Thursday, May 14, 2015
We lost our Sweet Katie this past Monday morning. She was 19 years old and her 20th birthday would have been in June. She gave us some wonderful years and many laughs. She had a lot of life! Hug your dogs, make them family, let them go through the bumps of life with you instead of giving them up and give them a lifetime of love. Even with 20 years, I would take one more day... I will miss you so much, you have many that have welcomed you at the bridge!
What is fluency?
The ability of the dog to do something with ease and accuracy. If your dog can learn how to win reinforcement, and how to fight for it despite challenges, then you will be a truly successful team. What are your reinforcers? Do they change in various environments? What is the learning history, consistency, positives, negatives? Are you building stress? Does your dog feel safe? If your dog isn't listening, there is an error in your training not with the dog...
Meet Loki!
He is a Catahoula Retriever mix! Absolutely beautiful and full of energy! Loki is in our private lesson program and one of the areas we worked on was his crate. He did not like his crate, would not go in his crate and when he did he would tear up his bed that was in it. I reintroduced his crate playing many "crate games" and rewarded a lot for any interaction with the crate and he received more treats for stepping into the crate but he was always allowed to leave on his own. When he began to stay in his crate longer and comfortably with the door open, we began to reward when door was closed for just a minute. Our rewards were a mix of food and fetching toys, going into the crate was the button that launched a toy for fetch! A bigger problem the family had was he would wake them throughout the night, so they were not getting any rest before starting their work day. This is Loki now with his crate. He rests in it during the day on his own and he sleeps in it throughout the night. Now everyone gets to rest! I am only the guiding tool, the family has done the real work through patience and being consistent in their homework throughout the week! Hats off to Loki and his family!
Soldier Spring Park Play Day!
Well it was play day for some of our crew today. A friend recommended this park to us and it was a real gem! Everyone has been quiet and asleep for hours!
View the rest of the photos by clicking Here!
 |
| Great Sign! |
 |
| Penny and Journey! |
 |
| Cool tree stump! |
 |
| Millie, Dixie, Fernando and Glacier Bear! |
 |
| She turned around... Too steep! Came down with mom! |
If you stick to the scientific definition for dominance and then look more closely at the dog's behavior, body language, and the reaction of the animals around him, you'll find dog behavior to be much more nuanced and interesting....than the typical, my dog is dominant or an alpha.
More on that here!
http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/dominance_in_dogs_is_not_a_personality_trait
More on that here!
http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/dominance_in_dogs_is_not_a_personality_trait
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Good Techniques With Good Results!
Good article and great training techniques to help in this type of situation. We use some of these techniques at TTWS, with good results!
Check out the article here!
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_10/features/Resource-Guarding-Behavior-Modification_20368-1.html
Check out the article here!
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_10/features/Resource-Guarding-Behavior-Modification_20368-1.html
A big shout out to Claudia and Dobie!!
They are our newest therapy dog team! They evaluated this weekend and passed with a Pet Partners Complex rating! Congratulations and loved having you in class!
Monday, April 13, 2015
Training Tip!
Worked with a dog today that they thought suddenly began food guarding from his housemate. He has put on 10 pounds due to some meds that he was on for an infection. He has been off the med for 2 months but the side effect is increased hunger and takes several months to get out of the system when you stop it. We have changed how food and treats are stored and managing where they eat. Trainers are like detectives trying to connect all the dots. All information is helpful! It is not always just about behavior. Medication can effect a dog physically as well as create a problem mentally! Know your dogs medications and side effects.
Dixie Goes to the Library!
This was a great day to teach the kids at the library all about the basset hound! They had a great story about Charlie the Ranch Dog. Dixie performed tricks that showed off her long ears, (we missed the photo of her ear grab) big paws and just how smart the basset hound really is! Thanks to Lucy, Linus and the East Parker County Library for inviting us to come out!
Smile and "Smile"
Not knowing the difference between a smile or a warning can end up in the emergency room. These are not cute pictures when children are laying on the dog, hugging or crawling on the dog. Don't put your dog and family at risk.
Amazing video!
