Major Updates!

So we have been silent for far too long - things got really hectic at the farm and the property was actually being sold.  This put us into a big tailspin as there aren't very many places that will allow 12 dogs and the comings and goings of boarders and training dogs.

In the end, we found a place in Winston Salem and are truly blessed to have such a fantastic new space!

We are still putting the finishing touches on it and will do a full post on the before and afters of it all - but we are so thrilled with the potential here.  We have a training room, office, photography studio and are fencing the yard for an amazing play area, building a full size agility course and outdoor obstacle course.

THE OFFICE SPACE BEFORE:

THE OFFICE SNEAK PEEK:

Moving up here has brought us closer to some really great people who have come on board at Pawtential.  

Melissa Robertson has come on board as our Office Manager.  She is handling the day to day answering of emails, phone calls and appointments.  She is also studying in our Train the Trainer program as an apprentice.  

We also have Jeanene Ridge joining us.  She comes from a lifetime of stock dog handling and competing as well as almost 10yrs of grooming.  She has come on board as a program trainer.

We have tons of exciting classes planned for next year, Woof Weekends, Urban Dog Programs, seminars and workshops and more...stick around - we are only just getting started!

BREAKTHROUGH WITH CHARLIE

Board & Train Charlie is one of the sweetest, most affectionate dogs I've had stay in a while but he has some serious resource guarding issues. He has bitten people over a tissue, including his owners. 

His preferred MO is to steal an object from a table and then run under a table or bed with it.  If you pursue and try to take it - he will get downright vicious about it.

If you tried to strongarm him or get physical about it, he has no hesitation in striking out.  This is why I LOVE positive reinforcement.

We have been working very hard on giving up low value items and have managed to create a semblance of a retrieve game but it is by no means full proof yet.  

He is truly a Jeckall and Hyde in this moment - one second a wiggly, wagging, open mouth guy with soft eyes and a big grin and then a hunkered down, super tense, low growling ball of unsprung defensiveness - but as soon as the object is removed it is like he blinks out of it, looks at you, wags his tail and doesn't even know what happened?  There may be some neuro switching going on as the behavior seems a bit disconcerting to him as well.

I started by just being in the same area as him with this low value item then moved up to being able to be beside him with him remaining calm.  I just wanted to show him I wasn't going to try and take it - I am not even looking at him at this point - just coexisting peacefully.  So far so good.

When he was ready, we started with me resting my hand near him then on him.  He is okay with all of this.  I can touch his ears and face while he is chewing a bone and he is good with it.  Open mouth, no pause or tension at all, no hunkering down... His trigger is if you apply pressure to take it - then he feels he has to react.

We had great success with getting him to leave, drop and/or give eye contact away from low-medium value items - but never a high value one such as a hearty chew, antler or rawhide.  To avoid unwanted situations from arising - these things were simply kept out of reach and only given as crate rewards where he would not feel threatened.

So when I saw him heading towards me with a rawhide chew that he had taken from another dog's crate in his mouth, I was a bit concerned. 

But I kicked it into Game Gear and started cheering and applauding for him and he started wagging his tail and brought me the rawhide. I sat on the floor to encourage him to come closer and what he did next surprised me to no end. He dropped it in my hand! Not only did he drop it in my hand, but I was able to get eye contact and getting him to look away from his prize has been extremely difficult. 

He was charged and ready to play the game... he then retrieved this prize rawhide 10 times in a row always dropping it in my lap or in my hand! At the end of the 10 repetitions, I gave it to him to take back to his bed, and he grinned and walked away but kept looking back at me as if "what the game is over?" 

AMAZING JOB CHARLIE!

March Madness

This year has flown by already.  This month we have Boarding visits from three of our favorites - Ellie, Charlie & Brooks, Coco is back while his family are away on an emergency and we have newcomers Chiffy, Merv, Cassie and Shy coming before the end of the month.

I met two new clients this week, one with an overexcited Heeler mix that does not like children and Ayla helped with a nervous Hound mix who isn't good with other dogs. 

We still have one Board & Train spot open for April - for either 2 or 4 weeks - let us know if you need it by March 31st.

Phoenix is coming along in leaps and bounds!

So Phoenix is definitely one smart cookie.  Just this week she passed her Novice Trick Dog Title and became on of the youngest to have ever done this - at 7 weeks!  To do this she needed to demonstrate she could do 15 tricks from the Easy list in front of a witness with no more than half needing to be lured still.

She did:

Sit
Down
Come
Stand
Touch (Hand)
Chase Lure
Puppy Push Ups
Follow Finger
Ramp
Thank You (Drop It)
Fetch
Head Tilt
Jump Over Bar
Kisses
Paws Up
Table (Pedestal)
Wobble Board


But she is also showing a more independent side now as well as a bit more of the Hound type personality comes through.

