It is that time again for our quarterly news letter (and by that I mean it’s about a month or so late).  I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to sign up for the newsletter if you haven’t already.  It will be sent out this weekend some time and has future classes listed, an article about dog bite prevention, a list of new graduates, and a special discount.

So, if you haven’t already done so, sign up for our quarterly newsletter!  Get access to exclusive materials, quarterly discounts, and much much more!

Shayne and Rio had a fantastic adventure the other day with one of their good buddy’s, Doc the dalmatian.  The three were fantastic together even though it had been about 9 months since they all hung out.  We were missing the second spotty, Delta, but they were a lovely group.

There was not a single snarky or concerning moment the whole afternoon which was fantastic!  I think Shayne and Rio really like Doc and they seem to trust each other.

All three pups hop up onto the flat bed trailer for a quick photo!

Shayne, Rio, and Doc all taking a bit of a break near the end of our adventure

Doc Doc ruuunning and getting to stretch his legs

all three pups exploring together!

Doc and Shayne pause for a photo op.

Shayne was rolling in the grass and rolled right into Doc

Rio and Doc about to start a game of chase

Doc begging for it to end! He’s not used to having to run like this

DBPM–Do NOT Pet! (repost)

Last year I wrote two popular photo blogs about reading doggie body language. I’m going to re-post these this week on this blog while perhaps adding additional images along the way because I think they are important and include great examples of body language. Finding ways to expand but not simply re-hash those posts is a little challenging but I THINK I’ve found an angle.

So we’ve talked a lot about reading dog body langage and learning how dogs say no but there are many instances when the dog shouldn’t have to be pushed to ‘say no’. Some of the most common bites happen when dogs are in positions where they should simply not be pet.

Never let people pet a dog who is injured or sick!

A few years ago after an unfortunate accident Shayne had a trip to the ER vet to get 5 staples to close a deep and scary laceration on her on her face. Although she was a real champ who did GREAT with this at the vet and didn’t seem to be in much pain, I was extremely careful about petting her anywhere near her injury. I was also very cautious abou letting anyone pet her until the staples were out. Although she didn’t appear to be in any pain and was acting completely normally–it would have been really risky to allow someone to pet her. What if they accidentally touched her staples and it hurt, what if she the injury made her feel more anxious about being pet and she bit, or what if she there were secondary bruising to the injury that I wasn’t aware of and someone pet her on a bruise and she bit because it hurt.

Dogs who are in pain or who are not feeling well are much more likely to bite. People are the same way–when we don’t feel good or are in pain we are often more snappy. Often times people who are sick are very ‘touchy’ about being touched… they are too hot, they are queazy, they ache… just “don’t touch me.” They can als be really short tempered. I know when I’m sick, it’s not the best time to play a joke on me or to push my buttons because my fuse is often shorter than normal. Dogs are the same way. There are many things you could get away with doing to a dog when they feel good that they would likely snark about if they don’t feel good.

Long story short if you know or suspect a dog is injured (whether or not they “look like” they are in pain) or know or suspect a dog is sick (whether or not they are acting any differently)–be very cautious in your handling of the dog and I would suggest not letting people pet/interact with the dog.

Leave sleeping dogs alone!

This has got to be one of the most common “tried to bite” incidents that I encounter. Look, it’s simple–do not walk up and pet a dog who is sleeping and certainly don’t approach and roughly shake/poke/nudge/pick up a dog to wake him/her up. It really is that simple… just don’t do it. Dogs do have self preservation and if they are woken up from a deep sleep by a physical touch, they may be startled and dogs who are startled are more likely to bite. For all the dog knows you could have been a threat or they could be in danger and flashing a big open scary mouth and growling is their attempt to protect themselves from an unknown threat. This is exacerbated by dogs who are anxious, fearful, stressed out, dreaming, new to the home, or in a home with big recent changes.

