Another New Bunch of Stellar Graduates!

I really was blessed with an awesome group of class attendees! I had a class full of dedicated owners who showed up on time, brought thoughtful questions and concerns, and were practicing at home. Yes, I can tell which of you do and don't work with your dogs at home! ;) The dogs were a fun varied group that had me using a variety of "tools".

So here they are November 30, 2010 Basic Manners Graduating Class:

This is Higby. He is a really cool middle-of-the-road kind of guy with a lot of potential to go on to learn a great many things! He came to class already knowing how to do half of what we cover!

This is Sascha, our adolescent German Shepherd. She can be a handful for mom (what teenager isn't), but if mom sticks with it she will be a lovely young lady here soon.

This is Reggie, a high energy little Shelti who is very smart. He keeps his mom and dad busy but entertained!This is Rahlo, our youngest class member and perhaps the one that made the biggest change. On the first night of class Rahlo mostly hid beside his owner staring shyly at everyone. By the final night Rahlo was coming in the door ready for action and play. This is Tala, a white german shepherd found as a stray and the newest addition to my coworker's family. Tala is out to turn my coworker into and even better dog trainer; she is a lot more stubborn and wily than my coworker's last dog!
Meet Mamie, a super smart little girl. Sadly on the final night of class she was missing her mom (who was out of town) and not to interesting in pictures.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!

Is Your Dog Normal?

On dogster.com i found the most accurate description of a "normal" dog I've ever heard! You sound check it out! http://blogs.dogster.com/dog-training/the-myth-of-normal-dogs/2010/11/

Puppies in the News

I have been surfing the web since the discovery of internet has hit my home ;), and I have found some things I wanted to share.

Well the first horrific story I came a cross was posted on another sight by a friend. Channel 13 had posted a story about two little boys that tortured two little puppies, and I'm still reeling in shock!

The next story I came across had just the opposite feel. It brightened the mood to read post-gazette.com's story of people helping save dogs. To learn more check out hellobully.com.

The next was posted to NBCs web page regarding a police dog's weight. On the video footage they had posted the dog looked like an average healthy weight but they didn't get too close nor any images of the dog standing still. But the picture that has caused all the alarm is, well, alarming. What struck me most was people's enraged and hateful comments toward both vets and police officers. I have had my fair share of unpleasant experiences with both but I have had far more good experiences. American is plagued by over weight pets, but I do not see any people attacking vets for not making an attack on obesity.

What do you think?

Ever Wish You Could Do Somehting Productive With All That Shedding Dog Hair?

Well there is. A friend of mine who is a dog groomer jokingly said she could make a fortune if there was a use for dog hair. That got me thinking, which lead to Googling, and next thing you know I have discovered a whole knew way to keep your pet close to your heart! When I first started thinking about it I was a little grossed out by the idea of wearing my dog, but when I looked down I remembered that I already wear them most of the time anyway! What is often called "companion cashmere" or "canine cashmere" seems to be a rising trend. One of the first things I found was a blog, if it's hip, it's here, with a post filled with people wearing their pets. Wisegeek.com had a whole article on it, and made some interesting points about how our pets quality of life makes for a great yarn. Wikihow had relatively simple looking directions on how do it yourself, but for people not so crafty there is a host of places willing to take your collected pet hair and turn it into yarn for you. According to VIP Fibers in Denton, TX yarn from double coated pets is 80% warmer than wool due to the natural insulating properties of undercoat. Also several sites say that you need not worry about anyone being allergic to your new product because allergies are from the dander, oils, and enzymes in the pets skin, not the hair itself, which are removed during the processing. One ambitious dog lover has turned it into quite the business for herself, Hair of the Dog Designer Yarn and Pet Emporium, where she takes your pets hair and turns it into a special keepsake. If you happen to check out her website be sure to look at the super cute Gallery of Clients! Spinning Straw to Gold LLC is another such animal enthusiast willing to make your pet hair into yarn. On popular crafting web site Etsy.com there are even sellers such as fiestywomandesigns, cashmerebunny, and ThreeStitchers, that are turning their dogs fur into yarn you can buy. This whole time there has been a market for all that fluff I have been throwing away after each grooming, and I never even knew it!

So Much For Blogging

I was very excited about this when I started it. Then of course my computer seemed to catch the electronics equivalent of mono; right as rain some days and others can't even get started. Then there's not having internet access to put a damper on things. Oh well. Guess my big internet writing career will be put on hold.

Had To Share This!

No for all you dog groomers out there this will come as no surprise, ;) but for the rest of you this might be enlightening! A recent study suggest that the most aggressive breed of dog is not in fact a Pit Bull, Rottie, or GSD but is in fact a Dachshund! Check it out!

CONGRADULATIONS!

I want to send out a GREAT BIG congratulations and thanks to my two most resent graduating classes!

