Human Dog Connection Do dogs sense their owners feelings

I talk a great deal about the human/dog bond. It is one of the reasons that I think walking your dog regularly is important.

People who have been around dogs for any length of time may begin to notice that the dog can sense your feelings. They can sense when we are sick. Most of the time when I am sick, Copper acts remarkably different. He stays physically closer to me than usual. I have noticed this with many dogs that I have had the pleasure of living with over the years.

Dogs can also sense our frustration. This is one reason that I encourage people to keep training sessions short and to end on a high note. If you get frustrated with the dog, he will sense that and become more stressed likely heightening your frustration. This soon becomes a vicious downward spiral.

I think my dogs can also sense when I am irritable or feel down. They certainly act differently. Copper really gives me a wide berth, so to speak, when he senses that I am angry, irritable, or just feel a little down.

I bring this up because, in training, it is important that you be in the correct mindset. If you have other concerns that are causing you stress or making you angry, try to do the training work with your dog when you are a little more relaxed and less stressed. It will make things more pleasant for you and your canine buddy!

You know, dogs are really pretty incredible animals. I have noticed over the years that my dogs have been very sensitive to weather changes. If a bad thunderstorm is coming, I can usually tell hours before it arrives just by carefully watching the behavior of my dogs. If you know what to look for it is easy. I have said before that dogs are very much routine oriented animals. If I see my dogs voluntarily breaking their routine, something is always causing it. Sometimes it is a change in the weather.

Well I hope you are all having a great week!

I am finally starting to feel a little better and am getting some work done.

Remember if you would like to talk about your dogs behavioral issues, I am always available. Feel free to contact me.

Till next time 

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

678-702-4791

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Why Is Dog Training The very best Thing We Can Do For Our Pet dogs

Were always told how essential it is to train our dogs, however what exactly is dog training and why is it so essential anyhow?

The following list discusses why it is absolutely important that we provide proper socialization and training to our canine friends.

Please read these 5 undeniable reasons why we owe it to our canines to practice them:.

Dog training helps to develop and enhance a productive and healthy relationship with your canine.
Dog training opens up the lines of communication between you and your canine. A real type of two method communication is established through favorable non violent dog training. You and your canine will discover to interact with each other in an equally considerate manner, based on co-operation and understanding.
A well mingled and practiced dog will become a fantastic life-long buddy, work companion and friend. An untrained dog can rapidly become a burden and a limitless source of aggravation. Instead of having an uneven relationship where you are continuously chewing out or reprimanding your inexperienced canine, why not set your dog up to succeed by supplying some leadership and clear guidelines for him/her to follow?
A qualified dog is a well appreciated and trusted member of society who is welcomed virtually anywhere. This has to be a favorable thing for your relationship does not it?
Training avoids many usual "pet dog issues" from ever arising.
A whole array of typical dog behavior troubles can be avoided through some obedience training. Pet dogs are creatures of practice so why not utilize this to your advantage by helping your canine to establish etiquette routines from a very early age? If you are proactive and established some easy standards and regimens for your puppy to follow you may never ever need to deal with devastating behaviors such as digging, chewing, extreme barking as well as separation stress and anxiety.
You may even pick to get your canine to perform an alternate habits in location of the existing trouble. An example of this would be if your pet dog was up surfing your counter tops for food scraps you might get him/her to "go to your area" instead.
The substantial bulk of "bad pet dogs" or pet dogs with behavior problems eventuate because the dog has actually never been instructed any much better. Many probably if you offered a delicious chew toy and did some chew toy training then your dog would be even more than delighted to chew on the toy only.
An experienced pet dog is also a pleasure to consider a walk (no pulling!) and trips to your Veterinarian or Pet dog Groomer are never an issue.
Practicing your dog is a required safety measure for you, your canine and everything that comes into contact with your dog.
Having your pet dog under voice control in any scenario is an extremely comforting position to be in - it may even save your pet dogs life one day. If your canine is about to bolt out onto a hectic roadway or get something hazardous it is terrific to be able to instantly step in and alter their behavior with an obedience training command such as "no", "come" or "leave it".
An appropriately socialized and practiced canine is a much safer proposal around other dogs and animals. Dog training plays an important duty in informing your dog how to act appropriately around yourself, your youngsters and visitors to your home.
An experienced dog is confident, comfortable and safe and secure with his/her area in your home.
A well qualified canine appreciates the support, structure and boundaries you provide with training. Its far much better than having a worried, anxious and baffled dog who is continuously being chewed out for things he/she doesnt even comprehend. Practicing relieves much of the disappointment and tension that exists in between you and your dog.
Practicing sets up appropriate family rules for your dog to follow. It deals with such issues as bolting out the front door, chewing, jumping up on visitors and extreme barking.
Dog training offers a great release or outlet for all of your dogs pent up energy. This energy has to come out in one method or another so why not carry it into something efficient like obedience training?

A trained dogs life takes a far various course to that of an inexperienced dog.
The majority of dogs that end up in animal shelters arrive there due to the fact that they have at least one habits trouble - numerous of these problems can be quickly controlled with some basic obedience training. Behaviors such as jumping up, mouthing and cheeky barking which you thought about to be charming in your young puppy suddenly become an actual issue as the canine grows up.
When we bring a new pet dog into our lives we are bringing a various types into a world that is completely foreign to them - our human world. We owe it to our dogs to help them fit into our lifestyle by clearly revealing them exactly what is expected of them and what is appropriate behavior - this is what dog training offers.

