Follow Me Dog Training

Go Red!!!

1 February 2008 is National Wear Red Day! Help support the fight against heart disease in women by wearing Red on Friday. Brought to you by the American Heart Association, the Go Red For Women campaign raises women’s awareness for heart disease and helps them learn and take action to reduce the risk for heart disease. Keep your eye out around Richmond VA for women wearing red or a sticker with a red dress on it to show they are supporters of a great cause!

Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women (and men)? Good news is that it can be prevented! By staying active, eating healthy, avoiding tobacco and reducing stress we can all make changes to keep our hearts as healthy as possible.

Why is Follow Me Dog Training LLC wearing red on 1 Feb 2008? Heart disease is very real to many of us and our dogs can help us prevent occurrences to ourselves and the ones we love.

STAY ACTIVE: Research has shown that getting 30–60 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week can help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and keep your weight at a healthy level. Follow Me Dog Training LLC encourages all our clients and all dog owners to get out and take your dog for a long walk or jog. Go to the park and be active with your dog, throw a ball or Frisbee or take your kids for a walk around the neighborhood. Don’t forget physical activity like dog sports such as agility, freestyle, obedience, disc dog and rally! Your dog needs a walk as well, obese dogs are more likely to show signs of canine heart disease!

EATING HEALTHY: Good nutrition is as important to humans as it is to dogs. Share some of your veggies with your dog…many dogs love baby carrots! What you put in your body affects how you behave and how much energy you have….think the same way for your dog. Too much corn, preservatives and fillers can cause behavior problems and poor health for your dog! Talk to your vet about a healthy well balanced diet for your dog. Leinie and Pepper both eat Life’s Abundance, but sometimes I’ll add a carrot or some bananas to their meal if I am enjoying some.

AVOIDING TOBACCO: Smoking kills and Follow Me Dog Training LLC is not a fan of smoking or second hand smoke. It isn’t good for humans and it isn’t good for your dog either. Your dog’s sense of smell is their most highly developed sense. Your dog has over 25 times more olefactory receptors then humans do. Smoking and second hand smoke affects their sense of smell and lets not forget their (and our) lungs as well.

REDUCING STRESS: The simple act of petting a dog can reduce your blood pressure and stress levels. Why do you think dogs make such great therapy animals. They were used after catostrophic events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. They play an integral role in our hospitals and assisted living homes. There are dogs on some of the bases in Irac serving as therapy dogs to help our soldiers deal with psychological issues after seeing combat; these dogs are working k9s that go on patrol and increase moral. Dogs live in the “now” they don’t worry about the past, present or future they love a good sunspot, love their people unconditionaly and work hard everyday to teach us the lesson to slow down and enjoy life.

Wear red and tie a red bandana or a red collar on your dog for the day. Support a great cause and educate yourself more about heart disease. 

Follow Me Dog Training LLC can help you have a fun filled, stress free relationship with your dog. Contact us for a FREE demonstration and evaluation with you and your dog.

Happy Birthday Leinie!!

Follow Me Dog Training LLC wishes their main dog and head PR guy a happy birthday! Leinie turns 3 today. He has had his long walk, was allowed to chase the squirrels out of the yard and is off to Williamsburg to meet a Jack Russel Terrier.

We don’t usually throw elaborate birthday parties for the dogs here at Follow Me Dog Training LLC. But we have been known to give an extra tennis ball wrapped in a bow or go by Three Dog Bakery for some of their yummy dog carrot cake. My dog’s birthdays are usually spent sharing time and a few rounds of fetch or Frisbee, and that is what they really enjoy doing. Most of all I thank them for hanging around with me for another year and wish them good health and long walks in the park for their next year of life.

Do you know when your dog’s birthday is? Do you throw a party for your dog or keep it quiet? Either-way, celebrate with your dog and give them the best you can in a good life with an equal balance of training and affection attained through good communication. Want to find out more, contact Follow Me Dog Training for a FREE demonstration and evaluation with your dog.

IACP CDT

The Certified Dog Trainer (CDT) Exam is intended to test an applicant’s basic level of skills to provide the general public with a standard of expectation for what constitutes a “basic level” of expertise. The passing of the CDT Exam also provides recognition and approval from peer professionals within an internationally established organization. Only Professional members of the IACP that have been members for a minimum of 6 months have the opportunity to take the CDT exam. - IACP

Follow Me Dog Training LLC  owner and head trainer, Renée Lamoureux, was presented with the International Association of Canine Professional’s “Certified Dog Trainer” certificate.

