A big, bloody problem

 

I just had to share this story with you.
The other day I get a phone call from a guy who says he is looking for someone to teach him to train dogs. “Ok”, I say” what exactly are you looking to learn and what type of training do you want to do?” “Well” he says ” I want to learn to train personal protection dogs”
Well I must pause here to state a few opinions of mine, and granted they are only that, my opinions so do with them what you will.
I do not believe that anyone needs a personal protection dog unless you are possibly the Queen of England. because 1) any dog, especially a German Shepherd will protect you or at least alert you to someone in the house or yard. 2) the whole business of personal protection dogs is a ploy to scare people into buying big scary dogs that are simply a liability to the average person. It is as if you just purchased a gun with no license, no training and at any time even without you pulling the trigger it could go off. 3) This is yet another way of exploiting dogs, of creating a business of breeding fighting, aggressive and dangerous dogs that undermine all of the good breeders efforts to raise good sound minded and friendly dogs.
So with that in mind I simply tell him, “I am sorry I do not train that, but I know someone who does”, I give him this man’s name and he says “well, I actually already called him, and he told me he had to think about it.” Well ok, so another red flag goes off in my head. because now here is a friend of mine who will not work with this guy either. So upon further discussion with him and after I informed him I do not train personal protection dogs he decides that he would be happy just to learn some obedience because, he says ” I have a lot of trouble around the house controlling the dogs, a lot of broken teeth and fights.” Ok, one more red flag. So I ask “what kind of dogs do you have?” ” Oh, I raise extra-large pit bulls.” Oh yes, yet another red flag. He proceeds to give me his website and out of pure curiosity I jot it down. I, as my friend also told him, say “I have to think this over.” just to be polite and end the phone call.
Now I admit there was a part of me, before I saw the website, that thought to myself, you know maybe I should help this guy out. I mean maybe I could make a difference and really help some dogs and do some good. Maybe educate this guy about dogs.
But the whole thought died quickly once I viewed that website!
Just to paint the picture, the first thing that appears is giant and I mean giant pit bulls with huge spiked collars on, and of course playing is rap music with foul language. Every page is filled with these pit bulls put into aggressive stances and wearing at least four-inch long spike collars. He has pictures of dogs hanging by their teeth from ropes tied to trees, pictures of dogs being bred, and foul language throughout the site. All the wording is in gangster slang. I should also mention that his prices were in the thousands range for these dogs, anywhere from $3-5,000 for a puppy. And again I mention the sheer size of these dogs was amazing! Picture a bull mastiff with a pit bull head and that is what they look like. In every picture they are pulling on heavy chains and look literally out of control. In a word, scary!
Needless to say I will stay as far from that whole mess as possible. But it left me thinking about the whole pit bull situation. Are they simply a dog misunderstood or are they by nature inherently bred to be vicious. I have to say that the pit bull was born and bred to be a fighting dog. Thus the name pit bull, they were bred to fight in the pit. And with so many generations behind them of fighting dogs and not very many good breeding programs to breed this out of them, I do feel they still hold that tendency. However behavior can be modified and shaped if the animal is trained properly. But I am not here to debate breeds, I am here to open people’s eyes to the large ugly business of dog fighting.
I do not think any of us have a good understanding just how many dogs are still used today for fighting, just how many breeders out there specialize in this business and the sheer amount of money that is put into this industry. If it were not for the whole Micheal Vick trial and all the media coverage that included, many of us would still believe that dog fighting is a thing of the past. But I am here to say no, it is alive and well and has never gone away, people are as barbaric now as they were centuries ago. It is in fact growing steadily.
Detroit is actually one of the worst cities in the United States for dog fighting incidents. There are roughly 40,000 professional dogfighters in the US, not to mention the people who street fight their dogs and all of the underground fights that go on. With purses ranging in the $100,000 range, this is big business. One of the big problems with catching people who fight dogs is that the police are too busy with “real” crimes and the Human society is so overrun with unwanted animals, largely pit bull mixes, they have not the funds or the time to deal with it.
Not to mention the fact that these same people will steal dogs, often family pets to use as bait dogs for the fighting dogs. I should also note that any dogs seized from a fighting or presumed fighting environment will never be allowed to be adopted and are always euthanized.
I do not know the answer to this big problem, I do know that people like this guy who called me, may not be fighting dogs, but they are continuing to sell dogs with that tough image. The image that appeals to thugs and criminals who will use the dog for fighting. So until more people realize what a huge problem this is, and that it is right here in our backyard, the fights will continue on.

