Hank and I were thrilled to compete at the First Annual Master’s Agility Championship at Westminster this past Saturday. It was a very long day but it was exhilarating. This was our first high pressure trial and I was seriously nervous. I was nervous for my performance, but mostly I was scared about what HankRead more
Blog: Hank Archives - Doggie Academy
The First Ever Masters Agility Championship at Westminster
This year the Westminster Kennel Club will host its first ever agility trial in conjunction with their 138th Annual All Breed Dog Show. Entry to the trial was open to all dogs competing at the Excellent and Masters levels in AKC. I have to assume that thousands of dogs entered to try to snag oneRead more
My Dog Hates Bugs… Does Yours?
Hank & I had a wonderful time at Camp Gone to the Dogs and are excited to be working at Fall Camp as well. One thing Hank did not enjoy, though, was the bugs. He has been mildly afraid of bugs since having the bejesus scared out of him while watching a horror film onRead more
Our First Blue Ribbon!
Finally, Hank & I were able to compete 2 days in a row. Most trials happen on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Since I usually teach classes on Saturdays I have been limited to competing one day at a time. However, there was a trial earlier this month that started on a Thursday so I wasRead more
Our First Q!
I am so proud of Hank. This weekend we competed at an AKC trial in New Jersey, only our 3rd day of trialing. I was very nervous about the Jumpers with Weaves course because there was a pinwheel at the opening with lots of challenging angles. Even in Novice, if your dog drops even aRead more
Our First Trial
The day after Thanksgiving, Hank and I embarked on our first ever agility trial. I was super nervous, but thankfully I had three very supportive people there to help me. Vinny came, even though it was probably the most boring day every for him, just to keep me from totally freaking out. My teacher, FrankieRead more
Why Is Handling Your Dog Important?
Handling is a topic that I usually talk about with my puppy clients. I stress the importance of teaching your dog how to tolerate (or even enjoy) being touched all over their bodies, especially in areas that tend to be sensitive. I had a personal experience last week that highlighted why this is such aRead more
Agility Run Thrus
Last week, Hank & I went to run thrus at Morris K-9 Campus. It was a really great training session for us (and workout too). Plenty of other dogs as distractions for Hank since the other participants were only 2 feet from the table obstacle. In this video, we complete the entire course. The jumpsRead more
Hank vs. the Slice
One of the agility classes that Hank and I are taking right now is called “Serpentines, Slices and Threadles.” Those are all terms for different handling techniques and our first class focused on the slice. When a dog slices an obstacle it means that they take it at an angle, often a pretty extreme angle.Read more
Hank vs. Agility
As many of you know, Hank is my little agility man. What began as a way to exercise my too active dog, has turned in to a bit of an obsession. We are currently taking 4 classes a week, 2 at Port Chester Obedience Training Club and 2 at Morris K-9 Campus. Dog agility isRead more
Hank vs. Anal Sacs
Do you express your dog’s anal sacs? Did you even know that your dog has anal sacs and that they might need to be expressed? The canine anal sacs are two organs around the anus that secrete small amounts of fluid that has a smell specific to your dog. The liquid is secreted during aRead more
Hank Explains the Game of Chase
Introducing, Hank’s first instructional video. Here he teaches how to start and continue a successful game of chase. Enjoy!
Dogs and their Fears
Last night someone set off a series of fireworks on my block. The noise woke Hank and he hurled himself off the bed and right under it. He was stressed out for the rest of the night and spent most of it under the bed. It made me think about the laundry list of thingsRead more
Hank vs. The Heat
With the extreme heatwave we’ve had recently, exercising Hank has been an extra challenge. It’s been too hot to do much of anything outside but I still have to keep the big man busy. There are a handful of dog toys out there that involve ice to keep cool. We have a Chilly Bone, butRead more
Hank vs. Bicycle
Hank is a super-high energy dog and I always struggle with keeping up with him. Running with him is not an option for me, since my knees would not hold up. Vinny will occasionally Roller Blade with him (see an earlier post about it here), but I’m not solid on skates. My friend and fellowRead more
Brooklyn Mutt Show Wrap Up
What a great weekend at the Brooklyn Lyceum! Even with all the rain, tons of mutt families joined us to celebrate all things dog and raise money for BARC (I got my BARC t-shirt, did you?). I loved meeting tons of great people and their mutts and helping them with some of their behavior questions.Read more
Doggie Academy at the Brooklyn Mutt Show
To conclude our week of announcements here goes: Doggie Academy will be on hand at the Brooklyn Mutt Show to answer your behavior questions! March 13th and 14th, the Brooklyn Mutt Show will celebrate all things mixed-breed. Dogs will complete in catagories such as Sloppiest Kisser, Best Tail, and Least Useful Pet Trick. Wanna registerRead more
Hank vs. Fresh Snow
It seems like it’s been snowing forever which brings me down, but releasing Hank into the front patio this morning brought a rush of energy. He could barely contain himself and flailed wildly. There are a few crazy photos of him on our Facebook page, too. Enjoy the snow day everyone!
Hank’s 2 Years Old!
Hank’s 2nd birthday was this week and we celebrated with some his favorites: Nature’s Variety Raw Diet medallions (shaped into a heart) and a frosted bully stick from Buttercup’s Paw-tisserie (and a party hat of course). Not only does this video celebrate Hank’s birthday, but also demonstrates how a solid sit-stay is possible, even inRead more
Hank vs. Treadmill
Vinny & I have tossed around the idea of getting a treadmill for Hank for a while. He has so much energy, it would be nice to be able to really tire him out at home. During a visit to some family that has a treadmill, we got to try him out on it. HeRead more
Hank vs. Santa
Here’s Hank showing off one of his Christmas gift from his Grandma for Vinny & Damien. He was actually quite good-natured about it. But not as good as his cousin, Lucky, who wore his Santa suit for most of the day!
