November is here and with it comes the beautiful colors of Fall, the cool temperatures of Autumn and the threat of winter. When I was younger I use to dread this time of year because I love the warm weather and being outside and always thought of November as a depressing month. As I get older though and my children grow up I have found things to like about this time of year. Though I love the summer, I have to say the Fall is welcomed relief from all the humidity and heat of the summer months. At our house we consider Fall “dog weather”. Our Goldens love the change in season and love to run in the woods and swim any chance they get. They will swim until the ponds and lakes are frozen so cold temperatures don’t bother them in the least. They love to run in the woods but where we like to walk it is hunting season this month which makes our walks a little more risky. A blaze orange bandana, a cow bell on the collar and bright orange hats for the humans is a necessity so as not to be mistaken for a deer J ! We try not to walk anywhere where there would be hunters but sometimes trails and wooded areas overlap or are not clearly marked and you never know. In November we tend to do the longer hikes on Sundays where there is not suppose to be any hunting. Some of my favorite memories of dogs past were made walking a quiet trail on a crisp Fall day, leaves crunching underfoot and my goldens running full tilt , ears flying, tongues lolling, a look of complete joy on their faces. Eye candy for those cold winter days when I can’t bear to be outside for more than a 1/2 hr before I want to come in and warm up !
During the summer, the nice weather makes being outside high on my priority list, the Fall and winter starts to invite more down time indoors and with that extra time the chance to work on some training projects and catch up on my reading. I usually have a very long list of books I want to read, some fiction, some non-fiction. Training books tend to pile up on my bookshelf while I get through all the other things I have to do and I look forward to finally getting to read them. Journals and magazines also start falling into that category and they are so full of good information I can’t wait to get through them. I am always amazed that despite having 20 yrs experience training dogs there is always something new and fresh in my reading that I can share with my clients and the dogs I train. This year I am hoping to get back to teaching more tricks and getting more of the started behaviors on cue. I’m sure that this happens to you too, but I am guilty of having started to teach a lot of fun behaviors but never actually put them on a reliable cue. Every once in a while I get serious about finishing what I’ve started and go back and get those started behaviors on cue.
Recently I was asked to provide Golden Retriever puppies for a photo shoot for Oreck vacuums. The producer wanted cute fluffy golden pups for both the still shots of the model with the vacuum and a short commercial where the pups had to sit on a white chair while the model vacuumed and them jump off the chair and leave the set. Luckily I had bred a litter and had access to the pups so it was a cinch to provide them with what they needed. The producer, photographer and camera people had really good animal sense and had very reasonable expectations. The pups were only 10 wks old so they were not expected to hold a stay or pose but because they had so much socialization and handling, thanks to my wonderful staff and puppy families and friends, they not only went along with everything we wanted they lasted a really long time. The staff could not believe how long these little puppies worked for before they needed a break. We accomplished everything in 2hrs and they were thrilled with the results. This just goes to show you that the real work of raising a well adjusted dog goes into the time you put socializing the dog and teaching him basic rules of living with people, including the quirky stuff. It’s not so much the trained on cue behaviors that are so important, it’s the handling of the feet, ears, holding, picking up, brushing, grooming, handling feet, trips to new places, noises, dogs, cats, kids, and all different types of people. If you live in the city go and explore the country, if you live in the country go and explore the city. Don’t just go once and think you’re done, go on a regular basis until nothing fazes your pup. Scared pups need slower more careful socialization, bold pups need to learn moderation in all these new environments, both personalities need frequent field trips to these places so that they acclimate and process the experience and learn from it. Whenever I have an experience like this I remember how important the basics are and even though it’s fun to teach fancier behaviors that are polished and on cue they will never be more important than building a strong foundation for learning and surviving in our crazy world. A pup who is given a lot of social experiences is ready for life and can learn anything you care to take the time to teach him as an adult dog. This is comforting as the list of “things I want to finish teaching the dogs” grows longer each year.
