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.

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!

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

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 . . . 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am second.

No, really, we are 2nd . . . on WFAA's A-List!  Please vote for us daily to get us back to #1!  It seems to work best if you click the link: http://ctvr.us/adventuresin then hit the big yellow vote button, then log in either via facebook or your email account info.  You can then log out, type the name of the business and repeat.  Thanks loyal fans!

Think outside the box . . .

Dog training is just about one of the most frustrating industries to be in due to the fact that one trainer could be polar opposite of another.  At least in most lines of work there are more facts that you can't refute so one may be slightly different but comes back to one basic fact.  Dog training is filled with a lot of bad advice, good advice and "who told you that?" advice.  Because dogs are animals and we can't actually talk to them and find out what they are thinking, it makes it very difficult to know what is actually right and what is actually wrong.

Many trainers use the "well it works for me" approach and others are completely science-based.  But what is science-based dog training?  That's also a revolving door of this and that.  It has been scientifically proven that the old "Alpha dogs rule" theory is wrong and using this thinking for raising and training a dog can often be disastrous.  But it was so drilled in folks heads in the 60s and 70s that it's hard to think that now the scientists say, "Oops, we were wrong, forget what we said . . ."  

Many trainers still use the techniques used many moons ago on dogs and see results, so they keep doing it.  Sure, this type of training yields what looks like instant results, but the truth is that it doesn't fix anything long term and more often that not it causes either more behavior problems than you started with or escalates the issue you started with.

I've found that over the years dog training isn't always, teach the dog this, make him stop doing that.  Often it's much more thinking than that and you have to use your noggin to think outside the box.  There is no black and white for dog training if you want a dog that is really good, really willing and really ready to be your friend.

I must admit that I was prompted to write this particular post after lying in bed at night thinking about a particular client I have been working with.  This particular dog has shown some aggression toward his owners as well as others.  After going in and meeting with the owners, the dog and getting a history I realized that this dog is only aggressive because of the way it has been handled, raised and supposedly "trained".  It's all wrong, so wrong that now the dog is becoming quite nasty.  This dog is the true example for why you can't use physical punishment or "alpha rolls" on dogs.  They don't work and often you create a real problem.  Did I mention this dog isn't even a year old yet?

I also had an epiphany when I asked my Jack Russell, Trevor to sit and stay as I opened the back door to let my Great Dane outside.  I didn't want Trevor to go out so I wanted him to stay back.  Trevor gladly sits and stays but he scoots and trembles, and he's almost nervous about it if asked to do it in certain areas.  He is great at it when I put him in a visual tool.  If I tell him to stay in his doggie bed, he'll stay like a champ.  He's funny like that.  Out in the middle of the floor--not so good, sitting in his dog bed--great!  I had to think outside the box.  What would have been most people's first reaction to their dog not staying?-- Most would correct him for not staying in the middle of the floor.  My reaction--just put him in a dog bed where I know he'll do a great sit-stay.  All I say is, "Trevor can you get in your bed?"  He goes to his bed, sits and stays there until I say, "okay!"  Problem solved, dog receives praise and avoids any "punishment".  Perfect-o! (I just took this photo literally for this paragraph--isn't he cute?!)


I also remember when I took my BC/Aussie, Noah, to a farm with goats to test his herding abilities. He loved it!  He was put in a round pen with 4 goats.  He was afraid of them at first and then suddenly they shifted and he immediately started to herd them.  While he wasn't graceful about it or great at it, he was herding them and having the best time of his life.  He barked and barked and barked at those goats.  The lady that owns the farm was out there with him and she turns to me and says, "He's too vocal," then turns to Noah and says, "Shut up!"  It drove her mad that he wouldn't stop barking at those goats.  I just laughed.  I thought she was an idiot.

Noah barks all the time in play.  He's not a vocal dog otherwise.  But play and fun he barks.  He has the best time when he's doing it too.  I never try to stop him.  I don't care if he barks when playing or expelling energy.  Have you ever been to an agility trial?  Many dogs bark as they go from one obstacle to another--they are having the time of their lives out there!  Why try to shut them up?  Who cares.  When we got in the car to head home from Noah's exhausting, yet fun, goat herding my husband says, "I guess we need to teach Noah to be a little quieter?"  I said, "Nope. She needs to learn how to let a dog be a dog in the right situations!"   That may have quite possibly been the best day of his doggie life so far,  but would he have felt that way if I had corrected him the whole time and told him to keep quiet?  I doubt it.  . . . . Noah slept for 2 full days after that night.

Let the adventure begin!

