Sunday, December 27, 2009

Project Sophie



Ryan working on "sit/stay" with Sophie. She is given the challenge of street distractions and two dogs sitting very close. She shows her discomfort by turning her head away.











Sophie was a terrier mix. She didn't like other dogs.

She lunged, snapped, barked and tried to bite any dog who dared come close. This was when I first met her.
Fortunately, her owners, Scott and K were very open to making a few adjustments with Sophie's routines at home.
During our training sessions, I used my two dogs, Dailo and Momo, to give Sophie examples of calm behavior.

By far, the most important aspect was to have Sophie realize that she wasn't responsible for protecting her owners and her home. Her owner's are responsible for such matters. Realizing this fact greatly reduces a dog's aggression and stress levels leading to a happier and more relaxed canine!

"Everyone who sees Sophie now comments on how much more well adjusted she is and how much calmer she seems." -Scott/owner





Dailo helps show Sophie how to walk calmly at "heel"




A relaxed and happier Sophie with dogs on either side. Who would have guessed that she is a reformed biter?

Monday, December 14, 2009

No Dogs Allowed. Chapter 2: The Restaurant


The site of the perpetration



We all know the rules. NO DOGS ALLOWED. 
Makes me think of Snoopy in the "Peanuts/Charlie Brown" movie.
No Dogs in Movie Theaters.
No Dogs in the nice areas of the Park.
No Dogs at the Opera House.
No Dogs in the Restaurant...whoops....what was that again?

For this trick, we had to pick a quiet, dark restaurant on a slower night.
We zip into a dark corner and have the very well-trained Dailo sit still and quiet under the table for the entire meal. We also use strategically placed objects like coats and bags to obscure our four-legged guest from the casual eye.


A dozen oysters and some pate for humans. (Dailo will have to wait for dog food at home.)



No harm done. Dailo was quiet, didn't eat anything, didn't leave any trace he ever visited.
A Word of Caution: Only try this with very well-behaved dogs.




We toast to a lovely night out with man's best friend


Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Sushi Pups: A Dog Toy

                                            "Sushi Pups"



Soft, squeaky chew toys are a great favorite for many dogs.
My friend, Michelle, has designed and produced a line of dog squeakers which look like sushi; inspired by her love of dogs and sushi.
Giant sushi squeakers!
They can be found at:
www.sushipups.com





                            Ryan and Michelle with her dog Coby sampling some "sushi"



                   Dailo hears about the great sushi and orders a sushi deluxe to go


            Dailo shares his sushi with Momo and they both dig in