I have to say… it always surprises me when I see trainers on social media complaining about their “average” clients. I must get the best clients in the world, because I figure if they are investing in helping their dogs, and coming to see me, they must already be ***above average***! The vast majority of my clients are super-committed to helping their dogs have a good quality of life. That’s why they are wiling to invest a not insignificant amount of money to make sure their dogs are medically healthy (or treat whatever needs to be treated – like the many thousands of dollars the family of the GSHP puppy has spent from the last blog who was bitten in the head) and then to pursue also not-cheap behavior modification solutions. I appreciate these people. Are my clients always 100% “compliant”? (I hate that term – it reeks of old-fashioned coercive dog training…dictionary definitions: obedient, docile, submissive). Of course not. But the vast majority really do everything they can to help their dogs, and I appreciate that. Of course not everyone can afford to do everything that might benefit their dogs, and I appreciate that too. Speaking of quality of life… a high percentage of my clients come to me with dogs who have aggressive and/or reactive behaviors, which can be hugely stressful for the human as well as for the dog. One of the things I will remind my clients is that their quality of life is every bit as important as their dog’s quality of life, and the client is invariably grateful that I acknowledge this. That came up for one of this week’s clients – the English Lab SRB case described below. It is also an important point if the behavioral euthanasia topic comes up (fortunately extremely rare over the 28 years of my behavior and training practice!). There’s nothing like the emotional trauma of euthanizing your dog to improve your own quality of life, and if/when this happens we need to reassure the client that the dog’s quality of life is very poor (the behavior issues tell us that) and that yes, they, the human, deserve to have a good quality of life as well. CASE #1 – MAGGIE, THE ENGLISH LAB WITH SRBS In case you haven’t heard, “Separation Related Behaviors” (SRB) is the new, modern term for “Separation Anxiety,” (SA) and refers to any undesirable behaviors that occur in the caretaker’s absence. SA was a way overused term for a whole continuum of behaviors a stressed dog might do in the human’s absence, when in fact true SA should have been reserved for those behaviors at the very extreme end of that continuum – a true clinically pathological condition. A dog who barks for a few minutes when the owner leaves would be labelled with SA when in fact what she had was a low level of “separation distress” at the other end of that continuum. Maggie is a 6-year-old spayed female English Lab who had no indications of SRB for the first 5 years of her life. She is a very lovely, calm, easygoing dog – not the type you’d except to break with SRBs as a mid-life crisis, but there you have it. She lived in a mid-sized town in a home on a busy road with a fair amount of pedestrian traffic and enjoyed watching the activity outside her window every day. Then her person moved with her to a lovely, peaceful, rural environment (which  many dogs would give their canine teeth for!) and she immediately (on Day 1) began SRB barking when left alone. She had never done this before. My evaluation of this behavior is that the combination of the stress of the move and the absence of her daily out-the-window enrichment combined to set off this stress-related response. It’s not just, “Hey, where did my human go,” it’s “Hey, where did EVERYBODY go????” On the positive side, the John's female companion, Susan (who lives at a different location) has been able to take leave from her job and come stay with Maggie all day, every day. But as she said to me in our session – she can’t do this forever – she needs to get her life back. Quality of life, right?! Discussion We talked about medication – my first line of defense for any dog who has significant levels of SRB. Susan is all in favor. Unfortunately, John is very reluctant to consider this step, having bought into the old-fashioned concern that it will change her personality and “turn her into a zombie.” We are working to convince him that it will be in everyone’s best interests, and that properly done, medications should not have the effects he is concerned about. (Here is a link to an excellent article that I share with clients on Behavior Medications from Dr. Jen’s Blog: http://www.drjensdogblog.com/behavior-medication-first-line-therapy-or-last-resort/ )    Meanwhile, we will hopefully get Maggie start on some of the over-the-counter products that can help with stress relief, such as L-Theanine, Ashwaghanda, Adaptil, and Purina Calming Care (a probiotic). Maggie was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia and osteochondritis at the very early age of 1 year. (Hence the concern about poor breeding…) and is noticeably overweight. I pointed out that pain is a significant stressor and emphasized the importance of maintaining without fail her schedule of pain medications, and reducing her weight to put less stress on her body, legs and joints. I also suggested a full thyroid panel; Labs are one of the breeds prone to hypothyroidism, which can cause weight gain as well as stress/anxiety. It hurts my heart to see dogs being bred (by real breeders, not puppy mills) with such significant structural weaknesses that are a definite detriment to quality of life. I urge my clients to tell the breeders – not to place blame or be confrontational – but because breeders need to KNOW – so they don’t keep repeating breedings that produce puppies with such horrendous conformation and medical conditions. Our Plan Finally, we are instituting the UPenn Relaxation Protocol – a very thinly-sliced program to help Maggie become comfortable with being left alone. It is very similar to Dr. Karen Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation, but slightly simplified. Fingers crossed!! Susan is gung-ho to implement this procedure, and since she's there all day every day with Maggie I am expecting great results. CASE #2 – FRANNIE, 3-YEAR-OLD GERMAN SHEPHERD – DOG AND HUMAN REACTIVE BEHAVIOR This was Frannie’s second visit to Peaceable Paws. She came to see me last June and Carla purchased a consultation package. The plan was to see her again much sooner, but she has had a long run of very challenging gastrointestinal issues which made Counter Conditioning and Desensitization (CC&D) very challenging. It’s hard to feed a dog lots of treats when everything upsets her stomach! They have finally resolved (knock wood) her GI stuff, so we are back on track. Carla has done an amazing job working with Frannie in the interim with the 1-2-3 Pattern Game, using a Klimb for  “Place” and “Back Paws,” and lots more . Most impressive is her success with teaching Dr. Karen Overall’s Protocol for Teaching a Dog to Breathe.” Yes, of course, dogs already know how to breathe, but this protocol teaches a stressed, panting dog to close their mouth and breathe through their nose, which is a lovely relaxation technique. I have introduced this to a number of clients, and Frannie’s person has done the best job of any in teaching her dog the protocol. Here is a link to a video of Dr. Overall discussing and demonstrating this very useful protocol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdffTkxqlZQ 20250131_141532.mp4 On the not-so-successful side, Frannie still presents with very reactive behaviors when faced with people in motion, or dogs in general. After 45 minutes of sitting and talking with Carla with Frannie seemingly comfortable with me, as soon as I got up and started walking out of the room she began barking. When I returned to do CC&D she was over threshold at first with me at a distance of 75 feet, but was able to settle and stay below threshold as I gradually reduced the distance to 40 feet. (My CC&D protocol is simple – let the dog look, feed high value treat. Let her look again, feed treat. Over and over until you start getting CERs (conditioned emotional response looks) – then very gradually increase intensity of stimulus – increase motion, decrease distance, etc.). When we tried CC&D with my dog Kai, we were not able to keep Frannie below threshold in the training center even with feeding treats. Normally we would go outside where we could increase distance but it was nasty cold/windy outside so we tabled that for our next session. I had forgotten that in addition to Frannie’s behavior challenges, she also has all the worst conformation characteristics of a poorly-bred Shepherd – roached back, very weak hind legs that wobble as she walks, also diagnosed with hip dysplasia at any early age… come on breeders – you have to do better!!! 20250131_142959.mp4 We still have a long road ahead of us, but as committed as Carla is to helping Fannie, I am optimistic about our long-term success.  FREDDIE GETS NEUTERED We had put off Freddie’s neutering until it warmed up a bit… we didn’t want him trying to recover from surgery when it was sub-zero even with a blanket and heat lamp. I had never seen a pig neutered before, so I found it very interesting. Apparently pigs have quite large equipment!!! Our boy is already up and about (surgery was at 2:30, it’s now 6:30) and seems none the worse for the experience. So far. Another beautiful sunset tonight, deer in the pasture, geese flying over… I LOVE life here on the PPaws farm!! Warm Woofs, Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA www.peaceablepaws.com 

