Of Cheeseburgers and Tennis Balls

Yes this is a receipt from an actual ordering/eating experience of mine recently. I'm not proud of it. But it made me think: only humans can be this self-destructive. Horses and some other animals will eat until they bust a gut (literally), if given the opportunity; but that's only because they're herbivores who in the wild pretty much needed to eat whenever they could grab a snack. We humans don't have that excuse.

Although it's sometimes said that dogs will eat themselves to death, most owners know this isn't the case. Yes if your pup gets into a pile of steak after only eating dry kibble for five years he'll probably  gorge himself sick, but that's purely because of the novelty. I've known one dog who was fed ground beef every day and would turn his nose in disgust if you showed it to him before you finished cooking it! What a food snob! (R.I.P. and props to Gaspar, if anyone else in his pack is listening.)

I find dogs to exemplify an amazing mix of pure pleasure-seeking id-satisfaction, on the one hand, and healthy, natural, balanced psychology and behavior on the other. This is my dog Turtle's version of gluttony:

Turtle's pot of gold.

Of course some dogs have unhealthy obsessions - over food, beds, bones, toys... I've recently been working with a pit-bull obsessed with car tires. (He chews them until his gums bleed.) But in most cases these urges can be channeled in healthy directions. Although dogs are all about doing what's pleasurable, normal dogs with proper outlets stop playing when they're tired, stop eating when they're full, and stop guarding when they feel safe.

Dogs won't go near coffee or cigarettes. And though I know some who like the foam off a fresh Guinness, none I know of will intentionally drink themselves silly.

A certain amount of hedonism is not only natural and healthy, it's undeniably at least part of what life's all about. But most of us would be both healthier AND happier if we could learn to regulate our pleasure-seeking behaviors the way dogs seem to do so naturally (and without paying a shrink).

At least then we wouldn't end up looking like this:

Fat-me
(courtesy of a very unpleasant iPhone app called "Fat Booth")

SHHHH...! When NOT To Talk To Your Dog

Most people seem to think that dog training amounts to teaching dogs to obey commands like "Sit!" and "Stay!"

Teaching commands is certainly helpful. Commands like "Sit", "Stay", "Come", "Down", "Drop it", and "Heel" can be useful in many situations, help you keep your pup safe and secure, and build his confidence.

There are many times, however, when talking to your dog is ineffective, or even counterproductive - and instead, silence is the best medicine. Often when I'm in someone's home working with their dog, they remark to me with surprise how few words I use. I actually only noticed this after multiple families pointed it out to me!

Here's my list of some of the main behavior issues with which it is often best to work silently:

1. Aggression (you want to create a peaceful state, not a high-tension, alert one).
2. Dominant behaviors (you want a submissive, cooperative mindset, again not alert/tense).
3. Hyperactivity (you want calmness).
4. Excessive barking (you want quiet, attentiveness).
5. Stress/fear/anxiety (you want calmness, relaxation).

The most obvious example of a time words fail is when treating excessive barking. If you shout "No! Stop it! Bad dog! Hush!" (sound familiar? :) your pup will simply think that you're joining in the fun and barking along with them at the horrible menaces outside!

Although it is possible to eventually condition a dog to stop barking on verbal command (or do anything, for that matter), as with ANY obedience training you must FIRST get the desired behavior; only AFTER that can you "name it" - so the dog can associate the word with the action.

If you talk first, without getting the behavior, you only accomplish one of two things:

1. If pooch doesn't yet know the word, you're wasting your breath.
2. If pooch does know the word but is just ignoring you, you're actually reinforcing his disobedience! Since he's enjoying his the bad behavior, he's getting rewarded for ignoring you.

So what to do in the meantime, in silence, when your dog misbehaves? You must communicate to him the way dogs communicate to one another: primally, physically, with energy, body language, and the other four senses. No one is a better "dog whisperer" than a mother dog with her pups; and she doesn't speak a lick of English!

Here's my list of the most effective alternatives to verbal commands:

• Body blocking
• Herding
• Eye contact
• Leash tug/communication
• Leading/walking
• Pointing
• Touch
• Physical manipulation (e.g. sit, lie down, or turn around)
• Snap
• Clap
• Corrective sounds
• Calming tones
• Rewards (pets, calming tones, approval, praise, clapping, running, playing, treats)

Next time you want to get your dog to behave, try making yourself stay silent while you do it. You'll be surprised what good listeners they are!