So there they are, the 5 reasons I believe every pet dog should have a minimum of some fundamental training - for everyones advantage.

I would, since training your dog is one of the genuine joys of possessing a canine, it is fantastic thrill. Time invested training your pet dog is time well invested - for all included.

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What should I do if a dog fight starts

I always enjoy watching Snoopy fight the Red Baron. However, real dog fights are not a matter to be taken lightly.

The issue came back into my mind when I read a story on the news about a dog fight that happened in a Petco Store in Austin, TX. The local ABC TV affiliate in Austin has the story on their website at http://www.kvue.com/news/Petco-responds-to--214415401.html .

Appearently, this particular Petco is located in a higher crime area than the one at which I worked in Peachtree City, GA. The Petco in Austin felt it necessary to hire an off-duty law enforcement officer as a security guard. A fight broke out when a dog got away from its handler and attacked another dog. For some reason that is obscure and nebulous the off-duty law enforcement officer decided that the best way to handle the situation was to fire two shots from her handgun into the dog who was the aggressor. This all happened inside the store.

I realize that I may not have all the facts regarding this situation however, it appears to me at least ,from my reading of the story, that there are multiple things wrong here. Readers and friends, I have been around dogs for the vast majority of my life. I have seen many fights break out among dogs over the years. I have never used deadly force to break up a fight. There are too many less dangerous options.

It is particularly remarkable that the shots, in this case, were fired inside a store that was open and presumably had other customers inside. The officer did move folks out of the line of fire before killing the dog however that does not give me much comfort regarding the situation.

I am no physicist nor am I a firearms expert. However, my common sense and rudimentary knowledge of physics and firearms leads me to the conclusion that discharging a firearm under any circumstances in this type of environment was a very dangerous undertaking. Even with people outside the line of fire, the projectile fired from the weapon could have ricocheted off any number of surfaces and hurt someone or some other animal.

I am also perplexed about why the security guard was handling this situation in the first place. This store presumably has a dog trainer. I was the Dog Trainer at the store at which I worked. As part of my training to become a Petco Certified Dog Trainer I was taught the proper procedures to use in the unlikely event that a dog fight broke out in my store or in one of my classes. The store management and other staff knew that I was qualified to respond to urgent situations involving dogs in the store (a dog fight, a dog running loose in the store, etc.) . I was never armed and would not have shot the dog twice in any attempt to break up a fight.

Okay..... Now that you have a wonderful example of the absolute wrong way to handle a dog fight perhaps I should explain the proper way. It is not rocket science. Dogs are not all that complex.

The best way to address this is prevention.  When you are out in public with your little buddies, I strongly suggest that you adhere to a three foot rule regarding other unfamiliar dogs. I always maintain a three foot separation between my dogs and other unfamiliar dogs. Remember, if the other dog is unfamiliar to you, there is a great deal of important information regarding the other animal that you do not have.  If the other dog has not been properly socialized or is not up to date on vaccines an up close encounter with your animal could be dangerous and ill-advised. Some dogs have severe dog aggression issues sometimes these dogs are great with people but dangerous with other dogs. This can happen for a variety of reasons but, for our purposes here just realize that some dogs are great with people but very aggressive and perhaps ever territorial with other dogs.

No matter how careful we are however, sometimes things, beyond our immediate control, occur and we are confronted with a dog fight. Sometimes they are just little disagreements that can be broken up pretty easily and are more noise than actual fight. Other times however, they are very dangerous for the dogs and any people who attempt to break them up. So, you must understand how to do this properly.

First, as I have written before, dogs take their cues from you. Remain as calm as possible! If you yell at the dogs and are overly agitated the dogs sense this and it makes things worse.

Next do whatever you can to divert their attention from a distance. Make a noise. There are little air horn like devices sold for this purpose. In a pet store you could kick a shelving unit or something like that
to get their attention. If the fighting does not immediately stop try throwing a blanket or towel or something over or between the dogs. We would utilize the big dog beds for this purpose at the store.

If this still does not stop the fight, you can use water. We always had a bowl or two of water for the dogs in the training area. These can be dumped on the dogs. We also sold citronella spray. The dogs hate the smell of this stuff and it can be useful in redirecting their attention.

In the extremely unlikely event that the above measures fail, you will have to take more up close physical action. Please read this carefully. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU GRAB THE COLLAR OR THE FRONT OF THE DOGS THAT ARE FIGHTING. You dont want to be this close to the mouths and more importantly the teeth. If possible have a helper handle one dog while you handle the other. Grad the HIND legs. In order to prevent further injury to the dog grab the leg as close as possible to the dogs body. This will prevent it from twisting. Lift up kinda like you would lift a wheel barrow. Then spin the dogs away from each other. Get them as far away from each other as possible. And get them medical attention if needed.

Remember also, any breed can be aggressive and dangerous under certain circumstances. So, please be careful with your little buddy when meeting new dogs. I used to always cringe when I saw strangers in the store letting their dogs sniff each other on leash in the store. This is not a good idea. A great deal of problems can be averted by simply following the three foot rule.

Also learning about dog body language is helpful. I will be happy to teach you what I have learned over the years about reading a dogs body language. Many times situations can be averted if you just know the warning signs and entirely avoid dogs that are showing aggressive or stressful body language. I give these stressed or aggressive guys much more than three feet. It is beyond the scope of this blog to teach the body language. But if you are interested, please contact me and I will happy to teach you what I have learned.

