Greetings!
Happy 4th of July: Be mindful that we may enjoy the noise and festivities, but a dog's ears are sensitive to new, loud noises. If they haven't been desensitized to the booms, bangs, lights and activities, do so slowly and withough a lot of emotion. Allow them the opportunity to relax with a toy and healthy treats. Try not to be overtly emotional, coddle or force them into enjoying fireworks. Dogs instinctively "know" when they are ready to join in the activity. Enjoy the Holiday-- safely, peacefully and with mindfulness for all species-- here are some fun things to consider--
There are many benefits to training our dogs that can be used in other areas of our lives like trying to figure out how to resolve conflict without damaging careers, relationships or overcoming fears of new places, sights and SOUNDS, like firecrackers. Oftentimes, taking a deep breath and walking away to decompress can make the difference, helping to clear our minds, and make good choices for proactive action. Allow the dogs to do the same. If they choose to retreat to a crate, bathtub or under the bed, let them. Perhaps you can line up some healthy chew treats or toys, allowing them the choice to enter the family room.
Take a moment and consider what personality traits you have that your dogs may have too. Interesting isn't it? Are you afraid of anything? All four of my dogs have parts of my temperament. Casidy, my old, deaf American Bulldog never gives up. She will boing like a spring, miss the couch, roll over and get up to do it again. Now, she waits for a lift. She is wiser.
Tia, our 10 year old greyhound is a peacemaker, the ultimate "splitter" and "puppy" trainer, with a high tolerance level for silliness. When she needs to make her point, she does it quickly with a little growl-- then done, a true leader.
Tate, the Border Terror, is a great therapy dog, who knows when to work and when to play. She does both with robust gusto, just don't bite her in the rear end! She'll never forget it.
Journey, the newfy pup, is the clown. She defies gravity for a newfy, bounding at warp speeds to land in laps. At 75 lbs, walls and bodies will need repair, so a screech, come to a sit, is helpful. Journey is a playful, willful and curious pup. Turning almost everything into a JOB for her like carrying keys and her hat are essential.
Look for these traits in your dogs-- and turn them into useful jobs, rather than heart attacks ~~ |
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Train Your Dog, Change Your Life |
 is now available as a Kindle Book at Amazon. If you are one of the lucky "kindle" owners, enjoy.
Check out Maureen's other ARTICLES to learn about training the family dog, behavior and clarify some myths about how dogs learn the easy way-- |
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Alpha This, Alpha That |
Had enough-- read this article by Maureen Ross that may help clarify some of the myths about Alpha rolls and whether they are effective or even safe for family dogs.
Photo above: Wolves--greeting ritual which is very normal.
I will roll myself over thank you very much--
Journey lives with 3 other dogs-- she knows when to roll em-- and when to fold em. |
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Quick Peek at Schedules |
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Level 1 Beginnings-- 7/15 Wed Register Now
Level 1 Beginnings-- 8/8 Sat
Level 2 Moderate-- 8/8
Level 3 Challenging-- 8/8 This groupbegins at 11:30 to about 12:45. It is a great group of dog teams who gather to release energy playing baseball and other creative games, while tuning up our training skills. Competition is mild. Training is fun for humans and dogs.
Dog Sports is integrated, when appropriate into all classes. When we have enough teams booked, we offer a Thursday Evening Dog Sport intensive for 6-weeks. | |
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Enjoy the Journey,
Maureen Ross, MA, CPDT
Dog Talk & TheraPet, LLC |
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| Maureen & Tia |
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Enjoy your 4th of July. This is my first. I'm 5-months old. One thing I know for sure is that I enjoy carrying things, but not wearing them. Please remember that a dog's ears are sensitive. Give us a safe place with some healthy chew stuff to keep us occupied. Enjoy the Journey-- oh, by the way, that's me and stay tuned for more of
Journey with Tate
I'm Tate. I'll wear it, but I'm not convinced it's the right size for me. |
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Sing a Song!
Happy 4th of July!