Leave it in His hands…..

Last Sunday Jenna had her puppies. She had eight pups that lived, six girls and two boys. I unfortunately lost two boys that I never could get to start breathing.  Loosing those two were to put it mildly heart wrenching. Even with all my efforts to revive them they would just not begin breathing, and in my efforts to save them Jenna had a little girl. I was busy still working on the boys when Jenna was cleaning off the embryonic sac and chewing off her umbilical cord. All of the sudden I heard the puppy screaming, and not a good or normal puppy scream. I told Sierra to get dad in hopes that he could take the boys away for me. That part is devastating and as I write it still brings tears to my eyes.  To carry out their bodies and bury them is more than I can take and I am thankful James handled that part. So he took them and I picked up the little girl who was gasping and having difficulty breathing as well. There was also blood all over, bright red blood which is not normal on the puppy. So first things first I suctioned her nose and mouth and cleared her airway, with a few puffs of air she seemed able to breathe but continued the screaming. I turned her over to realize Jenna had chewed her umbilical cord way too short and she was bleeding from her cord. So as I continued to rub her vigorously to keep her stimulated I kept the cord clamped with my other hand. After a few minutes of what seemed hours, the cord stopped bleeding and she stopped screaming. I put her down next to mom and she made efforts to begin nursing, I assumed she was out of the woods. By Tuesday afternoon it was apparent that she was not doing well. While all the rest had devolved big fat baby belly she was very skinny. By Tuesday night after many attempts she would not even try to suck and was getting limp. So as an old remedy to sort of give them a sugar boost, I got some Caro syrup and stuck a drop into her mouth. She stirred some but I could tell it still was not enough to get her to nurse. I then knew that something had to be done soon if she was going to make it, because by now she was nothing more than a limp skinny lump. I grabbed a can of condensed milk heated some of it up and sucked it up into a glass dropper, holding her in my lap I forced her to eat some of the condensed milk  and just prayed…. I put her back into the box with mom, knowing this was the moment when she would either pass or recover. I felt like I had done all I could do and so I sat at the computer and tried to distract myself with some reading. Just feeling like it was in His hands now.. It was not more the five minutes later I hear this loud whining, I turned around and there she is feet scrambling all around, trying her hardest to get to momma to drink, I helped her there and she was so lively to drink that she kept sucking on my fingers. What a change from the pup that had minutes before been nothing but a thin and motionless lump. From that moment she has since eaten and been so lively, I know she will be fine now. What a huge change from the limp and skinny girl she was last night to the “up and at em” girl she is this afternoon. She is now a chow hound and the first one to eat and has a nice round baby belly now. Her and I now share quite a bond and I am left with the task of finding a very special home for her that can realize what a huge heart she has.

Thank you Lord for watching over her and answering my prayers once again.

Sookie now 6 months, loved so much by the Polkii family

To pet or not to pet?

Training Tip Week 7/20

 

 I recently took my young male “Sergeant” to visit my husband at work. He is a park ranger here at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. And like I said in last months training tip, I like to take the dogs everywhere. So we hung out there and enjoyed some petting from the volunteer working there, while seeing a new building with new smells and differant floors. When the volunteer approached him she seemed a bit nervous and asked me “ok, what is the best way to approach him?’ And I told her “Don’t be afraid just walk right up and give him a good pet.” So she walked up and just petted him and of course he loved it and the tension was gone.

