Start on the right Paw – Puppy and Dog Training Classes!

ImageWe are looking forward to beginning another series of  Puppy Socialization and Training Classes.
These classes are for puppies 10 weeks – approximately 5 months old and will meet twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays for 3 weeks for a total of 6 classes.
Our Basic Obedience classes for the Family Dog who is above 6 months old begins the same night but a different time.
The Puppies will learn their basic obedience skills such as: sit, down and come. They will also learn some manners like walking (not pulling on a leash), waiting at the door, not jumping (on people, counters, furniture, etc.) leaving things alone like snakes, cats, socks, shoes and more. We will also cover various topics on problem solving like chewing, digging, potty training, crate training. Puppy class last 1 hour and 15 minutes each night and includes time for puppy playtime and learning socialization skills.
The Puppy classes qualify for the AKC S.T.A.R. puppy certificate program.
Family Dog classes teach basic manners and obedience skills. Family Dog class meets for 1 hour each night.
Both classes are taught by 2 long-time, experienced Certified Dog Trainers: Kathy Dunn and Cari Bowe with a combined training experience of over 45 years.
Positive training techniques are used based on the most update scientific animal behavior training techniques. Classes are held inside and space is limited so pre-registration is a requirement! Please email me for more information and registration forms at info (at) k9keltsdogtraining (dot) com.

Last Week of April – Update

This last week of April I begin some new Family 1 Dog Classes with Cari Bowe of Shasta Dog Training on Monday and a Rally Obedience Class on Wednesday.
This Saturday is the Love Your Pet Expo and I look forward to offering AKC Canine Good Citizen testing for the public as well as doing a few demos with my dogs and having a booth. So please stop by and visit – Tell your friends – Bring a friend. All donations at the Expo go to local Animal Rescue groups. Visit www.LoveYourPetExpo.com

February is Spay/Neuter Month… Be a Part of the Solution!

In many communities, pet overpopulation and euthanasia are a continuing problem. Be a part of the solution: spay or neuter your pets.
The perpetuation of myths about spaying and neutering and the high cost cause many people to avoid the procedures, but the fact is sterilization makes your dog a better behaved, healthier pet and will save you money in the long run.
Many people, particularly men, have a hard time sterilizing their pets, imposing upon their dogs their own feelings on losing reproductive abilities. A dog will not feel like less of a “man” or “woman” after being sterilized. It will not suffer an identity crisis or mourn the loss of its reproductive capability. Your dog will simply have one less need to fulfill. A dog’s basic personality is formed more by environment and genetics than by sex hormones, so sterilization will not change your dog’s basic personality, make your dog sluggish or affect its natural instinct to protect the pack. But it will give you a better behaved pet. Neutered dogs have less desire to roam, mark territory (like your couch!) and exert dominance over the pack. Spayed dogs no longer experience the hormonal changes during heat cycles that turn your pet into a nervous dog that cries incessantly and attracts unwanted male dogs. Sterilized dogs are more affectionate and less likely to bite, run away, become aggressive, or get into a fight.
Another myth is that spaying and neutering cause weight gain. Dogs do not get fat simply by being sterilized. Just like humans, dogs gain weight if they eat too much and exercise too little or if they are genetically programmed to be overweight. The weight gain that people may witness after sterilization is most likely caused by continuing to feed a high energy diet to a dog that is reducing its need for energy as it reaches adult size.
Dogs do not mourn their lost capability to reproduce. They reproduce solely to ensure the survival of their species. They do not raise a puppy for eighteen years. They do not dream of their puppy’s wedding. They do not hope for the comfort of grandchildren in their old age. Female dogs nurse for a few weeks, teach the puppies rules, boundaries, and limitations and send them off to join the pack. Male dogs are not “fathers” in the human sense of the word; they do not even recognize puppies as their own.
As for expense, today there are enough low cost and free spay and neuter programs that this can no longer be an excuse! Even if these programs are not available in your area, the emotional distress and money spent on medical treatments you will save down the line makes it an investment that will be worth every penny.
Spaying (for females) and neutering (for males) can have health and behavioral benefits. For females, the benefits of spaying include lowering the risk for uterine cancer and mammary tumors, no more messy heat cycles, and eliminating the chance of accidental breedings that result in unwanted puppies. Also, some females experience false pregnancies and uterine infections that can be fatal. With male dogs, neutering can decrease aggression and the tendency for the male dog who has females on his mind to want to get loose and wander. If it is done early enough, neutering helps do away with with scent marking, the tendency for the dog to lift his leg and leave his “signature” on your furniture. Neutering male dogs also reduces the risk for testicular cancer and prostate disease. Sterilization reduces the risk of incidence of a number of health problems that are difficult and expensive to treat. Your veterinarian can help you make decisions about the right time to spay/neuter your dog.  By sterilizing your pet, your dog will live a healthier and longer life.

Dog News…

Here it is already December. Time flies when you are having fun.
I am busy as ever enjoying my new dog training jobs. Yes, I am still working for Cari Bowe at Shasta Dog Training and I am also working for Pro K9 Academy and the National Institute of Diabetic Alert Dogs.
Cari and I just finished up another AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Class with 10 playful puppies. What a blast! We ran a new format of twice-a-week classes for a total of 6 classes. It was great to see those puppies progress to walking on a loose leash, doing sits, downs, coming when called, not jumping, leaving forbidden objects alone and all around good manners. We look forward to offering more classes in January.
Since I began working for Pro K9/Ntl Inst. of Diabetic Alert Dogs, we have placed 4 dogs already and several more will be going out hopefully by Christmas. These dogs are awesome! They are consistently alerting when a diabetic person has low and/or high blood sugar, including going with kids to school, riding in the backseat of a car, waking up owners in the middle of the night and more!
On a sad note… my much loved Sheltie, Patrick Ryan, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge at the end of November. I miss him terribly. Some days are sadder than others, especially when I got the email from Petco of a birthday reminder for him. He would have been 11 years old. I still have my Sheltie, Dani Joy and my Italian Greyhound, Skippy. They both are still as spunky and spoiled as ever.
On a more upbeat note, I finally got my graduation certificate from the Animal Behavior College and I graduated with honors and “officially” I am a Certified Dog Trainer.