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Buddy's Blog
The purpose of this blog is to bring awareness to the issue of dog aggression, why some dogs become aggressive, how to prevent it in the first place, and what to do (and not to do) if you find yourself with a dog displaying aggressive behavior. It is our hope that by telling Buddy's story, and detailing his rehabilitation, we can help prevent other dogs from becoming aggressive and also help dogs and people who are in this situation know what to do and who to go to for help.
Reading the posts from oldest (bottom of this page) to newest will give you the best understanding of Buddy's Story.
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How to find a Good Dog Trainer
Dog Training Tip How to find a Good Dog Trainer A question I am asked often is how to find a good dog trainer. This is an important question because the dog training industry is not regulated. Anyone can call themself a dog trainer, so BUYER BEWARE! What you should know about dog training: Training methods proven to help dogs learn without causing unwanted side effects, such as fear and behavior issues, are reward based training methods , also called positive reinforceme
BuddysDream
Nov 5, 20235 min read


How to deal with Jumping
Dog Training Tip This is a reprint from the October 2023 newsletter. Jumping Does your dog jump on you and/or your guests? Does your...
BuddysDream
Oct 6, 20233 min read


The Difference between Rehabilitation and Training
This article explains the difference between Behavior Rehabilitation and Training.
BuddysDream
Sep 12, 20232 min read


Buddy's Rehab 6 - The “Experience Bank” and its importance in Dog Behavior Rehabilitation
What is the basis of dog behavior rehabilitation? I have always said it is all about the “Experience Bank”. I can’t remember if I made this term up, or read about it somewhere during the 20+ years I have been studying dog behavior and rehab, but I think it does help to explain why I do rehab the way I do, the value of using reward based methods in rehab, and why aversive methods don’t give real, reliable results. Let me explain: What is the “Experience Bank” and why is it
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Mar 22, 20239 min read


Buddy’s Rehab 5 – Medical issues contributing to Buddy’s aggression
Dogs do not want to be aggressive. If a dog is acting aggressively, they have a reason and it is our responsibility to determine why they feel the need to be aggressive. There are many reasons a dog may act aggressively. Fear is one reason, but there are others. Anytime you encounter an aggressive dog, the first thing you need to do is figure out why they are being aggressive and once you do that, you can start to address each issue in order to resolve the aggression.
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Oct 24, 202214 min read


Buddy’s Rehab 4 – Where did things stand at the 2 month mark?
If you’ve been following Buddy’s story, you know I offered to work with Buddy for a 2 month period, at which point I would transition him...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Aug 24, 202210 min read


Buddy’s Rehab 3 – The First Few Days of Buddy’s Rehab
If you read the previous blog post (Buddy’s Rehab 2), you saw the LONG list of issues Buddy needs to work on in order to live a somewhat ...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Jul 17, 202210 min read


Buddy’s Rehab 2 – What was Buddy’s Behavior like when I brought him to my home?
The orphanage contacted me and told me they were ready for me to take Buddy to my home so I could work on the things discussed in...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Jul 5, 20228 min read


Buddy’s Rehab 1 - How did I end up with Buddy?
A question people often ask is how I ended up with Buddy. So this seems to be a good place to start as I begin writing the rehab portion...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Jun 26, 20229 min read


Buddy Becomes an Orphan
Part 4 - Owner #2 gives up and brings Buddy to an orphanage (Owner #3). Two and a half months after Owner #2 bought Buddy from the...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Feb 18, 20228 min read


Why didn't Buddy's School Lessons help him?
Part 3B - What did Buddy really learn from the lessons he was given in Part 3A - Buddy Goes to School? As I stated in Part 3A - my...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Nov 5, 202123 min read


Why is Buddy so Mean?
This is the question I am most often asked... People keep asking me, "Why is Buddy so mean". The fact is, Buddy really isn't mean. ...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Oct 2, 20215 min read


Buddy goes to School
Part 3A - Buddy gets an education, but what is he really learning? Before I begin, I want to make very clear what my intentions for this...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Sep 12, 20218 min read


Buddy Finds a Home!
Part 2 - Buddy Moves into his first house Owner #2 Two weeks after the accidental death of their dog, a couple went to the breeder to...
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Aug 18, 20213 min read


Buddy's Start in Life
Part 1 - Where did Buddy's life begin? Before I get started, it might be helpful to give you an overview of who Buddy is and a summary of his life so far. Buddy is a dog with a very unfortunate past. As a result, he came to me fearful of all things and would bite when he got too scared - which was very often since he was afraid of everything. Prior to biting, Buddy does not give any warning, he just goes straight to a bite (not a nip - Buddy bites). He is like this becaus
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Aug 17, 20213 min read


The Cost of Rehabilitation
Why is Rehabilitation so Expensive? Rehabilitating a dog in the condition Buddy came to me in is extremely expensive. Between the various vets (due to the multiple specialties involved in the rehabilitation), the medications, supplements, special foods, equipment, etc., the bills add up quickly. At the writing of this update (4/6/25) the cost has been $24,000, and it will continue to rise. Please understand that my cost is actually quite a bit higher, but I have not kept t
BuddysDream1@gmail.com
Aug 16, 20216 min read
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