What we dont know does not make it Sudden!

A friend of mine sent me an article on Elephants in parts of Africa and Asia that scientists and researchers are beginning to learn about the danger these Elephants are causing towards humans... they suspect "their actions to be sudden acts of randomness." What we dont know, does not make it sudden! What we ignore and pay no attention to, does not make it SUDDEN, when we do. As a dog trainer specializing in canine behavior management and modification of behavioral problems in dogs, I commonly hear "he has all of a sudden started to become aggressive." Then I ask "oh is the dog injured or suffering from a medical condition causing pain inflected aggression/irritation?" Because that can be sudden, but more often than not, thats not the case. When we spend more time going over the details, these parents realize their dogs have shown signs of what has lead to aggression... long before the dogs acting out... and these are all things we know because the dog has a history of behaving in this fashion for quite some time... but what about when we dont know... or when we are unable to accurately pin point the Whens, Wheres, Hows and Whys, does that make the outcome "sudden?" It is devastating to hear researchers describe such actions as sudden acts of randomness, because it immediately means that animal is of threat without any threat, danger or provocation... and thus the animal is dangerous... they need to be destroyed! Growing up in Kenya, I remember a childhood where we grew up coexisting with animals. This was not many hears ago, actually only 25-28 years ago... but in this short of a time frame, how the world has changed for all animals except for mankind. I remember very vividly going on safaris and having to be absolutely silent! The only sounds to everyones ears was the sound of our breathing, and the rustling of dry bushes and a light wind... behind which a lioness stood low to the ground stalking her prey. I remember the rangers having no tolerance for excited tourists... they had the right, and they did, throw you out of the parks if you were unable to use your "safari voice." We learned a lot from these rangers... you could not pay them to move you closer to an animal, if they felt the animal would change its behavior in any way. Today though, 25-30 years later... a friend of mine was sharing her stories about their recent trip to Botswana. As we were flicking through the photos, I paused to see the photo of their Jeep, deeply dented on the fender bender... and I laughed out loud saying "did you experience getting stuck in the mud?" This was very common while driving through the jungles... and the only way out was to be rescued by another car... and sometimes it took two, one pulling the car out from the front, while the other pushed the car from the back. Waiting for her reply, she said "no" as she laughed out loud... "actually, our ranger thought it would be funny to rev the engine at an Elephant." Immediately, I thought, "What.... he actually did that...." Well the culture has certainly changed, but the animals have not... The Elephant turned around and charged the Jeep, putting a huge gent into the back end, and almost ejecting the passengers in the back seat. Now, if the Elephant really wanted to, she would have tossed that jeep onto its roof in one swift act... but she did not. Does she remember that some human fool did this and found it amusing? I think so... I think she will forever! One day will she threaten another human she sees starring at her, this time in awe! Possibly! Will it be a sudden act of randomness? Not really. We have forgotten how to live in a world of coexistence, we only know ownership! This is the danger humans present living with animals.

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A Z needle felted dog breeds Miniature Schnauzer

<< this book was the thing that got me into needle felting in the first place. The little felted Schnauzer caught my eye, it dropped into my shopping basket and from that moment I was hooked.
Every now and again I have a go at making Schnauzers because they always make me smile









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Camp Doglando Session 1 Day 1

Today was the start of the first of three sessions for Camp Doglando, 2012 and the day began strong and solid with a total of 11 campers. Many of our session 1 campers are graduates of last years camp, the enthusiasm was so great to be part off... it was a great day. This year, we added to our camp, by opening up one position for a Jr Journalist/Videographer position. This camper will shadow Dean; Doglandos Creative Designer and Dogumentarian. Her job is to take photos and videos of the campers through out the course, and to tell the story of Camp Doglando through a compilation of these images. We cant wait to see what she has up her sleeve for us. The remaining 10 campers spent the first part of the day learning about the acquisition of a companion dog, followed by a field trip to a pet shop, and the the SPCA of Central Florida and Orange County Animal Services. To their surprise, after a saddening tour of both shelters, they leaped in joy when they found out we were leaving Orange County Animal Services with 5 dogs. The rest if the dogs awaited us at Doglando, where the youths selected their shelter dogs to train over the next two weeks. Striking story from today: We were talking about pet shops, prior to our fields trips this morning, and I asked what is the difference between a breeder and a pet store. One of the campers said, "Pet stores are like a supermarket, you get things in volume." I have never heard of such an analogy, and thought wow, isnt that crazy. How true is that? At the supermarket, we might not find things that are healthiest, but everything is certainly presented shiny and waxy, and things appear to be quite fresh... we have little idea though the preservatives contained in these items to increase their longevity. At supermarkets, we will find things in abundance. We may buy things based on our mood, or how delicious something looks. And, behind the scenes, things arrive in "shipments" and in "boxes" and produce arrives "very young and immature." How is this different that the arrival of a puppy at pet shops. Products sold at supermarkets are manufacture in bulk, quantity over quality, in as fast of a time period as possible, with the least amount of risk to the producer. It may not be the healthiest way to make it, but its most efficient, most productive, and most profitable... its what you get when you shop at a supermarket. Well how is this different than a pet shop? I was struck by this analogy, and lingered on in my thoughts through out the day... how come no body else has ever come up with this? Its because it takes a child to say it, and an adult to hear it and care enough to make sense of it. Its a simple thought, and once again, with a powerful meaning. Pet shops are like supermarkets, youre right!

