tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76637856535247993312024-02-22T07:29:56.487-07:00Where's Your Sit?Where’s Your Sit offers professional, in-home pet dog training services for puppies and adult dogs, and indoor/outdoor dog training classes. We serve Calgary, Alberta and surrounding areas.Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-91173891011274964522015-07-21T20:47:00.000-06:002015-07-21T20:47:20.739-06:00Please don't visit the dog park if...<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the last two days I've witnessed a number of things at the dog park that have made me cringe. Here's my handy list of dogs that shouldn't visit public off leash spaces for their own safety as well as the other park users.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. If your dog is <b><u>aggressive</u></b> to ANY other dog including puppies. Aggressive means your dog will bark, lunge, nip, sit on or other intimidate another dog. This has happened three times in two days to my clients with puppies. One of the incidents left the puppy with a cut on the nose and lip. Simply saying my dog doesn't like puppies isn't an excuse. Please seek out a dog trainer right away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. If your dog is <b><u>aggressive</u></b> to ANY person including children. Aggressive means your dog will bark, lunge, nip, jump all over, bang into and other intimidate another person. Simply saying my dog doesn't like men in hats or children isn't an excuse. Please seek out a dog trainer right away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please remember in these above examples you are responsible and liable for your dogs behaviour. These are not behaviours to be tolerated. Dog parks are for everyone and it is your job to ensure your dog is able to act like a well mannered individual.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. If your dog is in season aka in heat aka swollen vulva aka bleeding. DO NOT come to the park. You are putting other dogs and people in a dangerous situation and also being unfair to your dog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. If your dog is ill or has a medical concern that puts him/her at risk of being in pain if they interact with another dog. Basically use common sense your dog could get hurt or become aggressive. Keep him or her at home and take on leash walks or visit areas where you won't run into others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. If your dog is an out of control, crazy excited kind of furry friend. Please seek out some dog training classes before unleashing your hyper hound on the rest of us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6. Do not allow your children to run wild at the park either. Carrying toys or treats can also make them a target for someone else's aggressive or out of control dog. Teach children how to interact with dogs safely. Do not assume other dogs are friendly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's pretty simple but for some people it's really hard. You need to have a well manners, under control dog in order to visit off leash areas. If you don't there are other options like taking training classes, hiring an in home trainer, going for leash walks and playing dog sports where you can improve your dog's obedience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be smart and be safe!</span><br />
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<br />Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-54776486155080791342015-05-15T15:12:00.001-06:002015-05-15T15:13:54.099-06:00Dog Safety & Calgary<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There's been a lot of hysteria over a number of recent dog incidents in Calgary. These incidents were severe and included two canine deaths and a number of children that were bitten. Of course this has lead to the media calling for breed bans and a uneducated city counsellor suggesting all dogs should be muzzled for their first year and then subjected to a bandana system after that. I have some actual solutions that would solve our dog safety concerns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#1 - Every single person who owns a dog should at the very least attend a series of dog training classes this includes puppy classes, basic manners, canine good neighbour class and more. Dog training should be an ongoing process that takes your pet from puppy to adult (not just 6 weeks or a do it at home job). I might add that I am a Professional Dog Trainer (certified by the CCPDT) and I still bring my own dogs to classes. This provides a stimulating environment to learn in and some constructive feedback from my peers. All dogs of all ages should go to classes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#2 - If your dog has behaviour issues that include poor recall, aggression, anxiety or any sort of guarding behaviour please have a certified trainer come to your home for private sessions. This is incredibly important and should be a top priority.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#3 - Do not take anxious or aggressive dogs to the park. This is not the venue to socialize them. In fact aggressive dogs should wear muzzles in public and always be kept on leash. I've had a number of dogs who are running off leash in on leash areas attack my own dogs. These dogs should be taken from their owners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#4 - Irresponsible owners (people who have complaints due to running at large, aggression, ect.) should pay higher licensing fees and should have to prove attendance with a trainer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#5 - Don't allow your dog to be off leash in on leash areas. Other people and dogs may not want to interact with your dog. Keep your own pet safe by abiding by Bylaws as they exist for a reason.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Things for the public to keep in mind:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#1 - Breed doesn't mean a thing. It's all about socialization, genetics and good training. Every dog should be judged individually and anxious/aggressive dogs should have access to behaviour modification just like a sick dog should have access to a vet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">#2 - Muzzling puppies will stunt bite inhibition and learning. Also most of the aggression incidents we see as trainers do not include dogs under 1 year old. Most are adult dogs who have an escalating history of aggression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please be a responsible owner and spread the message. I've personally passed the Canine Good Neighbour test with ALL of my dogs... that's 6 CGNs now. Please take the time to teach your dog to be a good neighbour and to share our city safely.</span><br />
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<br />Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-31243033965960778412015-04-27T08:57:00.001-06:002015-04-27T08:57:19.855-06:00Things I learned at the Agility Trial<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've taken two years off from dog shows. This was due to Marco having a knee injury and then my house fire. So I've spent the last 10 months training my dogs pretty hard in agility for our comeback and in Ari's case his first agility trial. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The time off has allowed me to really think about why I do shows/trials and how to best prepare my dogs for them. And this past weekend I learned a lot. I love going to these events because it pushes me to work with my dogs several times a week and to grow my relationship with them. We're constantly learning together and I find that very rewarding. I believe they do too as they appear to love agility specifically. It's a really hard sport and just when you think you're ready something will come up and prove that no you're not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">During this particular trial I had the most success I've ever had with Marco. He has had a marked improvement over previous trials. By success I mean he was the least stressed I've ever seen him at a trial, he was able to complete behaviours that he previously couldn't (although not as well as he does in practice) and he had some great success in the Jumpers events. He also had a pretty nice Steeplechase run but alas we still can't hit those weave poles on the first go in a trial (something to continue to practice). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was Ari's first trial so I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't sure how to warm him up (how early to take him out, how excited to get him, etc.). We were brand new and while at practice he has been extremely reliable and well behaved the trial environment is pretty different. I had mixed results to be honest. His first run on Saturday was great. He was the very first dog to go and while he made a mistake on course (ran by jump #3) it was because he was fast and I was out of position aka no big deal and I was really proud of him. Throughout the weekend I didn't know what was going to happen. He had a run in Gambler's where he qualified but the dog before us got Zoomies and raced around the ring. Ari watched this was great interest and as a result when it was his turn he wasn't listening very well until mid-way through. Luckily for me in Gambler's the end closing is really the most important part and he scored enough points before that. I did learn how to calm him down when he was wild in the ring (big score). He also had a Steeplechase run where he took one jump and then left the ring to go play with another dog. This has never happened to me ever... not with another dog, not in practice and definitely not in a trial. When he came up we leashed up and I took him for a time out. His next run he was great. I've learned that Ari can't really watch the dog before him or he gets either too excited or loses focus. I've learned he needs a food reward before he goes in the ring. And I've learned not to bring him out until almost the last minute as he gets stressed. I also learned some of the things I was worried about didn't come to fruition. On 5 out of 7 runs he listened perfectly and made some baby dog mistakes. He tried really hard to please and seemed to really enjoy himself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For both boys I realized that while spending a lot of time on weave poles is necessary I also failed to reinforce my contacts enough and both my boys were nervous on the dog walk (not the teeter which we practice a lot). This means I really need to practice that more as both boys would have had a Standard Q if I had. So lesson learned. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had fun and I left feeling good about my dogs and our training. I can't wait for the next one and to see where else we can go! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm going to be attending two seminars this summer which should also help me a lot. I'm going to be attending an Agility Workshop with Kim Boyes in July and a Drive and Motivation seminar with Amanda Labadie in August. Both seminars are being hosted by Two Paws Up. I can't wait. All three of us have a lot to learn from this awesome ladies. </span>Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-48492769054262127392015-04-24T10:47:00.000-06:002015-04-24T10:47:44.371-06:00Up Trading <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have you ever tried to play fetch with your dog only to find Fido happily chases the ball, grabs it and then forgets all about the bringing back part?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Many dogs love to chase toys and they do really want you to throw them. They also adore having a "special" object in their mouth that is theirs. This can include toys, sticks and even prized possessions that your child will spend the next few hours screaming about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what's a fun loving dog owner to do? You want to play but Fido only gets half the game. Plus you don't really want your furry pooch stealing stuff around the house and playing keep away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's really important to teach your dog to up trade. Now what does that mean? The just is that they give up something and get something better. This encourages them to relinquish objects readily. And it does work even when you don't have a trade item down the road.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A great example would be my dog is fetching a ball. He brings it back. I say "Out" and show him a new ball. He drops the ball and I throw the new one. We can continue to play using two balls so there's always something exciting to chase and my dog doesn't feel conflicted about relinquishing the one he has.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another example would be my dog retrieves a stuffed toy. I say "Out" and show my pup a treat. He drops the toy for the treat. I throw the toy and we resume "trading".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A really important note is to avoid taking the toy from your dog or chasing your dog around. You need to make them excited about your item and not worried about you taking something from them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Give it a try!</span><br />
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<br />Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-30330500249380646952015-04-16T09:32:00.003-06:002015-04-16T09:32:52.095-06:00What Dogs Need<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm pretty lucky in that in my line of work I get to meet the Pet Parents who are absolutely committed to their dogs and truly want what's best for them. They are willing to invest time, money and love into ensuring their best friend has the best possible life. What does catch me off guard if how many of them feel guilty that they are in some way screwing up their dog or not being a good Pet Parent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is always a hard one for me as I worked for the Calgary Humane Society for 4.5 years and met some of the worst pet owners in this city. This includes people who felt that dogs were disposable and not worthy of the basic necessities of life. The Pet Parents I meet are polar opposites. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let's break it down a bit... why do you feel guilty? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. You feel as though your dog isn't getting enough exercise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This may or may not be true depending on the family I see and why the dog might not be getting exercise. If your dog is aggressive and a danger to the public then yes exercise is most likely something you put off or are very nervous about. If your dog gets too tired after a 20 minute walk this is also a reason people feel guilty. So let's break it down a bit... depending on the breed and age of your dog you may be over or under exercising. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Puppies (8 to 16 weeks) are often not great candidates for long walks. I find 15 minutes for most puppies is more than enough. You can do 2-3 of these shorts walks in a day. And possibly for your puppy 5 minutes at a time is enough. They are often quite happy to sit outside with you and explore the world around them. You can try taking them new places and letting them sniff and explore. This will allow their brains to process new eliminates of the environment and for them to be socialized in a variety of places. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seniors are also often not great candidates for long walks but it does depend on the individual dog. Senior dogs may get sore from walking on pavement too. Try a park where you can allow your dog to walk on a long line at a slow pace on grass. Tailor your walk duration so that your dog does not get sore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">High Energy Breeds - so let's face it I could walk my German Shorthaired Pointer for 4 hours straight on leash and he wouldn't be tired (not even a little bit). His exercise needs to be off leash running (Quadding seems to work well), hiking off leash so he can explore and smell or physical activity found in dog sports like agility or tracking. If you own a high energy working breed then you need to be participating in a diverse amount of activities that work the brain and the body. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. You work a long day (8 to 10 hours away from the home). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is another concern but a reality for most pet parents. You have to work to pay the bills so you and your dog can have a roof over your head and food on your plate. This is more than many dogs around the world have. You can only do your best. Great options for friendly, well adjusted dogs can be dog daycare 1-2 times per week or a dog walker everyday or every other day. If you can't afford that then try a walk in the morning where your dog can do lots of sniffing, followed up by interactive feeding with a Kong, Treat Stix or Tricky Treat Ball and another walk or dog sport activity once you're home from work. Most dogs (especially those in dog sports) need around 19 hours of sleep per day. Does that make you feel less guilty???</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. A few times a week you like to go out with friends, play human sports or eat dinner out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is true for most pet owners and can be a real stress. Your dog is a part of your life but for most of us your dog isn't your whole life. If you want to do activities in the evening try to mix it up so your dog has had a great day the day before. This is another time when a dog walker, dog daycare or family friend can help you out. Try not to feel guilty and occasionally even my dogs have to put up with a boring day when I have other stuff on the go. This is usually when they'll get a nice awesome bone to snack on. </span>Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-87506593282856693982015-04-08T09:46:00.003-06:002015-04-08T09:47:22.476-06:00My Dog Was Attacked<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My clients have countless stories about off