This is something that has to be taught to kids because they often want to curl up WITH Fido on his dog bed–which could be a disaster waiting to happen if litte Bobby scares Fido while trying to snuggle up to the already sleeping dog. When dogs are sleeping they are best left alone OR woken up with a sound before being touched, moved, picked up, etc.

If Fido falls asleep on your lap while you are petting him there is certainly less chance of him being startled by your touch. I know when Shayne curls up with me and I rub her neck/chest that she will fall asleep and I’m not worried about continuing to pet her while she rests…but I wouldn’t walk up to her while she has been sleeping/dreaming on her dog bed and pick her up or poke her to wake her up. This type of dog bite or “almost bite” is so preventable.

Don’t touch a dog who is eating

This is something I harp on all the time but it’s important. Do not try to pet Fido when he is eating or has a chew. Do you want someone rubbing all over you as you try to enjoy your meal? People think they are preventing food aggression by being able to pet Fido while he eats, well I’m here to say that you can create food aggression by not allowing Fido to have a safe place to eat his meal. YES, you want it to be safe for people to walk past Fido when he eats… YES, you want it to be safe if someone accidentally bumps into Fido while he’s eating but you don’t need to give your dog a rub down while he dines to make those things happen. Kids (yes even toddlers) can learn rules regarding dogs and food/chews. If a dog is eating, they shouldn’t be touched. Leave them alone to eat their food in peace.

Besides not petting dogs–food bowls are not toys to play with. If a dog is eating from their bowl, don’t put your hands in there and mess with the food just to prove a point. Yes, you want to be able to take his bowl if there were ever some sort of emergency regarding the bowl/food/dog…but just shoving your and in there while he’s eating is asking for trouble–there are safe ways to teach fido that hands near his bowl is a good thing that don’t risk the health and well-being of your 10 fingers!

We are really excited to announce our two newest Bachelor Degree graduates!  Maggie B.A. and Lainie B.A. have worked extremely hard over the last year in several different classes to finally get to this stepping stone goal!

Both of these pooches started with me in a Teen Time class when they were youngsters and with the dedication of their guardians, they worked their way up through various classes until they were ready for the B.A. test.  I was super excited when both dogs passed their B.A. with honors, each performing two bonus tricks!

Maggie B.A. with her handlers Kate and John!

Maggie B.A. is a young lab-mix who was a rockstar in my teen class under the guidance of her handlers.  She breezed through the Teen Time curriculum, picking things up beautifully.  She had a bit of a rough go of it for a month or two during her adolescence but her handlers really worked through it and kept her on the right path, even if it was a bit of a challenge at times.  Through it all she was always happy and bouncy (with moments of being a bit too happy, bouncy, and totally distracted).  We are so excited that Maggie and her handlers have kept working and are seeing some great progress with her in the real world, not just in the classroom!  Nice work Maggie and her handlers John and Kate!!

Lainie B.A. with her handler Kimm! I wish I had a better photo, Lainie never looks this serious about anything, ever.

Lainie B.A. is a young lab/pitbull/?? mix who has come such a long way over the handful of classes she’s taken with me.  She is a high energy dog who has been working a lot on impulse control–particularly with keeping all 4 feet on the floor.  When I first met Lainie in class, I think I was mauled with love and body slammed on a weekly basis by Lainie who wanted nothing more than to say hi.  Over the course of classes she’s improved so much that I don’t even recall the last time I was body slammed and can only remember 1 time where I was momentarily jumped on in the last few months of classes!!  All of the hard work that Lainie’s handler has put into training was recently commented on by family who were visiting her house for a celebration.  They all commented on how much Lainie had improved since their last visit!  Good Job Lainie and her handler, Kimm!

Could your dog be the next B.A.??

There are a lot of things that I like to share with my dogs.  I share my bed, my couch, my love, my snuggles, my snacks, and my time with them on a daily basis.  For an only child, I really figured out this sharing concept pretty well!  There are somethings that I do not want to share with my dogs or my dogs to share with me if I’m being more precise (or anyone else’s dogs for that matter).  There are more than just a handful of pathogens, bacteria, parasites, and viruses that are zoonotic and can be spread from dog to human.