But this got me thinking how many times have people approached dogs in the wrong way? How many times have you hesitantly reached your fingertips out to touch a dog on the head, only to have them shy away? I am here to explain the correct way to approach a dog.

But first I would like to bring us back to that volunteer’s question “What is the best way to approach him?’ It is an excellent question and one most of do not think to ask. Instead most of us do one of two things; either we A) walk right up to the dog and just start petting it without asking anything of the owner, or we B) say “Can I pet you dog?” and commense to reaching out and patting the top of their head. Often before we are sure the dog is even friendly and without waiting for the owner to tell us the best way for her dog to be approached. Each and every dog is differant and every dog is at a differant age in their lives where they react differantly to strangers approaching.

My young male is in what I call the roudy teenage stage and so when he meets people he does not know he puts on his “I’m a big boy look at me” face, meaning he will get right in your face and sometimes even let out a bark or two to get your attention. To allot of people this looks aggresive, but he is only saying “Hey, I want attention from you don’t just stand there and stare at me.”

Those demanding teenagers! And a side note, dogs do not like to be stared at, they find it challenging and confusing, especially young dogs just learning about their own boundries and limits.

So what I am asking you readers is to first ask the owner if their dog is friendly and can I pet it? Then wait for her answer and her instructions on the best way to approach it. Most dogs do not like to be patted on the head and frankly find it annoying and often frieghtening. Imagine you are a dog and a person you do not know is sticking their big smelly hand right in your face before you have even had a chance to sniff them or say it is ok.

Instead once you have asked permission and they have told you how best to approach the dog, bend down, look away or at the floor, and just wait for the dog to approach you. Often you do not have to wait long because since you are now at their level you are irresistable to say hello to. And since you did not right away, invade thier space they find you curtious and friendly. With some shy dogs they may still not want to be petted and may even hide behind their owners backs, this does not mean that you need to reach out and encourange the dog out, it means you need to stand up and pretend the dog is not there. Continue to have a conversation with the owner and I will bet you within five minutes that dog will not be able to stand their curiosity and will come out to sniff you. At that point you could once again bend down, do not make eye contact and see if they will come closer. The worst mistake most of us make is that we invade their space and we are pushy. Let them come at their own time and if they do not want to be petted then let them be. There are plenty of other dogs who would love to take you up on your offer, but pestering the shy dog will only lead to a bite and will further solidfy the dogs fear of us.

Sadly enough a large percentage of the population has no idea how to relate to dogs and often misinterupts their signals and reactions. That is one of the main reasons why we have so many mistreated and abandonded dogs. Misunderstanding! But it does not take an expert to understand animals, all it takes is some simple common sense. Think about how you would react, what makes you uncomfortable, what makes you mad? Often it is one simple thing, rude and aggresive people who invade our space. The dogs are the same way, have some respect for thier boundries, have respect for your own boundries. Animals are masters at boundries. They know, each and every one of them, where their limits are, just how much they are willing to take and when to draw the line. If only us humans could be better at it. But by taking the time to watch animals and really try to understand what they are saying, not just what we are saying to them, we could begin to unravel the mystery that lies beneath. To begin to understand that animals are not really much differant then us, they have simply learned to draw better boundry lines.

Training Tip week 6/27

Training Tip week 6/27

Baby it’s a wide, wide world!

I have to admit I am that annoying woman who takes her dogs everywhere. Yes, they wait in the car while I run into the grocery store. Yes, they sit by me in the park while my children play, and yes, you will find them by my side on any given trail within a 50 mile radias. But I have to state that my dogs have earned that privilege. And yes it is a privilege! I have trained them, socialized them and am confident in my ability to control my dog at all times. Unfortunatly, this is not always the case with other dog people, they are the ones whose dogs bark at everyone, the people whose dogs run loose down the trails and attack or scare passersby. These are the dogs that give all dogs ,lumped into one catogory, a bad name.

