Friday, December 31, 2010

Canine New Year's Resolutions.

We all know that we make new year's resolutions for ourselves, but do you ever include your dog in those resolutions?  I included my dogs in 2 of my 5 resolutions--more exercise and more training for them.  See, even a dog trainer needs to do more with their dogs!  Which brings me to those that aren't dog trainers . . . .

Many people assume that if they have trained their dog to respond to a cue (sit, down, stay, etc.) then they are done.  Dog is trained.  Check that off the list.  Don't be too hasty.  As my mentor trainer always said, usually in a group of dog owners, "Can someone tell me when you know you can stop training your dog?"  Everyone would be silent, trying to think hard for the right answer.  The answer was always, "Never.  You are never finished training your dog."  Training is an on-going process even with those seemingly simple cues.  Why do you think dog trainers dogs respond (or so I hope they do) so reliably to these simple cues?  It's because they use them daily.  I know in my dog's daily routine they have to sit for food, wait to go out the back door and sit for greetings.  Those are a few of the common rituals we have. 

Pick up a new skill.  If your dog is pretty good at basic obedience and you want to expand his vocabulary and skill set then join a tricks class or start agility with your dog.  These types of things are great for mental stimulation and maintaining great skills and the human-canine bond.  You can also try our "About Town" group class that takes the basics out to the streets and trains humans and their dogs to work through real-life situations politely.

Exercise your dog appropriately While one certain TV dog trainer brought more dog owners to the realization that they weren't exercising their dogs enough, he didn't mention that exercise alone wouldn't solve your dog's problems.  This is why I recommend exercise that is both physically and mentally stimulating.  If you are walking your dog for hours on end but he's still "everywhere" then you haven't been balancing mental exercise and physical exercise enough.  You can cause your dog to run off of adrenaline if you just exercise, exercise, exercise and do not provide productive and appropriate forms of mental stimulation.  I have several programs that address this issue and we can easily help you with this!  Our all new Outdoor Adventures is particularly great for this!

Feed your dog a well-balanced and healthy diet, it makes a difference.  For those of you who have worked with me you know how big I am on diet.  Diet can be the cause of many problems both physically and mentally, just like humans.  However, dogs aren't humans so there are many things that they shouldn't have.  For example, dogs have no need for carbohydrates and grains.  They should have a diet very high in protein, namely good sources of meats and fish. A great resource for diet and specific diets for ailments, such as constant allergies and even kidney issues, is "Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs" by Lew Olson, PhD in Animal Nutrition.

Having a dog isn't for someone who doesn't want to put work and effort into it.  In order to maintain your dog's health both mentally and physically you have to put some elbow grease into it.  It can be tiring at times and even frustrating, but when you train and raise a dog properly the rewards are tremendous for us humans!  I couldn't imagine life without a dog!

Happy New Year . . . and keep your dog's busy.  Let me know how I can help.  We will start offering group classes again in late February/early March.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

National Train Your Dog Month: January

Alright here it is!  The APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), of which I am a member of, is hosting the 2nd National Train Your Dog Month for January.  They are offering several contests for anyone who owns a dog.  If you need a reason to get off your butt and train your dog, use this one!  Great contests for everyone.  Check out their website: trainyourdogmonth.com to get all the details!

Do you need help achieving your goal for one of these contests?  Well, looks like you may know the right person!  Give me a shout.

Stay tuned with our newsletter for upcoming details and more on the great month of January!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Oops-a-daisy!

I find it very interesting what child rearing books I read that relate so much to my dog training.  I've been training dogs much longer than I have been raising a kid, so it all comes full circle at times.  It also inspires me to write my blog posts for my lovely followers.

I think potty training is one of the issues with dogs that I find to be so incredibly simple yet so many people have unreliably trained dogs in this area.  My daughter is 2 years old and I sat down and read a whole potty book yesterday to find out how to potty train a human being.  Interesting, sounds just like a puppy!