Many of the zoonotic transmissions are through contact with fecal matter so having good hygiene can prevent a lot of the potential problems.  Washing your hands with soap and hot water after waste clean up or using hand santizers if you are out on a walk can be very helpful as well, especially if your dog is known to have one of the issues.  Here is a list of just some of the yucky things that dogs can share with us.

Intestinal Parasites

Quite a few intestinal l parasites can be transmitted from canine to humans–all of them are transmitted through contact with fecal matter.  This could mean while picking up poop, or maybe you came in contact with trace amounts while at the dog park on your shoe which happens to get on your hand when you take your shoes off or retie your shoe laces.

Roundworms–dogs can get these  by eating grass or playing with toys in an area where another dog with roundworms has pooped.

Tapeworms–this is a worm that is primarily transmitted from flea to dog (if a dog had a flea issue, it’s wise to give them a deworming treatment afterwards to prevent an issue).

Hookworms–Dogs can get these from just walking through an area infected with larvae.

Giardia–this is a little protozoan that contaminates water, dogs can easily become contaminated by walking through wet grass or puddles and then licking their feet.

Fungal Diseases

Ringworm–contrary to the name, this is actually a fungus and not a worm.  This is a highly contagious fungus that is transmitted through skin to skin contact.

Tickborne Diseases

All of these diseases initially start from bacteria from a tick that attaches to an animal.   Transmission of these diseases is through blood to blood contact so it’s not necessarily easily spread dog to human but it’s definitely possible (humans can also get these directly from ticks).  Since the transmission is all the same, I’m just going to list the major diseases.

Erlichia

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Lyme

Skin Pathogens

Skin, or broken skin, pathogens are spread from skin to skin contact or skin to broken skin contact.

MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)–this is a seriously concerning bacterial infection that is transmitted from skin to skin via open wounds. Dogs can either just carry the bacteria (Staphylococcus Aureus) or they can themselves become infected.   MRSA is a big issues in hospitals because it is so easily passed from person to person and, like the name suggests, is resistant to some types of antibiotics.  It is my understanding that normal Staphylococcus Aureus can also be passed from dog to human though most resources only list MRSA.

Yeast–some strains of yeast can infect open wounds from skin to skin contact.

Bacterial Infections

Most bacterial infections are transmitted from either fecal or urine contact.

Salmonella–this is the same bacteria we can find in contaminated food.  Dogs often shed salmonella in their fecal matter so it can be transmitted through contaminated waste.

Leptospirosis–this is a bacteria that is spread through the urine of infected animals and can make its way into water sources.  It is transmitted primarily through urine.

Viral 

Rabies–this is the most common viral disease transmitted from dog to human.  It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected dog by a bite to a human.  Rabies is a serious virus but has been reduced significantly in the US through wide-spread vaccination laws.

]]> http://www.successjustclicks.com/things-not-to-share-with-fido/feed/ 0 http://www.successjustclicks.com/dbpm-whos-responsible-for-preventing-dog-bites/ http://www.successjustclicks.com/dbpm-whos-responsible-for-preventing-dog-bites/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 15:28:36 +0000 tena_successjustclicks http://www.successjustclicks.com/?p=5112 DBPM–Who’s Responsible For Preventing Dog Bites?

This may seem like a silly question or one with an obvious answer but after reading some ridiculous comments on a self proclaimed dog-bite resource, I felt it was necessary to post.

We are all responsible for preventing dog bites.  Dog guardians, the general public, friends, relatives, and parents are all pieces of the puzzle to preventing dog bites.

Dog guardians have the bulk of responsibility in preventing dog bites–which makes sense since the dog is in their care.  It is our responsibility to make sure we make good decisions for our dogs.  We are responsible for socializing, training, protecting and advocating for our dogs.

So, how can dog guardians help prevent dog bites?