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When Your Dog Doesnt Seem to Get it

I am working with Wolfie every day, but he just doesnt seem to get it.  What is the problem here?

Like people, dogs need to learn at a particular speed and at a particular level.  Unlike us, they cant "jump ahead" or skip steps in the learning process.  It must be slow, methodical, repetitive, and consistent.

When Wolfie "isnt getting it", it normally means that we are trying to teach him a command at a level or complexity above his current ability to process.  When this happens, we must back up to find a place where Wolfie can succeed in the exercise and then slowly proceed from that point.  For Wolfie, there is no shame in going back a few grades to find a place where he can obey and please us.

Let me give you an example of this process:

Say, for example, I am working with Wolfie on the "Come" exercise.  I had him in the house and was using a six foot leash to have him come to me every time I said "come".  Once in a while, I had to give a little flick of the leash to get his attention and to guide him to me, but it was working pretty well.  This seemed great so I took Wolfie into the back yard without the leash and walked to the other side of the yard from Wolfie.  I called "come" and Wolfie didnt come.  I tried this over and over again, day after day with the same results.

It isnt that Wolfie is stupid or ignoring me, it is that I jumped too far ahead in the training process of "come" for Wolfie to methodically advance.

I would now go back into the house and reinforce the level of knowledge that I knew Wolfie understood. ("Come" from six feet using the leash.)  Next, I would get a longer leash and practice from ten feet, then fifteen feet, and then twenty feet.  If that goes well, I would go out in the back yard, with the leash, and repeat the process.

Keep it slow and you will get results.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Applewoods is closed today Monday March 25 2013

The snow storm arrived early this morning and the result is Applewoods Dog Training is closed today.

 
Sugar is quite sad that Applewoods is closed so hes pouting in the snow this morning.

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Dogs Unite to Celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day

According to National Geographic, there are over 200 species of squirrels around the world.  January 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day! This annual holiday, created by wildlife rehabilitator Christy Hargrove in 2001, celebrates squirrels of all shapes, sizes and hues.

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Camp Doglando S1 Wednesday

Hello Honorary Campers,

Today was a day to test trust, team work, cooperation, collaboration and determination... for all the campers and coaches as well.

We were aware of some of the challenges we were going to face which were working around our painters who were there to paint the inside of the barn.  But, we not at all prepared for what came about by early morning...

Unbeknownst to us, 8 out of the 10 dogs that were participating in camp already had owners.  We were first alerted by this by an email we received from one of the "owners" asking us how "their" dog was doing... so we immediately called the rescue group to find out more.

The story unveils itself late Tuesday evening when we receive two more emails from two of the other "owners."  We learn that seven out of the eight dogs we received from this rescue have owners, whom they referred to as fosters... however, these were fosters with intent to adopt, and had the first right of refusal on the dogs.

The purpose of our camp is to increase the chances of dogs in rescue/shelter/up for adoption by giving them the training and socialization they need to increase their chances.  Camp Doglando is not a free training program for dogs already in homes, as we feel very strongly about parents taking the responsibility of training their own dogs to further develop their relationship with their canine companions.

Shortly after our morning walk on Wednesday morning, we gathered for a group discussion.  We were not going to be dishonest to the kids about this matter, and we felt it was best to involve them in the decision we had to make:  should we continue training these dogs that have grown on us so much over the last three days knowing they have owners or should we do what is right and start over on day 3 with dogs that otherwise would not stand a chance?