As I read the short booklet I sat it down and thought to myself--the fact is that people are lazy.  A dog that potties on the floor after 6 months of age without telling you he has to go out is not potty trained.  He also should be completely potty trained.  Please keep in mind this entire article is only referring to dogs that are healthy and have no medical reasons to have poor potty habits.  If your dog has been cleared of medical reasons for not potty training there should be no reason that your dog isn't fully trained at 6 months of age.  (I highly recommend a full urinalysis or urine culture done by a veterinarian if your dog is older than 6 months and is not potty trained.) 

To be quite honest, the majority of dogs can be fully potty trained by 16-20 weeks of age.  There are a few breeds that potty train quickly and others that take some real dedication.  Great Danes and other giant breeds tend to potty train in about a week.  I thought this was just ludicrous until I got my Great Dane.  He was sitting by the door reliably at 10 weeks of age.  He took me a week, it was crazy.  I had read that on all of the Great Dane websites but really didn't believe it until it happened to me.  On the other hand, some giant dogs such as the Bernese Mountain dogs and Greater Swiss Mountain dogs take a lot of time and patience to potty train.  Also, some terriers take longer.  Jack Russell Terriers can take quite some time and patience.  But hey, if you own a Jack Russell you should be chock full of time and patience for everything, not just potty training, or forget having that breed altogether!  But, still, if you are really consistent and follow all the right steps even those harder breeds should be potty trained reliably rather quickly.

The bottom line for successful potty training is dedication, time and patience.  The ideal way is to get a puppy during a stay-cation (vacation but you are at home) or if you can take about one week off of work to dedicate your days to potty training your puppy.  I know this isn't possible for everyone, and you can obviously still get it done properly without doing that.  However, this is a great way to jump start great potty habits with a new puppy.

Just like my toddler's potty book says, you have to also do this with a puppy to ensure success--don't let them out of your sight until it's safe.  Take them to the potty often to prevent accidents and be sure that each elimination is done in the appropriate location.  Praise heavily, but appropriately, for each elimination in the appropriate location.  Verbal praises work out great.  I don't even recommend using food for this for a reward, just a sincere obvious verbal joy and praise.  If you use rewards such as food, use the lowest value that your puppy will accept and still pair it with verbal praise and petting.

If you can't watch your puppy put him in his crate where he is quite unlikely to eliminate.  If he's eliminating in the crate first ask yourself if you are taking him out often enough?  Was he able to empty out before going into the crate?  Was in there too long?  Was there soft substrate (blankets, towels, bed or even a stuffed toy) that could absorb elimination so that puppy doesn't have to lie directly in it?

When your puppy is having accidents in the house the most common problem is that he wasn't supervised properly.  You cannot let your puppy out of your sight.  Young puppies should go out every 30-60 minutes, increasing the time by 15-20 minutes per week until he's more reliable for longer periods.

Potty training a dog is easy, it just takes you being able to put down your iPhone and pay attention.  Be consistent.  Don't let too much time lapse between breaks.  And don't feel bad about placing the puppy in a crate if you cannot watch him constantly while he's got free-run of the room (I say room because no puppy should ever have free-run of the house!)

If you have a puppy that needs help with potty training let me know.  If you have an adult dog that is having potty issues first go for a full blood panel and urine culture at your veterinarian's office, then call me and we can discuss ways to start teaching your dog the proper elimination areas.

New Year's Resolution #17: Potty train the dog--Check 
www.aictdfw.com

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

And a partridge in a pear tree . . .

Well our 12 Days of Doggie Christmas contest is over.  Here are all the answers!  Thank you to everyone who participated!  Hope you learned some things.  

(Photo to the left is of my four dogs from 2007--Amos, Jake, Trevor & Noah)

Our last winner for the 15% off coupon was Kelly Bohn with Whiskey the Heeler mix.  She got all of the answers for days 7-12 correct!  Way to go, Kelly!

