Paw Painting

Don't forget about our Paw Painting class starting Tuesday, September 5th.  This class is loads of FUN and you'll have a new piece of artwork created by an up and coming artist to hang in your home or office!  But wait!  That's not all!  We'll also paint a pillowcase and T-shirt!  Come join us!

For more information on our Paint class, click the following link:  Paws for Painting

To sign up for this class, please click the following link:  Paw Painting Sign Up

Check out the artwork created by our previous Paw Painting Picasso's:

Extra! Extra!

The September newsletter is hot off the pres ... um ... keyboard!  Check it out!  We have several new classes starting soon and a great Howloween hike planned.  Classes are filling fast, don't miss out!

To read the September newsletter, click the following link:  September Newsletter

To have the newsletter delivered straight to your in-box, join our mailing list by clicking the following link:  Sign me up!

Our CONFIDENT Graduates!

Congrats to our Cool, Calm and Confident graduates!  The handlers and dogs worked together to build confidence through the use of obstacles, sound and movement.  GREAT job guys!

Building confidence by using noise. The soft noise of the pin replaces the clicker. When the dogs knock over the pins to make a noise they get rewarded. Watch the drive of the dogs in the following photos. The dogs want to make noise to get that reward!

Luke

Carly

Ella

After weeks of rewarding for making soft noise, it was time to increase to our loudest noise! Would they have enough drive to knock everything down, even the coke cans?

Luke did it!

Ella did it!

Carly did it too!

The stare down!  I ain't afraid of no noisy bottle!

Jump!  Jump!  Jump! Carly!

Confidence with movement! We started with small boards and subtle movements and rewarded the dogs for the slightest movement. Movement became the clicker! Now Avery and Ella are rocking together!

The bridge that leads to nowhere?  Nope, the bridge that leads to CONFIDENCE!

Ella jumping hay bales.  This was one of our favorites!

Go Ella Go!

Great job Carly!

A "Normal" Trip to the Store? Not Hardly!

It was a normal Thursday afternoon, a sunny clear day with a 107 degree temperature. I had a two hour break in the middle of the day and I thought I would take that opportunity to run to Petco, 15 minutes from my home. I also thought it would be a great opportunity to get Glacier, my newfie mix, out of the house, so I took him with me. I parked, picked up a few things, let Glacier visit a bit and then headed home.

I pulled out of the parking lot and noticed traffic was backed up a bit on my normal route, so I decided to try and take the back way home. I pulled up to the red light, I was in the left lane against the median and had four lanes of traffic to the right of me. As I was waiting for the light to turn to green, I noticed that the rotation of the light skipped us. It not only skipped us once, but four times. Now I had been in the car stuck in traffic for about 10 minutes, which is not terrible, but on the third skip of the light my air conditioning began to blow out hot air and it is still 107 outside. I rolled the windows down because it felt like it was 120 degrees in the car. I looked over at Glacier and he is panting extremely hard now. I look around the car for a bottle of water which is sometimes on the floorboard left over from all our hikes and walks - the typical "I will bring it in later". Unfortunately, this time I had taken all the bottles in the house. No water. I look around and the traffic is still not moving and I am boxed in. I am beginning to get very nervous about Glacier, I look over again and his head has dropped, eyes squinty, a little sunk in and now strings of drool are coming out of his mouth. I raised his lip, and pushed on his gums until the spot I was pushing on turned white, when I released my finger, his gums turned back to pink very slowly. I knew he was in trouble. I looked to my left, the median was a hill that was too high for me to drive over. The only way out was to the right. I began to lay on my horn, wanting the attention of the cars around me. I also began to rock my car back and forth, I did not care that I looked like a crazy person, I was. I waved at everyone to move their cars. If I could just get one person to try and move, the traffic in the far right lane was getting through on right hand turns. I had to get to that lane. The lady next to me looked at Glacier and I think she figured out what was happening. She also began to inch her way back, then before I knew it, other cars were inching back creating a domino effect, three lanes made a spot for me to cut across and I was on my way. Once I got the car moving the air kicked back in, I put all the vents on Glacier and in a second we were home. I gave him water and patted him down with cool cloths. I turned on the living room fan and he laid on the tile floor. He was ok.

I wanted to share this because I never dreamed a short car ride could be so dangerous. I know people that live up north and deal with extreme winter weather take precautions when they travel. It never occurred to me that our summers, especially this one, is just as extreme. A twenty minute trip to the store could have been very tragic due to a red light. From now on, when my dogs go anywhere with me, I will always have water for them to drink and a spray bottle to mist them. I also knew what to look for in Glacier as far as dehydration. This is how I knew he was in trouble. He did not vomit, if he had we would have went straight to the vet. Please learn from my experience!


