A Relationship Built on Trust

Because so many of you have met my Terrier mix, Annie, I wanted to share a bit of her background with you. While some of you have even asked if I would “Trade” her, she wasnʼt always a little angel!

I first saw Annieʼs picture on Pet Finders back in October of 1999. She was living at Kelly Kennels Small Dog Animal Rescue in Dexter, Michigan. This was coincidentally only 4 miles from my home, so I went to meet her! She jumped at the fence at eye level constantly, and would often jump and bank off of the sides of the kennel. “Crazy Dog” was what I first thought of her. She had been brought to Kelly Kennels from the Michigan Humane Society in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she had been for 4 months although, she had been adopted out 2 times she was returned both times and was approximately 11 months old when I first saw her. I didnʼt get her out the first time I saw her at the kennel. It was the following week when I went through the kennels, I noticed she was just sitting there staring at me. Could she have been trying a new approach to getting out of the cage? Jumping didnʼt work, how about just sitting here? This new demonstration of self control combined with her incredible stare was intriguing.

She was obviously a high energy mixed breed with some dog-dog aggression issues. After spending about 10 minutes in the driveway outside the kennel meeting other dogs, I decided she would be going home to meet my husband and 3 children!

After 16 weeks of consecutive positive dog training at Arbor Hills Training Facility we were on our way to an amazing relationship! Annie went from the “crazy jumping dog” to the most well mannered dog in the entire subdivision! She also received her Canine Good Citizen Award in the same year!

Annie moved to Cumberland Maine in June of 2006 and received her Therapy Dog International Registration in May of 2007. She has been visiting the Brentwood Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Yarmouth, Maine for over a year! She has received several certificates as “Outstanding Volunteer” and truly loves her work at the nursing home. Annie is currently enrolled in APDT Rally O Obedience classes and acting like a puppy again!

Annie is much more than just a wonderful Registered Therapy dog, she is also used in all my on leash dog-dog aggressive cases. Because Annie is so well socialized she is able to accompany me in all my training classes as well as my in home visits. Annie is part of the reason I began my own Canine Behavior Training Company! She has an amazing way of sending calming signals to fearful dogs such as looking away, yawning and very calmly licking her lips. Although once out of control rude herself, Annie now helps many dogs in Maine learn how to greet their canine friends in a friendly manner! The number of friends I have made through Annie is amazing to me and such a blessing! She is truly special and I owe her more than she will ever know!

Remy is sweet boy who is good with children and loves to roll in the grass! While Remy has made great progress in our home, Remy finds it difficult to overcome small environmental changes. For example, when a new dog comes into our home, which occurs often for training or evaluation, Remy will often bite without warning when you try to pet him. Why? Remy had obviously been physically harassed and picked on by another dog over a long period of time. While respectful of my own dogs, he becomes very reactive when new dogs are around. He will often react to our petting with a very hard bite not knowing if our hand is a hand or a dog. His relentless fear of being attacked causes him to bite hard without any warning. Most dogs would growl, then snap then bite, but this hadn’t worked for Remy in the past. So his defense mechanism goes straight to a bite. The fact that Remy can’t hear well makes it more difficult for him to relax. Placing Remy in a quiet home with no other dogs and an experienced dog handler will be challenging. Remember, Remy has severe food guarding issues as well, so you must keep your hands clear of his food bowl at all times whether another dog is around or not. Remy has learned to take a treat out of your hand with no problems. Remy is not a bad dog, but he does have fearful habits due to years of abuse.

What can we learn from Remy? If you live in a house hold with more than one dog, please do not allow one dog to physically bully the others. While the dogs can and will determine who is the alpha dog, it is your job to remind each one that YOU are in charge and to protect the weaker ones. Simply make your dogs learn that wonderful things happen when we are all together! I always make sure my dogs have a positive association to each other! I want my dogs to say “Wow, when ever Annie and I are together, Mom gives us treats and affection!” rather than “every time Annie comes near me I get in trouble, therefore I have a negative association to Annie.

Judy

Our newest foster dog is a special needs sheltie named Remy! He is slowly learning the routine of our busy home and seems to be more comfortable every day. Remy is about 9 years old, loves my husband the best and enjoys being outside to roll in the grass! He was surrendered when his owner was moved into a nursing home. While Remy ignores my other 2 dogs and they are very respectful of his space, feeding time may need to be monitored. Remy does not like anyone Human or Dog coming near his food bowl! He has obviously learned this rude behavior from another dog. I am working very hard to teach Remy that good things happen when a hand comes near his bowl, and he has learned to take treats from anyones hand. Remy is very shy at first, he needs an owner who will give him time to build his trust before he will allow you to pick him up or pull on his collar. While I can do these now, at first he snapped in fear as he was not sure what was going to happen to him. Remy also has a thyroid condition and is on a low dose of medicine for this. Anyone interested in Remy can call my home at 207-829-6043.

It is with great happiness that I write to tell you Jenna of Journey Home Rescue has been adopted! Not just adopted, but taken into a lovely home in the country where she has room to run! She is a lucky girl to be joining John and Lorelle who completely adore her and are committed to providing her with a good balance of exercise, discipline and love!

Jenna is a wonderful example of how a young dog with few social skills can quickly improve her behavior through Positive Reward Based Training! A Big Thank You goes out to Journey Home Rescue for giving Jenna not only a second chance, but the skills she needed to succeed in a new home!

