A Year in Review

I have to start out by saying....WOW.....what a year! So many great things to speak of.

To kick it all off, I finally opened Courteous Canine Training Services as a business this year. It's been long in the making, even longer in the waiting, but finally is here. All is going great, I'm learning so much and having a blast. I have wonderful clients who have wonderful dogs, and I am very appreciative for all that has happened this year. I am very excited at some of the plans for 2011, from marketing ideas to new classes to new services being provided.

We had a great year in Rally-O. Despite only being able to get to two weekend trials, Shimmer has blown me away once again by showing me how much her confidence has blossomed and how much she loves to work by getting six successive qualifying scores in six trials. Of those wins, we saw: Two High In Classes, one perfect 100 (in her second trial ever), and four other scores 90 or above.

Agility took a hit this year with Gaci's back injury right before the second trial of the year, which put her out of commission for two months, which is a lot during the trialling season. Shimmer, though, made a great debut into agility, obtaining 1 qualifier in her Jumpers run, with a 1st place finish, and has shown again great work ethic and drive. Once we get her teeter and her weaves polished up over the winter, 2011 will bring on some great agility weekends I am sure.

Both Zipper and Shimmer got their Canine Good Neighbour certificates in July. I am very proud of both of their accomplishments.

We got to take part in several community events over the course of the year. Some of the more memorable ones were the PEI Humane Society Dog Jog, Blue Ribbon Pet Supply's Grand Opening, and the Santa Claus Parade. I am aiming to try to increase the number of community events we take part in next year, and have to start planning it out now.

I got the wonderful opportunity to foster a super-sweet 7.5 year old Mini Schnauzer male, Harley, who had some special needs and was in need of some re-training. After two months of care and training, he made the trip to his new family, and they love him to pieces. I just had a nice visit with all of them before Christmas, and he is settled in like he's been with them forever, and he still remembers all of the fun tricks and games that we developed together. I wish him, and his family, the very best for the future.

I'm looking forward to all that 2011 will bring. Business growth, more training, and who knows, maybe a whole new training *project*?  Wink wink.

Here's to the passing of 2010, and to ringing in 2011!!!

"Don't worry.......He's friendly!!"

It is a rare dog owner who has not heard these very words, or something similar, as an offleash dog comes barreling straight at you with no signs of slowing.

Some might be thinking, "No big deal", right?

Unless you are the owner of a fearful or reactive dog, or even just a dog in training.

Despite the fact that all towns, cities, and parks in Prince Edward Island have explicit leash laws, many people still allow their dogs to run free and to approach other dogs and people uninvited.

Many dogs do not enjoy meeting other dogs while on leash, as it is very limiting and does not allow a dog to express its full range of communication to other dogs. Yet others do not enjoy interacting with other dogs much at all, and may even be fearful of the approach of other dogs offleash.

Dog owners who have dogs with issues try to be proactive with their dogs to keep everyone safe, through leashes, training, and managment, only to be run upon by offleash dogs that cause a reactive outburst. Then the owner with the reactive dog is blamed, when in reality the offleash dog rudely interrupted the dog's space which is a no-no in dog-speak.
Also, many people without dogs are not interested in having all manners of uncontrolled dogs running at their dogs, without knowing the true intent of the oncoming dog's actions. Some people think that anything other than fighting is "friendliness", but there are many other pushy, overbearing, and bullying things that these offleash dogs do that go unchecked. Even people walking without dogs do not always enjoy the assaults of offleash dogs running at them. And letting an offleash dog run up to others without invitation may result in undesirable consequences for your own dog, if for any reason the other person/dog thinks there may be a threat and responds accordingly.
Being a responsible pet owner means keeping dogs on leash in leash-law areas, and if in an offleash area, under control with training so that your dog will leave other dogs and people alone unless invited to interact. Being responsible involves acknowledgment that others use the same areas and may want to be left alone.

Just remember -your dog may be "friendly" - but not all others want to make friends!

Family Matters

Last night I had one of those nights where I was reminded of the depth that a relationship between people and dogs can reach. I've always been open in saying that of all of my dogs, Gaci is my true heart dog. We have a bond that surpasses mere training, something that cannot be put into words. She has taught me more about patience, trust, and understanding than any other person or dog.

That said, Gaci is an independent, sassy, self-thinker. Extremely clever, she figures out easily how to get what shw wants, and as a bit of a control freak sometimes let's her dismays known. Those who meet her fall in love with her, despite the fact that the last thing SHE wants is to make friends with strangers! She has that effect on others, and her lot-of-dog-in-small-body cuteness just aids that.

