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Hot Dog News

6&7

Training Your Peformance Dog

Dogs for Adoption

See MESARD on page 3

“That others may live.” K-9 teams and flankers—those that provide navigation, communication, and first aid support—are on-call 24/7 and are trained to search night and day across rugged terrain, on foot, in vehicles, boats, or aircraft.

Service and other official agencies in-state and across the Northeast region in locating missing persons. Their K-9 Search and Rescue (SAR) teams are certified in at least one specialty—wilderness air-scent, human remains detection, tracking/ trailing, and water search. They adhere to a motto that says it all:

Ask the Vet & New Year, New Tricks! Furry Words Training Feature

INSIDE 2 4

Co-founded in 1984 by Maine Game Warden, Deb Palman, Maine Search and Rescue Dogs (MESARD) is a volunteer search unit consisting of well-trained, certified K-9 teams that assist the Maine Warden

By Susan Spisak

“That Others May Live”

Volume 10 • Issue 1 • January 2015

MAINE SEARCH AND RESCUE DOGS

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Hot Dog News

LaunchLeap announces The First Ever Dog Collar Co-creation Campaign

A first for the pet industry MONTREAL, Quebec – January 8, 2015 – LauchLeap today announced a co-creation campaign in collaboration with Hot Dogs All Dressed, a Montreal-based manufacturer of premium, handmade dog collars and accessories since 1996. Starting today, Hot Dogs All Dressed will run a 10-day online campaign to make the world’s first co-created dog collar. Dog lovers from around the world can provide their design input with the company to help it make a new dog collar for 2015. “I’m thrilled to receive direct design feedback from people, for the first time after being in business for 19 years,” said owner Viva Signer. The campaign will be hosted on LaunchLeap, a new co-creation platform that empowers consumers to influence product design. What is co-creation? Co-creation is the act of involving

consumers directly in the product creation or innovation process (Forrester Research). About Hot Dogs All Dressed Since 1996, Hot Dogs All Dressed has been hand-making dog collars and accessories in Montreal. Viva and her team take pride in sourcing quality materials to create durable products that reflect the needs and personalities of your pets. For more information, please contact: LaunchLeap Thomas Sychterz, Co-Founder & CEO, thomas@launchleap.com (438) 888-7622 Hot Dogs All Dressed Viva Singer, Owner viva@hotdogsalldressed.com (514) 485-2474

DOGN’I APPAREL Where Human & Canine Fashions Collide

collars • leads • jackets

All custom-made for your dog and you! Available at Bear Brook Kennel 19 Bennett Road Brewer, ME or www.dogni.com To schedule a custom fitting for your dog, contact Cynthia at 207-299-3820

Green Acres Increases Fund Raising Goal

Green Acres Kennel Shop has increased their goal for their annual Furry Friends Food Bank fundraiser from $2500 to $4000. They are 22 days into their campaign and have raised $2664, surpassing their initial goal. Green Acres originally committed to donating $1000 if the campaign raised $1500, and they are now committing to donate an additional $1000 if they raise a total of $4000 from the community. All funds raised will be used to buy pet food at wholesale prices for distribution by the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank. This is the sixth year in a row that Green Acres Kennel Shop has held an annual fundraiser for the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Furry Friends Food Bank. The first campaign came about during a staff meeting when Green Acres employees discussed ideas for a community project where they could give back to the community. This year’s campaign launched on Saturday November 22nd will run through Saturday December 27th. All customers are asked if they would like to make a donation to the fundraiser and the community at large is able to donate online through a secure page at the Green Acres website:www. greenacres-donate.com. This page also includes more information on the fundraiser. Green Acres Kennel Shop owner Don Hanson states: “We are incredibly thankful for the 184 donations we have received so far. The Furry Friends Food Bank is of vital importance to keeping seniors and their pets together and healthy, and every cent raised will go directly towards purchasing pet food at wholesale prices for those in need. Pets play an incredibly important role in our lives, and our interactions with them can help lower blood pressure and resolve depression. If a dog or cat is the only living thing you see on a daily basis, not uncommon for some seniors and the disabled, that