The schedule for the New Year is finally finished and should be posted on the website soon. We have added a lot of fun classes for our clients who want to come out and have fun with their dogs. We are offering a Tricks class, Fun and Games, and Agility in addition to our Beginners 2 and Intermediate Obedience classes. We hope you can come join in the fun !! We are also offering some seminars including two new offerings that we think you might enjoy. In addition to our very well attended and popular Dog Speak Seminar we are offering a Dog Chiropractic Seminar which will be presented by Dr Sheryl Russell a human and animal chiropractor and a Raw Feeding Talk offered by a fellow breeder/groomer Shannon Gervais. Shannon owns 3 of my Goldens and has been feeding raw and raising her dogs naturally for many years. Paul and I have been raising our dogs on raw food and using alternative medicine for years now and we want to share some of what we have learned through these offerings. There is always something new to learn and improve in raising dogs and we are working hard to bring them to our clients who want to learn more. We hope that you will join us.
Enjoy the nice Fall weather and get outside and enjoy your dogs !!!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Living in the Moment
I walked on the beach recently with my two young dogs and couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we were mostly alone. These days it’s hard to go anywhere and be by yourself. It was so peaceful just walking on the shore, watching the dogs run and play and listening to the sound of the ocean crash at my feet. The fact that it was raining lightly helped our cause greatly. Dog owners went scurrying when it started which was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the solitude of a beautiful beach.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dogs give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
I walked on the beach recently with my two young dogs and couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we were mostly alone. These days it’s hard to go anywhere and be by yourself. It was so peaceful just walking on the shore, watching the dogs run and play and listening to the sound of the ocean crash at my feet. The fact that it was raining lightly helped our cause greatly. Dog owners went scurrying when it started which was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the solitude of a beautiful beach.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dogs give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Advice From the Dog.......
I walked on the beach recently with my two young dogs and couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that we were mostly alone. These days it’s hard to go anywhere and be by yourself. It was so peaceful just walking on the shore, watching the dogs run and play and listening to the sound of the ocean crash at my feet. The fact that it was raining lightly helped our cause greatly. Dog owners went scurrying when it started which was a perfect opportunity for us to enjoy the solitude of a beautiful beach.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dog’s give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
If there is something we could all use a bit more of it’s solitude. A break away from the hurry up life, the constant barrage of media in our lives, phone calls, emails, and other social media. Our dog’s give us that excuse for solitude freely no strings attached. Are we listening to them?
Too often we are so engrossed in what we have to do, in where we have to go, and whom we need to call, that we are removing ourselves from being in the moment. This is a mistake on our part, once we detach ourselves from living in the moment we lose the simple joys of life and we allow stress to take over and fear to dominate. We are afraid that if we don’t keep going, that something bad will happen. I guess in some ways we miss the forest for the trees when it comes to what is important in life.
Listen to your dog, here is what he has to say………
Hang up the phone when you are with me and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood.
Have you seen that some of the flowers are struggling to break through from their winter slumber ?
Did you notice that the neighbors house needs a paint job ?
That the huge tree down the street lost a few limbs in the last storm ?
Did you see that your elderly neighbor is struggling to put her trash barrels in the garage ?
Smell that skunk that went through here last night ?
Notice that the squirrels have had their babies and are now out and about more looking for food to feed their growing families ?
Did you see how good I was when I walked by the neighbors dog that was barking in the window ?
Please acknowledge me when I hold my emotions in check because that little so and so needs a talking to but I know that you don’t like it when I bark so I won’t.
Watch me, admire me, pay attention when we walk together this is our time. I haven’t seen you all day and now we are together again and I live for this time.
Don’t let yourself think about all the bad things that happened today or what you will do later, just be with me and let yourself relax and be here with me in this moment.
I don’t want to pressure you but here is the truth……
There won’t be many years that we can do this. I won’t be around forever, my lifespan is so much shorter than yours. On average my kind only live 8-12 yrs. If I’m lucky I’ll stay healthy and be able to keep up with you for all that time but I take nothing for granted. Every time I am with you I give you my undivided attention. I know that you can’t always do that but I am here waiting, don’t be too long.
I came to you to teach you how to live in the moment, how to appreciate the joys in life and how to notice all the wonders around you. I came here to protect you from yourself because as a human you really don’t get it. The point of life is not in acquiring more things, going more places or achieving more goals, its about love, it’s about joy, it’s about just being.