A beautiful day for tracking

So this morning was absolutely beautiful. So much so that I decided to take advantage of my day off and take Jenny out for a tracking session. I admit I prefer nice weather when I train outside. I'm also not always raring to go in the mornings. To many years working late shifts in the military I suppose. My internal clock is set to "sleep in" and "stay up late". Not the best schedule for getting things done normally I know.

I've been meaning to work on her article indications. I can do that at home, but thought maybe doing it at one of our training fields might help her make the connection faster. Basically in AKC tracking you want them to follow the track exactly and let you know when you find something the "person" they are finding/following dropped. Jenny is a fast worker and tends to blow past them. But I think it was because I didn't concentrate on teaching her how to let me know she found one in the beginning of her training.

An article can be made of anything. Metal, plastic, cloth, and leather are just a few examples. I decided I want her to sit when she finds one. Or at least paw at it long enough for me to get to it before she moves on. So first I practiced with the articles individually. I used a clicker to get her to acknowledge it was there, then to put a foot on it, then to sit after she puts her foot on it. Once she grasped that I moved on to doing a few in a row. I rewarded her for the sit, then I would pick it up and moved to the next one. (photo above is staged and taken after we were finished training)

Here I have a cloth toy, a piece of see through plastic, a rubber tog toy, a pedometer, a metal bandaid box, a lego car and then a leather glove in a row. First I did the row on the pavement, then I did a row in the grass. Once I thought she had that I set up a couple tracks. The first was through a gully with 2 left turns. (shown below)

She did great until we overshot the first corner and I got lost. I forgot the simple rule of: "All dandelions look the same when you are on a track so don't use them as mental markers". Seriously. But we backtracked and I found it. Then she air scented and cut her corner so I need to work on that. For the next track I just did a straight line and used an extra amount of articles. She did pretty well even though I could tell she was tired.

I'm hoping to get to a group tracking practice on Sunday if my schedule allows. It is also hunting season and I am toying with the idea of getting her back into the bloodtracking as well. It is a lot of fun and I know she enjoys that because there are no articles to worry about and the end item is a yummy deer leg. I should probably chose one tracking sport and stick with that. It might make it all easier. I think sometimes I have ADD when it comes to dog events. I have a hard time choosing just one to concentrate on. I guess I need to work on that. Interested in Tracking? Check out the following site for books and equipment: www.pawmark.com



I love this plate!!



My 7 post challenge

I was tagged quite awhile ago in the 7 post challenge by: inu-baka blog: my seven posts 
Unfortunately I tend to over think these things hence my delay in getting it posted. I finally decided it wasn't cremation or casket, (my sons saying for when I am stuck on a decision) and therefore stopped thinking about it so much. So here are my 7 posts.
My most beautiful post: This is a tough one. I chose the one I thought had some good writing and that I want people to see because of the message it has in it. Judging a dog by it's breed is killing dogs and it needs to stop. It also makes me cry every time I think about it. So here is a Dog Named Worf.
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Most Popular Post: I had to go look at my stats to figure this one out. Here is: How to make your own Rally O sign holders.
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My Most Controversial: OK it was hard to pick just one. I guess I would need to go with these two based on comments and e-mail conversation I had after posting. Debunking the dominance myth and Alpha rolling in Wolves and Dogs.
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My Helpful Post: Again I couldn't narrow it down to just one. So here are a few that I think are most useful:  A lesson in canine greetings, and Loose Leash Walking. And for anyone with a dog that needs help with stairs: My own project runway.
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Success surprised you: Again I went back to my stats to see what came up alot. For some reason it was this post: Frenchie as Frankendog. I can only assume it has something to do with words searches somehow, though I have to wonder just what exactly they were searching for.
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Didn't get the attention it deserved: This one was easy for me to choose. Reading Facial Expressions in Dogs. I still haven't found any mention of "The Thinking Face" on other blogs or videos. I also think most info out there on reading facial expressions is geared to the non-flat faced breeds. I am unsure why that is.
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Most surprised you: This was a tough one. I'm not sure what constitutes surprise exactly. I chose a post I thought should have gotten more oohs and ahhhs than it did. My Dog Tattoo Quest Fulfilled. I was also hoping for other dog people to share their dog related ink! (You can even post photos on my facebook page!)
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Now I'm supposed to pass this on to 5 blogs I have been following but may have missed their more important posts. I chose these in no particular order:
Frogdog Blog
Retrieverman's Weblog
Of Cows' Tails and Chew Toys
Save the pitbull, save the world
The Spiritdance dog tracking and sheep herding blog

