Stuehrmann's Service, Dog Training

This funny notice has appeared on one of our footpaths. Hoping to see more dog walkers in the downward dog position soon!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=637782110257738&id=304834033552549

Police Dog Handlers have to make sure that certain legal criteria are met before they release their dog to apprehend a criminal. This clip shows that the dog may have been released prematurely...

I would also add to have the dog sit by your side on heel, and then don't send her until the item has landed and stopped moving. This prevents the frantic hard stops and spins and falling over her head to grab the toy. http://totofit.com/tbt-think-before-throwing/

https://www.cesarsway.com/how-to-know-if-your-dog-has-limb/

https://www.cesarsway.com/what-to-do-if-youre-bitten-by-a-/

2003: My first and dearest search partner EVER! Laddie, aka "The Ladster".

My name is 109. I have lived in a puppy mill for 6.5 years. I have had 11 litters of puppies and made my owner over $30,000. To show his gratitude, he has never... bathed or brushed me....he has never placed a kind hand on me. I have never seen a vet or felt grass under my feet. The only time I am out of my 2x3 crate is when i am bred by force. I get a little more food and a cleaner pen when i have my babies. I am happy for awhile but by 4 weeks they take my pups away to sell them online and at pet stores and I am alone again back in my crate. The wire floor in my crate has caused me to have permanent deep painful groves in my pads. My nails are so long I can't walk on a hard surface. Today, we were rescued... I am so scared, but I experienced something I have never heard before... a soft gentle voice. #ADOPTDONTSHOP * Via Rachel J Levy Ejsmont

Socialization... it's probably not what you think it is. Dogs go through a critical period of development that lasts roughly from 3 weeks-16 weeks of age. In t...his time, they're forming ideas and opinions about the world around them; good and bad. They're developing social bonds, and learning how their behaviour impacts other living creatures. A dog that has a quality socialization program is one that will reach its fullest genetic potential. Socialization is about giving them the tools and outlook on life to navigate through our society with minimal stress to themselves and others... now to my point. If your entire plan for socializing your puppy is taking it to puppy classes, puppy play parties or the dog beach, you are GOING to have problems. Unfortunately, the idea that puppy-puppy or puppy-dog interactions constitute 'socialization' has been continually force fed to well-meaning, but misinformed pet professionals. Either two things will come of such a plan... 1. Your puppy meets the wrong dog and has a bad experience. Bad experiences are just as bad as no experiences. A bad experience during the critical period can result in lasting negative impressions and behavioural problems; namely, fear and aggression. 2. Your dog has a positive experience. And that positive experience creates a positive value for other dogs. And their positive value out-competes the puppy's value in you. Doesn't sound that bad? As it stands, the second problem is waaaay more common than the first. Right now, the issues associated with an extreme positive value in other dogs is taking up probably 70-80% of my workload. What issues are they, you ask? - Inconsistent Recalls - Poor Leash Walking Skills - Reactivity (sometimes eventuating into aggression) - What many refer to as 'selective deafness'; *Fido is perfect when it's just us, but as soon as he sees another dog...* Just to name a few. And the thing is, most owners see all that as the problem. When in fact, it's just the various symptoms of the real problem; a poorly structured socialization program that's resulted in their dogs developing a TONNE of value in other dogs, and comparatively little in them. The owner. The one that feeds, walks, plays and loves them. And the thing is, it's not the owner's fault. It's my own industry's. Other trainers. Well-known, well-read sciency-folk. And I don't know why other people aren't seeing the correlation. I very rarely see behavioural cases that stem from a LACK of experience, but that overwhelming stem from an extremely skewed socialization picture. I'm sure the word 'socialization' is the problem too. It implies *social* experiences and interactions. When really we can broadly divide 'socialization' into social and environmental experiences. And of the 'social' experiences, MOST should entail NO direct interaction. While a lot is missing from most owner's socialization programs, that's probably the biggest thing; they've never given value to themselves, particularly in the presence of other dogs. A huge part of what I do with my personal dogs is to take them around other controlled dogs, and pay them for looking at me. In their head, they're learning that other dogs are good (socialization), and that when they're around, I'm going to pay them really good stuff. Here, I'm giving myself value. I'm building the puppy's engagement in me. Thus, what often becomes a distraction and a constant thorn in the side of obedience and manners, now becomes a cue to focus on me. The graph below is an example of a (not very detailed) socialization plan. The exact percentages will differ between puppies a great deal, but the main point to note is that MEETING OTHER DOGS and MEETING PEOPLE constitute a tiny fraction of the whole shebang. And that ratio will stay relatively consistent across the board. I'm not offering nor recommending any puppy classes anymore, with the exception of @dogmanaustralia. I'm now offering private lesson programs which I've found to be infinitely more successful in preparing puppies for life. If you're after a class environment, I'd also recommend you check out @northcoastk9academy. And for online training purposes (for my remote followers) check out @thedogtraininglab by @solutionk9dogtrainingtaranaki

Old dogs don't die; they can't. They've merely run up ahead; they're waiting for us just out of sight. Close your eyes late at night and you may smell his musky... odor, or perhaps hear his snuffle from the next room. Pay attention and you may feel his nose on your hand or the back of your calf. When your final day comes, you can go on to meet him; he's never left you and never will, and when you close your eyes for the last time, you'll open them again to be met with his Bright eyes and wagging tail. Old dogs don't die, at least, not those dogs who take the biggest chunks of our hearts with them when they leave us. Those dogs are inextricably part of our souls, and they go with us wherever we are. Though we may not see them, we know they're there because our heart is still beating; we still breathe, and those of us who have been truly touched by a good dog know our lives really started the day we met them. Magnificent dogs don't die. They shepherd our dreams and only allow the good ones through the gates of our consciousness. They watch over us much as they did in life, and that moment when we step just barely outside of death or disaster, it's because they moved our feet or they stopped short in front of us as they did in life. You see, a good dog is something only given to a few people. They are a gift from the universe and, though they're with us only a short time, they never really leave us. They are loyalty and love perfected, and once we are graced with that sort of love we can never lose it. We merely lose sight of it for a time, and that is our fault; for how can love like that ever go away? It can't. It can't, and it never will. For these brave souls trade their hearts for ours, and they beat together beyond sickness, beyond death. They are ours, and we are theirs, for every sunrise and every sunset, until the sun blazes its last and we once again join the stars. By Leigh Curtis, K9 Companion Dog Training Port Jervis, NY Photo credit: Pete Thorne

A great team!!!

I did some under cover sleeve work with Hildie, Juwel Von Goedehaus, Haven X Kazi, "J" Litter, 03/28/17 at training today. The agitator keeps telling me she will definitely take a bite in real life. His long sleeved T-shirt shows her grip marks, and his arm is starting to bruise. Gary said the under cover sleeve is harder than the regular ones (?), and since she "bites hard, really hard" he knew he would still bruise even with the sleeve. And she never lets go or re-bites. She takes full, strong bites every time.

Note the license plate frame!

https://www.cesarsway.com/why-do-my-dogs-feet-smell-like-f/

An interesting and important article about being your dog's strongest advocate for the dog's well being.