The power of kids: the ability to do what is right.... it was an unanimous decision to start over.  Drowned in tears, the campers walked their dogs over to the bus, and watched them pull out... anger, disappointment, distrust, sadness and unaccomplished were just a few of the feelings they voiced.

We pulled in for a group hug, holding onto each other tightly, upset for the dogs that just left... knowing they too would have benefited from Camp.... some felt they betrayed the dogs while others were in disbelief... one camper shut down... he had hopes of taking his dog home.

This experience proved to be such a valuable lesson for us all.... it fostered such great conversation and discussions and allowed the children to make adult decisions and work through their emotions. We are so proud of our campers and their resolve to do what is right.

To our rescue came Pet Rescue By Judy, and within half an hour she brought us all new dogs.  While it was still an emotional turbulence for the kids, they were equally excited to have the opportunity to help dogs without homes, awaiting their time.... and this was their time!  Both the kids and dogs.

Here is what we ended up doing:
We took the SPCA dogs on a walk this morning  outside the gates.

We asked the kids how would they feel if we got all new dogs. 

We went to Panera Bread in Waterford Lakes and bonded with the new dogs

Then we took all of the new dogs for a swim

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The Trick is in the Training!

Teaching tricks is not only fun for you and your dog, but also a great way to get in some quality training time! What may look like just a fun parlor trick is also a great way to practice self-control, retrieve skills and drop it. Here, Hope the Border Collie learns to retrieve a hankie from my pocket on the cue of a sneeze!

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A Z needle felted dogs Basset hound

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Saved by a Newfoundland!

Leo, owned by Applewoods student, Paul, shows how to  save Applewoods student, Mike, acting as a swimmer in distress.

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Training Your Dog to Come When Called

The recall is the most important behavior you will *ever* teach your dog! It’s a skill that might save his life. Imagine that your dog is loose and headed for trouble. You want to know that when you call him, he’ll turn on a dime and start racing back to you so fast, it looks like his butt is on fire and you have the only hose in the entire town! Learn how in part one of a two-part article on Examiner.com.

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Roger Abrantes Back at Doglando

Dr. Roger Abrantes will be back to Doglando for a three day hands on workshop on May 25 - May 27th, 2012 (3 Days). :: Dr. Roger Abrantes Workshop Brand New Certification Course. First time offered in the USA. This will be a three day workshop: Day 1: Lecture Day 2 & 3: Hands on clinic Cost: $525 (Lunch, Snacks and Drinks included) Date: May 25 - May 27th, 2012 (3 Days) This workshop includes a certificate from the Ethology Institute Cambridge. The Brave New World of Dog Training Science with a Brain and a Heart Science is one thing, the other is how to use it. Science is the product of the brain of a highly emotional being. Can we combine science with affection? Can we turn our dog training into a scientific exercise for our brains and a caring adventure for our hearts? Can we be scientific and objective and still leave our personal print on our training? Can we be efficient and affectionate? Dog training has became more scientific, but also more anonymous, in the last decades. Our dog training lost personality. Dr. Abrantes thinks it is possible to combine brain and heart and he explains it his new 2011 talks and seminars. Talks and seminars are the result of meticulously performed research projects and, not least, the result of the experiences of a man who travelled the world, the eye-opening cultural challenges he met and the sense of perspective it all gave him. Using multimedia presentations, even if these talk and seminars deal with complex issues, Dr Abrantes presents the topics in plain English. Talk and seminar are therefore suited to both the experienced and knowledgeable trainer as well as the novice dog owner. Register by phone 407-574-3160 or e-mail info@doglando.com

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Prepping Your Pooch for Howl a ween!

Its costume time again! Mummies and witches and goblins, oh my! If you want to include your dog in your costume caper, be sure and take the time to teach him to enjoy wearing a costume. With a few simple steps, your dog will learn to love his Hairy Pawter costume!