 

But wait I am here to help not criticize! There is an answer and it’s simple. Start in your back yard, get your basic obedience down, sit, stay and down. Then head out to a quite location away from your house. Sit and read or something calm and relaxing. I often take a notebook or will work on my tracking or training notes while the dog learns to just settle at places other then home. Building up slowly the dog will learn that at each new place you are a calm, in control person that he can trust and look to for guidance. One of the BIG mistakes Shepherd owners make is that they look to their dogs for protection and guidance. Please do not put this pressure on your dog. He is growing and learning every day to be the dog that you want him to be. He cannot do that if he is constantly trying to protect you from the mad chickmunks or the old lady across the street.

 

Once he is comfortable in a rather quite place move to a little more noisy place, I like to arm myself with treats in both pockets in case something really disrtacting and scary comes along. A monster on a bike or a contraption with four wheels blaring loud ghetto music! The treats are given at the first sign of anxiety and will redirect his attention to chewing and to you, the wonderful owner who loves him so much she carries his favorite treats in her pocket. So I think you get the idea, move up to gradually more and more noisy and crowded places. Always keeping control and the treats handy. If at any time you feel he is taking backward steps, go back to the basics, catch up on your obedience and go back to that begining quite place that you both felt calm and cool at. Your confidence will pass onto him.

Good luck and get out there and have fun with your dog, once you get into the habit, you will find it is great fun to involve your dog in everything you do! Well maybe not that extra helping of ice cream or the rollar coaster, but you get the idea!

A Tail of two Sides

There is a common misconception among people, that anyone who breeds dogs is automatically a puppy mill. I get that look in many places I go, the pet store, random people who ask me what I do, and especially at the vet’s office. I felt I had to write about this because it is something that I am frankly tired of. I of course can’t speak for all the dog breeders out there, but I can speak for most of the people that I know personally, and that is we love dogs. Plain and simple, that is why we do this. In this business you will not get rich and you will not  get famous. You will not magically amass enough quality dogs overnight to make tons of money.  It is a passion that drives reputable breeders to better the breed and along the way to better themselves. The road is rough. There are many heartrenching moments, moments of death and sorrow, when we have tried our best and all that we can do is not enough to save our elderly dog or our newborn puppy. There are the lost pregnancies, lost dreams, shattered hopes, and  freak accidents that cost you more money then you care to even think about, because if you did you would cry. So just know that anyone who claims that dog breeders breed for money and that we are nothing but puppy mills, has never once tried breeding dogs to better the breed. To scour over paperwork and pedigrees often in many foreign languages for hours on end, researching and searching for years for the best dog that can improve the stock that you have, putting your heart and soul into a business that often costs way more than you will ever recoup. It takes commitment and desire to achieve dogs of high quality that are genetically sound and then put the time and money into showing and training those dogs.  That is the art of dog breeding. It is no get rich quick scheme, there is no yellow brick road, and trust me there is no wizard who will tell you the answers and where exactly to find your brain. This is a hard business for those of us who do it to better the breed. So the next person who tells you that all dog breeders just breed to make money, you can kindly correct them and say “no, not the good ones!”

My Little Puppy

Breeder’s Poem

I love my little puppy; she makes my house a home.
She is my very best friend; I never feel alone.
She makes me smile;
She makes me laugh;
She fills my heart with love . . .

Did some breeder breed her, or did she fall down from above?

I’ve never been a breeder, never seen life through their eyes;

But, still I hold my little puppy and just sit and criticize. I’ve never known their anguish; I’ve never felt their pain, the caring of their charges, through snow or wind or rain.

I’ve never sat the whole night through, waiting for babies to be born, the stress and trepidation when they’re still not there by dawn. I’ve never felt the heartache of a little life in my hands, this darling little baby, who weighs but 60 grams.

