What do I know about dogs?

1. I think that dogs have a natural desire to be with us and create a trusting relationship. Dogs, anxious and nervous about leaving their owners, come to see me and I am always amazed at how quickly they look to establish a relationship with me. Dogs are honest.

2. Dogs have certain characteristics that have been established over decades of selective breeding. If you are looking for a puppy, do your research on the breed. Please do not get a puppy that is less than 8 weeks old. Puppies need to be with their littermates to learn social skills that will be important as they mature. If your energy level is a 3 out of 10, do not get a puppy with a level 9. Most trainers will help clients find a suitable puppy from a quality breeder. A puppy is a huge investment in time and money, so take your time.

3. It is never too early to start training a puppy. Bad habits are learned, so train your puppy not to jump and to work for good things in life. Puppies can learn polite sits for greeting, down and their names, as young as 8 weeks. If we can get this message out, maybe we can save dogs from being placed in shelters because they are wild and out of control and no longer cute little puppies. I highly recommend puppy classes, for training and socialization, prior to six months.

4. Create a list of things that your dog finds rewarding. Does he love to play ball, a belly rub or a favorite treat? Reward the good behavior and you will get more of it. Make your dog work for the things that he loves. I always say that your dog has to work for dinner. You paid for the food and now he needs to work for it!

5. Dogs are social animals so get out each day for some sort of activity. A walk or trip in the car to the bank will do wonders for your dog and help to build that important relationship. The experiences are worth the time and will make both owner and dog just a bit more happy.

6. Dogs love owners who are clear and consistent. Please set out the rules for the house on paper and, if needed, post on the refrigerator. Rules should be the same with all family members and expectations should be clear.

7. A tired dog is a good dog. Trainers rarely get calls from people complaining that their dogs are sleeping too much. A bored dog is a destructive dog, so keep your dog busy. If your dog has to be crated for a few hours, stuff a Kong toy with kibble sealed with cream cheese or peanut butter.

8. Dogs live in the moment. They like to do things that are fun for them. The garbage seemed like the right thing (smelled good and tasted even better) while you were in the shower. Remove all temptations for new dogs in your home until you can establish rules and train that the garbage and counters are off limits. You will need to set up situations and train...be proactive and not reactive.

9. Have fun with your dog and take a class in agility, obedience or training tricks.  There are so many fun things that you can do with your dogs today. Dogs are also needed in providing therapy to children and adults in hospitals, schools and nursing homes. If you are dealing with behavioral problems with your dog, call a trainer before it gets too serious.

10. Above all, I have learned that dogs are a gift to us. I think that this quote says it best. “A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” John Grogan, Marley and Me

Goal Setting

This is my dog, Em, in 2007, when my evenings and weekends were spent training and showing my own dogs. They were my hobby and my passion and we loved working on adding new skills and improving each week. I am posting this because Em will be 9 years old in December, and I have forgotten how much fun I had working my own dogs. I am setting a goal for this ninth year, and I am hoping that putting it into a blog will force me to keep working on my goal and not put other things ahead of this really important one. Em needs to finish her title in obedience competition...we have one leg and need two more to complete her CD and this will earn her a VCD1 (Versatile Companion Dog 1). She is a talented puppy with titles in tracking, agility, hunting and rally obedience but we have done little competition obedience in the last eight years. I know that if something were to happen to her, I would always regret not completing this goal with her.

Em was a wild looking puppy made every training session fun because she was so happy to work and figure out the game. She has been retired for the last four years as I have taken up training professionally and focused on growing a business. Em and my other dog, Hunter, welcome dogs into my home that are in need of training and structure. I say they are paid in kibble to do nothing but watch and occasionally participate in group sit-stays and come. I think that they like the system of "the new guy has to work" and they just get rewarded for watching and being still. Retired is the perfect word to describe their lives.

Diva Em, once retired, will now have to sing for her supper. I am unsure if she will love the idea of working again. I hope that she will be as committed to this goal as I am in the coming months. I guess this blog will help to keep me honest and chronicle our training journey.

Traveling with Dogs

Traveling with pets can be a stressful time. Insure your vacation stays stress-free and fun with these helpful tips.

Travel by Car:

1.  Bring a collapsible exercise pen with you if you are traveling by car. This will ensure your puppy has a safe and comfortable place to stay, without the worry of him/her getting into the unknown while on the road or in a pet friendly hotel room.  
2.  Make stops every four hours or so for potty and drink breaks. A portable water dish or bottle makes this a breeze. 
3.  Most important—have familiar smells to keep your baby calm. Whether it is an old shirt, shoe or his/her favorite blanket, the smell of home will make any puppy on vacation happy and secure.   

