Playful Pooches and Parents dog training

Fall 2011

 
Playful Pooches and Parents Dog Training

The Place for You and Your Dog to Succeed!

 

Mission and Vision Statement: to coach owners and dogs to live better together in harmony and balance 

michele and baby girlDear great and patient dog owners,

 

Wow, does time ever fly! Where did the summer go? Where did all my newsletters go? It was a wild, wacky, crazy summer complete with a car accident (rear ended by uninsured motorist), toilet leak while gone resulting in newly installed water heater shorting out, my mom had a heart attack-doing great now. My daughter lost one of her dogs-Baby Girl. She was 10 years young and we miss her terribly. 

 

A lot of us have lost our dogs in the past few months. It's always hard to lose your best friend. We miss Baby Girl tremendously. There is a new book out that's on my Christmas list called "Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die" by Jon Katz. He's actually on a book tour promoting it right now. You can also find it on Facebook under the same name. There is a wonderful video he made with pictures of pets we've lost. Watch and bring a Kleenex. I wouldn't recommend watching it at work. It's wonderful and tearful at the same time. My sympathy to all who recently lost a best friend. You can also add your loved one's picture to his Facebook in their memory.     

 

Therapy Dog classes will be starting up finally! Anderson classes begin Saturday Nov 5th 5pm (field work times may vary) , Animal Ark classes begin Sunday Nov 6th 1pm (field work times may vary). Sign up early to reserve a spot. Dog should have their CGC but it is not required to take this class. Six week class $75.00 (check to me or cash). Three weeks of classroom and three weeks in fieldwork. Alumni from previous  Therapy Dog in Training classes are welcome to join us in classroom, fieldwork or both. Just let me know. It is always tons of fun and many folk's days are brightened by our visits. 

 

 

Upcoming closed dates for training: Thanksgiving Thursday Nov 24th, Friday Nov 25th, Saturday Nov 26th and Sunday Nov 27th..    Christmas Friday Dec 23rd, Saturday Dec 24th and Sunday Dec 25th. New Year's Saturday Dec 31st and Sunday Jan 1st.  

 

Last but not least-price increase effective Nov 1st. Puppy classes will be $110 ($99 if you prepay before your first class), Adult/Adolescent dog classes $180 ($162 if you prepay before your first class). The reup to Adult/Adolescent class from puppy or additional Adult/Adolescent class remains $100. I hated to raise prices but because of rising costs of everything-it was necessary. Watch Facebook for specials that I might run from time to time to help save you $$$. Thanks for your understanding. 

 

If you haven't gotten your email handouts yet, my computer is on the blink. You should be getting them soon.

 

And if you haven't been back to class in a while, come on back! We miss you and we have so much more to teach you.  

 

Woofs and hugs, 

Lydia 

 

P.S. Louisa got a forever home in case you didn't know. She is loved, cared for and spoiled. Just what she deserves.  

 
Congrats

My Awesome Teams

This is a section to brag on all my graduates both puppy and adult dogs and their awesome owners. My Canine Good Citizens, my AKC Star puppies, and my Therapy Dogs in Training Grads. Be watching for you and your dog's name here. And to all who graduated in the last few months-Congrats on a job well done!

 

 
Kids Walking Dogs

Sometimes not a great idea

I know it helps if our kids can take the dog for a walk. It helps us with time/task management and it helps them learn responsibility and bonding with the dog. But before they take on this task, they need to learn a few helpful things so both kids and dogs can be successful on leash.

 

First make sure your child is physically and mentally able to control your dog. They should be able to change directions and walk with their dog close to their side without struggle. And should be able to maintain control enough so the dog does not go in other's yards. And if they do, they should be able to quickly bring them back to their side if need be,

 

Second, retractable leashes and kids walking dogs does not equal SAFE. I don't like retractables myself and find them hard to manage. The dog gets too far out and won't come back. The retractable clip can come undone at the collar and guess where it's springing back at? You're right-your child's body and face. They can also break, become tangled and a myriad of other disasters.   

 

Third, some dogs are not friendly and some are aggressive. Your child and dog should not go up to each person/dog they meet. They should ask first at a distance and if they say "no" walk off at a distance so to avoid conflict.

 

Fourth, kids should know what to look for in heat exhaustion so they don't overheat the dog. They should not go for long walks on hot days unsupervised by adults. Same for very cold days as dogs can get frostbite just like we can.

 

Lastly, kids should always pick up after the dog and learn to manage the dog on a leash while picking up waste. They should carry it to the trash.

 

(Thanks to Eileen Clark for idea and hints)

 

 

 

Treibball

What is it?

It's a sport new to the US but played in Germany. It involves exercise ball size balls (8 of them) and a goal. It involves teamwork, positive training and herding talent. It has been called Urban Herding. Your Border Collies and Aussies are sure to enjoy it but I think breeds of all kinds can also have great fun with it. You can read more at www.americantreibballassociation.org or http://www.thebark.com/content/treibball or http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_4/features/Treibball-Canine-Sport_20234-1.html   I have a couple of the balls and we have played with them in class to most dog's enjoyment. It is kind of like soccer and you direct your dog to push the different balls through the goal. It is played with 8 balls and you and your dog have 15 minutes to push 8 balls through the goal. Local training clubs are beginning to have some classes in it. You might want to check it out.

 

Welcome Newbies

We love having you in class

A new section to welcome new dogs and owners to class coming next time. Watch for the newbies in class and welcome them. 

 

 

T-Touch

Good for you and your dog

I love T-touch. I try to teach a little of it in my classes but I'm not a Certified T-Touch Practitioner. That takes 2 years of classes. I just went to a 5-day seminar. But I think it is so worth doing for your dog-and you. You can find out more at www.ttouch.com It is a "massage" technique but they don't really call it massage. You use the various parts of your hand very lightly in circles (she uses a circle and a quarter) with the pressure you would use on your eyelids. You are working with the acupressure points that are at the cellular/nervous system level. They are most concentrated in the head/paws and tail area. You work slowly and with intention. I tell folks to keep an image in their mind of their dog doing something that they are having trouble with-but doing it perfectly. Such as walking nicely on a leash, meeting other dogs nicely, staying when asked and etc. Dogs think in pictures so if we hold a great picture of them in our mind while we do T-Touch, this will send a positive message right down our arms and fingers right to them. And the other great thing is that it helps the person doing the T-Touch as well as the dog. By relaxing and focusing on someone else, our stressful day will melt away and we ourselves will start to relax also. T-Touch can help in many ways-check their website for more. Maybe you are a practitioner in the making!

Attention Early Bird Shoppers!

A Bargain for You

I'm offering gift certificates again this year. A gift of Christmas Treedog training classes can last a lifetime. Here's the bonus this year-if you buy a gift certificate (10 classes of puppy, 10 classes of adult/adolescent or 20 adult/adolescent classes) you receive a $5 gift certificate to either Animal Ark or Family Pet Center to give, keep, share or use to spoil your dog. This is in addition to the 10% prepay discount. What a deal! Let me know if you want one or more. You can buy them at the Animal Ark or Family Pet Center. Happy early shopping!

Ways to reach me:

Email: playfulpooches@msn.com

Phone: 513-939-dogs (3647)

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