After having a large dog on a flexi-leash AND harness (sigh) charge at me, my dogs, and baby today while out for our morning walk - I decided it was time to write a post on the importance of using the right tools and the correct fit for your dog.

1. Harnesses were designed for working animals to pull.
Even if your harness pulls from the side, front, or back, you're only communicating with the dog's body, not the dog's brain. It does not give you the opportunity to direct or lead. We need to stop worrying about the possibility of hurting our dog's necks and figure out why the dog is pulling so hard on the leash, instead of simply giving in to it.  

2. Absolutely no dog should be walked on a flexi-leash. 
Watching the owner today have no control of his dog was a perfect example. He was trying to reel his dog back, but the dog kept getting further and further away from him. There is no reason why your dog needs to be 15 feet ahead of you (or ahead of you at all) on a leashed walk. If you are practicing recall or scent training etc, get yourself a proper long line (one that won't cut or strangle your fingers if you need to pull it back). 

3. The fit of your dog's collar is very important. 
A collar or training collar should fit fairly snug and high up - right behind the ears. This gives the handler the ability to lead and takes the power away from the dog's powerful neck and body. If the collar is sitting down low at your dog's chest or shoulders, you're then harnessing the power and weight of the dog, which gives you no control when you need it. I find that slip leashes work great for this. It's a leash and collar combined into one tool (shown in the picture). You can purchase one of these for $20 or less. You can set the collar to where you want it and cinch it up tight. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

As humans, we tend to have a problem with using "touch" to correct our dogs. This is because we often lead our dogs with our emotions. For example, by getting angry and frustrated when they don't listen, or by becoming offended or hurt. OR by feeling bad you might hurt them, or their feelings.

This emotional state of mind is counter-productive to affect change in your dog's behaviour. As is using your voice, e.g. "stop it" or "no!"

To affectively correct the behaviour, you need to communicate with your dog in a way they understand and respect. Use your calm, assertive, un-emotional, energy, and touch, and keep moving. 

Your dog isn't trying to upset you. They just can't understand you, and do not respect you, in your emotional state.

Keep Moving Forward!
Michael

This was Michelle's second Strata complaint regarding the 10 year old dachshund, Duke, and his incessant barking while Michelle was at work. She did not have a lot of time to remedy the problem before fines ensued and barking collars and ultrasonic bark machines were not the answer (especially because of Duke's epilepsy). Treating the symptom of the problem is never the solution to treating the actual cause of the problem. She actually tried the ultrasonic bark machine before contacting me, and it only proved to envoke fear in her other dog. She returned the doggy ear piercing machine and contacted me.

I put Michelle on a strict leadership diet, and she followed it to a tee. Michelle was no longer allowed to talk to her dogs and Duke was no longer allowed to: sleep in her bed, lay on the couch, hover around while she prepared his meals, dominate the walk by marking and barking and pulling, and Duke had to practice being in his own space while she was at home. The results were immediate, he suddenly made eye contact again looking to her for direction, he also stopped following her around the house like a dog shaped shadow.

The first Saturday during her leadership diet, she took her book with her, and practiced being 'away' for short periods of time (just outside the front door). Every time Duke barked, she went inside and corrected him. The bark free time went on longer and longer by hours that day.

Within 3 weeks of being pack leader, the barking had completely stopped. The neighbour was even worried that she had gotten rid of Duke. Michelle is now stress-free, and what's even better is doggy Duke no longer feels stressed out about his owner all day because Michelle took his leadership badge away.

Michael Bylo,
Canines Moving Forward

Published on July  1, 2012

http://drernieward.com
Veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward stays in a parked car on a summer day to see how dangerous it is to leave a pet inside a car. The car reaches 117 degrees within 30 minutes with all four windows opened 1 to 2 inches.

People often think a misbehaved dog needs 'training'. Training teaches obedience such as 'sit' or 'stay'. While an experienced dog behaviour specialist, like Michael Bylo, deals with the dog's behaviour - creating boundaries and balance in an otherwise obedient (or even disobedient) dog. For example, you can have a dog who listens to all of your commands, but acts aggressively towards other dogs. Such behaviour cannot be corrected with training or positive re-enforcement (eg. treat training or "good boy").

​This is where leadership comes into play. A dog behaviourist will look at the dog's routine, amount of exercise, boundaries, discipline etc. More importantly, they will look to see how you, as their leader, handle these situations. They will then teach you what you can do in your situation to correct and prevent the behaviour.

