K-9 Solutions Dog Training, Inc.: It was so beautiful out that I took some video.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

It was so beautiful out that I took some video.

First a cute one of the prison pups Jack and Patty playing. More video and photos of them can be seen on their facebook site. (It's a pain to upload to YouTube to post here sometimes.) They are slated to graduate the program on Tuesday.

And one of me and Jack heeling. Now as a disclaimer this was our FIRST heeling practice in I don't know how long. Obviously working with a small fast dog has affected my speed and my lack of awareness of his larger body around the cones. (bad handler!)

I know I need to work on a few things but he is so gorgeous I thought I would share it anyway. I'm just glad to see he looks happy while working. Snicker away.

I also took Jenny out for some tracking practice. She did ok on the second two tracks. The first was what my son would call an "epic fail". All my fault of course. And that's all I'm gonna say about that!

For my troubles I was rewarded with an embedded tick on my back that my daughter had to pull off. Thankfully I had one of these babies on hand:

They work like a charm. Simply slide the hole over the tick and slide it up to the v shape (keeping the key next to the skin) and pull gently but steadily. The whole tick comes out. No fuss, no muss. It even tells you which side up on the key itself. I keep it on my key ring and have used it on a dog as well with the same excellent result.

It's been a very busy weekend. Lots of clients and lots of dog stuff in general. Oh and I saw "The Backup Plan" last night with my daughter. (I know, a J Lo movie. Yes I am ashamed. In my defense the guy that is in it used to play a vampire on a show I watched. I loved him in that. He was less than exciting in this movie aside from when his shirt was off.) CM also had a cameo which I was not thrilled about. (and out of place considering his real life audience vs the scene audience) I probably wouldn't have gone had I known that ahead of time. The boston terrier in it was an adorable scene stealer though so that helped make up for it. A little.

Netflix sent "Hachi" so I will be watching that soon. I've heard they did a good job with it. I've already run into someone that recognised Jack's breed due to the movie on one of our walks. Hopefully the movie going directly to DVD helps diffuse any over breeding that can happen after a movie with a specific breed is released. Time will tell I guess. Fingers cross for akita (and shiba) rescue this next year.

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My Story

In 1992, after serving for 6 years in the United States Marine Corps, I decided to settle down in my hometown in Mid-Coast Maine. I got my first dog, (as a bona-fide adult) an akita, and joined the local kennel club. I also joined akita rescue and learned alot about the breed. In turn I began helping educate others. This taught me how important training is for ALL dogs. Thus began my (unofficial) foray into the world of dog training.

I worked for a few years at a local veterinarians office and then began working at our local humane society. While there I saw many dogs being given up for simple training issues. About that time the kennel club began looking for a new trainer to teach group obedience classes. I decided I might be able to handle that challenge once I had more official training of my own.

MY TRAINING:

I found an excellent trainer to mentor with and in October of 2001 after a year of hands on training and study I completed my apprenticeship under Lloyd Williams of Bear Brook Kennels. During that apprenticeship, in addition to learning all the basics, I got to assist in the training of police dogs in narcotics, tracking and cadaver dogs with the medical examiners office.

Not only did I learn how to be a dog trainer, more importantly, I learned how to teach owners how they could communicate more effectively with their dogs. I consider that training just the beginning in my canine education. I continue to attend seminars and keep current through reading about recent advancements in dog training methods. I am a former member of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers.

My training was sponsored by The Humane Society of Knox County and The Mid-Coast Kennel Club of Maine.

MY METHODS:

I use positive reinforcement methods whenever possible during training sessions. Positive reinforcement helps make the training experience more enjoyable for both the dog and owner, producing a better learning environment. I also utilize hand signals in my training which is very useful with deaf dogs as well as hearing ones. My methods include lure/reward and marker training. (with or without a clicker depending on owner preference)

MY GOALS:

My goal in training is to help pet owners develop a better relationship with their dogs. Many times that includes teaching about canine communication and behavior. I also like to help dogs stay out of the shelters and in their homes whenever possible. Training for those unruly dogs can make that a reality for some families.

MY OTHER JOBS:

I am currently the trainer for the HSKC's K-9 Corrections program. I also work as a receptionist at a local veterinary hospital.

MY FAMILY:

I am happily married and the mother of two fabulous children.

Dog Training and Behavior Seminars Attended

11-09 Self Control and Focus Games with Dee Ganley CPDT/CABC/CDBC
6-09 Dog to Dog Aggression with Patricia McConnell PhD
7-08 Debunking the Dominance Myth in Training with Jean Donaldson
6-08 PitBull Education Seminar with Drayton Michaels
3-08 Aggression and Canine Compulsion Disorders with Dr. Nicholas Dodman
4-07 How to Talk Dog with Sarah Kalnajs
6-06 Understanding Canine Body Language with Trish King
4-06 Aggression in Dogs 2 Day Seminar with Brenda Aloff
10-05 Play with Me and Feisty Fidos with Pia Silvani CPDT,CABC
2005 Canine Communication, Meet your Match and and Intro to "Safer" Training with Emily Weiss PhD