pet becomes even more important. EAAA serves four counties across 13,000 square miles. Last year, they distributed 63,000 lbs. of pet food to over 900 clients. The holiday season is a time for giving, and we are thankful to all that are giving to this fundraiser.” People may follow the activities of the fundraising drive on the FaceBook page for the Friends of EAAA Furry Friends Food Bank at (https://www.facebook.com/GAKS. FFFFB). Those who want to help spread the word can download a flyer/sign at (http://goo.gl/FB5oJY) People can learn more about the Eastern Area Agency on Aging and the Furry Friends Food Bank on the November 22nd podcast from The Woof Meow Show when Kate and Don talk with Robert Crone and Lori Diadone about these important programs. (http://traffic.libsyn.com/ woofmeowshow/Woof MeowShow2014-11-22-GAKS_EAAA-FFFB_ Fundraiser.mp3 OR http://goo.gl/ n2Su2y) The Eastern Area Agency on Aging is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization serving Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, and Washington counties dedicated to providing seniors, adults with disabilities, and caregivers with a variety of options, opportunities, resources, and referrals. (http://www. eaaa.org). In business since 1965, Green Acres Kennel Shop at 1653 Union Street is a Pet Care Services Association (PCSA) accredited facility offering boarding, daycare, and grooming for dogs and cats, as well as pet behavior consultations and training classes. Voted Best Kennel every year since 2002, Best Pet Store every year since 2007, Best Dog Trainer every year since 2011, and Best Pet Groomer every year since 2013, the Green Acres retail store offers a wide variety of wholesome pet foods, treats, and quality supplies. For more information, please call 945-6841 or visit www.greenacreskennel.com.

GREAT GIFT IDEA The

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A whimsical children’s story about a Labrador Retriever’s love of tennis balls. Written by Maine author Christopher Lockwood with beautiful illustrations by Maine watercolor artist Kathleen Fox. $14.95 www.tennisballtrees.com

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MESARD from page 1 They look for those lost—hikers, hunters, children, those suffering from dementia, autism or mental illness, or possible victims of drowning or presumed homicide. They primarily are called upon by the Maine Warden Service and respond an average of 20 times per year.

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Eiko hard at work!

Deb, now retired after 30 years with the Warden Service, is President of this 501(c)(3) non-profit after decades as their Training Director. She brought her extensive expertise to MESARD; in addition to being a Game Warden, she also served as a K-9 handler and trainer for the Warden Service’s K-9 Unit for over 25 years and is a SAR Master Trainer with the International Police Work Dog Association.

Being in this search unit is physically demanding on handlers and K-9’s, so they must stay in peak condition. Members have a variety of parallel and/or outdoor backgrounds including park and warden service, medical, fire-fighting, dog-training, and several are certified Wilderness First Responders. MESARD K-9’s fall into herding, sporting, hound, and working groups, all considered best for this type of work. MESARD meets or exceeds all Maine Association of Search and Rescue standards as well as the SAR industry standards of training 16 hours per month, but they drill closer to 30, often in remote locations. Because of this time commitment, Deb says only about 1% of new applicants stick with it. In addition to their selfless, free-of-charge work, group members are actively involved in community outreach programs; they spend countless hours educating the public on outdoor and woods safety and search dogs. In 2013, MESARD was asked to assist in 33 searches. Deb remembers a specific search that year for an 86-year-old Benton, Maine man. He was missing for almost 48 hours when she and her dog, Quinn, did a “hasty search” and found him alive, although moderately hypothermic. “I basically saved his life,” she says matter-offactly. Not all searches have happy endings, and it’s impossible not to

Deb and Alex

See MESARD on page 5

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Table of Contents Hot Dog News ........................ Furry Words ............................ Ask the Vet................................. Words, Woofs & Meows ...... New Year, New Tricks! .......... Basic Training Tips ................ Baxter ........................................ Dogs for Adoption................. Performance Dog Training. Calendar of Events ............... Business Directory ................