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude Interactive Toy
 
2nd Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?
Answer: The first thing that should be noticed is the dog's body language, not the leash.  The dog is completely stressed out.  Ears back, head turned away, not sitting down completely & he's at the end of the leash as much as possible (attempt to get away).  The man is trying to convince the dog to listen but it's not going to work, he's too stressed.  The owner needs to learn to "listen" to his dog.  How?  By learning more about canine body language.  A good start is this article.  You can also Google "calming signals" to learn more. 
Winner: None.
Prize: None.
 
3rd Day of Christmas:  . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a sweet little puppy that drooled all over me.   What kind of puppy is this?  What movie did this breed have a main role in?
Answer:  This is a Dogue de Bordeuax puppy, also known as a French Mastiff.  This was the same breed as "Hooch" from the movie "Turner & Hooch" starring Tom Hanks in 1989. 
Winner: Ashley Prince & Josey
Prize: $5 off any training service
 
4th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . .a dog that climbed a tree.  What rare breed of dog climbs trees?
Answer: The New Guinea Singing Dog climbs trees and has to be kept in a yard that is completely enclosed.  It was thought that there were only 150 in captivity until about a month ago 85 were discovered in a hoarder's home in Pennsylvania.  Read the story here.
Winner: None.
Prize: None.
 
5th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that had heartworms--oh no!  How does a dog get heartworms?
Answer:  Heartworms are most commonly transmitted via mosquitoes.  So we know that here in Texas they can be very common.  You should give your dog a monthly heartworm preventative such as Heartgard or Interceptor.
Winner: Lisa Young & her crew
Prize: $10 off a group class 
 
6th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that didn't bark.  What breed of dog doesn't bark?
Answer:  The Basenji.  They make a yodeling sound but do not actually bark.
Winner: None.
Prize: None.
 
On the 7th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . a bottle of empty Tylenol.  Uh oh, did he have a headache?  Answer the following:  If your dog is in pain you can give him/her aspirin if dosed correctly according to weight.  True or false?  Please explain your answer.
Answer: Tylenol and other pain relievers for humans are not good for dogs.  In fact they can cause much damage.  They often cause bleeding in the stomach and your dog can actually die from it.  One study showed that 100% of dogs given ibuprofen developed ulcers in the stomach.  I just received an email from a client the other day where they were unaware of this and gave their dog some pain reliever from their cabinet.  Fortunately the dog is ok but it was a blood transfusion and very stressful and expensive emergency room vet bill later before he was released.   If you suspect your dog is in pain you need to call your veterinarian for an appointment.
 
On the 8th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . his friend who isn't very nice.  He doesn't like other dogs too well.  If a dog is aggressive to other dogs will he likely be aggressive to humans as well?  Please explain your answer.
Answer: While dogs can be both human and dog aggressive if your dog is one and not the other it doesn't mean that your dog will one day become aggressive to the other.  It can happen but they do not go hand in hand and if it does happen there is another reason for it.  Dogs are aggressive for a number of reasons.  Sadly the most common reason I find dogs are aggressive is poor handling, training and genetics.

On the 9th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . a tapeworm--ewww!  How do dogs  most commonly get tapeworms?
Answer: Fleas most commonly are the reason for dogs having tapeworm.  In Texas it is best to use a monthly flea preventative all year.

On the 10th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . some serum.  What famous dog in  the 1920s brought serum to a town to help a diptheria outbreak?  What was his name & breed?
Answer: Balto was a Siberian Husky who led a sled dog team from Anchorage to Nome Alaska in 1925 to deliver serum to children with diptheria.  Full story here.