Hotel Stays:

1.  Check online to ensure your hotel destination is pet friendly.
2.  Book on the phone when possible to ensure booking a pet friendly room and getting a person-to-person confirmation. First floor rooms are always best and make for easier potty breaks. 
3. After making sure the hotel allows dogs, make sure it is truly pet friendly. Is there green space near by for potty breaks? How many floors is the hotel—and is there a balcony?

Airline Travel

Your pet’s travel crate should be sturdy and breathable. There are many on the market—but beware! Each airline has their specific pet carrier specifications, so check each airlines web site, and when in doubt call customer service.

There are also companies who take care of the travel for you. Starwood Animal Transport and Animal Transportation are companies that give door-to-door service. Whether your destination is Florida, California, England or India, these companies will take care of vaccinations, immigration papers, cargo tickets and more.

House Rentals

Want a more leisurely vacation—rent a house. Dogs can discover a new home with pet friendly rentals. Sometimes a vacation home can be a more calming environment for you dog instead of the hustle and bustle of a busy hotel. With more room to roam, and less noise to distract your vacation becomes your pet’s vacation!
Helpful links: www.petravel.com, www.dogfriendly.com, www.starwoodanimaltransport.com, www.vrbo.com

10 reasons not to buy a Flexi leash

Flexi leashes are those flimsy, retractable leashes (like a tape measure) that allow a dog to pull ahead 20 feet or so. I don’t know who is encouraging people to buy Flexi leashes, but they are a big problem. If you are considering buying a Flexi leash, it is a bad idea. Here’s why:

1. Flexi leashes are not for big dogs.

I would never buy a Flexi for any dog, especially a dog over 20 pounds. Every day I see people in my neighborhood walking german shepherds, labs and even huskies on Flexis.

2. You can’t control your dog on a Flexi leash.

You just can’t. I had a situation about 15 years ago with my well behaved lab mix, Jack. We were walking on a quiet country road and he was out about 10 feet from me. A car came speeding by and I barely had enough time to reel him into safety. They are a nightmare on narrow pathways as the owner has so little control while bikers and other walkers are passing.  

3. Flexi leashes teach your dog to pull.

The more the dog pulls, the more leash it is given. This is not a great training situation.

4. Flexi leashes cause accidents.

We were out yesterday at the Clear Lake Farmer’s Market and I witnessed three dogs become so entangled on meeting nose-to-nose that the owners had to remove leashes to release dogs. The owners were quite lucky that the dogs were friendly because entangled dogs can sometimes become aggressive and dog fights are common given the situation. What about the biker passing a dog on a Flexi? It is an accident waiting to happen.

5. Flexi leashes put the dog in control.

When the leash is tight, the only way to shorten it is to walk toward the dog. This teaches the dog she doesn’t have to come to you. You will instead come to her.

6. Flexi leashes are unsafe for outside tethering to you or a post.

These “leashes” allow you to stand there while your dog runs around you. If you need to exercise your dog, please find a fenced area where your dog can run and play.  

7. Flexi leashes are awkward to hold.

I’d rather walk, run or bike with my dog without holding onto a big hunk of plastic (that’s what the leash retracts into). The handle part offers little control when your dog is pulling.

8. The dog can easily get away on a Flexi leash.

It doesn’t take much for a dog to pull the leash out of her owner’s hands when she has a 20-foot head start.

9. Flexi leashes are the worst tool to walk your dog with.

In a proper heeling position, a dog should be at her owner’s side on a loose lead. Flexis are always tight and the dog is almost always several feet in front of the owner.

10. Dogs aren’t safe on a Flexi leash.

With that much slack in the leash, they can get hit by a car or bike, bit by another dog or just plain get away. They are a danger to themselves, their owners and others. A safe way to use a Flexi is to exercise their dogs in an area where the dogs will be safe and under control, like out in a quiet field in the country. The safer alternative to a Flexi is to teach your dog to walk on a 4 or 6 ft. leash with a no-pull harness or gentle leader. We have classes at Bayside that deal specifically on walking/heeling, so take some time and have some fun learning some new skills.  

Freedom Harness

Freedom No-Pull Harness

I just came home from a service dog seminar in Austin. The presenter talked about a new style of no-pull harness called the Freedom Harness. The harness works like the Easy-Walk Harness but also can clip in the back between the shoulder blades, giving a little more control. I bought two to try out on my dogs and some of the dogs that I am working and will keep out posted. If I like them, we will be carrying them at Bayside.