She is proving to be good with all sorts of dogs and people and training with her is a joy!  Plus she LOVES to play!

Better Lives & BFFs

At any given time, we will have 7-8 permanent residents, 2-3 boarders and 1-2 foster dogs.  We do this because we can, we have the space and the time and because I have wanted to help dogs since I can remember.

I know I can't save them all...and I know I am making but a small difference in the overall scheme of things - but you know, that drop in the bucket most definitely ripples out to other things.

We help these dogs have a better life, learn new skills that keep them out of shelters and in homes and they in turn they help their owners have a better life...and sometimes they go on to help other people have a better life by doing therapy or assistance work. 

Anytime I think - why am I doing this again - I remember dogs that just need a second chance like Luka and those that are tossed aside like Paige.  Not all rescues are horror stories but all the dogs rescued need a better life...and I love being a part of that.

Paige is doing beautifully.  She and Phoenix have paired up like long lost siblings even though at Paige is at least a month older.  They are most often seen by each others sides - very cute.  

Paige is taking a note from Phe and is becoming more confident and steady every day.  We just took all the guys out to the lake - even though the water was freezing cold and Paige had a blast!

Early Puppy Development - Phoenix

Phoenix has been doing so well...she has met tons of people to ensure her socialization is where it should be, has played with several of the dogs in my classes - both large and small and is really developing into a confident and bright pup...

Sophia Yin recently released an article that I think sums up my feelings on how important it is to get your pup out and about in a safe way.  Sequestering them until they are 4-6 months old will not only make it harder for them to relate to people and other dogs but greatly increases the chances of them having fear based issues in the future...


Here are a few highlights of the past few weeks!

Holiday Fun

We have a few Board & Trains with us over the holidays and while we are quite busy ourselves - there is always time to have a little doggie fun.  

Sophie and Ellie are enjoying a bit of yard time soaking in the sun and later this week we headed down to the creek at sunset to relax on the pier with a few of our furry friends.

Have a happy holiday season, however you celebrate - be safe and we'll see you in the new year!

Did a hurricane hit here?

No - this would just be what happens when you don't latch the bottom of a curious terrier's crate properly and go to work.  DESTRUCTION!  Go Kenna!

The Plot Thickens...

Last week I am showing a friend McKenna's teeth and I notice something - THEY ARE FALLING OUT AND HER ADULT TEETH ARE COMING IN!

This means she has to be at least 4.5 - 5 months old??

She even has her premolar 1....oh boy....

I couldn't believe it - but have been watching for the last week and yep - she is that old.

She has been with me for almost 3 weeks and has put on 4 lbs so I am guessing she will be 25lbs or so as an adult...

Jinx's New Favorite Toy

It was Jinx's day at work today and while I was working up front she entertained herself with a tasty rawhide treat!  Gosh they are growing like weeds!

McKenna Update - Meet Minnie?

So Ariel just said she found a pup on Craigslist that looks alot like McKenna - and that would be because it is her sister!!  I immediately called her owner and had a very interesting conversation.  

She says she saw an ad for Irish Wolfhound pups recently and was told by a lady, using the same name as was given to Peter, that she rescued 4 Wolfhound pups when the mom and 4 other pups were killed...that she made a midnight run to save them - real heartstring puller. The new owner takes one for $150 as a rescue.  She says based on what the lady said her pup should be 12 weeks old.

So we have McKenna sold for $1000 as purebred whose Mom was sold - Minnie [her sister] sold for $150 as a rescued/abandoned pup whose Mom was dead and no match up in age??

The story just keeps getting stranger and more convoluted.  This is Minnie:

McKenna Goes to Work

McKenna came to work with me today so I could gauge her social ability and give her a chance to meet some people in a positive manner.  She rides beautifully in the car - we live about 45 minutes from work so she caught some beauty rest before her big debut.

A few hours and several exciting people meetings later - she is tuckered out and curls up with Ayla to take a well deserved nap.  She was a little angel for the most part - we did have one growl at a dog who came behind the counter but a quick interruption and she was over it.

Later in the day I had her sit in on one of my Puppy Preschool classes.  She thought this was great - and even showed her potential therapy dog skills by imitating Ayla!

Very cute indeed!

She is neither aggressive or unmanageable   She is just being a pup - she jumps up, she gets the zoomies, she had NO manners at all, she isn't housebroken and she plays hard...but I can see how an inexperienced dog owner could have freaked out. She crates beautifully now but I think she was ripping his house to shreds...LOL

And boy does she love Ayla - they are BFF's!

Bubbie Goes Home

So Bubbie finished his first month here on the farm.  His momma was so glad to see him!   Awwwww - we love moments like these!  He still has a long way to go but he has come along in leaps and bounds.

