Please consider Homeward Pet Adoption Center for Giving Tuesday. Starting in December, I am joining the team at Homeward Pet Adoption Center in Woodinville on their mission... "to transform the lives of cats and dogs in need through compassionate medical care, positive behavior training, and successful adoption while building a more humane community." I will be their Behavior Program Manager. I am excited to do this work!   This does mean I am no longer able to offer in-home

Recently I did an Ask the Trainer event for Snohomish County’s wellness week. Fun! County employees brought their training and behavior questions. There were the usual suspects: dogs who jump up on guests and bark loudly at everything and cats soiling outside the litter box and walking all over the counters. Yes, there are things you can teach animals to do instead of these behaviors and common ways to address these issues. However, I did offer a few important caveats: All An

Tish and Lily: Finally ready for adventures! Relaxed on their first canoe ride. “What well-behaved dogs!” someone exclaimed as my pups...

Not all heroes wear capes! Rescue dog Lulu has the unconditional love of her family. Although I was drawn in from the beginning by the...

Shel Graves Animal Consulting bringing animal chaplaincy to the PAWS Walk kick off festival in Edmonds. The words "animal chaplain" spark...

If we don’t want shock, choke, and prong collars to be used on dogs — and we don’t! What do we want? Dog training, dog treats, and dog...

You want to pet the floofy dog, but does she want to be petted? Recently, in a class I was teaching about animal learning, one of the...

Rescuing Wile E. Buddy now Haymitch from the brambles. At Shel Graves Animal Consulting we talk a lot about dogs and cats. These are the...

Add fun activities! Use the happiness plan. What is your dog or cat’s favorite activity? Can you give them 3-5 minutes more a day of your...

Recently, someone in an online forum asked an excellent question. I loved it so much I'm giving it a long answer here. They asked: What...

Reward-based training focuses on building a great bond between you and your happy puppy. Five steps to a great start.

Recently, Heidi Skievaski, owner of  Sublime Gardens ,  wrote a fantastic blog on about Creating Sensory Gardens for Dogs: A Haven of...

This is one of my favorite animal training tips: reward for calm. Relaxed on a mat, a great time to reward. Easier said than done, yes!...

Heidi Skievaski, owner of Sublime Gardens , wrote a fantastic blog on the topic: Creating Sensory Gardens for Dogs: A Haven of...

Give them a safe place to snooze! Question: Should I take my house-trained, crate-trained dog with me on vacation? Answer: It depends....

Question: Are you having difficulty with a barking, jumping, or lunging dog? Do you suspect this may be partly your fault because you...

Question: Will certain breeds of dog defy your attempts to teach them basic manners? Are Shih Tzus too stubborn? Frenchies too willful?...

To me, training is all about developing a solid way of communicating with animals, paying attention to what they are saying with their...

To me, training is all about developing a solid way of communicating with animals, paying attention to what they are saying with their...

Recently I taught a class at Edmonds College’s Creative Retirement Institute on Animal Behavior: How to Have a Happier Life With Your...