Welfare, Handling and Socialization

Dog husbandry is the care and management of dogs. It’s also often ignored when it comes to training yet, it is the one critical thing that causes the most stress, fear and anxiety in dogs. Dogs don’t like having their body parts examined, especially by strangers (mostly in a rush) in an environment harboring foreign smells, animals sounding off in distress, guardians anxious because their pets are anxious and yet, we do little to prepare them for this as part of their routine care and maintenance.

Please Touch Me

An emotional detox can free up emotions, increase creativity, and help manage anger and aggression.

Detox diets for humans are increasingly popular. There are thousands of ads for juicing, vegan diets, colon cleanses and spas. Detox is definitely important – but my idea of a detox includes not only physical cleansing, but also emotional detox that clears your body of stagnant emotions and emotional baggage.

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Handling

Preparing your dog to be comfortable with an exam, not fearful and anxious means that you take the time to get her used to being gently handled and restrained for nail trims, being brushed, ear and eye exams, looking inside her mouth, having her temperature taken and more by teaching them, at home. It’s not rocket science, in fact, it’s simpler than you can imagine, and it most often becomes something your dog looks forward to. By making the association with being handled and restrained a positive one through teaching basic husbandry skills, your dog will love going to the vet, the groomer, a boarding facility or pet sitter.

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Relationships

Always remembering that our dogs are living in a world that forces them to inhibit most of their instincts, and often don't have adequate means to channel their energy and frustration, building a deep relationship and bond is inherent in our history with dogs. But, in order to make it happen, you have to first define "it". You create a map for yourself, figuring out where you are starting from and identifying your strengths and establishing your goals. This is transforming in and of itself.

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Surviving To Thriving

A bond is a close relationship that is established over time between two living creatures. It develops mutually and is a cooperative connection. Bonding is characterized by the formation of a strong attachment that involves many emotions. These include affection and trust among others The Human-dog bond is a deep connection between two species that exists like no other in the animal world. It matters not whether that bond is based on companionship or a working relationship, with commitment, communication, understanding and education, that bond can transcend the differences between species.

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Bed Rest Games

There are many reasons why a dog would be confined to a crate or on restricted exercise.
Here are some games that you can play with your dog that require very little movement on the part of the dog, but burn energy, teach something useful and challenge your dog mentally.
Most of these games also teach your dog necessary behaviors that are handy for a dog to comfortably live in our contrived world. Going to the groomer or the vet, being alone and not trying to destroy the house, leaving your dinner alone, leaving roadkill alone on a walk, knowing how to deal with a leash and the different sensations and pressures, etc.

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Staying Calm

Most of these games also teach your dog necessary behaviors that are handy for a dog to comfortably live in our contrived world. Going to the groomer or the vet, being alone and not trying to destroy the house, leaving your dinner alone, leaving roadkill alone on a walk, knowing how to deal with a leash and the different sensations and pressures, etc.

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Labels

Empowerment is nurtured by freedom and stifled by the continuous commands, labeling of behavior, the necessity for human direction, and pressure to conform to an ideal that has little to do with the reality that is a dog and that restrict most dogs lives whether they are working, sporting or just pet dogs. In the real world few questions have one right answer; few problems have one right solution; that's why creativity is crucial to helping our dogs live in our world with our rules.

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Empowerment & Engagement

Empowerment training is about showing our dogs that the environment is something they can affect and control. Most training is about instilling control onto our dogs instead of showing them how to have self-control and understanding.
In this class you will be establishing a history of reinforcement for choice, understanding, decisions and willingness to operate on the environment and the objects in it.

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Savvy Socialization

Positive socialization experiences are so important if you want your little one to enjoy a lifetime of confident, friendly communication with the world around him.

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Fear

Socialization means learning to be part of society. When we talk about socializing pet puppies, it means helping them learn to be comfortable as a pet within human society-a society that includes many different types of people, environments, buildings, sights, noises, smells, animals and other dogs.

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Enrichment For Your Senior Dog

Enrichment can be described as providing enhanced environmental stimuli. For our companion animals this means not just meeting their basic needs for health, nutrition and safety, but also providing low-stress and predictable social interactions, play, outlets for other natural behaviors, and sensory-stimulating opportunities.

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Rescued: Teaching Your Rescued Dog To Relax

If you are in rescues and fostering only because you love dogs….it is not enough. This course provides those who foster rescue dogs the information and skills needed to ensure a successful transition for rescue dogs from the streets to their forever homes.

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Training the Human In Order to Train The Dog

How relaxed is your dog?
How connected do you feel with your dog when things are at a normal level of intensity?
How connected do you feel with your dog when things get intense?
How well does your dog respond to you in intense, triggering, or distracting situations?
How well do you feel like you are able to satisfy your dog's deepest desires?

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Apartment Living and Creative Exercise

There are many ways to provide your dog with exercise, so get creative! Consider taking up a sport with your dog, such as flyball or dock diving. If the weather is very cold or very hot, playing with a ball inside the house may work, depending on the size of your house. If you have a pond nearby, your dog may love swimming. Go for a hike or go to a dog park.

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