Be safe out there with your little buddies!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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What to do with a dog who is malnourished or underweight

If you look closely in this picture, you can see
that Foster Girl Penny the Tiny Beagle was
underweight when we first brought her to the Dog
Training/Foster Shack

All too often, we , as dog lovers we have to care for malnourished or underweight dogs. Sometimes it is a result of some sort of illness. Sometimes we take in a stray or adopt/foster a little guy or girl who has simply not eaten regularly in quite some time.

Boomer the Beagle in his later years

As many of you know, in the early 1990s I adopted a sweet beagle from the Dekalb County (GA) Shelter. He was a 9 month old anxious little guy named Boomer. Boomer was my companion until he died of renal failure at the age of 15 years. We had lots of fun together and I learned a great deal about anxiety issues in dogs from working with him.

When he was about eight years old, I was working as a Computer Network Engineer/Consultant at a now defunct company in Sandy Springs, GA called Consultec. Boomer got sick. I do not remember exactly what the health issue was now but a nasty side effect was that he lost a lot of weight very quickly. I could see all his ribs and some of his backbone. His normally extremely healthy appetite had disappeared. He would not touch any of his favorite foods. This was very unusual for him and just not at all beagle-like.

At the time, I lived in Marietta, GA. Dr. Tyler Huhman and Dr. David Lawless at Tritt Animal Hospital in Marietta, GA were the veterinarians that helped me to care for Boomer and a few cats that lived with me at the time (or maybe I lived with them.... you know how cats are ).

The guys a Tritt did an excellent job treating Boomers illness! However, the home care was my responsibility.  I think it was Tyler who told me that the most important goal I needed to have was putting weight on Boomer quickly. I believe it was at his suggestion that I used Nutri-Cal in an attempt to stimulate his appetite and to load him up on the calories and nutrients that he desperately needed. I think Tyler gave me (or sold me, I dont recall) some prescription food that was formulated to help him gain weight (if I could get him to eat it).

You cant really tell now but, our little Cody was also
malnourished when he got to the Shack.

I worked from my small home office for about a week (we used to call that telecommuting). During that time I cared for Boomer almost 24/7. I gave him medication for his illness and almost constantly tried to get him to eat. He would eat some canned food and I slowly began getting him to eat the Nuti-Cal. Slowly he started to eating peanut butter that I offered him and eventually he began eating his dry food. It was a long week but he finally began eating well. After a couple of more weeks he was almost back to his healthy weight. And I seem to remember that after he put the weight on ,I spent a month in Minnesota on business over the next three days (at least that is what it felt like :) )

I did not just share that story with you so that you can see how cool my life was in those days (that is just an added bonus :) ) . I shared that story with you to make a few points about caring for a dog who is underweight or malnourished:

• If you notice a rapid weight loss, please, consult a really good veterinarian. There is generally an underling cause that probably needs to be treated.
• If your dog is not eating foods that he normally loves, if it lasts more than a day or so, you should really strongly consider taking him to a veterinarian.
• Once you have any health issues treated, it is your responsibility to care for the little guy or girl. You must be diligent about it! Always remember that your veterinarian will be more than happy to talk to you about methods that you can use to get him/her to eat. If your dog is not making progress, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian for guidance!

I mentioned Nutri-Cal earlier in my work with Boomer. Nutri-Cal is a high calorie vitamin paste. There are other similar products on the market. Most large pet stores (i.e. Petco, Petsmart, etc.) have their own store brand products that are labeled for the same use. When I worked at Petco, I found that our vitamin paste was good but some really picky dogs seemed to prefer the taste of the Nuti-Cal product and the price difference is not huge either way.

In many cases the dogs will eat this stuff right out of the tube. However, in many cases you have to put it on the food. In Boomers case, I put some of the stuff on my finger and sort of stuck it to the roof of the mouth to get him started. It is really sticky and he had to lick it off the roof of his mouth. He did not really like this but it worked.

Foster Boy Sammy

I decided to write about this subject today because, The Lovely and Awesome Shane and I are working with our new foster boy, Sammy on the same issue. He is very thin. His ribs and backbone are clearly visible. I am happy to report that he is beginning to get his appetite back! This morning he actually finished his entire bowl of food for the first time since he got here three days ago!

If you have a dog who needs to gain weight, it is not a hopeless problem! It can be very frustrating but, there is hope and it feels really good to see a little guy or girl finally eat and gain weight!

Our foster girl Penny the Tiny Beagle had the same issue. She gained a little weight we she was with us. I saw her with her adopted family recently and she looks great!!

If you have questions about getting your dog to eat please contact me! Also contact me if you need help teaching your little guy or girl to be a polite dog. I always tell you: " Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you get happy today!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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What can I do about my shedding dog

 Well, it is summer here in the western hemisphere of our planet. With the warmer temperatures, your little buddies will shed more than in the winter months.

Certain breed also tend to shed much more than others. German Shepherds and Labradors tend to shed larger amounts of fur than some other breeds. The Lovely Shane may not believe this based upon the hair that accumulates around the Dog Trainer shack, but, Beagles are fairly moderate shedding dogs. Cuddles, our Corgi mix barely sheds at all.

I once had a lab/pit bull mix named Critten. She was a big time shedder!

