Dogs have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Though there have been many years where I did not have one of my own, family members had dogs which is where my love of dogs started. Dogs have such emotional intelligence and sometimes plain old smarts too. This is where we connect with dogs and how they connect with us. I was fortunate to take a training class a few years ago with a professional dog trainer and learned useful and effective techniques for behavior modification using only positive reinforcement. This works quite well as dogs love praise and encouragement (as well as treats). I recently adopted a rescue and after four weeks she is fully house trained in all respects. Only praise and rewards were needed. She's a great dog!