Meet my newest AKC S.T.A.R. Puppies!!

Kiaser Waters

Kramus Copus

Apollo Slaven

Newman

Here is our newest Basic Obedience Graduates!

Sophie & Marco Hirose

Gracie Sharkey

Emma Myers

Scooter Hollandsworth

*Pictures Coming Soon!!!*

Saying Good Bye

Today I had to do something long anticipated but I was never really ready for. I had to put my first dog, Ashlin, to sleep due to her cancer. She put up a hard fight and lived happily past the maximum time frame the vet originally gave us. I know everyone says their dog is 'the best dog in the whole world'; I will not tell you that. I know better; she drove a lot of people nuts. She hated strangers, barked at everyone who walked past the house, was terrible for car rides, and begged for food like a pro. What I will say is she was the most amazing partner any kid could have had. She taught me more about training dogs than any instructor, video, or book ever could. She helped me raise three service dog puppies and my next two pets. She was a more attentive babysitter than I ever was. No one shined in an obedience show ring like she did when she wanted to. (As her three Indiana State Fair First Places and one PERFECT score showed.) She will be missed.

R.I.P. Ashlin

BABY!?!

The other night I was so stunned by what I held in my hand that I couldn't even verbalize my thoughts. So I just carried it in to my husband and handed it to him. As he excepted the little white stick from me he kinda started to grin, "I guess this is positive then?" I just nodded. So now seems like a good time for me to give a little chat about bringing home a new baby. Often we forget to consider how our well established pets will feel about the new family members. I mean kids and dogs just go together right? Look at Timmy and Lassie, Jack form Little House on the Prairie, or Nanna in Peter Pan. Sadly dogs are not born knowing how to treat kids and just like us not every dog likes every kid or even any kids. That does not mean that your current loyal companion can not learn to live happily with a new baby; with a little initiative on your part you can have a family that includes both baby and dog. Remember it is NEVER TOO SOON to start helping your dog adjust to the idea of kids, even if kids are still 5 years away or only a possibility on the distant horizon. You might ask yourself why it's so important that you do the work ahead of time to prepare your dog. Well here is why; according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention nearly 800,000 people need medical attention for dog bites every year and over half those are children. Also one of the most common reasons dogs are surrendered to the already over crowded and under funded shelters is that the owners are afraid the dog will not be safe with the new baby or they will not have enough time for the dog anymore. With a little preparation you should be able to create a safe family pet and learn to incorporate the dog into the new routine.

Some changes you can make right away to help your dog transition are eliminating any bad habits. Some of these things might have been ok before but now with a baby on the way they need to go. Jumping up must be eliminated; an over enthusiastic jump from an otherwise friendly dog can cause a lot of harm for a pregnant woman or small child. Teach a better alternative such as approaching and sitting. Any attention getting behavior such as mouthing and pawing will need to stop. Start working on good bite inhibition now, even if your dog seldom ever offers to mouth things. The dog that likes to lick will need to curb his impulses unless you want your baby's tonsils cleaned routinely. Next, no more drinking out of the toilet; aside from this being unsanitary for your dog, an open toilet can be hazardous to a toddler as well.

Another thing is figuring out what your schedule is going to be like after the baby comes, how the dog will fit into that, and start instituting it now. This includes figuring out when your dog will get exercise and attention. If you don't already regularly exercise your dog it is in your and his/her best interest to start now! If your dog is a leash puller this needs to end now. It can be very dangerous trying to walk a pulling dog while pregnant or pushing a stroller with a dog with no leash manners.

Feeding should be done routinely if it is not already. There are many reasons you should do this. For your child's safety this will prevent them from getting into your dogs food and trying it or making a mess of it. Also your child will not be getting snapped at because you did not know Fido was eating right then and your baby was 'helping'. Start desensitizing your dog, if you have not already, to being handled while eating. (Because you have done this does not mean you can or ever should leave a dog that is eating alone with a child!) If your dog has any trouble with this enlist the help of a knowledgeable trainer right away!

Another good thing to do is start bringing home the baby stuff. Let the dog see, hear, and smell all the strange toys, products, and other new stuff without the added stress of the baby there. Teaching a solid 'leave it' command will be really helpful now. Just imagine the first time your dog tries to steal your two year old's new toy... screaming baby, dog racing away with his prize, and you yelling at the dog while trying to sooth the kid. If you can procure some items that have real baby smells on them (used blankest, burp rags, etc.) bring them home to the dog. Let him sniff and examine but do not let him have the items as toys. Start playing baby noise sound tracks. Not sure where to get a track: local pet stores will likely have desensitization sound tracks with this, iTunes sells single tracks of baby sounds, or have a friend record their babies' noises.