A little more hair shed this time of year is normal. However, excessive shedding can, in some cases indicate a medical problem. This is particularly true if there are also other symptoms such as excessive scratching, skin irritation, etc. Our friends at the ASPCA have some information on their website that lists other symptoms for which to be on the lookout. The information may be obtained at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-shedding.aspx .

I have mentioned before that our Whopper Beagle, Copper has a thyroid problem that we treat with medication. Before he was diagnosed, one of his symptoms was excessive shedding. Since he has been on the medication, he does not shed nearly as much and his coat is much brighter and softer.

Excessive shedding can, in some cases, be caused by insufficient nutrients and can be treated through diet or supplements. Only your veterinarian can diagnose this for certain however.

There are things that can be done to control the normal summer time shedding.

I have found that regular brushing is a very effective way to cut down on the amount of shed hair that we find in the shack. The Lovely Shane and I do our best to routinely brush our little guys. The way we do it is that we brush them on the back porch just before they come in to the shack. I use a slicker brush(similar to the red one in the picture)

. It is the type of tool that I have used for many years on Beagles. You must be careful not to scratch the dogs skin with the bristles but once you get the feel for it you will have no trouble.

The slicker brush however, is not the tool that most professional groomers that I know recommend. Most groomers that I know recommend a tool like the Zoom Groom (the blue one in the picture). It is made of some sort of rubber like material. The bristles will never cut into the skin.

There is a great deal of hype about the Furminator (the yellow tool in the picture). It is a good tool but I can not justify the outrageously high price for my use. I have also been cautioned by some of the groomers that I know to be very careful with the blade on these things because they can be rough on the skin.

When I worked for Petco we did a remodel. As a result of this remodel we replaced some of the items that we previously carried with similar items in different sizes. There was quite a good clearance sale on much of the stuff we were no longer carrying. I picked up a bottle of spray on conditioner that was suppose to control shedding. I got it for almost nothing. I tried it and in my experience the stuff works very well. Petco still carries it in a different size than I purchased. The same sort of stuff can also be sourced from many other places.

The Lovely Shane and I have very little carpet in the shack here. Our goal is to have no carpet at all. We have mostly wood and vinyl flooring. This may be extreme for you and I am not suggesting it for everyone, we just find that it makes clean-up exponentially easier.

Something that I do recommend is changing or checking your central air conditioning filters very often this time of year. You will probably be surprised how much dog hair get sucked up by the returns on your AC system.

Remember, if you have any dog training needs or dog related questions or concerns, please contact me at any time.


Till next time

-William -

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
678-702-4791

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Do dogs sense when their pack mates are sick

Copper the Whopper Beagle spending time with his
buddy Sammy who is recovering from
surgery.

I wrote a blog post earlier addressing the questions of whether or not our dogs know when we are sick. I am convinced that they do sense when we are sick and that they worry about us.

I am equally convinced, through observation, that the same sort of thing occurs between canine pack mates as well. I was reminded of this last night:

The Lovely Shane and I are very greatful
to these folks for being so nice about meeting
us after 10:00pm last night to help us take
care of Foster Boy Sammy the Beagle!

Yesterday, I took our foster boy, Sammy the Beagle, to the Mobile Veterinarian to be neutered. He also got heart worm tested (he is negative!!), got a microchip, and all his shots.

When we got home, the Lovely Shane and I noticed that he was bleeding a little. We did not worry too much at first. However it got worse and about 10:00 pm, we contacted the veterinarian. We ended up going back to the vet last night. Sammy had developed a blood clot. The veterinarian took care of the problem for Sammy and sent us home with pain medication, anti-inflammatory medication and antibiotics.

I stayed up most of the night just to check on Sammy and make sure he was doing okay. The Lovely Shane and I were not the only ones concerned, however. I am convinced that Copper was also worried.

In retrospect, I actually think that Copper knew the severity of Sammys problem before we did. When we bring a dog home from the veterinarian, all the other dogs are curious and have to sniff the guy who just survived the evil alien veterinarian (well at least sometimes it seems that is how they see the vet :) ). Coppers reaction was subtly different in this occasion. He sniffed Sammy as usual but he also followed him around everywhere. Copper would not let Sammy out of his sight. At the time I thought Copper had just missed his new little friend. I think it may have been more than that.

Copper is smart but... I would not
say he is all that complex. As illustrated
here he has simple motivation... food..
for the proper food Copper will do
practically anything :).

After we took Sammy back to the veterinarian late last night, we put an E-collar on him and put him in a crate. Copper stayed near the crate most of the night. Copper continued this for most of the day today. This is unusual for Copper. Occasionally during his watch today, Copper would sniff Sammy through the crate and sort of watch him closely for a little while then lie back down on a bed next to the crate.

I tell this story to make a point. I have often said and written that dogs are not really complex and they really are not. It helps with training if you understand that dogs are not complex. However, the lack of complexity does not mean that they are unaware of the feelings of their pack mates or their people. In fact quite the contrary is true. Dogs can be very sensitive and perceptive. For instance they sense thunderstorms before there is any indication of bad weather. If you spend a lot of time with your dogs, you will notice a difference in behavior just before a bad storm. In fact, Critten, a Lab/Pit Bull mix that lived with me when I was in Florida was very sensitive to the pressure changes during tropical storms and hurricanes.

Critten the weather dog :) .

Foster Boy Charlie the Beagle, Cody the
Little Beagle and Trigger the Dapple
Dachshund share a bed.