Should you do that instead of this . . . or this instead of that?

Alone you fight and hope one day, he’ll grow to be a dog.

You pray he’ll live to bring joy to another family, and make a house a home.

You know it’s all up to you; you’ll fight this fight alone.

Formula, bottles, heating pads, you’ve got to get this right, two-hour feedings for this tiny guy, throughout the day and night.

In your heart you know you’re almost sure to lose the fight, to save this little baby, but God willing you just MIGHT.

Day one he’s in there fighting; you say a silent prayer.

Day two & three, he’s doing well, with lots of love and care.

Day four & five . . . he’s still alive; your hopes soar to the heavens.

Day six he slips away again, dies in your hands.

Day seven. You take this little angel, and bury him alone.

With aching heart and burning tears, and an exhausted groan, you ask yourself, “Why do this? Why suffer all this pain?”

But seeing the joy your puppies bring . . it really self-explains.
So, when you think of breeders and label them with “Greed,”

Think about what they endure to fill another’s need.

When you buy a puppy, and with your precious dollars part, remember, You only pay with money .. . . we pay with a piece of our heart.

Author Unknown

Changes need to happen, to better our Shepherd.

The following is an excerpt from Stanley Coren’s book, Why does my dog act that way. I found it near to my heart as it details the loyalty and devotion the shepherd is known for, but also reminds me that I have a mission in this business to help restore the shepherd to its once great stature.

This excerpt is in regards to a study that Stanley has done involving the life saving rescues of dogs rescuing humans. He has this to say about the German Shepherd:

” If we look at the percentage of heroic rescues that they were involved in over the period between 1938 and 1984, they were responsible for 18.1 percent of all rescues while in the period 1985-2005, they account for 10.6 percent of all heroic acts. The fact that in recent years German Shepherds seem less likely to help people, despite the fact that their popularity has not diminished much, suggests that there has been a significant change in the breed, perhaps in their temperament, since some reports seem to suggest that today’s German shepherds are a bit more skittish and fearful than in former years. It also may be due to changes in their physical abilities since, at least in North America, the fashion of breeding for strongly sloped backs seems to have greatly reduced their speed, power and agility by restricting free movement of their rear ends. Whatever the reason the accounts of heroic actions by this breed are now fewer than they used to be. Even given that change, however, the German shepherds are still way ahead of many other breeds in the number of rescues that they have made in recent years.”

A Step Towards Healing

Sunday April 11th,

For many years I have felt a pull on my heart towards helping the elderly. Maybe it was all the kindness my grandparents showed me growing up, maybe it was the realization that I too would be in their position someday and the thought of breaking up my monotonous day with a visit from a loving dog would mean the world to me. But whatever the reason I had been pulled in this direction for a long time. But for many years I just was not able to fulfill my duty. I had too many of my own personal issues to sort through before I could consider helping others with theirs.

But then things started to fall into place as they do when the timing is right. I was able to quite my job and stay home with the dogs, then my good friend Jackie asked me if I would like to have Ari back. And I knew I was being told by higher powers that now was the time to fulfill my goals. Now was the time to help others live out their days with some love and compassion that only a dog can show. A unjudging, non criticizing love that sometimes even family members cannot give. And I knew for many years that Ari was the dog fit for the job. His calm and gentle way has quieted many a stressful situation. And I knew that his way would help to bring peace to those in need, even if it was just a moment in their day to forget, or to love, or maybe even to remember that long ago dog in their life that once gave them so much peace. That is my goal, and I am blessed to have Ari by my side to fulfill it.

