Does your dog growl?

Does your dog growl? Growling is a communication from the dog that can mean several things.  It may mean “I can’t handle that!” (Fear),  “That’s mine!”  (resource guarding) or “I’m playing with you/them” (play mode).     It’s important to understand what the communication…

Prevention and Treating Thunderstorm Anxiety

Prevention and Treating Thunderstorm Anxiety It’s that time of year that we don’t look forward to with our dogs.  Those noisy angels bowling up in heaven and the crashing of cymbals from above, can be scary and foreign to a lot of our dogs….

What are you really teaching your dog??

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First it’s important to remember to ask yourself, “what behaviors am I reinforcing with my dog?” Common examples of problem behaviors I see owners teach are scratching at doors, jumping up on people, or pulling while on leash walks. Say your dog wants to…

5 Awesome Ideas For Dog Friendly Vacations in NC

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Copy this code to embed this on your website: <span data-embed=”dogwoods-dog-freindly-vacations-infographic-xl.jpg”><a href=”https://dogwoodsretreat.com/dog-friendly-vacations”><img alt=”dogwoods-dog-freindly-vacations-infographic-xl.jpg” src=”https://dogwoodsretreat.com/sites/dogwoodsretreat.com/files/dogwoods-dog-freindly-vacations-infographic-xl.jpg” />Dog Friendly Vacations</a> at Dogwoods Retreat</span>

New Puppy Training Essentials

Yep, we did it.  We got a Boxer puppy and her name is Willow.  I’ve been a Boxer person for 35 years now, I know my breed. After having 3 rescued dogs in a row, we decided to get a new puppy from a…

Bear Sightings

DogWoods Retreat is located right in the middle of the forest. Recent morning sightings include a momma bear with her three yearling cubs. They will stay with their mother until they are about 2 years of age, when she gets ready to mate again….

Training a good recall (come command)

The most common complaint I hear as a trainer is, my dog doesn’t come when I call him. The biggest problem I see regarding this, is that people don’t train the recall properly. It needs to be practiced over and over so that it…

Join us for Christmas!

Though we can’t promise snow, we can certainly promise you’ll enjoy your stay at DogWoods Retreat!  We still have an opening for the week of Christmas so contact us soon if you want to be the lucky one who spends the holiday with us. …

Fall Glory at DogWoods Retreat!

Come stay with us at DogWoods Retreat we are the dog friendliest place on the planet!  Large private fenced yards surround each of our cabins in the woods.  We don’t care if your best friend is a Pit Bull or a Shitzu or even…

Graveyard Fields Lower Falls 10/6/15

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What a glorious time up on the Blue Ridge Parkway today with beautiful Carolina blue skies and the start of fall color.  We went to Graveyard Fields and ran into a nice couple from Massachusetts and their two lovely boxers.  Thank you for posing…