I have been working with Mystic on socialization on the farm.

Remember, Mystic is going to be a farm dog. He will be working with birds and animals on a real farm. And animals are less predictable than people or even other dogs.

The wild birds and domesticated chickens I have on my farm in Connecticut are not trained. They don’t follow a script. Mystic will need to get comfortable with the natural comings and goings of wild birds.

I even have some horses that Mystic will need to be...

Todd started working with Mystic at Dog Gone Smart. 

Maremmas are not known as easily trained. They are just too independent. But Mystic is taking to it very well.

Todd started Mystic with the basics in swimming and leash walking.

Since that went so well we progressed to standard commands and behaviors like sit and stay until released and “Go to Bed’.

Todd used the standard techniques we use at the canine center for training.

For sit and stay, Todd started Mystic with a sit...

In communication between people, how we say things can often change how things are heard. We use nonverbal cues to change or refine the message.

Ask any couple in a relationship and they’ll tell you about the argument that stemmed from how something innocent was said.

And this is true in anywhere where people communicate. Entertainment, politics, advertising, media, and on and on.

You can go to school for years to learn the ins and outs of all of this.

But what if I told you that the...

When it comes to dog training, especially in the case of a dog that must be socialized slowly and carefully, it’s always a good idea to enlist help. 

Fortunately I have some of the best help around at my canine center, Dog Gone Smart. 

Mystic enjoyed visiting Dog Gone Smart. The puppy playtime was a great help for him in learning how to interact with other dogs. 

Until he was too big for puppies his age. He pounces harder and nips too roughly. He started to outweigh the...

After Mystic spent some socialization time at my canine center with other dogs, it was time to introduce to more people.

Maremmas are an independent breed of dog. They hail from the Maremmano and Abruzzo regions of Italy with their expansive farmlands and open spaces. They are independent out of necessity. They have a job to do and nobody else will be around to help them.

Pretty straightforward.

But, Mystic, is far away from that life. We live in the lower Fairfield County region of...

When it comes to training a Maremma to work on the farm, it will all be about balance.

Maremmas are naturally intelligent and independent. Their instincts to be guardians of livestock come from generations and generations of breeding. They are used to working independently and with very little human interaction.

They are lone sentinels on the hill.

Batman in a white fur jacket.

Which is all well and good when you are guarding sheep in the vast farmlands of the Maremmano and Abruzzo regions of...

I took our new puppy Mystic to my Canine Center for a little social interaction with other dogs. It was also a good, neutral place to re-introduce Mystic to Eloise, my Doberman rescue.

Mystic had a ball meeting other puppies of his own age. His rapidly increasing size is getting quite apparent. He dwarfs a lot of other dogs his same age!

Puppy playtime is a great opportunity for Mystic to play with other dogs and learn about his mouth. Nips and little bites are part of play. Learning to...

Maremmas are an independent breed. They were bred to roam the vast farmlands and open spaces of the Maremmano and Abruzzo regions of Italy, very rarely seeing a stranger who may try to interact.

I don’t live there. I live in the lower Fairfield County region of Connecticut. The largest open spaces are golf courses and public parks. We have neighbors. We have a community nearby.

I have to teach Mystic to socialize with people and other animals.

And socialization starts at home.

Besides...

Does Playing Tug Cause Aggression in Dogs?

You’re out with Duke at the local dog park when you started gathering your things to go. As you pick up Duke’s car blankie, he darts in to grab it away. You pull. He pulls. You pull, he pulls…and then SNAP! He has it and dances around you with his blankie in his mouth.

Fun times.

Until the Beagle’s mom tells you that you shouldn’t play that tug-of-war game with your dog because it encourages aggression.

Is Duke getting...

This is an exciting time for the Canine Master family!

From the annoyance and frustration of the predator invasion that has bedeviled my farm this past year has come the solution in the form of a cute Maremma puppy. A puppy bred for generations to do exactly what I need.

Tests to Predict Puppy Temperament and Personality

Be a protector. A guardian.

When the Maremma breeder offered me the pick of the litter, I could not have been happier. The opportunity to test and choose the puppy that we...