This really should not surprise us because these heightened senses are why dogs are so useful in hunting, search/rescue, etc. It is also why they can be trained to be useful to people with PTSD, diabetes, seizure disorders, etc.

I have been around dogs most of my life. While I should expect this sensitivity, it is still, frankly, incredible to watch! God gave these guys a great gift and I feel fortunate to have observed these wonderful creatures!

Keep you eye on your dog.... you might be surprised how much you can learn from these little guys and girls!

If you need help training your little canine buddy to be polite please contact me.  Remember.... Polite Dogs = Happy People! Let me help you to get happy today!

Till next time

-William

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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What to do with old Petco Polo type Shirts

Me dressed for Christmas 2012

I have heard a rumor that Petco (allegedly " the place where the healthy pets go") will be phasing out those uncomfortable polo-type shirts from their uniforms soon.

I have many friends and colleagues in the employ of Petco. As a service to all of you I thought I would give you a few helpful suggestions of ways to re-purpose these highly uncomfortable and questionably fashionable clothing items.

My Radio Station with Dust Covers almost completely in place

As you know, as of May 2013, I am no longer a Petco employee. I found a use for my almost worn out shirts. I use them as dust covers for some of my amateur
(Ham) Radio Equipment. I realize that not all of you are Ham Operators. So, I thought I would add a few suggestions that occur to me:

Cleaning rags
Grease Rags
Pot Holders
Sew up the sleeves, collar and bottom... add a hole to fuel and fill with helium or hydrogen and perhaps you could make a giant floating balloon.

My Radio Station ready for operation

Altered properly, they could be made into a dog shirt.
Toaster or kitchen appliance cozy
Dog crate liner
Stuff them with the proper filler, sew sleeves, bottom, and collar then perhaps they would make a pillow.
Sew sleeves and collar, add a handle near the bottom and make a beach bag.
Attach to the end of a mop handle and use to apply wax to floors.

I hope this has been helpful to you! If you have other creative ideas to re-purpose these things I am sure that my friends at Petco would love to read them all! Please feel free to add them to the comment section here!

Till Next Time -

William

(I really hope you appreciate my attempt at humor)

William Moore Canine Training
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
678-702-4791

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Do dogs enjoy TV

To entertain my buddy Copper and to help relieve a little of his separation anxiety, I often leave the TV on for him. He really seems to enjoy watching.

News shows seem to be his favorites although he will sit in front of anything and fall asleep eventually.

I really do believe that the modern high definition TVs are easier for the dogs to watch. I do not remember having a dog before HDTV that enjoyed watching TV.

I have always used radio and TV to provide a soothing background noise for anxious dogs while I am away but before HDTV the sound from the TV is what did the trick not the video.

I am curious if any of you have noticed a similar phenomena in your dogs.

By the way, if you have a dog with mild to moderate separation anxiety,  TV and/or radio can help sooth the dog and make him more comfortable.

If your dog is being destructive. or just loud when you are gone, contact me. Copper and I would be happy to  provide you with a great deal of help and direction.

Till next time

-William

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Dog care supplies do not have to be expensive to be effective

The Lovely Shane and I had the opportunity, yesterday, to attend a fund raiser flea market/yard sale for one of our local heroes of dog rescue, Bully Wag. We found some really good buys there and helped support these most innocent of Gods creatures. We also had some of the best barbecue I have eaten in a long time. Michelle does a really good barbecue so, next time they have a fund raiser, my advice would be do not miss the barbecue!

Well, while we there, The Lovely Shane spotted a really nice looking huge basket. We bought the basket and put some old pillows and a blanket in it and it makes the perfect size bed for little Cody. We spent much less than half the price of a similar size dog bed at Petco or Petsmart. And this bed is unique. We think it is cool anyhow :). When Cody first joined our pack, he did not have his very own bed. Copper and Cuddles were very nice about letting him sleep on theirs and we put some old pillows on the floor for him too. Cody has absolutely fallen in love with this new bed!

The point of this post is to encourage you to be creative when it comes to things like bedding. This stuff is really expensive if you buy it at the Pet Stores. As you can see, little Cody is just as comfortable, or perhaps even more comfortable on his new yard sale bed as he would have been in the pricier model.

Another example is that there are many types of travelling water containers you can get for your pup on the go. Some of these are very good and not all that expensive. However, many times when Copper and I are out together, I get him a disposable Styrofoam cup. I put his name on it with a marker and he loves to drink from it while I hold it. During the short time that I used him as a demo dog at Petco, he had his own cup in the break room next to mine. This is not an appropriate solution for all outings with your dog but it works very well for Copper and I most of the time and he loves it!

The Lovely Shane made this sign for my radio station ( Ham Shack) the other day. I am not sure how effective it is because I have yet to figure out how to teach our pack to read. However, we think it is pretty cool. The Lovely Shane points out that it may be effective because the pack never barks while I am transmitting :). The cost of this really cool sign was nothing but the paper, ink and electricity required to produce it , and my unending gratitude to the Lovely Shane, of course :) . By the way, I picked up the really cool big white monitor on my radio station from the Bully Wag Yard Sale. Got a great deal on it too! Now I can see those little numbers on the radio control software much better now. I am not getting any younger, you know .


Another money saving idea is the one I mentioned in an earlier post on giving your dog a pill. You can use cheese instead of pill pockets and save a great deal of money. An extra added bonus is that you can have a treat with the pack :).

I am not suggesting that there are not significant costs associated with caring for a dog. I am simply encouraging you to be creative. There are many ways to save money if your think outside the box, so to speak.

