Mark your calendars for our upcoming Sit. Stay. Speak. clinic of February!
Rally Obedience and Competitive Tracking Judge and Trainer Dawn Martin will introduce to you these two great dog sports that are as much fun for you as it is for the dog! Tracking is a great sport for a dog who loves to sniff! (or a dog that may not be appropriate for group activities!) Also Agility Teacher and Competitor Janet Frank will introduce you to the fun and exciting world of Agility.
AKC Rally Obedience is a fun sport that's perfect for the pet dog!
What is Rally-O?
AKC Rally is the new dog sport that is taking the nation by storm, a successful stepping stone from the AKC Canine Good Citizen® program to the world of obedience or agility. Rally offers both the dogs and handlers an experience that is fun and energizing. The canine team moves at their own pace, very similar to rally-style auto racing. Rally was designed with the traditional pet owner in mind, but it can still be very challenging for those who enjoy higher levels of competition.
What is Tracking? We’ve all seen movies with dogs following the trail of an escapee through swamps. The AKC’s Tracking Tests allow dogs to demonstrate their natural ability to recognize and follow human scent. This vigorous outdoor activity is great for canine athletes. Unlike Agility and Obedience events that require a dog to qualify three times, a dog only needs to complete one track successfully to earn each title.
Please leave your pets at home but bring your curiosity and your questions! RSVP, seating is limited: 610-437-9978 or info@chaar.us
Coming up…
-March 10th – Herding / Field Trials & Hunting: Learn about the world of Field Trials, Hunting and Herding, the techniques used to train and master these unique skills, and see some cool demos of these dogs in action! Featuring Sheep Dog Trials Competitor and Dog Trainer Nancy Ortiz and AKC Field Trials & Hunt Test Judge and Dog Trainer Missy Lemoi. You may get the urge to give it a try!
Puppy Kindergarten is offered every Sunday on a rolling 6-week, continuous schedule. New puppies can start any time and never miss out. Each week we will work on basic puppy needs such as socialization, biting, house training, come and leash walking. The “rolling” schedule will circle through 6 themes, so no matter when you start you will be able to cover our entire puppy class!
It’s important to start puppies as early as possible, so sign your pup up today! NO CLASS FEBRUARY 19th!
Does your pooch have food allergies, stomach sensitivities or a picky palate? Check out these new flavors from California Natural and FROMM Family now available at CHAAR!
Aggression is defined by the ASPCA Behaviorist Website as, “threatening or harmful behavior directed toward another individual (a person, another cat or other animals).” Often, the purpose of aggression is to increase the distance between the animal and the perceived threat.
There are innumerable reasons why a dog may show aggression, and usually there is more than one stimulus that could lead toward the behavior. He could be dominant, fearful or guarding. It could be his breeding, hard-wiring of his brain, medical, or nutritional. The bottom line is that we can never be 100% sure of exactly why he is reacting in an aggressive manner. But, we can learn what might cause a reaction and we can train the dog to be more comfortable and mannerly with stimulus at closer ranges.
It looks like we just had our first heat wave here in the Lehigh Valley, but heat or no heat, chances are your dog still needs to get out for a walk. One commonly overlooked aspect of summer dog walking is foot health. Pavement and concrete temperatures can soar well above the outside air temperature, especially in direct sunlight. Those extra degrees can do a number on your pup’s paws. How would you like to take a stroll on the urban equivalent of a bed of hot coals? Lucky for us there are some helpful solutions to this problem. One of the most obvious solutions is to walk in shaded and grassy areas. Evening walks can be nice because the air is cooler, but the turf might still be hot – try early mornings instead. Sometimes switching up the locale or time just wont work. That’s when it’s time to find alternative ways to protect those paws. Dog boots with durable rubber soles, like the RuffWear Skyliner can stand up to the heat and survive walk after walk. If it’s really really hot, try an insulated boot. The insulation will act as one more barrier to keep the heat out (sort of like a cozey for your drink). Bark ‘n’ Boots is one example of an insulated dog boot.
Statement from American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior www.AVSABonline.org
The primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life. During this time puppies should be exposed to as many new people, animals, stimuli and environments as can be achieved safely and without causing overstimulation manifested as excessive fear, withdrawal or avoidance behavior. For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated.