On the 11th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . a Great Dane with gastric torsion.  What is that more commonly known as & what is it?
Answer: The technical name for bloat is "Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus" ("GDV").  Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed air (although food and fluid can also be present).  It usually happens when there's an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid, and/or foam in the stomach ("gastric dilatation").    Stress can be a significant contributing factor also.  Bloat can occur with or without "volvulus" (twisting).  As the stomach swells, it may rotate 90° to 360°, twisting between its fixed attachments at the esophagus (food tube) and at the duodenum (the upper intestine).  The twisting stomach traps air, food, and water in the stomach.  The bloated stomach obstructs veins in the abdomen, leading to low blood pressure, shock, and damage to internal organs.  The combined effect can quickly kill a dog.  For more info on bloat read here.

On the 12th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . .  a little dog that was bred to chase badgers out of holes, what breed of dog is it?
Answer: Dachshunds were bred for this.  This is why they are so long & short!
 
Ho, ho, ho!  Merry Christmas to you all!  I'll post another post about dogs during the holidays so stay tuned for that . . . 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

On the ___ day of Christmas . . .

Well, I must apologize!  I just fell flat off the Earth last week & never did finish up the 12 Days of Doggie Christmas Holiday contest that I had started!  So, we are going to finish this up now.  It will now be to your advantage as I'm going to bunch up all the other 5 days (7-12) into this one post & you can win the great prize of 15% off any dog training service through Adventures in Canine Training if used by February 1, 2010.  

You must answer every single answer correct to win and you cannot win if you have already submitted a correct answer to any of the others last week.  Good luck!   Remember to comment on the post with your answers or send your answers via email to me: stacy@aictdfw.com by Monday, December 20th at 5:00 pm.
 
On the 7th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . a bottle of empty Tylenol.  Uh oh, did he have a headache?  Answer the following:  If your dog is in pain you can give him/her aspirin if dosed correctly according to weight.  True or false?  Please explain your answer.

On the 8th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . his friend who isn't very nice.  He doesn't like other dogs too well.  If a dog is aggressive to other dogs will he likely be aggressive to humans as well?  Please explain your answer.

On the 9th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . a tapeworm--ewww!  How do dogs  most commonly get tapeworms?

On the 10th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . some serum.  What famous dog in  the 1920s brought serum to a town to help a diptheria outbreak?  What was his name & breed?

On the 11th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . . a Great Dane with gastric torsion.  What is that more commonly known as & what is it?

On the 12th day of Christmas my doggie brought to me . . .  a little dog that was bred to chase badgers out of holes, what breed of dog is it?

----- previous days -----

6th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that didn't bark.  What breed of dog doesn't bark?
Answer:  The Basenji.  They make a yodeling sound but do not actually bark.
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

5th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that had heartworms--oh no!  How does a dog get heartworms?
Answer:  Heartworms are most commonly transmitted via mosquitoes.  So we know that here in Texas they can be very common.  You should give your dog a monthly heartworm preventative such as Heartgard or Interceptor.
Winner: Lisa Young & her crew
Prize: $10 off a group class
 
4th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . .a dog that climbed a tree.  What rare breed of dog climbs trees?
Answer: The New Guinea Singing Dog climbs trees and has to be kept in a yard that is completely enclosed.  It was thought that there were only 150 in captivity until about a month ago 85 were discovered in a hoarder's home in Pennsylvania.  Read the story here
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

3rd Day of Christmas:  . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a sweet little puppy that drooled all over me.   What kind of puppy is this?  What movie did this breed have a main role in?
Answer:  This is a Dogue de Bordeuax puppy, also known as a French Mastiff.  This was the same breed as "Hooch" from the movie "Turner & Hooch" starring Tom Hanks in 1989. 
Winner: Ashley Prince & Josey
Prize: $5 off any training service

2nd Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?
Answer: The first thing that should be noticed is the dog's body language, not the leash.  The dog is completely stressed out.  Ears back, head turned away, not sitting down completely & he's at the end of the leash as much as possible (attempt to get away).  The man is trying to convince the dog to listen but it's not going to work, he's too stressed.  The owner needs to learn to "listen" to his dog.  How?  By learning more about canine body language.  A good start is this article.  You can also Google "calming signals" to learn more. 
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude Interactive toy

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

On the 6th Day of Christmas . . .

. . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that didn't bark.  What breed of dog doesn't bark?

Remember this is our 12 Days of Christmas Contest.  Random doggie questions, random doggie prizes.  First person to answer correctly will win the prize.  Prizes will vary from toys to training coupons!  To answer our 12 Days of Christmas Contest Questions please click comments below and leave your answer with your name & email.  If you are receiving this thru your inbox you will have to click the title of the post to go to the blog online to leave a comment.  If you have problems please email your answer to me: stacy@aictdfw.com
Previous days with the questions, answers & winners are posted on the following day's new post.

---------
5th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that had heartworms--oh no!  How does a dog get heartworms?
Answer:  Heartworms are most commonly transmitted via mosquitoes.  So we know that here in Texas they can be very common.  You should give your dog a monthly heartworm preventative such as Heartgard or Interceptor.
Winner: Lisa Young & her crew
Prize: $10 off a group class
 
4th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . .a dog that climbed a tree.  What rare breed of dog climbs trees?
Answer: The New Guinea Singing Dog climbs trees and has to be kept in a yard that is completely enclosed.  It was thought that there were only 150 in captivity until about a month ago 85 were discovered in a hoarder's home in Pennsylvania.  Read the story here
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

3rd Day of Christmas:  . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a sweet little puppy that drooled all over me.   What kind of puppy is this?  What movie did this breed have a main role in?
Answer:  This is a Dogue de Bordeuax puppy, also known as a French Mastiff.  This was the same breed as "Hooch" from the movie "Turner & Hooch" starring Tom Hanks in 1989. 
Winner: Ashley Prince & Josey
Prize: $5 off any training service

2nd Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?
Answer: The first thing that should be noticed is the dog's body language, not the leash.  The dog is completely stressed out.  Ears back, head turned away, not sitting down completely & he's at the end of the leash as much as possible (attempt to get away).  The man is trying to convince the dog to listen but it's not going to work, he's too stressed.  The owner needs to learn to "listen" to his dog.  How?  By learning more about canine body language.  A good start is this article.  You can also Google "calming signals" to learn more. 
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude Interactive toy

Monday, December 6, 2010

On the 5th Day of Christmas . . .

. . . my doggie brought to me . . . a dog that had heartworms--oh no!  How does a dog get heartworms?

Remember this is our 12 Days of Christmas Contest.  Random doggie questions, random doggie prizes.  First person to answer correctly will win the prize.  Prizes will vary from toys to training coupons!  To answer our 12 Days of Christmas Contest Questions please click comments below and leave your answer with your name & email.  If you are receiving this thru your inbox you will have to click the title of the post to go to the blog online to leave a comment.  If you have problems please email your answer to me: stacy@aictdfw.com
Previous days with the questions, answers & winners are posted on the following day's new post.


---------
4th Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . .a dog that climbed a tree.  What rare breed of dog climbs trees?
Answer: The New Guinea Singing Dog climbs trees and has to be kept in a yard that is completely enclosed.  It was thought that there were only 150 in captivity until about a month ago 85 were discovered in a hoarder's home in Pennsylvania.  Read the story here
Winner: None.
Prize: None.
 
3rd Day of Christmas:  . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a sweet little puppy that drooled all over me.   What kind of puppy is this?  What movie did this breed have a main role in?
Answer:  This is a Dogue de Bordeuax puppy, also known as a French Mastiff.  This was the same breed as "Hooch" from the movie "Turner & Hooch" starring Tom Hanks in 1989. 
Winner: Ashley Prince & Josey
Prize: $5 off any training service

2nd Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?
Answer: The first thing that should be noticed is the dog's body language, not the leash.  The dog is completely stressed out.  Ears back, head turned away, not sitting down completely & he's at the end of the leash as much as possible (attempt to get away).  The man is trying to convince the dog to listen but it's not going to work, he's too stressed.  The owner needs to learn to "listen" to his dog.  How?  By learning more about canine body language.  A good start is this article.  You can also Google "calming signals" to learn more. 
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude Interactive toy

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Jake: the best dog in the world. . . .