leash dogs coming after themselves or their pets. I’ve heard them and I’ve
experienced it a few times myself. This past Monday I had a situation that I
was completely unprepared to deal with and to be honest should never have
happened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I had been out of town for the long weekend
and had some lovely family friends taking care of young Pointer. It was his
first weekend as a solo dog and I was anxious to pick him up and see how he
did. My friends don’t currently have a dog and did a great job of taking care
him even though he had been slightly anxious without his pack around. When I
pulled up into their driveway to pick him up I noticed a man with a large
Rottweiler playing in the nearby children’s park. This violates bylaw in
Calgary in that dogs are not permitted on or off leash in these areas. It is
however a common occurrence so other than noting that they were there and
seemed to be minding their own business I didn’t really think of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z4D9RrC4VxZ8MDR4GpDEsLa4CNeFrhyuO8eZxwgfQ-cPVeZoCsC_Y2SNIBV2UbVYbR_4pQ-48EyXWfXKpM15KJ38W4nCDUiQpuHI-mVTBEaYV6zw9UNs43mEXxN-zFJrqBbQvjG9qdY/s1600/1798463_10152192784905365_1140545972_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_z4D9RrC4VxZ8MDR4GpDEsLa4CNeFrhyuO8eZxwgfQ-cPVeZoCsC_Y2SNIBV2UbVYbR_4pQ-48EyXWfXKpM15KJ38W4nCDUiQpuHI-mVTBEaYV6zw9UNs43mEXxN-zFJrqBbQvjG9qdY/s1600/1798463_10152192784905365_1140545972_n.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I loaded up my dog’s crate and belongings
before returning to the house to get him. He wears a collar, gentle leader and
leash. I made sure to put on his leash, as I didn’t want him getting overly
excited and attempting to go visit the dog in the park. He’s usually pretty good
about staying with me but why take an unnecessary risk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I said goodbye to my friend and walked my dog
the entire 12 feet from their front door to my Jeep parked right in their
driveway. My dog was happy to go to the jeep and didn’t even notice the dog and
man in the park. I had my back hatch open and he was ready to jump in when I
saw the other dog running towards us across the street. The owner didn’t even
attempt to call his dog. I could tell the approaching Rottweiler was coming in
too fast to be friendly. I yelled him to attempt to deter him but he jumped on
top of my top biting his head, neck, ear and even leg. My dog was secured by
his leash and gentle leader and was unable to defend himself. I yelled and
kicked at the other dog in an attempt to get him to back off. My friend came
running from her home to assist but let’s face there’s not much too unarmed
women can do against a dog this size and she was also pregnant. The man
eventually made his way over and removed his dog. He never said a word to either
of us. I checked over my dog. He was scared, bleeding from his ear and had
puncture wounds and scratches along his head, neck and upper back. He also had
a injury to his left front leg that I discovered the next day. I loaded my dog
into my jeep and tracked down the man’s address once I saw which house he went
into. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My dog is an intact male and other dogs
before have attacked him. This generally happens in an off leash park setting
and he’s showing discomfort before anything happens. He never instigates these
events and continually the target of neutered males. This is however the first
time my dog has been a significant distance away and not even looking at the
other dog. This particular dog has very real dog aggression and his owner
choose to run him off leash in a residential area where there are many neighbourhood dogs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoOXS-L7tvR7IeBJDEFlv0fKcu1GAIIcAnphc3xL6DaewO_2HAff8nvIC7UvhVGsgTKLaFI4YySthGYQl9htpTzmT4AqM-0pSUUK8gdibSQ-B17nWjAZNZM4qvuBN8QWw6vUmDpdJpco/s1600/IMG_1509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoOXS-L7tvR7IeBJDEFlv0fKcu1GAIIcAnphc3xL6DaewO_2HAff8nvIC7UvhVGsgTKLaFI4YySthGYQl9htpTzmT4AqM-0pSUUK8gdibSQ-B17nWjAZNZM4qvuBN8QWw6vUmDpdJpco/s1600/IMG_1509.jpg" height="206" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Now that some time has passed (a few days)
and I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’ve come to realize that I need to be
prepared for an incident at all times. I do carry an air horn with me when I go
for walks to help break up dogfights. When you work with aggressive dogs for a
living you understand that sometimes accidents happen. We can’t always predict
the behaviour of our own animals and definitely not someone else’s. In this
situation it was not an accident and the other owner was fully in the wrong. He
failed to have control of his animal and he placed his dog in a situation where
everything could go wrong. My dog and I are going to suffer the consequences of
this, as I’m fairly certain this has damaged my dog’s ability to trust and meet
new dogs of this type. He took a full 24 hours to begin acting like himself
again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So why the blog post? For two reasons I want
to educate the public on why we need to follow animal bylaws and also what to
do when/if this happens to you or your dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We need to follow bylaws not because we’re at
risk of being fined. It’s because the bylaws are designed to prevent aggression
and allow dogs to live in a community in peace with each other and humans.
Every single dog owner should be familiar with the bylaws in their area, which
include leash laws, noise compliance and tethering. In Calgary, the leash laws
are very specific and they are designed to keep everyone safe. Just because you
feel your dog has strong obedience or is friendly doesn’t mean everyone else
using the public spaces will feel safe around your dog. If I am walking my dog
on leash it might be because he’s sick, not friendly or because I believe in
following bylaws and my dog and I most likely don’t want to meet your dog while
he’s off leash. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If your dog isn’t friendly with other dogs
there are options for exercising, which include leash walking, hiking in remote
areas on a long line and visiting a fenced area where you can safely run your
dog and keep him/her away from others. Using a basket muzzle as a back up for
safety would also make sense. It is your job to not put your dog in a situation
where he/she feels they need to act aggressively towards other animals or
people. If you can’t do this then you aren’t responsible enough to have a dog
period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If you have questions about responsible dog
management and need help with behaviour modification for aggression please
contact an appropriate dog trainer or behaviourist to help. Look for trainers
who have their CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA or KPA certifications. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So what do you do when this happens? I can
tell you from experience that these situations can occur quickly and you won’t
always respond as well as you could. I definitely could have done a few things
different when this dog came after mine. The first would be having my air horn
on hand. I definitely did not think I needed it for 12 feet of walking but I
did know the other dog was outdoors off leash and I could have had it just in
case. I was only thinking about managing my dog and not that the other owner
was not despite being shown evidence that he wasn’t following bylaw and
therefore most likely wasn’t very responsible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I did a great job of not putting my hands in
between two fighting dogs, which is crucial to human safety. I could have
attempted to grab the other dog’s hind end. At the time this seemed far too
dangerous but in hindsight may have been more effective than kicking. I could
always have directed the other owner on what to do however I am not completely
convinced that would have jolted him into action. But it wouldn’t have hurt to
try. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And finally I need to ensure that I am taking
my dog out for walks and reinforcing him heavily when we see another dog that
is similar. He needs to know I will protect him and that he is fine so that my
own dog does not develop reactivity or dog aggression.</span> </span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-46670984872059945562015-04-01T14:49:00.002-06:002015-04-01T14:49:49.170-06:00Why you should teach your dog their name?<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dogs know their names right? Well that depends on who you ask and when. The average pet owner would say their dog knows their name in their house but does that same dog know their name when they're in the park? Most likely the answer to that one would be no. Names are a crucial component of a strong obedience foundation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A name should mean something to a dog just like when say "Sit" and you expect your dog to have their bum on the ground. A dog's name should tell the dog to pay attention and actually look at the person speaking. This is a skill set that has to be taught. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I like to play "The Name Game" with my dogs. This can be taught to any dog of any age. This includes if you are changing a dog's name because you've recently adopted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All you do to play is call your dog's name once "Rover". Then move around or make other noises until your dog looks at you. Once your dog is looking at you say "Yes" and reward with a treat. Then start the process all over again. The most important part is not repeat the dog's name when you're playing. Calling only one time will in the long run eliminate your need to repeatedly call your dog to get attention.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can play The Name Game with a toy as well. Instead of rewarding with a treat pull out your dog's favourite toy and play tug or throw it for fetch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Your dog is learning that their name means to pay attention to you and that there's a fun pay off for listening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Try it out today! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you'd like help with your overall obedience contact Where's Your Sit to participate in one of our group training classes or private lessons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcR9uxQCpEVp5WY6phze23NkIslHe1KFJY1yh7nHUGFDTGbvEoTSjqRISTL50QSSAzWyPo5bsPQ9HyySYNhr-S1gGxSNdzJ1XiS87WQmidOie4Wi2gbSnxObFSQ2A1_VV8IRnK38yAa4/s1600/IMG_1483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcR9uxQCpEVp5WY6phze23NkIslHe1KFJY1yh7nHUGFDTGbvEoTSjqRISTL50QSSAzWyPo5bsPQ9HyySYNhr-S1gGxSNdzJ1XiS87WQmidOie4Wi2gbSnxObFSQ2A1_VV8IRnK38yAa4/s1600/IMG_1483.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Little side story here at the end... Photo is of Remi our senior French Bulldog. She was adopted only a few years ago and came with a name the Rescue gave her. She's had at least 3 names. We chose to re-name her so she could have a fresh start. Playing the name game helped Remi learn that her name meant to look at us and that good things would happen as a result. She is able to run around off leash and easily come when called all because she's knows that she is in fact Remi. </span>Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-16479080390009816362014-07-28T10:54:00.002-06:002014-07-28T10:54:45.214-06:00Dog Training: Like A Pro Seminar Series <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have you ever wondered how dog trainers can get their dogs
to listen so easily? It’s a science and an art form. In this “Like A Pro”
series Professional Dog Trainer Jade Robertson will demonstrate and walk you
through how she would address each training strategy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSRyW1y31rPCB_8slWkV9z4ruQ5_uEPKLrf1iYrmioO5faGs1aaT_gHajzZHEIhzriZ9XTvC3M99Z_DDdDL9qgrEElq73MZ48HxDnpXnGq7ZsiHPGqkYsZXnW8WSm0xyKhtrmBoHkhnw/s1600/MarcoWinPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSRyW1y31rPCB_8slWkV9z4ruQ5_uEPKLrf1iYrmioO5faGs1aaT_gHajzZHEIhzriZ9XTvC3M99Z_DDdDL9qgrEElq73MZ48HxDnpXnGq7ZsiHPGqkYsZXnW8WSm0xyKhtrmBoHkhnw/s1600/MarcoWinPhoto.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can apply to have your own dog trained during the
session or Jade will bring one of her own. The dog chosen to participate will
not be proficient at the selected skill already so you will see exactly how to
do it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The session is 30 minutes long with a 15-minute Q&A
period afterwards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Topics will include: loose leash walking, recall, stay and keeping
focus in a high distraction environment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhe1SghcPBOEk_jJZAFiy5_TMrUHVz6sI-YMup04KvZNcwe-_JUXDUJHslyCSidkRUC5HC7a0aRBnw_EJgtmjNtBNUnDFFkSta_lNyhUuSM9QPgR9IYeLz0pPhM05bP50dvNrBtn5T1Q/s1600/297414_10150424268150365_358840481_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhe1SghcPBOEk_jJZAFiy5_TMrUHVz6sI-YMup04KvZNcwe-_JUXDUJHslyCSidkRUC5HC7a0aRBnw_EJgtmjNtBNUnDFFkSta_lNyhUuSM9QPgR9IYeLz0pPhM05bP50dvNrBtn5T1Q/s1600/297414_10150424268150365_358840481_n.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Spectator Spots: $10 per person per session <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Apply to have your dog trained: $80 per dog/per session <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Session Dates: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saturday, August 16 at 11am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saturday, September 13 at 11am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saturday, October 11 at 11am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saturday, November 8 at 11am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The location and topic will be selected 1 week in advance. All sessions will be held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Please email <a href="mailto:jade@wheresyoursit.com">jade@wheresyoursit.com</a> to participate. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TByZpo9nVAN6q45Ib0yO2bbkiD66_QpwV4eBrpqZ6_KqlYFJFePfaJE3UruLWb_K8eL1TMSeQp3Hizj4XRWuGvUj7K_sfpjZwMNvCASg8RwWGsUmw5VgMORS9nihnT-8rYxNHaJF0h0/s1600/310704_10150424243815365_577856324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TByZpo9nVAN6q45Ib0yO2bbkiD66_QpwV4eBrpqZ6_KqlYFJFePfaJE3UruLWb_K8eL1TMSeQp3Hizj4XRWuGvUj7K_sfpjZwMNvCASg8RwWGsUmw5VgMORS9nihnT-8rYxNHaJF0h0/s1600/310704_10150424243815365_577856324_n.jpg" height="286" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0Calgary, AB, Canada51.0453246 -114.0581012000000150.7256451 -114.70354820000001 51.3650041 -113.4126542tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-8766790525997854922014-07-03T13:19:00.003-06:002014-07-03T13:19:33.596-06:00Dogs need to think twice and make better decisions…<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Have you ever made a decision without really
thinking it through? Have you let anxiety or fear lead you to a dangerous
predicament? Most people would say yes. It happens when we’re small children,
it happens when we’re teens and it happens when we are adults. It also happens
to dogs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It’s the human’s responsibility to teach
their dog crucial life skills like impulse control and how to deal with
fear/anxiety/predatory behavior. They are dogs and they will make bad choices
if we don’t set them up for success. This is obviously easier than it sounds.