I know you might not ever get this but I am here to remind you and I’m a patient dog…..I’ll wait.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Teaching Dog Owner Etiquette
This is a great age to own a dog in. More and more people are becoming dog owners than ever before and there are more products and services available to meet this growth. What's missing however is some infomation on dog owner etiquette. As dog professionals we have to help new dog owners learn not only how to train their dogs but how to act with them in public. Here are some things that we need to teach folks who are just learning the mores of dog culture .
Dogs in Public
- always pick up after your dog no matter where you are
- keep your dog on leash or be prepared to re-leash your dog when you approach another owner/dog on a walk, especially if that dog is on leash.
- not all dogs are friendly and most do not want to be greeted by having your dog bounce off of them
- teach your dog to sit/stay in the presence of other dogs and only allow him off leash to play if he is under control and calm
- allowing an overstimulated dog to go "play" often leads to on leash aggression problems as the dog matures
- even if your dog is friendly, consider that the other dog and owner may not appreciate your dog's advances and may find it offensive that your dog is out of control
- play in dogs is healthy when intense wrestling and chasing is broken up with sniffing the ground and wandering around
- prolonged heated interactions that include a lot of vocalization, wrestling and pinning should be redirected after a few minutes and not be permitted to go on and on.
- teach your dog a rock solid verbal "leave it" so that you can break up and re-direct overstimulated play without having to physically pull your dog away.
At Canine University we have begun to really listen to our clients and implement these behaviors into our training curriculum as part of the core behaviors we include in our beginner classes. The more real the curriculum the more valuable training is to the average person.
Dogs in Public
- always pick up after your dog no matter where you are
- keep your dog on leash or be prepared to re-leash your dog when you approach another owner/dog on a walk, especially if that dog is on leash.
- not all dogs are friendly and most do not want to be greeted by having your dog bounce off of them
- teach your dog to sit/stay in the presence of other dogs and only allow him off leash to play if he is under control and calm
- allowing an overstimulated dog to go "play" often leads to on leash aggression problems as the dog matures
- even if your dog is friendly, consider that the other dog and owner may not appreciate your dog's advances and may find it offensive that your dog is out of control
- play in dogs is healthy when intense wrestling and chasing is broken up with sniffing the ground and wandering around
- prolonged heated interactions that include a lot of vocalization, wrestling and pinning should be redirected after a few minutes and not be permitted to go on and on.
- teach your dog a rock solid verbal "leave it" so that you can break up and re-direct overstimulated play without having to physically pull your dog away.
At Canine University we have begun to really listen to our clients and implement these behaviors into our training curriculum as part of the core behaviors we include in our beginner classes. The more real the curriculum the more valuable training is to the average person.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Living In the Moment
Living In The Moment
There is no better teacher than a animal to show you how to live your life meaningfully and on purpose and in the moment.
As many of you know I live with 6 Golden Retrievers,3 cats, 3 kids and a patient husband. I know a lot about losing animals and saying goodbye. I have had animals that died at home, I have had animals that died in veterinary hospitals. I have been fortunate to have animals that lived to be 23 and ones that died too young at barely 9 yrs old. Recently we lost our 12 yr old cat Jazz. She was a special cat and a wonderful companion to me and I miss her. She taught me something that I hadn’t learned before even with all the other losses I’ve had. This little cat taught me gratitude. How weird to have not figured that one out by now, to have lived with animals as long as I have and to still be learning from them like it’s my first time. But there is beauty in that too.
I probably don’t have to tell you how devastating it is to lose an animal, how sad and empty it is to move on without them. That is a familiar feeling and one that I can share with many a fellow animal lover who loses a dear friend.
Just before losing Jazz, I began to consider things from a different perspective. I began to look at letting go in terms of gratitude for what has been, instead of grief over what has been lost. Who am I that this beautiful creature would share her life with me and adore me without question.
I owed it to her loyalty to consider this from a perspective of gratitude rather than grief …..
I am grateful for the times that she climbed on the back of my chair when I worked too long at the computer and head butted me until I paid attention to her.
I am grateful for the one black paw that rose from under my desk to tap my arm if the head butt trick didn’t work.
I’m grateful that she would come when I called her and sit with me for hours.
I’m grateful for her vigil over me in the minutes before I fell asleep and in the first few minutes I greeted a new day.
I’m grateful for her welcoming every new animal that came into our house, including the evil little puppies that chased her on occasion.
