Drool happens

This georgous boy is Brutus. He is a French Mastiff, also known as a Dogue De Bordeaux. (Remember the dog from the movie Turner and Hooch?) He isn't the best specimen of his breed and we think he came from a back yard breeder based on his records. But that doesn't matter because he is super sweet. His is 6 years old, already neutered and looking for a new home. You can find him at the Humane Society of Knox County in Thomaston Maine. (207-594-2200) He was abandoned in an apartment. My brothers landlord who owned the apartment asked my brother if he could foster him until they found him a place. He of course called me since I have a few dog connections. Sadly mastiff rescue didn't have a place for him either. Luckily I know this great shelter who had some space.
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He has lived with another dog and also a cat. He walks well on a leash once he settles down. He does have some conformational issues in his hing end but it doesn't seem to affect him at the moment. He will need a home that can afford joint supplements down the road however. (he has a massive vet history that shows he was even taken to a specialist to check him out. Thankfully the former owner left his info behind with him.) He also drools, a LOT. Mastiffs do that so a home that can accept that would also be best for him.

"Who wants a kiss?" 

Like I said he is a VERY sweet dog that just needs a second chance. Please pass the info on if you know someone who might be a good match.

(Top photo: me, my brother George and my sister Dee.)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Zolas new bed

Yeah, it's like that.

What I'm watching this week

I love YouTube. I find so much great training stuff on there. (cough cough KikoPup cough) It is also a great place for watching funny videos when you are bored or need a pick me up. This week I have been watching some of the Crufts dog show in England. Specifically the Freestyle videos. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecq_71rymGc&feature=related



And:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=853bJhFBXIQ



Most of the dogs I love don't place well but I don't care. It is a blast to watch regardless. I'm not sure I will ever be at the stage to do a full routine like this but I am having fun teaching Jenny some of the moves for freestyle. It is basically stringing tricks and skills together and adding music. Since she loves to train it is a fun way for us to work together.
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Training tricks is a great way to really hone communication between each other. It requires you to sometimes think outside the box. When I was just starting in training I didn't value tricks very much. Now I try to teach all dogs some tricks. Things like ringing a bell, (can be used for a dog to ask to go out to potty) fetch, (a great way to exercise a dog when a walk isn't possible) and sit pretty (perfect for a shelter dog to grab some attention) all have value beyond the actual trick. It teaches the dog how to work with a person as a team member. It keeps training fun. It looks like fun and games because it is. Try teaching those dogs by using corrections and see what happens. Do you want to show off how smart your dog is? Teach them a cool trick and all your friends will be impressed. For some shelter dogs a trick can be a lifesaver. Tricks aren't just for kids anymore!

Blogger fail! The post where I catch up yet again.

So my co-worker told me the other day I am a blogger failure. She is right. It has been over a month since I have posted! That is a long time between posts, even for me. Ooops! I have been busy working on some personal issues and just got side tracked. (It turns out I was concentrating more on what I feed my dogs than what I was eating. Now I'm trying to make healthier choices which seems to mean more time cooking and such.) I also find it easier to post things to my facebook page when I am busy. So if you come here and I am quiet check things out there instead. http://www.facebook.com/K9SolutionsDogTraining If it makes you feel any better I am behind in my blog reading as well.

This cutie is Frankie. He is being fostered by a friend and will be available for adoption soon through ACDRA. It is believed he may be a Kelpie and not an Australian Cattle Dog however. He needs to learn some manners first. A home without cats may be a better fit for him too. He is about 2 years old and was saved from a kill shelter.

Zola is still doing very well on her meds and diet. She is a very normal puppy. We have even finally turned the corner and she is sleeping through the night now. This is a HUGE improvement for my life! She is also giving me cues when she needs to go outside to potty as well. Another big victory. I wasn't sure that would ever happen given that I don't limit her water intake due to her condition. I admit it got better once I stopped babying her and stopped sleeping on the couch after the middle of the night outings. See, I do know what to do, I was just being too emotional about it. Puppies are sometimes to cute for our own good.

Jenny is having a not so good time with her skin right now. I had to increase her Temeril-P which I hate to use. I swear one of the days we got some snow cover she seemed better. But I don't know if that was wishful thinking or not. It makes me wonder how much of her problem stems from an allergen outside. Of course maybe I am just grasping at straws.

Jack is doing wonderfully. I took him for a do it yourself bath/brush and blowout recently. Wow he sheds a lot! I know this but every so often he impresses even me with the amount of fur I comb out. I got an undercoat rake with slightly longer tines that works really well on him.

The two most current prison puppies are doing great. Rosie, the cattle dog/pit mix has been adopted already. I ran into her new owner today at the Loyal Biscuit during an outing. He was there buying a second crate for his car. It seems she likes to teeth on his interior. Ahhh the joy of puppies! He reports she is doing great. The the other pup Daisy, the red nose pitbull, is going to the shelter daily so potential adopters can meet her. She can be a handful so we are trying to find just the right match for her. You can see them both about 10 minutes into this video: http://vimeo.com/37466423 Or check them out on our official facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/K9Corrections

I am hoping to get some t-shirts with my logo on them ordered soon. I would like to be able to offer them for public sale too but I'm not quite sure if I can manage that. I am pretty small time as a business so I need to look into it more. I am also going to need to get new logos on my car this year. Not only has my logo changed slightly, they are peeling off after having them a few years. Maine winters are not kind to window stickers long term.

Before I go need to answer a readers question that I found in my comments when I (finally) approved them. I cannot give you a comparison between the Freedom No Pull harness and the Sensation harness because I have not used a Sensation harness yet. Sorry I can't be more help with that.

Again, I will try to blog more but no promises. Sometimes you just gotta make time for yourself first  :-)