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Doglando Living It Wet

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Spaying of female dogs

Spaying of the female dog is undertaken to control the unwanted pregnancy by crossing of some unknown or country or non-descript dogs. The spaying of the dog reduces the aggressiveness of the dog. By spaying, one can reduce the incidences of the commonly encountered reproductive diseases like pyometra.
Spaying also helps to control the population in case of stray animals and many nations are doing these operations by removing the ovaries from the female animals. Experienced veterinarians are required to do the spaying in case of female dogs and the postoperative care is to be given more emphasis. If proper control measures are not taken after the surgical operation for the removal of ovary, then the infections may start setting in and the animal may end up in development of peritonitis and then toxemia sets in, causing unwanted health problems.
Death of the dog may finally occur, if the dog is not provided an effective and proper veterinary care. A female dog that is spayed before the occurrence of first heat will have almost a zero chance of development of mammary cancer, which is more common with the dogs that are not spayed. A female dog generally comes to heat once in eight months or so. During the heat occurrence, there is bleeding from vagina and the dog may cross with the unwanted male and the spaying activity prevents all these. In case of aged dogs, the dog may often get signs of increased thirst, anorexia, vomiting etc. that are so common with pyometra.
Pyometra means the presence of pus in the uterus. Once pyometra occurs, it involves many discomforts to the animal in addition to the cost factor involved for the therapy also. Such pyometra is totally prevented by spaying because in the case of spaying, you are removing both ovaries and the uterus.

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No Mound Too Tall No Sky Too High

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DANGER Dogs Ahead

This past Friday, we set-up a small space to do some basic headshots.  The wind was blowing, it was freezing, the dogs did not want be interuppted in their play but this is what we ended up with after we went through some willing participents.  We hope you enjoy looking at their faces.

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Grooming a dog

Grooming is one of the important activities to be known well by the dog owner. If the dog owner is not aware of the grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of diseases. First steps of grooming consists of activities like maintenance of coat, nails and ears. The maintenance of the coat mainly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by dryers, and more. The animal need not be bathed daily and this helps to protect the skin’s characteristics like insulation feature.
Use conditioners and shampoos that are meant for dogs. Combing needs to be carried out with a soft brush meant for use in case of dogs. There are varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of breeds, one can use the concerned brush. This grooming of the coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen hair if any needs to be placed in dust bin always.
Otherwise, when the dog owners switch on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of persons. Always don’t clip too much because this may lead to injuries of nail always. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure.
Use a sharp clipper designed for use in case of dogs. It is better to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the animal is easier. Ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. Grooming associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners.
Nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light colored than the reddish area of the nail in the higher position. During the holding of your dogs feet by you, always have a firm grip. If not, the dog will take an upper hand during the clipping and some injury may occur.

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Daycare Dogs Week 3

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Seth Casteel Coming to Doglando

If you have not heard of Seth Casteel, the photographer who shoots dogs underwater, then you must check out his work. Seth is coming to University of Doglando on Sunday March 18th, 2012. Doglando is hosting him for a full day of splash-tography, and you dont want to miss this chance of getting your dog photographed underwater by Seth. To register, please visit www.doglando.com, and go to the Workshops / Seminars and Events page

His schedule will be as below. You must register and pay in full to reserve your spot. Costs: $175 per 20 minute session per dog. This is a great price for underwater photography... and no one else better than Seth Casteel to do it! 9am start time. 9:00 9:20 9:40 10:00 10:20 10:40 11:00-11:20-break/catch-up time if anybody runs over. 11:20 11:40 12:00 12:20 12:40 1-2pm Break for lunch/change out batteries/memory/etc. 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 3:20 3:40 4:00-4:20 - break/catch-uptime 4:20 4:40 5:00 5:20 5:40

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Wolfie Thinks He is King!

I do all the obedience commands and I think I understand about that "dominance stuff", but Wolfie still thinks he is King of The House!  What am I missing?

I get this question almost every day from dog owners.  Being the boss, the king, the big cheese, top honcho, etc. is based on different perceptions within the canine environment and human environment.  There are a lot of things that we could discuss, but there is one, major issue, that if addressed, could solve most of your problems regarding "who is the boss".

I bet that Wolfie comes over to you all the time with a ball or toy and gives you a nudge or whimper asking you to play with him.  I am sure that, nine times out of ten, you take the toy and begin playing.  I bet that when you come home at night and sit down in the family room, Wolfie comes over to you, nudges your hand with his nose for a pet, and you pat him on the head and rub his belly.  I bet that you do this all the time and still wonder why Wolfie thinks he is king...

Here comes the rub.  We have just entered an area where the canine perspective and human perspective regarding dominance and leadership part ways.  In the human world, in a family, anyone can have a great idea and the rest of the family will willingly follow.  Going to the mall, turning in at a Wendys for lunch, or taking a walk have no implication of individual dominance or leadership.  If one of the family members have a good idea, everyone else willingly follows.  No big deal!

