Relieving Stress in Dogs

After last night's storms I heard many stories about anxiety and thunder and all the attempts to calm your dog. Did you know that some dogs feel static charges before a storm? There are many capes, wraps and shirts on the market that can possibly help ease some anxiety. Here is a great article about what is available and what is in the works as far as research to help our dogs!


To read the article, please click the following link:

Putting the Squeeze on Doggy Anxiety

One Great SNARK!

Great video on dog to dog body language. Watch all the lip licking by the brown dog. Brown dog gives a bunch of signals to try and calm the Malamute. Also, look at the tightness of the leash on the Malamute. Many times a leash jerk/pop can elevate the problem.

The Following PREVIEW Has Been Approved For ALL AUDIENCES!

Here are a few things to look forward to this summer!


Scentsational Sniffers Beginner and Advanced - Starting in June!

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.


Adolescent Dog Social - Coming in May!

It is a night for you to meet people from some of our other classes and your dog will also get to make new friends!! We will have play areas, swimming pools, obstacles and a few games for you to enjoy with your dog.


Tunnels - Starting in June!

Exercise your dog’s mind and body with our Tunnel class! This class will also help increase your dog's confidence and build your relationship while you and your dog work together to navigate the tunnel course. Did we mention that this class is a BLAST??


Dog Days of Summer Social - Coming in June!

Come join us as we kick off the Dog Days of Summer!  We'll have lots of fun in and out of the water!  Your water loving dog can play in our kiddie pools, run through the sprinklers and navigate the jumps while staying nice and cool and WET!  Don't like water?  You and your dog are welcome to sit on the sidelines and watch, but we can't guarantee that you will remain completely dry!  After all the water fun, we'll enjoy a nice summer treat - ICE CREAM with lots of toppings!

NEW CLASS: Rock Solid Recall III

Does your dog ignore you when you call? Can't get him to come off of certain distractions? Are you saying the word "come" over and over with no success? It is time to sign up for our Rock Solid Recall class! You and your dog will learn a series of games that not only bring attention to you but will make your dog love to be with you and come to you when called even off of high level distractions! Learn what a "poisoned cue" is and how to fix it!!

Warning: This is a class loaded with fun, wear your running shoes!!

Date: Wednesday, March 21st - April 25th

Time: 6:00 - 7:00 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 bowl, long leash (no flex leashes please), whistle (whistles can be purchased at the time of class)

NEW EVENT: Puppy Social

Spring is here and it is time for one of our favorite events, the Puppy Social!! It is a night for you to meet people from some of our other puppy classes and your pup will also get to make new friends!! We will have play areas, swimming pools, obstacles and a few games for your puppy. While they are playing you can enjoy a burger off the grill and maybe set up some play dates with the new friends you will make. This is a great opportunity for an evening of socialization.  Adolescent dogs don't feel left out, your social is just around the corner!!

NOTE:  This event will be limited to 15 puppies.

Date:  Saturday, April 28th

Time: 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost:  $5 per person

Menu:  Burgers, Chips and Drinks

To sign up for this event, please click the following link:  Sign Me Up!

NEW CLASS: Therapy Dog / CGC Prep and Evaluation

Do you think your dog can make a difference in someone else's life? Maybe Therapy Dog is for you! This class is for those who would like to learn more about pet therapy, and will help you and your dog develop the skills needed to become a successful Therapy Dog Team. You will learn how to have control of your dog while visiting a facility, including a reliable "sit", "down" and "stay" with a few added tips and tricks to help in special situations. Many of the skills that you will need to be a successful team build on the foundation of basic obedience that your dog already knows and some skills may be brand new to you and your dog. In this class, we will teach obedience with distractions, and help build confidence so that petting from a stranger, clumsy petting, group petting and loud noises will be less stressful for your dog. We will practice role playing a visit, loose leash walking with increasing distractions, and how to read your dog's body language.  You will be able to practice these skills in class, but homework will be assigned to help build your relationship with your dog.

Our Canine Good Citizen (CGC) class will take you and your dog through all the steps necessary to earn your Canine Good Citizen. The CGC is a great accomplishment to have for the family dog or a dog that is being considered for Therapy Work. Earning your CGC, means that your dog has been evaluated and is considered to have good manners in public — to be a “Canine Good Citizen”!

The CGC evaluation is scheduled for the last night of class, June 20th.  The cost of the evaluation is included in the price of the class.

The first 30 minutes of each class will be devoted to learning the skills and behavior necessary for your dog to earn his or her Canine Good Citizen.  We'll use the last 30 minutes of class to concentrate on helping you and your dog develop the skills needed to become a successful Therapy Dog Team.

Date: Wednesday, May 2nd - June 20th  (Please note:  We will not have class May 9th.)

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost:
Therapy Dog and CGC Prep and Evaluation - $125
CGC Prep and Evaluation - $85 
Cash or checks only please.

