I picked my daughter up at a friend’s house the other day, and noticed a painfully familiar scenario involving the family dog. Hudson* is a small mixed breed cutie, adopted as an adult from a shelter several years ago. He lives with his young, active family of mom, dad and several school age children, and […]
A Letter From Your Shy and Fearful Dog
I started The ExtraOrdinary Dog (EOD) because I found that loving my shy and fearful dog felt very isolating. Forays into the wider world were fraught with anxiety. The public generally isn’t interested or educated about shy dogs. Inviting guests to the house became a heart pounding, nail biting production. Love alone didn’t seem to […]
Dory Moments
One of my favorite movie characters of all time is Dory, Nemo’s royal blue Tang fish sidekick in the movie Finding Nemo. One of her best (and worst) traits is her periodic amnesia, which makes for some of the most hilarious and poignant moments in the film. Loving an ExtraOrdinary Dog can feel a lot […]
Personal Space Bubble
Gimme Some Elbow Room I attended a small, catholic grammar school. We got to know our classmates very well over the course of eight years. One classmate, Robert, stood out among all the other boys because of his seemingly bizarre behavior during lunch at the cafeteria table. He would take his seat on the long […]
Training The Exit Strategy for Shy and Fearful Dogs
The Exit Strategy As thrilling as it is when your shy dog takes a tentative step towards confidence, it can be equally as nerve-wracking. You’ve worked long hours, sometimes over many months, to help your dog develop coping mechanisms and to counter-condition more productive behaviors. You know your dog’s triggers, train below his threshold and […]
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