Recently I’ve had a number of clients whose dogs are lovely pets but have a
history of aggressive behavior due to poor impulse control or because they are
missing the ability to settle themselves down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUS4haJVXlnFuB-t_WBVc0FdSp4QQNbcDfcH1y9qRNGe-s8TaSQ0Auh5KdnhcZVwxbjXNakC8UHv9RimQ4-Vt5rPwHl-BpEz6KP2p2OgNcQ6Ch7hKj7FdtOFIg8rz4FygfAXzZpghu9c/s1600/1507077_10154043076955565_87696717_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUS4haJVXlnFuB-t_WBVc0FdSp4QQNbcDfcH1y9qRNGe-s8TaSQ0Auh5KdnhcZVwxbjXNakC8UHv9RimQ4-Vt5rPwHl-BpEz6KP2p2OgNcQ6Ch7hKj7FdtOFIg8rz4FygfAXzZpghu9c/s1600/1507077_10154043076955565_87696717_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">(Ari exhibiting poor inhibition by jumping up on me for attention)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This issue can manifest in aggression towards
humans (dog gets excited and begins nipping owner’s hands) or aggression
towards other animals (dog attacks another family dog when he/she becomes
stressed or over excited). This doesn’t mean the aggressive dog doesn’t have a
bond with his/her family. What it means is that this dog is missing crucial
social skills that are making him/her dangerous. The causes for this can
include genetic background, training, missed socialization or a medical issue.
No dog is the same but what an owner can do is to teach all their dogs (big and
small, old and young) how to deal with stress and not immediately react to
something exciting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Some tips: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;"><a href="http://drsophiayin.com/" target="_blank">Sophia Yin</a> has a wonderful
program called the “Learn to Earn Program” where she insists dogs say please by
sitting. This is a crucial skill when teaching your dog manners and also
calming themselves down when something is exciting is happening. Examples
include sit before going through doors, sit before petting or play, sit before
greeting another human, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;">Teach your dog to handle
excitement in small doses. An example would be teaching your dog a calm
response to the doorbell ringing. You can practice this by first teaching your
dog to sit, down or go to bed. Once your dog is very good at this behavior then
you can first ring your doorbell. Doorbells are often a source of excitement
for dogs so you’ll be triggering your dog to become excited and then pairing
that with a calm behavior. You can then move on to using other excitement
triggers such as have a friend come over and practice sitting for attention.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; text-indent: -18pt;">Do not reward your dog for over
excited behavior. This includes taking your dog out for a walk and then
leashing your dog/exiting your home while your dog is barking, lunging or
acting over excited. This could also include letting your dog out of the crate
while barking or scratching excitedly. Ask your dog for a sit first.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Ari exhibiting impulse control by sitting before getting pets)</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If your dog is unable to calm down when only
triggered by small excitement sources then you should consult a trainer or
behaviourist. If your dog exhibits over excitement or anxious behavior it is
also prudent to check with your veterinarian. Remember no two dogs are the same
but in order to be successful in society it is your job to teach them patience,
thoughtfulness and manners.</span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-28965720290708855882014-03-07T09:02:00.001-07:002014-03-07T09:06:56.343-07:00Why Has My Dog Changed???<div class="MsoNormal" style="; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well I’ll start off this blog entry by apologizing for the very long delay in entries. 2013 went out like a lion with a number of personal emergencies. Luckily life has settled down a bit and I have time to write more dog training entries!<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I want to discuss why a dog’s behavior would change. I often see dogs around age 2 to 4. The owners will describe a change in the dog’s behavior towards other dogs and/or people. They are often confused about what happened and will attempt to pinpoint the change to one circumstance.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNqAclFGhyphenhyphen5ITp0DlpVhnVuJuqgJA634xpB2LHmSEPEckhxTvDmqxlLpWyS5QCEpPUxvTPz-mGtZdgimdrT-p_dyq40xz1DpHguJajPxxjc8tTi9xUknfZDeTbSqOtmjeJgeyDXVv-zE/s1600/AriRemiLyingDown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNqAclFGhyphenhyphen5ITp0DlpVhnVuJuqgJA634xpB2LHmSEPEckhxTvDmqxlLpWyS5QCEpPUxvTPz-mGtZdgimdrT-p_dyq40xz1DpHguJajPxxjc8tTi9xUknfZDeTbSqOtmjeJgeyDXVv-zE/s1600/AriRemiLyingDown.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what’s really going on? How can a seemingly friendly dog suddenly not like other dogs? Or a well-mannered happy go lucky pooch just start to blow off anyone he/she doesn’t know already? What has happened?<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well simply put sometimes once a dog completes adolescence they are less playful and happy go lucky just like humans. Sometimes they’ve spent the first few years of life being bullied or mishandled and they’ve had enough. More often than not there is no single occurrence that has led to this change.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This change can be a shock to the owners of any dog. And sometimes there’s not much you can do about it. Let’s talk about it from the dog’s point of view. As a puppy Ms. Golden Retrieve was very friendly. She adored playing with all types of other dogs. She went to the dog park every day and sometimes to doggy daycare too. She would play and play and play. Sometimes she played so much she would get sore. Now she’s 3 years old and her hips hurt sometimes, she still goes to dog daycare and has adolescent dogs bouncing off her and biting her ears. She wants a break. Last night at the dog park a young, large male jumped on her and hurt her hips which made her cry out. So the next time she sees a young dog bee lining her way she shows her teeth. What she’s trying to say “hey there youngster, give me some space”.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This dog is not aggressive. She’s getting slightly older, she’s less playful and she has an undiagnosed medical issue. Her behavior has changed. So what should her family do?<u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Get a vet examine and if possible visit an Osteopath or Physio as well. This will rule out lameness issues. Anytime your dog’s behavior changes drastically you need to rule out medical causes. Dogs can’t tell you that they are sore and will often hide it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Respect that your dog might not want young dogs bouncing off of her anymore. Find play solutions with appropriate friends for your dog’s play style. If necessary STOP going to the dog park and daycare. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead take her for leisurely hikes where she can sniff and run around without fear of being knocked over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Take your dog to environment where dog interaction is more controlled. A Rally Obedience class where all the dogs are in control and having fun bonding with their owners is a great option. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />That’s just one example of what I see on a daily basis working with clients. All of our dogs are different and as they mature they will change. They are not puppies forever (for better and worse). And please remember behavior changes should not be ignored as they can be a symptom of anxiety or illness.</span><br />
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Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-40222234464608152852013-06-18T10:17:00.002-06:002013-06-18T10:52:40.581-06:00When the worst happens...<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past weekend a
good friend and fellow positive dog trainer Charlotte of <a href="http://diamonddogsyyc.com/" target="_blank">Diamond Dogs</a> was out walking her rescued
Doberman pinscher with her family in Kananaskis. Her dog isn’t an ordinary dog
either; his name is Aspen and he had a really hard start in life. Aspen came
from a breeder who crops ears. He was placed in a home where he suffered severe
neglect including malnutrition and the tissue around his ears died. Aspen came
into rescue underweight and missing both his outer ear tissue. He also missed
out on crucial socialization and training due to this neglect. His story is unfortunately
a common one however he had the good fortune of finding a one in a million home
where he was nurtured back to health, trained and socialized. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RxuaST_cIh7psuyDQbh6suaH3HLDs5FDb0abJpS_ySGGwZ7f6b9IGeDpfN5BBWMYDk7bzWI8c8fWNNXEZxRGurYubOcVpefnTNwZablBogqfEtF5D_0HXHxa6AlJY1gZsFKLXvjvZWI/s1600/Aspen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RxuaST_cIh7psuyDQbh6suaH3HLDs5FDb0abJpS_ySGGwZ7f6b9IGeDpfN5BBWMYDk7bzWI8c8fWNNXEZxRGurYubOcVpefnTNwZablBogqfEtF5D_0HXHxa6AlJY1gZsFKLXvjvZWI/s1600/Aspen.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Aspen when he first came into rescue as a puppy with no ears and very thin)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Charlotte he is
not only her pet and companion but also a key member of her dog training team.
Aspen helps fearful and reactive dogs find confidence and relax. His temperament
is wonderful and she had worked hard to develop these skills in him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She takes him
everywhere so an on leash hike in the back country is a regular event. You can
hike with your dogs in Kananaskis but they have to be on leash by law. Hikers
are also advised to carry bear spray, make lots of noise and watch out for
wildlife. Charlotte was fully prepared and took all the necessary supplies to
keep herself, family and dog safe on what should have been an enjoyable trip
out in nature. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseRyjRmn7LcHb3sLOH5JuWdTzmvrTsI6ClvuPQm_xmqaXgyugGKKVhK3GbtPZ2HPRrlAuojlKVH6_Ge67V10T-zoxboAsgGVOlqw0BpDpPL5aYfpMi9-SCuCh2N_e3OeCt9ihiSLZhPQ/s1600/Aspen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseRyjRmn7LcHb3sLOH5JuWdTzmvrTsI6ClvuPQm_xmqaXgyugGKKVhK3GbtPZ2HPRrlAuojlKVH6_Ge67V10T-zoxboAsgGVOlqw0BpDpPL5aYfpMi9-SCuCh2N_e3OeCt9ihiSLZhPQ/s1600/Aspen1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Aspen after training and at a much better weight)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As they were hiking
they spotted two extremely large off leash dogs. The dogs were running towards
them so Charlotte called out to the woman walking them to put them on leash.
Unfortunately she could not call her dogs back and had no control over them.