I like that they come in many colors....you turquoise fans will love them. I already like the way the included leash can be used a number of different ways. The manufacturer website is  www.wiggleswagswhiskers.com

Valerie's Story

Valerie is an 20 month old lab that just needed a chance. She must have been an adorable puppy bought by a young family with a lack of time to devote to a high energy lab. After 18 months of living in a yard, she was given away to a home in the country for a few weeks and when that did not work out, a kind-hearted woman named Lisa took her into her home.

Lisa contacted me about training for her new silver girl a few days after bringing her into her home. We set up an appointment for an evaluation and some private training. Valerie and Lisa arrived at Bayside and I saw a dog that had no training and seemed to be quite disengaged and made little eye contact. Unlike most first training sessions, we were only able to train a sit and Lisa went home with some instructions on how to stop the wild jumping and biting. We met again the following week and we were able to train a down and worked on the jumping. In this second lesson, there was a break through and Valerie seemed to engaged and was happy to work for the rewards of play, food and praise. It seemed to me that most of her interactions in life with the people around her were negative and she just had learned to entertain herself. We finally had a great place to start her formal training at my house.


Valerie came to live with me for a few weeks on a board and train. She was quick to introduce herself to my dogs, Em and Hunter. They are always good hosts to the strange dogs that I bring into the house. Hunter always loves the girls and he was quick to find a partner to play Catch Me If You Can. There was a long list of behaviors that we needed to correct. She was a counter surfer, jumper, biter for attention, had little door manners, little impulse control, unsure about house training, and did not know how to walk on a leash . She craved attention and love but seemed to engage in bad behavior for attention. We worked on creating a house with clear rules and expections. The rules were the same each day and never changed. Dogs like to know what is expected and need to have a routine. Each day she improved and seemed to like the new experiences like taking a walk, getting a bath, getting nails trimmed and learning to behave politely in the house. Valerie's report card would read like this:


She is a quick learner and works and plays well with her peers. She likes routine and wants to know the expectations of each new task. Valerie likes people and takes new challengers on and tries to do her best. She is motivated by food, play and praise. 


The weeks passed by quickly and we were watching bad habits fade and polite and respectful manners emerge. Valerie visited stores with me and was a model dog offering polite sits for greeting strangers and walking with me up and down the aisles. She attended evening training classes with me and provided demonstrations of exercises for my students.


I am happy to say that she is back in her loving home and they are enjoying a well mannered family dog. Valerie just needed a chance and some training and she became a wonderful dog. I would say that my best advice to puppy owners is to start training as soon as you get a puppy. It is so important to lay a foundation of training (rules and expectations) when they are still young and cute. Please don't let your dog learn that there are counters to surf and garbage to raid. They should be learning that a polite sit gets attention, not the wild jumping. It is sad that the story of Valerie is all too common. The adorable puppy that can do no wrong becomes the wild child that destroys your house and yard and now is a problem.   

Dog with Food Allergies?

I am always looking for the latest research in canine health. Dr. Jean Dodds of http://www.hemopet.org/ has a salivary diagnostic test for food intolerance.  It is a test kit that you can order through her website and send in for analysis. Below is the current information available from her website.




Dr. Jean Dodds will be introducing Nutriscan, a novel, patented food intolerance and canine food sensitivity testing system. This assay system utilizes an important new approach in nutrition - that salivary diagnostics can more accurately identify the foods to be avoided rather than focus on those less like to be reactive.

Dr. Dodds' revolutionary concept is the first food intolerance and sensitivity testing program to match pets with their individual nutritional needs and genetic makeup, i.e. functional nutrition or nutrigenomics. This provides owners with accurate information to select the optimal pet foods and treats based on high level nutritional principles.

Dr. Jean Dodds' new Nutriscan saliva screening diagnostics should be used annually by dog owners. This canine food sensitivity and intolerance diagnostic system tests saliva for food reactant antibodies in healthy dogs and those with known or suspected food intolerance. Dog owners can obtain the test kit from Hemopet or through their veterinarians. After following directions, adding saliva, the kit is sealed and sent to Hemopet for analysis. The Nutriscan canine food sensitivity testing and diagnostic kit is now available.

Testing protocols are for gluten and other food ingredient intolerance and sensitivity. The primary dietary antigens to be tested are corn, wheat, soy, beef, eggs, and milk.