2 4 4 5 6 8 8 9 10 11 11

Katie Grant, Publisher, (207) 751-7786 or katie@downeastdognews.com

January 2015

Furry Words

Ask the Vet . . .

Sara Moore, Animal Communicator

On December 18,th I did one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I said goodbye to Miss Sophie, the yellow lab who has been a part of my life since I was pregnant with my now nine year old son Zachary. For the past six years, Sophie has very much been my ex husband’s dog. She lived with him, and I only watched her when he was out of town or I wanted a hiking partner. It was only this spring that she started spending more time at my house, and I’m so grateful to the participants in my animal communicating workshops who voiced her request to split her time between our two houses. Sophie had been sick for a while, but then things took a turn for the worse. She stopped eating and even refused her favorite treats. She was lethargic, skinny, and vomiting. All signs were pointing to cancer, and instead of putting her through invasive diagnostic procedures, we chose to end her physical suffering and let her go with dignity. As too many of you know, this can be a heartbreaking decision. Luckily for us, she made it very clear she was ready. On the day she crossed, she spent most of the morning sitting by the door. Sound familiar? I know I’ve told many of you that your dogs look forward to going “home” and being pain free. Many people feel guilt over this, and luckily I was at peace knowing we were making the right decision. When Zach and I returned home without her, reality started setting in. What do I do with the dog bed in front of the wood stove? I have to donate the huge bag of dog food I bought her when I still had hope she’d pull through. I need to actually sweep my kitchen floor when

I’m cooking now since there’s no four legged cleanup crew at my feet. There is no one here to alert me to someone pulling in my driveway (or even driving past my house), and next time I lay on my deck to watch the stars on a chilly night, she won’t be there to snuggle and keep me warm. Another fact is that our cat Casper lost his true love. They were smitten with each other! In the midst of the pain, I know that Sophie taught me so much. She taught me about loyalty (her loyalty to her dad was unmatched), unconditional love, forgiveness, surrender, patience, joy, and so much more. She was my first child and now Zachary, Casper, and I are a redefined family unit. Her physical presence is greatly missed. What I wouldn’t give to stroke her ears or kiss her nose just one more time. I do know that she is around us energetically. That allows my heart to have peace even in the weepy moments. We will keep her memory alive by talking about her and sharing Sophie stories. She is now among the loved ones who passed before her, and the thought of all of them shining down and helping us with the grieving process is comforting. I love that my job allows me to help people accept that their animals are always at peace when they cross over. Sophie is the first dog in my life that I have had to actually hold as she died. I have a deeper understanding of the depth of the emotions this brings to the surface, and I send all of you love and healing. I also extend a heartfelt thanks to all of you who’ve shared prayers and words of hope and peace. They have all been received.

Sara Moore is a psychic medium for people and animals. She lives in Conway, NH and can be reached at enlightenedhorizons@gmail.com. Readings can be done in person or long distance via phone or email. For more information and upcoming classes so you can learn how to better communicate with your pets, go to www.enlightenedhorizons.com.

Dr. Judith Herman

Search and Rescue Precautions

What precautions should I take with my search and rescue dog? I will be working her in a variety of environments. Your dog will be focused on her job and not watching out for possible hazards. I would start with an emergency kit. I would have tools to remove splinters, bandages in case of cuts, heal- all salve which you can get from your health food store ( works better than antiseptic creams for abrasions and cuts), styptic powder for torn nails, and a small homeopathic emergency kit which I will discuss later. When she is out working, she doesn’t care what she runs through. It could be extremely hot asphalt to thorny underbrush. It can be the heat of the summer or the freezing cold of winter. Dogs can experience frost bite, dehydration, and heat stroke, all from intensely working. If it is hot, have frozen large soda bottles full of water. These take longer to warm up on a hot day. If you need to cool your dog down, these bottles can be a life saver. Hot asphalt has been known to cause blisters on the paws of dogs walking on it. Check the feet often. Use protective boots if they don’t interfere with her work and you are concerned with burns. Frost bite is the other extreme. If a companion is reluctant to move or carrying a leg, then it is time to stop. A concern for dogs as well as people is the warming and then refreezing of a body part. This is how you get cell damage and wound formation. Musher’s Secret, boots, and other protective gear that doesn’t interfere with working maybe helpful. If the dog comes up lame while working, check her paws for any matted sticky spot, blood, or foreign body. Remove the foreign body, wash