The dogs attacked Aspen. Charlotte tried using hiking poles to hit the dogs and
make them let go. Another family member used the bear spray on the dogs. The
attack was so vicious that one of the dogs was sprayed three times before he
let go. Aspen had done nothing to provoke this attack and even offered calming
signals to these dogs to avoid a conflict. Aspen is not a fighter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The owner of the off
leash dogs only had 1 leash with her and was unable to contain the dogs even
after the attack had stopped. She did leave her information however that’s
little consolation to a family that has been traumatized by seeing their dog
attacked. Poor Aspen has a long road ahead of him that included surgery to have
a drain put in and stitches. He will also need at minimum months of rehab for physiological
damage. He’s a young dog and is quite sensitive; only time will tell if he will
be able to work again. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteDKc2Gio5MLVqO8ezS3SQWIJs2N5yFz4lqlMDCz7kdWE8oq6BRcC4NrDlgevbp3rOwgzFalqcmfnhyphenhyphenSCfyK4FDoH1zR0152RShyNXnGzRR7tq4lC2BoA1iIHy9Ffg-vcbD4vzescx0M/s1600/Aspen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjteDKc2Gio5MLVqO8ezS3SQWIJs2N5yFz4lqlMDCz7kdWE8oq6BRcC4NrDlgevbp3rOwgzFalqcmfnhyphenhyphenSCfyK4FDoH1zR0152RShyNXnGzRR7tq4lC2BoA1iIHy9Ffg-vcbD4vzescx0M/s1600/Aspen2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Aspen's injuries)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This attack devastated
this family and their dog as well as the countless dogs that Aspen could have
helped. And the worst part is that this isn’t an isolated case that rarely
happens. Dog attacks occur regularly. I’m not trying to scare anyone as I love dogs
and want them to be immersed in our society but this comes with work. Good dog
owners will keep their pets on leash in on leash areas and will maintain
control in off leash areas. They should have adequate equipment to control
their dogs at all times. Aggressive dogs should never be off leash even in the
back country where you think you might be alone. Large breed dogs come with the
added responsibility of knowing what you can handle. Owners should never take
out two large dogs that weigh more than them and have aggressive tendencies and
even really nice, easy going dogs should be able to be contained at all times. It
is the owner’s responsibility to ensure safety. All dogs should have training
that allows the owner to recall them back and remove them from an unsafe scene.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rules to live by:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Train your dog well (not just a 6 week course
and he sort of listens sometimes)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Keep everyone safe by having appropriate
equipment for your dog</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Do not take aggressive animals off leash even
if they are muzzled </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Only take a dog that you can handle and
remember that walking more than one dog at a time is a challenge </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Always carry safety equipment whether it is
bear spray or an air horn with you</span></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-39538358518093641672013-05-21T11:56:00.000-06:002013-05-21T11:57:59.913-06:00Choosing a dog training class to meet your goals<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As a professional dog trainer I try to offer a variety of options to my
clients. Let’s discuss what works, what
doesn’t and how to get the best results for your family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dog training is a skill that most people don’t have. Professional
trainers have spent thousands of dollars and years of their lives learning this
art and science so it’s important to consult a professional. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Now you’ve managed to find a number of positive reinforcement and
experienced professionals to choose from. In the Calgary area there are so
many. Now what class should you take? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well truth be told there’s no perfect answer for this. You have to take
a look at a few factors:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Can your family commit to a weekly time/day for at least 6 weeks? Most group classes require participants to come every week for that period of time. Missing a class makes it very hard for you to get the full understanding of basic skills. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Does your dog handler suffer from any disabilities that would make a class environment overwhelming or hard? (examples would be anxiety, hear impairment, etc). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Is there someone to watch the kids and a person to handle the dog? Most group classes need at least 2 adults to accommodate children being there. Don’t try to watch the kids and train your dog. It rarely works out for the dog or yourself.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Does your dog suffer from fear, aggression, hyper activity? A private training session should always be your first step. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How old is your dog? Some young puppies do a lot better with training at home and going to puppy play classes to socialize. A combination can work wonders. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How much experience do you have when it comes to dogs? If you have questions about everything than a private training session can bring you the answer you need. Most instructors have a limited ability to cover material outside of the curriculum in a group environment.</span> </span></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Those are just a few factors that can impact your success with training
your dog. Let’s look at the options:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Indoor group
class</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfYXKXoiqTzw0IaSh5JCQkIZEzhGlW-UKwFDU9KeYrZ6HNozURCM5tgBAmN86KSJ56BORCoKLenfm0Dlx7k3X7fhmLcbBC7bpkrIcxkancdUtUlKTJ8_UQkkpJ0AwftnFyDsehn5MzvI/s1600/IndoorClass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfYXKXoiqTzw0IaSh5JCQkIZEzhGlW-UKwFDU9KeYrZ6HNozURCM5tgBAmN86KSJ56BORCoKLenfm0Dlx7k3X7fhmLcbBC7bpkrIcxkancdUtUlKTJ8_UQkkpJ0AwftnFyDsehn5MzvI/s1600/IndoorClass.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Russ practicing heeling at a rally practice indoors.</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This is the route that the majority of families choose for dogs or
puppies without severe behavior concerns. It can be an excellent way to train
your dog but you must practice outside of class times. You need to make sure
you set aside 10-20 minutes daily to practice (minimum). It’s also a good idea
to find out the size of a group class beforehand; 6 dogs is a good amount but
more than that can be overwhelming for a beginner and the instructor will have
limited time for questions. Indoor group classes can also limit how well your
dog listens to you outside or at home. This is where the practice everywhere
mantra needs to play in. Be strict with yourself and take your dog out and
about to practice what you’re learning in class. It’s important to note that
even professional trainers won’t have a perfect dog after only 6 weeks in a
group class. Training is a lifelong commitment and many families need more than
1 set of classes. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Outdoor
group class</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6JWicx59_eGJ0eX-kHXMcoi_moXMxBaliI_u4ejNn_DELkqIHPUesZQf8nEYknEacGCEK5OXdB5RySYBLbpFk64j12Dp3Ef0I7K3H7Rwnl7NwACNM5koY9VOG5NsAcNNWWYh-R5XTT0/s1600/OutdoorClass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6JWicx59_eGJ0eX-kHXMcoi_moXMxBaliI_u4ejNn_DELkqIHPUesZQf8nEYknEacGCEK5OXdB5RySYBLbpFk64j12Dp3Ef0I7K3H7Rwnl7NwACNM5koY9VOG5NsAcNNWWYh-R5XTT0/s1600/OutdoorClass.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Outdoor class at the C Train station.</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This option works great for families who love to be outside with their
dogs and have the patience to handle distraction training. I recommend taking
an indoor class first OR having a few private sessions under your belt. The
exception to this is that many puppies (4 months and under) can do
exceptionally well outside as they are still very owner focused at that age. Make
sure your dog is up to date on vaccines before you start. Considerations for
group classes outdoor include checking class size and making sure you have time
to practice. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I offer an outdoor group class that has two times a week and is run on a
drop in style. This can work well for people on shift work, vacation plans, and
need some flexibility. The commitment to practice is still required though. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In Home
Training or Private Training</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharl32qDDB5-fBaPpCvAQkSfFGfu1nAr2G5kPKmk68CbzE8PNjWo1jdz6kaxunigitqJTN6WV8nDLFsVxvth0IWvbK-RarxbnmQjmmcnBgFt7I5FJe95G2IQjz56RLDDja_VdIxDi4ys4/s1600/KittyKenny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharl32qDDB5-fBaPpCvAQkSfFGfu1nAr2G5kPKmk68CbzE8PNjWo1jdz6kaxunigitqJTN6WV8nDLFsVxvth0IWvbK-RarxbnmQjmmcnBgFt7I5FJe95G2IQjz56RLDDja_VdIxDi4ys4/s1600/KittyKenny.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Two awesome jack russels who have enjoyed private training with Where's Your Sit.</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For many of my clients private training delivers the best results. It’s
flexible, can accommodate families and moves at your own pace. In home training
also allows serious behavior problems like aggression or fear to be addressed.
It’s down side is that it is definitely pricier. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The benefits are huge as the trainer is focused only on you and your dog’s
needs and goals. You’ll learn what’s relevant for your lifestyle and move
through the steps at your dog’s pace instead of rushing through it in just six
weeks. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Some dogs benefit from having both in home and group classes. The
combination of both allows your dog and you to learn the skills first and then
practice around other dogs. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Board and
Train</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGAUXXeqM1J8Sqzs0NOZoNi4Cq2Gbf4dZBPo0DVE6lNibM-24D5-ggnLrWd1CI9GIAGXhiA9aw6nwHxt2uSUkhpKqylBRx4_qLBHLVDvAzokGPV22sDguBFdj4fPYdvXx9tz9NaGnWNg/s1600/Cali1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrGAUXXeqM1J8Sqzs0NOZoNi4Cq2Gbf4dZBPo0DVE6lNibM-24D5-ggnLrWd1CI9GIAGXhiA9aw6nwHxt2uSUkhpKqylBRx4_qLBHLVDvAzokGPV22sDguBFdj4fPYdvXx9tz9NaGnWNg/s1600/Cali1.JPG" height="232" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This little Goldendoodle had both private, in home training and some pet sitting where she polished up her skills.</span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the option where you send your dog away for a period of time and
in theory he comes home completely trained for you. Board and train can work in
certain circumstances but to be honest it’s less than ideal. It works well for
people who cannot develop the mechanical skills necessary to train a dog (in
home training can be a solution for this though). It rarely works for people
who are simply “too busy” as your dog will return home and the routine of daily
training will be gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your dog would
definitely need to be gone for an extended period of time and you need to
commit a good amount of time and follow up with the trainer and your dog to
ensure a smooth transition. A better option for be for the trainer to come you
several times a week and train your dog while you are there watching and
learning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Which
option for you?</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well truth be told there isn’t a magic formula. The best behaved dogs
belong to owners who are committed to training them and spend time learning
about their dog. When I’m working with my own dogs I follow this line of
though:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What’s currently available for group classes (types of classes, times, length, instructors). If there’s a class that will benefit my dog and I can fit it in then I attend. An example of this would be when Marco was a puppy I didn’t need to take him to class to learn how to train him but I did want him to be exposed to a class environment. I enrolled us both in a Canine Good Neighbour class with a trainer I admired. This allowed him to practice his obedience in a new place.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What does my dog need? When I adopted Remi she was really scared so a busy group class would be overwhelming for her. Luckily enough I could take care of the in home training myself. In addition to working on confidence boosting at home I also found a small sized fearful dog class for her to attend. The combination of these efforts worked great. </span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What would I like to achieve? When Marco was a puppy I knew I wanted him to compete in dog sports. My goals were Rally Obedience and Agility. Because these goals were important to me I selected group classes that would advance that desire such as Canine Good Neighbour, Formal Obedience, Intro to Agility, etc. If you want your dog to participate in dog sports than research what’s available for puppies or young dogs in the beginner level. If your goals include having your dog do volunteer work with you than at bare minimum you need a beginner obedience class followed up by a Canine Good Neighbour class. </span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How can I practice in as many places as possible? My dogs take classes with numerous trainers in Calgary. WHY? Because it exposes us both to new places and new ideas. I highly recommend expanding your practice base outside of just 1 building. </span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully this will help you explore your class options. Another way to
check things out is to call or email the trainer you’d like to work with,
explain your goals and ask their opinions. Trainers should always be open to
letting you watch them teach a class or giving you references.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-70935274203606601112013-05-15T13:18:00.000-06:002013-05-15T13:18:27.390-06:00Protect Your Dog
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In recent months my
Aussie Marco has had a hard time being at the dog park. His herding drive seems
to have increased dramatically and he assumes new dogs are his for the chasing.
Marco’s style of chase includes lunging over the top of a dog and also nipping
at their back paws and legs. While he is not overtly aggressive and causing
visible injuries it is inappropriate behavior and scares the other dog. I’ve
been working diligently with him so that he can learn to play again. Strangely
enough this behavior for Marco is linked only to the dog park and usually large
breed dogs. If I introduce him at home he is appropriate. He also use to have
some of the best dog social skills I had ever seen so I was fairly certain with
time, patience and lots of training he would overcome this. </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53bJMeeUHeZl8zG_RA1j56_-JGpk6SRjx2MDMmXSRhrBC-zzS8S6nl_0G2V-Po9Zgepa3tI3kLdW1xpTJNx70MdShGH0irPn6G_2neXu23E9tNgotKcUgP-cZRsAIxiahDXWbHaOoqEQ/s1600/MarcoListening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53bJMeeUHeZl8zG_RA1j56_-JGpk6SRjx2MDMmXSRhrBC-zzS8S6nl_0G2V-Po9Zgepa3tI3kLdW1xpTJNx70MdShGH0irPn6G_2neXu23E9tNgotKcUgP-cZRsAIxiahDXWbHaOoqEQ/s1600/MarcoListening.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> (Marco at a Rally Obedience trial which helps fine tune obedience skills)</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span> </div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily Marco’s play
skills have come back but I take some preventative measures. Marco needs to
keep focused on me in a sit or down or moving heel when a dog is approaching.
