The Dog Blog

Last week I was summoned to the Massachusetts State House to express my opinion and that of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association regarding devocalization of dogs (and cats) for the owners’ convenience. A House bill was pending that would ban this inhumane practice but there were advocates of the procedure there in force (including the MVMA and a breeder known as Cruella Debark, who devocalizes all her dogs).

My main points were that barking by dogs is a normal, natural canine behavior. If you don’t like a dog that barks, get a cat. Also, that barking is a means of communication for dogs and has many different meanings that should be understood and dealt with. Dogs bark because their environment is deprived, because they have inadequate exercise, because they are untrained and because they have issues, like separation anxiety.

I've been involved in helping people train and care for their dogs in some capacity for the past 25+ years. Despite all the guidance, advice and information currently available via books, online, on TV, from trainers, behavior experts and veterinarians covering early socialization, the importance of training, behavior modification, proper nutrition, health care, etc, is it just me, or does it seem like behavior issues in dogs continue to increase? Or at the very least, it seems like we haven't made the headway in the area of prevention that we should have. Simply put, as a general rule, for trainers and behavior modification counselors, it seems that business is booming, which from a business and financial standpoint is a good thing, but at the same time, it's a little sad, too. I've thought long and hard about this and have come to several conclusions as to some possible reasons for the steady increase.

With all the arguing between trainers, misinformation from various sources and total confusion of the dog owning public, I was so excited to find some level-headed, educational and easy to understand material from a highly reputable source on the subject of dominance and alternatives for dog training.

Dr. Sophia Yin has written a great webpage that explains dominance in depth, including a quiz you can take to test your understanding of the definition of dominance. Also, you’ll find video clips of The Dog Whisperer with commentary to help you understand what’s actually going on, from a professional point of view. Dr. Yin goes on to give great advice on how to sift through the information on such TV shows and find the good stuff worth using.

I think this page is a must read for all trainers, veterinarians, vet techs, groomers, dog owners, dog admirers, shelter workers and anyone else who is ever in contact with dogs and/or their people!

We have been blessed with wonderful staff at Dog Training Ireland (DTI). People who really know dogs, what they need, those who notice little changes such as a lump on a dog or that they are feeling off or tired. Staff who have the dogs interest at heart. Not only do they have to be good with the dogs but also great with people, they have to be able to explain things in a variety of ways, deal with difficult clients or clients who may be harsh on their dogs or help to console owners when things do not work out or a dog passes.

How do you locate your staff? Do you advertise or do people gravitate towards your company? When you do find the people you like how do you train them? How do you portray your company values so they will also value them? What do you think is an important trait in someone who is going to work with dogs and people?