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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My little buddy does not come when I call what can I do

One of the most common things that folks ask me about is getting a stubborn little guy or girl to come when called.

This is what us dog trainers, just to sound cool, sometimes call "recall".

There are positive reinforcement techniques that can be used to teach the come command. They work very well. However, I am going to share a secret with you here. The most important thing when teaching recall is that coming when called can never be optional! If the dog does not come to us, we have to go to the dog.

Like almost everything in Dog Training, recall can be taught. It takes patience, consistency and routine to get results. You have to start in a almost distraction free environment and then slowly add distractions. But, it can be done! There is hope for any dog here, regardless of age!

There is something that is really important to remember here: You may be fighting against instinct in some cases so, you may need to adjust your expectations accordingly. What I mean is this: In the case of scent hounds (Beagles, Bassets, Bloodhound, Dachshunds, etc) an interesting scent may capture these dogs attentions to the point that no amount of recall training can get them to come when they are on a good trail. This is why it is important to not let these breeds run free they are very much ruled by their sense of smell. Sight hounds (Labradors, Pointers, etc) can be similarly disctracted by the sight of interesting critters like squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, etc. It is very difficult to achieve 100% off leash recall because of these factors. So, please keep that in mind and do not set a goal that your little buddy is not capable of reaching.

Keeping instinctual challenges in mind, with practice you can achieve vast improvement in recall in most cases! Your dog should come to you when you call. This is a very important thing upon which most other behaviors that you will teach your dog rely.

All the dogs in our pack will come when called. However, there are limitations. Just yesterday, The Lovely Shane and I let the pack out in the back yard while we were in the house. A few minutes later we heard barking and howling coming from the backyard. It turns out Copper had breached the fence and was on the trail to Grandma and Grandpas house (they live next door and love to give Copper treats). Well, Copper was literally on the trail of dog treats. This is a very high motivation for Copper Whopper.

Luckily the rest of the pack alerted the Lovely Shane and me to this situation. Both the Lovely Shane and I called Copper. We were walking toward Grandmas place and sighted Copper. We both called again. He looked at us to acknowledge that he heard us but kept following the trail. I had to physically catch him and snap the leash to his collar and pull him off the trail!

Copper is my demo dog. He knows all the commands that I teach and does them very well most of the time. But, you see, his natural instinct to follow the trail was overriding the training. This is very difficult to overcome. Copper did acknowledge us and slow down. Had he not had the training he may not have even slowed down. But , even with Copper Whopper, a trained dog that I work with every day, I can not say that he has 100% recall and he probably never will but, that is the way God wired him. His breed was bred to hunt not to come when called so he is doing precisely what his breed was bred to do!

This is why it is so important with Beagles and all scent hounds that you have a proper fence if you let them run free. You also need to supervise them in the fence. Do not leave them unattended anymore than you absolutely have to. See my previous blog entry for more details.


Teaching the come command (recall) is one of the most import things you can do in your effort to  teach your dog to be polite. Please contact me for help with this! There a techniques that I can teach you that will be very helpful. There is even a fun little game that I can teach you to play with your dog that will help tremendously in this effort!

Remember, regardless of how bad your dogs recall ability is now, there is hope! Please contact me for help!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

For your fence repair or fence installation needs, please contact William Moore Lawn and Handyman Services. 
fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com
678-702-4791

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What do I do if my dog gets into something that is poison

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, your dog may get into something that is poisonous to him/her.

About a month after we adopted Copper, while we were away from home, he managed to open the cabinet door under the kitchen sink and got into some roach tablets. In fact the picture shows the actual box he got into. These tablets are mostly boric acid. The Lovely Shane and I were very concerned because Copper was vomiting when we got home. 

It is important that you know what to do in an emergency like the one I described above. I strongly suggest that you call the Pet Poison Helpline immediately. The 24/7 Telephone number is 800-213-6680.

There is a $39.00 per incident charge for the call but it is well worth the money. If you have to take your dog to the emergency veterinary hospital they will always call the helpline and bill it to you anyway. Once you call the Helpline, they give you an incident number that you can pass on to your emergency vet. The Helpline will inform you if you need to immediately take your dog to the emergency veterinary clinic.

In Coppers case, he did not ingest enough of the poison to be life threatening. He was, however, very sick and I stayed up all night with him. The nice people at the hotline gave me detailed instructions on how to treat Copper and what to look for as signs that he was not recovering as expected. I could call back as many times as needed on that incident without additional charges. After a long night, Copper recovered fully. I never knew a dog could vomit that much :) . 

There are more than things than insecticides that are potentially poisonous to dogs. For instances grapes and raisins are not good at all for the little guys. There is a searchable list on the Pet Poison Hotline website. I strongly encourage you to look it over soon. 

Regardless of what anyone tells you, please, please, please do not use home remedies here. Call the helpline and follow the instructions that they provide. Do not try to induce vomiting or feed the dog until you talk to a professional on the helpline.  There is a very good list of emergency instructions on their website. I strongly suggest that you become familiar with them before an emergency occurs. And, for your dogs sake, please dont wait, call immediately!

It is also a great idea to know the location and phone number of your nearest emergency veterinary clinic. If you live near the Dog Trainer Shack here in Fayette County, Georgia. Your nearest one is likely Southern Crescent Veterinary Emergency Clinic.  They have a few locations. The one in Fayetteville, GA is at :

1270 Highway 54 East

Fayetteville, GA  30214.  

