Saturday, March 26, 2011

Doorbells and Clean Cues

The puppies in our Puppy II Class learn to go to their mat when the doorbell rings, while their owners learn the importance of "Clean Cues" and other training techniques.

Friday, March 25, 2011

TTouch Starting Soon!

Do you have a dog that gets nervous around other dogs, sounds, and / or people?  TTouch is a very important technique to learn and use!  Our class starts in two weeks, reserve your spot now!

To sign up for our TTouch class, click the following link:  Sign me up!



TTouch is a system of precise finger and hand movements combined with guided movement exercises that provide us with gentle, yet powerful techniques to affect the body mind functioning in animals. These touches help to release stress, increase body awareness, promote trust and allow an animal to be handled with less stress. TTouch also enhances focus and concentration which allows learning to take place. TTouch can also be used to help animals deal with noise phobias, separation anxiety, reactivity, aging as well as recovery from injury, trauma, illness and surgery.

Date:  Thursday, April 7, 2011 - May 12, 2011
Time:  10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Cost:  $150 for a six week session
Location:  Taming the Wild Side Training Facility
Instructor:  Victoria Severns

NOTE:  This class is limited to 6 dogs.

To sign up for this class, please click the following link:  TTouch
To view Victoria's bio, please click the following link:  Victoria Severns

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Weekly Taming Tip


Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and friends to do with your dog(s)! These tips will help teach your dog real world manners in a fun way. Leave us a comment and tell us how it went!

Taming Tip #8:

In honor of our Scent Class, this week's Taming Tip is all about the NOSE!  This will be a blast for your dog!  Take your dog's favorite treats and hide them throughout your backyard.  While you are hiding the treats be sure to leave your dog inside the house.  When you open the door to let him out, tell him to "Go find it!".  Then watch your dog play this natural hunting game!  In the beginning, if your dog is having trouble, walk him over to one of the treats, point to it and tell him to "Go find it"!  Make the game easy at first and then challenge your dog by making it harder!  You can also play this game inside the house, and if you have more than one dog, let them play one at a time.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

I Ain't Afraid of No Doggy Door!!

Madison, the lighter colored golden, was afraid of her doggy door. She did not like the noise it made or the plastic touching her face. To help her, we clicked and treated when the flap made noise. She began to love the noise. Then we had her target a "Post It" note in my hand and gradually worked the note onto the plastic flap. Everything about the flap ended up meaning TREAT! When she went through the door we had my dog, Glacier, on the other side as the reward! She LOVES him and it was a great surprise. Michele, did a great job continuing to work with her and sent us this video. Yea, Success!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Doorbell Training

Check out our first video from our Puppy II Class! We had a lot of fun training the puppies to run to their mat when the doorbell rang. Watch how happy Zoe is as she pounces on her mat.  More videos to come!

Friday, March 18, 2011

New Class: TTouch



TTouch is a system of precise finger and hand movements combined with guided movement exercises that provide us with gentle, yet powerful techniques to affect the body mind functioning in animals. These touches help to release stress, increase body awareness, promote trust and allow an animal to be handled with less stress. TTouch also enhances focus and concentration which allows learning to take place. TTouch can also be used to help animals deal with noise phobias, separation anxiety, reactivity, aging as well as recovery from injury, trauma, illness and surgery.

Date:  Thursday, April 7, 2011 - May 12, 2011
Time:  10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Cost:  $150 for a six week session
Location:  Taming the Wild Side Training Facility
Instructor:  Victoria Severns

NOTE:  This class is limited to 6 dogs.

To sign up for this class, please click the following link:  TTouch
To view Victoria's bio, please click the following link:  Victoria Severns

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Through a Dog's Ear

Last night as I turned off the television and looked at all six dogs lying down in various areas of the living room, I laughed as each head popped up and looked at me waiting for me to say, “Okay, let’s go to bed!” When those wonderful words were said, each dog jumped up and filed into the bedroom going to their favorite spot to rest for the evening. Two on their dog beds and four on the bed! Once they get situated they might move around one more time but then at 5:30 am all six are up, barking, licking my face and Glacier, my newfie/husky mix has jumped on the bed and is now laying his rather large head and neck across my face. My coonhound is sitting up, nose straight in the air and howling. I have tried to ignore them, to no avail, I have sat up and told them to, “Go to bed” which might work sometimes. I have just given in and gotten up, let them out, fed them their breakfast and then I have gone back to bed for another hour. Even I have to laugh some mornings, but as comical as it is, there are mornings I would love to sleep in or just be able to wake up slowly!