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

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

NEW CLASS: Cool, Calm and Confident

Cool, Calm, and Confident is a class that is all about building up your dog's confidence, through the use of tunnels, arches, ramps, wobble boards and stairs. We will also do a small amount of scent work, which will allow your dog to build confidence by using his or her natural ability to succeed in finding the scent source. This class will help you with desensitizing your dog to sounds such as thunder and fireworks. You will also be introduced to tools that you can use in your home to help release stress and anxiety.

Date: Tuesday, April 3rd - May 22nd  (Please note:  We will not have class May 8th.)

Time: 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost: $125 for a seven week class (Cash or checks only please.)

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

To sign up for this class, please click the following link: Sign me up!

NEW CLASS: Beginner Family Dog

Six week course designed for the family companion. Family dogs will learn basic cues (sit, down, stay, leave it, come, and mat training) through targeting, shaping and fun and games!


NOTE: This class will be limited to 6 dogs.

Date: Monday, April 9th - May 7th

Time: 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost: $100 for 6 sessions. Cash or checks only please.

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

To sign up for this class, please click the following link: Beginner Family Dog

NEW CLASS: Rally

Can your dog sit, stand, lie down and then stay in any of these positions while you walk a circle around him? Can your dog come to front, finish to the left or to the right, and move along on your left side when you walk or run? Can your dog maneuver around safety cones, jump on command, and back up a few steps at a time? If so, why not use these skills, along with the teamwork you and your dog have developed, and attend a Rally obedience class? Rally-O is a fun way to integrate known commands, continue learning, and build teamwork. Dog and handler teams follow a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform. This is a fun way to polish off obedience!

Prerequisite: Beginner family dog or instructor evaluation.

NOTE: This class will be limited to 6 dogs.

Date: Tuesday, March 27th - May 1st

Time: 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Location: Taming the Wild Side Training Facility

Cost: $100 for a six week class

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

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

Chicken Jerky From China May Harm Your Dog!

FDA records show that three big brands may be tied to chicken jerky illness in dogs. To read the article, please click the following link:

Warning - Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

Bottom line, do not buy food or treats that are made in China. This would include the dog foods sold in grocery stores and Walmart. That is why you can get a 40 pound bag for $20, if it is even that much. There is nothing in the ingredients but fillers, by products of animals and if it says animal by products it could be from any animal. It also contains glutens and if it has grains it is not the whole grain that we eat but the hulls and unedible part of the food. Your dog's body is not absorbing any nutrition which is the cause of scratching, extra shedding, runny eyes, chewing on paws and 5 piles of poo everyday. That is why you have to feed 3-4 cups a day! Spend the extra money on quality food such as Wellness Core or Nature’s Variety at Petco or buy from Doggiefood.com. When feeding high quality food, large dogs will eat around 2 cups a day and your dogs will have fewer potty problems and skin and coat issues! Same applies with quality treats. In the long run a bag of food will last twice as long and you are not feeding junk that could harm your pet.

Phew. What's That Smell?!? SKUNK!!!!

We all have had a close encounter or our dogs have actually been sprayed!! Here is a sure thing on how to de-skunk Fido:

Better than Tomato Juice as a Skunk Rinse

I keep it in my dog files. We have skunks all the time. How about you? Any skunk stories out there?

Hike and Picnic - Benbrook Lake

Join us for a hike and picnic at Benbrook Lake!  We'll hike the trail to Benbrook Lake, where we will stop and have a picnic.  This is a nice area with plenty of room for your dog to play and swim.  If your dog loves the water, bring a long line and some water toys.  Please bring a backpack with your lunch, drinks, dog treats, water, water bowl, toys and anything else that you think you might need.  At this time, cars are not allowed in the picnic area.  After our picnic, we will hike back to the cars where dessert will be provided.

Date: March 24th

Time: 10:00   Please meet at the Training Facility at 9:30. If you would like to meet us at the trail, please call the morning of the hike to determine a meeting location.

Where: Benbrook Lake

Length: Approximately 3.5 miles

Difficulty: Difficult

Cost: $10 per person. This covers the park entry fee, drinks and dessert. 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. Know your limitations, this is a difficult hike, you may get wet and muddy.  Please wear hiking shoes/boots, as parts of this trail are wet, rocky and slippery.

To sign up for this hike please click the following link: 

Benbrook Lake Hike and Picnic

Please Note: In the event of rain the week of the hike, please check your email or call us. We may change the location of the hike due to extremely muddy conditions.

It's Okay to Play With Your Food! REALLY!

The "Toy of the Month" is the Buster Cube!! Remember most behavior problems come from boredom and not enough exercise!! However, along with exercise dogs need to be mentally stimulated. This is a great toy for that stimulation! The dog must continue to overturn the block to receive the food that comes out. You can use Roger Abrante's formula of using 1/3 of their kibble for training, 1/3 of their kibble for feeding in their dish and 1/3 of their kibble for hunting and mental stimulation. Available on Dogwise.com, comes in various sizes and I ordered mine today!! Have fun and get out and play with your dogs!!