I'm also going to tag a new blog to my blogroll as well so I can get to know them better:
Lessons from and for 4 legs

Participation is completely optional and I will not be offended if you to chose to ignore the tag. Thanks for the challenge Jen!! Blog on!!

The squeaky wheel syndrome

I know I blog alot about Jenny. So much so that poor Jack gets left behind in the background. A lot. There is a saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". That is certainly true in this case. Jenny is much higher maintenence than Jack. Because of her allergy issues she has special foods and frequent vet trips. (Can you imagine Jack with allergies? Yikes!!) Because of her higher energy level she gets more training attention and more walks to burn off energy than Jack. I do take a lot of photos of Jack as well as Jenny but being his color many of them don't show his face very well. It is the curse of having a black faced dog. Lighting issues can be a problem.

Jack is an easy keeper on many levels. Thankfully he seems content to play second fiddle. How do we know if our dogs are really happy about their lives? I guess we can assume some things based on their behavior. He doesn't chew things up when he gets left behind out or boredom or anxiety. Of course I do leave him a kong and chewies so he has that instead. But maybe he is just lazy, kinda like his owner. I admit that I could never be a border collie person. I just don't have that kind of energy.

Thankfully Jack is a laid back dog who is also very tolerant of his bratty sister. You should see how she bosses him around! (She has no idea he could take her out if he chose. Ahhh the benefit of domestication!) He loves to have a good game of tug now and then and he likes to go to bed early. He hates to get his feet wet but standing in the rain doesn't phase him at all. He makes the most adorable chuffing sound when he is happy. He's not a big fan of walks on a leash but he loves to run in the woods. He loves attention and I'm pretty sure he thinks visitors have all come to see him.

But there is much more to Jack that I don't always remember to mention. I like to think of him as a working dog. He comes to the prison and helps socialize puppies or he's a distraction while we work them around him. He has helped me with reactive dog clients and he has helped socialize many chow puppies over the years. If there were ever a contest for BEST DOG EVER he would be nominee number 1.

He may be one of the sweetest dogs I have ever lived with. There will never be another dog like Jack for me. I am super blessed to have him and I know it. Because of this I think he may be my last akita. I just cannot imagine another that could fill his shoes! (um paws)

So this is my post all about Jack, a dog behind the scenes for sure but nonetheless loved and appreciated by us all. I've posted just a few of my favorite photos of him.

I hope we have many more years together. I cannot imagine how to be without him after all. Nor do I want to.

Book review ~ The Allergy Solution for Dogs

Just when I thought I was pretty caught up on all my events and could get back to blogging, I came down with a cold of some sort. Ugh. I muscled through the last two days at work but it wasn't fun. Today I just couldn't do it and stayed home. I'm feeling a little better at the moment, aside from a still burning throat, so thought I'd try to get at least one post done. I finally finished the book I bought awhile ago I picked up at Planet Dog on allergies. Here are my thoughts about it:

I also work as a receptionist at a conventional veterinary hospital so some of the info wasn't new to me. However I have to say I found it very well put together and I did learn a few things. More than a few actually. Even tho I work at a vet I don't consider myself one of those people who knows everything. Nor do I automatically assume just because someone is a vet that they know everything either. (much to the annoyance of my boss I am quite sure)

One thing I've learned is that I do have more options to try with Jenny. It helped explain a few things I didn't understand as well before too. Having gotten so much info and advice in the past on allergies in dogs, it was nice to have some things explained out in a way I could process it. My brain gets overwhelmed sometimes.

