Follow Me Dog Training

Emily

This is Emily. She is a 4 year old lab mix. Emily came to stay with Follow Me Dog Training LLC for a week while her owners vacationed in Tennessee. We’ve been doing lessons with Emily since mid July and her owners wanted her to keep up with training and gain a little more confidence while they were away. So Leinie, Pepper and I welcomed her into our family for a few days.

Emily is a pretty shy dog and had already been in the adoption system for 3 years before her “forever home” found her. Although she lives with another Chocolate Labrador Retriever, she isn’t really sure about playing with other dogs….she really didn’t know what to think about Leinie’s obsession with balls! So While she was with us she had a few adventures and she very quickly came out of her shell and you could see the confidence growing. Here is a picture from her first day with us, hanging out on the porch with Teddy (the Silky Terrier) and Leinie.

She played with Pepper and Leinie and was wonderful on our morning walks.

She came to group class with Spenser (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), Stella (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) and Kasper. As the only big dog there, she showed off her jumping prowess and managed to get on all the places that the little dogs did. She also did great with all the people (it was a beautiful morning at the park!) and with all the sights and sounds that normally would have had her freaking out a bit or barking!

She had a ton of fun with us and she is welcome to come hang with Follow Me Dog Training LLC anytime. We loved seeing her confidence grow and her sense of humor come out.

Last time I did a lesson with Emily she was working well with the whole family, hanging out off leash in the yard playing with the boys, and not jumping  on the counters anymore. I’m really proud of the work the family has done to help Emily relax and find the fun in her home. I was even more proud when I received this email from Emily’s owner:

Hi Renee: You would be so proud of Emily!  We had a yard sale yesterday, and I had her out all day off leash.  I mostly had her in “place”, but she was content and not bothered by all the people.  A few people came up to pet her, and she was fine.  She’s really come along way thanks to your training. 

Kristi

The training pays for itself in your dog’s happiness, confidence and ability to do more with you and your family! All the dogs that Follow Me Dog Training LLC work with make some amazing transformations. I love talking about them and sharing their stories and pictures. Don’t let the frustrating things your dogs may do stop you from wanting to spend time with them, to train them, to exercise them and to love them. We can help make the communication clear and the bond stronger.

Contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC for a FREE evaluation with your dog!

Barney vs. Gremlins wich is the better pet?

Tonight I sat with the three dogs (Leinie, Pepper and the Bouvier Reilly) and watched a classic movie from 1984.. Gremlins. At this point you may be asking why? Well, because it is a classic and it has a great dog in the cast! Also, Follow Me Dog Training LLC is training a Springer Spaniel named Gizmo and I’ve been thinking of the movie since we started working together.

Barney is an integral member of the Peltzer family. The family dog, the best buddy of Billy, and ok the neighbor wants to take him to the pound for destroying some Christmas decorations but still, he is a great dog! Then one day Billy’s father brings home Gizmo and the Peltzer family’s world changes, they realize they should have just stuck with the dog….life would have been easier.

“They might even replace the dog as the family pet.” This was said by Billy’s father when he sees that Gizmo has multiplied.

No way…never going to happen! Why…because Barney doesn’t turn evil when he eats after midnight, nor does he multiply when touched with water. Not to mention that Barney is a real dog in a movie filled mostly with puppets.

Barney’s real name is Mushroom. “Dante on the DVD commentary for “Gremlins” praises Mushroom as one of the best actors in the cast!” He was only in two films, Gremlins and the horror film Pumpkinhead as Gypsy.

This is what made him stand out in the movie for me:

• Check out the great off leash “heel” Mushroom performed, not just on a street with cars and other distractions, but on a set with hundreds of extras and film crew…now that is focus!
• Check out the use of a “place” command under Billy’s desk at the bank.
• Mushroom did multiple tricks such as untying a knot, jumping off a desk onto a person and doing a fake bite on an actor.
• He held multiple down stays with distractions.
• At the end of the movie he went out the front door and sat on the porch steps…right on mark!
• Most important for me though was that he is a dog in a horror film and he made it through the movie alive!!! Rumor has it that the script went through many versions and in a darker one, Barney was eaten by the evil Gremlins…I’m glad it was revised!
• Lets review some of the commands that Mushroom did with perfection: heel, place, down, sit, wait, leave it, jump, walk backwards, and multiple movie tricks! All those commands your dog could do as well with some training!