He is not allowed to charge them. If the dog seems like a “target” he would
usually try to herd then he cannot go play until he has truly calmed down and
preformed a nice curving greeting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago we were
practicing at Southland when a large retriever approached. Marco has a hard
time with retrievers so he was waiting in his down stay while my other dogs
went over to say hi. The dog hung out with them and we had no issues. When the
couple who owned the retriever came over the lady asked why Marco couldn’t
play. I said because he tries to herd larger dogs and we’re working on this behavior
issue. She promptly said I don’t mind if they play rough. This took me back in
all honesty. My response was that I did mind and that her dog could get hurt.
She didn’t seem to think anything bad could happen from my slightly smaller dog
tackling hers. </span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say Marco
didn’t get to play with that dog. He was an older guy who had interactively
positively with everyone else and didn’t need a maniac Aussie hanging off his
back. He also never approached Marco on his own for a sniff greeting so I took
that to mean that he didn’t want to meet Marco. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I learned from
this is that most people don’t understand what appropriate play is. And this
isn’t the first time this has happened with Marco. A gentleman with an Airedale
had the same response. I find this disconcerting. Marco looks pretty innocent
by nature. He is a mostly white dog with startling blue eyes. He is around
45lbs and fluffy. He can get away with murder except I’m not fooled. I’m
attempting to do two things by working with him at the park. The first is restoring
appropriate social skills and the second is keeping everyone else’s dog safe. I
don’t understand why the owner of the dog at risk would be alright with Marco
hurting them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFRCioADczvzkEG0sM-rR4eo9Y84P-NiRJ5zlE5bf3cbG6dYMqiVHABi12UgoE3fzgK3BsKRJ4Is04yKZQnq_FxsK0Z8JaFEJPw5B1as_Fnn45kEIMDoPS5U8XAfDdWSTRqNMfoHectM/s1600/MarcoWater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFRCioADczvzkEG0sM-rR4eo9Y84P-NiRJ5zlE5bf3cbG6dYMqiVHABi12UgoE3fzgK3BsKRJ4Is04yKZQnq_FxsK0Z8JaFEJPw5B1as_Fnn45kEIMDoPS5U8XAfDdWSTRqNMfoHectM/s1600/MarcoWater.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You need to protect
your dog. This means if you see a dog coming that looks like trouble then go
the other way. By trouble I mean: out of control, distance increasing barking
(those barks that make you want to back up), snapping, crazy chasing or
roughhousing, mounting and other undesirable behavior. This has nothing to do
with breed for the record but the individual dog. I also check out the owners…
are they paying attention, interacting with their dog, pausing to reward at
times, etc. If they aren’t then I am out of there or my dogs are in stays with
me. I’m responsible for their wellbeing because they can’t be. Just like if you
have your kids at the playground you need to pay attention and would stop
another child from hurting them. Dog parks are unruly places that really need a
bylaw officer presence but don’t seem to have it. So take some responsibility
and do right by your dog. Rough play with a stranger dog is never okay. Two dogs
that know each other well can have a slightly more aggressive style and still
be able to calm themselves down (within reason) but a strange dog will not have
that relationship with your dog. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pay attention to your
dog and keep him/her safe. It’s your job as your dog’s guardian.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-76815943162164959002013-04-17T09:24:00.004-06:002013-04-17T09:25:33.332-06:00History and purpose are essential to understanding your dog<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This entry has been a long time coming since I routinely have this
discussion with my clients. Sometimes when your dog is being bad (aka
displaying a behavior that you find intolerable) it’s because they’ve been
hardwired for it through selective breeding or natural evolution. When adding a
dog to your family you need to consider what dog was meant to do because it
will have a great impact on whether this is the right dog for you. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’m going to use two examples of very different dogs to illustrate why
background is important and what impact it will have on your life with your
dog. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first breed I want to talk about is the Australian Shepherd. I
picked them for a few reasons including that I own an Aussie with some less
than desirable characteristics and in recent months I’ve had a number of
clients have similar issues with their Aussies who are from different breeders.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’m going to be honest I love Aussies and always have. I think they are
gorgeous, smart and athletic. I’ve owned two of them and enjoyed them both.
Marco still lives with me and he’s been one of the best dogs I’ve ever had the
chance to share my life with. But there have been LOTS of challenges even
though Aussies are known as highly trainable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVH8ixUHVlpe2Fb57S7LtPTdZd30a593Q0VOaJ-omNY_Jvq76m_DcZDQhqC5wE8VrGbwgDBhCvkUFCFLfJ713Kq0ZhZY980fXJk9jSBhEOinPlUezA5vE6wNWCVh3eArMdDR4uR68obc/s1600/MarcoAriPhoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVH8ixUHVlpe2Fb57S7LtPTdZd30a593Q0VOaJ-omNY_Jvq76m_DcZDQhqC5wE8VrGbwgDBhCvkUFCFLfJ713Kq0ZhZY980fXJk9jSBhEOinPlUezA5vE6wNWCVh3eArMdDR4uR68obc/s1600/MarcoAriPhoto.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Common problems in Australian Shepherds are related to a very high
herding instinct as well as being weary or nervous of strangers, sounds and
other animals. This isn’t to say that all Aussies have these issues (even Marco
doesn’t have all of these issues) but they are common and this is why. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I went to the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) for a breed
description and </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">background. In my opinion is the most reliable source
of information on this breed which is why I’m referencing them and not one of
the kennel clubs. ASCA states that:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Australian Shepherd is intelligent, primarily a working dog of
strong herding and guardian instincts. He is an exceptional companion. He is
versatile and easily trained, performing his assigned tasks with great style
and enthusiasm. He is reserved with strangers but does not exhibit shyness.
Although an aggressive, authoritative worker, viciousness toward people or
animals is intolerable (</span><a href="http://www.asca.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ASCA Link</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">).</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">What does this mean when considering whether you should own this
dog? Well in plain terms it means that your dog is going to be fairly high
energy, he will like to round things up using his bark and mouth as well as
protect people, other pets and his home from intruders. This can translate to
disaster for some families. It also means that you can train this dog to do
lots of different jobs and in fact you should engage his brain as he is a worker
not a couch potato. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now there are exceptions to any rule and like I said before your
dog might not demonstrate all of these characteristics. But you need to know
that breeders are working very hard to maintain this standard and they should. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Australian Shepherds are highly challenging in an urban
environment. I think most do best when given lots of room to run and less
traffic (which in their mind triggers a need to guard). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some examples of why these things are hard to live with:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Marco and many other Aussies will bark or begin to guard when people, cars or animals walk by your home. If you live on a busy street this can drive you crazy as the bark is fairly loud and startles people. Solution in my home: close the blinds during high traffic periods. In the country you just wouldn’t have to deal with this or you would have limited traffic and you’d like to be alerted. Your dog is hardwired for this behavior. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marco likes to round up dogs he doesn’t know and sometimes grab them. He never hurts them or causes injury. If one of my other dogs is nervous than he is more likely to do this behavior as it changes from herding to guarding. Solution: strong obedience and limited interaction with strange dogs at park. Marco gets along great with dogs he’s introduced to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Marco’s play styles have always been rough and tumble. He plays great with other Aussies and many other dogs. However when playing chase he likes to tackle (most Aussies do). This isn’t acceptable with all other dogs as they might be small, in danger of being injured or intolerant of aggressive play. Solution: select Marco’s friends carefully and interrupt him when he goes into overdrive so to speak. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’m pointing these things out since Marco (just like
my other dogs) is awesome but not everyone is aware that all dogs have certain
behaviours that are undesirable. Understanding the why is important to choosing
a solution that will help solve the issues. Clearly I can’t let Marco run wild,
barking hysterically and tackling other dogs. But I do understand that this
happens because he was breed to be a working Aussie. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaQyYW5htBr8lGcKZPtFDWQFxNU0axI_zlTKf4MGSw1ftnwXtlQ4ZGxeGYhwrCHtzNHrvgn6IqP1F0NXfQ9eze79DoR7NiFCta2DsNy_hnPIlNth5LHC2UK9dzuBGgz1trpVyFn8ALNA/s1600/3Dogs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaQyYW5htBr8lGcKZPtFDWQFxNU0axI_zlTKf4MGSw1ftnwXtlQ4ZGxeGYhwrCHtzNHrvgn6IqP1F0NXfQ9eze79DoR7NiFCta2DsNy_hnPIlNth5LHC2UK9dzuBGgz1trpVyFn8ALNA/s1600/3Dogs.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My second example is Reserve Dogs or Semi-Feral Dogs.
Many rescues in Calgary are committed to helping these dogs and I support their
efforts. Many of these dogs come into rescue injured and sick. They need our
help. However they are not great pets for every family and come with some
challenges based on their background. While not a breed they are in fact
survivors and different from most family pets. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Adoption has become a very popular way to acquire a
dog in recent years. I support adoption and have had many dogs through that
channel. But when you’re choosing to bring home a dog from a reserve or another
country like Mexico where they run free you need to be aware of what type of
dog you are getting. This will alleviate disappointment and help you train your
dog. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dogs who have had to survive with limited human
assistance are great scavengers. This makes sense as in order to breed they
have to eat and no one is feeding them. This can be a serious challenge in a
family home. You need to keep your counters free and clear as well as
potentially lock cupboards that contain food including your garbage. These dogs
are tenacious as they are used to needing to search for food in order to live. This
behavior tends to continue even if you’re feeding your dog the most awesome
food and making sure he/she has a full belly. This behavior can also make walks
a challenge as your dog will search for garbage and food. Many owners find this
very frustrating and it is in fact something you will need to spend a great
deal of time training away. Even puppies who did not survive on their own will
have a strong instinct for this. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Another concern has been a lack of affiliation with
the people they live with. While many of these dogs really enjoy their new life
they can have bonding concerns. This is problematic as it makes recall or
walking your dog off leash difficult as well as training in general. Bonding
with a dog that lived most of his life as a stray takes great time, patience
and reinforcement. It’s a wonderful experience if you have the time to do so.