When a dog comes we ask what issues are specifically problematic and sometimes new issues present themselves that the owner is either unaware of or didn't really think were a problem.  In Bubbie's case it was pretty much all up front...just behind those pearly canines.  V----V

When a dog is leaving us to return home, we shoot a support video demonstrating the techniques, cues and hand signals used during their time here, with helpful bits of advice to help the owner continue their training.  We do a two hour "hand over" where questions are asked, the dog demonstrates what they have learned and everyone gets a chance to talk about the experience and what expectations they have moving forward.

Since Ariel, my apprentice, did alot of the work with Bubbie's obedience, I let her shoot the support video.  As this was her first video, we had some interesting outtakes.  Here is a sample of the video we shot for Bubbie's owner.

Bubbie will be returning to us in November to continue his training - working specifically next time with his aggression using BAT, TTouch and LAT training techniques.  Stay tuned to see his progress.  

If you have a reactive or aggressive dog that is in need of help - check out some of these great resources:

Click to Calm

Behavior Adjustment Training

LAT - Look at That Training

Control Unleashed

TTouch for Dogs

Relaxation Protocols

3LostDogs Reactivity eBook

Field Trip - Archie & Bella at Tractor Supply

The dogs and I LOVE Tractor Supply.  It is one of the few places outside of a pet store that you can take the dogs to roadwork some of their training.

Our local TS is in Siler City.  Archie & Bella got dropped off last night around 6:30 and we jumped in the van to get some work in before they closed.

First they did a beautiful wait in the parking lot before getting out in the rain.

Then we headed inside for some Loose Leash, Wait, Stay, Recall & Polite People Greeting work.  We definitely have to work more on the people greeting as they LOVE people and are all over them.  Here is some shaky footage of them showing off!

They are with us for another week to polish up their skills.  Stay tuned for more progress...

UPDATE: Bubbie Week 2

Bubbie spent the day with Ariel today at her family's house.    This gave him a chance to meet new people and dogs and practice his social skills. Here is her report from the day.

"So not long after you left I packed up Bubbie and the girls and headed to my parents house. He was much calmer about being approached by new people, and though apprehensive, briefly sniffed Hannah, who he'd never met before. We did a training session in my bedroom where he had been sitting in his crate, so he was more comfortable. I was able to get him to lie down easily on the bed, and then moved to a pillow on the floor, which he quickly picked up, then downing on a pillowcase on the floor, and finally the floor itself. 

We then moved into the hallway after a dozen or so times doing down on the carpet. And although initially hesitant, he was soon downing with speed in order to get dehydrated liver, one of his new favorites.

Later he took a walk with all of my dogs, and my parents dogs and had stretches of loose leash, though I didn't focus on it because he was doing so well navigating between the other 5 dogs. He was a little nervous leading the pack and having other dogs walk behind him, so we walked behind everybody else and he did fabulously. We then let him inside with everybody and he sat with the pack to get a treat.

He and Scout immediately dropped into play bows, and after telling Shiloh off for pouncing on him in a Luka-ish way, Bubbie, Kismet, and Scout tore through the house and Bubbie and Scout took to diving over and under my parents bed. Silly boy! Glad he was having fun. I'll update again tomorrow. Have a great night."

After reviewing the video from the day, I can definitely say he is improving with his dog socialization skills.  He is still unsure and had a few warning snaps at Scout, but overall it is much better than it has been.  He even tolerated Scout licking him in the face, which in itself is a huge accomplishment.

 

UPDATE - Bubbie Week 2

Bubbie continues to make progress here at the farm.  Some of his biggest strides this week have been in handling everyday stresses and gaining confidence around the other dogs.

There was a time, not so long ago, that he would ferociously chase and go after any dog that came close.  He is developing relationships now not only with the small dogs he rooms with but just today he played with one of the big pups - Piper.  She is almost 30lbs and while unsure for most of it, he offered some play behavior that we hadn't seen before.  We are very proud of his progress.

Another step in his rehabilitation is his offleash work.  He has been very reliable around here, but today we ventured back to the lake to work with him offleash.  His owner came with us to spend some time with her boy and was very impressed with both his offleash behavior and his recall.  He even did a recall from the shore to her in the water!  Good boy Bubbie!

Archie & Bella Field Trip

Today we headed out to Raven Rock State Park with 7 of the dogs for a hike.  Raven Rock is about an hour from the farm and looking at it online it looked like a nice hike along the Cape Fear River.  We got a map and planned to do the Campbell Creek Loop Trail and head out to the falls.

We got there around 1:30pm after a very good van ride from the dogs.  Archie & Bella rode very well and waited beautifully when I opened the back of the van.

We hit the trail heading out to the falls in much warmer, humid weather than we anticipated.  Needless to say we were sweating bullets!

The dogs were all very well behaved.  Archie and Bella started the trail in typical Lab pup excitement.  I put Bella in a waist loop and Archie was on umbilical.  Once we got going they really settled into stride and by a few miles in were walking beautifully.

Overall they did a fantastic job!