up the area, apply the heal-all salve, and bandage the area. Then have her examined by your veterinarian. You can do the same thing with cuts and scrapes anywhere on the body. Pulled muscles can be helped with Arnica, a homeopathic remedy for muscle strains and bruising. If joints are sprained, use Rhus tox. or Ruta grav. for the pain. If these fail, you can judiciously use buffered aspirin. Be careful when using any over the counter pain medication. Call your veterinarian first in case there is a reason you should not be using that on your dog. If she has a confrontation with bees or wasps, the homeopathic remedies Apis or Ledum are great to have on hand. If she starts swelling and the area is hot, red and shiny use Apis. If the area is painful, normal or cold to the touch, and bluish use Ledum. If all else fails carry Benadryl with you. We are lucky that we don’t need to worry about poisonous snakes in Maine. Most trained search and rescue dogs are so focused on the job that distractions like garbage and trash are not an issue. If your dog does get into something you don’t want her to have, call poison control or your veterinarian first. If they suggest making her vomit, use hydrogen peroxide within an hour or so of ingesting the substance. This could saver her life. This list is far from complete but a good place to start. The recommendations here never take the place of being vigilant of your dog’s behavior or take the place of seeing your veterinarian. The veterinarian may pick up little things you overlook or aren’t aware of. These recommendations are not just for the working dog. Companions of all types can benefit from a prepared guardian. Judith K. Herman DVM, CVH Animal Wellness Center, Augusta, ME www.mainehomeopathicvet.com officeawc@roadrunner.com

Downeast Dog News

WORDS, WOOFS & MEOWS By Don Hanson, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA

A Holistic Approach to Dog Training - Part 1

Dog Training is About so Much More Than You Training the Dog Forty years ago this month I had just turned 17 and my parents finally agreed to let me have a dog. I brought home a little black fluff of fur with no real idea of what to do other than to love and feed her. Neither the pet store where I bought Trivia, nor the veterinarian who examined her, suggested she have any level of training; in fact they didn’t even mention housetraining. Nor did they suggest I learn anything about what it’s like to be a dog. Somehow Trivia and I survived, but as I look back I know that the relationship we had, and more importantly Trivia’s quality of life, could have been so much better if I had just taken the time to learn more about her, train her and more importantly prepare her for living in my world. Trivia was a social butterfly and she loved people but because I had never socialized her or taught her any manners she was a bit of a “wild child” when people were around. As a result for the first several years of her life she wasn’t taken places and when people did come over she was exiled to her pen outside or her room in the basement. She was basically denied the social

interaction she craved. Every time I think of Trivia, it saddens me to know how much better her life could have been. Seventeen years later I was married and Paula and I got our first dog as a family. Since we wanted to do everything right we immediately signed Gus up for a puppy class. We were introduced to a very heavyhanded method of training, which was popular at the time, but really weren’t encouraged to think beyond “training the dog.” There was little or no emphasis on our learning anything about canine behavior, how dogs learn, how dogs communicate and express themselves, what motivates a dog, the role of health and wellness in learning , or a dogs physical, mental and emotional needs. All we were taught was; “This is how you train your dog to do x, and this is what you do if he does not comply. Non-compliance is NOT an option.” If it weren’t for my innate need to understand “the why” of everything, coupled with Gus’ medical and behavioral quirks, we probably would have just muddled on and Gus would have had a life similar to that of Trivia. Gus was with us for thirteen years and all in all he had a pretty nice life; after moving here he even became a therapy dog. He was also the biggest reason we pushed ourselves to learn everything we can about dogs and was a major factor in our getting into the pet services industry. Thank you Gus! Sadly, in many ways the general public’s attitudes towards dogs and training has not changed much in forty years. According to the 2011-2012 American Pet Product Association National Pet Owners Survey, only 4% of the dogs in the USA are taken to a dog training class. While this number is trending up, it was only 2% in 1998, it is infinitesimally small. Now while some families do manage to train their dogs without going to a class, many dogs still remain untrained or under trained or totally unprepared for living in the human world. Many people are still clinging to that heavy-handed method of training we were introduced to when we first got Gus because that’s