YES, WE GOT SNOW Day 23 of this cold, and I’m almost all better, yay!! Better enough, at least, that I did get to see a couple of clients this week. The attack on the GSHP puppy is discussed below. Meanwhile we got a good 5 inches of snow… not all that much compared to my youthful days in Wisconsin, but enough to shut everything down here. It’s pretty… but it’s times like this that I miss my years in Marin/Sonoma County, California. Speaking of California – my heart goes out to all those experiencing the horror of the Southern California fires… MY RESCUE RANT One of my clients this week was a woman who adopted a 6-year-old Hound mix from a rescue group in West Virginia. I’m not going to go into detail about this case other than to say the dog was in that rescue for a year-and-a-half, and when my client took the dog to her veterinarian, Sandy tested positive for heartworm, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, had to have 8 very painful teeth extracted and still needs another visit to extract 8 more. Seriously, rescue group? This dog has been suffering in your hands for 18 months!!! As many of you know, I worked at a shelter in California (Marin Humane Society – one of the best in the country) for 20 years and LOVED it. I am a huge supporter of responsible shelters and rescue groups. I am told they also keep all their dogs outdoors year-round without heat. And windchill temperatures here this week are supposed to be sub-zero. The above rescue group is not responsible. In fact, they should be charged with animal cruelty for allowing Sandy to suffer for a year-and-a-half. And with animal neglect for keeping dogs in inhumane conditions. My client is a saint for helping Sandy through all this. And no, she had no idea when she adopted him. The rescue disclosed nothing, even though apparently every dog in their hands is positive for Lyme and heartworm. Okay – rant over. Sorry. 4-YEAR-OLD LABRADOR RETRIEVER ATTACKS GERMAN SHORT-HAIRED POINTER PUPPY This case is tragic, but we’re looking forward to a happy ending. The family adopted Argo when he was just nine weeks old. This is a family with a long history of caretaking and training dogs. The day after they brought him home, 4-year-old Travis (who gets along well with every dog he’s ever met and had no history of resource guarding from other dogs) and Argo were being fed 15 feet apart when suddenly Travis launched across the room and grabbed the puppy by his head and shook him. His humans were finally able to separate them, but not before significant damage was done. Amazingly, Argo lived. Argo, now 6 months old, has permanent brain damage, is blind in his right eye, has a depression in the middle of his forehead and has started having seizures (perhaps from brain damage, vaccinations or a combination of vaccines and brain damage – no way to know for sure). He is receiving medication for the seizures, and it helps but is not 100% effective. This family is amazing. They have invested many thousands of dollars to treat Argo and help him through his trauma, and will be spending more. They have kept the two dogs separated until recently when they did some muzzle training with Travis and started allowing them to interact for short periods with the older dog muzzled. There have been no further incidents, but they were understandably very wary of allowing them to interact without the muzzle. Especially stressed about this next step were the mother and adult son who were present when the attack occurred. When father and son arrived at Peaceable Paws with both dogs we put them on opposite sides of a barrier, no muzzle, so I could watch them interact. Both dogs were, by the way, exceptionally friendly and affiliative with me. As we talked with the dogs free on opposite sides of the barrier, both dogs were more interested in getting into things in the environment than focusing on each other. The son played with Travis with tennis balls and toys, while we kept Argo occupied with a large stuffed frozen Kong. The several times they did connect through the barrier there was no sign of tension except for one time when there