I'd like to share this article by Cesar Millan that touches on this and more:

Leading the pack
"One of the most important things dog lovers need to do is make sure they and their dogs are in tune with each other, with the humans being the pack leaders and the dogs following that lead. Notice I don’t say a dog should be well-trained. It’s very easy to train any dog to “sit” or “shake,” but this does not mean the dog is taking on the proper role in the pack. If a dog is not balanced, then it will go right back to misbehaving once it’s done whatever trick you’ve taught it. If you only focus on training without discipline, then you may wind up with your dog training you, using your reaction to its “cute” behaviour to get what it wants. 

Setting the boundaries
I talk a lot about rules, boundaries, and limitations, which we need to create for our dogs to give them a sense of what they’re supposed to do. A pack leader’s job is to provide protection and direction. If you don’t give your dog direction, he or she can become anxious, frustrated, or fearful — and these are three of the biggest causes of common misbehaviours. You can help your dog achieve balance through my fulfillment formula of exercise, discipline, and then affection, in that order. All dogs need all of these things. It’s only the degree to which they need each one that varies with the dog.

Different dogs, different needs. 
Dogs come in many different sizes and energy levels, so there is no “one-size-fits-all” rule on how much exercise a dog needs. Your dog needs as much as your dog needs. If you have a high energy Dalmatian, you may find it necessary for both of you to run several miles three times a day, but if you have an older, low energy mutt, then once around the block twice a day may do the trick.
 
The same goes for the affection part, in terms of feeding. Canine obesity is a serious health issue, so you don’t want to feed that inactive, overweight dog the same amount or type of food as you would a hyperactive greyhound. Consult your veterinarian to determine your dog’s ideal weight, then find the right exercise and nutrition program that will help him maintain that weight. How do you know when you’ve hit the right combination? Your dog will tell you with its balanced, calm-submissive energy— its way of saying “thanks!”for being a strong pack leader." - Cesar Millan

http://doc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/12429.pdf

To book an appointment please familiarize yourself with my fees and approach and visit my contact page.

As someone who spent a long time working at a local shelter, I have to share this very well-written description of what happens behind those closed doors. Please speak openly about this with your friends and family. Think twice before you get a dog. Are you ready for the responsibilty and committment for the next 10-20 years? Are you ready to teach them how to be responsible canine citizens, with boundaries and limitations? Are you active enough to provide them with exercise every day? (yes, even when it rains). Please don't get a dog without thinking it through. Too many puppies are bought thoughtlessly and returned to shelters as adults to be euthanized behind those closed doors - because you didn't take their life seriously.

The shelter manager's letter:

"I am posting this (and it is long) because I think our society needs a huge wake-up call.

As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all - a view from the inside, if you will. Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know - that puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore.

How would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at - purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

No shortage of excuses The most common excuses I hear are: 
"We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)". Really? Where are you moving to that doesn't allow pets? "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get? "We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10-12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs! "She's tearing up our yard". How about bringing her inside, making her a part of your family?

They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place
for her. We know she'll get adopted - she's a good dog". Odds are your pet won't
get adopted, and how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? 

Well, let me tell you. Dead pet walking!

Your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off, sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies.

Your pet will be confined to a small run / kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps. It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.
If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers that day to take him / her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose. If your dog is big, black or any of the "bully" breeds (pit bull, rottweiler, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted. If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.

If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed, it may get a stay of execution, though not for long. Most pets get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment. If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles, chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.
 
Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down". First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk - happy, wagging their tails. That is, until they get to "The Room".

Every one of them freaks out and puts on the breaks when we get to the door. It must smell like death, or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there. It's strange, but it happens with every one of them. Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs (depending on their size and how freaked out they are). A euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff". Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk it's leg. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood, and been deafened by the yelps and screams.

They all don't just "go to sleep" - sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back, with all of the other animals that were killed, waiting to be picked up like garbage.

What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into
pet food? You'll never know, and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was
just an animal, and you can always buy another one, right?

Liberty, freedom and justice for all I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head. I do everyday on the way home from work. I hate my job, I hate that it exists and I hate that it will always be there unless people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much farther than the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes. My point to all of this is DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to - the truth hurts and reality is what it is.
I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog. I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this thing on craigslist and it made me want to adopt".
That would make it all worth it."

Author unknown