Hi,

My name is Sylvia Dickens, a lifelong dog lover who launched Dog Owners University to help you to become a good Puppy Parent - especially if you are a first-time dog owner.

Who Am I?

I've had dogs all my life... that means over 50+ years of dog ownership.

First, it was our family dog, a Cocker Spaniel we brought with us from England when I was 8 followed by several more Spaniels after Jeannie. I've had several pound pups of mixed breeds that produced some surprises.

Monty, for example, was a cut little puppy with salt-and-pepper fur. Little did I know that his genetics included a breed that made him grow into a huge dog. I suspect he was part-sheep dog.

My Dogs Stories

Nikki

In 1975, I got Nikki, an American Eskimo Spitz. He was only 5 weeks old and an absolute joy. He appears as my logo on many of my products. He always looked like that, happy and inquisitive. He was my absolute best friend.

He was full of energy, always ready to play and take that much-desired walk every day. Throughout his entire life, he was healthy, except for a few minor things... a small lump on one eyelid that was removed before he lost use of his eye, and a leg injury he got while chasing the neighbor's cat. Neither were life-threatening and he recovered just fine.

He was fun, affectionate, protective and he had a great sense of humor (as do all my dogs). Sadly, he developed kidney failure and died at the age of 16-1/2, but he certainly lived a long, full life.

I mention Nikki in the course because to be honest, up to know, this is my favorite breed. He was smart, quick to learn and extremely loyal to me. He made a good guard dog by letting me know when someone came near our house, and would attack if they continued towards me.

Five years after Nikki died, I took possession of another American Eskimo, this one from the pound. He was about 7 months old. He'd been abused in his first home and was very small and thin. His second family was afraid of his fear aggression and wanted to send him back to the pound. So he came to my house instead.

Kobe was much different from Nikki. While was quick to demonstrate his defensiveness, he was difficult to train because of his upbringing to that point. He was afraid of people, hid under tables and barked incessantly at strangers.

He spent most of his 15-1/2 years protecting me and I spent a good part of that time trying to get him to trust people. He disliked everyone and every animal, including dogs of all sexes.

When he was 2 years old, I decided to try introducing a female puppy to socialize him. To my surprise, he did eventually take to her, but it took a couple of months before I fully trusted him not to try to hurt her. Over the years, they became best friends. Cindy even got him to play. She was the perfect calming and fun influence to get him out of his aggression and apprehensiveness about people and animals.

Cindy was a lab/chow who would have ended up at the pound if I hadn't taken her. She was about 6 months old when I brought her home and introduced her to Kobe. She was the most docile dog I'd ever owned. In fact, she was rather 'dumb', but she made up for it in her cuteness, affection and playfulness, not to mention her sense of humor. One look at her face and you could see that she was a comical character.

She pretty much ignored Kobe's aggressive actions and it wasn't long before she had him turned around. He became her playmate and her best friend. It was wonderful to see the transition in him, and watch the two of them pretend fight. Cindy being the bigger dog would drop to the ground the moment Kobe caught up with her, giving him the "advantage" and satisfaction of thinking he'd brought her down.

Cindy is one of my saddest stories because she developed a huge tumor on her chest when she was 8 years old. The vet operated and she lived about another 2 years when she died from cancer that had spread around her heart. During those last few years, she lost all of that energy and playfulness.

Cindy was a huge heartbreak because she was so vibrant and a delight to share my home and my life.

And then came Tyler, a Belgian Shepherd. He's my current dog. I found him at the local pound after Kobe died in 2006. The animal control people picked him up as a stray, yet he was well trained already. I can't help wondering why the owners didn't retrieve him.

He's a very good natured dog, loves other dogs, children and especially men. It makes me think he had belonged to a young man or boy. We can't walk past a school or baseball diamond where people are playing ball without him going into a frenzy to participate.

Tyler would love to get back to the wild which makes it difficult to contain him, and perhaps is the reason he got away from his first owners.

The vet figured he was somewhere between 6 months and 2 years old when I got him, but I felt he was closer to 1 year old. We enjoy long daily walks together. When it's time to go, he brings me his Kong toy because that is his chosen method of communication.

Everyone we pass loves this rambunctious and beautiful dog.

Tyler is a challenge because he has a strong will and the body to match. Our battle of wills becomes evident during our walks when he wants to say hello to every passerby, or he catches a scent that he feels destined to follow.

He's extremely intelligent which makes "find it" games a joy to watch as he works his senses. I've estimated that he can find the object in less than 20 seconds and at the outset, no more than 1 minute.

I discuss some of the challenges I've had with my dogs throughout the Puppy Parenting Course.

I hope you stay with me and learn as I do how to get every possible minute with your dog. It doesn't take long for your relationship to develop which means that every day you get to enjoy that bond is precious.

My dogs have shared a large part of my life. Nothing can compare to the bond that develops between dog and owner.

Happy Puppy Parenting!

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Sylvia Dickens

Dog Lover and Web Site Owner

Lansdowne, Ontario, Canada