If you follow me on Facebook you've seen my "advertisement" for our new program--The Outdoor Adventures Program, which has been inspired by Kimberly Burgan Dog Training's program by the same name in Austin.  I want to elaborate on the program as we've had some questions from several doggie parents.

First, yes you are correct, we do encourage dog owners to be part of their dog's training program.  So we have had the question--well then why are you offering this program where you come to the home and train the dog while the owner is out, gone to work, busy, etc.?   The answer is this: dogs need training and mental stimulation on a daily basis.  If the owner isn't home to give it then we will be there to do that.  After years of dog training we find that many dog owners just don't know where to start or what to do.  We also see people working longer hours and utilizing doggie daycares more often--something we really don't recommend.  This program is designed to keep your dog on the right track and get their physical and mental demands met in the best way possible--through training, games, fun and physical activities!

We also want to be very clear that this isn't a fix-it-all program (no program is).  We don't just come in, fix the issues and you're good to go.  You will be part of your dog's training, we'll just be there to give your dog the boost and you will keep up what we do when we aren't there!

Other questions we've been asked--is this really for my dog?  The truth is that this program would benefit any dog or puppy.  If you can give your dog the gift of a training professional to come in, take them out, work their little legs and brain, then don't hesitate for any reason!

If you have a puppy (under 6 months) then socialization and spot-on, good training is critical!  This program can help with 1) helping your pup's potty training stay on track, 2) teaching good habits and basic commands and 3) taking your puppy to socialize him properly to places, people and other things.

If you already have a dog walker this program will be more beneficial because we will make your dog use his noggin too, not just his legs! -- This program is truly beneficial for any and all dogs!  We personalize the program to meet each dog and his owner's needs.

Have other questions or feel like starting this program?  Fill out our online questionnaire and we'll be in touch!

15 Minutes.

My brain is currently on over-load from the long week I just came away from.  I attended a 5-day dog training conference from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) that consisted of all-day seminars from wonderful dog trainers from all over the world.  We heard Victoria Stilwell of "It's Me or the Dog", John Rogerson from the UK, Ian Dunbar (the inventor of puppy classes and found of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and we even heard Temple Grandin speak about canines and emotions.  So I have a lot of blog posts coming, I just have to sort through the material! 

Until then I wanted to get this out there . . . Did you know that in under 15 minutes a day you can train your dog, or any dog? Yeah, more time would be better, but if 15 is all you've got per day then use it! You don't need hours and hours to get a dog to know the who and what of things.

I also like to show people how to make everyday situations a training session. For example, if my dog is in the other room I'll call him excitedly from across the house--"Noah! Come!" He'll come bounding in to me and sit. I happily pet him and say, "Gooood boy!!", then trot myself to the dog food bin and give him about 15 pieces of kibble, one by one. That was a training session for a recall (come when called). 30 seconds. I'm done. I can do it again later too, and again and again. After a while all these little sessions add up and my dog realizes that coming when called is the best thing ever. While this isn't going to proof my dog for real-life situations, it is still a way for me to train throughout the day to solidify basics.

It's best to break up your sessions and implement them in daily life so the dog doesn't respond only "during a session" but at all times. If you only train your dog when you train your dog then you aren't doing something right in between. What I mean by this is: you should take advantage of making everything you do part of your dog's training. This means you practice leadership rules all the time--don't leave toys laying around the house, don't leave food out for free access, don't let them receive attention, food or play by initiating it first, don't talk to a dog that is doing attention seeking behaviors . . . there is a long list of things you can do all day every day that will ensure that your dog not only respects you but listens to you--willingly and happily.

Training is, and should always be, fun. Intimidation and "alpha" rules are ancient history and have been proven wrong and untrue in wolf and dog packs. This means that if you think you are doing "alpha" behaviors to teach your dog who is boss then you are probably going to end up screwing something up. You have to lead with direction and an earn-to-learn philosophy.

Canine Costumes!

So if you aren't on my Adventures Facebook page you need to be!  I can't tell you how much stuff I post on there!  Ask anyone who frequents the site!  Anyway . . . we are having a great Halloween costume contest via Facebook.  Here are all the details . . . 

Get creative with your pooches!  We want to see your dogs in their best Halloween costume ever.  Please post a picture of your pooch in his/her best costume ever!  Details are as follows:

ENTRY DETAILS

• Entries will be accepted via email (stacy@aictdfw.com) or posted on our Facebook page wall.  If you only send via email we will post it on our Facebook wall.  If you do not want your dog's picture on Facebook please do not enter! Be sure to include a description such as the following example: "Scooter is a 2 year old Dachshund dressed as a mummy for Halloween this year.  I made this costume myself.  Owner Jane Smith, janesmith@mail.com."
• You may enter no more than 3 pictures of the same dog in the same costume.  You may only enter up to 2 costumers per dog.
• All entries must be sent or posted no later than Friday, October 29th at midnight CST.
• All pictures will be posted on Facebook.