One of the things I have already started is trying to boost her immune system. One way I have approached that is to feed her a high quality food. Reading the book "Food pets die for~Shocking facts about pet food" by Ann Martin was a huge wake up call for me on this issue. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to know how to read a pet food label and be able to decipher it! (Be sure to get the third edition.) It has all kinds of information about what is in pet foods that you need to know. Tho I disagree with her thoughts on raw feeding. I don't understand how she can dismiss a vets thoughts on selling their brand of food and then on the other hand agree with them on the dangers of feeding raw. An opinion which leads them to recommend clients buying their food. Hmmmm. I still think it is an important book on the subject regardless.

Anyone who has been reading this blog regularly knows I have tried a few different diets over the years. I've even done some raw feeding. While I support raw feeding, I just personally couldn't keep up with the work it entailed with everything else I have going on. I have two teens and a husband in the house and I don't cook for them either. Nuff said!

Because of my belief that real food is better for dogs than much of the processed stuff out there I have Jenny on The Honest Kitchen foods. It is a dehydrated diet that uses high quality ingredients to begin with. They are one of the few companies that can say they use Human Grade food in their pet foods! Aren't our pets worthy of food good enough for US to eat? Why are we feeding so many of them our waste from our cast off food products? It is also processed an a FDA inspected human food facility alongside food for human consumption. But I digress. (You can check out their website yourself FMI.)

She is currently on the Force formula which I just switched her to. I have also used the Zeal formula and the Keen formula. I'm also giving her the THK invigor supplement (an antioxidant for the immune system) and their sparkle supplement. (supports healthy skin and coat) As well as an omega 3 supplement, allerplex, dermatrophin, coconut oil, and plant enzymes/probiotic. I am planning on trying a few more things I read about in the book too. I am curently weaning her off some Temeril-P which I had her on for a spell to keep her comfortable. (It is a low dose steroid and antihistimine.)

One of the other tips that was in the book was to use frequent baths to keep allergens off the dog. Since she tested allergic to dust mites (along with grain mites) I think this is an important step I have been slacking on. I'm going to try doing this more often to see if it helps.

Overall I can say I highly recommend the book to anyone who has a dog with allergies. It does say that there is no cure for some dogs with some of the issues, but it gives you some options to explore and questions to ask your vet. It helps you be a good advocate for your dog which is important. It is a book with a lot of great information on the subject and I'm glad I found it. I hope others find this review helpful.

**In looking through my bookshelf I realized how many dog books I still have waiting to be read! Stay tuned for a give-away including said books (slightly used) with some HK samples for anyone interested. I am still working out the details but I promise FREE STUFF soon!**

Fur and Foliage Followup

Saturday was the Humane Society of Knox County's annual Fur and Foliage fundraiser event. I am happy to say it went off without a hitch. The weather was fabulous and we had very good attendance. I was in charge of the "Try-your-luck" agility course and answered training and behavior questions for free. It is always fun watching kids (and adults) trying to get their dogs to co-operate on the course. The rules are: no pulling or pushing your dog to get them to go, and we want to see you having fun! I help whoever needs it on the course with lots of motivation in the form of cheese. Everyone gets some sort of prize at the end and a certificate. Our biggest competitor this year was a mastiff and our smallest was a dachshund. It was a hoot to watch.

We tried to add more vendors this year. Unfortunately some couldn't make it but we did have more than we had last year. My friends at The Smiling Frog Pets came and did very well. They donated some of the prizes for the agility contest too. CW studios glass work, Barefoot Books, and The Loyal Biscuit Co. were some of the others that made it. Thanks also to Tri Pom Chews for donating to our raffle even though they couldn't attend. We had a balloon artist that was amazing and a caricaturist too. We also had some live music this year which was new. I have to admit I was worried about that addition but it was fabulous.

We also had photos with Santa and this year added a fall scene area for photos as well. I thought it looked great. I only wish I had my own dogs there to take advantage of it. The Maine POM project was also in attendance and we had other fun stuff like face painting for the kids who were there. I saw lots of cat faces so I assume it was a hit. Lots of money was raised thanks to all of the walkers collecting donations. Congrats to Missy Parkerton and Joette Adams for being the top 2! These ladies have been in the top for about 3 years in a row now. How awesome are they?!!