If you have small children this can be extraordinarily difficult. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sometimes bonding with the family comes easily to
these dogs but a strong fear of strangers is prevalent. This can result in
bites, excessive barking or simply being terrified and hiding. Once again it’s
something many dogs can overcome but you need to commit a great deal of time to
working on this concern. Many of my clients spend a year working on introducing
their dog to new people. Fearful dogs need lots of time, space and slow
training to gain confidence. This is a natural behavior that would have
protected your dog in his previous home. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Semi-Feral or Reserve dogs can have very different
relationships with other dogs. Some of these guys prefer dogs to humans and are
happiest when in a pack. This translates relatively well to most pet homes. On
the other side many of them have awful dog skills. This is a serious concern
that most often results in these dogs being given away repeatedly. Even if you
do not own another dog you will run into other dogs on walks (either off leash
or on leash or off leash when they should be on leash). If your dog has dog
aggression then you’ll be spending a great deal of time working on obedience,
will most likely need a muzzle and will quite possibly never be able to walk
your dog off leash. This behavior is a direct result of what worked best for
your dog or your dog’s parents when they were living on their own. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While these behavior problems are not confined to
semi-feral or reserve dogs they are highly prevalent. It’s important to ask
yourself if you can take on this challenge. It’s very unfair to a dog who’s had
hard beginning to be rehomed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So those are my two examples and I could do more. Each
breed of dog (and mixes of breeds) have certain characteristics that make them
challenging. There isn’t truly a breed of dog that is more difficult than
another despite what people say. All dogs require training, time and
understanding. It’s very important for owners to understanding what they are
getting into. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When considering your next dog please ask yourself the
following:</span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Where does my dog come from and how will that impact his behavior?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What was my dog breed or evolved to do and how will that impact his behavior? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What’s my dog’s personality and how will that impact his behavior? </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s my dog’s own history (if known) and how will that impact his behavior?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you see what I’m getting at? You need to consider
what type of dog you are bringing into your home. And remember just because your
first dog was a super awesome Aussie doesn’t mean your second Aussie will be
the same. Just like people all dogs have individual personalities but their
history can help you predict certain behaviors and train preventatively.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-11775085577544880052013-04-08T15:03:00.001-06:002013-04-08T15:03:39.664-06:00Changing Spaces
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving to a new home
is stressful for everyone. There’s so much to do and really sometimes our pets
don’t get the attention they need to transition smoothly. I recently moved our
crew to a new home so I’ve been thinking about this a lot. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All dogs will handle
moves differently. Some are laidback and after the first 10 minutes are settled
right in. Other dogs can take months to get use to all the changes. If possible take your dog to the new home or neighbourhood before the move to go for a walk and get use to the smells. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also consider whether
you are changing out rules for your dog. For example our new home has a dog run
so we’ve gone from allowing the pups to use the yard for their business to
asking them to walk across the yard to designated doggy area. This adds to
anxiety and stress but can be managed depending on your dog. If your dog has a hard time with change then don't try to do everything all at once. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to rule
changes and a complete environment change we also threw out some old furniture
and bought a new couch. This does affect the dogs as well so we tried to
minimize it by throwing out the old furniture a week before the actual move. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvDtGAN1jMUqDFPXKHyczuZRp59-_dLc_42k-MVPbcVd_vNk6yVmALYUDVPad7aO3N4XLreJEF4_BDvr0638EAWVhJnQq-uAM4fn7wpol6etimrvmOAQ3HVvdh0kf6EbB1ByWQ7OPv24/s1600/dogsrelax.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvDtGAN1jMUqDFPXKHyczuZRp59-_dLc_42k-MVPbcVd_vNk6yVmALYUDVPad7aO3N4XLreJEF4_BDvr0638EAWVhJnQq-uAM4fn7wpol6etimrvmOAQ3HVvdh0kf6EbB1ByWQ7OPv24/s1600/dogsrelax.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some things to keep in
mind:</span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Continue to exercise your dog and if possible increase your exercise regime</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Consider using a crate for your dog beforehand and after the move. This gives your dog a space that is his/hers and it doesn’t change. Their dog bed should not be washed right before or after a move. The smells are important to your best friend.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Use bones and stuffed kongs to give your dog an activity that helps relieve stress. </span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Monitor your dog for signs of stress that include: off his/her food, loose stool, panting, difficulty in relaxing or settling down</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Consider using DAP, a thunder shirt, rescue remedy, calming music or even good old lavender to help relieve some anxiety</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try to relax yourself. Dogs do pick up on the moods of their owners and may need to be reassured by you. Stay calm, relaxed and take a walk together.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-66834065584846205642013-03-13T13:05:00.000-06:002013-03-13T13:08:06.497-06:00How to Safely Crate/Kennel Train a Dog or Puppy<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’m working with an
Alberta Bulldog Rescue foster dog right now. His name is Manny and he has a few
behavior problems that need to be addressed. The first and foremost is safe
containment. Manny has a really hard time travelling in a vehicle and also has
an upcoming knee surgery where he’ll have to kenneled for long periods of time.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I have lots of other reasons for crate training dogs which can be </span><a href="http://wheresyoursittraining.blogspot.ca/2010/11/5-reasons-kennel-training-is-essential.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">found here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsqqOmyWZPpArRAe17t06Gl3v57h9GUftuiikitBIb9Ol0Rc3ixGSyovJ1xlrPlEWrxBH4RSNTKf691dk8MGLBGG_gs9IqBNLLOlfie5ce0EUSk0qrIClD8tf4ezE_PzBP4OVeNGPJZw/s1600/Manny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihsqqOmyWZPpArRAe17t06Gl3v57h9GUftuiikitBIb9Ol0Rc3ixGSyovJ1xlrPlEWrxBH4RSNTKf691dk8MGLBGG_gs9IqBNLLOlfie5ce0EUSk0qrIClD8tf4ezE_PzBP4OVeNGPJZw/s1600/Manny.jpg" height="320" width="316" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So the question is:
how do I get an adult dog with impulse control concerns, barrier aggression and
handling sensitivity to go into his crate and love it? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Here are our steps:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A very large wire crate is put into Manny’s
living area so he can go in and out as he pleases. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I throw a treat into the kennel and Manny
follows it cautiously. I actually had to back up anyway from the kennel before
he would go in for the treat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We repeat the throwing cookie a number of
times. Manny is getting braver and is staying in there a bit longer. Anytime he
stays in the kennel I toss in additional treats. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Manny’s foster mom had success practicing with
him over the last week. He goes in for up to 5 minutes at a time on his own. At
this point we’re still leaving his kennel door open. Manny can also be found
sitting in there on his own without treats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Now we’re going to add a cue word. I say “Go to
Bed” and wait for the dog to move into his crate on his own. He gets the treat
once he’s inside. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Once Manny figures out what Go to Bed means
then we can start asking him to do that first and receive a cookie once he’s
already in there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7. </span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It’s time to add the closing of the kennel
door. For most dogs you’d close the door, deliver a few treats and then open it
again. The length of time should be gradually increased. We also want to teach
Manny there’s a command for when he’s allowed to come out so we would open the
door, use our legs to block the entry (while still rewarding) and then give a
cue work like “All Done” and move out of the way. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmojO77IPAvPI51_u5sE-5hmkf02UAOoqguROKGlsok7t2MaVCDxF8bcrfQpNFAGxvFBvP_EshZHPqqmPbFKwdBBVCf7V7fvbM4WRybCMZLok8imzShU04-8v85h52loqYh1K5L9NAhg/s1600/MannyCrate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmojO77IPAvPI51_u5sE-5hmkf02UAOoqguROKGlsok7t2MaVCDxF8bcrfQpNFAGxvFBvP_EshZHPqqmPbFKwdBBVCf7V7fvbM4WRybCMZLok8imzShU04-8v85h52loqYh1K5L9NAhg/s1600/MannyCrate.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually we’ll be
able to have him stay in there for longer time periods and wait patiently to be
released to come out. Crate training can take a long time depending on the dog.
It’s important to give yourself at least a few weeks and in the case of dogs
who suffer from separation anxiety a lot longer (up to a year). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I highly recommend
using an interactive feeding toy like a stuffed kong to help get your dog
comfortable in the crate. Feeding all meals with a stuffed kong (or similar
toy) will give your dog daily practice. Very large bones or antlers can also be
used but as always use common sense and if needed supervise your dog so he/she
doesn’t choke. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember if your dog
has severe anxiety or any signs of aggression you should work on these training
solutions with a Behaviourist (someone who has a Master’s degree or PhD in
animal behavior) or Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT designation).</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-44049697904963294962013-01-22T15:14:00.000-07:002013-01-22T15:14:22.771-07:00How to Spot Signs of Injury Early…
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Recently
Marco and I were at an agility trial (his 3<sup>rd</sup> trial ever) and he did
really great except for one pretty important thing. Every time he went to do
his weave poles he couldn’t get the entrance, popped out in the middle and then
again at the end. It seemed like he had no balance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was quick to think it’s a training issue
since he’s a young dog and honestly I didn’t do enough of the foundation 2x2
work that really proofs the entrance. But the strange part was he never does
this in practice… maybe he misses an entrance once in a while or pops out at
the end but to miss the beginning, middle and end each time was just strange. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of people were happy to tell me that just
because he does it in training doesn’t mean he will do it a show but I just
felt uneasy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The next
day I took my bouncy, happy Aussie to the park to play with Ari. Marco went for
a quick sprint and then started limping and crying. Marco is by far the biggest
cry baby I’ve ever met but this was strange even for him. So once again I was
thinking that something wasn’t quite right. To add to that feeling my older
Aussie Tank had torn a cruciate ligament a few years ago and I still feel
guilty that it went undiagnosed for several months before we went for surgery. So
in an effort to be proactive and knowing we have a rally trial in a few weeks
that requires him to weave 6 poles I booked him in with my favourite dog
Osteopath Dr. Taylor at the Sundance Animal Clinic. </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Turns out
that Marco’s neuter in June left some scar tissue which is normal but it pulled
on his hip which then affected his knee. So luckily for Marco he was able to
get treated and should be healed up after a week of rest now that everything
has been set back into position. However this can easily affect ANY dog that
has been neutered or spayed and most owners don’t do performance dog sports and
are therefore less likely to notice when their dog is slightly uncomfortable.
So this can go on for years and years resulting in much more serious
repercussions. Dogs can’t talk and tell us when things hurt. And unlike Marco
most dogs won’t tell you when they’re in pain. Marco is very rare in his
ability to whine (he thought he couldn’t walk for 2 days after his neuter and
spent an entire week crying and acting strange). So lucky for me Marco lets me
know. But how will you know when your dog is injured? </span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here’s a
few rules to go by:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Your dog isn’t running around as much or seems to tire out quickly at
the park/off leash (Marco use to run fast and for long periods of time but for
the past few months I had noticed a decline in his exuberance and endurance)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Your dog isn’t carrying his/her weight evenly when walking </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Your dog has suddenly developed signs of dog aggression or general
anxiety</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Loss of appetite/lethargic</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Can’t do simply tricks that require balance like sit pretty, spin/twist,
etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Your gut tells you that something is off <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Don’t
ignore the small signs or think that just because your dog isn’t listening
there’s a training problem. A LOT of behavior problems stem from health
concerns. When my older Aussie Tank tore his cruciate he wouldn’t readily sit
on command. I’m happy that I didn’t just assume he was being stubborn or difficult.
</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And Dr.
Taylor wanted to add that any dog that has just had a spay or neuter surgery
done should have a checkup. Many dogs suffer from problems due to scar tissue. Preventative
check ups cost you less (because you won’t need as many) and your dog will be
much happier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-74681107291120855522013-01-08T13:00:00.001-07:002013-01-09T07:38:42.834-07:00Dog Attacks & What You Can Do<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">The
media seems to be covering an awful lot of dog to dog violence in Calgary
lately. Unfortunately dogs are animals and sometimes altercations occur and can
leave the other dog (or both) seriously injured. Rather than harping about bad
owners or potentially dangerous breeds I want to take another approach. There
will always be irresponsible owners, accidents and dogs who are aggressive so
let’s explore how to protect yourself, your kids and of course your furry
family members. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Random, unprovoked dog
attacks are rare which is why they make the front page of the paper. Dogs
(particularly in dog parks, daycares, etc) have minor conflicts all the time
which don’t cause harm. For example I took 10 month old Ari to Southland Off
Leash Park on Sunday where not one but two dogs actually bit him (no injury or
reaction from Ari but meant as a keep away snip). Both times the owners were
oblivious and I had to intervene. Ari is an intact male which causes him to be
a victim more often than not and of no fault of his own. I know this and keep
my eyes on him AT ALL TIMES. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcot6Vx5P_DtbBBYcGn9N9irmHselC82HM3wiaqSSfpbJSsgjW1gblVGJNJTEenlqI9Vi_a2jFN8MIJzzBHr8ICUMdpWcIUQ2GsY0lzGxryl3KajQvQP_m0QxAs7Lngdzk-5gqAocoBWA/s1600/AriStick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcot6Vx5P_DtbBBYcGn9N9irmHselC82HM3wiaqSSfpbJSsgjW1gblVGJNJTEenlqI9Vi_a2jFN8MIJzzBHr8ICUMdpWcIUQ2GsY0lzGxryl3KajQvQP_m0QxAs7Lngdzk-5gqAocoBWA/s320/AriStick.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">So what does this tell
you? The first is that you need to watch your dog closely and learn what’s
appropriate and what’s not. This can be very difficult for a novice dog owner.
