September 2010 Graduation

Lady is under Supervised Separation.

Ceasar is a now proud Canine Good Citizen

Dakota lets her ears be checked.

Frankie demonstrates "Down"

Kilo finishes his STAR puppy test

Lady and Frankie celebrate their CGC with pupcakes!

Lady is a proud Canine Good Citizen.

Trina and Ceasar have one last moment.

Class in Progress

May 2010 Graduation and PAWTY

Congrats to all of our new STAR Puppies and Canine Good Citizens. They all worked hard for last six weeks and it has paid off. After testing was over the dogs celebrated with pupcakes and the humans celebrated with cake.

Responsible Pet Owners

Owning a dog is a serious commitment. You become responsible for making sure that your dog has access to any medical care that is needed, including preventive care. Puppies should be taken to the veterinarian early for deworming and vaccinations such as Parvo, Rabies, Distemper and Bortadella. Different breeds have different nutritional needs as well as health issues. Your vet will help guide you in finding the right food for your new family member and making sure you know what other issues you should be on the lookout for.

You are also responsible for making sure your dog is well socialized and has good manners. This means not only that he doesn't bite and does a sit and stay, but that he doesn't jump on people, allows the vet or groomer to touch him as needed and does not bark and lunge.

Last week Training by Trina held another AKC STAR Puppy Graduation and Basic Obedience Graduation. Our Basic Obedience dogs and their humans took the extra step and chose to take the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. As part of both the AKC STAR Puppy and Canine Good Citizen tests the owners sign the Responsible Pet Owner Pledge, showing that they are committed to being good dog "parents".




AKC CGC™ RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER’S PLEDGE®
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN® OWNER’S COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP
I understand that to truly be a Canine Good Citizen, my dog needs a responsible owner. I agree to maintain my dog’s health, safety, and quality of life. By participating in the Canine Good Citizen test, I agree:
I will be responsible for my dog’s health needs. These include:
• routine veterinary care including check-ups and vaccines
• adequate nutrition through proper diet; clean water at all times
• daily exercise and regular bathing and grooming
I will be responsible for my dog’s safety.
• I will properly control my dog by providing fencing where appropriate, not letting my dog run loose, and using a leash in public.
• I will ensure that my dog has some form of identification (which may include collar tags, tattoos, or microchip ID).
I will not allow my dog to infringe on the rights of others.
• I will not allow my dog to run loose in the neighborhood.
• I will not allow my dog to be a nuisance to others by barking while in the yard, in a hotel room, etc.
• I will pick up and properly dispose of my dog’s waste in all public areas such as on the grounds of hotels, on sidewalks, parks, etc.
• I will pick up and properly dispose of my dog’s waste in wilderness areas, on hiking trails, campgrounds and in off-leash parks.
I will be responsible for my dog’s quality of life.
• I understand that basic training is beneficial to all dogs.
• I will give my dog attention and playtime.
• I understand that owning a dog is a commitment in time and caring.

The Brat Zone

Have you ever noticed all of the dogs offered on yard sale sites or sitting in shelters that are around 6 months of age? There is a reason for this. That cute puppy that followed you around and did everything and anything you wanted suddenly seems to have gone deaf and is destroying your home and sanity. It is similar to dealing with a human teenager, right down to the hormone shifts and maybe even acne. (If you are planning to spay or neuter, this is the ideal time for it.)

We call this the Brat Zone and it starts around 4 months of age and usually lasts until they are 6 months old, but can go longer. Just like we mature at different rates, dogs do, too. During the Brat Zone your puppy will try to establish his position in your pack and show what appears to be downright defiance. He will test you to see what type of behavior you will or will not allow. He will also be working on getting his adult teeth in and losing his baby teeth, so he will want things to chew on to relieve that pressure.
Lots of Nylabone or Kong style chew toys will give him the relief that he is looking for and distract him from chewing on your shoes or furniture. There are also bitter sprays to deter him as well. If you don’t crate train you should at least consider limiting how much freedom he has to roam when unsupervised by using strategically placed baby gates.

The recall command will often be ignored and at this point he might even be looking for ways out of the yard, either by digging under a fence or jumping over. You’ll need to keep a close eye to prevent that behavior. Make sure your fenced yard is secured. Keep him on a leash if your yard is not secure. Don’t forget to continue practicing his recall command inside with a game of hide and seek.

Keep up with his training but don’t get frustrated if he is distracted. End with a command you know he will do, usually a sit, and call it good. Start over when you are both in a better mood. Remember, this phase will pass. With a firm resolve and lots of patience your puppy will mature and you will go on to build a terrific relationship with your dog.

Graduation and Pawtee

Sunday was a Big Day in the Ladies Training Guild, with our base STAR Puppy and Basic Obedience classes graduating. Many of the students chose to take the AKC Canine Good Citizen test and they all passed with flying colors!!!

Enjoy the pics of our testing and pawtee!

And all pawtiers had cake!!!