Sadie from the K-9 Corrections program got to attend since she is currently looking for her new home. She is seen here wearing her "Adopt Me" vest. Extra thanks to Kim Grinell for making that for her at the last minute. She looked great!  I also got to see Mason at the event. He is one of the former K-9 Corrections dogs. His new name is Ollie and he is doing fabulous. I bought a few raffle tickets myself and this year even won a couple items! It was very surprising as I rarely win stuff. Especially stuff I really want. One was a bag of delicious Made in Maine chicken jerky from Tri-Pom Chews (I know it is delicious because Jack told me so!) and the other was a gift basket donated by the Loyal Biscuit. Nice! Before you say I am being selfish by keeping my prizes let me assure you that at least half of the stuff is headed to the prison for the K-9 Corrections dogs. I have always been good at sharing. :-)
I'm sure I am forgetting something important but those are the highlights as my brain has remembered them. I look forward to next year as we plan in it being even bigger and more fun. Stay tuned! Many more photos of the event can be seen on my facebook page. They aren't the best though since all I have for a camera at the moment is on my phone. As they say, something is sometimes better than nothing!

موسوعة : علم كلبـــك أمــــر طاعــــة في خمــــــس دقــــــائق ( متجدد ) تم اضافه الجزء 5

السلام عليكم



بعد صراع مرير ومشوار طويل وإجتهاد وتطوير وإبتكار وتعديل وتجارب وفشل ونجاح ودراسة وإطلاع ودورات وندوات وعلم أخذ من العمر سنوات توصلت إلي ان كل ذلك يمكنني إختصاره لكم في خمس دقائق ولما لا !

كل العالم الآن يتجه نحو السرعة والدقة قارن بين اول حاسب آلي ( كمبيوتر ) إمتلكته انت وبين ما تقرأ عليه موضوعي الآن ! فرق
قارن بين أول هاتف تم إختراعة وبين هاتفك الآن ! فرق قارن بين سيارة جدك وجدي وبين سياراتنا الآن ! فرق
قارن بن أول كتاب في حياتك قرأته وبين أحدث الكتب الآن ! فرق
وبعد المقارنة نجد أن التطوير إمتد لكل فروع العلم وليس الأشياء المادية فقط وبالطبع يجب ان يمتد إلي حتي تدريب الكلاب وبما أن كل شيء قديم إن قارنته بينه وبين نفس الشيء الحديث تجد الفروق التالية:

,

في الحجم القديم كبير الحديث صغير
في السرعة القديم بطيء الحديث أسرع
في الحدود القديم مشتت وواسع الحديث محدد ودقيق

كان لابد من تلك المقدمة كي أقنع البعض منكم الذي يمكن ان لا يقتنع ويتساءل كيف سأعلم كلبي أمر في 5 دقائق ؟ وردي علي هؤلاء إن لم تقتنع بالخمس دقائق اليوم تأكد إن كان لنا من العمر بقية ولقاء سآتيك مستقبلاً بالأحدث والأكثر تركيز لتعلم كلبك في دقيقة واحدة فقط !!!

لذلك لا تدع الفرصة تضيع منك اليوم ولا تضيع وقتك وإبدأ بتعليم كلبك بالوسائل الأسرع والمركزة وبنتائج مذهلة



نصائح عامة إرجع لها إن صادفك أي تعثر في تنفيذ التدريبات

1- تأكد بأننا جربنا وكررنا ونجحنا وعليك ان تنجح ايضاً
2- إن لم تحقق نجاح تأكد بأنه حدث خطأ في التطبيق فأعد المحاولة من جديد وتأكد بأنك ستنجح
3- خلال تنفيذ التدريب ضع في إعتبارك أنك تتعامل مع ( كائن حي ) وهذا يتطلب تركيز نفسي منك وعدم تسرع في النتائج
4- الكلاب تختلف من فصيلة إلي أخري من حجم إلي آخر فكن علي قدر المسؤلية بما يعادل الفصيلة التي تتعامل معها وحجمها
5- قبل ان تبدأ في تنفيذ التدريب نفذ تجربة مع نفسك أولاً بدون وجود كلبك لتتاكد من إتباعك وحفظك خطوات التمرين فحين تلتحم مع كلبك وتبدأ التمرين لن تطلب منه الإنتظارحتي تعود وتقرأ التمرين لتتذكر الخطوة التالية!
6- انت تتعامل مع تدريبات مركزة وسريعة وكلب رد فعله وإستجابته أيضاً مركزة وسريعة لذلك يجب ان تكون انت أيضاً مركز وسريع