Barney went “on vacation” through a good portion of the movie so that Ruby Deagle would leave him alone after saying: “I’ll catch the beast myself. He’ll get what he deserves, a slow painful death. Maybe I’ll put him in my spin-drier on high heat. ” Never a good thing to do to any dog!!! Don’t worry the Gremlins didn’t like her much either and in true horror movie fashion took care of Barney’s nemesis. When he returned, he took back his rightful place as the family pet.

So Mr. Peltzer learned to not bring home any new pets…especially ones named after the devil. Billy learned to appreciate his loyal companion, Barney. Barney wasn’t eaten by Stripe (the head Gremlin). Billy got the girl in the end and everyone had a good Christmas!

I got to see some fine acting done by Mushroom, have a few laughs at the Gremlins watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the dogs slept through it all on their “places”.

You hopefully learned to keep an eye on any animal actors that might be in random movies that you watch. It takes alot of talent and skill to be a movie dog. The training needs to be fun and 100% distraction proof. There are alot of wonderful animal movies and dog actors out there….I might have to review another sometime.

Follow Me Dog Training LLC sets down rules of leadership for your interactions with your dog. Luckily none of those include keeping out of sunlight, not feeding after water and don’t give them any water. Your dog can be as well mannered as Barney, the character, and as talented as Mushroom, the dog,with good training and clear communication.

Contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC for a free evaluation with your dog! We’ll help your dog bring out their inner movie star!

Many uses of the place command

You have all seen Leinie do some amazing things when I tell him to place…some of you have even seen the picture of him on a fire hydrant on my cell phone (one day I’ll get a better picture of that to put up here). But did you know that some of the Follow Me Dog Training LLC  dogs put the “place” command to good use as well?

Here’s Annie showing that a baby pool full of water makes a great place.

Here is Charlie hanging out on a tree stump.

Here is a group from class…Kasper, Stella, Spencer and Emily.

Here is Kasper in a spot not even his owner thought he could get on…Kasper is good at fooling us all.

Here is Reilly on his first day learning place..I know he is almost as big as the table.

Here is another group class with Lexi on the place, Rex working around her and Chloe in the background.

No the next one wasn’t intended to be a place comand…but it is really funny and Sasha wasn’t going anywhere…by the way she now does a good job of staying on dog appropriate places!

The place is like a kennel without walls. The dog has to keep all four paws on the place no matter what the distraction. They can sit, down or stand…really whatever they want as long as it is within that particular dog’s rules. It is a great command for taking pictures, keeping your dog out of the dinning room, giving them a stationary place to go when you have company over, and many other things.

Contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC if you think the “place” command would come in handy in your dog’s life. We offer FREE evalustions with your dog!

Muppets in the Making

Pepper and Reilly are looking to audition for The Muppet Show. I don’t have the heart to tell them they aren’t filming the show anymore.

I do agree that they would both fit into the cast quite nicely.

Follow Me Dog Training LLC does not  train any of The Muppets, but we can help you if your dog acts like Animal.

Contact Follow Me Dog Training LLC for a FREE evaluation with your dog!

Why you should consider what the Theriogenologists think

Do you know what a Theriogenologist does? According to Merriam Webster Online, this is the definition of therionology:

Main Entry: the·rio·ge·nol·o·gy
Pronunciation: thir---j-näl--j
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -gies
: a branch of veterinary medicine concerned with veterinary obstetrics and with the diseases and physiology of animal reproductive systems

Right now all over the United States there are debates over legislation concerning  Mandatory Spay and Neuter Laws (MSN). California, Chicago, and even in Virginia we are seeing battles between dog owners, breeders, trainers, fanciers, etc. against the uninformed about the issue of MSN.

Mandatory spay/neuter laws do not address the real problem….irresponsible owners. The issues of pet over population, and puppy mills will not be solved with MSN. The National Animal Interest Alliance has a wonderful policy statement on MSN:

In view of continuing campaigns that tout the benefits of mandatory spay/neuter legislation which have never been substantiated, the NAIA believes that it is time for a new and clear resolution to guide governmental efforts in solving pet-related problems. Therefore, we respectfully submit:

The Responsible Pet Owner’s Approach to Animal Regulation

WHEREAS, even the most sincere lawmakers can get swept along momentarily by well marketed but flawed ideas; and

WHEREAS, mandatory spay/neuter legislation has never succeeded anywhere in the US; and

WHEREAS, mandatory spay/neuter laws have generally led to increased costs for animal control agencies, as Santa Cruz, California encountered; and

