This is an ongoing Monday class (when one session ends another begins). A new session begins today. If you can't make the 6-week session but would like to drop in with your dog from time to time, you are welcome to do that if there's room Please email to find out.

For complete description, fees and registration form click on the class name or 

click here to go to our website.

 

Focus Foundation is one of our most popular classes. This class teaches or improves obedience skills such as sit, down, stay, come, loose leash walking and no jumping. It also improves attention, focus and impulse control.

New class scheduled (6-week session):
Monday, March 23rd at 6:15 p.m. Ends May 4th (no class April 27th).  This class fills fast, so sign up now to assure a place in class.

 

 
Most people sign up for both Ideal Puppy I and II for 8 weeks of great training and socialization, and $50 in savings.

Puppy Agility Fun!

The next class begins Tuesday, April 14th at 7:30 p.m. Ends May 19th.

Please see the Agility Class section above for information about this wonderful agility class for your puppy, or go to our website for

more information.

Agility Fun Run is scheduled on March 15, 2009. Try the planned GAMBLE on the course for a little extra fun! Gates open at 4:30 p.m. and first dog will be ready to run by 5:15 p.m. Crating for both is indoors in climate-controlled comfort.Please go to our website for more info. Email your name, and your dog's name, breed and jump height soon to sign up. Please come join us for a fun gathering of dog-crazy folks who love to do agility! I will have a nested course (excellent and novice/open) so you can choose your level of difficulty. More info is above in agility section. To sign up email us with your name,  your pet's name, and jump height.

Canine Therapeutic Massage will be available. Please email in advance if you'd like to schedule with Stevi.
 

 

According to Turid Rugaas, noted expert on canine body language, the understanding of body language is critical.  "For species who live in packs it's important to be able to communicate with its own kind. Both in order to cooperate when they hunt, to bring up their offspring, and perhaps most importantly: to live in peace with each other. Conflicts are dangerous - they cause physical injuries and a weakened pack, which is something that no pack can afford - it will cause them to go extinct.

Dogs live in a world of sensory input: visual, olfactory, auditory perceptions. They easily perceive tiny details - a quick signal, a slight change in another's behavior, the expression in our eyes. Pack animals are so perceptive to signals that a horse can be trained to follow the contraction in our pupils and a dog can be trained to answer your whispering voice. There's no need to shout commands, to make the tone of our voice deep and angry - what Karen Pryor refers to as swatting flies with a shovel.
The dogs have about 30 calming signals, perhaps even more. Some of these signals are used by most dogs, while other dogs have an incredibly rich ´vocabulary´. It varies from dog to dog.

The problem
Dogs use this communication system towards us humans, simply because it's the language they know and think everyone understands. 
 
By failing to see your dog using calming signals on you, and perhaps even punish the dog for using them, you risk causing serious harm to your dog. Some may simply give up using the calming signals, including with other dogs. Others may get so desperate and frustrated that they get aggressive, nervous or stressed out as a result."

(Read the rest of this wonderful article. Turid goes into a lot of interesting detail about different forms of stress signals that your dog may exhibit.)

 

 A dog who is showing signs of stress is telling the rest of the world that he is uptight and unsure about his situation. The more signs of stress a dog is showing, the more anxious he is becoming. Some stress in training and life is natural but a dog that is severely stressed cannot learn or function properly. He needs to rest or be removed from overly stressful situations. If pushed much further in the current situation he may react with fearful aggression.

 

Dogs use calming signals that are meant to disarm or prevent aggression. But we often
over interrupt a single behavior. Don't focus on a single body part, such as a wagging tail. A wagging tail can be seen with anxiety and stress, playfulness, and aggression. Another example is ears pulled back. According to Jean Donaldson, plastered back ears that are not also seen in conjunction with pro-social behavior-- waggling and wiggling and greeting behavior-- is a signal that a dog may be anxious and might be trying to disarm or prevent aggression. It may be a part of "look, don't touch".

 

There are levels of stress signals that one should be aware of. According to Gail Fisher from All Dogs Gym in N.H., at the bottom rung (low stress level), the dog may be okay but is still communicating calming signals. This doesn't mean you need to step in, but just be aware that the dog is communicating low level stress (not always a bad thing -- play and learning is stressful) or is communicating to another being (dog, person, etc. ) to chill out. These signals include such things as lip licking, glancing or looking away, yawning, sneezing, scratching, sniffing, etc. Mid level stress signals are when the dog gets quieter and still. At this point it is important to step in to remove the stress (or the dog). These signals may include stopping, turning away, closed mouth breathing, stiffening, looking away and holding still, and whale eye where you can see part of the white of the eye.

Top level stress behavior is where you'll see overt precursors -- growling, snarling, snapping, and then biting. The mouth may be open at this point. (Closed mouth breathing is generally mid level stress behavior).

These are not absolute by any stretch of the imagination, however. If low and mid level stress behaviors are repeatedly ignored, the dog stops offering them and will go directly to aggression. These are the owners who say (and who we often see in the Reactive Dog Class), "It came out of nowhere -- he tried to bite without warning!" The fact is, he's likely been trying to communicate for a long time, but no one "listened" to him. His owners didn't recognize what he was saying, so he didn't bother asking for help when he was showing low or mid level stress indicators.

Dogs should not have to explode to be heard, so we should listen to, respond to, and respect our dog's communication.

 

Here's a good primer on dog body language.