the way the dogs in their family have always been “trained.” Even more alarming, an article from the November 2013 issue of Veterinary Medicine indicates that only 4.7% of puppies attend a puppy socialization class. I believe that these statistics provide an answer to why so many dogs are surrendered to a shelter or rescue because of behavior problems. Proper socialization often makes the difference between a well-adjusted dog and one that develops behavioral issues. Socialization is about so much more than getting along with the neighbor’s dog or becoming familiar with grandpa and grandma or the neighbors kids. In my experience, very few individuals understand what socialization and habituation means without the benefit of attending a class or working with a professional trainer. I see dogs for behavioral consultations. These dogs are brought to us because of aggression, reactivity or some type of anxiety, and often they have had little or no training. Typically they were not well socialized or were socialized inappropriately. Many dogs that develop behavioral issues end up being surrendered or routinely spend their lives tied up in the yard or relegated to staying at home, often confined to a small area of the house, for the majority of their lives. Some may be continually subjected to being yelled at and having guardians that are regularly rife with anger and frustration, simply because the dogs “should know better” or “are stubborn.” Not exactly a high quality life when you think about it and one that could be dramatically different if owners had put forth the effort to learn about their dog and to train them. I believe that there are five fundamental reasons that people choose not to work with a professional when it comes to learning about their dog and training their dog. First, many people are under the misguided impression that dog training is only for dogs that have problems or for dogs that compete in dog shows or sports. The reality is that most dog training programs are created with the average pet dog in mind and focus on the basics such as not jumping on the guests and walking nicely on a leash. Additionally, people often underestimate the value of training to both themselves and their dogs. A well trained dog is more welcome in public places and

because they are easier to care for become everyone’s favorite. Because of their exemplary behavior owners with well-trained dogs often find it easier to find rental housing or insurance and may even qualify for discounts at the veterinarians, groomers, boarding kennel and daycare. Another barrier to dog training is all of the misinformation about dog training and canine behavior, much of which is outdated and obsolete but still considered “state-of-the-art” by the dog owning public due to urban legends and the internet. Examples of these myths are things such as suggesting that a dog needs all its shots before it can start training, that some breeds are too stubborn to be trained, that you can’t train a dog until it’s “x” months old, that a dog will learn all it needs to know from other dogs, that you just need to dominate your dog and make them mind, etc. Our knowledge about dogs, their behavior and the most humane and efficient ways to train them has changed radically in the last 10 years but often it’s only the professional trainers that are aware of this new information. A lack of resources, both financial and time, is a further reason that people often use for not pursuing training with their pet. The reality is that compared to the purchase price of a dog, veterinary care, and a year’s worth of food training is a bargain! If the resource one finds lacking is time, then you really need to question whether you really have time to have a dog. Working with a knowledgeable, experienced professional will actually save you time. Finally, there often seems to be a cultural lack of emphasis on the importance and benefits of training by breeders, rescues, shelters, veterinarians, boarding kennels and daycares, groomers, and yes even dog trainers at times. Next month I’ll go into details on what I consider to be a holistic approach to dog training and will discuss the many benefits of training your dog and yourself with this approach. Don Hanson is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) in Bangor. He is a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and Certified Professional Dog Trainer. He produces and co- hosts a weekly radio show and podcast, The Woof Meow Show heard on The Voice of Maine (103.9FM, 101.3FM, 1450AM & woofmeowshow. com) every Saturday at 7:30AM and Sunday at 8:30PM.