The phone number is: 770-460-8166.

I hope you are never faced with this sort of emergency. But, if you are, it is great to be prepared ahead of time!

Please contact me if you have any training needs or dog related questions.

Till Next Time

-William -

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training 

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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Happy Independence Day! What do I do when my buddy is scared of fireworks

The Lovely Shane, Cuddles the Corgi mix, Copper the Whopper Beagle, Cody the Little Beagle and wish you a happy and safe July 4th! The picture is from a laser light and fireworks show at the State Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia. If you have never seen one of these you should. This time of the year, I think they do them weekly.

Firecrackers and certain types of fireworks that makes noise is not legal for home use in Georgia. So, I am certain that none of my Atlanta area readers ever encounter loud fireworks in your neighborhoods :) . Many years ago, I lived in a sub-division in eastern Cobb County, Georgia. All fireworks were illegal at that time. It sounded like a war zone around my house on New Years eve and July 4th. I am certain this was from some local licensed fireworks show and not my neighbors with  contraband firecrackers and M-80s :).

At the time I lived in Cobb County, I had a very nervous Beagle named Boomer. Like most of my Beagle buddies over the years, Boomer was a rescue. He was abused as a young puppy and had many anxiety issues. He was very scared of the noise that accompanied these local fireworks shows.

There are desensitization techniques that can be utilized for dogs that are scared of fireworks or thunder. They basically involve exposing the dog to loud noises that mimic the fireworks like recordings of fireworks, etc. You do this in a very controlled way and begin to associate good things with the offensive noise. Desensitization takes a while and if you are consistent with it, it can be very effective. However, the occurrence of fireworks is so infrequent that avoidance may be a better technique.

This may sound like common sense and the obvious answer, but I always kept Boomer inside during these fireworks displays. I also tried to mask the sound by having music playing or the TV tuned to one of his favorite channels.

It is always important to remember that, to a very large extent, your little buddy takes cues from you. So, with that in mind, try not to react to the fireworks. Do not make a big deal about them or call him poor dog and pet him every time you hear a boom. Also, if he wants to hide under a table or something, or if he wants to sit next to you on the couch, do not discourage this behavior. If your buddy sees that you are not reacting, it will probably help in calming him as well.

It has been my experience over the years that my little buddies who were afraid of thunderstorms were also afraid of fireworks and gunfire. So, some of the same techniques may be effective. I make this point because with many dogs that have moderate anxiety, the Thundershirt product is very effective. It does not work with every dog but I had many customers when I worked at Petco who said the product made a huge difference in anxiety level. There are also pheromone based sprays that seem to be effective with some dogs that have moderate anxiety. As in the case of the Thundershirt, this does not seem to work with every dog.

In extreme cases of anxiety, in other words if the dog is so anxious that he is hurting himself or being very destructive, your veterinarian can advise you about potentially using anti-anxiety medication for situations that you know are anxiety provoking.

If you do not have a regular veterinarian or if you suspect your vet is an evil alien :) , I will be happy to assist you in finding one.... I hope my readers appreciate my attempt at humor and dont just find it strange :).


I think our newest pack member, little Cody, may have some issues with fireworks this year. I have noticed that he is anxious during thunder storms. He is not relaxed like in this picture. On the contrary, he follows me everywhere and loves to lean on me an sit as close to me as possible. I will let you know how he does with the fireworks (if we have any in my law-abiding neighborhood).

Seriously, If you need help with an anxious dog or if you have any dog training needs, dog related questions, etc. , please contact me at any time!

I hope that you all have a great July 4th! The Lovely Shane is helping to care for her grandfather while her parents take a little out of town trip. I plan to take care of our pack and

 do some bathroom remodeling here at the Dog Trainer Shack. There is one other special activity in which I am going to participate: There is a radio contest this weekend called 13 Colonies. Amateur Radio Operators running special stations in all 13 original colonies are making contacts. If you contact all 13
of them you get a really cool certificate! I already have a start. Last night I contacted the New Hampshire station from the shack here. I was only operating at an output power of 5 watts. For those of you who are unfamiliar with radio, I probably would have used more power to yell out the window :) .

Well... Have a great 4th! Be careful.

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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What to do when you can not take your dogs on vacation with you

The Lovely Shane and I at the Cruise Ship Port in Nassau

Copper really missed us!

The Lovely Shane and I just returned from a Cruise to the Bahamas. Those of you who are familiar with me know that I advocate taking your well behaved little guys with you if possible. In some cases, it is simply not possible. The cruise lines do not allow pet dogs (at least Carnival does not). Therefore, we could not take our little darlings with us.

The towel animal that the crew left in our room one
day really reminded us of Cody.... Could have been Copper but would
 have required a large beach towel :)

There were many options available to us for their care. Some of the options we considered were:

• Leaving the pack at the Dog Training Shack (our home) and asking relatives to feed and walk them in addition to checking our mail, taking out the trash, etc.
• Leaving the pack at the Dog Training Shack and hiring a pet sitter to feed and walk them.
• Leaving the pack at a relatives house to be cared for over the week.
• Leaving the pack at the home of a Pet Sitter for the week.

None of these options is particularly bad. We did not really want to impose upon our family for the length of time which we were going to be away. None of our family really had the space for our pack at their houses.Our house was too far away to be practical for them to care for our guys for a week in our home.