She's not a cuddler. She likes to do her own thing most of the time. So when I was greeted last night with a very upset gal, who looked for me and stood by my side with pleading eyes and shivering like mad, I knew something had frightened her. Without question, upon invitation she crawled into my lap and sat there for some time. I stroked her ears, massaged her cheeks, which helped to calm her. Eventually she laid down and with a big sigh finally fell asleep. After about a half hour she awoke as though nothing were wrong. She gave me a final lick on the nose and hopped off my lap to do her own thing.

I don't know what frightened her. She doesn't get scared at environmental things. But the other night the power went out in the middle of the night and flickered several times, causing the smoke detector to make some strange beeping sounds. That startled her, although she settled back into sleep. I can only think the oven timer, which sounds similar, may have triggered a scare as it happened not too long before.

Regardless of why, it once again reminded me that while she may prefer to do her own thing, and definitely has her own opinions on things, when it comes down to the serious stuff she looked for me, for acknowledgement, for comfort, and for company. A trust that cannot be expressed in our language, and stronger than any description can even begin to measure. It's something you just know when you experience it, and it makes your heart feel as big as the world.

Gaci may not be perfect. But there aren't too many things that feel more right than that bond that we share.

Looking Back......

I recently attended the Grand Opening for a local pet supply store, Blue Ribbon Pet Supply, in which I was invited to attend to answer questions, help out, and put on training demonstrations. The weather wasn't the greatest, it would rain on and off, and the ground was quite wet in general, so we were limited in what we could do outdoors, but we made the best of it. But, it was a super-busy time and there were lots of people out and about!

Shimmer and Zipper were pretty model citizens in terms of being greeters. They would practice their down/stays on mats while customers milled about, stopped to see them, and asked questions - the biggest one being "how did you teach that?". It was a nice segue into clicker training and how to teach behaviours that will hold up in even high distractions.

Shimmer practiced some of her Rally-O behaviours, some heeling, fronts, pivots, etc, and some fun tricks that she knows. She is a fun demonstrator because she gets quite into it and really bounces around. Gaci had the opportunity to show off some of her tricks as well. She practiced cleaning up her toys, opening/closing cupboard doors, climbing/perching on various objects, as well as some other tricks like Take a Bow, Spin Left/Right, etc. Gaci found the situation a bit stressful at first and was distracted by all of the folks looking at her, but eventually she settled in to work.

It's hard with Gaci though because people are so drawn to touching her and interacting with her, and she really doesn't enjoy it, so I had to balance the fun stuff with putting her to bed before I had to do too much of the "She would prefer not to be petted, but you can give her a treat!" routine. I am still torn on pulling her from public demonstrations altogether because of that, but at the same time she does enjoy the working aspect as she loves to work. 

All in all, it was a good demo weekend. There are some things I would have done differently, although the weather did dictate what we could and couldn't do, but not bad for a sort of last-minute planning situation. Here are a few more photos from that day.

Cleaning up toys!

Taking a *perch*!

Shimmer practicing some Rally obedience! 

A Successful Rally Weekend!

This past weekend was an eye-opener for me, in just how much Shimmer has progressed from the sensitive little girl that she was, to the wonderful girl that she is today and continues to become. We entered our second Rally trial together this past weekend, a total of six trials. She had two Q's from her last trial, so she only needed one more to get her Novice title, which she got in her first trial along with taking High in Class and a score of 94.

At that point she moved up to Advanced. The biggest difference is that it is all off-leash, and there are several new behaviours to learn. We had been training at that level, and was pretty confident that we would do okay. There was only one skill that we hadn't yet perfected, and I told myself that if we faced it I would take the 10-point loss rather than have her attempt to perform a semi-learned skill in the ring. Anyway, her second trial came out with her first Advanced Q and another High in Class with a score of 96! That ended day one, in which we were all tired and headed home to crash for a few hours.

Day Two yielded a busier day, as there was also obedience and conformation going on and there was a lot more going on in the arena than there had been on Friday. It was a much louder morning. Shimmer showed a little bit of stress-sniffing and some other calming signals, but she handled herself well and came out with two more Q's that day and a second and third place (her third place was a result of that 10-point loss that I mentioed above, that I knew I would likely run into), which I was very very grateful for considering that I knew she was showing more stress the second day.

