Category: Dog Care

Dog Care, Educational

Canine Chiropractic

The benefits of chiropractic care are not just for humans!

Dogs can benefit from proper alignment also. Working dogs, performance dogs, or family pets can benefit from proper alignment. Research shows that the interruption of proper nerve flow, for whatever reason, can eventually lead to pain, disability, and an overall decrease in the quality of life. However, when a body (human or canine) is in a state of proper alignment it has less pain, more mobility, and the ability to restore itself to proper health.

Dr. Drew of the Murrayville Chiropractic is shown here adjusting one of my dogs.

Thanks Dr. Drew for the “healing” house call.

http://www.murrayvillechiropractic.com

Dog Care, Educational, Inspirational

The Faithful Family Pet

The Gilliland Family, contacted me soon after they picked up their new puppy, Cooper. I did a home visit to help them get started with their new puppy and we then made arrangements for Cooper to attend training camp for Pet Manners when he reached 16 weeks.

Chuck and Lea Gilliland are both radiologists, very busy professionals. They are also the proud parents of four beautiful girls, Celia 13, Mary Caroline 10, Maggie 7, and Charlie 4. Needless to say, their lives are full. They had lost their last dog, a Springer Spaniel named Jerry to cancer at age 10, approximately five years prior. Now they found themselves ready for a new dog. They agreed on another Springer Spaniel with a few conditions, they wanted a pleasing temperament with a calm demeanor, no hyperactivity.

So, they began their research to find a Springer Spaniel breeder who focuses on overall health, temperament, and calmness. They found just the kennel, Lanewood Kennel, in Fort Valley Georgia. They visited, got to know the owners, met the puppy and the puppy’s parents, and the deal was sealed!

As a trainer, I have to say they did everything right!
• Researched the breed
• Located a Breeder that is reputable and produces the traits they were looking for in a puppy
• Sought professional help to train the dog on proper pet manners
• Got the whole family committed to consistent training methods/style

Tip of the hat to Lanewood Kennel. Cooper is one of the most laid-back Springer Spaniels I have ever worked with. Additionally, he is bright, eager to please, and highly trainable. Thank you, Lanewood Kennel, for being a conscious breeder specializing in family pets.Now Cooper has returned home and is beginning his life with his new family. He understands all his basic pet manners commands and through continued reinforcement, he will shine forever.

He will be a part of making family memories.

He will be in a lot of photos.

Everyone remembers the dog they grew up with.

The Gilliland girls will learn life skills through Cooper such as:
• To be present in the moment – What is he doing right now?
• Find the joy in life’s simple pleasures – Playing with a stick is awesome!
• Forgiveness – If he makes a mistake or misunderstands, forgive, forget, move on!
• Responsibility – Pet ownership is 24/7 365, no holidays!
• Caregiving – Always doing the best you can for his overall well being.
• Kindness – Being nice, considerate, and friendly to all living things.
• Patience – Accepting or allowing without letting anger or upset take over
• Unconditional Love – The most important feeling in this world is love. Dogs do this well!

The Gilliland Family has many life situations and adventures ahead with Cooper. May he serve them and guide them as the Faithful Family Pet.

Dog Care, Educational, Inspirational

Let The Buyer Beware!

Jay Kelly understands the heartbreak of purchasing a puppy from a poor breeder. He purchased a lab puppy from what he thought was a reputable breeder, only to discover that by 18 months his puppy was dying from Blastomycosis. He contacted the breeder and was convinced by the breeder that this disease was a fluke. So, trusting Jay decided to purchase another lab puppy from this breeder. At 18 months his heart was breaking again. Yes, this puppy also had Blastomycosis, a deadly disease. Again, he contacted the breeder, shared vet records from UGA, and the breeder would not take any responsibility or action regarding the matter. Shame on this breeder!! Two puppies with the same disease is evidence of a genetic defect.