This is a great video of some of the work people are doing with fearful dogs. We have also used the technique of letting the dog brush against you to begin getting comfortable with our personal space and learning the safety of touching us at their own pace. it is important to not put social pressure on these types of dogs in order for them to succeed. It will come in their own time as they learn to trust again. Beautiful video.
http://themetapicture.com/this-dogs-aggression-was-thought/
http://themetapicture.com/this-dogs-aggression-was-thought/
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
We are giving a big shout out to Midge and Jack and to Michele and Isis! They are in the Recall class and have been practicing hard! This week Midge called Jack to her while he was in the process of running towards the cows in the neighbors pasture. he whipped around and recalled right back to her! Michele called Isis back to her while she was in the process of chasing a rabbit! Love hering these updates! Keep rewarding for those recalls! Great job this week!
 |
| Midge called Jack off the crows! |
 |
| Michele called Isis off of a rabbit! |
TRAINING TIP TUESDAY!
TRAINING TIP TUESDAY from 4Paws University: Does your dog respond well to training in the house and backyard, but finds your neighborhood far too distracting? Take your dog to a location where distractions are only slightly higher, but low enough that he or she can concentrate on the lesson.
I love one of our local cemeteries. It dates back to the 1800's and has gorgeous landscaping with lots of shade (important here in Sacramento, where it's over 80 degrees 50% of the year). It's a fascinating walk for history buffs.
If walking around a cemetery sounds creepy to you, that's okay. Check out your local business parks. Also, if there's one thing the recession brought us, it's a bunch of abandoned retail parking lots, which are great for practicing training for dogs who have difficulty ignoring all the amazing smells that grass can hold. On weekends, it's pretty easy to find parking garages with plenty of space and little to no traffic. They provide a nice, shaded area to practice in the summer.
Tennis courts can be terrific places to practice off-leash recalls and long-distance stays and are often vacant during the week. Obviously, when training in these areas, be respectful of those around you and obey leash laws and any and all posted restrictions. At the cemetery, we give mourners plenty of space and, for dogs that have a tendency to mark, we stay away from any of the gravesites and stick to the paved roads. My goal is to go unnoticed during and after our visit. And, it probably doesn't need to be said, but make sure you have plenty of poop bags on hand. I find as long as it is clear that I am working on training, and not there to let the dog play or socialize, people don't mind sharing these spaces. When you start thinking outside the neighborhood walk, you'll be surprised how many potential training areas you will start to spot while driving around. As with changing any criteria in training, the time to move back to the neighborhood, your local park, or other areas with greater distractions is when your dog is so attentive and well-behaved in the current location, that you feel the need for a greater challenge to keep you both from getting bored!
BONUS: Even if your dog isn't easily distracted in your neighborhood, practicing training in a wide variety of environments will help your dog generalize the training you've done, making it much easier to get good behavior in new places where he's never been before! Because it will probably come up: The dog in this photo is nervous about strangers, and the muzzle serves to keep well-meaning dog lovers from trying to approach him while he's enjoying his walks and training sessions. He is a bright, sweet, sensitive boy and a dream to work with! Want to learn more about muzzle training, check out the folks at The Muzzle Up Project!
If walking around a cemetery sounds creepy to you, that's okay. Check out your local business parks. Also, if there's one thing the recession brought us, it's a bunch of abandoned retail parking lots, which are great for practicing training for dogs who have difficulty ignoring all the amazing smells that grass can hold. On weekends, it's pretty easy to find parking garages with plenty of space and little to no traffic. They provide a nice, shaded area to practice in the summer.
Tennis courts can be terrific places to practice off-leash recalls and long-distance stays and are often vacant during the week. Obviously, when training in these areas, be respectful of those around you and obey leash laws and any and all posted restrictions. At the cemetery, we give mourners plenty of space and, for dogs that have a tendency to mark, we stay away from any of the gravesites and stick to the paved roads. My goal is to go unnoticed during and after our visit. And, it probably doesn't need to be said, but make sure you have plenty of poop bags on hand. I find as long as it is clear that I am working on training, and not there to let the dog play or socialize, people don't mind sharing these spaces. When you start thinking outside the neighborhood walk, you'll be surprised how many potential training areas you will start to spot while driving around. As with changing any criteria in training, the time to move back to the neighborhood, your local park, or other areas with greater distractions is when your dog is so attentive and well-behaved in the current location, that you feel the need for a greater challenge to keep you both from getting bored!
