Dog Owner or Dog Parent? (Updated 2020) As long as we oppress other living beings, we will create a culture of oppression. Dog Owner, Cat Owner vs. Dog Parent, Cat Parent. What’s The Difference? The Case to Move Beyond Dog & Cat Ownership It is time to evolve and move beyond ownership and live in […]
animal rights
Sports For Dogs or People
Ethics of Dog Sports Is that an oxymoron? Who regulates dog sports ethics? Dog sports, breeding, conformation, agility, obedience competition, working dogs…etc., are all so common that many don’t even blink an eye when they are mentioned. But who is looking out for a dogs’ rights and welfare? Dog Sports Analogue To People The well-off […]
Dogs in Extreme Sports
Do Dogs Belong In Extreme Sports? Here are some scenarios that I have seen on the news lately. A dog is stuffed into a backpack and worn by the pet parent as he base-jumps off a cliff. A dog is hooked up to a sling line and is dangling precariously, thousands of feet above a […]
Dogs Are Equipment & Property?
Pets Have No Rights (Updated 2020) In the United States and in most countries around the world, specieism persists while all other earth nonhuman animals (hereinafter called animals) are disregarded and afforded no rights. This is the sad state of affairs that needs to change for all animals to coexist, thrive, and live healthy lives. […]
Pet Store & Puppy Mill Dogs
Puppy Mills Online And In Stores (Updated 2020) Many people cannot resist the urge to buy a dog or cat from a puppy store or online website (most of which are puppy mills) or dog breeders, where the unscrupulous, unethical purveyors display dogs and cats like shiny inanimate objects. The real problem occurs once the […]
The Iditarod Dog Sled Race Kills Dogs In the Name of Tradition
The Iditarod Is Dangerous And Cruel As an author, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), I feel compelled to respond to a recent article about Dorada, an Alaskan Husky who recently dropped dead because of the Iditarod dog sled race. Author Mark Derr of Psychology Today defends the race in his best […]
AKC Hoax | Puppy Mills
Is the AKC A Hoax? While dog training, Los Angeles pet parents witness many sham organizations but perhaps none quite as ubiquitous and paradoxical as the AKC. What type of club values a tradition that trumpets and fully supports pain, dismemberment, and mutilation? Not a very humane or sane one. American Kennel Club (AKC) Puppy Mill […]
Ear Cropping, Tail Docking & Declawing Ethical?
Is Ear Cropping and Tail Docking Ethical? (Updated 2022) Throughout my dog training career, I have seen many unpleasant examples of animal exploitation. For example, why do we dock the tails and crop the ears of dogs (mutilate and disfigure) for our pleasure? In this article, I will be focusing primarily on Canis lupus familiaris […]
Pet Ownership: Right or Privilege?
Dog “Ownership” A Basic Human Right Or Privilege? (Updated 2020) Here are all of the dog training equipment, collars, harnesses, and pet products that we recommend I was speaking with a Los Angeles dog training friend of mine and we got to talking about traditional and balanced dog “trainers” with regards to corrections (typically used […]
“Pit Bull” Service Dog Manifesto
“Pit Bull” Service Dog Manifesto (Updated 2022) With so many people parenting “Pit Bulls,” and ignoring ignorant Breed Specific Legislation and Breed Discrimination Legislation (BSL/BDL) laws, it got me thinking about how many working “Pit Bull” service dogs there are in cities with archaic discriminatory BSL and BDL laws. For example “Pit Bulls” have been […]
How to Use a Shock Collar Correctly
Should You Use A Shock Collar? (Updated January 2023) If you are considering using a dog training collar such as a shock collar (euphemistically referred to as a vibration collar, static collar, pager collar, tingle collar, tickle collar, E collar, recall collar, electric collar, positive reinforcement collar, stimulation collar, remote “training” collar, prong collar or […]
Cesar Millan the “Dog Whisperer”
Dog Whisperer? What is a “dog whisperer”? In reality, it is typically someone who understands dogs through the science of ethology and cognitive ethology. In no way does someone’s claims of being a dog whisperer give them the right to abuse a dog. In order to communicate with a dog and understand them and vice-versa, […]