Hank vs. Snow
This is one edition of “Hank vs.” that Hank clearly wins!NYC was hit with the first snow storm of the season and the first thing Hank wanted to do was pee… for 31 seconds! Now, before you go thinking “wow, he must have really had to go” I have to tell you that he doesRead more
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
Let’s celebrate our loved shelter dogs! Send in photos, videos, stories of your adopted dogs. I’ll start with this stupid video of Hank: Don’t have a shelter dog of your own? Well, get on down to Biscuits and Bath where we have almost a dozen adorable puppies for adoption (I have a soft spot forRead more
Hank vs. Crate
This post is meant to give hope and encouragement to those of you in the process of crate training your dog. I’ve had a handful of clients lately that have been frustrated and concerned about their dog in his crate. The process can be really challenging, especially when you’re dealing with an older dog thatRead more
Hank vs. Vacation Update 2
Before we left Mystic for the weekend, we did want to try to give Hank the opportunity to play in the water. If you live in an urban area, you probably know that it’s tough to find a place to let a dog swim. A waitress at the Somewhere in Time Cafe (if you go,Read more
Hank vs. Vacation Update
We made it through virtually unscathed! Hank required more attention than I am used to when traveling with a dog… I guess he is just high maintenance. However, he was not the most naughty dog in the hotel this weekend. That honor goes to the pooch that barked incessantly all night and day. It didn’tRead more
Hank vs. Vacation
It’s been a while since I’ve added a Hank vs…. post. I guess there are fewer and fewer “firsts” in his life now. However, Vinny and I have planned to take the holiday weekend off and get out of the city. We’re just taking a 3 day weekend in Connecticut. Simple, quick, easy trip. ButRead more
My Outtakes
I have finally gotten around to have my photo taken for the Biscuits & Bath website. It was not an easy task since I am fairly camera shy and very critical of every photo of me ever. But my sister was visiting this weekend and she’s got a pretty good eye for photography so IRead more
Hank vs. Snow
Yesterday evening was my first real opportunity to see what Hank thinks of snow. I let him out in our front gated area to play and just watched to see what he’d do. It turns out he loves snow. Loves to eat it, that is! Every bit of fresh snow ended up with his tongueRead more
Pet Insurance
After everything we went through with Charleston, Vinny and I decided that we should really get Pet Insurance for Hank. If we’d had insurance for Charlie, we’d have a much bigger savings right now. When it came time to wade through the different insurance companies and plans, I was pretty overwhelmed. There are lots ofRead more
Hank Update
Hank is doing well following his surgery. I was hoping that he would be mellow for a day or two post-op and therefore I’d get a bit of a break during the holiday. But, he’s just as rambunctious as ever. Dr. V said that he was raring to go as soon as he woke upRead more
Hank’s Getting Neutered!
So, today is finally the day. I dropped Hank off at the vet’s this morning to be neutered. Hank conveniently got diarrhea the day before his last scheduled appointment, so we had to put it off for a while. I knew it had to be done soon since he’s starting to get picked on byRead more
The Time Has Come
After hoping to put off neutering Hank until he had filled out a little bit more, I finally made the appointment to have him fixed next Tuesday. He has been getting picked on in the dog run for being the only dog with testicles. At first he could get away with it because he wasRead more
Sensitive Subject (Rated M for Mature)
When we adopted Hank we were advised that we might want to wait a while before we had him neutered. His little body had been through so much in his short life and waiting would give his body a chance to fully recover. This is where the story becomes sensitive, so the faint of heartRead more
Hank vs. A Scarf
Ahhh, the joys of having a puppy. Sometimes Hank does things that just make me laugh. He loves to pick stuff up in his mouth… of course, he is a retriever after all. Unless it’s something that is harmful I will usually just let him have it. I don’t want him to learn that IRead more
Hank vs. The Open Road
What is more “open road American” than a dog riding in a car with his head out the window? Charleston never loved being in the car and certainly never wanted to feel the wind in his ears. My Golden Retriever, Magic, liked to ride with her head out the window… until we went over 28Read more
Hank vs. Drinking
Vinny, Damien and I took Hank to a bar for the first time last night. We went to The Gate, which is dog friendly and has a terrific side patio. The weather was perfect, warm but with a cool breeze. The bar wasn’t too crowded so we were able to sprawl out and talk withoutRead more
Big Boy
It’s official! Hank has exceeded the 50 lb mark. As of yesterday, he weighs a whopping 52 lbs. Not bad considering he was a gaunt 36 lbs a month and a half ago. And, he still has quite a bit of filling out to do!
My Soft Pooch
By most standards, Hank’s fur is exactly like a normal Lab’s. It looks just like Lab fur and it certainly repels water (he dries quicker than I do after swimming!). When we first brought him home, it was also pretty coarse. Labs are not typically known for having really soft fur, but Dr. V feltRead more
Hank vs. Pigeons
This is one battle that I hope the pigeons will win. It is definite. My puppy is bird obsessed. While waiting for the car to fail inspection, Hank and I took a walk to a small public park. No dog run, just hanging out on a bench enjoying the weather and watching the world goRead more