K-9 Solutions Dog Training, Inc.: 2013

Thursday, August 1, 2013

My longest overdue post ever.

Yes I know this is a very overdue update. Keeping up with my facebook page is so much easier than the blog so it has fallen by the wayside. Sorry about that. https://www.facebook.com/K9SolutionsDogTraining

Zola has beaten all odds and is still with us. She is doing very well! She is a robust 13 pounds now and full of hell. (Compared to the 10 pounds she came to us at.) Clearly she has no idea she is "sickly". Her jaw can open a bit further now as well. She is still a messy eater and blending her food is still necessary. She doesn't care though as long as she gets fed. Jenny and Jack are still excellent as well.

The prison program, K-9 Corrections, has begun again. This time we are at the supermax of the Maine State Prison instead of the Bolduc farm minimum facility. It is quite the change, at least for me. Many more rules to abide by as you can imagine. Including not being able to carry my camera so I have fewer photos to post. (I'm working on that!) But the handlers are all still very motivated and happy to have the dogs to train. They work hard and are doing very well. We are still on the first two pups to see if this will work out there or not. Here is our fb page: https://www.facebook.com/K9Corrections Fingers crossed it keeps going well.

On another note if you tried to reach me by phone a few weeks ago and didn't get through I apologize. We were having technical difficulties. I was even thinking of changing to my cell phone number for the business. We had the cable company come out and fix it so it is back up to speed. I can be reached at on my home phone at 354-6488. I am more sporadic by e-mail so be patient if you e-mail me. I am reachable through my facebook page as well.

So yes I AM still here and training dogs. Give me a call or shout out if you need my help. Tail wags!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Good news to begin the New Year.

I do love starting the new year off with good news. I took Zola to the vet recently to re-check her liver panel and get some recent x-rays for her jaw. The blood work came back good. We have been managing her liver shunt issue very well and it shows. We did learn that she is prone to low blood sugar which is new information but important to know.

But the best news is that her jaw issue isn't getting worse as we thought was inevitable. In previous x-rays we thought we saw a growth. In the new x-rays nothing was seen. We also measured how far she can open her mouth. It has improved from 1 and 1/2 centimeters to 2 centimeters. That doesn't sound like much but considering the alternative, it gets smaller and eventually she won't be able to eat, then it is fabulous news.

This is a photo of one of her x-rays. We have a new digital radio-graph machine at work which is also excellent news for us because we can see things more clearly. Her face is scrunched up because they were holding her jaw open with gauze strips. You can see her old original x-rays here: http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-difference-week-makes.html The mass that could be felt before is also no longer there. So while she will probably still have a shorter than normal life span, it isn't going to be as short as we previously thought. That is great news to me!

I also wanted to share a couple of dog related gifts I got from friends this year. This one makes me laugh every time I walk by it.

I think it looks a lot like Jenny too!

This one was from another friend. She made the whole thing by hand. She has a great shop on etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/smilingfrogpets My dogs all have some of her toys and they are wonderful and stand up well.

I have awesome friends.

As you can see I had a great holiday and my new year has had a great beginning. I hope the same can be said for all of you!

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