*Properly socializing puppies.  If a guardian has a young puppy, I think one of the most important pieces of prevention is proper socialization.  Making sure your puppy has positive experiences with many many different types of people (gender, age, color, shape, size, wearing costumes and hats, etc), in many different places, with many pieces of novel stimuli, with many sound dogs (adults dogs and other puppies), and hearing plenty of strange noises.

*Proper training (whether it’s training to modify concerning behavior OR just basic training).  Positive training can build and improve your relationship with your dog which can help your dog learn to cope in stressful or scary situations.  Dogs often learn to look to their handler for guidance or protection instead of feeling the need to step in for themselves.  Training can also address a known behavior issue and make the dog safer by teaching the guardian how to handle the dog and handle the issues.  Training gives guardians tools to help navigate the world with their dog: leave it, watch me, emergency u-turns, and recall are all important tools.

*Be able to read your dog’s body language and do something about it. If you know your dog is a stress yawner and you start seeing a lot of yawns while at a busy outdoor market, perhaps your dog needs a break.  If every time your dog is around kids they are lip licking, panting, and giving a whale eye….perhaps your dog does not like kids and shouldn’t be in situations where he is in close contact with them for an extended amount of time.

*Advocate for your dog.  Do not be afraid to offend people if it means protecting your dog.  If your dog does not like people–do not force him to be pet by people.  It’s okay to tell people “no” who ask to pet your pup.  It’s also okay to yell “STOP!!!” to someone who is about to pet your dog without asking.  Don’t be afraid to get out of a situation where your dog is getting uncomfortable or to use defensive measures to keep your dog away from something that seriously concerns them.

*Make responsible decisions with dogs who have known issues with dogs or people.  If your dog has a history of bites or a history of aggression toward people or dogs, they should never be permitted off-leash in unfenced or public areas.  I do not care what breed the dog is, if it has a history of bites or aggression, they need to be kept on leash when in public or in a solidly fenced in private yard for off-leash fun. There is absolutely no excuse for a dog with a history of aggression being loose in public.  If your dog has a history of aggression towards friends in your home, your dog should be kept away from the situation.  Do you know that your dog does not like children, you need to make sure they are never  just casually around children (doing controlled training exposures is different).

*Utilize safety tools when a dog has a history of aggression.  DO NOT be embarrassed to use a muzzle on your dog if he has a history of biting, DO be embarrassed if you fail to use the muzzle and your dog bites someone. Muzzles, short traffic leads, head collars, double leashes, or back-up collars, and evasive maneuvers are important pieces of living with a dog who has behavior problems–if you know your dog has a history of injuries to others, it’s your responsibility to use tools that will ensure people’s safety.

These are all things that dog guardians can do to prevent dog bites, but they are not the only piece of the puzzle (and this list is not complete, just some big parts of dog bite prevetion).  The general public and friends/family of the guardian all need to do their parts as well to prevent dog bites.

*ASK before approaching an unknown dog.  Not all dogs want to be pet, not all dogs want to say hello to unknown people–they may be fearful, they may be anxious, they may be elderly, they may be in pain, they may be sick, or they may be in training.  ASKING before approaching and petting an unknown dog is really important.

*LISTEN to the response of the dog handler.  The handler is doing their job to advocate for their dog and it’s important to listen to their response and respect their instruction.  The handler may tell you not to pet the dog or they may tell you  how the dog likes to be pet, or they may say that their dog doesn’t want to greet your dog–either way, it’s your responsibility to listen to them.  It may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised the number of people who insist on petting dogs even after being told no or who let their dog get in the face of the other dog even after being told not to.

*Do not try to pet or interact with dogs tethered in their yards or behind fences in their yards.  Tethered dogs have no escape and are more likely to aggress if they are scared or get frustrated–they cannot flee so their other option is to fight.  Dogs behind fences often become protective of their territory and may act aggressively to defend it–even if you know the dogs outside of the fence, it’s a totally different story when they are inside the fence.

*Learning a little bit about canine body language can only help you keep yourself safe.  Some dog handlers are not responsible and they will let people pet their dog even if the dog would rather not be pet.  Being able to tell the dog doesn’t want to be pet can only help you and help keep you safe.