What you need to know about dehydration:

Dogs lose fluid through: breathing, panting, elimination, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, evaporation through the feet and other body surfaces.

Dogs replenish fluid by drinking water or other liquids and by eating moist foods. A relatively small drop in body fluid (4-5%) can result in visible signs of dehydration.

Signs of dehydration:

1. The skin loses elasticity as it loses moisture. This can be somewhat misleading since younger and fatter dogs will have more elasticity than older, thinner dogs. It is important to have an idea of what your dog's skin looks and feels like on a normal basis. Pinch a little skin between your thumb and forefinger on your dog's back. When you release it, it should pop back into place immediately. (You can try this on the back of your own hand as an example) As the tissue under the skin loses moisture, the skin moves back more slowly. In extreme cases, the skin doesn't pop back.
2. The eyes appear sunken and lack moisture.
3. The mouth appears dry, the gums and nose are dry.
4. Delayed capillary refill time. Pull up your dog's lip and look at his gums. Place your index finger firmly against the gums so that they appear white. Remove your finger and see how quickly the blood returns to the gums (they will become pink in that area again). This is called capillary refill time. If you do this when everything is normal, you will have a basis upon which to compare. The gums of a normal dog refill immediately, the gums of a dehydrated dog could take 3 seconds or so to return to their pink state.

If your dog shows visible symptoms of dehydration, he may need a trip to the vet for immediate replenishment of fluids. In serious cases, your veterinarian may administer fluids under the skin or directly into the blood stream.

It's National Dog Day!

Happy National Dog Day to all our wonderful dog pals!!! Courier Life's Brooklyn Daily has a great article about our "Wag-nificent Pals" Check it out by clicking HERE.

This quote from the article sums it up quite nicely!

"National Dog Day is an opportunity to take a moment out to celebrate these skilled, smart and woof-tastic creatures, who have improved our lives and shaped our destinies — while showering us with unconditional love — like no other force of nature."

Enjoy your dogs on their special day and give them a treat from us!  Do you have something special planned? Leave us a comment and tell us how you are going to celebrate with your furry companion!

Weekly Taming Tip

Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and your 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 #20:

Time to pull out all of your dog's stuff - bowls, halters, leashes, collars, toys, bandanas, beds, crates, treat bags, etc. Give everything a good cleaning, then decide what you want to keep and donate the rest to a local shelter or rescue group! The rescue dogs will love their new items and you will love making a difference in the life of a rescue dog!

Have You Subscribed?

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter! It's a great way to keep up with all the new activities and class schedules! Subscribe! Your dog will love you for it!

To sign up, please click the following link: Subscribe

NEW CLASS: Scent-sational Sniffers

This a fun class that will teach your dog to use his/her nose! Scent work can build confidence in even the most timid dog, while helping reactive dogs learn focus and control. This is a new sport for family dogs that builds teamwork and a partnership between you and your companion.


Date: Thursday, September 15th - October 20th

Time: 7:00-8:00 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost: $125 for a six week class. Cash or checks only please.

Equipment: Easy to eat treats for your dog, water bowl, 6 ft. leash, flat collar

NOTE: This class will be limited to 6 dogs.

Sign up for this class by clicking the following link:
Scent-sational Sniffers

Check out the video from our first Scent Class! It was awesome watching the dogs use their natural instincts to hunt and find scent. Come join the fun!

Weekly Taming Tip

Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and your 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 #19:

Get a head start on training this week by picking out at least three of your dog's favorite treats.  Separate the treats according to their value.  For example, a low value treat would be your dog's kibble or cookie type treats, a medium value treat may be something moist such as jerky, a high value would be chicken, cheese, hot dogs, meatballs or any other type of meat your dog enjoys!  Keep the treats in separate packages so they will be easy to grab and go!  Save your high value treats to reward your dog when they offer the behavior that you have asked for in a high distraction environment.

NEW CLASS: Paws for Painting!

Yep, you read that right! Our new "Paw Painting" class is all about painting with your dog! This is a 4 week course where your dog will learn to target (put his paw) on different items. We will bring out the paint and help your dog create a few masterpieces! They will paw paint a canvas, a pillowcase and a T-shirt. (The canvas and a standard size pillowcase will be provided. Please bring your own T-shirt.)


WARNING: This is an extremely fun class!!

Please Note:  This class will be limited to 6 dogs.

Date:  Tuesday, September 6th - September 27th

Time:  7:30 - 8:30 pm

Location:  Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost:  $75 for a four week class.  Cash or checks only please.

Equipment:  Easy to eat treats for your dog, water bowl

To sign up for this class, please click the following link:  Paw Painting

What Can Positive Training do for You and Your Dog? Read About One Family's Experience!

