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Purely Puppy is the perfect blog for puppy parents. It is written by Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board certified veterinary behaviorist in southeastern Florida, who has a great love of dogs, and a special fondness for Rottweilers.
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Ignore Behaviors and Watch Them Disappear

My daughter and I are done with breakfast, but we are still seated at the table. We can’t get up because Maverick is in his crate and he is barking. If we move from the table, he will see us. If he sees us, he will be rewarded for barking. If we reward him for barking today, he will learn to bark... READ MORE

Jul 25, 2012 / (4) comments

When Your Child is a Dog Pest

"Maaaveriiick Shmaaaveriiick! Mav! Where are you?!" She’s awake. The "she" is my 4-year-old daughter. The first thing she does each morning is look for our 8-month-old Labrador Retriever puppy, Maverick. Just a couple of months ago, my daughter was afraid of dogs. Now, she is... READ MORE

Jul 18, 2012 / (10) comments

What to do When Your Child is Afraid of Dogs

As many of you who read this blog regularly know, my child was afraid of dogs before we adopted Maverick, our now 8-month-old puppy. We taught my daughter some simple lessons to help her get over her fear.   READ MORE

Jul 11, 2012 / (3) comments

My Dog Only Listens When He Knows I Have a Treat

The other day Maverick was working with one of my patients. Maverick’s job was to stand relatively still and look at me. It sounds like a simple task, but remember that Maverick is only seven months old and I had only had him for three weeks at that point. Have you ever tried to keep your dog’s... READ MORE

Jul 04, 2012 / (7) comments

The Fountain of Youth

You are at your puppy’s second vaccination visit. At this visit, your veterinarian is going over the second tier, new puppy-owner education. She has already spoken to you about house training and socialization. She stands across the table from you, looks you directly in the eyes, and says, "I... READ MORE

Jun 27, 2012 / (6) comments

The Magic Pill for Puppies

Dr. Radosta is taking a break from Purely Puppy this week; please join us as we revisit one of our favorite columns from last year.   Imagine: You are standing in the veterinarian’s office with your pup. The doctor tells you that there is a new medication that prevents the leading cause... READ MORE

Jun 20, 2012 / (2) comments

What is Your Puppy's Currency?

When I was a resident at U of Penn, my husband had a Harley Davidson, Screaming Eagle Electroglide. It was a fancy, bright blue motorcycle with orange striping. He loved it and I hated it. I completely supported his decision to own and ride it, but I wasn’t getting on.   READ MORE

Jun 13, 2012 / (5) comments

Puppy Socialization, Part 2

Your pup is healthy and she has her first set of vaccinations and a deworming. Should you... a. Take her to the dog beach or dog park? b. Enroll her in puppy classes and take her out with you? c. Keep her at home until she has all of her vaccinations?   READ MORE

Jun 06, 2012 / (3) comments

What Makes a Dog Good Breeder?

As I sat this weekend at a wooden breakfast nook table with the breeder of my family’s new puppy, I began to think about what makes a good dog breeder. What had brought me to this moment with this particular person?   READ MORE

May 30, 2012 / (6) comments

Don’t Judge Me

The other day, I was picking my daughter up from school and one of her teachers approached me. She asked if we got a puppy and named it Victoria. As anyone who lives with a 4-year-old can attest, the line between reality and fantasy is pretty blurry. I told her teacher that we were actually going to... READ MORE

May 23, 2012 / (17) comments

ABOUT PURELY PUPPY

LISA RADOSTA, DVM, DACVB

Photo of Lisa Radosta

…is a board certified veterinary behaviorist. Haven’t ever heard of one? You’re in good company, because many people don’t know they exist. After all, there are only 54 of them. After veterinary school at the University of Florida and some time in primary care practice, Dr. Radosta completed a 3-year residency in behavioral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She treats dogs, cats and birds with serious behavior problems, like aggression, separation anxiety, elimination outside of the litter box, and storm phobia. But please don’t ask her if dogs lie on a couch and bark at her!

She spends her off time writing textbook chapters and articles for veterinarians and clients, as well as lecturing nationally and internationally. Oh, yeah - she is also an overscheduled, stressed, tired, working mom. If you are itching to know lots more about her, go to her website at www.flvetbehavior.com, and join her weekly for your puppy fix.

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Has your puppy ever seen a professional dog trainer?

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