Renée is very happy to add this certificate to the other certifications for dog training that she holds. She has been a member of the IACP since 2001 and participates in the IACP annual confernece in Texas and has helped with a fundraising workshop that was held in MO in 2005 .
Renée feels that any kind of continuing education in her profession is a worthwhile endeavor and will continue to seek new ways to add to her skills.

Please contact Follow me Dog Training LLC if you are interested in a FREE demonstration and evaluation with your dog.

Safety in a winter wonderland

Richmond, Virginia received it’s first official snowfall this week. It was beautiful coming down but not at all what Leinie and Pepper are used to. Having come from That’s My Dog! Inc in Southwest Wisconsin and Aunt Faye’s Dog Training in West Milton Ohio, they were used to seeing snow arrive in October and not leaving until April. So, they were surprised when all the snow was gone by mid afternoon and the next day held sunshine and 50 degree weather. The human component of Follow Me Dog Training LLC is very happy to not have to deal with such cold weather and vast amounts of snow, I know the dogs miss it.

Thoughts to consider when it is snowy and cold and your dogs want to play in it:

• Your short-haired dog may love the cold and snow but consider a fleece coat to help keep them warm. Small short-haired dogs may need to miss out on the cold weather fun as they are more subject to hypothermia and frostbite, make sure you definitely put a coat on them for potty breaks!
• Dogs that spend a lot of time out playing in the cold and snow burn more calories producing body heat. Talk to your vet about maintaining a healthy weight for your active dog during the winter months.
• Anti-freeze (Ethylene Glycol) has a sweet smell and taste. It is highly toxic and there is a high mortality rate associated with pets ingesting it. Please keep your dog away from it. Keep in mind too that when snow melts it can end up in the run off in the streets so don’t let your dog drink out of puddles. 
• Snow masks things that may be lying on the ground. Be careful where you let your dog run. If you are in new surroundings that is snow covered, keep them on a leash for a bit until you know where the natural dips in the ground are, or things that might be under the snow. You don’t want your dog to be running about all willy nilly and then break a paw tripping over a snow covered log, or tear an acl falling into a dip.
• When walking in the snow, take a break now and again and dislodge any snowballs that may have formed between your dog’s paw pads. These can get packed into the paw pretty tight and cause some pain when the dog is walking.
• Give your dog a foot-bath when you come home from your walk. Toxic chemicals or high levels of salt are used to melt ice on streets and sidewalks. Clean your dog’s paws off pretty well so they don’t lie down and start licking them off and ingest the chemicals.
• Did you know that dogs can become dehydrated in the winter? Make sure after a fun play session in the cold and snow, you give your dog access to fresh water!
• And for you puppy owners that are housebreaking your pup…..remember snow is water so if you have your pup out in their first snowfall and they are having fun eating snow and grabbing snowballs…this goes into their system as water and will need to come out. You may have to take your pup back out to pee soon after going back inside!

Playing in the snow can be fun for you and your dogs, keep an eye on their footing, don’t send them for a ball over ice, keep an eye on how long you stay out in the cold and take pictures!

Follow Me Dog Training LLC wants you to make the most out of your dog’s life with you. Contact us for a FREE demonstration and evaluation to talk about your goals, work with your dog and discuss our training programs.

Stand Still, Listen, Obey

Leinie, Pepper and I found this sign on one of our morning walks and it occurred to me that it could have been posted by a dog trainer….

STAND STILL= Although a happy wiggly puppy or a jumpy teenage dog is a joy to come home to and see after a long day…How many have walked through that door and asked your dog to “Please just stand still so I can: pet you, put your leash on, have a moment of peace, read the mail, say hello to my children or significant other.”

LISTEN= Have you ever said this? “I know that dog is listening to me or else he wouldn’t have looked so guilty when I came in and found that he had peed on my rug again.” Or “Why won’t he just listen to me when I call him, he could get hit by a car”

OBEY= I consider my dog’s obeying me when: they walk nicely with me, they follow through with any commands I give them and wait for more, they work with me not against me, they show there is a clear line of communication between us by learning and doing new thing, they have confidence and trust in me as their authority figure, they have more fun with me.

Dog training can be a fun, adventurous bonding experience between both human and dog especially if all three of these components are met. Follow Me Dog Training LLC would like to point out that it isn’t just the dog that needs to take part in all three of these commands.

