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Dove is an Open Paw shelter dog available for adoption from the Alachua County Animal Shelter

Open Paw: Turning Animals Shelters Into Dog and Cat Universities

Kelly Gorman Dunbar  |  Tue, 02/05/2013 - 14:32

Hello everyone! It’s been ages since I blogged here at Dog Star Daily and that is a shame. I’ve been very busy with the redesign of the site, revamping puppy training protocols for SIRIUS®, traveling teaching fun scent work games for pet dogs, and with the encouraging boom of Open Paw® shelter training workshops. Regardless, my apologies for staying away for so long!

 

 
Tags:  Open paw animal shelters dog dog training kelly gorman dunbar
Embedded thumbnail for Dog Training, With a Pint of Guinness to Help

Dog Training, With a Pint of Guinness to Help

Sue McCabe  |  Wed, 01/23/2013 - 12:05

Using distraction, as a reward for correct response to commands.

 

Bruin's Poem - A Board and Train Journey

Rachel Friedman  |  Mon, 01/21/2013 - 15:48

Bruin is winding down his first (and possibly only) Three Day Board and Train. With respect to developing better leash manners, off leash (supervised) reliability out in the planet and within the home, better manners with his own kind and people, hats off to Bean. My 9 1/2 year old English Springer Spaniel is an extraordinary teacher. While I sometimes consider his punishment  dose a bit more emphatic than necessary, I concede that he is usually right.

 
Bruin power naps between lessons.

Bruin's Poem - A Board and Train Journey

Rachel Friedman  |  Mon, 01/21/2013 - 14:47

Bruin is winding down his first (and possibly only) Three Day Board and Train. With respect to developing better leash manners, off leash (supervised) reliability out in the planet and within the home, better manners with his own kind and people, hats off to Bean. My 9 1/2 year old English Springer Spaniel is an extraordinary teacher. While I sometimes I consider his punishment  dose a bit more emphatic than necessary, I concede that he is usually right.

 
Tags:  A Better Pet Har-Vest Dog Mentor Board and Train
Zooka sporty in red Har-Vest

Grow With Me Har-Vest Video Testimonial

Rachel Friedman  |  Thu, 01/17/2013 - 09:30

For more information on Grow With Me Har-Vest Program, please click HERE.

To see a video demonstration of a recent Grow With Me Har-Vest pup, Go HERE.

 
Tags:  Har-Vest A Better Pet LLC service dog vest dog backpack calming effect
Greyhound dog stretching on a fit ball next to cavaletti poles

Fitness Routines for Dogs

Genie Tuttle CP...  |  Tue, 12/18/2012 - 14:43

It happened one day when I wasn’t looking. Time snuck by and suddenly my “new dogs” turned into my “aging dogs” seemingly in the blink of an eye. We adopted them from a greyhound rescue on the same day 9 years ago, when both were 2 years old. The thrill of getting to know them and show them the world was captivating and certainly something all dog-lovers understand. So much to learn and do, so little time. But we never looked at it that way.

 

Dear Santa...

Michelle Douglas  |  Thu, 12/13/2012 - 08:04

If you’re planning to get a little something for your dog this holiday season, here are some suggestions on popular toys, trends, where to shop, and what to avoid.  First, What rates high on the dog-favorite list these days?  At the top of the list, are interactive toys that don’t simply offer your pet something to chew on, but that make your pet solve a puzzle, or offer rewards for playing.  Interactive games and toys, can be as simple as a Kong®, which offers hours of fun and combats behavior problems when filled with food or treats (and FROZEN).  More complex toys are also increasingly popular as well.

 

Counter Conditioning Leash Reactive Dogs - Less Stress More Success

Drayton Michaels  |  Thu, 12/13/2012 - 07:15

Counter conditioning and desensitizing leash reactive dogs are perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of dog training. It is never as easy or as difficult as some make it out, but is surely work and it is work that needs to be done, after all no one wants to have a dog that is lunging and barking on leash.

Here is a link for a video that that corresponds to this blog. http://youtu.be/OMLrYaoxNOs

No matter how one goes about the process there are a few crucial aspects that must be adhered to or else things will either get very bad or stay at the same stressful level. The goal is to reduce stress and help the dog learn to deal with being on leash.

1 – Mechanics and timing of the dog handler. This is the prime function that all other aspect hinges on. If the dog handler is discombobulated and disorganized the dog will have many over threshold responses and thus the rehearsal of unwanted behavior will continue.

 

Har-Vest Yields 12/12/12

Rachel Friedman  |  Wed, 12/12/2012 - 11:03

Har-Vest: 3-in-1 Backpack for Dogs was born out of inspiration and need and gave birth to my inventive entrepreneurial spirit within the dog world. It was simple. Merge a no-pull harness with a functional, durable and attractive vest/backpack. Minimize the amount of equipment a developing puppy would need to endure and yet enhance training, socialization and control using positive methods. Beyond original conception, Har-Vest also had the added benefit of calming the unruly dog and increasing confidence in the overwhelmed dog. And suddenly, here we are, hundreds if not thousands of dogs later on 12/12/12. And I realize it was 12 years ago this month that the inspiration began. And, to honor the beloved 12 days of Christmas, not to mention we're in the middling stage of Chanukah, with numerology and light all around, I thought it a great day to highlight some of Har-Vest's benefits and features.

 
Guinness, Muttamorphosis Dog Training's dog, behind a dog gate used while people visit to avoid trouble with greetings.

Who’s at the door? Santa or Satan?

Sue McCabe  |  Mon, 11/26/2012 - 10:27

In terms of dog/owner frustration & concern, coming a close third place behind recall & dog/dog reactivity issues, is greeting guests. Unlike recall or dog/dog reactivity, training appropriate greetings should not cause as much stress as it seems to. The fact that the challenge is occurring in an owner's home, means people have complete control of the environment in which they are training. As such, it should be easy to manage their dog’s behaviour & retrain a greeting acceptable to all concerned. So why is it such a common challenge then?

 

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