BONUS: Even if your dog isn't easily distracted in your neighborhood, practicing training in a wide variety of environments will help your dog generalize the training you've done, making it much easier to get good behavior in new places where he's never been before! Because it will probably come up: The dog in this photo is nervous about strangers, and the muzzle serves to keep well-meaning dog lovers from trying to approach him while he's enjoying his walks and training sessions. He is a bright, sweet, sensitive boy and a dream to work with! Want to learn more about muzzle training, check out the folks at The Muzzle Up Project!
Meet Peanut!
This little ray of sunshine is in our puppy class! Peanut is deaf but that did not slow her down learning eye contact, a sit, leave it and a little leash walking! Thanks to One Step Closer Animal Rescue of Texas for bringing her to classes! She did great today!
Dinner!
So this week I made a pork loaf for the dogs. It should last about 2 weeks. I used 6 pounds of ground pork, added blueberries, celery, asparagus,carrots, 6 eggs with crushed shell. I precooked all the vegetables to soften just a bit then chopped them in the Ninja. Mixed and put into two pans. Baked at 350 for an hour and a half. Will cut into nugget pieces and use for their dinner. I will also add a bit of fish oil.
Meet Deeks!
He has found his new forever home and has officially lived them for one week! Welcome to Taming the Wild Side, looking forward to many classes and hikes together. This boy has walked into a little piece of heaven with the Mills family! Such a handsome boy!
Monday, January 12, 2015
Filling A Dogs Tummy!
With all the information and research about the poor quality of kibble, we strive to buy what we feel is the best quality kibble on the market but I love to cook for the dogs and feel much more comfortable feeding them food that I have cooked. I know nutrient wise it is much better for them. Our challenge is the cost of cooking for ten dogs but I have been cooking more lately and am finding that with the correct recipe I can provide good food and still be frugal with our money. I will begin to post some of the recipes that I will be trying at least once or twice a month. Each recipe should last us a couple of weeks so you may need to cut back on your recipe. Hope this helps. These recipes are from a holistic vet that also parallels the diet with eastern medicine. She will speak of cool and warm foods to heal different ailments, interesting and following! I will also add fish oil to my recipes. We are doing this one this week!
It's a dreary day, so I decided a nice warm stew was in order for the dogs. I am using 6 pounds of chicken (whole chicken, cut up, will remove bones after cooking). This is a Qi (energy tonic) and is warming. By allowing the bones to cook, I am adding the marrow, which is a Jing tonic to replenish the kidneys. 2.5 pounds of chicken livers as a blood tonic, 1.25 pounds of chicken gizzards and hearts to support the heart (had another pack, but the pot was too full!), 3 parsnips and 2 sweet potatoes. Warming, Qi tonics, root vegetables for Jing. About 1/3 pound of spinach as a Blood tonic and for extra vitamins and minerals, 5 ounces of Shiitake mushrooms which are cooling, draining and cancer-fighting. Two apples were added for fiber. I will add 1 cup of steel cut oats once things cook down a bit, as oats are also warming. This is a 12-quart pot and the total cost of this stew was $34. It will make enough food for our 6 dogs for at least one week. #dogstew #petfood #petcare
It's a dreary day, so I decided a nice warm stew was in order for the dogs. I am using 6 pounds of chicken (whole chicken, cut up, will remove bones after cooking). This is a Qi (energy tonic) and is warming. By allowing the bones to cook, I am adding the marrow, which is a Jing tonic to replenish the kidneys. 2.5 pounds of chicken livers as a blood tonic, 1.25 pounds of chicken gizzards and hearts to support the heart (had another pack, but the pot was too full!), 3 parsnips and 2 sweet potatoes. Warming, Qi tonics, root vegetables for Jing. About 1/3 pound of spinach as a Blood tonic and for extra vitamins and minerals, 5 ounces of Shiitake mushrooms which are cooling, draining and cancer-fighting. Two apples were added for fiber. I will add 1 cup of steel cut oats once things cook down a bit, as oats are also warming. This is a 12-quart pot and the total cost of this stew was $34. It will make enough food for our 6 dogs for at least one week. #dogstew #petfood #petcare
Training Tip!