The best way to learn? </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Attend a dog
seminar on behavior<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Purchase a
dvd (<a href="http://www.bluedogtraining.com/videos-dvds.html" target="_blank">Sarah Kalnajs has a great one called “The Language of Dogs”)<o:p></o:p></a></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Contact
the Calgary Humane Society about their body language course<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Go to dog
parks and watch dogs closely<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Good dog trainers
spend a lot of time learning to read dogs but if you use parks then you should
be making at least a few hours of time to become familiar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">How do you intervene
anyway? I use my voice a lot. Yelling out a “hey stop it” in a firm tone does
wonders for most dogs or at the very least wakes the other owner up and they
usually grab their dog and flee. I’m not trying to be mean just startle the
dogs and change their focus. Clapping hands or stomping feet can work as well.
Never reach in and try to pull dogs apart (chances are you’ll increase
aggression and get bit yourself). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">I always carry an air horn
with me on every walk (on leash or off). Air horns are loud and will break up
many dog fights. They also work on wildlife like coyotes and bears. They are
scary but when you’re faced with an actual fight they can keep you safe and end
the altercation. I don’t use an air horn unless there’s an actual fight. Air horns
can be purchased at stores like Canadian Tire and come in various sizes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Other things to have
with you? I also carry a spare leash. It’s a slip leash so I can throw it over
a dog’s head without touching them. I don’t want to ever grab a dog with my
hands. They work for strays as well. A spare leash doesn’t take up much room in
your bag or pocket and it’s good to have one. I’ve used mine more times than I
can count. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">If you notice an
inappropriate dog at the park don’t fight with the owner. Just gather your dog
up and leave. I’ve witnessed human to human disagreements turn into violent
encounters just as often as dog fights. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Inappropriate means a
dog that gives you a bad feeling, causes your dog to be uncomfortable or
harassed, jumps all over you or your kids, etc. If the dog is out of control no
matter the breed then it’s best to leave. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">When on walks pay
attention to your dog and keep your kids close. Don’t take on more than you can
handle. I know that I cannot handle all 4 of my current dogs by myself at a dog
park. I don’t have that many eyes. I can however comfortably walk 3 of them by
myself. So it’s important to make decisions on what you can manage. This
involves evaluating your dog’s obedience level, age, breed, play style and if
you’re taking your kids along as well. If you have too much on your plate than
ask a friend/spouse to come along or choose to walk the dogs separately. I know
that sounds like a lot of work but it’s better to be safe. This can also
influence whether you take a dog off leash or not. If I need to walk all 4 dogs
at once then I can choose to keep them on leash (or some of them on leash),
visit a non-busy park or take them out in shifts. I know that with 2 senior
dogs (one is fearful) and a young puppy that having everyone all together by myself
would be a disaster. More often than not I take the big boys out together and
choose another activity for the small ones. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxyhq8jwTkdrukT48OAY9CI9M-9vHVVVvjvquHdfa8F3LzJS24rkQcMPokPQbBldPBStCdDMkj_lJ1THLyAJe9_RHZPLm8vmie94yBaTCy1dKkIP7AnK47tB-z6uT-6lu_Arw5eaSAYs/s1600/IMG_0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxyhq8jwTkdrukT48OAY9CI9M-9vHVVVvjvquHdfa8F3LzJS24rkQcMPokPQbBldPBStCdDMkj_lJ1THLyAJe9_RHZPLm8vmie94yBaTCy1dKkIP7AnK47tB-z6uT-6lu_Arw5eaSAYs/s320/IMG_0504.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Other things to keep
in mind:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Avoid busy,
peak times at the park<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Try to
walk in lit areas once the sun goes down so you can see your surrondings (River
Park off leash area has lights throughout)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Avoid
areas/yards where dogs are kept as they could potentially get out<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Avoid
dogs/people that seem out of control, inappropriate or threatening (don’t make
this assumption based on breed as all dogs can attack and bite)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Carrying
safety equipment including an air horn, spare leash and cellphone<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Familiarize
yourself with Calgary bylaws and follow them<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Take your
dog to obedience classes so you can at least control your own pet (having a
solid recall and stay are paramount for ANY dog)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Keep your
female dog that’s in heat at home or in on leash areas not frequented by off
leash dogs<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">-</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Keep your
kids close by, don’t have them swinging dog toys or sticks around and <a href="http://drsophiayin.com/resources/video_full/dog-bite-prevention-how-kids-should-greet-dogs" target="_blank">teach themhow to safely greet dogs</a> (not all dogs like kids NO MATTER what breed)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;">Now with all that said
and down you can’t prevent all situations from happening. Many emergency
situations can happen when on a walk so be alert, learn first aid, have
emergency numbers on hand and try to be prepared. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-20291886620617808012012-11-21T10:31:00.000-07:002012-11-21T10:51:04.822-07:00Dog Park Responsibilities<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Calgary has many dog
parks; some are great while others leave a lot to be desired. For city living
they offer our canine friends a chance to run, smell, play and explore without
a restricting leash. However dog parks can be very dangerous and lead to behavior
problems in dogs. Here are a few things you need to know if you are a user. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJf9_cJrXmuwn9x38ewgZhz-npaHFlfAA3YZ3ZXUg3PGeIrxpVfbW2OiHXhJ06oZ2ts39k0HqyRw79bODMSrx8VuXomaXUP8Ggl9rsikt4F8ky2PZott4N3WZxb-lRqGXTfp86kJCAm8/s1600/DogWalk1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJf9_cJrXmuwn9x38ewgZhz-npaHFlfAA3YZ3ZXUg3PGeIrxpVfbW2OiHXhJ06oZ2ts39k0HqyRw79bODMSrx8VuXomaXUP8Ggl9rsikt4F8ky2PZott4N3WZxb-lRqGXTfp86kJCAm8/s320/DogWalk1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The City of Calgary
has bylaws that include having your pet licensed, picking up after your dog and
keeping your under control. However officers are rarely around and under
control seems to mean different things to different people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can’t control
other people or dogs but you can do a lot to protect yourself and your dog
while using a park. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If your dog has a history of aggression then
stop using off leash parks. Contact a reliable and educated dog trainer and
work on the issue instead of hoping “socialization” will solve the problem; it
won’t.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Make sure your dog has strong obedience skills
this includes a recall away from dogs, other animals, garbage, toys and people.
This isn’t a “your dog comes sometimes” but your dog comes every time skill. If
your dog can’t do this then please go to a training class and stop letting Fido
run free. Recall is fairly easy to train so just get to work and you’ll be
enjoying the park in a much safer manner. If you call your dog and he/she doesn’t
come then immediately go get him/her. Standing there and hoping your dog will
change its mind will not solve the problem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Carry a device to break up a dog fight or
attack. This includes an air horn (they come in a variety of sizes and you can
pick one up at Canadian Tire) or spray shield. I carry these even for on leash
walks and they work on coyotes as well. Only use if there’s an actual dog
fight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Do not bring a dog to the park if he/she isn’t
feeling well, has an injury or is in season. This isn’t fair to your dog and
he/she would prefer a shorter walk or an on leash smelling adventure instead. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Don’t let your dog maul other dogs. Just
because your dog is a puppy and wants to wrestle or mount other dogs doesn’t
mean another dog is going to appreciate that. Dogs often have a lower tolerance
for this as they age and some dogs aren’t comfortable playing until they
know/trust the other dog. Respect this and recall your dog. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Remember to take breaks during rough and wild
play sessions. Sometimes two dogs meet and they are having a great time racing
around and wrestling. Wonderful. It’s still a good idea to occasionally recall
your dog back to you for a few seconds break, reward them for coming and then
letting them play again. This keeps your recall strong and also allows the
other dog to decide if he/she still wants to play. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you are bringing children with you to the
dog park it’s important to remember that not all dogs are safe and bite
prevention measures need to be in place. Teach your kids how to greet dogs
safely and always ask before petting. Do not allow your child to run around
wildly screaming or caring toys (especially dog toys). Just because you trained
your dog doesn’t mean someone else has. Keep your kids safe since they don’t
know better and it’s easy for an overexcited adolescent dog to knock them over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep your dog close to you. If Fido is across
the park you can’t do anything if something goes wrong. A good recall is great
but remember you have to be nearby if your best friend gets into trouble.</span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF1U2UQfBa9rirnmogfxWZzPyNyZ6FAenDQrY0jte5N0y3ipUAsmXJJ-ES19pyN7VlmU5R2ZBKr-qf6OSGNa2xX7Nr9P8VJFRxLyW7s42lt3WPm80cGU00FrzJl5O2IIjSq-TmMXioKk/s1600/DogWalk2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF1U2UQfBa9rirnmogfxWZzPyNyZ6FAenDQrY0jte5N0y3ipUAsmXJJ-ES19pyN7VlmU5R2ZBKr-qf6OSGNa2xX7Nr9P8VJFRxLyW7s42lt3WPm80cGU00FrzJl5O2IIjSq-TmMXioKk/s320/DogWalk2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Franklin Gothic Book;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-36601875012312076032012-11-14T10:28:00.003-07:002012-11-14T10:28:43.574-07:00Leash Aggression? But he’s fine off leash! <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve had a fair share
of owners who are confused by their dogs on leash behavior. They often begin by
telling me how much their dog likes other dogs and does great at the park
playing with many strange dogs of all breeds, ages and personalities. Then they
mention that their perfect pup turns into a murderous demon when the leash is
on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alright so what’s
actually going on here? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s start off with
what leashes do. They restrict our dogs from normal, social body language and
put up a barrier to interaction. This is often for their own safety and
compliance with leash laws but there are side effects. Just adding a barrier
for some dogs creates a frustration response (barking, lunging, lying down)
which can escalate into aggression over time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some dogs they are
fine on leash with other dogs until their owner tries to pull them away. The
feeling of their collar tightening is enough to trigger an “attack”. A dog’s
response to this can be anywhere from barking, growling, stiffening to an
actual bite with injury. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now what? While
this problem can be prevented through focus, heeling and a good leave it cue
you’re probably not reading this because you have the perfect puppy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A good rule for most dogs is to restrict dog
greetings to off leash only where your dog can have freedom of communication
and movement. I expect my dogs to be working for me when they are on leash and
when they are off leash I’ll tell them “Go Play” which signals they can do as
they wish. This also makes handling them at busy dog shows and expos easier as
they don’t think it’s play time whenever they see a dog. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Walk on your dog on a harness like the Easywalk
harness by Premier or Sensation harness. Even a good step in harness will
improve things from a collar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Keep on leash greetings to less than 5 seconds
and teach your dog to keep walking when you call his/her name which will allow
you to get your dog to come when called without a tight leash.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Keep your leash loose during any and all dog
interactions. Tightness in the leash will increase the chances of a problem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Participate in a group dog training class where
dog social skills are worked on or an activity like rally obedience where your
