Paws and Reflect

Paws and Reflect

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Haley's Journal

Dog Training

In my perfect world… Dog ownership fantasies
We live in reality. But we can daydream, too! (And work together to move the real world closer to our ideal visions.)
 • Haley Young
A running list of books I recommend to dog lovers
Titles that have shaped my pet ownership philosophy, taught me about nonhuman animal cognition, and encouraged me when times were tough
 • Haley Young
Help us create a little free dog rescue library!
What dog- and animal-related books would you recommend to foster homes?
 • Haley Young
The difference between dog park (free for alls) and off-leash (under voice control)
Our dogs deserve to move their bodies freely—but treating every off-leash legal area like a designated dog park isn’t cool.
 • Haley Young
I don't want the vet to "win over" my dog
Poking-and-prodding betrayal is worse coming from a potential friend.
 • Haley Young
I don't believe in testing a dog's commitment to relaxation
I want my dog to interact with me as a social creature. Of course she responds to my own movements!
 • Haley Young
Manners are subjective, so our dog-training goals are too
Because "polite" is subjective—and the rules we’ve maintained are the ones that most affect our own daily existence.
 • Haley Young
A story of positive punishment and prancing prairie dogs
Dog training nuance, "positive punishment", and sharing space with Montana's wild creatures
 • Haley Young
Why I encourage my dog to play with things that aren't toys
I consider it one of our greatest accomplishments that Scout's expanding her idea of what constitutes a “toy”.
 • Haley Young
Hills I will die on as a dog lover
The more specific a guideline, the more likely I am to take issue with it. But I stand behind some overarching beliefs.
 • Haley Young
Train the dog, take the dog, leave the dog... just enjoy life with the dog!
Train the dog, take the dog, leave the dog... just enjoy life with the dog
 • Haley Young
Why I fulfill my dog differently than I used to
It wasn't a purposeful shift—but we've become much less pragmatic. Here's a look back on Scout's fulfillment changes and their causes.
 • Haley Young
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