Now, lets think about Wolfie and his canine perspective.  In the canine world, the only one who can tell the rest of the pack what to do is the Alpha Leader.  A pack member never directs or leads the pack.  It is always the Alpha Leader.

When Wolfie comes to us, asks us to do something, and we comply, we have initiated a scenario where Wolfie is the leader and we are the follower.  We unknowingly repeat this over and over again each day.  Every family member repeats this with Wolfie over and over again each day.  Everyone is (unknowingly) telling Wolfie that he is the king multiple times every day.  Of course, Wolfie will believe he is king and can do whatever he wants!

Oops!

What can we do to stop and reverse this process?  Al we have to do is to make sure that everything is always our idea with Wolfie.  We must always initiate, begin, commence.  The way we accomplish this is through a method called Passive Assertion.

When Wolfie comes up to us with a ball, we ignore him.  As soon as he turns away, we call him back to us requesting the ball so that WE can play ball with HIM.  When Wolfie gives us the ball, we have initiated the scenario where it was OUR idea.  Since it is our idea and Wolfie complied, Wolfie understands that we are the leader and he is the follower.  This sounds like a stupid little game, but it is critical in our relationship with Wolfie to maintain our leadership, alpha role.

Try this the next time Wolfie comes over to you and wants you to do something.  Also, remember that everyone in the family must do this on a consistent manner.  Try this for a few days and you will start to see a remarkable change in Wolfies demeanour.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Lifes a Beach

 I know you all havent seen the dogs in a wee while. We have actually had some days that are almost like summer here in rainy Scotland so I have had my two to the beach a few times.
Here is Erskine Beach

and Mia met some GIANT dogs. This Great Dane was so polite and friendly after Mia being a little unsure she even had a little play with her

 Then she met these lovely big dogs without so much as a curled lip

What a good girl, and nice to meet such lovely friendly dogs

 Mia was even confident enough to bum sniff with this little terrier

Not all days are good days with dogs but offlead at the beach you really wouldnt know she isnt a normal balanced friendly dog

 Of course once all the other dogs were gone Mia just had to have a game of beat Ben up

which he does love - even tho he pretends otherwise

 And swimming, Mia LOVES to swim

and even a little posing

Just so long as I have chicken then the guys will look pretty for the camera

(honestly I am training stays!)

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Camp Doglando S3 Day 3

Hi Honorary Campers,

We started the day of with baths, nails and ears.  Kids learned the basic hygienic practices.

After the baths the kids learned more about body language and introduction of verbal markers.

Our guest speaker, Mary-Lynn, talked to the kids about responsible breeding and why we need to focus on substance and beauty, not beauty over substance.

After all of this the dogs were exhausted so we went to have lunch in Waterford by ourselves.  Kids need the break to start of the afternoon training sessions fresh.

Since the second partition of the barn has recently gotten AC we decided to move the camp from one barn into another.

Your Camp Counselors,
Teena, Summer, Jessica and Casey

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Applewoods is Closed Today

Due to the impending weather, Applewoods is closed today and there is no class tonight at Fidos for Freedom. The dogs can dream of their escapades yesterday in the sloppy snow.

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Top Ten Positive Puppy Products

Everyone loves a cuddly puppy, but not everyone realizes the amount of work that goes into raising one! Raising a puppy takes dedication, patience and consistency as you teach your new canine companion how to handle himself in our human world. It may feel like an uphill battle at times, but fortunately, todays puppy owners have a host of helpful products at their disposal. Check out my Top Ten Positive Puppy Products as featured on Examiner.com!

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Daycare Dogs Week 14

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Wolfie the Holidays Family Coming to Visit

I can just about handle Wolfie when everything is normal, but the Holidays and all my "wonderful family" is coming to visit.  How can I keep my sanity?