dog will learn to focus on you and not pull on leash around other dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-15733021852139416652012-10-02T08:35:00.000-06:002012-10-02T08:37:27.154-06:00The Secret to Dog/Human Harmoney<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s always a debate amongst dog trainers about what is the most important thing to teach a dog. In reality there’s no blank, easy answer here as many obedience skills and manners are crucial to a dog’s ability to thrive in a home environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We ask a lot of our pet dogs. We want them to ignore almost everything they love to do: chew on things, urinate on things, bite things playfully or otherwise, bark, run around frantically, jump up on any living creature that is slightly taller than them, etc. And then ask them to do boring behaviours such as walk slowly on leash, sleep all the time and not touch anything that hasn’t been labeled as a dog toy (and then occasionally relinquish those to us too). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So after working with many families with a huge variety of canines I’ve come to the conclusion that even though recall is my favourite obedience command dogs need to learn impulse control more than anything else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Impulse control means quietly simply that instead of reacting to what they want as soon as they can see they learn to wait. Oh this isn’t easy for people either! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some skills that can help teach dogs impulse control: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. “Leave It” cue asks the dog to not grab something and be rewarded for that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. “Stay” cue and this applies specifically to stays with distractions around such as dogs, toys, food, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. “Look” or the dog’s name to redirect their attention back on you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. “Sit” for doors, opening kennel, greeting, etc. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOYdzIPBYjhIJy52W8FrelrTRV3en9Nwf5e2S-k7C1Io4uk4oImcTiIjq0mPPyAwt3yVH27GEzYHLVBnBDk3xUJxfdF6Op3fuoDjwHfITlQ6gBzBGtDwpNjQS_8H-g8WrOjZ_QYeZUkg/s1600/Marco+Stay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKOYdzIPBYjhIJy52W8FrelrTRV3en9Nwf5e2S-k7C1Io4uk4oImcTiIjq0mPPyAwt3yVH27GEzYHLVBnBDk3xUJxfdF6Op3fuoDjwHfITlQ6gBzBGtDwpNjQS_8H-g8WrOjZ_QYeZUkg/s320/Marco+Stay.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Marco showing off his stay)</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dogs that have developed good impulse control will be less likely to steal your stuff, jump on you, start conflicts with other dogs, house soil, bark uncontrollably at other dogs, etc. It allows your dog to live in harmony with you and all our silly human rules. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This isn’t an easy thing to teach so I suggest working with a trainer or behaviourist if you are experiencing any behaviour problem. Remember to select someone with experience and uses positive reinforcement methods to teach impulse control NOT a shock collar, choke chain, etc. We want dogs who understand that waiting means good things are coming not a dog that is too scared to move. </span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-85073426151233069692012-09-24T10:04:00.001-06:002012-09-24T10:04:52.605-06:00Is your Dog Stressed out?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even the most well socialized and polite dogs can get stressed out; can you tell when your pooch has had enough? Here are some tips for identifying stress in your dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dogs can become unreasonably stressed out anywhere. You could be at a local festival with people and dogs everywhere or at home where the distant sound of fireworks can send even the most confident canine over the edge. It’s important to be able to identify stress in your dog and help him/her manage it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here are a few signs that many dogs will demonstrate: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1. Your dog won’t eat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This happens all the time. Fido is happily accepting treats from you or strangers and suddenly he’s full. Well your best friend might actually be too uncomfortable to eat. If your dog was previously eating and stops suddenly it’s best to assume he’s upset and take him out of the situation for a well-deserved break. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2. Your dog is no longer able to perform easy obedience cues such as Sit or Shake A Paw. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">If your dog knows a cue like Sit then he/she should be able to do it. Dogs will often stop listening to cues when stressed out or over excited. We all know what over excitement looks like so if your pup is just standing stock still and unable to offer a sit then he’s probably had enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3. Your dog is offering appeasement signals such as yawning, looking away, lip licking and blinking. He could even be lying down or showing his tummy (not for a belly rub as often mistaken). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Make sure you are familiar with your dog’s language. If you don’t know how to spot calming signals then please take a look at Sarah Kalnajs’ “<a href="http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB875p" target="_blank">The Language of Dogs</a>” DVD or Turid Rugaas “<a href="http://www.canis.no/rugaas/" target="_blank">Calming Signals</a>” DVD. It’s very important to be able to identify these things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4. Your dog has frozen still and won’t move. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This one can be difficult as you need to evacuate your dog out of the situation without making him more fearful. I will often use my happy voice and find the path out with the least amount of traffic. You can try using a hand target to get your dog up again but if they’ve frozen it may not work. Depending on the dog you could try gently touching him/her or picking him/her up. Please note that a fearful dog can be dangerous and to keep your own safety in mind. If you watch body language closely you shouldn’t find yourself at this stage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Remember that it doesn’t matter where you are. If your dog is in distress then please take him/her out of the situation ASAP this includes dog training classes and dog parks. Bites can be prevented with a little bit of knowledge. </span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-28309448503879554492012-09-17T09:34:00.000-06:002012-09-17T09:34:01.095-06:00Trying Out Tracking<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Early on in my career with dogs it became apparent that these awesome little furry creatures are much more scent oriented than I had ever anticipated. I didn't pay enough attention when I was merely a dog owner/guardian but as a trainer it was a clue that we could be using scent work for much more than we do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I started integrating scent work into private sessions with fearful or aggressive dogs as well as in my Confidence Booster Program. Scent helps dogs calm down, explore and habitualize to new things in their environment and can also be an activity that reduces stress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">More and more training schools are now offering Nosework classes or Find It classes. There are some tracking or search and rescue groups around that owners can join. Unfortunately Nosework and Find it can only take you so far and the tracking/search and rescue groups both require an enormous time commitement on the part of the owner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Where's Your Sit will be offering a Find It class that incorporates basic nosework skills and then beginner tracking outside (including laying out a trail and teaching your dog to follow it). We're going to organize this class in a handler friendly way. One dog will participate at a time (so reactive or dog aggressive dogs can participate too) and we'll teach you how to lay your track at home for practice in your neighbourhood. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What's the goal? To teach your dog self confidence, some useful tracking skills including finding a toy in the park, and introduce both you and your dog to the world of scent work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My friend and fellow trainer Stephanie worked very hard with her young Golden Retriever in Search and Rescue for several years. She and I have started working with her dog Willow as well as my aussie Marco and GSP Ari. All three dogs are at very different levels and have different work ethics/temperaments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Willow obviously had the most experience and was able to hook into using her nose to follow a trail quite quickly (this is different from air scenting which is what she had previously practiced). We were actually able to remove all food lures on the 4th trail (double laid, 10 yards). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ari the little 4 month old pointer has always been a go getter and has an amazing nose. He picked up on the activity pretty quickly although needed short tracks due to a short attention span. He was very excited to be practicing this new skill. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Marco was the most challenging. He competes in rally obedience and agility. He's also taken his herding instinct test and Canine Good Neighbour test. He is use to A LOT of help from me and tends to wait for me to encourage him on what to do. Tracking was hard for him as he wasn't sure what to do. The great thing was he figured it out! Marco has always been very worried about being wrong (this shows up in agility for us all the time) so trying out tracking is good for his self confidence and independence. I'm very excited to see how all the different dogs who come to class learn how to handle the challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And the best part? Both my boys were mentally exhausted after and took a long nap. </span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-72071266484498842672012-09-11T09:39:00.000-06:002012-09-11T09:42:09.450-06:00Why Obedience Training is Integral to Living with Any Dog<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My clients literally come into all shapes and sizes. I’ve worked with dogs as small as 4lbs and as large 160lbs. They have varying backgrounds; some are feral dogs from reserves while others were luckier born to breeders who loved them and nurtured them. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwFal8jE6xFWCR-XULqJSj5Ha0aaZYCF5MEqTpiV68aC0UoLeDB1tx_rt8MlYC-owJjeFbTieA5IMt16iMpvzJYYdC4eTFAMkuO8hVaqkf6nhKs0vXu4YgwpYXl_SgUSQ7to4b0Ei860/s1600/Bailey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwFal8jE6xFWCR-XULqJSj5Ha0aaZYCF5MEqTpiV68aC0UoLeDB1tx_rt8MlYC-owJjeFbTieA5IMt16iMpvzJYYdC4eTFAMkuO8hVaqkf6nhKs0vXu4YgwpYXl_SgUSQ7to4b0Ei860/s320/Bailey.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The size or breed or even to some degree background doesn’t matter as much as one crucial component that the owner of the dog can control. When I’m addressing a behaviour concern such as aggression, resource guarding or impulse control concerns (such as jumping up or stealing food) it is quicker and easier to “fix” the issues with dogs who have attended some sort of obedience class as a puppy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Why is this?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Simply put because the dog was socialized to work around distractions (to varying degrees of proficiency) and the owner has a relationship with their dog that includes listening to commands (even if it’s just sit). Dogs who have had no formal training and happen to have an owner who hasn’t taught them much take a lot longer to work with. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So have a new puppy? Time to get to class. Not only are you less likely to have serious behaviour problems down the road but if they do happen it will be easier to address saving you money, stress and time in the long run.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">It’s also important to remember that not all obedience classes are created equal. Puppies need to trained using positive reinforcement techniques not coercive or punishment based (no choke chains, no prong collars, no shock collars, no leash corrections using a karate chop or any other sort of hard yank, no hanging in the air, etc). Some of these classes are labeled as positive or balanced training. Puppies specifically should not be trained using harsh corrective methods and even in the “good old days” these methods were not used on dogs under 6 months. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So how do you find a good class? Well there’s a few signs of a great puppy class. You’ll want a trainer who has experience (ask where and if you do not understand the answer look it up as some dog training schools aren’t so good), has certification (CPDT-KA is a good start – that being said there are good trainers out there who do not have certification), use food when training, encourage people to come watch their classes before signing up, and can provide references. Be choosey and don’t settle on someone you don’t like. A good trainer/client relationship can help you keep small problems small throughout your dog’s life.</span></div>
Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663785653524799331.post-84356367569312137552012-09-05T08:11:00.001-06:002012-09-05T08:11:08.958-06:00Don't Dogs Like Walks???<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lately I've had lots of new puppy clients signing up for private lessons and group classes. It's just that time of year. So hand in hand with nervous new fur parents are the countless questions; which I do love to answer! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The one I've been hearing the most is why does my puppy lie down on walks? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It's actually rare when I don't hear this one so please know that this is a common puppy behaviour and there's nothing to panic about. And there could be a few reasons why.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">#1 - Your puppy could be frightened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">#2 - Your puppy might not like his/her collar, leash, harness, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">#3 - Your puppy might be tired (walks can really cause them to crash quickly depending on the age and muscle a dog has)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">#4 - Your puppy might not want to go in the direction you are going or at the speed you are walking</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">#5 - Your puppy might have a growth sprut and is more tired than usual or sore</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">#6 - And rarely but not to be ruled out: your puppy could have an injury but this is easy to rule out if he/she is walking/running around normally at home or off leash</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">There could be a few more reasons but those are the most likely culprits in my experience. So now that begs the question: What should you do? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">First off I would like to recommend that your puppy be on a harness and not a collar (especially any device that tightens). All of my puppies without exception wear an Easywalk harness or Sensation harness. Sophia Yin has a great article on dog training equipment and her recommendations that can be <a href="http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/which-types-of-collars-and-harnesses-are-safe-for-your-dog" target="_blank">found here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Secondly it's important to take shorter walks and maybe more frequent than longer ones. The length depends on the dog, breed, outside temperature, etc. Large breed puppies like Newfoundlands will get tired very quickly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And finally try to stay exciting when your puppy lies down. Teach him/her how to hand target or chase a toy. Get the movement going again but don't get into a tug of war with the leash as it will just increase the dog's urge to pull in the opposite direction. If your puppy is truly tired then take him/her home. If he/she is scared then spend some time in that spot, maybe share a few cookies and let your puppy assess where he/she is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Contacting a good positive reinforcement trainer can help as well. They can provide guidance on what your individual puppy needs and can help you teach him/her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Whatever you do don't give up on going for walks. They are a very important part of socialization and your pup does need to learn to walk on leash. Try to make your walk a relationship building experience between you and your new puppy. Don't Army march down the street but stop smell the flowers, play games and talk to your new furkid!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxRUSk91BBD5ahhH7wa-Kydk9A5cME-z_-eZeguzAK6ZwhVXSxmMxsYYDHqzogsDzQAr_Ui0dHYha1yuLLBjNWzyohcpsbgTqADi0sEvLw48NGbe_cm6akqEha71WRnvTs0gB7BxQ-bQ/s1600/Marco+And+Ari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxRUSk91BBD5ahhH7wa-Kydk9A5cME-z_-eZeguzAK6ZwhVXSxmMxsYYDHqzogsDzQAr_Ui0dHYha1yuLLBjNWzyohcpsbgTqADi0sEvLw48NGbe_cm6akqEha71WRnvTs0gB7BxQ-bQ/s320/Marco+And+Ari.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As a personal aside when Marco was a baby he became like a dying fish whenever I attached his collar, harness or leash. It took him 2 months to accept that these pieces of equipment were necessary! So we took really short walks for training/socialization purposes, practiced in the basement to eliminate distractions and did most of our exercising off leash in a designated park. I am happy to report that after 4 months of age he walked like a champ on leash. </span>Jade Robertson, BA CPDT-KAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00508389666683117027noreply@blogger.com0