Dogs and the Heat

July 4, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 2 minutes

This is a good time to remind people about their canine friends and the heat. Taking proper precautions will keep your pet cool and safe from heat stroke. Dogs need adequate fresh cold water, I like to add ice cubes or crushed ice. If you are traveling with your pet always have cool water assessable using a portable container. For the backyard, have cool drinking water, and maybe a small pool or sprinkler. A dog cannot not sit out in the hot sun all day they must have shaded areas where they can cool down. Tents, gazebos, trees offer shade for your furry friends. I do not let my dogs spend much time out in the hot humid heat, I prefer that they are in an air conditioned areas where they can lie on a cool floor, this is best for all dogs. If it’s too hot outside for humans than its too hot for… Read More

Stepping Stones

June 26, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Often people will call me with a specific problem they are having with their dog, maybe it pulls on leash or doesn’t come when called. On my first visit I assess the dog and quickly decide my plan of action. I may start off teaching the dog a command such as “look” or working on problems I see in the relationship. If the foundation isn’t right I cannot always fix the problem until I fix the foundation. It can be difficult for a client to understand, they may ask what does teaching a dog to “look” have to do with walking? Of course there are many reasons I may teach something else before working on the problem it all depends on the dog and the relationship with its owner. While I do use correction and consequences in my training, a dog needs motivation, positive reinforcement, boundaries, respect and a calm handler. Dogs will see stress… Read More

The Spoiled Dog

June 13, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A spoiled dog is not a happy well adjusted, well mannered pet. Often a spoiled dog can be unruly, stressed, dominate and impossible to live with. We all love our pets and often will spoil them, but we first must remember that for a dog pack order and rank is what they live by. A dog needs respect and must respect the pack leader, this is more important than love in a dogs eyes. Continual spoiling of our dogs is not showing them love rather we are depriving them of their basic needs. Dogs are social animals that live in packs, rank is necessary for pack survival. Imagine a company where everyone is the president each one telling the other what to do, nothing would get done. It is the same with a pack of dogs, one leader is required to lead the pack and make all the decisions. The pack needs a leader who… Read More

Root Cause

June 6, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 2 minutes

As a dog trainer, it’s crucial to identify the root cause of the problems pet owners are facing with their dogs. For instance, if a dog will not listen to the “sit” command, the first thing to ascertain is whether the dog knows that “sit” means to sit. If that is uncertain, that particular dog needs to be taught that command completely through proper dog obedience training. The next thing to consider is how the dog and its owner’s relationship works. If this bond is weak or if the owner is not communicating properly, the dog may not respond well. This dynamic has to be improved and worked on to be able to guarantee good communication and cooperation. Another important aspect is assessing the temperament of the dog. Some dogs will have issues of anxiety, fear, or dominance, which do not allow them to heed commands. For cases such as this, it is best to… Read More

Interesting Dog Club – My Weekend

May 28, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 3 minutes

This weekend with the dog club was very informative and engaging sessions. There were a number of dogs with some behavioural issues, and it was amazing to see their behaviour change with the proper handling techniques. Penny, my trainer, displayed incredible patience and skill in working with these dogs. There was one case of a six-month-old German Shepherd pup being trained for Schutzhund. The puppy was awfully stubborn, obeying only when it felt like executing the “sit” command. Penny very patiently worked with the pup, correcting it while making sure it was rewarded when it complied. He seemed a bit resistant, with the pup at times actually trying to attempt to bite Penny, despite there being several equipment changes and numerous tries. She said the only reason it had not bitten yet was because it was too young. She then performed a temperament test, which was very interesting to watch. With only a little bit… Read More

Success

May 15, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Right now, I’m working with Rogan to improve her response time to the command “platz” (down). At first, she’d be slow to commit before proceeding but after only one week of repeated training, she’s responding instantly. Alongside this, I’ve also been focusing on developing both Rogan and Gracie’s drive during training. I’m thrilled with their progress—especially Gracie, who overcame her anxieties and maintained focus in a brand-new environment. Drowning out” other dogs and human distractions, she was totally absorbed, and training was a pleasure, for both of us. With effective dog training techniques, dogs can be greatly improved in confidence and performance. Interestingly, I recently received a call from a client excited about the progress they’ve made with their dogs. Before training, walking their dogs—especially together—was a stressful and frustrating experience. However, after only 1 session, they’ve observed a big difference, too! They can thus no longer dread and abuse strolls with their dogs. While… Read More

Humanizing our dogs?

April 27, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Dogs are wonderful, they are loyal companions that bring us great comfort. My own dogs make me laugh and enrich my life in many ways. As humans we tend to label what we know and understand by attaching human emotions to our dogs. I hear it all the time, an owner will say to me “my dog is jealous” because that’s how the human would feel, not the dog. What humans call jealousy is one of two things in dogs, either competition or straightening out the pack order. The dominate dog will push the more submissive dog out of the way to get attention and this is pack order not jealousy. Dogs also do not feel hate, spite or guilt, this is placing human emotions to explain their behavior. Dogs simply do not have complex thinking or feel emotion in this way. Dogs will display unwanted behaviors because they are bored, lacking in exercise, or… Read More

Should I get one pup or two?

April 25, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I love living with multiple dogs, I find it interesting and a learning experience, BUT, I will never recommend getting two pups especially from the same litter to my clients. I strongly believe you need to have the right dogs living together with the right owner. As a trainer I have seen how strongly dogs bond together making it difficult or impossible to build a strong bond with the handler or owner. A dog that is indifferent or is not bonded to its owner will be difficult to train and live with. Dogs are pack animals, and in the pack there is rank order. Dogs will always bond strongly with each other, after all they speak the same language and are of the same species. Every dog that comes into your life needs time to build a relationship with you, and bond with you. Every addition to the pack will increase the pack instinct, and… Read More

Vaccinations – Are our pets being over-vaccinated?

April 13, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Please know these are my personal opinions I am expressing based on research and seeing first hand the affects of vaccinations in animals. I feel every pet owner should make their own informed choice. Many pet owners are unaware of the latest standards and don’t question their vets on practices that may be causing their pets harm. It is time consuming doing your own research but it is my passion to give my animals the best affordable care I can, so they can live long healthy lives! With all my pets I always had them get their yearly vaccinations. When my own dog developed multiple illnesses and I switch to the raw diet, I started reading articles on the dangers and affects of vaccinations. I have seen in my own dog’s behavior changes and I believe health issues attributed to vaccinations as well as many of the dogs I have worked with soon after being… Read More

Gracie

April 12, 2012 author

K9 Manners

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Gracie who recently was injured requiring stitches went back to the Vet to have her bandage changed which has to be done every 3 days. On this visit they noticed a small infection starting, so they changed her antibiotics giving her stronger medication. When my husband brought her home he also brought home another vet bill. The first bill was very expensive as they sedated her to do the stitches and we were also charged for initial antibiotics they sent home with her. Now they are charging for the stronger medication and for every bandage change. I cannot believe that for 3 stitches it has cost us almost double the cost it did to get the same dog spayed which is major surgery. I could easily have done the bandaging myself had I known they were going to charge for this. I assumed all of this was included in the first bill. I also question… Read More