?The Holidays are always a crazy time, especially for all of us down in South Florida.  It seems that our guest rooms and every sofa in the house now becomes a Hilton for relatives from up north.  All our routines are messed up and our lives are turned upside down for about ten days to two weeks.  Since Wolfie likes things calm and consistent, this is not a good time for him.  Here are some ideas:

• When your family first starts to arrive, have Wolfie somewhere else during the initial "meet and greet time".  Bring Wolfie in to meet everyone after they are settled and have stopped arguing who gets to sleep where.  This will be a time where the adrenaline is lower and Wolfie will react calmly when greeting everyone.
• Tell everyone not to "make Wolfie nuts".  No "run-run, yell-yell, jump on me-jump on me" games in the house.  This is a recipe to straight disaster.
• ONLY DOGGIE FOOD for Wolfie.  Do not let anyone give Wolfie all the little goodies that are now in the house.  First of all, you arent sure if the food is good for Wolfie.  Many foods can make Wolfie sick and make a big mess in the house.  This is not a good thing with a house full of people.
• No feeding at the table.  This should have been obvious from the bullet point above, but it is something that family members love to do.  They all go home and now you have a dog that expects to get stuff from the table.  You now have a bad behavior that will take time to correct.  Just dont give Wolfie stuff from the table.
• Assign a buddy for Wolfie.  If you have some kids who are twelve years or older, ask them to be Wolfies buddy.  They are the ones who keep track of him, play with him, help feed him, and manage his time according to the rest of the activities going on in the house.
• Keep Wolfie on a leash.  If he starts to get out of hand, you can easily step on the leash and regain control.
• Manage the front door.  Put a sign on the front door that says "WHERE IS WOLFIE?".  This will make everyone aware where he is before you open the door.  If you arent watching where he is, he can easily dart out the door.  If he is close to the door when you want to open it, you can ask someone to take him to another area while the door is open.
• Include Wolfie in many of your events.  Make sure he has some presents and that he opens them with you.  Remember that Wolfie is a very social animal.  The Holidays are a social time.  Make sure that you and he enjoy the special moments!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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A good snooze is hard to get sometimes

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Class tonight

We will have class tonight at Fidos for Freedom.  Hope to see you there.

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Daycare Dogs Week 11

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Daycare Dogs Week 17

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How often should pet be examined

Most of the dog owners try to find this answer in a serious manner. Whatever the schedule we have for the examination of your pet animal, if there is any abnormality noticed in your animal, without delay, you need to subject the animal for a thorough clinical examination. It can be suggested that even before the purchase of a puppy, just consult a pet animal care specialist and try to understand about the schedules to be maintained for the examination of the animal. This will help a lot in solving many health related problems in the concerned animal.
Though once in two or three months is the general schedule for the examination of the dog, as soon as the puppy is procured the dog needs to be taken to the veterinarian for a thorough examination. Hence, the health care measures related program will be obtained in time. Most of the time, the dog is to be taken to the veterinarian at fifth or sixth week of age because in this period only, the vaccinations against diseases will be systematically carried out. The period of vaccination in the first year will be continued up to the sixteenth week of age and the schedule needs to be maintained accordingly.
However, if you have the pregnant dog, the dog need not be stressed by long distance based transportation for examination purposes. Hence, consult the veterinarian by phone and try to reduce the travel for the dog. However, the veterinary advice needs to be obtained in terms of health maintenance. If the dog has met with an accident either during travel or during routine movements, the animal needs to be taken to the pet hospital immediately.
Though no disease is evident, it does not mean that the dog is healthy. There are occasions wherein the animal may look like a normal dog but may have some diseases, which can be found out during the routine health check ups. Hence, the owner has to decide on when to take the dog to the hospital depending on necessity.

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More on Coming When Called Leaving Distractions!

Perhaps the biggest hurdle in recall training is teaching a dog to leave a distraction when called. A dog’s willingness to do so is what makes or breaks an effective recall. When a dog is loose or otherwise off-leash, he’s going to be distracted. Therefore, it’s important to convince him that it’s always best to leave distractions and come when we call -- no matter how enticing the distraction! A tall order? Sure. Impossible? Not at all. Find out how in part two of an article on teaching your dog to come when called.

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Jim Hodges Dog Training

Hi welcome to my official Blogspot web page for Jim Hodges Dog Training.  It is my goal to share useful training, behavior and important information for you and your dog.

Why should you visit this page?  I am a Master Dog Trainer and have been working with dogs professionally for over 20 years.  I have studied and worked with dogs in all disciplines of training from behavior modification to obedience training to more specialized disciplines such as service dog training and scent training.  You name it and I have probably done it during my career with dogs.

I have studied on many different forms of motivation from food reward training including clicker training to compulsion type training (first professional training school I ever attended).  The truth be told, there is not one method of training that is suited for every dog.  There are different personalities, temperaments and drives of dogs; thus, there are different training methods that may work better for particular dogs.