I’m grateful for her sense of humor when the vet showed up to examine the puppies and her insistence that it was all about her.
I’m grateful that she was a leader at our house, keeping her cat chums in line and making sure newcomers fit into the fold.
I’m grateful to have had a cat that loved children and would let them carry her around even though she often preferred they didn’t.
I’m grateful for the comfort that she brought me after long days or disappointment
A little cat, barely 10lbs of fur taught me this…… of all the humans in the world she could have come to she came to me.
As I look around I see the other teachers watching me, waiting for me to be ready to hear what they have to say. Will I learn from them now while we share this time on earth or will I be dense and not get it until they are gone. My goal this year is to take more time to listen, to live in the moment and not be in such a hurry to nowhere. If you break apart the nowhere you come up with now here and maybe this is the destiny I was meant to seek.
I hope that you take the time to enjoy your animal companions, be they dogs, cats, horses, birds or ferrets. No matter the species they are gifts that reflect back to us what we already know if we would only take the time to live as they do, in the moment. I hope that as Valentines Day approaches and you make plans to celebrate the love you have or lament about the love you’ve lost you consider what is already here and appreciate the gift it is.
Hug your dog for all that he represents and for all that he is here to remind you of…of all the humans in the world he is here with you !
There is no better teacher than a animal to show you how to live your life meaningfully and on purpose and in the moment.
As many of you know I live with 6 Golden Retrievers,3 cats, 3 kids and a patient husband. I know a lot about losing animals and saying goodbye. I have had animals that died at home, I have had animals that died in veterinary hospitals. I have been fortunate to have animals that lived to be 23 and ones that died too young at barely 9 yrs old. Recently we lost our 12 yr old cat Jazz. She was a special cat and a wonderful companion to me and I miss her. She taught me something that I hadn’t learned before even with all the other losses I’ve had. This little cat taught me gratitude. How weird to have not figured that one out by now, to have lived with animals as long as I have and to still be learning from them like it’s my first time. But there is beauty in that too.
I probably don’t have to tell you how devastating it is to lose an animal, how sad and empty it is to move on without them. That is a familiar feeling and one that I can share with many a fellow animal lover who loses a dear friend.
Just before losing Jazz, I began to consider things from a different perspective. I began to look at letting go in terms of gratitude for what has been, instead of grief over what has been lost. Who am I that this beautiful creature would share her life with me and adore me without question.
I owed it to her loyalty to consider this from a perspective of gratitude rather than grief …..
I am grateful for the times that she climbed on the back of my chair when I worked too long at the computer and head butted me until I paid attention to her.
I am grateful for the one black paw that rose from under my desk to tap my arm if the head butt trick didn’t work.
I’m grateful that she would come when I called her and sit with me for hours.
I’m grateful for her vigil over me in the minutes before I fell asleep and in the first few minutes I greeted a new day.
I’m grateful for her welcoming every new animal that came into our house, including the evil little puppies that chased her on occasion.
I’m grateful for her sense of humor when the vet showed up to examine the puppies and her insistence that it was all about her.
I’m grateful that she was a leader at our house, keeping her cat chums in line and making sure newcomers fit into the fold.
I’m grateful to have had a cat that loved children and would let them carry her around even though she often preferred they didn’t.
I’m grateful for the comfort that she brought me after long days or disappointment
A little cat, barely 10lbs of fur taught me this…… of all the humans in the world she could have come to she came to me.
As I look around I see the other teachers watching me, waiting for me to be ready to hear what they have to say. Will I learn from them now while we share this time on earth or will I be dense and not get it until they are gone. My goal this year is to take more time to listen, to live in the moment and not be in such a hurry to nowhere. If you break apart the nowhere you come up with now here and maybe this is the destiny I was meant to seek.
I hope that you take the time to enjoy your animal companions, be they dogs, cats, horses, birds or ferrets. No matter the species they are gifts that reflect back to us what we already know if we would only take the time to live as they do, in the moment. I hope that as Valentines Day approaches and you make plans to celebrate the love you have or lament about the love you’ve lost you consider what is already here and appreciate the gift it is.
Hug your dog for all that he represents and for all that he is here to remind you of…of all the humans in the world he is here with you !