MESARD from page 3 become emotionally involved. “If you’re in the SAR field, and you’re devoted to finding missing persons, you get attached to any mission.” Members absorb K-9 training and equipment costs, but the group needs to continually update its GPS systems, remote K-9 collars, and

radios. They welcome tax-deductible corporate and individual donations to support their mission of providing trained and certified volunteer SAR K-9 teams to aid in the recovery of missing persons.

Members of MESARD working in the field.

Donations can be sent to MESARD, c/o Kelly Pontbriand, 464 S. Gouldsboro Road, Gouldsboro, ME 04607. For more info on MESARD, visit www.mesard.org.

January 2015

New Year,

The Importance of Obedience Training By Jill Simmons

The best way for you and your dog to bring out the best in each other is by obedience training from the first possible moment of opportunity. Society perpetuates many myths about dogs, from the Lassies who seem to be born understanding every nuance of what humans want to the Marleys whose reprobate charm means a wave of destruction at which rueful smiles and shrugged shoulders result. The truth is, all dog-human teams benefit from obedience training, and the science of teaching dogs has made tremendous advancements over the past ten years. Obedience training teaches a dog the good manners and savvy to live in a human world as a treasured friend and prevents behavior problems. There is no greater gift you can give your dog than the time you spend training him to be everything you hoped. Obedience training is a lifelong conversation between you and your dog. From the dog's point of view,

humans can be very confusing with all of our white noise. We say many words that don't pertain to dogs, and we make many hand signals and body movements that do not apply to dogs. However, when you set aside time to obedience train, you give your dog your total attention, you think about saying a word just once while instilling a complete understanding of that word, and you keep your body more still except for signals that mean something for the dog. Since dogs tend to be anthropologists who study humans, making this space and time to focus one hundred percent on teaching them is a joy for your dogs. Dogs learn differently from humans and do not generalize well. Because a dog can easily perform a command in the context of your kitchen does not mean he is ready to understand the same command in the context of the dog park. As you obedience train your dog, along the way it becomes fascinating to study up on how dog brains work

Mr. Dog Training Obedience Classes Activity Classes Free Puppy Preschool 270 State Rd. West Bath 04530 207.798.1232 www.mrdogtraining.com info@mrdogtraining.com

and that enriches your appreciation of your dog. Puppies in particular are sponges, and often with the help of a good class, easily master the basic commands like sit, down, front, finish, heel, leave it, give, go to bed, and come. With an enriched environment, good nutrition, vet care, and socialization, obedience training is fun for both baby dog and owner. Reward-based training is best for the puppy. Simple strategies like rewarding behavior you like and wish to see repeated while ignoring behaviors you prefer extinguished become second nature. The obedience trainer's mantra is that positive training is by no means the same as permissive training. With puppies, effective obedience training means to keep your criteria for rewarding them high enough to be a challenge, but not too low so they get freebies or too high so they become frustrated and shut off. Rather than punishing what puppies do wrong, like jumping up to greet people, obedience training means tutoring them in what you wish them to do in order to be right. For example, you may teach your puppy to sit or down when a stranger approaches proactively, rather than letting him rehearse jumping over and over and eventually punishing him for it when it is a bad habit. A good time to work with puppies is briefly before each meal. Obedience training is a two way partnership in which your dog offers

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fearful, shy, and timid dogs • Dog agility • Mini seminars • Handling dogs for photo/ video shoots

• Behavioral consultations/ evaluations • Dog Behavior and body language

plenty of signals and signs too, signs that you can learn how to decode through the help of an excellent trainer or through reading about dog behavior. Through the process of training, you start to notice your dog offering you feedback all the time- a yawn, a moment to stop and scratch, stress signals, or a confident willingness to offer behaviors. It is hard to describe to someone who has never obedience trained a dog the thrill of a lightbulb “Ah HA” moment when the dog breaks through and genuinely learns. These breakthrough moments create a bond between you and your dog that only strengthens as the years go by. Conversely, in the absence of obedience training, you and your dog may misunderstand one another rather than communicate clearly. When a dog is not guided step by step through good training through the expectations of the culture surrounding him, he may default to what comes naturally in canine culture (digging, barking, jumping!), and that can get him in trouble and harm his relationship with you, trouble he does not understand. Since no dog sets out to be a "no no bad dog", it is your responsibility to give your dog the tools he needs to be a very good dog in your eyes so that you may enjoy one another's company through the years. Through kind, fair, obedience training, your dog will become a joyful learner and learn how to learn, as well as

Individual training and small, good-humored groups: Puppy Preschool, Basic Manners, Therapy Dogs, Canine Good Citizens, and more. Daytime classes available, as well as one scholarship for an upcoming therapy dog.