WHEREAS, mandatory spay/neuter laws like the one proposed in Chicago penalize only the law abiding minority who actually license their pets; and

WHEREAS, similar legislation elsewhere has pushed good people out of the licensing system and reduced certainty regarding rabies vaccination rates; and

WHEREAS, top medical professionals and animal experts, such as the Illinois (www.isvma.org) and Chicago (www.chicagovma.org) veterinary associations, the American Kennel Club (www.akc.org) and Cat Fanciers Associations (www.cfainc.org), and moderate, fact-based animal welfare organizations such as the National Animal Interest Alliance (www.naiaonline.org) all oppose mandatory spay/neuter; and

WHEREAS, the veterinary scientific literature disputes claims that neutering dogs will diminish dog bites; and

WHEREAS, mandatory spay/neuter laws have proven unenforceable and generated constitutional challenges that are currently in the courts; and

WHEREAS, virtually everyone but outright criminals wants to eliminate dog fighting; and

WHEREAS, any system that makes the law abiding, responsible pet owners who license their pets accountable for the ones who don’t is inherently unfair and destined to fail; and

WHEREAS, modern learning theory and dog trainers teach that success only comes from 1) rewarding good behavior; 2) correcting bad behavior; and 3) never giving a command that cannot be enforced;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the city of [ ] vote NO on this new spay/neuter proposal and instead work with the law abiding pet experts in veterinary associations, kennel and cat clubs and national animal welfare groups to write effective, enforceable laws that will build rather than destroy community support for Animal Care and Control and respect for pet laws.

Further, NAIA recommends a serious look at NAIA’s Guide to Pet Friendly Ordinances and Model Ordinance: Pet Friendly Guide
Model Ordinance

Together they offer methods for writing enforceable laws that build support for community animal control by rewarding responsible pet owners and applying meaningful penalties to problem owners.

But lets get back to theriogenology for a moment…. Just recently The American College of Theriogenologists posted their position on MSN. I really like the fact that they suggest that you not only consult your veterinarian as to what is right for YOUR dog but also that ultimately it should be YOUR decision whether to spay or neuter your dog. They also clearly state all the considerations good and bad for spay and neuter. Remember these people have focused their veterinary knowledge, experience and studies into one branch of veterinary work…reproduction!

——The American College of Theriogenologists and The Society for Theriogenology believe that companion animals not intended for breeding should be spayed or neutered; however, both organizations believe that the decision to spay or neuter a pet must be made on a case by case basis, and this decision should be made between the pet’s owner and its veterinarian, taking into consideration the pet’s age, breed, sex, health status, intended use, household environment and temperament. —–

—-The ACT and SFT do not believe that mandatory spay/neuter programs will significantly reduce the pet overpopulation problems, since most animals that are abandoned are relinquished because of behavior, health, economic and life changing conditions and not due to their reproductive status.  In fact, in some European Union countries where gonadectomy is illegal unless deemed medically necessary (such as Norway) there are no significant problems with pet overpopulation, indicating that the pet overpopulation problem that exists in the United States is due to cultural differences on the importance of pets, the responsibility of pet owners, and the ability of the government and national agencies to properly educate the public.  Although both organizations believe that most companion animals should be spayed or neutered, the ACT and SFT also strongly believe that it is not in the best interest of the animals to produce legislation regarding medical treatments, Therefore, both organizations oppose mandatory spay/neuter programs. —-

Follow Me Dog Training LLC is opposed to Mandatory Spay/ Neuter Legislation. Follow Me Dog Training LLC  encourages you to have a conversation with your veterinarian about spaying or neutering your dog. Follow Me Dog Training LLC wants you to be educated about all the facts concerning owning an intact canine, the benifits of spay/neutering and also the best possible time to perform this surgery on your dog. Both Pepper and Leinie have been spayed and neutered and this was the best course of action for my dogs for many well thought out and researched reasons. Because there is added behavioral responsibility in owning an intact dog, Follow Me Dog Training LLC , will encourage owners to spay or neuter their dog, but we will not tell you that you should do it or when it should be done! We believe in responsible owners that train their dogs to live in the world we have created and want to share with them.

Training your dogs, picking up after your dogs, educating friends and family about the joys of owning a dog and working to fight laws that may someday see the end of our companion animals are important aspects of dog ownership that everyone should be aware of. As a profesional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, I agree with their Position Statement on Mandatory Sterilization of Dogs .