Monday, February 8, 2010
Cold Weather Workout For Dogs
Having trouble keeping your dog entertained this winter ? Too cold to stand outside for long periods of time tossing a ball ? Here's a game that any dog can learn to play.....Hide the Toy (or cookie or ball etc).
1. Find a toy that your dog really likes to play with or one that has a pocket inside that you can put a treat in.
2. Tease your dog with the toy and get him excited about it.
3. Tether him to a piece of furniture or have someone hold his collar and hide the toy in an obvious place.
4. Hold him back so that he is eager to find it and release him.
5. When he find the toy, act excited and pop the treat out and give it to him.
Congratulations....your dog made his first find !
Once your dog is on to the game make the hiding places more challenging, behind the couch, on the seat of a chair, behind the door, on a window ledge, etc. Gradually increasing the difficulty until your dog really good at it. Once you have reached a level of proficiency where he is finding it easily go ahead and label the search behaviors " find it" and encourage him to look for it.
This is a great indoor game for cold winter days when the weather outside is just too frightful to stand out in.
Have fun !
1. Find a toy that your dog really likes to play with or one that has a pocket inside that you can put a treat in.
2. Tease your dog with the toy and get him excited about it.
3. Tether him to a piece of furniture or have someone hold his collar and hide the toy in an obvious place.
4. Hold him back so that he is eager to find it and release him.
5. When he find the toy, act excited and pop the treat out and give it to him.
Congratulations....your dog made his first find !
Once your dog is on to the game make the hiding places more challenging, behind the couch, on the seat of a chair, behind the door, on a window ledge, etc. Gradually increasing the difficulty until your dog really good at it. Once you have reached a level of proficiency where he is finding it easily go ahead and label the search behaviors " find it" and encourage him to look for it.
This is a great indoor game for cold winter days when the weather outside is just too frightful to stand out in.
Have fun !
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Shelter Visit
Went to the shelter today on my way to teach a training class. Always an "experience" for me. There were alot of cats, many older ones in need of a good home. The shelter is impressive and very modern, with real life rooms and lots of cubbies for the animals to sleep in and ladders to climb. They had a few kittens which were well attended but my heart ached for some of the old guys who just wanted to be owned by someone.
The dogs were plentiful too. Many highly aroused and worried with all the people peeking at them. The one that broke my heart was a pitbull mix who had lost her home because she played too roughly with the other dog she lived with. She was curled up in a ball and I couldn't help thinking if she wondered how she got here and where her family had gone. Sad, sad, sad....
Then there was the elderly dachshund whose housemate had been adopted and was left behind. What must she be thinking ???
Must be in a sensitive mood today, but I don't and can't walk through the shelter for this very reason. Even though some of the stories end happily I understand dogs too much to ignore what is being said in their eyes.........
The dogs were plentiful too. Many highly aroused and worried with all the people peeking at them. The one that broke my heart was a pitbull mix who had lost her home because she played too roughly with the other dog she lived with. She was curled up in a ball and I couldn't help thinking if she wondered how she got here and where her family had gone. Sad, sad, sad....
Then there was the elderly dachshund whose housemate had been adopted and was left behind. What must she be thinking ???
Must be in a sensitive mood today, but I don't and can't walk through the shelter for this very reason. Even though some of the stories end happily I understand dogs too much to ignore what is being said in their eyes.........
Teaching Fetch !!
Had a brillant idea today. Trying to teach a puppy in one of my Puppy Headstart Workshops how to bring back the toy to them when her people throw it.
Taught her how to 'target' my hand with her nose for clicks and treats at first. Then got her running by throwing the treat after I clicked her for touching her nose to the palm of my hand. Labeled the nose to hand "touch".
Added the toy to the mix and asked for "touch" with toy in her mouth. It took a bit of trial and error on her part but eventually she smacked the toy into my palm for a click and toss of the toy.
They now have a thinking dog that brings the toy all the way back.....smart girl !
Taught her how to 'target' my hand with her nose for clicks and treats at first. Then got her running by throwing the treat after I clicked her for touching her nose to the palm of my hand. Labeled the nose to hand "touch".
Added the toy to the mix and asked for "touch" with toy in her mouth. It took a bit of trial and error on her part but eventually she smacked the toy into my palm for a click and toss of the toy.
They now have a thinking dog that brings the toy all the way back.....smart girl !
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