The Doritos people really outdid all the rest this year! Sure, we love the Budweiser Clydesdales, but this year, the Labradors strike back! Was there a hidden humane message buried in there somewhere?
Hmmmmmm...
Please take a moment to enjoy a message from my favorite cause!
GRCGLARescue PO Box 491209 Los Angeles, CA 90049 818.700.5200 www.grcglarescue.org
Teach Your Dog To Swim! Even if you don't expect your dog to love the pool, it's always a good idea to do pool orientation with him. That way, in case he ever falls in, hopefully he won't panic and can find his way out safely. This little guy isn't too frightened and his folks are doing a great job of getting his feet wet!
We do offer in-home swimming pool orientation programs (year round!) custom-tailored to your home, family and dog, so if you'd like to teach Dozer to dog-paddle, give us a call at 951-283-2101!
Resource guarding is the tendency for a dog to 'protect' valuable objects. Now, when a dog protects his best stuff from other dogs, I don't get too concerned about that, since dogs that give up their stuff, well, they don't have any stuff! But dogs shouldn't protect their stuff from their people, and people shouldn't teach their dogs to guard their stuff from them (which is what this yutz in the video is doing!). The kind of problem you see here (dog threatening owner over a bone) could be very easily corrected with proper training and behavior modification. Even better, the whole mess could have been headed off by getting the dog into a quality puppy class when he was small.
Or, if you're like this guy, you can just keep provoking the dog until he bites you, or somebody's kid. Funny, huh?
We don't think so. If your dog growls at you, your kids or your guests over objects, treats or food, you can change that situation for the better. Give me a call at 951-283-2101 and I can show you how to restore harmony to your household!
Baby VS. Dog
I wish I had a nickel for every call I’ve gotten where the client was shocked that their ‘kid-tolerant’ dog bit, nipped, growled at or muzzle-punched their crawler or toddler. In my opinion, many of these dogs have been screaming for help for quite some time before they felt the need to escalate, and their humans just didn’t pick up on it. But growling, nipping and biting certainly do get people’s attention, don’t they?
The fact is that dogs use subtle body-language signals to communicate some very complex, but very direct messages. Let’s take a look at an example.
In this clip, Amber the Golden Retriever is telling crawler Cedric that his advances are just not welcome! Amber does her best to politely ignore the baby, and as he begins to handle her about the head and face, you can see Amber show us some eye-shifting behaviors, a pretty good signal that she’s not comfortable with this. As baby becomes more vigorous in grabbing the dog’s ears and face, Amber pulls away, flicks her tongue and then partially withdraws, turning her face away from the baby altogether. Among dogs, tongue-flicks communicate stress, and the “look-away” is a social signal that dogs use to communicate “your behavior is completely inappropriate!” Unfortunately, the baby isn’t capable of getting that message! As the baby comes back for round two, Amber continues to let him know his advances are unwelcome in a much more pronounced way. This is a pretty tight shot, but it appears that Amber is somewhat cornered, which would be another factor in heightening her stress during this unwelcome encounter.
Do you have kids and dogs at home? Need some help making sure everyone's getting along? We're pleased to help make sure all the little brains in your home are safe, happy and harmonious. Call me at 951-283-2101 to schedule a baby/dog session soon!
Dog training, puppy training, dog obedience classes, pet manners classes, clicker training classes, tricks classes, private dog training, puppy socialization, puppy kindergarten, in-home dog training, CGC training & CGC testing, group dog training classes, service dog training, doggie boot camp, kennel training, day training, board and train, dog boot camp, Treibball, Rally Obedience, dog obedience training and lots more!.
Customized behavior modification programs for all dog behavior problems including house training, house soiling, dog aggression, human aggression, nuisance barking, children & dogs, babies & dogs, destructiveness, chewing, digging, jumping on people, jumping fences, multi-dog households, leash pulling, separation anxiety, house breaking, shyness, socialization, door bolting, running away, hyperactive dogs, dog fighting, fearful dogs, biting, growling, anxiety, house breaking, dogs fighting in the home and just about everything else to keep your k9 companions well-trained and happy!
We use proven modern techniques incorporating positive reinforcement!
Home of Southern California School for Dogs Better Than Boot Camp! Gentle, dog-friendly training for your canine companions! A quality southern California dog training experience!