I asked Tootsie to rollover a few nights ago. She just stared and puffed her cheeks a couple of times. There may have been the start of a head tilt, but that could also have been my own ego conjuring up a mirage. I spent the next few days working out a diagnostic training session … Continue reading
Author Archives: Andrew Nelson
Distraction Inspiration
“Distractions should inspire your dog to work harder.” I heard Sue Ailsby say that at a seminar once, and those words now cross my mind every time I work with a dog. Think about that. What if distractions increased your dog’s motivation for the task at hand? What if distractions were welcomed challenges? What if … Continue reading
Happy
I had plans to write a nice, detailed description of this video. But, after trashing two different drafts, I’ve decided to let it speak for itself. Some keywords/phrases that come to my mind: Happy, games, training, off-leash reliability, relationship, distractions (other dog and people), fun, happy, and happy. Continue reading
Bruno
Bruno and owner are regulars at The Clever Canine. Bruno is my kind of dog. He is fast and powerful. He loves food, play with toys, and play without toys. He will switch between these categories of motivators without a second thought. He did have a little stranger-danger reactivity, but that is fading into extinction. … Continue reading
Bathroom Floors
All of my dogs have wanted to rest on the bathroom floor’s cool tile, while watching me get ready in the morning, but I’ve always banned such activity. Stepping barefoot onto a floor covered in dog hair after showering is loathsome. I would almost prefer brushing my teeth with sand paper. But years have passed … Continue reading
Learning and Waiting for Verbal Cues
Tootsie has been learning new behaviors. One behavior that we’ve been working on is “chin.” Tootsie targets her chin to the ground while she is in the down position. I involve Tootsie as an active participant in the learning process. She is responsible for trying to figure out the desired behavior, and I am responsible … Continue reading
What Do Dogs Really Want?
One night last week, I stayed up well past my usual bed time to finish the last few chapters of Merle’s Door. The book is Ted Kerasote’s memoir about the dog he found in the Utah desert. Kerasote highlights the lessons and adventures he shared with Merle over the years. And he asks an important … Continue reading
Coffee Shops and Dog Training
I like to read. I like to write. And I like to drink coffee. One day last week, I decided it would be nice to combine these interests. I grabbed a notebook, it’s pen–I hate when a notebook looks like a patchwork of ink so I use one pen per notebook–a couple books, and I … Continue reading
Dot the Cow and a Sunday Afternoon
The descriptions found in your typical dog breed handbook for any one of the herding breeds usually include some form of “not suitable for apartment living” or “does not do well in urban areas.” This is not necessarily true. I choose herding dogs as my companions, though I live in a small home within city … Continue reading
Remembering Reece
It’s difficult for me to acknowledge that Reece does not have her own permanent page next to the others at the top of this site. It’s even harder for me to edit Reece out of the descriptions provided in The Clever Canine section. (I wrote them for the business page I maintained while she was … Continue reading
Andrew Nelson 