was a tennis ball at Travis’ feet. In that moment he gave Argo a hard stare and a low growl, and Argo immediately turned away, deferring appropriately to the other dog’s “this is my ball” signal. Interaction With Muzzle After an hour of discussion and observation, we agreed to put the dogs on the same side of the barrier, with Travis muzzled. We did this first with no toys. The dogs interacted well, with no sign of tension. Then we added toys. Both dogs chased and played with the toys (Travis could pick up a ball with his muzzle on!), and I laughed when I realized that when the ball was tossed for Travis, he would bring it back and toss it into his human’s hands. (They do use him for bird hunting, so he has a great retrieve.) 20250116_145435.mp4 There were several occasions when Argo passed closely by Travis when the older dog had possession of a ball. On a few of those occasions (not every time) Travis would give Argo a hard stare and/or a low growl. Argo immediately deferred and moved away each time, and Travis immediately de-escalated. This is exactly what I was hoping for. 20250116_143941.mp4 Without Muzzle With his humans’ consent, we then removed Travis' muzzle. We picked up all the toys first and observed no tension in the dog’s muzzle-free interactions. We then added toys and saw the same behavior pattern as when Travis was previously muzzled - a few "go away" signals from Travis that Argo immediately respected. Yay!! The only escalation occurred when Argo (wild teen-ager that he is) unwisely leapt up in the air and landed on Travis. Travis snapped at Argo and connected with his cheek. Argo yelped and ran to his humans. There was no skin broken, no blood and Travis immediately de-escalated. Phew! We removed the toys, and for quite some time after that Argo was very subdued, although Travis showed no further agonistic behaviors. (Agonistic behaviors are those behaviors which cause, threaten to cause or seek to reduce physical damage. Agonistic behavior is comprised of threats, aggression and submission.) I suspect some PTSD for Argo – he undoubtedly remembers being attacked by Travis. Probably also some PTSD for the humans who witnessed it! We started tossing tennis balls again, and Argo gradually relaxed and began to engage with the balls, although giving Travis a wider berth than before. Discussion Finally, we separated the dogs again so we could talk without having to supervise closely. I said that I was very pleased with how the dogs did, and father and son agreed. In fact, given the severity of the puppyhood incident, it’s fortunate that Argo is not more fearful of Travis! Although we will never know for sure for sure what happened to trigger the attack, I shared that aggression is caused by stress. They said that there had been a fair amount of extra household stress due to family visiting, and that Travis had tested positive for Lyme at around that time (pain is a HUGE stressor). We agreed that bringing a baby puppy into the home can be very stressful and was perhaps the straw that broke the already-stressed camel’s back. We agreed that the family could now begin very gradually allowing Tucker and Argo to spend carefully orchestrated/closely supervised unmuzzled time together. Our Plan We discussed how to implement the dogs’ re-introduction at home – as follows: 1.         Exercise Travis and Argo well in the woods – with Travis’ muzzle on at first, then removing the muzzle when the dogs are well-exercised, and you are comfortable doing so. I would do this at first with two humans present. First just with these two, then add Luna, and when you are very comfortable doing so, add Halo to the woods hikes.  2.        Initially, muzzle Travis to bring them back to the house. 3.         Once in the house, with the other two dogs in another room, give Travis and Argo a little time to settle, and then remove the muzzle for a period of time. Watch for any signs of tension. As long as the tension de-escalates as it did here, continue to let them, interact. If at any time – during this step or the following steps, you see tension escalating – if the intensity of Travis’ warning increases, or if Argo does not appropriately defer, we need to back up in the program. Let me know immediately if this happens. 4.         Replace the muzzle while the dogs are still calm, before they are ready to be active again, and release the other two dogs. 5.         Gradually – as you are confident that things are going well, increase the amount of time the dogs are together muzzled, and add Luna to the mix. 6.         