* Use good body language and petting techniques when allowed to interact with a dog.  Avoid staring at dogs or giving lots of eye contact, in the doggie world, eye contact is an aggressive signal and some dogs don’t appreciate that coming from a stranger. Avoid looming over dogs when you are petting them–this is another intimidating body posture that may cause a dog to get scared and react.    Let the dog come to you and start scratching under their chin, on their chest, or on the sides of their neck.  Avoid going over their heads.

*DO NOT HUG!  Most dogs do not like hugs or kisses, especially from strangers.

Parents have a special role in preventing dog bites.  The most common victim of dog bites are children and I firmly believe this could be changed  by educating parents. But that is enough information for a totally independent post.  So, keep an eye out for that post in the near future

Yesterday Rio went to his first Therapy Dog visit to Community College of Allegheny County–North Hills Campus.  He was an absolute rockstar and seemed to love all the attention.  CCAC even had a FANTASTIC poster announcing his presence and sent out a campus wide email which was very exciting–a few of the professors who stopped by actually said they came in a little bit early to meet him!

Rio posing under his huge poster!

He was surrounded by 6 or 7 people for most of his visit and was greeting at least one or two people for nearly our entire visit–it only slowed down near the end, after classes had begun.  He snuggled with students, professors, and staff and I got to chit chat with all sorts of people.  He greeted about 35-40 different people over the course of his hour and a half long visit.

Everyone seemed to love him and they all thought he was really cool looking.  Even many of the people who didn’t come up to say hello smiled at him as they walked by!  He’s just THAT funny looking

I got tons of compliments on him and I was a crazy proud Momma!  I will say the biggest challenge that I had was trying to juggle talking with so many people at once.  I’d be having a conversation with one person while another person was simultaneously trying to start a conversation with me and it was quite the struggle.

By the end of our visit, Rio was making a choice to lay down and waiting for people to come to him to pet and snuggle!  It was very cute, he was totally exhausted.  An hour and a half long visit being the only therapy dog was a bit long for him, he was clearly tired though also clearly satisfied.

Sleepy Rio at the end of his visit!

I’m hopeful that we’ll get to go back to CCAC for mid-terms and finals in the future.  We seemed to be very well received by students and staff so I think it will definitely work out.  Next time our visit will be a little bit shorter to not totally wear out Rio and perhaps we’ll have another team with us by then!

Oh, I was also happily surprised by the handful of people who questioned his body language and whether he really LIKED his job.  One man (professor I think) was a little hesitant to pet him, “but his tail is tucked so far.”  It was nice to explain that the whippet in him gives him very reserved body language but that if you stop petting him, he’ll make it well known that he wants you to keep petting by either putting his head under your hand or going to someone else to get attention. He then gave Rio some pets and sure enough, when he stopped petting Rio pushed his head under his hands asking for more!

What Say You Fido?

Learning to read canine body language is a big factor in preventing dog bites. We’ll talk about canine body language quite a bit in future posts. But, perhaps MORE important, besides just knowing how to read canine body language, is doing something about it.

It’s incredibly important to pay attention to and acknowledge your dog’s body language by making a change to a situation if your dog is becoming increasingly uncomfortable or agitated. I’m not perfect… sometimes I’m so focused on one aspect of something that I “see” and acknowledge a behavior and know it’s not a good thing but it doesn’t register until later (hindsight is 20/20) but I really try to make sure I make changes when I see a stressed dog.

This is really important because while some dogs will make their feelings more and more apparent through increasingly obvious stress signals, others are much quicker to growl, snap, or bite. With some dogs you can get away with not noticing multiple low-level warnings of discomfort and other dogs, not so much.

A few weeks ago in class we were working on classically conditioning good feelings about strangers handling a dog’s ears, feet, and tail (for the CGC test). Handlers would feed their dogs continuously as my assistant or I would gently rub their ears, or their feet or their tail. I always make a habit to ask if any dogs have issues with this type of handling so I know to go slower–but no one mentioned having a dog that had any concerns.