Notice that a kennel is not on the list. We just really did not want them to be caged in a strange place for the entire week. I will not hate you if you choose a kennel. There are some good ones out there. It was just not what we wanted to do. It was really important to us that they stay with someone that we know and that will take good care of them (some folks may call it spoiling them. We prefer to call it taking good care of them :)).

The beach at Little Stirrup Cay (Bahamas)

Another note of caution. This is not really dog related but more travel related. You may notice that I did not mention my trip at all on this blog before departure. I did not mention it on Facebook or any other public electronic venue either. This was intentional. Please be cautious about posting this sort of personal information on places that may be accessed by the general public. The Lovely Shane and I were both gone so, the house was a little vulnerable. Had I posted this information about our travel plans publicly, anyone with nefarious intentions could have broken into our house. Also anyone with something against me ( I hope there are not many of you :) ) would have know my general location and could have found me. Perhaps my past career in the Computer Security business makes slightly more paranoid that most of you. But please consider this advice the next time you are planning a trip.

We decided to use a Pet Sitter. It was a little outside our budget to have them stay at our home so, we took them to the Pet Sitters home. This was a better option anyway. At the Pet Sitters home they got more attention than they would have if left alone at our place and they got to play with other people and dogs. This sort of situation is generally much less stressful on the dogs than a kennel would be.

The Lovely Shane and I with a new DJ friend.

We use and I  highly recommend Michelle Crampo at All Things Paws. You may remember my mentioning Michelle in another post about the Local Heroes of Dog Rescue. I adopted Copper from her. She does a lot of good work saving the lives of dogs through rescue.

Copper enjoyed being back at his old foster home for a week! The rest of our pack did incredibly well too.

When you leave your pack to go on vacation, it is not uncommon for them to behave a little differently when you return. Our little guys and girl have been much more clingy. This usually lasts for a day or two.

I still strongly encourage you to take the little guys and girls with you when you go if it is possible. However, I do realize that sometimes we do not have that option. When you need to leave them behind, I strongly suggest that you leave them with someone you can trust. If you are outside the Atlanta area, check with other people in the community and get recommendations from people that you trust. If you are leaving the dogs at the sitters home, ask for a tour of the place and perhaps bring your dogs over first to let them sniff around the place before your trip.

If you are in the South Metro Atlanta Area, I certainly recommend Michelle. If you live elsewhere in North Georgia, please contact me and I will be glad to talk with you about other sitters in the area.

Till next time

-William-

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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How Much Training Should I do Each Day With My Dog

This is one of the first questions we get when owners embark on a new training program, whether it be a group class or private lessons. The answer is simple...do as many short (3-5minutes) training sessions as you can. But, the most important thing to remember is to incorporate your training into your every day activities. For example, practice your wait command as you head out the door for your walk on the El Dorado Hills trails. Or, practice a quick down stay while you make a sandwich or are getting some dishes done.

If you set up one big "training session" per day, your dog will do great during that "training time" and then it all goes out the window when you need it in real life situations...

Remember, every time you interact with your dog, your dog is learning something!!! Make it count!

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Why do hounds have floppy ears

 All the pictures that you see on this post are of hounds with floppy ears. If you are like me, you have often wondered why hounds have floppy ears.

Truthfully, on the surface, it seems like a detriment to the little guys. The floppy ears tend to trap bacteria and nasty stuff (that is not a medical term, I am not a veterinarian, nor do I play one on T.V. :) ) and this leads to infection. The floppy ears also tend to get caught on things. Our little Beagle, Cody, had to make an emergency trip to the veterinarian on Friday afternoon last week because he got a splinter caught in his ear. The splinter actually pierced through the ear and was very painful to him. We are still not sure how it happened. But the fact that Cody’s ears are floppy did not help here.

From an auditory perspective, you would not think that the floppy skin and cartilage hanging down would impair the hearing. So, I dont suppose the floppy ears have much to do with enhanced hearing.

They are really cute. I suppose that may be enough reason for most of us but, I dont think that is exactly it either.

It turns out that there is another possibility. Look at our friend the Bloodhound in the picture (he is the guy with the loose skin above to the left (with the tree behind him). 

The Bloodhound has really loose skin around the jowls and the head. His ears are really long and floppy.

The Bloodhound is also known for his acute sense of smell and his tracking ability.

It turns out that the floppy ears and loose skin around the mouth and near the nose contributes to his great sense of smell (not to mention his overall cuteness). 

The large "lips" and long ears help to stir up and perhaps even catch these little scent molecules. (For those of you who attended public schools within the last decade, you can not see molecules, they are microscopic. It is beyond the scope of this post to explain in greater details, just trust me here). This does aid in the Bloodhounds acute sense of smell.

I think that is probably the real reason that we have bred the hounds to have those floppy ears. 

From a historical perspective , until relatively recently, within the last century or so, we bred dogs more for functionality than for appearance.

The hounds were bred to hunt and track. When you think about this, it is very desirable to have the long floppy ears. Since it aids in the scent detection ability, it is quite an advantageous and desirable trait.

So, now you know :). I really do think this is why we have so many hound breeds with floppy ears. Even the sight hounds tend to have floppy ears even though they are generally smaller than those of the scent hounds. 

The sense of smell is very important to any hound, I suppose.

But remember, as I have written before, cleaning the ears of these floppy eared guys is really important. Check them regularly and clean them regularly!

As always, if you have any dog or dog training questions, please contact me at anytime!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore 

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

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