• Fear, timidity, and shyness • Mild/moderate aggression • Relations between dogs/ puppies and children

Lane Fisher, CPDT-KA, Instructor 49 Herrick Rd Belfast, ME 04915 207-338-1123 • waggletails@gwi.net

Downeast Dog News

, New Tricks! master specific commands. Dog training is both an art and a science, and with excellent timing, a few technical skills and an attentive, forgiving attitude, you can take pride in a dog who is a trustworthy friend and family member. Group classes for obedience training can be supportive, inspiring, and provide structure to the process when the fit is sturdy between trainer and client. Some trainers excel in a niche defined by breed, dog sport, or philosophy; others devote themselves to behavior rehabilitation, aggressive or reactive dogs, rescue, or prefer to work through private lessons. Dog trainers should have wide, deep experience with dogs and dog husbandry and be capable of spotting health or structural problems, offering solutions to typical behavior glitches and be responsible with their own dogs. Often good dog trainers will be either certified or active in competition, have good working relationships with vets and other dog professionals, and offer good communications skills with people as well as canines. There is no hard, fast rule about what makes the ideal trainer for you and your dog, but there are some red flags. For example, avoid situations in which someone promises to train your dog for you in seven days of boot camp. As in all things, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Educating a dog takes time, insight, and skill, and no program of force can accelerate the process to a week or two without risking harm to the dog in the big picture. Obedience training is your dog's best resource for a happy life, and the time you spend teaching will be rewarded a hundredfold with his devotion. To have good timing and offer dogs quick feedback commensurate with their attention spans, to carve out the daily time to spend practicing, to be present in the moment with your dog, to blur the line between playing and training. . . that is what it means to teach obedience to your dog. Training establishes a common vocabulary of both body language and verbal language between two completely different species and is an everyday miracle, and it is fun. Jill Simmons owns PoeticGold Farm in Falmouth, Maine. She shares her life with five golden retrievers. Her first word ever was "dog".

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8 A Sound Education for Every Dog • • • • • •

STAR Puppy Family Dog Manners Canine Good Citizen Control Unleashed AKC Community Canine Rally Obedience

Services Offered

• • • • • •

Attention Heeling Growly Dog/BAT Training Outdoor Adventures for Shy Dogs Leash Lungers “Reform School” Conformation/Show Handling

• RallyFree/Freestyle • Circus Dog Tricks • Dog Photography for Pets, Magazines, Ads, and Catalogs ...and more!

7 Trillium Lane Falmouth, Maine 04105 • 207.899.1185 www.poeticgold.com • Ljilly28@me.com

dance learn how to

www.dianalogan.com

with your dog

January 2015

Basic Training Tips by Diana Logan

FREEZE!

Doing Nothing is Sometimes the Best Option!

We primates use words all the time... To our dogs, we sound like we are continually blabbering gibberish. They can certainly learn words, but it takes time and effort through consistent and thoughtful training for them to do so. Dogs communicate through the use of their bodies with subtle (and not so subtle) visual signals. It's all about personal space for them: a continual dance for what is available and how to access or protect it. Personal space for both dogs and humans is a valuable resource.

eating dog will stop, lift his head a bit, turn slightly, and freeze? When you want to claim your own personal space, whether your dog tends to jump on you, grab a toy from your hand, and get pushy or otherwise over-excited: freeze! Freezing means no eye contact, no words, arms and hands pinned to your body, turning away, a stiffened body. Freezing means "no" in doggie language. Don't do something: just stand there.