PRIZES
Judging will take place from Monday, October 25th-Sunday, October 31st.  All winners will be notified via email and announced on Facebook no later than Monday, November 1, 2010.

• 1ST PLACE: There will be one 1st place winner, who will receive a $20 coupon towards any training service provided by Adventures in Canine Training, Inc. Aggression cases may not use coupons. 
• 2ND PLACE: There will be one 2nd place winner, who will receive a $10 dollar coupon towards any training service provided by Adventures in Canine Training, Inc. Aggression cases may not use coupons.
• 3RD PLACE: There will be one 3rd place winner, who will receive a $5 dollar coupon towards any training service provided by Adventures in Canine Training, Inc. Aggression cases may not use coupons.

 All winners will be notified via email and announced on Facebook no later than Monday, November 1, 2010.  Do not forget to include your email address with your photo. Happy tails to you!

We need your vote!

We are competing in the WFAA's A-List of BEST local businesses.  We are in the dog training category and need your votes to keep us on top!  Voting lasts until December so we could fluctuate but hope to stay on top . . . We are currently ranked #2!  Go vote here.

Sunday Chronicles.

It's Sunday morning. Hubby and I already took a trip to Starbucks, played a game of "Words with Friends" on our iphones and took 2 dogs to the park for some play . . . which has lead me to my post for the day . . . which is a long one, but I do hope you take the time read it all.

I find daily things I could post about in order to educate dog owners about responsible dog ownership and training, but I don't know that it would 1) get read and 2) be as important to others as it is to me, and 3) I don't have time to post daily! However, I'll ramble about a few important things in this post, my "Sunday Chronicles".

After returning home from Starbucks I looked at my poor dogs, namely my BC/Aussie mix and Jack Russell, as they are my most active dogs. My poor canine buddies have been on the back burner quite a bit since the birth of my daughter, Sophie, in 2008. I looked at Noah, the BC mix, he wore his big happy smile he always has and I said, "You guys want to go to the park?" Trevor, the Jack, knows that word he got the Jack happiness and began to bounce like a jumping bean. If you have a Jack you know the jumping-bean-bounce I'm referring to.

I keep a JanSport backpack full of doggie items for special occasions only; it hangs on a hook in my laundry room. The toys that reside in there are extremely high-value rewards because they only come out every now and again. When they do come out, they are used for training rewards which makes them extremely fun and exciting. My "doggie bag", as I call it, has the following: a Chuckit! ball launcher that holds an orange rubber Chuckit! Ultra ball, a Kong Wubba, a cheap small, green, rubber squeaky ball and K9 Superfuel powder (aka Doggie Gatorade) that I add to water. On the days that I use the bag I toss in a ziploc baggie of Natural Balance treat roll, cut up into tiny pieces, and my camera (of course!).

Hubby and I loaded Trevor and Noah up in my Honda Element and headed to the River Legacy Park, which is about a 10-minute walk from my house, 1-minute drive! This is an amazing park--huge, huge, loads of grassy area for doggie play, pavilions, picnic areas, hiking trails, biking trails . . . It's remarkable. Great for dog training and proofing.

I noticed on the way to the park, the LOST DOG signs that still hung on the posts on each street corner in my neighborhood. They have been there for about 2 weeks now. They have a picture of a cute German Shepherd puppy, looks to be about 5-6 months old. I remember seeing a dog owner walking a young GSD puppy a while back. I wonder if it's the same puppy. My husband remarks, "Guess that puppy is still missing . . . " This confirms how important it is to do several things as a dog owner. . . .

Many dogs that go missing primarily stay in a backyard when someone is away--while they are at work all day or even if they leave to go eat dinner. This is where the dog lives, except maybe at night or even for a bit in the evenings when someone is home. This is a common scenario, albeit a sad one. This is also the reason why the dog is gone--they are under-stimulated, bored, lonely, and/or possibly unaltered (not spayed or neutered) which dramatically increases the risk of escape.

Dogs are designed to be a human's companion. Dogs, except in some uncommon cases, prefer a human to a dog even if they do enjoy the company of a dog. So if a dog has a buddy in their yard most likely they will just devise a plan together for escape. Now you have two bored, under-stimulated and sad dogs.