After having gained two new titles in two days, I knew we were not fully prepared for the Excellent Class, so I decided to pull her from her last two trials. I'm sure we could have gotten through it with a Q, but I would prefer to take the time and work through the exercises to a high level of skill and get the good scores I know she can achieve, rather than just *get the Q* with a lower score. I also didn't want to frustrate or confuse her with things she hasn't faced before and risk having that affect her trialing, as it wouldn't have been a fluid performance like her other ones, so we enjoyed our third day at home. Shimmer slept most of the day, as she was quite tired.

All in all, a fabulous weekend and I could not be more proud! She did so well, continued working in the face of some stress, and came out with a great weekend and great performance. I'm excited to see what the 2011 Rally season brings, and it gives me a focus to work towards over the slower winter months!

5 Tips for a Safe and Stress-Free Halloween

1. Keep chocolate and other tempting candy out of reach. Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and can make them very ill. Many other popular Halloween treats can also make Fido ill as well, especially candies with the sweetener Xylitol - it is highly toxic to dogs and can make them very, very ill. You might trust your dog to leave goodies alone, but with the noise and bustle of Halloween festivities, Fido may give in to temptation and try to sneak a bite, especially if you are occupied with little ghouls at the door.

If Fido does consume chocolate or candy that you are unsure of, you should call your vet for further assistance. Just remember - just because we can eat it safely, doesn't mean our dogs can.

2. Use caution when allowing children in costumes and masks to approach and pet your dog. Your pooch may not realize that these monsters and zombies are simply children in silly outfits, and may believe there is a real threat and act out defensively. If in doubt, keep your dog in another room while treat-or-treaters are out and about.

If you need to take your dog for a walk, plan your walk earlier in the evening before the kids come out, so that you don't find youself in a tight corner with children running all about and doing things your dog might find frightening in the dark.

3. While dogs should always be supervised when outdoors on a normal day, it is much more important that you keep Fido indoors with you on Halloween night. Children may decide to play *tricks* on your dog, or may try to feed him treats through the fence that they don't realize are unsafe (or that they know are unsafe!). It will also keep Fido from finding any dropped goodies on the ground left by excited travelers.

Just remember - no everyone shares the same ideas of "fun" on Halloween night. Sometimes one person's *tricks* are another person's tragedy. So keep Fido safe on Halloween night and keep him indoors with you.

4. Some Halloween music, with its cackling and screaming, can be very threatening and frightening to dogs, who don't understand that it's all in fun. If you are one of many who like to celebrate the season in style, with the full selection of decorations, lights, and eerie sounds appearing from the darkness, it is a wise idea to ensure that these lights and sounds are not scary to your dog before Halloween arrives.
If you are thinking of holding a party, or think for any reason that your dog may not enjoy the sights and sounds of your Halloween spirit, Fido may be more comfortable staying in a bedroom for the evening, or staying with a friend or family member for the night who will keep things a little quieter.

5. You may think that nothing can or will happen to your dog. Just to be safe, be sure that your dog is wearing a properly-fitting collar, with up to date ID tags and contact information. You can never be too safe on a night when the tricks may happen as much as the treats! Keep your vet's number on hand (which should be quickly available in case of any emergency anyhow!) just in case you need to place a quick call.

Some dogs do love Halloween. For those dogs who seem to enjoy the evening-long festivities as much as you do, with visitors coming and going, you can make a memorable evening for your guests. Some dogs like to dress up (but some don't!), Fido can show off some fun tricks, the kids can give him some treats (that you have provided for them), and you can safely involve him in the activities of the evening. If you do involve Fido as part of the evening events, just ensure that you have him on leash while the door is open or keep a baby gate in front of the entrance so that he cannot bolt out of the door in excitement!

Plan ahead. Keep your dog safe. A little thought can go a long way to make an enjoyable holiday.

Happy Howl-oween!

Harley Finds His New Family

It is with great pleasure, and a little bit of sadness, to announce that Harley is headed to his new (hopefully, keeping fingers crossed!!) forever home. He completed his second in-home visit tonight, and everything has gone splendidly. His new family understands all of his little quirks and that he will take some time to settle in, but he was very happy to play with, take treats from, and go outside on leash with the family so I don't think there will be any problems with him settling in. He ate his supper there and hopped up on the couch to solicit some attention. They are a quiet, retired couple who just want a dog to love, and who do not have any children in the home. So, barring any surprises, it's pretty much the perfect match for what Harley needs.
I'm going to miss the little guy. From that first day I brought him home and he was basically feral, to seeing him warm up and blossom with us, and then my parents, and then some new strangers, it just melted my heart to see him become a real dog and start to see the world as a less scary place. He was the easiest dog once he settled in, always stayed out of the way when you were busy, but played hard, loved hard, and was a real heart-stealer. The family said they would send regular updates, and I will be checking in as well. I'm sure this is not the last I have seen of him by any means, but I want to give them time to settle in and get to know each other before I had back for a visit.