 Many of you follow my blog often & probably recall all the problems we've had with Jake, my yellow Lab this past year.  He's been through quite a lot with medical procedures and unknown problems that have caused everyone much stress in my household.  

From January to March he endured 3 surgeries and the end result was an intestinal tract that is less than normal.  He has had to eat soft, wet or canned food only as his intestines just won't take anything else.  A bit over 6 weeks ago he began to lose weight pretty dramatically and as of today has lost a total of 12 pounds.  He eats the same, probably more, he has no diarrhea or vomiting and seemingly acts "normal".  However he's far from it.  If anyone were to see him they would fear I was an abusive and neglectful doggie mama.  Every bone in his body shows.  He's lost muscle and he looks horrible.  

We've been to our regular vet for tests which came up inconclusive as his blood work seems very normal.  He was somewhat diagnosed with a malabsorption issue where he very obviously isn't absorbing any nutrients no matter what we feed him or add to his diet.  He's wasting away.  

This past Friday we went to see a diagnostic specialist to get an ultrasound on his abdomen to see if we could get some better answers.  We didn't.  Sadly, Jake is not going to be with us much longer.  We are enjoying his last few days, maybe weeks if we are lucky.  There is nothing we can do for him.  He has developed scar tissue in his intestines again and there is nothing we can do for him.  No one can explain why he's lost so much weight and continues to do so.  We've had a great bunch of vets trying to help us but we are just having to face the facts that there is nothing anyone can do.

This has been a horrible weekend for me.  I don't know how much longer I'll have him and I cannot bear to think of that horrible day that is soon to come for us.  I know I'll have to make that decision no one ever wants to make with their ever so loved companions.
 
Anyone who has met Jake can tell you he is one remarkable boy.  He just turned 8 this past August.  He's the sweetest thing on the planet.  He lets my 2 year old daughter pet his ears and back while he lays sweetly by my feet.  I've never heard him utter a growl at anyone or anything.  I rescued him from some past clients of mine that couldn't handle his annoying Lab antics at the young age of one year.  I took him in with the hopes of re-homing him because I didn't want to train this unruly dog at the time.  Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months and as time went on I trained him.  He turned out to be the best dog in the world.  He'd never put a paw on anyone, he's never tried to jump on any furniture and he was used in many of my doggie cases for training.  He helped me with many of my aggression cases because he was so mild mannered and other dogs never phased him.  He's a true gem.  A diamond in the ruff and I'll miss him more than I care to think about.
 
Keep your doggies safe and give them all the love they deserve.  You never know when you won't be able to rub their ears any more . . .

On the 4th Day of Christmas . . .

. . . my doggie brought to me . . .a dog that climbed a tree.  What rare breed of dog climbs trees?


Remember this is our 12 Days of Christmas Contest.  Random doggie questions, random doggie prizes.  First person to answer correctly will win the prize.  Prizes will vary from toys to training coupons!  To answer our 12 Days of Christmas Contest Questions please click comments below and leave your answer with your name & email.  If you are receiving this thru your inbox you will have to click the title of the post to go to the blog online to leave a comment.  If you have problems please email your answer to me: stacy@aictdfw.com
Previous days with the questions, answers & winners are posted on the following day's new post.