And so we arrived on Sunday April 11th to get our certification through Therapy Dog International. Now, I must take a moment here and admit that the week before I was having some doubts, (as us humans often do) about why I was doing this and if this is really what I wanted to do. Therapy work is all volunteer, there is no monetary reward and the cost of gas and time could add up. And so that week three things happened to remind me why I was doing all of this. First without ever telling her I was having my doubts, Jackie sent me a wonderful story about an elderly man touched by a dog’s love even in his dying days. Of course it was a touching story and hit my heart perfectly, and of course I cried. Second my Friend Nina, again without me telling her I was having my doubts, tells me a story about the residents of a local nursing home and how they stare all day for hours at a bird that is caged in the lobby. And I thought “Man, if they stare at a bird, imagine how my beautiful Ari will make them feel.”

And third, and yes even after that I still was having a few doubts, although not as many. And so the third and final thing that convinced me this was my path was seated right at the entrance of the nursing home where the test was done. As Ari and I came through the big double doors of the nursing home, there was an elderly man right in the main path asleep in his wheelchair. And it could not have been a clearer voice that said to me “this is why you are here, heal and help, it is your time”

And so Ari and I made our way around the sleeping man and proceeded to find the lady that was performing the test. Right away we were swamped with elderly ladies wanting to pet Ari and asking me questions about him. All the while I am trying to answer the evaluators questions and fill out all the necessary forms. I took the forms and moved to a couch where no one was, hoping to be able to concentrate for a moment on all the forms and information that I needed to write down. No sooner had I sat down and an elderly woman sat right next to me on the arm of the couch and started to tell me all about her dogs she had, how they loved to play with the goats and when the goats were small they would hand feed them milk with a beer bottle. I politely tried to listen and write at the same time.  I looked up at her becuase she had gone quite, and she repeated the entire story again, about her wonderful dogs and the goats. And I realized how this moment now, with this dog, was helping her remember all the love and fondness that she had once shared with her own dogs. I was once again reminded why I was there!

And so after all the proper forms were filled out and turned in, we proceeded with our test. We did the basic obedience stuff first, stay, come, sit and down. We then moved on to walking through a bunch of people in wheelchairs, which was interesting, considering many where yelling out, some where quite and yet others would move their chair just as we tried to pass. But Ari handled it all in stride, even with the really shiny and slippery floors. Next the evaluator asked us to sit next a woman in a wheelchair, but the dog was not allowed to touch or place any part of his body on the woman. And I was to ask the woman if she would like to pet my dog. I thought “oh no,  Ari loves to nuzzle everyone and he is going to stick his nose in her lap to be petted.”  And so I walked around and placed him in a sit next to her chair. And Ari just sat there perfectly still as a statue. I bent down and asked the woman if she would like to pet my dog. Amazingly to me, she said no, and was at that moment visibly uncomfortable. Something I had not noticed before, but obviously Ari had picked up on it. He knew that she did not want to pet him and he was waiting as still as he could until he was released from the sit.

Then followed some other tests, a greeting where Ari had to ignore another dog and then a test to see if he would ignore a piece of salami on the ground. He did perfectly with both things. And so he passed with flying colors. I was so proud of him, but what else did I expect, he has been waiting his whole life for this. I am the one who took so long to follow the path that has been in front of me. A path that I feel blessed and humbled to follow. I pray that through our help, Ari and I can touch many lives and bring a glimmer of life and love to people otherwise lost and lonely. Thank you Ari for being the kind and gentle soul that you are, I will try every day to live up to all you need me to be. And I will follow you my friend as you know the path better than me, I pray I am wise enough to listen and watch all that you have to teach me.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go forward with our service to our community.