Eventually add Halo as well. Be sure she is well-exercised at first as well. I advised them that this may not go quite as smoothly at home, where there is some history and where Travis may be more possessive of certain spaces, beds, etc. in the home, as it did here. I asked them to let me know if they identify “hot spots” - we can work on those as well. It is important for the dogs' quality of life - as well as the humans who live with them - that we succeed in making this work. Once again, I realize how extraordinary the vast majority of my clients are – the humans as well as the dogs. If all humans were as committed to their dogs as most of my clients are, our dog world would be a much better place!   MY ANIMAL COMPANION LIFE LIST A few years ago I decided I wanted to make a life list of all the animal companions I have shared my life with over the years – at least all the ones I could remember. I shared all 35 dogs, 40 cats and 27 equines in my last 3 blogs. Here are my 45 Others!  And hey, I’m still waiting to see your life lists!!! Other 1.      Linus - Sheep 2.      Chuckles - Raccoon 3.      Lolly - Rabbit 4.      Pop - Rabbit 5.      Sicle - Rabbit 6.      Winter - Mouse 7.      Spring - Mouse 8.      Summer - Mouse (I took him to school in my pocket and he rode on the handlebars of my bicycle…) 9.      Fall - Mouse 10.  Snap - Rabbit 11.  Crackle – Rabbit 12.  Janey – Cow 13.  Mary – Cow 14.  Cindy - Cow 15.  Wings – Kestrel (yes, I had a falconry license) 16.  Sunshine - Canary 17.  Happy - Lovebird 18.  VW - Rabbit 19.  Feather - Boa 20.  Monty - Python 21.  Fred - Tortoise 22.  Wilma - Tortoise 23.  Jammer – Tortoise 24.  Mara - Tortoise 25.  Sturgis - Pig 26.  Barack - Rooster 27.  Michelle – Hen 28.  Sasha - Hen 29.  Malia - Hen 30.  Blanche - Hen 31.  Bianca - Hen 32.  Buffy – Hen 33.  Beatrix – Hen 34.  Winkin’ – Goat 35.  Blinkin’ – Goat 36.  Nod – Goat 37.  Skittles – Goat 38.  Gruff - Goat 39.  Dexter – Pig 40.  Snap– Chicken 41.  Crackle – Chicken 42.  Pop – Chicken 43.  Kellogg – Chicken 44.  Cocoa Puff – Chicken 45.  Frederick Cute and Curious (Freddie) - Pig As I write this, it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Inauguration Day. My only political comment is to quote what my mother used to say: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything…”  So I am saying nothing. Warm Woofs, Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA www.peaceablepaws.com 

RECOVERING, I HOPE I am now on Day 12 of a really nasty cold that I hope none of you get. Went to the doctor on Tuesday for meds - my nurse practitioner said her husband has had it now for ***4 weeks***!!! I had to cancel three private consults – and fortunately the Expert Witness case scheduled to go to trial today was settled on Monday. Doctor says now that I am on antibiotics I am no longer contagious, so hopefully I can make next week’s consults!!! EXPERT WITNESS WORK I do love doing Expert Witness cases. Maybe it’s partly my Humane Officer law enforcement background and prior court experience but I really do enjoy them. (It also pays really well!!) Most of my cases do settle without actually going to trial – I like to think at least in part due to my excellent expert witness reports <G> – but I like the courtroom presence as well. We chat about it a little in my academies. If you want to be an Expert Witness you need some valid credentials, you need to be able to write and speak well, and you need to be comfortable in the courtroom, on the stand. Fun! I can’t give much detail about the recent case (client confidentiality) but I can say it was about a large (165-pound) livestock guarding dog who attacked a workman in the yard – knocked him down and went for his throat. He could have killed the guy! I was actually surprised it didn’t settle sooner… SPEAKING OF LARGE DOGS I have always been a fan of big dogs. Had a St. Bernard at one time and have always longed for an Irish Wolfhound (although I think I’m past that phase now, leaning toward the smaller canine companions these days). Big dogs can bring big challenges, as the above-described case illustrates. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about adopting one – or working with a client who has one – or more: There are some really big dogs out there. Great Dane, St. Bernard, Great Pyrenees, Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland, Boerboel, Japanese Tosa… dogs who routinely run from 100 to 200 pounds. Another whole group of very big dogs weigh from 75 to 125 pounds or more, but we’re focusing on the true giants of the dog world – the really big group. Because along with those really big dogs can come some really big challenges. Simply Size First is simply their ginormous size. You’re seated at the dinner table and your Great Dane strolls by. His head passes over your plate even if he’s not trying to counter surf. You could purchase an extra-tall dining room table with bar stools for chairs or consider other management solutions (baby gates, mat training, crates, tethers) just to keep the Dane drool out of your dumplings. Speaking of drool, many giant breeds are blessed with extra-generous flews (dog lips) that regularly collect and spew dog slime. Be prepared to keep towels handy and do a lot of mopping. Many who share their homes with these oversized dogs tie towels around their canine companions’ necks to soak up some of the saliva. Their large size can also create challenges with other dogs. Smaller dogs can be intimidated by the size and bulk of a 100 to 200-pound dog. Even if the big guy has no ill-intent, fights can erupt as a result of a smaller dog’s stress. Imagine the logistics of breaking up a dog fight if one of the participants weighs 100-plus pounds! While many of the big dogs (although not all) truly are gentle giants and get along well with other dogs, there doesn’t even need to be conflict for injury to occur – a misstep of 200 pounds of dog onto an eight-pound Pomeranian (or a small child!) can cause significant bruising and/or broken bones. Caretakers of giant dogs must use common sense and management when selecting canine and human playmates for their oversized canine family members. Personality Some plus-size breeds are known as gentle giants. St. Bernards and Newfoundlands, for example, were bred to work closely with (and even rescue!) humans. They are known as sweet, loving, placid dogs who do well in families and don’t require lots of physical exercise. (Note: there are exceptions to the norm in every breed!). Other giant breeds – not so much. As the name suggests, the Irish Wolfhound is every bit a hound. While also known to be sweet-tempered, they are sighthounds, bred to pursue game at high speed, and tend to have much more significant energy levels and exercise needs than Saints and Newfies. The Boerboel, on the other hand, is a breed developed in South Africa to guard farms and hunt large game, including lions and other dangerous wild animals. While often gentle and loving with their own humans, they may be less tolerant with non-family members or other animals. The Japanese Tosa was formerly bred for fighting. Hopefully those days are long gone! They are reported to be gentle with family members, but they do have a reputation for not necessarily being good with strangers, with other dogs and with small animals such as cats. And the Livestock Guarding Breeds tend to be notoriously unfriendly to strangers and intruders – as they were bred to be. If you’re thinking of adding a giant breed dog to your family, do your research so that you adopt one whose personality and behavior is likely to be compatible with your family and lifestyle. No guarantees, but at least it gives you a jump start on success. Training and Behavior Challenges Whether you already have one or are thinking of adopting, and regardless of personality differences, living with a dog who weighs as much as or more than you, and who towers over your head when standing on his hind legs presents some universal challenges. It’s vitally important for all puppies to begin their training and socialization programs starting at the age of eight weeks, and it’s even more so for the giant breeds. You really want them to learn polite leash walking and have a foundation of good manners before they are big and strong enough to overpower you. You really want them to be well socialized before they start lunging at visitors and other dogs and can drag you to the target of their reactive or aggressive behavior. Your first step? Get thee to a good force-free puppy kindergarten class while your pup still small – starting at eight weeks. Working with a client? Give them this same advice! The giant breeds learn exactly the same way other dogs do: behaviors that are reinforced repeat and increase, behaviors that don’t get reinforced will go away (extinguish). Because of their size they have the potential to get into more trouble and do more damage than smaller dogs, underscoring the importance of starting training sooner rather than later. Remember that not all reinforcement comes from humans – inadvertent environmental reinforcement (food left on the counter for your dog to find) works quite well to encourage your dog to