مع اطيب تمنياتي لك بالتوفيق وتأكد بأني معك ويمكنك ان تعود بأي إستفسار فالترحيب بك ستجده قبل الرد علي إستفسارك

ولا تنسي ان تصافح كلبك لتسعدا بما انجزتما



دمتم بخير

إضغط علي إسم التدريب ستنتقل تلقائياً إلي التدريب

التمرين الأول
(1) الأمر no

***********

التمرين الثاني
(2) الأمر Back


**************

التمرين الثالث
(3) الامر come

***************

التمرين الرابع
(4) الأمر Sit

***********

التمرين الخامس
(5) الأمر fetch أحضر

السلام عليكم

الكثير منكم ليس لديه الوقت صح ؟ صح
الكثير منكم يستعجل تدريب كلبه صح ؟ صح

إليكم سأقدم أسرع وسيلة لتعليم وتدريب الكلاب لأوامر الطاعة فتستطيع ان تعلم كلبك كل امر خلال 5 دقائق فقط
لا تندهش الأمر يسير فقط عليك ان تسير علي الطريق الذي سأرشد إليه لدينا فقط خمس دقائق نريد ان نستغلها أفضل إستغلال خمس دقائق وترتاح من عناء عناد كلبك خمس دقائق ستنبهر بالنتائج وستجد الإبتسامة ترتسم علي وجهك كما لم تراها من قبل خمس دقائق ستجعلك تعشق كلبك أكثر لأني سأقنعك وابرهن لك أنه أنه أنه فعلاً ذكي ويحتاج فقط إلي خمس دقائق ليطيعك

الدقيقة الأولي:
جهز 10 قطع لحم أو قطع لانشون سادة وقطعها مكعبات 2سم

الدقيقة الثانية:
إذهب إلي كلبك وإجلس بجواره علي الأرض وتحدث إليه بصوت ناعم كأنك تسأله عن حاله وقدم له المكعب الأول هدية وعربون تدريب

الدقيقة الثالثة:
ضع مكعب لحم لكلبك امامه علي الأرض سيحاول الحصول عليه كن أسرع منه وضع يدك امام المكعب لتمنعه من الحصول عليه وفي نفس الوقت بصوت عالي NO سيرجع كلبك برأسه وينظر إليك خذ المكعب من الأرض وقدمه له بيدك

الدقيقة الرابعة :
كرر ما تقدم في الدقيقة الثالثة بعد إنتهاء هذة الدقيقة ستكون إستهلكت من 5 إلي 7 مكعبات هايل مازال لديك أربعة أو ثلاث إنه إنجاز وكلبك يتقدم وانت تبتسم وسعيد بما أنجزت

الدقيقة الخامسة الحاسمة:
كرر ما سبق في الدقيقة الرابعة بمكعب واحد يحاول ان يأكل كن أسرع منه و يدك علي المكعب تعزله عن فمه مع NO
ركز هنا هنا مفصل التمرين والنقطة الحاسمة لنجاحك (( ضع المكعب التاسع علي الأرض مع إصدار وتكرار NO NO )) ستنبهر كلبك لن يقترب من المكعب خذ المكعب وإمنحه إياه وإمنحه مكعب آخر الأخير وإحضن كلبك وإبتسم وردد Good Good

وتنتهي الدقيقة الخامسة وكلبك يتقن الأمر NO تماماً أمر لا يصدق

إنتظر هذا ليس كل ما لدي لا تستعجل أنا أعطيتك تمرين آخر داخل هذا التمرين وكلبك أتقنه هل تعلم ما هو ؟؟