Because the first three months are the period when sociability outweighs fear, this is the primary window of opportunity for puppies to adapt to new people, animals, and experiences. Incomplete or improper socialization during this important time can increase the risk of behavioral problems later in life including fear, avoidance, and/or aggression. Behavioral problems are the greatest threat to the owner-dog bond. In fact, behavioral problems are the number one cause of relinquishment to shelters. Behavioral issues, not infectious diseases, are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age.
While puppies’ immune systems are still developing during these early months, the combination of maternal immunity, primary vaccination, and appropriate care makes the risk of infection relatively small compared to the chance of death from a behavior problem.
Veterinarians specializing in behavior recommend that owners take advantage of every safe opportunity to expose young puppies to the great variety of stimuli that they will experience in their lives. Enrolling in puppy classes prior to three months of age can be an excellent means of improving training, strengthening the human-animal bond, and socializing puppies in an environment where risk of illness can be minimized.
For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated.
In general, puppies can start puppy socialization classes as early as 7-8 weeks of age.Puppies should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least 7 days prior to the first class and a first deworming. They should be kept up-to-date on vaccines throughout the class.
The Process of Socialization: Puppies should be handled from birth, learning to accept manipulation of all body parts. Every effort should be made to expose them to as many different people, well-socialized animals, situations, places, etc. as possible. Puppies should be encouraged to explore, investigate, and manipulate their environments. Interactive toys and games, a variety of surfaces, tunnels, steps, chutes, and other stimuli can enrich the puppy’s environment. Puppies should accompany their breeders/owners on as many car trips as possible. These exposures should continue into adulthood to maintain an outgoing and sociable dog.
Weekly puppy classes can offer a safe and organized means of socializing puppies and more quickly improve their responsiveness to commands. Each puppy should have up-to-date vaccinations and be disease and parasite free before entering the class. Where possible, classes should be held on surfaces that are easily cleaned and disinfected (e.g. indoor environments). Visits to dog parks or other areas that are not sanitized and/or are highly trafficked by dogs of unknown vaccination or disease status should be avoided.
Classes should be based on positive reinforcement with frequent rewards praise, petting, play and/or treats. Positive and consistent training is associated with fewer behavioral problems and greater obedience than methods that involve punishment and/or encourage human dominance.
Time must be scheduled for puppies to play alone with their favorite toys (such as stuffed food toys). This teaches puppies to amuse themselves, and may help to prevent problems of over attachment to the owners. Continuing to offer dogs a wide variety of experiences during their first year of life is also helpful in preventing separation-related behavior.
Proper confinement training using pens or crates helps to ensure that puppies have safe and secure places for rest and confinement. Puppies that are used to being crated will be less stressed if they must be hospitalized or be confined for travel by plane or car. Crates should serve as comfort or play areas.
Early and adequate socialization and programs of positive training can go a long way to preventing behavior problems and improving bonding between humans and dogs. While the first three months is the most important socialization period in a puppy’s life, owners of puppies that have passed this milestone are strongly encouraged to continue to socialize their puppies to as many people, pets, and locations as is practical.
Other topics in this class include, play biting, potty training, chewing, intro to marker training (some people use a clicker), how to develop a gentle play style & attention, leash walking and come when called.
During the summer and early fall, we spent a lot of time outdoors with our dogs; playing, walking, swimming and running through fields. But once the holiday season starts creeping in, (3 holidays in a row; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas) the amount of attention we can give our dogs can start to wane. It’s understandable; we have things to prepare, parties and gatherings to attend, plans to make, gifts to buy, friends to visit, more house cleaning duties and chauffeuring duties, company over, etc. All these new activities can cause stress on your pooch too. They can get bored, agitated, or anxious. When pets get into this mood they might hear noises or react differently to everyday things. A noise or action that used to not bother them might cause barking, growling, anxiety or excessive behaviors now. It is your responsibility to keep your pets safe and out of trouble. Look for signs of restlessness or anxiety and try to comfort your pet. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind during this busy time.
DO
Look for signs of anxiety. Some signs of anxiety to look for are: Restless pacing, excessive panting, increased heart rate, shifty eyes, tucked tail, slouching or frozen body posture, hackles up, or stiff tail. You can help your dog by talking to him in a normal or happy voice and removing him from the situation; take him for a walk; put him in his bed with a stuffed Kong, a bone or toy to dissect.