As I was making the rounds petting the dogs’ ears while the owners fed them, I approached a student’s dog and knelt down next to him. I frist rubbed his chest and worked my way to his ears. As soon as I started petting his ears he started moving away from me. He continued to eat but was moving as far away as possible. I was so distracted by the “goal” of the task (and the fact that he continued to eat) that I didn’t make a change based on his body language. Now, he wasn’t so over threshold that he stopped eating (not even close) but he was uncomfortable and I KNEW that but still didn’t change my behavior. After about 15-20 seconds, the interaction was over. The next time I approached to pet (whatever body part, I can’t remember), I was able to touch his chest but as soon as I moved to pet something else, he gave a “tap out” or rolled over onto his side/back. As soon as he tapped out I stopped. I needed a bigger signal than moving away while still eating, to show how much pressure I was putting on him.

If he had been a different dog, my ‘ignoring’ of his first stressed body language could have resulted in a warning snap or growl. I KNEW his body language was concerned….but didn’t DO anything about it because I was so focused on the task at hand (and with him still eating didn’t think he was over threshold). AS soon as I saw the tap out I immediately responded by giving him what he wanted, which was space. It was a great opportunity for me to explain and SHOW the class what a ‘tap out’ looks like and explain why the dog did NOT want a belly rub.

KNOWING canine body language is only 1/2 the battle. DOING something about it (when possible) is the other half.

I am happy to say the following week at class the dog who gave me a tap out was friendly and outgoing with me–probably more so than he had been previously.

 ”No, Fluffy has never bitten anyone.  She’s snipped at people sometimes and tried to nip a few others but never bitten.”  This is what I was told about a dog who, in digging deeper into the conversation had actually bitten 8 times.  The “tried to nip” were actually 4 incidents where the dog aggressively ripped into clothing but didn’t hit the person, another 3 incidents where the dog “snipped”  were bites to the lower leg that did not break skin but left marks and one bite to the face that left red marks but no broken skin.  The guardians were not intentionally trying to deceive me but their understanding of what constituted the label of “dog bite” was quite inaccurate.  Knowing what legally constitutes a dog bite or dog attack under a state’s dangerous dogs law is really important.  This dog actually had quite a long history of incidents and they were extremely lucky that no one reported the issues.

I am NOT a lawyer and do not play one on TV, all the information contained in this post was researched by reading the PA state Dog Laws (from the department of agriculture’s page), snippets of a handful of other states’ dog laws from Michigan State University College of Law’s website,  and a variety of dog-bite law/information web pages on lawyers’ websites.

Dog bite statutes and laws vary from state to state and, in some instances, from municipality to municipality for specific ordinances d(or on a case by case basis).  If you are looking for information on your state’s dog bite law, it can often be found under the department of agriculture’s website for your state.  I was also able to find Michigan State Uni. College of Law’s website that lists the dog bite laws by state –the information I found for PA was up to date and accurate based on the document I found on the PA site regarding dog law BUT make sure you double check the information is up to date for your state.

Dangerous dog laws are what govern the rules surrounding dog bites and dog attacks in most states so it’s important, I think, for dog guardians to familiarize themselves with the rules for their state.  Reading through the codes OR reading an overview from a reputable source can be really helpful in understanding dog bites, dog attacks, and the rules that govern.  I think it can also be a tool to help unaware dog guardians understand just how dangerous their dog’s behavior actually is and that not resolving the issue could have serious side effects.

So, legally speaking, what is a “Dog Bite”?  Since all the states vary in what they consider a bite, there are a lot of definitions but I found one on www.dogbitelaw.com that is pretty well rounded:

If a dog seizes something, or attempts to close or actually closes its jaws on something, and the teeth of the dog either enter, grip or wound that thing, a bite has occurred whether or not the skin is damaged.