The wonderful world of puppies

Jenna vom Anker-Haus and Ari von Neuer Monde Summer 2009 Litter

Monday, August 24, 2009 at 5:24pm

Yesterday starting at 9:30 am I was blessed to wake to the arrive of my first newborn puppy. A little girl who I promptly broke open the sack and gave to mom to take care of. After two hours four more came closely after each other, all three requiring help opening the sacks for them, but healthy. at 3:46 a little girl was born, very strong and a loud whiner. Thirty minutes later a male and a female were born, the first was born outside much to my dismay I carried it quickly into the house cleaning the green and brown slim off as I ran. Puppy number 9 was born an hour later a nice dark black sable male. And then puppy number 10 was born at 8 pm a small dark female. After this Jenna seemed odd and would frequently look at her rear end and I could not determine if she was done or not. At about 11pm puppy 11 was born, a very small still-born, sadly after CPR and continuous rubbing she would not respond. She was our only death in the litter and it was a sad moment, luckily James was there to take her away and help me.
Needless to say my job as midwife was stressful and joyous and I look forward to the next litter. I had no idea the hard work and stress that would be involved with the delivery. Nor the joy that would follow to just watch them for hours murmur and nurse with their tiny puppy paws softly pawing mommy’s belly. What a wonder and joy birth is and a glorious example of the renewal of life and God’s grace. I am so blessed to have been part of this wonderful experience and am grateful for my wonderful momma “Jenna”.

Click for a change of heart

I guess I must take a moment and make a personal confession…..

I was at one dark time what is called by Ed Frawley a “yank and Crank” trainer.

There I admitted it and it was not easy to confess that sin. But in my defense, it was the way things were done and if I may plead ignorance for a moment, I knew not what I’d done! That was the way that all of the trainers of the time were training. I read my William Kohler books and Winifred Strickland and they all said the same thing. To train a reverse in direction for example, you briskly walk and then change directions, giving the dog a good hard yank to let it know to watch you better next time. That was but one example of the old “yank and crank” style. Now I say old because new ways that are much more efficient and kind have come about and in my opinion those old ways no longer serve much purpose.

And so I have seen the light, and what a bright light it is!

Now, I am proud to say that I started my transformation by using the once banned treat to train. And yes, I have now purchased a clicker! Now, I will pause here a moment to say, that I was one of those who for many years frowned upon the clicker and frankly felt it was a tool for fools! I silly gimmick that made you look even sillier then when using treats. But no longer, my eyes have been opened and I will never go back to the “crank” days. I have been so impressed with the clicker and the whole change in my training structure that I see immediate results. Things that once took months now take weeks if not days to train. Simply by using positive reinforcement and redirection, I have been able to train in a calm and happy manner. But the way I feel when I am done with a training session is what really changed my outlook on things. When I have finished with a training session I feel like me and the dog both A: Had a good time, B: Learned something new and liked it and C: am excited to try it again tomorrow. I have never felt so proud and excited in my training and I have to say I have Ed Frawley of Leerberg Kennels to thank for showing me the light. Without someone of his caliber and knowledge leading me towards positive training I would still be stuck in the dark ages today.

I look forward to all the things my dogs and I can learn from the use of a clicker. And yes I will be teaching them some tricks as well!

Sergeant’s Nose Knows!

I am truly enjoying the time I am spending with Sergeant and his powerful nose. Through all my years of watching animal behavior I truly never gave much thought to the nose of a dog. That is until recently, I have begun to pursue an old passion that had laid dormant for a while. Tracking!

So begins a new adventure with my boy Sergeant, he has shown some real natural ability to follow a track. It goes something like this; I lay the track out in the forest in a meadow not far from our home. I use what they call a scent circle to start. Which is a circle heavily laid with the scent of human and snacks. From there he follows a small track, leading to the jackpot or large pile of treats and an article, my glove, which also smells heavily of mom.  The track he is following is my footsteps with snacks placed here and there to keep up his enthusiasm. Well it has not taken him long to know what is going on when he sees the training flags I use to help me remember where I laid the track. He sees them and goes bounding forward. He also follows my footsteps all the way to the tracking site, which technically I do not think he is supposed to, but I hate to pull him off a track he is following so well.

And so I am amazed every day, how great their noses are and just how much that nose really knows. I will continue to update on Sergeant’s progress as we train towards our tracking titles.

Sergeant follwing a track