It is very important to desensitize your dog to a muzzle even if you do not have handling issues with your dog. When dogs are hurt or they don't feel well they can become aggressive. It would help to have the dog trained to a muzzle before you actually need to use one. Giving your dog a treat as they interact with or when they put their nose in the muzzle is a great way to make the muzzle a positive tool. Yesterday was spa day for our Fernando! He does not like to be handled but he needed a bath, an ear wash and his nails trimmed so out came the muzzle. He is already desensitized to the muzzle and knows it means a great treat is about to come when he wears it. We were able to even pick him up to put him in the tub and finish everything else we needed to do. We fed him grilled chicken pieces through the muzzle as we worked with him. As he learns to trust us we will be able to remove the muzzle and work without it but for now the muzzle helped give him a very positive and safe experience which is just a deposit in the bank of trust for us!
 |
| Our Fernando! |
 |
| The muzzle means time for grilled chicken!! |
Sunday, January 4, 2015
A review from puppy class today! Puppy Socialization Matters
Puppies between the ages of 3 to 18 weeks are like sponges. They are prepared to learn what is safe in their world. They can easily be taught that people are wonderful, dogs are fun, having toys taken away is a good thing, loud noises are not scary, skateboarders are no big deal, nail trims are great and being alone is a good time to relax with a chew toy.
Puppies need multiple positive experiences around people, dogs, sights, sounds and new places. They need be touched and handled followed by good stuff (think steak or chicken).
Food and object guarding can be prevented during this period by teaching puppies that it is great when someone approaches her food bowl or takes away her bone. Thank you Yaletown!
Puppies need multiple positive experiences around people, dogs, sights, sounds and new places. They need be touched and handled followed by good stuff (think steak or chicken).
Food and object guarding can be prevented during this period by teaching puppies that it is great when someone approaches her food bowl or takes away her bone. Thank you Yaletown!
Well our first day back at training and our HUGE shout out goes to JR and Atlas on a great recall! We have been practicing recalls with this handsome boy for awhile. He is adolescent and up and down about recalling but today he was a champ! We had him in a large open field practicing many chase games, treating, heeling, sits, downs,stays and recalls. While were practicing recalls the long line we had snapped and broke! Atlas was loose and he knew it! He played with us, our hearts were thumping but we stayed with the training plan and very calmly recalled. He bounced and played and then came close. It was a game but he did recall and we added a down and stay. I petted his head and lowered my hand to his collar while JR fed him the remainder of treats! Such a good moment for all of us but a reminder that you continue with the training plan particularly with an adolescent dog! Their behavior is very up and down as they are developing physically and mentally. He was in training mode but his attention was completely on his owner today and the pay off was huge! What a big boy! Nice job today!
Yes you can train dogs to be calm and settle but you do have to help them work out some of their energy beforehand! Good article and training path to get there! With ten of our own dogs hiking and training is what works for us!
 |
| Click here to view the article! |
Another great article by the phenominal Karen Pryor!
"training with reinforcement involves more than just being nice, and more than using reinforcers. It involves creating a climate of security in which it is safe to learn new things, and safe to rely on what you've already learned. In this climate an animal can learn to control itself, rather than being controlled by you. In this climate, rather than just reacting to the environment like an untutored shelter dog, barking at every noise, plunging towards every attraction, jumping on everyone and everything, mouthing and smelling and grabbing—an animal becomes confident and calm. In this climate, having confidence that your cues are meaningful and will lead toward pleasant goals, the dog is trusting and—this is very unscientific—the dog is happy.
 |
| Click here to view the article! |
Friday, January 2, 2015
Christmas Hike Photos!
We had a great walk and great fun playing around the decorations and lights! Always one of our favorite walks every year! Thanks Jim and Mary Beth for pictures!
 |
| Treats for the grown ups! |
 |
| Brittany and Journey enjoying a snuggle! |
 |
| John and Maverick! |
 |
| Bill and his wonderful hat with Emmy! |
 |
| Cutest snowman ever! |
 |
| Everyone gathering to begin! |
 |
| We had fun in the Winter Wonderland! |
 |
| Playing around the tree! |
 |
| Dixie wanted to break out the treats before the walk! |
 |
| We are off! |
 |
| Waiting for Dixie to break out in a joyful howl?! |
 |
| Colleen and sweet Mantha! |
 |
| Robert and Jeep! |
 |
| Finny and the snowman! |
 |
| Candy canes and homemade nutty bacon maple syrup dog cookies! They were a hit! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)