DO
It's good to have a safe place where your dog can relax.
Have a safe place in the house where your dog is comfortable and contained. This is especially important if you are having company over or kids running in and out of the house. Get an exercise pen or crate. Make it inviting and cozy by putting a comfy bed, a tee shirt that smells like you and some toys in it. You can drape a blanket over the back half of it so it feels den like to him. (Use your pen or crate every day so it’s not new when company comes over)
DO
If your dog is bothered by noises, use white noise like a fan or play some soft music to block some of the little creeks and squeaks.
DO
Make sure your dog gets enough to eat. Hunger is stressful. Think about it, if you are hungry, you can’t relax, you get cranky… don’t you?
DO
If you have a shy, cautious, or fearful dog; keep him from strangers and especially children by containing him in his exercise pen or a room where he can relax and there will be no chance he will have an accident and bite someone. It is the owner’s fault if the dog bites someone, so don’t put your dog in a position where he feels he needs to protect himself or you. You will protect him by keeping him out of harm’s way.
DON’T
Don’t run if a dog runs towards you. This will encourage the dogs prey drive. Stand perfectly still, hold hands low and close to your body, look straight forward. If the owner is nearby, ask her to call her dog off and put him away. If the owner is absent, stand still until the dog gets bored and walks away.
DON’T
Don’t try to pet a dog that is cautiously approaching you to sniff you. Stand still, look away, hands low and close to your body, look straight forward, let the dog sniff and walk away. This may be a dog who is a bit shy or fearful and may nip if feel threatened by your hand reaching for it.
DON’T
Don’t pet a dog on the top of the head. If you let the dog sniff and he appears friendly, pet him on the side of the neck or under the chin.
DON’T
Don’t forget to reward good behavior and quit when you get 2-3 good responses. Keep training sessions short, 1-2 minutes of sit stay practice every day will help to have a mannerly dog when company comes over.
It must have been a full moon last weekend! All the level 1 dogs who were usually well behaved seemed to have A.D.D. and the usual A.D.D. dogs were doing fabulous. Well, it may have something to do with the full moon, but I doubt it. Rather, some of the owners of dogs who started out very easy to train have slacked off motivating their dogs. This either confused the dog (because he’s not fluent yet in certain behaviors) or caused the dog to look elsewhere for mental stimulation. The owners who had a difficult dog to work with have to really give it their all to keep the dog motivated continued to do so, hence, a dog who is developing an eagerness to learn and is really succeeding. When starting training with a dog, it’s important to keep the dog interested. It is not until level 2 training that the dog does not have an option, we have taught him well and he must comply. That means 100% attention and commitment from you. If your mind drifts away for a few seconds while practicing an exercise (or if you are a boring trainer), you could loose your dogs attention. And if your running into trouble, think back to when you started training, how much fun it was, how proud you were when your dog did something right.
Each week I try to give the students a word or phrase to repeat over and over all week long. For level 1 and Puppy classes the first word is “Prevention”. Think about it, if you prevent all bad things from happening, no bad habits get started, there is nothing to fix, you have the perfect dog. If you prevent your dog from getting into the trash, you will have a dog who never learns to trash surf. Remove the trash. Reward when he walks past the trash and leaves it alone. Prevent your dog from jumping on you and you will have a dog who never learns to jump on you. Walk up to the dog with a treat in your hand bent over so he has to keep 4 on the floor to get the treat, then throw a ball or ask for a sit. If you prevent your dog from pulling on the leash by standing still or walking the opposite direction you will have a dog who does not pull on the leash. So, the trick is come up with creative ways that prevent your dog from bad behaviors while at the same time acknowledging and rewarding them for doing what you like.
Good manners and understanding human rules are hard for dogs. Your dog might be listen very well at home alone, but not so well when you go out or have company over. That’s why we like to add distractions incrementally. When your dog can perform around a few dogs or mild distractions it’s time to up the ante – but just a little. Let’s use learning to swim as an analogy to our training. First you learn to swim in the shallow end of the pool where the water is calm and you can touch the bottom, then you move to the deep end, you can’t touch the bottom but still calm water, and finally you can give it a try in a lake or ocean. In the ocean you have no control over the environment and yet you can still swim. What we’ve done in this analogy is gradually surrendered control of our environment as skill and awareness have increased. »Continue reading