gestures in our own interactions with them. We can’t communicate with our tails (oh that would be interesting), but our bodies can be used very effectively in our interactions with dogs. Here are a few examples:

In order to best communicate with our animal friends, we need to understand their "culture" and do our very best to ensure that we are understood by them. Observe how dogs interact - watch their body language, the small motions, the range of expressions. It’s fascinating! We can imitate some of those

Freeze: Dogs are very busy creatures with no time to waste on boring people. If you want some space, be boring! Did you ever notice that when a dog approaches another dog who is eating, the

Body Blocking: If you don’t want your dog in your space, use your body (not your hands) to protect it. Body blocking is one of the most effective ways to control your dog’s movements. This works well at the door: face your dog (not the door) and "corral" him in a friendly way away from the door. Do not open the door until he has settled a bit. Be a snob! Turn away - lift your chin, turn to the side, fold your arms across your chest: If your pup is being demanding and doing something you don’t like (such as pawing you for attention), immediately turn into

a snob! Your pup should back off and give you a bit of space. Play Bow: When you and your pup are in the mood for some play, dip your upper body down towards the ground and put a gleam in your eyes and wiggle. Yippee! Action invites Interaction: Dogs are tuned in to movement and respond in kind: this is often why young kids are the targets for inappropriate interactions: that movement is hard to resist! Speak the Lingo: Dogs are superb at reading the whole picture when they see someone, assessing all the subtle cues at once. We can be confounding to them - we are full of mixed messages. It’s amazing they can figure us out at all! The above techniques will not work on every dog but are a good place to start.

Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed Pet Connection Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine www.dianalogan.com 207-252-9352

Busy, Busy, Busy WE OUTFIT YOUR PETS FOR ADVENTURE! 2013 & 2014 Best Maine Pet store Winner 22 McKoWn street - BoothBay harBor 207-633-Pets - WWW.tWosaltyDogs.net

Humans have to be busy at something all the time. I think it’s what complicates their lives. As we begin another year, let’s look at some of the things that really matter: food, rest, exercise, friendship. Four words, yet humans somehow manage to complicate things by adding stuff to everything they do. Let’s take, oh…food, for example. For me, consuming food involves two things: 1: finding it. 2: eating it. Humans, on the other hand, will take a perfectly good piece of meat and instead of eating it (or just giving it to me), they busy themselves with ‘cooking’ it. They grab a book with more pages than a summer’s worth of ticks, spend what seems like hours looking through it, start hauling out tools and powders and liquids, and heating pans and doing terrible things to that piece of meat – and I sit there thinking that in less time than it took to open that book, I could have eaten the meat and gone off for a nap. Humans have to be busy in the morning. I wake up and I need to go out. I can’t count the things my humans busy themselves with while I’m waiting by the door. They’re busy all day; they go off somewhere; they come home. Go off again; come home again. It’s positively exhausting to watch them. Why can’t they stay home, throw some sticks, walk me, and pet me now and then? When they do finally come home to stay, they’re, you guessed it, busy until it’s time to go to bed for the night, and then they get busy rubbing a brush over their teeth, splashing water on their faces, sitting on my water bowl, taking off clothes, so they can put on other clothes, climbing into their bed, climbing out of bed, climbing back in again…busy, busy, busy. Is that any way to start a new year? Chow! Baxter

Downeast Dog News

Dogs for Adoption Ozzy, 3 yrs, Cattle Dog Mix

Very smart boy who is quick to learn and would love to continue learning and training in a new home. Available at Animal Welfare Society, Kennebunk, (207) 985-3244. Our Adoption Center is open from 11 AM to 7 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and from 11 AM to 4 PM Saturday and Sunday. We are closed on Wednesdays.

Diamond, 10 mos, American Shelter Dog A very mature young lady who is a sterling example of man's best friend. Available at Animal Welfare Society, Kennebunk, (207) 9853244. Our Adoption Center is open from 11 AM to 7 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and from 11 AM to 4 PM Saturday and Sunday. We are closed on Wednesdays.