STAND STILL= If you are hopping around with a ton of energy, or perhaps nervous because your dog isn’t used to listening, or are frustrated by your dogs behavior, stand still. That’s right, your energy is projected onto your dog. Your high excited energy, your frustrated angry energy or your guilty empathetic energy doesn’t help the communication between you and your dog. Stand still, take a deep breath and visualize what you want your dog to do in a calm way and have faith that your dog will do it.

LISTEN= Have you listened to your dog lately? Have you really thought about what your dog may be trying to tell you? Be in tune with your dog and the behaviors they may be exhibiting, it may be something deeper. If your dog doesn’t eat their meal in the normal 5 minute grab and swallow….listen to what your dog is telling you, they might not be feeling very well. If they come up to you and look longingly at you then leave…listen up this might mean “Hey human of mine, I have to potty so bad that I can’t wiggle like normal so if you don’t hear my plea, I’m going to go pee on your oriental rug.” Or if your dog is chilling out in a sunspot, they might be telling you to slow down and relax with them. Clear communication, working with your dog promotes good listening skills on both ends of the leash.

OBEY= As dog owners we are very privileged people. I would hate someday to be put in a position where I wasn’t allowed to own the breed of dog I wanted to or even own a dog at all. So Follow Me Dog Training LLC encourages dog owners to obey local dog laws. Please pick up after your dog! Please obey local leash laws…it could mean the safety of your own dog. Please don’t lie to your landlord about owning a dog in a non-pet friendly building. Licence your dog with the city or county. Have your dog properly vaccinated according to local laws. Please train your dog so that dog owners as a whole aren’t put in a position of never being allowed to own a dog.

Stand still, Listen and Obey….fairly simple and something humans and dogs should all take time to do. Create a level of communication between you and your dog for peaceful living. Contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC for more information or to schedule a FREE demonstration and evaluation with your dog.

Sun baking 101

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.  ~Milan Kundera

Pepper is the Queen of sun baking. She doesn’t care where she is or what is going on around her as long as she has even just a square inch of sunshine to snooze in. What I love the most is when I find her drenched in sunlight, panting with a big smile on her face. “This is the life!” She expresses with her deep brown eyes and slow smile.

The days recently in Richmond, VA have been unseasonably warm. So I have been able to open the front door and let the sunshine welcome Pepper into the day. She will bake for awhile, saunter over to the water bowl, and return to the sunspot and snooze all day if I let her. She isn’t lazy I swear. She keeps up with Leinie on our walks and will play a rousing game of terrier style frisbee (that consists of running it down with a snarl, skidding over it, racing back to me in a large arc, flaunting the frisbee infront of Leinie, growling a bit and shaking it until I politely tell her thank you and she’ll ponder dropping it but not until after we have tugged a bit and she has gotten her growlies out…other terrier owners know just what I mean!) But at 10 1/2 years old I don’t mind letting her sunbake all day when she can. And at times she just looks so happy, I’ll lay down next to her and let the sunshine warm me up as well.

Leinie believes sun baking is insanity. The door is open, the squirrels are taunting him, the school is letting out and there are kids having fun on skateboards, and there is a frisbee laying in the middle of the yard….wouldn’t we rather go out and play?

When Pepper starts sun baking I’d like to think she is trying to teach us all a lesson. Slow down, enjoy the simple pleasures of a sun spot, let the day warm you up, take a moment to enjoy your dog. We are all so busy in our lives with work and family and having a life that I encourage everyone to notice when your dog is telling you to slow down and share a quiet moment with them.

Leinie is very much a “Let’s go, get moving, go faster, we’ll rest at bedtime, 10 more throws, come on and hurry up” kind of dog. The kind of dog that will keep you on your toes exploring and acting and doing and I love that. But Pepper reminds me that sometimes I do need to slow down and enjoy what is going on around me. So I’ll have Leinie slow down and enjoy the moment as well, and in those moments I can see him relax and be at peace. Dogs have alot to teach us humans and I believe the art of sun baking is one of the best lessons!

Follow Me Dog Training LLC encourages you to slow down and enjoy the day with your dog. Enjoy a sunspot with your dog and see how completely relaxed they can be.  Tune into your dog and relax with them.

If your dog is constantly on the go, causing more stress and frustration then you want in your life, we can help. Contact Follow me Dog Training LLC for a FREE evaluation and demonstration.