This list could go on and on. I have tried to include what are some basics that apply to every household adding a baby. As I have said with the appropriate foundation, most dogs can adjust to a new family member. That said there are some dogs (but far fewer than what are surrendered) that are not and never will be happy and safe in a family home. When in doubt about your dog or if you encounter any troubling behavior, even if it seems minor, seek out a trainer now. Do not wait until you have a full blown problem on your hands. Feel free to ask a trainer about their knowledge with kids as well as dogs. This does not mean the trainer needs to have had children of their own to have knowledge and experience that will benefit you, but as any family with children can tell you, their lifestyle is a bit different from a family without them. Think a head and take the time it takes so you can be on your way to a happy family with kids and dogs together!

KRAMUS: the Dreaded Man-Eating Pitbull.

Meet Kramus.

This is my fiance's new dog. A few nights after we got him I took him with me to my puppy class for a little socialization for everyone; all the people in the class where awing over the new baby and how cute he was. Later at the end of class as one of the owners was leaving she stops and asks me, "So what kind of dog is that?"
"He's a Pitbull Terrier," I tell her as we continue walking toward the door.
She stops walking and turns to me looking rather startled. "Well, I just don't know about those dogs." I proceed to ask her why and help clear up any confusion on Kramus and his fellow pitbulls.

It surprises me that the general public can still be so misinformed on the nature of pitbulls another 'bully-breeds'. Any dog has the potential to be mean or aggressive. That said pitbulls and several other breeds have a higher rate of being involved in bite incidents and aggression problems. Several things feed into this: bad breeding, irresponsible ownership, or lack of socialization. But with images and over dramatized stories of horror flooding the mass media, I guess I should not be surprised of the public misconceptions.

This is not their fault. Keep in mind that we (human dog breeders) are the ones responsible for pitbulls and all they are. The term pitbull is not an actual breed but a term used to describe several breeds of a certain type: the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Pit Bull Terrier. One of the founding breeds that played a key role in the forming of pitbulls is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. According to AKC the breed was formed by miners in England who wanted a small, fearless, loyal, and tenacious dog that would be a reliable all purpose dog. Once they arrived in the Americas, breeders developed a leaner version that the AKC later recognized as a separate breed, the American Staffordshire Terrier. According to the UKC the American Pitbull Terrier started to developed in several European countries through terrier and bulldog crosses. These crosses accompanied their owners across the ocean and there developed into a breed. Things didn't start going badly for the modern day pitbull until it became popular for gangs, junkyard dogs, 'guard' dogs, and replaced the previously favored dog for fighting.

When pitbulls are in caring loving homes they are just like any other breed of dog. They have special considerations specific to their breed. There are many instances of Pitbulls making wonderful family and working dogs. They are often known as extremely loving and loyal dogs, especially toward children. Pitbulls are a high energy breed and are known for being stubborn. Pitbulls need basic obedience training, lots of attention, and exercise. But when given the appropriate home life they can be very rewarding companions.

For example Wallace the Pitbull is a wonderful adopted pitbull that has won many national discdog championships. Wallace is part of a team of wonderful well adjusted competing pitbulls.

Pitbulls have shown successfully in almost every sports competition there is today. They are becoming increasingly popular in extremely active sports such as agility.

There are pitbulls working as therapy dogs and service dogs.

They have also been used as search and rescue dogs, and for K9 officers for the police.
There are several famous acting pitbulls out there as well. Once of the most well known is probably Petey from The Little Rascals.


In fact in WWI the American Bull Terrier (as pits were called then) was commonly used in the USA war propaganda!
So why is it still so common for people to fear and even hate such a versatile and loyal breed of dog that was once viewed as the all-American dog?

Let Me Introduce My Self

Hello and welcome to my all new blog! My name is Sam and I love dogs. I am a trainer just starting out my professional career at Happy, Clean, and Smart. Don't worry though I have lots of experience and a skilled mentor. I am a AKC CGC evaluator. I am preparing to take the CCPDT testing in the fall. I am a puppy raiser for Canine Companions to Independence, a non-profit service dog organization. I am also very involved in the Indiana 4H Dog Program. I have had experience in the obedience and agility show ring. I am a balance trainer and believe there is a time and a place for almost all humane training methods. I strive to find the best fit for each individual dog and client to maximize the communication between partners.
I have three great dogs in my care at the moment. Ashlin is my senior, seven year old Labrador Retriever mix with Canine Lymphoma. She is a retired 4H show dog and was my entrance into the dog training world. My newest puppy Morph is an eight month old Bull Terrier cross, who was found running in Indianapolis traffic. We have big plans for all he'll learn and be doing! My third boy is a service dog in training named Moose II. I live with a fiance who is wonderful with my dogs and is planning on getting the first dog of his own this week! I can't wait to share my adventures with dogs with you!