Puppy in the House!

We have had a houseguest for the last 4 days -- a 12-week-old Boston Terrier puppy named Georgie. She has been a delight and a challenge to have in the house and we have loved every minute of it!

How quickly we forget all the work that goes into having a puppy in the house -- the things they get into, the house and crate training, everything going into their mouths, the warm, tired body taking a nap on your lap, puppy breath, puppy squeaks, and the unbridled joy with which they live life. We have truly been blessed with the opportunity to have a puppy in the house and will treasure the memories of this time we had together. While Georgie may come back to stay with us again, she will never be this age again and it has been wonderful for us to marvel in it.

Thank you Skaff family for sharing your puppy with us!

Cesar Millan causes dog bites?

Cesar Millan causes dog bites?

Setting Up for Success

How do you learn best? Are you visual? Auditory? Tactile? There are as many different forms of learning and learners as there are things to learn. (If you are interested in knowing more about human learning theory, Howard Gardner's book, Frames of Mind, is a great read.) Given the opportunity, I would guess that if you have something new to learn, you are going to set yourself up for success. You are going to try and learn this new thing in the way that you learn best. If you are visual, you are probably not going to get a CD to listen to, you will probably get a book with a lot of photos or watch someone doing what you want to learn; if you are tactile, you are probably going to want to actually DO what you are trying to learn. You are going to put yourself in the best possible environment and scenario to learn.

Dogs also have different learning styles. Unfortunately they are not so easy to define (for us mere humans!), but in establishing our relationship with our dogs, in getting to know our dogs, we can come pretty close to figuring it out. Figure out what motivates your dog -- food? toys? time with you or another favorite person? a walk? a nap? a particular "job?" Then use it! If your dog will do anything for food, use food to teach them the behaviors you want. If your dog loves his ball, use a round of ball playing as the reward for a good training session. If your dog loves to play with you, roll around on the floor with your dog after she has learned something new. Finding what motivates your dog will maximize the amount of learning he does as well as minimizing your frustration as a teacher.

Keep in mind that what motivates your dog today, may not motivate him tomorrow! Too hard? Nah, it just takes being in relationship with your dog, being in tune to what's going on with your dog. When it's hot out, your toy motivated dog may care less about the toy, but might turn inside out for a chance to play in the water. When it's cold, your usually food motivated dog might be better encouraged by a brisk romp in the snow. Observing and interacting with your dog will give you plenty of opportunities to assemble a "tool box" of things that will help you in your training. Assess this "tool box" often and utilize every bit of knowledge you put into it and your training will be successful for both you and your dog.

We don't use "cookie cutter" training for our dogs -- they are each individuals with individual preferences and learning styles. By individualizing their training, we set them up for success. Today, get to know your dog, set them up for success and enjoy the amazing results!

PetLifeRadio.com - DSPN -Dog Sports & Performance

The Journey

The one thing I hope and wish for people and their relationship with their dogs is that the people understand what dogs seek -- a symbiotic journey with their human. They don't want to just be there, be a part of the routine, sometimes be that extra "to do" item the human needs to take care of before going on vacation. Dogs seek to be an integral part of our daily, even hourly, lives. Dogs' lives are consumed by the desire to do what gets them what they want. They jump on the counter to get something yummy -- not to ruin your day. They pull on the leash to get to where they want to go -- not to fight with you. They steal your socks because they smell like you, their precious human, and to get you to interact with them -- not to "get back" at you.

We worked with four lovely ladies and their wonderful dogs yesterday; sharing with them a portion of the vast amount of information out there about therapy dogs. These ladies cherish the relationships they have with their wonderful dogs and are seeking to grow that relationship by sharing their dogs with other people. How inspiring they each are! Thank you ladies for understanding that you are on a journey with your dog and that your dog is so much more than "just a dog."

My Students

When I was a little girl, I was always playing school -- with my friends, with my little sister, and when no one was around, with my Barbies and my dolls. I didn't have dog until I was in Junior High/High School, or I probably would have played school with him too!

Now that I'm all "grown up" and have had to find jobs that I enjoy, that I have a talent for, that I want to get up and do every day -- I have been blessed the last few years to have several students in my dog training classes who have been committed to their dogs, to their goals and have been faithful and loyal to my classes. Having these students have made my "job" not a job any more, but a passion, a joy, a realization of a dream. I am very proud of them and their many accomplishments.

Last weekend, one of these students accomplished a goal he had been working towards since he began competing with his dog. They earned a score of 99 (perfect is 100 -- that's their next goal!) and a first place in Fortunate Fido's C-WAGS Rally Trial at Canine Affair in Chesterland, Ohio!!! It was a personal best (so far!) for Jim and his dog Bear. Unfortunately, I was not able to be there that day, but I was with them in spirit. I am so very proud of them and congratulate them on their accomplishment!

Liz and her dogs -- Zupan, Ditto, Chutzpah, and Happy -- are constantly achieving goals and needing to come up with new goals to work towards. It has been a joy and a privilege to be associated with both of these wonderful handlers and I look forward to many more years of classes, trials, and dogs with them!!!

Thank you Jim, Liz and pups!!!

The best thing...

It's hard to know sometimes what the best thing is. What's the best car for my family, where's the best place for us to live, what's the best school for my children, who's the best instructor for dog training???? So many questions and not very many answers.

Something I have long advocated and try very hard to live by is "follow your gut." If you have unease with something, it may or may not be right. But I truly believe that if you are at peace with your decision, it was the right decision no matter how difficult it may be. Personally I have struggled with many decisions in the last year. I can say with confidence that the ones I "followed my gut" on, were good and right decisions for me, my family and my dogs.

I also apply this philosophy to dogs and dog training. If I am at peace with it, I have made the right decision. I like what I see in my dogs in relation to the foods they eat -- I made the right decision on dog food. I like the excitement I see in my dogs when I get out the clicker and the treats for some training -- I made the right decision on how to train my dogs. Our dogs fit our household, family and lifestyle as far as adaptibility and energy are concerned -- I made the right decision when we brought these particular dogs in their particular breeds into our home. The list goes on and on.

Bottom line? Follow your gut, trust your instinct. If it feels like the right decision it probably is. If something doesn't sit right with you, it's probably not right for you. There are many, many choices out there; in my opinion, we have no other choice by to trust ourselves and do what gives us peace. It's hard, it's sometimes not the "popular" decision, but in the long run, if it's what gives us peace, isn't it worth the effort?