In many states, a dog can be labeled a dangerous dog without ever biting.  Yes, it’s true (in a legal sense the burden of proof may change in court and it may be based on a history or knowledge of the concerning behavior but it can absolutely happen).  If a dog injures a person in an attack, with or without a dog bite, he/she can be deemed dangerous.  Perhaps a dog jumps up and knocks someone down and they break a bone–if the injured party wanted to pursue legal action, the guardian could be found liable and it could end poorly for the pup.  If a person is injured trying to escape an aggressive dog (or seemingly aggressive), the guardians could be found liable and the dog could be labeled a dangerous dog–even if they never touched the person.

Pennsylvania is one of the states where a dog can be deemed dangerous and a the guardian found liable even if an actual bite (in the legal sense) did not occur.  This has some really wide implications for dog guardians and should be motivation to get a dog’s behavior (whether truly aggressive or simply just out of control) resolved.  Your reactive dog barks/lunges/snaps at a stranger while on a walk and the stranger gets scared, trips, and falls–you may be found liable and your dog could be labeled dangerous.  While it may not seem like a big deal for a dog to be labeled a “Dangerous Dog” since the dog may be allowed to return home, there are some serious restrictions for that dog, some serious liability issues, a requirement to get additional insurance just for the dog, and there is risk of either losing homeowners insurance or having the premium increased significantly.

We will discuss dissecting dog bites in terms of how trainers and behaviorists evaluate bites in our next post, so stay tuned!

National Dog Bite Prevention Week 2013 is held during the week of May 19th -25th but I try to make it a habit to spend the entire month with a smattering of Dob Bite Prevention Month (DBPM) posts.   You can search for all DBPM posts using the category on the right OR you can search for “DBPM” and should pull up all the posts.  During May I will be posting new posts about dog bites or dog bite prevention and will be reposting the previous years’ posts because there is no need to re-invent the wheel and I think they are valuable.

Do you struggle with keeping your dog physically and mentally entertained?  Are you running out of ideas for keeping Fido occupied?  Is your stuff suffering because your dog is starting to keep himself busy by chewing, shredding, or destroying your things?  Is your dog starting to become pushy, obnoxious, or whining because they are bored?  Do you have a high energy and smart dog who you recognize needs more work or more constructive things to do than chase your cats, chew your shoes, bark at the TV, counter surf, or other boredom-induced behaviors?  We have developed a quick and super fun class just for you!

Canine Enrichment Games is all about exposing a handler to a wide array of toys, games, activities, and tricks that can be used to help them meet their dogs’ physical and mental needs.

There are a crazy wide range of toys and games available designed to help burn some mental energy and while a handler may know of a few, they often don’t know of just how many are available.  They also never know if they work well, or if they would hold up to their dog’s use, or if their dog will like the toy.  Since the toys are sometimes a bit on the expensive side, it can be a tough decision whether or not to invest in a toy sight unseen.  This class will give you the chance to play with a wide range of toys and puzzles.  Not only will you get a chance to play with the toys, I will be talking about ways that I found to make the toy more challenging for the dogs so you can use them for a long while without it getting too easy.

We will also be exploring some scent games you can play with your dog as a way to burn lots of mental and physical energy.  We will play shell games, muffin tin game, and other kibble-hiding games along with potentially introducing the first step of canine nose-games (hiding kibble in boxes).  Scenting games can be incredibly effective ways of burning physical and mental energy–a handful of good searches can be enough to cause a dog to want a nap!

Lastly, we will be learning about activities and tricks for fitness!  We will teach you activities and show you how to teach tricks that will help strengthen and stretch you pup.  These activities and exercises are like a yoga, or aerobics, or other exercise class for your dog.  It’s a fantastic way to burn both mental and lots of physical exercise.  A lot of the exercises will have your dogs physically exerting themselves and burning energy even in an indoor situation!

For more information or to register for the class you can visit the WPHS’ registration page!  The second session date is incorrect and will be pushed back a week or two (I let them know but it hasn’t been updated yet)–as they didn’t account for a weekend I would be out of town.

For more information or to register, check out the WPHS website!