Benefit for Humane Society of Indianapolis: AKC Canine Good Citizen Test

On October 22nd, 2011, Sensible K9, LLC will be holding a CGC test at the Humane Society of Indianpolis! Is your dog ready to become a registered Canine Good Citizen? American Kennel Club CGC and STAR Puppy evaluator, Catherine Steinke, will be the judge.

Mixed breed and purebred dogs can be tested for polite greetings, basic obedience and ability to listen with distractions present. This fun test can open the door for further training, prepare your dog to become a therapy dog or just prove that all your training efforts have paid off! See if your dog is ready: test items can be found here: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm
The Humane Society is located at 7929 North Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN. Testing times will be by appointment only and will run in 15 minute intervals from 10am through 3pm.

You must pre-register for this event by signing up for a testing time . Contact Director of Canine Training Services, Connie Swaim by phone 317.872.5650 x135 or email cswaim@indyhumane.org The fee is only $10 and all profits go directly to support the mission of HSI.
Come join the fun!

Easy Fix for Scary Things

Is your dog frightened by loud noise or thunder? Do you have a dog that seems particularly nervous in certain situations but not others? There may be a simple fix for you - that requires no training! My clients are reporting great results using the Thundershirt (www.Thundershirt.com.)

It took me a while to believe it, but after a colleague at Hound Table (our monthly meet-up of Indianapolis area dog professionals) reported good results, I took the plunge about a year ago and started carrying this product to offer to my clients.

My clients are saying that the Thundershirt works well, not only to calm their fearful dogs during our dramatic mid-west storms, but also during socially difficult situations where their dogs previously might use aggression. In other words, dogs seem to feel safer wearing the Thundershirt! I have worked with dogs that couldn't approach me during a consultation, even when I had food, but after the owner puts the Thundershirt on the dog, the dog bravely comes forward and eats the treat within a few minutes. It's truly remarkable.

If you would like to try a Thundershirt for your dog, you can order directly from their website, www.Thundershirt.com. Or you can ask me to bring one to your next private lesson or class if you are a client.

New Dog Training Class in Indianapolis

Register now for new Sensible K9 Family Dog training classes at the Wigglebutt DogHouse! Start date is July 14th at 6:30pm. This class will likely fill up, so register with WDH today! Registration form and class info on their website.

Go to www.WigglebuttDoghouse.com for directions and to register.

Dog Training Philosophy

One of my Carmel puppy class participants recently emailed me a question. I thought it would be a good idea to post a few thoughts about my philosophy of dog training so that other clients can benefit as well.

The Question:
Your approach to dog training is there is no punishment for poor behavior. Only treats for good behavior. Do you agree?

My Answer:
Not exactly. I am what I like to think of as a "balanced trainer" in that my philosophy is to use what works for both dog and owner.

Most of the time, punishment used by owners cause fear or anxiety to the dog because of poor timing (not close enough in time for the dog to associate to the unwanted behavior) or an inappropriate technique (the punishment did not fit the crime). So, I teach mostly positive association because most puppies thrive on learning that good things happen for good choices. I use food, praise, life rewards (access to attention or desired people/places) as reward. Food is essential early on to earn puppy's attention, but we can phase that out and use the other rewards primarily, as I do with my own dogs.

If punishment is needed or desired by the client, well, then, I do my best as a professional to help the owner understand timing and methods that will work for their dog. I also spend time discussing whether simple management protocols (such as using a crate for potty training) or environmental corrections (such as allowing the puppy access to a table leg sprayed with Bitter End) will work first. If punishment must occur, I would prefer it is NOT associated with the owner, but rather with the unwanted behavior itself. In other words, puppy thinks: "Gee, every time I lick the plates in the dishwasher, a bunch of pop cans fly off the counter - even when my owner is no where to be seen!"

I called my business "Sensible" because of my belief that dogs and owners need the method and tools best suited to them, rather than some ideological stronghold any particular trainer has. However, I do my best to educate the owners that the methods they see on TV or used by this or that other trainer may not bring about the desired effect or relationship.

At the end of the day, my personal goal is that dogs and owners truly enjoy each other. I strive to bring balance, leadership, pleasure and trust to their relationship. The methods I choose will only be used if they will enhance these goals.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week

It's National Dog Bite Prevention week and my colleague Madeline Gabriel in San Diego has written a wonderful blog that says so well what I would say to you, that I thought I would just post it here so you can copy and paste. (I was going to link it for you, but it appears that is beyond my rather limited technical abilities!) http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/ask-the-dog-part-1

Also, if you read part 2 of her message, you will be able to view simply the best dog-and-child training video I have ever seen. This is well worth watching and is under 7 minutes long. Have your child(ren) watch with you and then discuss the concepts.
http://dogsandbabies.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/dogs-like-kids-they-feel-safe-with-ask-the-dog-part-2/


Madeline makes this such an easy concept to pass along. The bottom line is that your child needs to ask 3 times before touching a dog.
1. Ask you, the parent for permission to ask the owner.
2. Ask the owner for permission to pet the dog.
3. Ask the dog if he wants to be petted.

Practice these ahead of time so that your child will become automatic when the desire comes up out in the real world. Your child is worth the investment of time and energy to work on dog bite prevention!