Knowing that I would go through this whole morning ritual in a few hours, I began thinking of what I should try differently to help my dogs sleep a little longer in the morning. Then I had this great idea! I got back out of bed and went to the office and grabbed the CD player. I returned to the bedroom and set it up on the nightstand. I grabbed the CD, “Through a Dog’s Ear” which I had picked up at Karen Pryor’s ClickerExpo inserted it into the player, pushed the repeat button and let this play softly all night. Well, thirty minutes into the CD, all the dogs were sleeping extra soundly. I too had a hard time staying awake! Seriously, the dogs did not shift at all last night and at 5:30 one dog raised her head, looked around, and as I held my breath she put her head down and went back to sleep!! The rest of the dogs were out cold! They slept until I woke up at 7:00 am and shouted, “Okay, let’s go!” All the dogs were up without all the barking and craziness, just very happy tails and out they went to use the bathroom. I was a very happy person!

What is “Through a Dog’s Ear?” It is music therapy, a cutting edge science on how dogs react to sound and how to use sound as a tool to manage your dog’s anxiety due to change of environment, separation, storms and so forth. I first heard about this piece of music on a special about shelter dogs. A particular shelter began to play it to see if it would bring the anxiety level down among the dogs. They began to notice that in the area of the shelter where the music was playing, the dogs began to come in from their runs and settle down nicely and would even sleep. After watching the program and doing a little research myself I began to ask a few clients to try it with their dogs that were dealing with some anxiety issues. Once again the results were very positive.

I highly recommend the book, it comes with the cd, and it is a great story on how the research came about, how the music works and it is very relaxing, even for people. I will try it again tonight and keep you updated on how we are all sleeping!!! Goodnight!!

For free listening samples click the following link:  Listening Samples

The following is a video from the "CBS Early Show":


Weekly Taming Tip


Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and friends to do with your dog(s)! These tips will help teach your dog real world manners in a fun way. Leave us a comment and tell us how it went!

Taming Tip #7:

This week practice calling your dog from different rooms in your house! While your dog is resting or distracted in one room, you move to another room and call him/her. When your dog gets to you click and treat! Practice this a couple of times a day, moving to every room of your house, even the bathroom. Your dog will get to the point where they can't wait to run to you! Have everyone in your family play this game. Just imagine if everyone in your house called to you and when you got there they had chocolate, cheesecake or cupcakes with yummy icing waiting for you! That is how excited your dog will be! Have fun!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Hike - Elk Mountain



Date:  April 16, 2011
Time:  7:30 a.m.

Pack your lunch and join us for a day hike at Elk Mountain!  Elk Mountain is located in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge approximately 25 miles northwest of Lawton, Oklahoma.  The hike will go to the top of Elk Mountain by way of a well-maintained, but steep and rocky trail (about 1.5 miles). At the top, we will eat lunch, explore the boulder fields, relax and enjoy the panoramic views of the wildlife refuge. Afterwards, we'll descend to the trailhead and make the trek back home.

To sign up for this hike, please visit the following link:  Hike - Elk Mountain

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Hike - Cedar Ridge Preserve


Join us for a hike at Cedar Ridge Preserve! After the hike we'll take a break and have drinks and snacks.

When: March 19, 2011 at 8:45 am
Where: Cedar Ridge Preserve
Length: Approximately 3.0 miles
Difficulty: Difficult

Cost: $10 per person. This covers the park entry fee, drinks and snacks. All other proceeds will be used toward purchasing pet oxygen masks for the Aledo Fire Department.

This hike will be limited to 10 dogs/clients that are currently enrolled with Taming the Wild Side. Remember to bring water for you and your dog.  Please wear hiking shoes/boots, parts of this trail are rocky and slippery.

To sign up for this hike please click the following link:
http://www.supersaas.com/schedule/Taming_The_Wild_Side/Monthly_Hike

Weekly Taming Tip


Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and friends to do with your dog(s)! These tips will help teach your dog real world manners in a fun way. Leave us a comment and tell us how it went!

Taming Tip #6:

This week's Taming Tip is in honor of our Reading Education Assistance Dogs!  Grab a blanket, snuggle up with your dog in your favorite spot and read to him / her for 15 minutes.  As a special reward, give your dog a treat while you're reading.  Our goal is to help your dog stay in a relaxed state while cuddling together.  You may repeat this exercise as many times as you want.  Send pictures of you reading with your companion to terri@tamingthewildside.com and we'll put them on our blog!