However, there is one consistent ideology that will definitely provide balance and harmony with all methods of training.  That ideology is Leader of the Pack dog training.  Dogs are pack animals.  They are born into a puppy litter in a pack setting.  When they leave the pack, they enter a new pack.  Your pack.  Pack rules and instincts still apply.

In every pack, there is a leader.  Are you going to be the leader of your pack?  If not, you run a much higher than normal chance that there will be a level of anxiety present whether you can see it or not.  Why?  Dogs excel with boundaries and limitations.  They excel with a structured environment.  Without that, they tend to be a little more stressed and a little more out of control.  They tend to develop habits that can create chaos and discord in the home environment.

A true leader changes all of this.  Dogs tend to be more settled and less destructive.  They know how to meet people at the door, how to walk on a leash and how to be more manageable.  They are also happiest with a true leader.  They dont have to make decisions.  They are confident and secure.  Most important, they follow your lead.

It is my desire to encourage and inspire you to want to become the leader of your pack.  Your dog will be happier.  You will be happier.  And, you will want to spend more enjoyable time together.  Boundaries and structure will be a part of everyday life.  Your dog will know his role in your family and will love you more for it.

So, how do we become the leader of our pack?  We cant just say we are the leader.  We have to earn it.  We do this by having our dogs do what we ask (obedience training is the best way to establish leadership).  We dont purposely or mistakenly reward or tolerate bad behavior.  We reward our dog when he does what we ask and we provide a consequence when he doesnt.  We dont intimidate, dominate or hurt our dog in any way. 

How do we begin?   The very first thing is to evaluate your present situation.  What does your do that you like?  What does he do that you dont like?  Think about these answers as it is important not to be wishy washy with what you want from you dog.  Next, you have to establish a plan to make the changes needed.  You cant influence change without identifying what needs to be changed.  You can do this on you own if you feel confident.  If not, look for a professional trainer that you can trust to guide you.

If you have owned your dog all of his life, you are responsible for both the good and the bad things he does.  Yes, you have been his trainer and didnt even know it.  You have literally trained your dog to do all the things you see him doing from sitting for a treat or sitting for his dinner to jumping on you and your guests as you come into the door.  Good and bad, it all starts with you.

Dogs learn through motivation, timing and consistency.

Motivation is the proper balance of Praise and Consequence for the personality and temperament of your dog.  
Praise starts with positive physical touch and positive words when our dog does something we approve of or we asked him to do.  We can also give toys and treats (used judiciously) if the dog is motivated to either.  However, we always use physical touch and positive words as the core Praise.

Consequence is the proper use of physical touch and a corrective word/tone when our dog disobeys a command or does a behavior we do not want.  Consequence can also be applied with the appropriate use of a spray bottle or a shaker can or anything else that our dog may interpret as a deterrent} to doing something we dont want him to do.
Do you notice the common or prevailing them with praise and consequence?  They both use words and physical touch.  Why words?  The proper use of our voice and tone can indicate our feelings towards our dog in a particular instant.  And we begin to establish our relationship with our dog that will continue for many years as long as we are consistent and balanced in our delivery.

Why physical touch?  Have you ever observed two dogs together sitting around drinking a glass of tea and discussing weather?  Of course not!  They are usually running, jumping, biting, barking, posturing and just about any other physical thing you can describe when interacting with each other.  They are communicating with each other and physical contact plays an essential role in their communications.

Timing is extremely important as our dogs need to understand they have done good or bad in the moment.  This is how they understand what we expect and how they learn most effectively.  If we hesitate too long following the moment, our dog may not understand what our motivation is and mistakenly think it is for something else entirely.

Consistency is needed because our dogs need to see the leadership that is present in us.  We must praise our dog every time he does something that pleases us.  We also must provide a consequence every time our dog does something that displeases us whether it is a disobeyed or ignored command or an unwanted behavior.  If we are not consistent in our action sour dogs become confused or unsure of what we expect from them.  They learn there are situations that we arent true leaders.  Depending on the dogs personality and temperament, this could lead to them trying to lead the pack or disobeying us in our home.

This is the foundation to becoming the leader of your pack and real life dog training.  Applying proper motivation, timing and consistency will enhance you and your dogs relationship.  You will begin a position to rely on your dog and your dog will be able to rely on you.