To Harley, and all the challenges he has overcome, and to finding the family that will give him the home, respect, and love that he needs, and wants, for the rest of his days. Love you buddy.

Antler Chew Toy Review: Two Paws Up!

If you have a dog who is a really heavy chewer, who can go through chew toys like they are candy, then this chew toy might be for you!

The Antler Chews from Blue Ribbon Pet Supply in Charlottetown have proven to stand up strong to the Schnauzer Trio, and their chewing power. I have had trouble finding a natural, healthy, long-lasting chew for my dogs that can stand up and last longer than a few days to a week. It is now the favorite chew toy in my house, and from morning until night there is always one dog chewing on it; you will also generally find a dog lying in wait nearby waiting for their turn to snatch it up given the opportunity.

The only store to carry them in PEI, Blue Ribbon Pet Supply carries antler chews for several sizes of dogs, and so far the quality can't be beat!

Playing the "bone game". Shimmer dragged the bed into the sunny

spot in the center of the kitchen. Gaci is chewing on the bone,

and the others are patiently waiting for their chance to snag it.



Harley and his Favorite Game

Things continue to go very well for Harley here at my home. We're coming up on a month now that he's been staying with me, and have still come across no serious issues. He continues to come with me on errands to be exposed to his surroundings and is taking it all in stride. He even handled a 12-hour day trip driving with three other dogs and going to different touristy sites with 30 other people, and handled it like a champ.

I've been wanting to get a video of Harley playing his favorite game of all - ball. He will do anything for the ball, anytime, anywhere, no matter what is going on around him. He's quite the comedian with it, and it is one of the more pleasurable times of his day.

I'm also very pleased to have gotten our CGN certificates from Zipper's and Shimmer's test in July. They look very nice, and I think I am going to get a double frame for them and hang them here in the office. A nice memory of the shy, sensitive girl Shimmer used to be and how far she's come, and a plain ole reminder of how Zipper's wonderful stability.

Next we are looking forward to lots of fun in our upcoming Rally trials, with the expectation of one, and the hope of two, new Rally titles!

Two Weeks and Looking Good!

Harley has now been with us here for two weeks.

Any issues about him being stressed about being left alone have seem to have dissipated. He goes to his room quietly and calmly, and will run right in the room when I say "Time for bed!", when I go to work or when it is actually bedtime. No more whining or barking, and he doesn't stir until we get up in the morning. He has had two nights of snuggling up in bed with us while we watched TV, but he is still sleeping in his own room at night.

He's settled right down with the eating pattern, and he's now eating in the kitchen, two meals per day, along with my other three dogs. We are working on his sit/stay during feeding time while I set down his dish and he waits patiently for his release word. His targeting and down behaviours are coming along nicely as well, and he's started to gain a bit of interest in puzzle toys, although he clearly doesn't *get* them. He'll eat the treats that come out, but doesn't really get the concept of pushing them around to work for his food.

I've been taking him outside to play along with Gaci and the ball. Gaci's not much of a ball player, but she loves the chase, so we've been playing games where he catches and brings back the ball, and Gaci races him down and back. In the beginning he was a bit guarded, and guard-y, of the ball with her, but he's beginning to understand that she's just having fun running with him, and doesn't want the ball. He's taking a bit of a rest though for a few days since he seems to have overexerted himself a bit and was tender on one leg after playing. I'm guessing he just jumped a little too much or stepped into a little rut in the ground, but all is well, just needs a little rest for a couple of days.

He had his first haircut with me this past week too, as he was pretty scruffy! And he was just the most perfect guy, didn't flinch at all and stood nicely the entire time I clipped, combed, and scissored him. The next task to tackle will be his nails, as they are quite long, but I figured that was enough for one day for a new challenge. Baby steps!

He really is developing into the most affectionate, sweet little guy. He loves his rubbies and he loves his snuggles, and is just looking for a little dose of attention here and there without asking for too much. And of course, he loves his ball!

A couple of photos of him and Gaci playing (30 foot line attached). He is the one who always has the ball in the photos.