I want to thank everyone for keeping me so busy! CBC has had a wonderful summer with fun Classes and successful In Home Consultations. Please check out our new Fall Class schedules as we have several options to choose from!

In addition to coaching humans and training canines, CBC loves to help homeless dogs find their forever homes! So please read on to help Jenna, a delightful hound mix from Journey Home Dog Rescue find the perfect home.

Jenna is 1 year mix of lab, hound and probably boxer. While her family loved her very much, they felt it necessary to re-home her because Jenna is not good with cats and is unpredictable around some dogs and small children that she is not familiar with. CBC recently evaluated her and observed that Jenna’s hunting instinct is stimulated by the movement of small animals and small children. (Many types of hounds hunt mostly by sight not scent.) CBC also noted that Jenna is moderately fearful in certain situations. For instance, she is not comfortable around traffic but tolerates it very well with gentle guidance on her leash. Her confidence improves daily with regular socialization to new environments and her behavior is dramatically different than when Journey Home Dog Rescue first started her training. At this point, if Jenna encounters another dog who is calm and confident she can be near them without a problem. However, if another dog who is fearful or hyper comes into her space she will try to pounce on them. Jenna is saying, "I'm going to get you before you can get me" to the other dog. It often takes fearful dogs several meetings before they feel comfortable together. When Jenna is on her leash we have her sit/stay or down/stay and give her treats as the other dog leaves her space and she is usually fine--she is very obedient.

Fortunately, Jenna absolutely LOVES people! She's your kind of girl if you like jogging, taking long walks, hiking, playing ball or Frisbee. She likes going to the beach and going for rides in the car. Providing Jenna with daily activity and exercise is important to helping her achieve exemplary doggie citizen status.

Jenna is used to wearing the Gentle Leader and is great on her leash. She has an excellent foundation in obedience training and CBC has offered to give a lesson to her new family to get them started on the right foot. Jenna sleeps in her crate at night and is a truly wonderful companion. Although she lived with small children for 7 months and was completely trustworthy with them, she is really not well-suited for a home with children under 12.

For more information about Jenna please contact Journey Home Dog Rescue at 207-878-0180

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You can imagine how thrilled I am to let you know that Buddy, my foster friend has been adopted from the Animal Refuge League just yesterday! In the last week Buddy worked very hard to calmly sit when meeting people and socialize with other dogs in a more gently way. Buddy went with me to 2 of my daughters softball games where he met countless people and 3 other dogs. He also visited Cavallo Rossi Equestrian Center where I ride horses and met several dogs and people. In addition, Buddy spent an hour greeting the elderly residence in the Brentwood Nursing Home along side Annie, my Therapy dog, all which greatly reinforced his new behaviors!


Buddy is a wonderful example of how a dog that is over a year old with poor social skills can improve his behavior through Positive Reward Based Training along with ample exposure to the world we live in.

Judy

An update on Buddy, our foster dog from the ARLGP - Buddy spent the day with me at the Grand Opening of The Kennel Shop in Scarborough. This is where I will be offering Puppy Socialization and manners classes beginning late July.

Wow, what a great opportunity it was for both Buddy and myself. While I was introducing myself as the new Kennel Shop trainer, Buddy was meeting hundreds of dogs! This may not seem like a big deal to you, but while at the ARL for 3 months Buddy was confined to play by himself, labeled "too rough" to play with most dogs. So Buddy spent the day learning how to meet his canine friends in a nice fashion! When he pawed to hard or bounced around, the others dogs would back off, but when he approached them calmly, he enjoyed a bit of gentle play and of course lot's of sniffing. In addition, Buddy learned to walk without pulling on the leash as I moved up and down the packed isles, he never knew which way I was going to turn, so his attention stayed on me. I was thrilled with his progress and enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people who care so deeply about their own pets! All in all it was a great day!

Summer is definitely off to a busy start! I’m having the opportunity to meet new, and wonderful clients everyday, and enjoying helping them train and enjoy better relationships with their dogs. There is nothing I would rather do! “THANK YOU!” to my newest clients, and for sharing the good work of Canine Behavior Counseling with other dog owners!

Another aspect of my work at Canine Behavior Counseling that I love is helping to “rescue” and socialize dogs that need help before being adopted. Three of those dogs are with me in this photo: Buddy, Pablo and Annie!



Buddy (on the left) is the newest member of this group. He’s a happy, friendly and energetic dog, but he needs to learn some manners before he will be a good pet for a new owner. I’m going to keep him for week or two and teach him some basic commands, how to walk on a leash, and how to better socialize with people and other dogs. Pablo and Annie will help set a good example for Buddy! Then, we’ll return Buddy to the Animal Rescue League where he will surely be adopted to a good home and become a wonderful pet!

I want to thank everyone who sent me such wonderful feedback on my new website! Especially those who found my misspelled words! Thanks also for those who have signed up for my puppy class beginning June 26th. I only have 2 spots left if you are interested in joining us! Why is it so important to socialize your puppy? Puppy classes allow your pup to develop canine social savvy while playing with other puppies in a non-threatening and controlled setting. Shy and fearful pups quickly gain confidence and bullies learn to tone it down and be gentle. Looking forward to our first Puppy Play Date!