أنتظر مشاركتك وإبلاغي بالتمرين الثاني الخفي الذي علمته لكلبك مع امر الطاعة NO

أرحب بود بأي إستفسار علي هذا التدريب وإلي اللقاء لتعلم أمر طاعة آخر فقط في 5 دقائق وحصرياً في رابطة محبي الحيوانات

أعتذر عن عدم إدراج صور أو فيديو لعدم عمل رافع المنتدي

ورداً علي مداخلتك الثانية القيمة بالتأكد وانا اعلم انك تعلم الإجابة والجميل في أسئلتك انك تريد تفصيل التفاصيل للإخوة الأعضاء حديثي العهد بتدريب الكلاب لذلك دعنا نفسر الأمر

الكلب في هذه المرحلة من التمرين بالذات لأنك جالس بجواره رغم انه يعلم إنك الأقوي والمسيطر بيكون متابعك ومنتبه لك لدرجة فوق الممتازة ويتابع حركة يدك ويسمع أمرك وفعل إرادي منه لأنه يبحث عن العنصر الثالث الذي ينقصه لترسيخ الأمر بذاكرته (ملامح وجهك وعيونك ) ونتيجة وضع يدك علي الطعام وسماعة no بيتراجع برأسه ليقرأ ويترجم حركة يدك وصوتك ويؤكد الأمر بملامح وجهك وعيونك !

وعندما يكف الكلب عن المحاولة والعناد في تحقيق ما يريد فعله وينظر الى المدرب
يكون هذا الفعل استسلام واقرار بأن المدرب قد ربح والكلب قد خسر وهو مستعد كليا لتنفيذ ما يريده المدرب ويتخلى عن رغبته الشخصية وهذا مدخل مهم للمدرب ليتولى القيادة والتأكيد علي ماسبق رأي للدكتور مناف طبارة دكتور في علم النفس الحيواني صديقك الذي نرسل له ولك أطيب التحية

Woofstock Wrapup

Saturday I went to Woofstock 2011 with Jenny and a couple friends and their dogs. Angelica and Leo (above) and Ashley and Prudence. (below) I had a blast even tho I admit I almost didn't go. I'm not always a fan of these events. Let me explain. Going where there will be a lot of pet dog people and their dogs can stress me out. Mainly because pet dog people sometimes do things that they don’t realize can cause problems in a crowd of dogs. For instance: not keeping a close eye on their dog so they tangle people up in their dog’s retractable leash. Or they let their dog get to into another dogs face that isn’t appreciative of an unknown dog (to them) getting into that space. Or maybe they don’t realize their dog is too stressed out to relax and being on edge can cause them to lash out. I’ve seen a lot of things at some of these events that make me nervous. This is one example of a time ignorance is bliss. It is less of a problem at dog shows or trials where most of the people in attendance (show dog people and sport dog people) understand canine body language and don’t typically let their dogs get into another dogs space without permission.

But I did go and I had a great time. I also rarely take my dogs to these events. Mainly because I am usually working at them in some capacity. The last time I went to Woofstock I had one of the K-9 Corrections dogs with me at the shelters booth so he could be seen by potential adopters. There were lots of great vendors and many rescue groups as well as the POM Project. They also had some great demos of stuff like Agility and Frisbee and even Freestyle. I got asked to participate in the Freestyle class with Jenny by my friend Nancy of Gooddogz Training. Jenny LOVED it. Any chance to earn some treats is a good time for her. I have to admit she did well and I might need to consider trying out some Freestyle training in the future. This is her looking for crumbs between tricks.

Jenny ate A LOT of freebies from vendors. She also got to snarf up crumbs as she found them. I’m sure it was her idea of Heaven. In the future however I need to remind people that she is a SMALL dog and so therefore a small treat is more appropriate for her. I thought for sure she might have some bowel issues in her future. (the ride home was shall we say, odiferous) When she started asking to go out frequently the next day I wasn’t surprised. It turned out that she ended up with a urinary tract infection instead. (poor girl!) So she is currently on an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory.

Aside from hanging out with her doggy friends Leo and Prudence she also got to meet a bunch of other dogs, including a super cute pug puppy. She was so small I could have fit her in a pocket! Tho I suspect her family wouldn’t have been as excited by that as I was. There were all kinds of dogs in attendance in all sizes from Great Danes to Chihuahuas.