This is the basis to my dog training philosophy.  It has served my clients and me well over the years.  I hope you will visit this site regularly as I post new tips and information.  I would love your thoughts if you have a question or a comment.  Once again, thank you for visiting my Jim Hodges Dog Training official Blogspot web page.  See you soon!

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Preventing dental disease in dogs

Preventing dental disease is an important feature, which is to be paid more emphasis by the dog lovers or dog owners. Dental disease is given priority in the health schedule of the dog nowadays because of the association of the dental diseases with systemic diseases in the dogs.
Antibiotics need to be given in the initial stage of teeth infection itself and if not, this may cause specific infections and the organisms may spread to the other nearby regions like the oral mucous membrane and pharyngeal region etc.
More acidic or alkaline food materials need not be given to the dogs to avoid the possible teeth damage. Antibiotics need to be given in the initial stage of teeth infection itself and if not, this may cause specific infections and the organisms may spread to the other nearby regions like the oral mucous membrane and pharyngeal region etc. More acidic or alkaline food materials need not be given to the dogs to avoid the possible teeth damage. If the dog is not given at its young age some bony material to bite on, the dog may develop some dental diseases later. The teething action often causes the animal to go for biting in an indiscriminate manner. Hence, the animal has to be given some biting materials to avoid the occurrence of dental diseases.
If there is an evidence of bleeding from the oral region, the dog needs to be examined thoroughly for any dental abnormality. Mainly the puppies or some times, the adult dogs also may have teeth injuries. They need to be attended immediately as a preventive step. If not, the animal may end up in secondary bacterial infections.
Hunting dogs need additional care associated with the dental structures and such care is needed to avoid the future dental problems in such dogs. Brushes are available to provide better dental care to dogs. However, one has to allot more time and should have patience to use such brushes in case of dogs. This may lead into further problems. Centers for disease control and prevention are trying to put up guidelines to prevent the dental diseases in dogs in many nations. However, the oral examination needs to be carried out frequently in dogs and such activities help to rule out the emerging problems pertaining to the dentine structures in the beginning itself.

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Awards Night Coming Soon

We have awards night for Applewoods Dog Training dogs who achieved titles during 2014.  Be sure to come so you get your award.  If you cannot come, please designate a person to accept on your behalf.  Awards will be given out on Thursday, January 15, 2015. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

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Loose Leash Walking

Tips on teaching your dog to walk without skiing you down the street. Struggling with your own dogs loose leash walking? Take heart. Its one of the most challenging behaviors to train! All about practice and consistency.

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Camp Doglando S2 Wednesday

Hi Honorary Campers,

Train! Train! Train!

Our respectable breeder talk was today. 

We went out to lunch at Panera but before we did our first public walk around Waterford Lakes.

Upon our return we helped a young and coming dock diver jump by throwing the toy into the pool a few times.

For the first time our dogs had structured play time.  We tugged, we ran, we threw toys.  

Your Camp counselors,
Teena, Casey and Summer

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Daycare Dogs Week 8

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Wolfie Always Runs Thru The Door Ahead of Me!

Wolfie always runs through the door ahead of me!  Even if I am just walking from the family room to the living room, he always has to be the first one in...  It just bugs me!

Guess what!  In the dogs world, the alpha leader must always be out front to check out that everything is safe for the rest of the pack to follow.  As you go from room to room, that is a new place and a new opportunity for Wolfie to do his job and make sure everything is safe for you.  Wolfie thinks he is the leader.  I am not going to delve into readjusting the pack to allow Wolfie to understand that you are the leader today.  What I am going to do is to provide you with the training instructions to allow you to go through first.

Here is what you do:

• Put Wolfie on a leash and slowly approach the door.
• Stop when you are about two feet from the door and command Wolfie to Sit and Wait.
• Slowly open the door, always making sure that Wolfie is not getting ready to move.  If you see Wolfie getting ready to move or if Wolfie has already moved out of his Sit/Wait position, correct him and have him return to the Sit/Wait position.
• Continue to open the door until you have the ability to step through to the other side.
• Step through to the other side and have both feet on the other side of the door.
• Make sure that Wolfie has not moved for three to five seconds.  Now invite him through the door to be with you.
• Put Wolfie in a sit position next to you for three to five seconds.  Give him some praise for doing a great job.
• You are now done.  You can release Wolfie if you dont require anything else, walk with him, etc.

You will be amazed on how this will turn a normally crazy time into a quiet and respectful moment!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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