 

Dog Body Language 101

• Lowered Tail/body (crouching)
• Stiff or rigid body or movements
• Dog won't take treats
• Ears back for prick ears or down for drop ears
• Slow movements or responses
• Urinating/defecating and/or expressing anal glands
• Dog avoids eye contact (with human and/or with whatever stresses him)
• Freezing in place or dropping into a down and freezing
• Pacing, circling or non-stop movement
• Zooming full speed (trying to get rid of pent up stress)
• Excessive shedding
• Excessive drooling (ropes or puddles)
• Vocalizations such as whining, "huffing" (raspy panting), moaning or growling
• High pitched barking, often frantic sounding
• Stretching ("play" bow or full body)
• Trembling/vibrating
• Hair along the back stands up (piloerection)
• Yawning (especially repeatedly)
• Licking lips
• Penis crowning
• Rolling over onto side or back
• Resisting pressure on the leash, pulling away (esp. when "fighting like a fish")
• Shallow/rapid breathing, holding breath
• Muscle ridges around back of the mouth or around the eyes
• White showing in the eye (whale eye, or half-moon eye)
• Dilated pupils
• Sweaty paws (leaving foot prints)

 
Signs the dog is trying to calm down others around him:

• Looking away from the stressor
• Yawning
• Moving in an arc when approaching a stressor or unknown
• Licking lips
• Full body shake as if wet (releasing some tension)
• Raising a paw slightly off the ground
• Scratching at the neck or side with a hind foot
• Sitting or lying down
• Sniffing the ground
• Blinking more rapidly then normal (relaxed eyes)

  
Signs that the dog wants a scary or unknown person/thing to move away (can also be pre-fight signals):

• Hard stare (maintained for more than 3 seconds)
• "On their toes" trying to make themselves appear larger -or-
• Lowering the head/neck with staring (as in a boarder collie stare)
• Showing teeth or flexing lips
• Ears forward and alert
• Aggressive barking
• Body tension/stiffness or freezing
• Hair over shoulders (or along entire back) stands up
• Marking behavior (urination or defecation) often with lots of kicking afterward
• Tail held high and wagging stiffly or quickly (sometimes just at the tip of the tail)
• Whites in the eye showing

 
Signs a dog wants to play or get attention:

• Entire body relaxed, no tension
• Play bow (holding front legs only flat on the ground with butt in the air)
• Full wagging tail, relaxed wagging or wagging the tail in a circle
• Rolling over (with fully relaxed body) "flopping" on the ground
• Pawing gently
• Gentle nose bumps
• Ears in a relaxed position
• Full body wiggle
• Grin in the mouth, open mouth with relaxed lips
• Happy/playful bark often one bark at a time or a drawn out bark almost a howl

 
Things dogs do when they are confused about what is expected of them (may indicate excessive stress):

• Increased activity (pacing, circling, zoomies, jumping up, humping)
• "Yappy" stressed barking, may including nipping or biting
• Marking behaviors (urination/defecation)
• Sniffing the ground
• Wandering or running away (avoidance)
• Stretching
• Yawning
• Full body shake (as if wet)
• Looking away from the stressor
• Biting another object or dog (rapidly biting or shaking a toy, or directing aggression to anther dog or person)
• Taking treats with a "hard mouth" (biting fingers with the treat)
• Seeking attention/reassurance from others (dogs or people)
• Hiding (going to a crate, tunnel or under a corner table for example)
• Licking the stressor (dog or person) or air licking/lip licking
• Rolling on side or back
• Freezing in place, often in a down position
• Glazed eyes/ "zoned" out

 Created by Chris Puls of Dog Scouts of America www.DogScouts.org

 

Want to watch some behavior videos or read more articles?  There are other great resources on our website, including Jean Donaldson and Turid Rugaas videos, and more. Click here to check them out.

 

Go to the Article index for training information, including an all-about-agility video.

 

This cute little 8 1/2 year old rat terrier is Maggie. She is owned and handled by her proud owner, Bill Becker.

"We received a first place Q (qualifying run) in JWW (jumpers with weaves) Excellent-A and our title today! Tw first place Qs in Excellent A standard. Also another first place Q in Open Fast.  Only need one more Q there for our Open Fast Title. Thanks for all your help, inspiration, and for providing an exceptional training facility." 

 

This is beautiful dalmatian, Gabriel, owned by Kim Carey. "It was really amazing to be at Westminister as an exhibiter - "the biggest dog show of the year" is 

what the pros call it. I was so very proud of Gabe, not just when the judge pointed to him in the ring, but for the entire trip and travel. He was a superb ambassador for his breed. Baby Gabe (17-months) got the first Award of Merit. It was a thrill! There were 16 dalmatians there, including the top 5 in the country, so that was a really big win for Gabe. Very exciting."

 

Owners do not have to go to dog shows to be thrilled about their dogs' accomplishments. We applaud the success Margie Hecht has had with her dogs and are pleased we could be a small part of it. "I have taken several classes at Lucky Dog Sports club. Here are some of my herd in a down stay for 30 seconds. I take what I learn at my classes and work with everyone at home. I am so pourd I can get 6 dogs to not break until I tell them to. Yay for all of us! Thank you so much for all we have learned and all the fun we have at each class." Margie, and Chips, Ritchie, Einstein, Casper, Ollie and Toby.

 

This is 4-year old miniature pinscher, D.J., with his mom Sheyna Steiner. D.J. recently received his Excellent Agility Jumper (AXJ) title and needs one more qualifying run to receive his AX (Excellent Agility title in Standard). "I'm most proud of the fact that he has gotten much better at walking by other dogs and seeing them running around [without reacting]. He's not perfect with people yet. The other day a lady came up and tried to put her hands on both sides of his face which he was NOT happy about. Sigh...small steps." We think you're doing an exceptional job, Sheyna!

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Congratulations also to these great handlers, my agility buddies, on their awesome accomplishments. I am so proud and happy for all of you.