WTVR Virginia This Morning meets Leinie

Follow Me Dog Training LLC was part of the CBS 6- WTVR Virginia This Morning Show on 3 January 2008. What a way to start the new year! Great big thanks and warm tail wags from Leinie to the whole Virginia This Morning crew! Leinie and Renée both had a blast meeting everyone and especially chatting with Bill Bevins.

Leinie was a flirting with everyone, true to his nature. He managed to show off a bit, tried to convince anchor woman Julie Bragg to play Frisbee with him, worked his charm on the camera people so they got his best side, watched intently as the cameras moved about and wanted to take part in every segment, but remained cool and quiet in the wings. We both got to meet some fascinating people, other then the Virginia This Morning crew:

• There was a woman from Maymont talking about winter plants…..dogs aren’t invited to Maymont because of the animals so I’ll have to check it out without Leinie.
• There was a group of people representing Survivor Day . This is a fantastic idea from the American Red Cross and the City of Richmond to help provide a survival kit and training in-case of natural disaster or terrorist attack. The one thing I would add to every-one’s survival kit is enough food and water for your pets for three days, a current picture of your pet, and an extra dog leash and collar.
• There was a cool lady from Lark Studio showing how to recycle old calenders….great ideas for those old dog breed calenders!
• And as we were leaving one of the chefs from Pescados was cooking something up that smelled really good to Leinie!

It was a fantastic way to spend the morning. Unfortunately, our segment wasn’t published on the CBS - 6 WTVR website, but Follow Me Dog Training LLC  has the segment on our “meet the trainer” page. Check it out! Maybe in the future, Leinie can work his charm and convince the Virginia This Morning crew to have us on again.

We hope some of our readers caught us live.  If you did and are interested to know more about what Follow Me Dog Training LLC can do for you and your dog, contact us for a FREE demonstration and evaluation with your dog.

Making it safe to deliver the mail again….

When Doonan and Annie started working with Follow Me Dog Training LLC they were definitely on the naughty list. There is no way they would have sat on their front porch and watched the world go by. The FedEx truck would send them into a crazy fit of barking, snarling, jumping and frustration. The Corgi that shares a fence wouldn’t want to walk past the two herding dogs that liked to bark at her. And don’t even think about trying to rake up leaves in the yard with Annie near by, she’d attack it with a vengeance! (OK I can’t really blame her if she came to my house it would have been a good excuse to not rake up 20+ bags of leaves!)

 Annie a Australian Cattle Dog or Blue Heeler and Doonan a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix, were having a hard time staying out of trouble. They needed help, more importantly, their owners needed help. The dogs were receiving enough exercise but it was on their terms not the owners. They went for some runs and long walks….pulling and dragging and taking after the neighbor cats. And they had free run of a nice sized back yard….digging holes, barking at the fence, jumping at the windows. Annie kept herself well exercised by herding Doonan, the young girls, and any adults…heck she was doing a great job with me the first time I met her! But this wasn’t the kind of exercise they needed to reduce the stress and nervous energy they were both projecting. They needed a job, an understanding and a way to communicate to their owners that they wanted to work!

Follow Me Dog Training LLC worked with Doonan and Annie to give them a better life, lower the levels of frustration in the house, and allow the mailman to deliver mail without feeling like Doonan was going to come through that slot after him! So now, I would say they have made a place for themselves on Santa’s nice list for 2008.  They still have some work to do and their owners still have to keep them challenged mentally and physically, but they are doing great!

Being able to run off leash allows the dogs to go more places…including swimming when it is warm enough. Some basic rules in the back yard have stopped them from digging holes and fence fighting. Learning a solid sit and place command has given them both more freedom in the house when friends come over or the doorbell rings. The owners are learning to apply the commands Doonan and Annie know to real life circumstances and are loving the attention they are receiving from their once independent Annie.

Doonan, Annie and their family have entered 2008 with good manners, less frustration and dogs that they can take more places and do more with. Follow Me Dog Training LLC is constantly reminding this family, that with two high energy dogs in the house, they have to make the dogs work for a living, challenge them to do new things, and to make them a part of the family in a controlled manner. Remember to use your commands but also to have fun with your dogs! Follow Me Dog Training LLC has a blast working with Doonan, Annie and their family. Even more though, we love being able to ring the door bell and be greeted by two sitting dogs that don’t want to herd us into the house!

Have your dog and family start out on the right paw for 2008. Contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC for a FREE demonstration and evaluation. Well find out what your goals are, show you what we do, work with your dog a bit, and explain our training options with you. Make a resolution to have more fun with your dog in 2008!