K-9 Solutions Dog Training, Inc.: The weekly roundup

Sunday, April 8, 2012

The weekly roundup

First I'll start with the best news, Brutus has been adopted!! Not just to any home either, he nabbed himself one of the best homes I could think of. I am very pleased. He certainly deserves it.
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Jenny and I have been walking more together because I need the exercise. I've always known she is athletic but wow, I had no idea! Saturday we are walking in a 5K locally with some friends. (Prudence and Leo and their people.) I decided to pre-walk it to challenge myself to see how fast we could do it. Our time was 43 minutes. Not to shabby! Sadly Jenny finished stronger than me which means I need to get in better shape.

The other thing I am doing on Saturday is hitting The Loyal Biscuit, one of my favorite haunts, for a book signing. Jen Blood (http://www.bloodwrites.com) is signing her book All the Blue-Eyed Angels there from 11:00 to 2:00. One of the characters in the book is a dog named Einstein. Check out the model search contest you can enter your own dog in to win some swag: http://jenniferblood.net/wp/einstein-the-dog-photo-contest/ The book is excellent btw. I'm not even normally a mystery reader (aside from Susan Conant) but this book hooked me.

This is how I picture Einstein:

For the record this is a Pumi, a Hungarian herding breed. Very adorable and muppet like looking. How cute is that? It seems most of them bark a lot however which is a deal breaker for me personally.
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The 2 new prison puppies have started. They are super sweet. They are litter-mates believe it or not. Mom was listed as a boxer mix but clearly at least one of the dads had some terrier in him. First there is Joshua.

And here is Justin.

They are super sweet and should be pretty easy to place once they graduate. They just needed to have some one on one time with a handler and learn to be a little more confident. So far so good!
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I hope everyone who celebrates it had a Happy Easter or good Passover.

2 comments:

Jen Blood said...: Thanks for the mention and the great feedback on the book, Marie -- that Pumi is adorable! And you're right, very Einstein-ish. I'm with you on the whole barking-as-a-deal-breaker thing, though. The Run-a-Hound 5K looks like it'll be a blast -- that YouthLinks gang is such fun! Looking forward to seeing you Saturday; I have a book for you and Don!!; April 9, 2012 at 9:37 AM
volunteers4paws said...: them brothers sure do look different! how interesting.; April 10, 2012 at 3:15 PM

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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