Summer is winding down and all the kids and teachers are back in school. However, at the beginning of the summer the Galloway family contacted me because of a great West Highland Terrier puppy that they had named Fletcher. They were ready to enroll in puppy class and have a couple of private sessions with him. He was quite the character, a little quiet at first and then all that personality began to come out! The Galloway's worked diligently and consistently with Fletcher, at first it was not easy, they had to learn how to train. They used the clicker and learned the concepts of clicker training and then began to realize how positively Fletcher responded to the clicker. Suddenly family and pup were communicating, training was moving forward and ultimately everyone graduated from Puppy I! Fletcher now knew how to sit, down, come, walk nicely on leash and to leave things alone on cue. We then tackled house breaking, Fletcher was only wanting to run around and play instead of going potty, they learned about dog nutrition and then they learned how to help Fletcher learn self control! They have now been through Puppy II and a Beginner class. We have added mat work and stays to Fletcher's training and then slowly added distractions to all the cues he knows! Puppy training is not easy, but it is a lot of fun!

The ultimate reward for teaching good manners to Fletcher was that the Galloways took him along with them on vacation! Here is an e-mail that I received from them:

Hi Terri, We had a wonderful trip to Yellowstone! Fletcher did great on the plane and visiting family. Funny thing is - girls seemed to love Fletcher and wanted their picture taken with him, this happened three times, once in the Salt Lake City airport and twice in Yellowstone park!

Training your dog is the most important thing you will do for your dog and for your family. Positive, clicker based training leads to bonding with your pup, builds relationships and makes you want to spend time with your dog and if at all possible lets your dog experience some great memories that you and your family are making. Be careful on the training that you choose, fear based training - jerks, pops, shock collars, spraying in the face and yelling in your dog's face - takes away from the relationship you could build and in my opinion makes you look really small. If you enter a puppy class and the first thing they want to do is put on pinch and choke collars, this is a business that does not know how to train. Leave very quickly. Your first step in training is to find a positive based training program where you and your dog will thrive! In closing, I applaud the entire Galloway family for continuing their training and their commitment to Fletcher. What a very lucky little guy!

Weekly Taming Tip

Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and your 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 #18:

You can do this activity indoors or outdoors. Play a game with your dog that he loves, such as tug, fetch, chase, ball, etc.  Play with your dog for 5-15 minutes to get your dog very excited and revved up, then suddenly take a "Manners Break" and ask your dog to sit, down, or go to a mat to help him settle down. Once your dog has settled down play the game again!  After you quit playing the game with your dog if they sit, down or run to their mat without being told give your dog extra rewards!

Every Dog Deserves a Great Trainer and Here's Why ...

NEW CLASS: Adolescence: Taming the Teenage Dog

"Taming the Teenage Dog" is a 6 week course designed to help you manage adolescent behavior and build the foundation needed to have a wonderful relationship with your dog.  Our Teens will learn sit, down, leave it, recalls off of distractions, and loose leash walking. Dogs will also learn how to build self control while socializing with other dogs. 

Please Note: This class will be limited to 6 dogs that are five months old and older

Date: Monday, August 22nd - October 3rd

Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost: $100 for a six week class. Cash or checks only please.

Equipment: Easy to eat treats for your dog, water, water bowl.

To sign up for this class, please click the following link:  Taming the Teenage Dog

"How to Greet a Dog" - FREE Download

Great info on how to greet dogs - FREE for one week only! We can all use that especially our kids!! Enjoy!!

To download Dr. Yin's book, visit her blog by clicking the following link:  How to Greet a Dog

Weekly Taming Tip!

Each week we'll share a Taming Tip for you, your family and your 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 #18:

Practice one behavior that your dog already knows, but add distance to it.  Such as, "coming when called", "sit", or "down".  Reward your dog for performing the behavior and staying as you increase the distance, but remember to increase the distance slowly and do not always add distance but "Ping Pong" your distance.  You "Ping Pong" distance by taking two steps away, four steps away and then only take one step away, then you might go five steps away, keep the number of steps random and do not always increase, make it easier for your dog by decreasing the distance, and keep the number of steps random.  Remember to click and treat to help your dog succeed!

Emergency Long Distance Downs

Check out our new video!  Learn a fun way to train emergency sits and downs and see how it could save your dog's life!  Training important behaviors can all be done through games, clickers and targeting!  Everyone loves strengthening their sits and downs in the hoops!! Once the dogs learn that there is a great reward in offering behavior in the hoops, they could not wait to get there!! So always have fun training, make it a game, relax and enjoy what your dog has to offer! If they make a mistake, it is not a big deal, just break the training into smaller steps!! Such a fun way to teach, but the importance of the behavior could be enormous!! Great job Advanced Family Dog class!!