June Newsletter

Training Tip Of The Month

One of the biggest complaints we hear from our clients is that their dog seems to be overly aggressive when s/he meets up with another dog while on walks. This phenomenon is usually seen because the dog has not been properly socialized, although there can be other causes as well.

What you want is to have your dog’s attention focused on you and only you, especially when you’re first starting out with your dog’s training. The first step is name recognition, and then the second is basic obedience, followed by many repetitions of the verbal and visual signals that you’ve learned together. Soon you’ll find that the pleasant walks seem to happen automatically. It isn’t magic, but rather lots of effort from you and your dog together, that it becomes habit.

We find that a lot of dogs who want to stay outside tend to play a not-so-wonderful game of chase me when it’s time to come in. Remember when you were a kid, and you didn’t want to come in for the evening? Do you remember why? There is a very basic reason for Fido not wanting to come in and it’s because when Fido comes inside, the fun ends, just like when you were a kid.  While it was easy for your Mom or Dad to explain to you that “you can go out tomorrow and have fun”, you can’t really explain that to a dog, can you? So what do you do? Allow time for some bonding by playing indoors once you’re inside. It’s a simple, easy fix for a potential problem. ;)

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As thunderstorms continue through the summer, please keep an eye on your precious pooch, especially if he or she seems to act differently than they normally would. A lot of dogs (like a lot of children and even some adults) are frightened by storms, either as they approach, when they’re nearby, or even right overhead. We’ve decided to leave Sarge’s story up on the website as a reminder that this very basic fear can be remedied.

Signs that your pup (or even an older dog) is stressed could be whining, hiding, clinging to you or another trusted family member, and even aggression. Please get help for you canine friend (and yourself) by doing two things:

1. Talk to a trainer that specializes in dog behaviors for an evaluation to see what can be done for you dog.
2. If needed, get your dog to your vet as soon as you can for medications to ease his or her stress.

On our bio page, you’ll notice that Kim is pictured with a German Shepherd Dog-named Sarge who hails from New Jersey. Sarge came to us because he was displaying aggressive behaviors whenever thunderstorms (and other sudden loud noises) would occur. He has been known to chew through crates, jump out of second-story windows, climb chain-link fences, and bite whenever anyone attempted to subdue him. His tolerance for pain became very high as a result causing him to become a danger to others, as well as to himself. His owners relinquished custody to a friend who contacted a behaviorist in New York and was referred to us. Needless to say, Sarge probably had one of the more severe cases of fear-aggression we have seen in a long time and when we learned that we were his last hope of survival, we agreed that the best course of action was to have him stay with us in our home through out the summer. Here, he would receive proper dog-to-dog socialization, as well as several different (proven) therapies in order to help rehabilitate him. Through lots of patience, hands-on training, and medical treatment, we have been able to decrease his stress to a tolerable level. Sarge will probably be on medication for the rest of his life due to the severity of his fears and the length of time he suffered from it, but at least he is enjoying a better quality of life now.

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The summer heat might be fine for some, but it’s a killer for animals. Never, ever leave your animal unattended in a vehicle; it only takes a few minutes to literally cook a dog’s brain and render them lifeless. When outside, keep a fresh supply of water available to help cool your dog off. They sweat through their mouths, this is why we seem them panting whenever it’s warm out. If you feed your dog kibble, allow them to drink some extra water after their meal. Don’t let them drink really cold water (refrigerated water is a no-no, cool or tepid water is best ) though as this will put them in shock, especially if they’ve been outside. The summer is unfortunately the time when your dog may experience heat stroke. If that’s the case, get your pet to the vet ASAP…it’s considered an emergency and most vets will drop what they’re doing to tend to your pet. How do you know if your dog is experiencing heat stroke? Your dog will not respond to you, and will feel overly hot to the touch. His (or her) tongue may be extended in an attempt to cool themselves off. Your dog may even be unconscious. To prevent heat stroke is to allow your animal to stay indoors when it’s really hot out, or if they must go out, not to allow them out for more than a half hour at a time. Always keep clean fresh water available to your pets…we can’t stress this enough!

We would like to thank our clients who have entrusted us with the training and care of their canine family members throughout the years. And please remember, once you’re a client, you’re always a client and we are always available to answer your questions, no mater how trivial or complicated you may think they are.

Have a great summer from Dan, Kim and the Doggie-staff at Spring Canine Academy!