Pepper Becoming
The Journey of an Unwanted Dog and the Man Who Wanted Her
Pepper Becoming humorously, tenderly, and sometimes painfully recounts the unlikely true story of two kindred souls — a dog no one wanted and a man not interested in owning a dog— helping each other navigate life’s challenges.
Abandoned by her owners 15 miles from her home, she was dirty, diseased, and emaciated when seized by the police off of the streets of New York. Scheduled to be euthanized at a municipal pound after her owners refused to claim her, she was adopted, returned, and again scheduled to be euthanized. Finally rescued by a no-kill shelter, she lived in a cage for nearly two years while deteriorating emotionally and behaviorally.
With predestination in the air, her path crossed with a novice dog trainer (the author) seeking to improve his skills by volunteering at the shelter that housed her.
Despite her distrust of people, and his disinterest in the responsibilities of dog ownership, they immediately bonded and embarked on a nine-year journey that would change them, and those whose lives they graced, forever.
Don’t take my word for it, read these reviews
Articles I’ve Authored
I’ve written for some of the leading dog training publications, including the “Chronicle of the Dog” which is the largest circulation training publication for positive reinforcement dog trainers. I have also written numerous columns for Barks From The Guild, the Pet Professional Guild magazine.
Winner of Dog Writer’s Association Maxwell Award for Training Reference Book of the Year, 2015.
- Chronicle of the Dog Magazine- Socializing Your Puppy- Play Doh and Your Puppy- The first 12-14 weeks of a puppy’s life are the most important in a dog’s development. Just like a puppy is vaccinated to prevent physical illness, a well administered socialization program will help to prevent behavioral issues such as resource guarding, separation anxiety, fear of strangers and much more.
- My interview with PETCO – “What to Do if My Puppy Seems to Be Regressing in Training”- ‘Regression‘ is often the result on unrealistic expectations. When puppies and even adult dogs are learning, the process is never straight line forward (the same as when human beings are learning). My interview with PETCO addresses this.
- Chronicle of the Dog Training Magazine ” Of Dogs and Men” Chronicle of the Dog “Of Dogs and Men II“
- The Importance of Repetition
- Dodgers Digest Newsletter “Fear and Aggression Barking”- The article should have been titled “Fear Barking” because the overwhelming majority of aggressive barking is based in fear. Sadly, many trainers use force/intimidation to try to resolve this problem which only serves to magnify it instead.
- Thunder Phobia in Dogs
- What’s Next, The Gun Whisperer? Our Children Need Better Role Models
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LI Dog Directory Rescue Reporter “Overview of Shelters and the rescue process“
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LI Dog Directory Rescue Reporter “Things to Consider when Adopting a Rescue“
- Effective Fostering
- My Interview with PetMD “8 Ways to Shake Up Your Dog Walking Routine”