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Greetings!
 | | Finian and Teoti |
It's the time of year when my black Labrador Retriever turns yellow! The pollen is coating the city. Do you suffer from spring allergies? You may want to wipe down your dogs with a damp cloth when they come inside. Also please be on the lookout for reactions your dogs may have to pollen. Dogs can suffer from allergies, too! If your dog has runny eyes, is chewing his paws, or seems itchy but you can't find any fleas, please consult your veterinarian.
I was recently far from spring. I attended the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) conference in Rhode Island. They had snow! It was a great conference, though, with a fantastic lineup of speakers. I attended sessions on canine food aggression, the history of operant conditioning, intentional thinking in animals and more.
In this issue you'll find great news about Pawsitive Results assistant, Phyllis Beasley, plus the latest schedule, my observations recapping one year of Puppy Kindergarten, common reasons why people take their dogs to the vet, and results of a new study that shows once again that having a dog can help keep you healthy!
In personal news, I've got a new addition to the family! He's a Belgian Tervuren puppy, Sawyer.
 | | It's a boy! Meet Sawyer. |
You may see him making appearances in classes! Logan the Labrador adores him. Finian the Papillon is currently withholding judgment. :) Check out his first video.
Give your dogs cookies from me!
Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP
Pawsitive Results, LLC
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Starting Off on the Right Paw
Last year, Pawsitive Results began teaching Puppy Kindergarten classes. I was so frustrated with all the calls I was getting about aggressive dogs. In most of the cases, the aggression could easily have been prevented, if their families simply knew how. That was the trigger for my decision -- I would teach them!
A true Puppy Kindergarten class doesn't focus on lots of obedience exercises. You can teach a dog obedience at any age. (I once had an 11-year-old Golden Retriever come through class with flying colors!) What you can NOT teach at just any age is positive socialization, bite inhibition and problem behavior prevention. 
Puppies experience a critical development period up until about 16 weeks of age. This is when they form lasting opinions about people, other animals and environments. If a puppy is frightened and nervous during this time ... or pushy and obnoxious ... it can have lasting effects on his personality.
Our Puppy Kindergarten class teaches people how to properly socialize their puppies and prevent issues such as fear and aggression. After launching the class last year, here is what I have noted:-
Shy puppies really have blossomed. Some puppies come to class hiding under their chairs or acting clingy. After just a few classes they are happily taking treats from strangers and bravely exploring new objects. When these puppies march into Family Manners I, you would never have known they started out shy! An adult dog who is often frightened or fearful is a heartbreaking thing. The families who have taken their shy pups through Puppy Kindergarten have really made a huge difference for these puppies that will benefit them for a lifetime.
- Assertive puppies learn self control. We teach families how to set realistic boundaries and rules for these puppies, using modern, humane methods. You don't have to be mean to your puppy to show him you're the boss! We've seen progress as a result. Bouncy, pushy puppies can grow up to be unmanageable adolescent dogs. This is why shelters are full of them -- they become too much to handle once they reach full size!
- Everyone learns how to better understand their puppies. Many times people simply do not realize how to recognize when a puppy is worried about something. It's easy when a puppy cowers, but many puppies don't give that clear a signal. A pup could be concerned about something being scary and you may not even notice unless you learn to recognize the signs. When you do, you can help him become more confident.
It has been such a privilege to help these pups get a great start in life. Thanks to everyone who has come through Puppy Kindergarten! Look for our most recent students on our Facebook page. (You don't have to be a member of Facebook to view the page.) We look forward to welcoming more babies in the future! Puppy Kindergarten is for pups ages 8 to 16 weeks.
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Class Schedule
Classes taught at three locations. Learn how to register. Conveniently pay via credit card or PayPal.
Puppy Kindergarten
Wednesday nights, beginning May 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Grace Animal Hospital, Lexington
Family Manners I
Thursday nights, beginning May 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Tri City Leisure Center, West Columbia
Tuesday nights, beginning June 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Lexington Leisure Center, Lexington
Schedule not work for you? Please visit the website and check out future classes. |
Volunteer With Your Pet
Do you have a well behaved pet who loves everyone? Do you have time to volunteer with your pet? Prescription Paws, a Delta Society Pet Partner Affiliate Group, is now taking registration for its spring workshop!
The Delta Society accepts all domestic animals who can pass the screening. So don't just think about dogs -- your easy-going, friendly cat could make a great therapy pet! Pet Partners get an ID card, an ID tag for their pets, Interactions magazine and $1,000,000 liability insurance, plus the support of the internationally known Delta Society.
The Team Training workshop will be Saturday, May 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. in Northeast Columbia. You'll learn how to safely and effectively visit patients, how to recognize stress in your pet and much more.
Workshop space is limited, so register today! Learn how to volunteer.
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Congratulations, Phyllis! | |
Pawsitive Results assistant instructor Phyllis Beasley is now a CPDT-KA! She successfully passed her exam to earn the Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed designation!
This prestigious designation is given by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers to trainers who meet strict requirements
In order to even take the examination, a candidate must have had at least 300 hours of experience in dog training within the last five years. At least 75% of that experience must be as a head instructor. Candidates must also have a high school degree or equivalent, sign a code of ethics and have references from a veterinarian, a client and a colleague in the profession.
This credential is a proctored exam, and a test of your overall knowledge of basic animal husbandry, ethology, instruction skills, learning theory, equipment and business practices and ethics.
Pawsitive Results now has TWO CPDT-KAs on staff! Phyllis, we are so proud of you -- congratulations!
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The Ears Have It: Top Reasons for Vet Visits
I can't tell you how many hours I've spent in veterinary clinics over the years, but one organization has tallied up the most common reasons pet owners go.
The Banfield Applied Research and Knowledge Team analyzed health data from more than 1.7 million dogs to learn the most common veterinary diagnoses.
The most common diagnoses for dogs of any age were ear inflammation, skin diseases, dental problems, parasites and gastrointestinal problems. For older dogs, other common diagnoses included obesity, arthritis and skin tumors.
We're very lucky veterinary medicine can help us tackle all these issues ... but I hope your dogs stay healthy and only have to go to the clinic for preventive care!
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Clicker Tips
- A click always ends the behavior. This is because a click is a marker -- if you mark something, that means it is completed. For example, if you are clicking your dog for sitting, the click means the exercise is over. It's ok if your dog gets up at this point!
- It can be tempting to use the clicker just to get your dog's attention, but resist! A click is a marker -- you are marking behavior. If you click just to get your dog to pay attention to you, you're changing the meaning of the clicker. It can't mean two things! You will just confuse your dog, and lessen the effectiveness of the clicker.
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About Pawsitive Results, LLC
Pawsitive Results, LLC offers reward-based group dog training classes in Lexington and West Columbia, SC. Owner Teoti Anderson is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, author and public speaker.
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