For a Civilized Dog

02/06/2026

01/13/2026

Bubba is brushing up his basics around distracting other dogs. dogsofinstagram goldenretrieversofinstagram goldenretrievers goldenretrieverpuppy golden goldensofinstagram dogofthedau retriever doglife dogstagram goldenretrieverlove instadog goldens goldenretrieverlovers retrievers

11/25/2025

Accurate representation of what it takes to get the good report card pictures… 📸 🫣

11/24/2025

Are you (or someone you know) looking for a new friend? If so, our dear friend Margaret (aka Maggie) may be waiting for you! Maggie is a 9-year-old spayed female Border Collie in search of a new home! Maggie is up-to-date on vaccines and f***l testing, housebroken, has fantastic obedience skills (sit, down, stay, come, heel, place, etc), loves to cuddle and play ball, and is as sweet and gentle as they come! She would be best suited as the only dog of an adult household, but we do believe she could live with another neutral dog or older dog savvy kids with proper introductions (no small animals, young kiddos, or rough and tumble puppies though! She enjoys her peace and has strong herding instincts!)...Maggie will need someone who understands herding breeds, and will commit to continuing her training (With us of course! We are happy to donate a set of post-adoption lessons to her new humans). Please share! Call, text, or email or office if you or someone you know would like to chat more or schedule a time to meet Maggie! ❤️

10/31/2025

Banjo wishes everyone a Happy and safe Halloween! 🎃 👻

09/11/2025

Stella, Riley, Bubba, Luna, Badge, Savannah, Cocco, and Winnie!

07/11/2025

The Labs felt left out… (Juno, Banjo, Savannah). 💗💙💗

07/10/2025

Fun fact: 24% of the dogs staying with us today look like this. 🐻‍❄️ (L to R: Bubba, Winnie, Riley, Freddie, Mochi)

06/27/2025

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06/25/2025

Anything can be controversial in these modern times.
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Even dogs greeting each other while on leash can be a controversial subject.
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We generally discourage on-leash greetings, but there is a right way to let your dog check out another dog for a moment while you’re out and about.
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The problem is that not enough people know what the right way is, and fewer prepare their dogs to have the self-control required.
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You might ask, “What is the right way?“ and “Why does it matter?”
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On-leash greetings can go sideways quickly, so it’s important to set them up with the best odds of success. It’s important to maintain control throughout the dogs’ interaction and ensure both dogs are courteous to each other.
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“So how does someone do all that?”
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The rules for the actual greeting are simple. The dogs’ first contact shouldn’t be face to face, they aren’t to put their paws and/or mouths on each other, and the leashes shouldn’t get tangled.
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When you look at this a little closer, it becomes clear that it’s important for both dogs to have the same expectations. It wouldn’t be appropriate to require self-control from my dog if another dog is being allowed to jump on him and chew on his face.
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“So how can you tell if another dog is a good candidate for an on-leash greeting with my dog?”
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There aren’t any guarantees, but there are a few things you can look for in an attempt to measure the situation.
Both dogs should have slack in their leashes as they approach each other. If either dog is pulling on their leash while they apprroach another dog thier primary emotions are too high. Additionally, the tension in the leash is likely to create frustration as a secondary emotion. These feelings are likely to turn a dog to dog greeting sour, and are signs you should have something else very important to do all of a sudden.
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You can also watch the dogs’ attention. Fixation on another dog is a bad sign, dogs should alternate between lookig at the other dog and their handler as they approach one another.
If you decide to allow your dog to say “Hey!” to another dog, you should also set a time limit. Three seconds sounds short to the ear, but it’s a reasonable period for two dogs to greet in practice.
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Three cheers for Moose and August who helped demonstrate how to approach and execute an on-leash greeting. August was more enthusisatic than Moose.🐾 🐾
Moose probably would have been more enthusiastic about greeting a loaf of bread.

06/22/2025

It’s a pleasure to watch Opal come along, and come out of her shell.
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She’s been with us for about two weeks, and she’s made a lot of progress. 🐾
Opal arrived with her bags half packed with worry and the other half packed with hope. She tried a little at first, and then she tried a little more. Little by little she’s becoming more sure of herself, little by little there’s more of her self to be sure of.