The event is put on by Aubry Martin of The Animal House. She does a fantastic job! The layout was super easy to navigate this year and I loved that the demo ring was smack in the middle. I can’t begin to remember all of the vendors but here are a few that I loved: Classic Hound had some fabulous martingale collars but I managed to control myself. (Tho they may be at the Fur and Foliage event this weekend and if so I may succumb to their charms. Yes I am a collar hoarder.) Zeldas Biscuit Bakery had some fabulous new flavors to try. Jenny gave them 4 paws up! Tripoms Chews is always a favorite of Jennys. Mmmm chicken! Uncommon Paws had my favorite Olly Dog treat pouches and the tiniest doggles I've ever seen! I also got to speak with Dr. Kjersten Morrison DVM of Mid-Coast Veterinary Acupuncture about Traditional Chinese medicine and Acupuncture for Jenny’s skin issues. I may be exploring that option down the road.

Of course there were also many pet food reps including one for my favorite, The Honest Kitchen. Speaking of which reminds me to brag about my awesome lawn sale find. At the event they have what they call a lawn sale area. It is all pet stuff that is donated by people and the proceeds go towards all the rescues that are attending. (all the proceeds from the event including tickets go towards all the rescues as well) Well I found not one but TWO cans of this! Guess how much I paid?? Now this is originally a $16.99 item. Go on, guess.

WRONG!!!

I got them for only ONE DOLLAR each!!!!! I felt like I had won the lottery. I was very excited. (you can probably tell) It is a supplement made by the Honest Kitchen that I was planning on getting at my local store to try. It is used to help support their immune system. Since Jenny has such chronic skin issues I thought this was a good one to try. I have also switched her to the Keen formula from Zeal. I read a very good article about how some dogs do need grains in their diet to thrive and thought I would try it for awhile. I do plan on switching her a couple more times to try some more formulas they offer as well. (Because I love that company!) Embark, Force and Thrive all seem like they are appropriate to try in the future. I want to get away from fish for awhile and see what happens. I have noticed that she seems to be getting a little hair growth in her neck area. (fingers crossed) I also have started her on this supplement:

It is supposed to be good for their skin and coat. We shall see. It smells good and she seems to love it. I am going to be getting a couple more supplements soon to add as well. I've been reading the book on allergies I picked up at Planet Dog awhile back and it is very good. It has given me a few other ideas of things to try for her. Suddenly I don't feel so overwhelmed by it all. Of course I may be changing my tune at any moment so think good thoughts for her. Here she is practicing a new trick we are working on mastering. (Excure the poor lighting. It was my phone camera.)

The ball is from The Smiling Frog Pets shop. Go check it out!

Special thanks to Ashley Bickford for the use of her Woofstock 2011 photos. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I need to get a new camera.

مجموعة الكلاب الشغالة - كاملة تجد هنا جميع انواع الكلاب التى تنتمى لمجموعة الكلاب الشغالة - Working Group الاكيتا - Akita ويطلق علية ايضا جبانيس اك

مجموعة الكلاب الشغالة - كاملة
تجد هنا جميع انواع الكلاب التى تنتمى لمجموعة الكلاب الشغالة - Working Group

الاكيتا - Akita
ويطلق علية ايضا جبانيس اكيتا - و جرات جبانيس دوج

Alaskan Malamute

Anatolian Shepherd Dog
وموسمياتة الاخرى - (Coban Kopegi) (Karabas) (Perro de pastor de Anatolia) (Anatolischer Hirtenhund) (Chien de berger d'Anatolie)

Bernese Mountain Dog

Black Russian Terrier

Boxer

Bullmastiff

Doberman Pinscher

German Pinscher

Giant Schnauzer

Great Dane

Great Pyrenees

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Komondor

Kuvasz

Mastiff

Neapolitan Mastiff

Newfoundland

Portuguese Water Dog

Rottweiler

Saint Bernard

Samoyed

Siberian Husky

Standard Schnauzer

تلك كل مجموعة الكلاب الشغالة - ارجو ان تعجبكم
__________________

سبحان الله والحمد لله
ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله العلى العظيم