There are several things you can do to prevent your dog from becoming lost, or to help him be found. 1) Crate your dogs inside your home when you are away. 2) Microchip your dogs . . . and register the chip! Many dogs are microchipped (we love 24PetWatch) with an unregistered chip, causing the chip to be pointless--so register the chip! 3) Train your dog to have a perfectly proofed recall, i.e., teach your dog to come to you no matter what!

I think that even a lost dog with a solid, proofed recall would be found soon even if some of the other factors were not in play (if the dog was not already miles away, of course.) There is a woman who has started a group on Facebook (Find Kingston) for her lost dog. This poor woman is very obviously a responsible dog owner. However, every time I read her story all I can think is--if only that dog had an incredible recall I bet she'd already have him home. Her dog became afraid when she picked him up from a doggie daycare, slipped out of his collar and took off running. That was in May. She's still looking for him. I give her Kudos as she's hired Doggone Detectives--which utilize Search & Rescue dogs to find missing pets, made her Facebook group, posted signs; she's working hard to find her buddy. The dog has even been spotted several times, but he's still not home. So, I cant' help but go back to thinking if that dog had an incredible recall he would have come back to his owner within a few hours of her searching.

Trevor, my toot of a Jack Russell, is a mere 13-lbs and so he has escaped under our fence, and this was when he was outside for 10 minutes on a potty break! My dogs are never in my yard, unsupervised, for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Never. So, I discover Trevor is missing, usually because Jake, my Lab, gives off this distinguished bark as soon as Trevor is under the fence. It drives Jake insane and he goes nuts. A few times,within minutes, he's already several streets away. Twice I can remember having to get in my car and drive around. Of course I panic--which way do I go first? Do I take this neighborhood or this one? I drive about 2 mph and yell out of my window, "Trevor! Come! Trevor! Come!" Every time, once I get close enough for him to hear me, I see a little white fuzzy dog, panting heavily, bolting toward my car. He would come straight to the car and jump in as soon as I opened the door. I would give him a ball as a reward. Yes. Reward. Reward him for coming. His actual escape was long ago, the last thing he did was come to me, so a huge reward it is! I was always so relieved that I'd hug and kiss on him then give him his favorite ball, that I grabbed before I left the house. The times I've caught him seconds after slipping thru the hole in the fence, I called him and his little head would poke back thru the fence--Yes? You rang? I called him back thru the hole and rewarded him for coming back into the yard. Little twerp. I love that twerp. . . . We finally got a new fence a while back and haven't had any issues since then. We had a heck of a ratty fence with many opportunities for escape for a little dog!

Here is a little video of our park adventure today, along with some tips on recalls. It was a short one. I had to allow my dogs to not get overheated, don't forget to read my post on that from a week ago: Heat & Dogs.

Fall into Fall with a Doggie Class!

Get back into the swing of things with one of our classes now that the hot weather is starting to subside. Classes are the next step in dog training if you've already done some private lessons, or if you want to do something new and different with your dog. You can find all of our classes online here: http://www.aictdfw.com/class-schedule.html

What are your classes all about? Here is a description of each of our classes. If you need help deciding which is best for you, let us know, we can help you decide!

About Town Class In this class we show you how to have your dog out-n-about on the town acting like a polite, well-mannered pooch! We will conduct class 1 with low distractions in a park & then move to busy places such as West Village in Dallas or Sundance Square in Fort Worth (depending upon enrollments). You will be training your dog while in a busy setting with people approaching & possibly other dogs. Learn how to get your dog ready for the public in this new, innovative class!
More details . . .

FUNgility Class In this class we are doing our fun style of the popular dog sport of Agility! This is a super fun class & benefits all dogs. In the class you will learn how to lead your dog through obstacles while building a bond & teaching your dog reliable off-leash skills! Don’t miss this class, it’s a must for all dog owners!
More details . . .

Beyond Basics Class In this class we show you how to keep going with your dog's training; basic commands, distraction work (listening & obeying around other dogs/people), strengthen your dog's skills in a setting closer to real life—polite leash manners, walking with you, sit, lie down, stay, come & perform in close proximity of other dogs/distractions. Learn to get a well-mannered dog in public in this class!
More details . . .

Loose Leash Skills Workshop Unlike group classes, workshops are only a one, or two-time meeting. In this workshop we will work on foundation leash skills & show you how to get a dog that walks on a loose-leash for life! This class is great for all puppy & dog owners & will help build a foundation for all other behaviors to fall into place when out, about & on leash. We recommend every dog owner join this workshop!
More details . . .