---------
3rd Day of Christmas:  . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a sweet little puppy that drooled all over me.   What kind of puppy is this?  What movie did this breed have a main role in?
Answer:  This is a Dogue de Bordeuax puppy, also known as a French Mastiff.  This was the same breed as "Hooch" from the movie "Turner & Hooch" starring Tom Hanks in 1989. 
Winner: Ashley Prince & Josey
Prize: $5 off any training service

2nd Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?
Answer: The first thing that should be noticed is the dog's body language, not the leash.  The dog is completely stressed out.  Ears back, head turned away, not sitting down completely & he's at the end of the leash as much as possible (attempt to get away).  The man is trying to convince the dog to listen but it's not going to work, he's too stressed.  The owner needs to learn to "listen" to his dog.  How?  By learning more about canine body language.  A good start is this article.  You can also Google "calming signals" to learn more. 
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude Interactive toy

Saturday, December 4, 2010

On the 3rd Day of Christmas . . . .

. . . my doggie brought to me . . . a sweet little puppy that drooled all over me.   What kind of puppy is this?  What movie did this breed have a main role in?


Remember this is our 12 Days of Christmas Contest.  Random doggie questions, random doggie prizes.  First person to answer correctly will win the prize.  Prizes will vary from toys to training coupons!  To answer our 12 Days of Christmas Contest Questions please click comments below and leave your answer with your name & email.  If you are receiving this thru your inbox you will have to click the title of the post to go to the blog online to leave a comment.  If you have problems please email your answer to me: stacy@aictdfw.com
Previous days with the questions, answers & winners are posted on the following day's new post.
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2nd Day of Christmas: . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?
Answer: The first thing that should be noticed is the dog's body language, not the leash.  The dog is completely stressed out.  Ears back, head turned away, not sitting down completely & he's at the end of the leash as much as possible (attempt to get away).  The man is trying to convince the dog to listen but it's not going to work, he's too stressed.  The owner needs to learn to "listen" to his dog.  How?  By learning more about canine body language.  A good start is this article.  You can also Google "calming signals" to learn more. 
Winner: None.
Prize: None.

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude Interactive toy

Friday, December 3, 2010

On the 2nd Day of Christmas . . . .

. . . my doggie brought to me . . . a picture of his friend on a leash.  What does this photo tell us about his friend?  What would be best to do in this situation?

1st Day of Christmas:   . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?
Answer: The "quick".  It is the artery that runs through a dog's nail & when snipped with a nail trimmer can bleed.  Bleeding is not normally profuse & can easily be stopped by dabbing a bit of corn starch or baking flour on the end of your dog's snipped nail.
Winner: Kim Bonfadini & Tango
Prize: Premier Squirrel Dude 

To answer our 12 Days of Christmas Contest Questions please click comments below and leave your answer with your name & email.  If you are receiving this thru your inbox you will have to click the title of the post to go to the blog online to leave a comment.  If you have problems please email your answer to me: stacy@aictdfw.com

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

On the 1st Day of Christmas . . . .

 . . . my doggie brought to me . . . a puppy who was whining because his nail was cut too short and bled a bit.  What was snipped accidentally that caused this to happen?   

To answer click comments below and leave your answer with your name & email.  If you are receiving this thru your inbox you will have to click the title of the post to go to the blog online to leave a comment.  If you have problems please email your answer to me: stacy@aictdfw.com

And a partridge in a pear tree . . .

I thought I'd be delightful this holiday and celebrate dogs and their owners for the 12 days of Christmas.  Each day I'll post something that whomever gets the first correct answer gets a special gift . . . 

The gifts will be random.  Maybe a gift for you or your dog--great dog toy, a bag of treats, a box of candy canes, a coupon for training, or even a free group class . . . whichever it is will be mailed to you via email (when applicable) or snail mail.  All will be fun and you never know if you'll be the lucky one to get the great gift of discounted or free dog training!

So, check our blog everyday until the 12th of December, which will be our last day.  I'm starting this today, December 1st instead of the normal historic Christmas Day . . . . we want this to be a fun month!

Also don't forget to sign up for our newsletter if you aren't subscribed already!  Our December issue is going to be full of great goodies . . . and it will feature my famous "Favorite Things".  Sorry I'm not Oprah, so there won't be any giveaways for that just a great list!  You can subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/bSZT