Hello Fellow Dog Lovers!

September is Responsible Dog Ownership month, and that has gotten me thinking about what it means to be a truly responsible dog owner. From the big things, like keeping your dog up-to-date at the vet, to little things, like a walk in the park, dedicated dog owners like you are truly the light of your dog's life.

In this edition, you'll find a lot of info about what responsible ownership means to me, especially how positive training fits into that message. As always, you'll find exclusive content and training tips that you won't find anywhere else. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my blog for more articles from me! 

September is Responsible Dog Ownership Month. Do you fit the bill of a responsible dog owner? Here are five ways you can spot a responsible dog owner.

#5: They don't contribute to pet overpopulation. 

Spaying or neutering your dog is the easiest way to guarantee that they will not contribute to the overpopulation problem. While there is debate in the veterinary community on the best time for the procedure, having your pet spayed or neutered is one of the most responsible decisions you can make as a dog owner. This is especially true if you live in the United States, where millions of unwanted dogs are euthanized every year.

If you choose not to spay or neuter, you can still be equally as responsible of a pet owner by keeping your dog safely contained at all times, and by choosing not to breed your dog.

A new study has found that the use of shock collars (also known as electronic collars or e-collars) can cause symptoms of distress in dogs, and the effects only worsen as the level of shock is increased.

The study, entitled "The Welfare Consequences and Efficacy of Training Pet Dogs with Remote Electronic Training Collars in Comparison to Reward-Based Training" was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Plos One and was conducted by researchers at the University of Lincoln in the UK.

The study examined 63 dogs that had poor recall or other related problems. The dogs were divided into three groups--one group was trained using shock collars, while the other two groups were controlled groups that were not trained using shock collars. The shock collar group used trainers that were industry approved, to test the efficacy and welfare consequences of these collars when following training guidelines published by collar manufacturers. 

Are you all caught up on ‘Arson Dogs’? If not, now’s the time to join Victoria in Alfred, Maine as she meets the dogs, handlers, and trainers that make these exceptional K-9 teams a reality. You'll get an exclusive look at their intensive training, and will find out who will join the ranks as a true arson dog handler, and who will go home empty-handed.

Check out the awesome Positively Success Story of Piper, a therapy dog trained using positive methods.

"My APBT Piper is a certified Therapy Dog. Her work with special needs children, mostly with Autism, has proven that these children CAN and WILL respond socially.

Piper has a calmness and kindness about her that these children are drawn to, they trust in her, and know that with her by their side they can accomplish any task given to them..."