So, determined Jay decided to find a healthy lab from a conscientious breeder. He did his due diligence, he researched, read reviews, visited the kennels, met the parents, and asked a lot of questions! He found the right kennel:

Cedar Creek Retrievers in Holly Hill, South Carolina, www.cedarcreekretrievers.com

Jay is tremendously pleased with his new pup Cooper. He came by for a private lesson to get Cooper off to a good start. As you can see from the pics, Jay is spending time with Cooper bonding and building a relationship of trust and leadership which will serve as the foundation for Cooper’s continued training.

They are two happy guys!

 

Dog Care, Educational

First Impressions Matter

This is the story of Sadie Grace, a Golden Doodle puppy, and her owner Sandra Stanyer.

Sandra did her research on Golden Doodles and found a reputable breeder. She purchased Sadie Grace, brought her home and was determined to do everything right for her new puppy. Sandra wanted to give Sadie the best life possible. She already had a nice home in a nice area with a nice yard. Everything is nice so this must be a great place to raise a puppy. So she thought! Little did she know that the situation next door would prove to be most challenging for both her and Sadie Grace.

Puppies are eager to explore their new world. Sadie was exploring her new backyard, delighted with space and freedom. Until the dogs next door were released to their yard. They immediately charged the fence aggressively with loud barking and lunging. This was Sadie’s “First Impression” of dogs other than her littermates and Mother. She was very frightened by their behavior. She tucked her tail and ran. Socialization for puppies is important. But even more important is positive socialization. How disappointing for Sandra who wanted nothing but the best for her new puppy. Every time Sadie was in her backyard and the neighbor dogs were released it was the same situation. So, Sadie’s understand of other dogs was to be frightened and run away before they can hurt you.

Sadie came to Blue Dog Academy for Pet Manners Training Camp at 16 weeks. The environment here is very open and dogs socialize in a positive manner. Sadie’s reaction to being in a group of dogs was heartbreaking for me. I had to keep her on lead to prevent her from running for the hills. I really don’t like leashes with social interactions but it was a safety issue. My goal was to get her off lead as quickly as possible and get her comfortable enough to accept other dogs near her. She screamed and cried and didn’t want any dogs to come near her. The other dogs were busy playing and would approach her to elicit play but she was so frightened she couldn’t begin to think of play. I managed the other dogs and didn’t allow them to approach her too closely. It took some time to convince Sadie that other dogs were not out to harm her. I was building trust with her. She could trust me to keep her safe and I did. It took time but she did come around to the idea that other dogs might be ok. The first time she accepted dogs near her and began to move with them rather than away from them. I knew we were on our way. When she began to awkwardly play with other dogs my heart smiled for her progress.

So we began walking as a pack. All dogs were off leash, which is what I prefer. Sadie could move about as she pleased. However, she chose to stay close to me at first. That let me know that she trusted me and felt safe with me which is how dogs feel with the lead dog. By the end of our walk she was moving forward with conviction. She was allowing dogs to come closer without vocalizing and running away. She was finding peace in the pack. By the end of the day she was beginning to act normal. No more screaming and barking as dogs approached her. This is the power of being off leash with a pack of dogs in an organic environment, i.e., walking through the woods. As each day passed Sadie Grace became more social. She began to play and move with the pack without fear or trepidation. She became confident, she began to play freely, she became versed in the rules of engagement for proper dog play. She was becoming socialized.

So, can negative first impressions be mended by proper training, yes, most of the time, especially if they are correctly early by someone who understands dog behavior.

But, First Impressions Matter!

So, as cognitive uprights, I believe we have a responsibility to find peaceful solutions for our dogs to all situations. Yes, we do have rights in our homes or on our property… unless it infringes upon the well being or safety of others. So, be aware of your dog’s behavior upon others. There is a Sanscrit word, Ahimsa, which means do NO harm to yourself or others. Perhaps if we follow this principle with compassion we can all find Peace. Dog lovers are our tribe, therefore, I believe we are ALL in this together.

Wags!

Now Sadie Grace is calm and enjoys being with other dogs.