persist with unwanted behaviors. Hence the importance of excellent management, especially for a dog who can casually snag the turkey off the counter while walking past without even exerting any effort. Basic good manners are important for all dogs. There are some, however, that can be particularly useful for the oversized canine: Polite Leash Walking: This is mandatory. You must be able to control your giant dog. The sooner you install good leash manners, the more he can accompany you places, engage in various activities and enjoy a full and enriched life. If you cannot to control him on leash he’ll be left home a lot. If and when you do take him on outings he’s likely to get himself (and you!) into trouble. (See: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/polite-leash-walking/  ) Polite Greeting: Most people don’t appreciate having a big friendly dog barge into their face, covering them and their clothes with slimy dog spit. Friends will happier about interacting with yours if he comes up to them and sits politely. (See: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-greet-nicely/  ) Mat Training: A handy behavior for many dogs, mat training is an even more vitally important tool to manage your giant dog’s imposing presence. Family members and visitors can relax knowing that your dog will stay politely parked on his mat while you dine and socialize. (See: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/mat-training-tips/  ) Walk Away: This 180-degree “turn and move quickly in the other direction” behavior can help you and your dog avoid some serious scrapes. There may come a time in your dog’s life where he is so aroused that normal good manners fail. “Walk Away” can be the most useful cue in your repertoire to help your big guy move quickly and willingly away from potential trouble. (See: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-just-walk-away/  ) Husbandry Last but by no means least, your plus-size pal must be comfortable with necessary husbandry procedures – vet exams, nail trimming, grooming, etc. No animal care professional looks forward to confrontation with their four-legged clients, and the bigger the dog, the harder – and more dangerous – it can be to work with an unwilling/uncooperative subject. Good puppy socialization classes include fun games to help your big-dog-to-be get comfortable with ear inspections, dental exams, paw handling and nail trimming, and all the other procedures and interactions that are an inevitable part of a dog’s life. A good animal care provider will be on board with cooperative care procedures. And a good force-free professional can help you teach your dog invaluable consent husbandry procedures such as the Bucket Game and Chin Rest. (While you’re at it, don’t forget the muzzle training.) (See: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/cooperative-care-giving-your-dog-choice-and-control/++++++++ and https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/collars-harnesses-leashes-muzzles/dog-muzzles-are-useful-tools-when-you-use-them-right/  ) In reality, behavior and training challenges you (and your clients) face with your big dog mirror the ones we see with smaller dogs. Due to their size however, extra-big dogs can present these challenges on steroids; hence the importance of teaching appropriate behaviors and addressing behavioral challenges as soon as possible. If you already have one of these plus-size dogs or you intend to adopt one in the future, or are working with clients who have them, plan to go big with your training, management and behavior plans – or go home.  MY ANIMAL COMPANION LIFE LIST A few years ago I decided I wanted to make a life list of all the animal companions I have shared my life with over the years – at least all the ones I could remember. I shared all 35 dogs and 40 cats in my last 2 blogs. Here are my 27 equines! (You’ll get all my “Other” on the next blog) I’m still waiting to see your life lists!!! Equines 1.      Gemini 2.      Lady (Mattsen’s Lady Peavine) 3.      Rex (Bourbon Wreaks Havoc) 4.      ReyJo 5.      Chief 6.      Buckwheat 7.      Bossa Nova 8.      Hercules 9.      Jackie 10.  Mini-ha-ha 11.  Strawberry Alarm Clock 12.  Tick Tock 13.  Stickshift 14.  Sign the Check 15.  St. Nicholas 16.  Boss Casey 17.  Sundance 18.  Jambo 19.  Rafiki 20.  Topper 21.  Jet 22.  Levi 23.  Molly 24.  Mikey 25.  Dreamer 26. Joan 27.  Olivia (You’re the One That I Want!) NEW YEARS GOAL: SPEND MORE TIME HIKING WITH MY DOGS AND RIDING MY HORSE!!!  Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA www.peaceablepaws.com