to review their new Beef Bone Broth, I jumped at the chance! (Full disclosure: we received free product in exchange for a [Read more...]

[Photo Credit: Andrew Hyde]   “No!” “Leave it!” “Off!” These are three cues that are more familiar to some dogs than “sit”, “come”, and “good dog.” Surprisingly, they often work against dog owners and serve to reinforce the very behaviors the owners are trying to punish. A scenario: At the pet store, a bag of dog kibble [Read more...]

Puppy nipping is one of the most frustrating behaviors that new owners report. It hurts! But you'll see a big reduction in puppy nipping in a short period just by getting some human cooperation. If this is a familiar sight, it's time for a new training plan! (Photo Credit: Renata Lima, Flickr) Let's [Read more...]

There are some wonderful resources available for owners of reactive dogs who want to learn more about helping their canine companions. Many of these books have training plans that can be used to rehabilitate reactive dogs. However, I strongly urge you to seek professional help from a trainer or behaviorist who uses only humane, pain-free [Read more...]

Lip-licking is one of the most common calming signals. (Photo Credit: Dave Lindblom) What is a calming signal? Calming signals are behaviors that dogs naturally exhibit when they are feeling stressed and are trying to diffuse a situation. Norwegian dog trainer and author Turid Rugaas coined the phrase "calming signals" and she has [Read more...]

  One common cause for reactivity is fear. By putting on a fearsome display, the dog effectively scares his trigger away. The increased distance makes the dog feel more comfortable, and is therefore reinforcing. (Photo Credit: Leon G. – Flickr) (This post is the first in a mini-series I will be writing about [Read more...]