Leinie and I recently returned from our trip to Wisconsin for E5 at That’s My Dog! Inc. Before E5 we had the opportunity to relax a bit at Buteo Bay with our friends at the Wisconsin Canine Coach. Buteo Bay is the perfect place to hang out by the lake and relax, me with a book and Leinie with a Jolly Ball!
Dog books are a large part of the Follow Me Dog Training LLC library because there is something to learn from everyone. It is important for continuing education and no matter how small the morsel, there is something to be learned. Before my trip to the Midwest, I picked up one of the new releases from author Dean Koontz. I have always enjoyed reading Koontz and this intrigued me even more because it was a Memoir of his Golden Retriever Trixie.
a big little life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dogby Dean Koontz is well worth picking up, or borrowing from the library! Now keep in mind that it is a memoir, but a well written wonderful telling of the life of a Golden Retriever that changed the life of one man. Haven’t we all wanted to write a book about that one dog that changed our life?
What I loved the most about this book…unlike a well loved book that came out a few years ago and was subsequently turned into a movie…this book doesn’t just talk about how horrible a dog can be, the trouble they get themselves into or the damage they can do. This book showed the importance a well trained dog can have in your life, how much more fulfilling it can be.
Trixie sounds like an amazing dog! One that has changed many people’s lives. Go read the book!!!
Would you like your dog to behave more like Trixie and less like a problem child? Follow Me Dog Training LLC is training owners and their dogs in the Richmond Virginia area. Contact us for an appointment today!
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Follow Me Dog Training LLC is making the trip to That’s My Dog! Inc for E5. Leinie and I wouldn’t miss it. We were there at the beginning and host, Robin MacFarlane makes it more amazing every year. It is continuing education to the nth degree.
Along the way and while there, we have an opportunity to catch up with friends (both dog and human), work around some great distractions, see the US by car, and learn alot of new things.
Follow Me Dog Training LLC is available to set up FREE evaluations with you and your dog. Contact us today and we’ll get you set up with an appointment. Please be patient for the next couple weeks, we’ll be learning, traveling and hanging out with dogs!
Patriot Day is upon us. I remember where I was the morning of September 11, 2001. I was teaching a lesson with a yellow Lab in Bethesda Maryland that morning. It was a gorgeous sunny day, the dog and his owner were doing great and I was looking forward to a day full of lessons. Driving to my parents house I was listening to the radio and was shocked at what I was hearing. The Pentagon, the White house and numerous Military and government buildings were only a hop, skip and a jump away. My family watched the news all day. The tv sits under a picture of my brother and I running on Liberty Island, the Twin Towers standing tall behind us in the New York City skyline. The towers collapsed, more rescue workers went in and then the dogs were called.
It was the largest deployment of search dogs in U.S. history and possibly the single greatest example of inter-species cooperation in the history of human disasters. (http://dogsinthenews.com/stories/060911a.php)
No one knows the exact count of dogs that helped in rescue, cadaver search, therapy, and other needs. At least 350 SAR dogs were working around the clock for the month of September. Dogs from all over the United States, and some from Canada. It was grueling, sad work for everyone. We owe these dogs and their handlers thanks and prayers for helping find the remains of many of the fallen in both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Eight years later, many of the dogs that worked during the 9-11 tragedy are gone but still remembered. Now a new group of dogs have been trained in response to those tragic events. Many of those dogs have been deployed to help protect our soldiers overseas.
Follow Me Dog Training LLC hopes that everyone takes a moment on September 11 to remember our fallen. Please also take a moment to thank a Soldier, Airman, Sailor or Marine for fighting for our freedom!
“I try to find ways to make them successful, by giving them reasonable challenges while stretching them a bit outside of their comfort zone, so they experience the results of their efforts. We should seek and create environments that breed success, but not too easy ones filled with false praise either. The point is legitimate praise for legitimate improvement. We should reaffirm the value of effort with honest, positive reinforcement.” Brandi Chastain (Soccer player, World Cup winner, Olympic Gold medalist)
Soccer is a big part of my life and when I read It’s Not About the Braby Brandi Chastain, the quote above seemed to hit me over the head. She is of course talking about coaching soccer. But she could be talking about training dogs.
Schatzi
Clients experience their first field trip in Richmond, Virginia with Follow Me Dog Training LLC around the third or fourth lesson. The point of the field trip doesn’t seem to become clear to owners until a few obstacles in, after I’ve had their dog walk across a downed tree or hopped onto a couple of large rocks. The field trip takes them right out of their comfort zone! The dogs have already been successful through a few lessons and have been challenged to use their bodies and minds in a new way. They have learned to listen and that in so doing they will be rewarded with more time and praise from their owners. The field trip however brings about a whole new level of challenges for your dog: distractions like squirrels and people, obstacles your dog wouldn’t normally dream of conquering, and learning to use their bodies at the same time as listening to their owners.
Buddy
Obstacles should be met with confidence and when conquered praise should be given equal with the task. If your dog is physically capable and the owner takes the time to teach the dog that they can do it, the dog can do just about anything. Once accomplished, it is rare to find a dog that doesn’t start approaching anything with head up and a bit of enthusiasm. It doesn’t have to be a ‘place’ command though, it can be a distance sit with recall. It can be sitting in a group of other dogs without any snarkiness. Or it can be walking down the street without barking back at the dogs behind fences.
5 month Twinkie, owner in distance!
I like when Brandi states “The point is legitimate praise for legitimate improvement.” If we continue to challenge our dogs, they deserve praise for their work. It is important for the owner to notice the improvements our dogs have made and the successes they have had. Sometimes a simple quiet “good dog” is all that is needed, a scratch between the ears, or even a touch under the chin. Other times that praise might mean a little party (the kind a dog gets after pooping outside!), or a bear hug, or a well earned belly rub. The praise needs to fit the accomplishment…but there always needs to be praise!
Bean
Challenge your dogs. Take them out of their comfort zones and teach them how to be confident in their bodies and in their obedience. Be honest in your praise and recognize when your dog has succeeded in a task they didn’t know they could do! I promise you and your dog will have alot more fun when the praise and love are earned and your dog has a confidence built in learning and adventure. Don’t over love or over praise your dog…make them truly earn it.
September 2009 finds Leinie posing in a new location. Do you know where he is? Follow Me Dog Training LLC encourages you go for a walk with your dog and find Leinie’s favorite spot this month.
Here’s the challenge; find where Leinie is posing, take your dog’s picture in the same spot, or as close as they can physically get. Send the picture and the exact location to renee@followmedogtraining.com.
The first picture I recieve with a dog in the correct spot, will win a prize from Follow Me Dog Training LLC, have their dog’s picture posted on the blog and get bragging rights for a month.
The current month’s picture will always be on our Where’s Leinie? page!
Be safe and responsible, please pick up after your dog. Now go out and explore Richmond Virginia with your dog!
Hey all! It has been a wonderful and busy summer! We had a great summer of group classes, exciting private lessons and vacations to fun places. Follow Me Dog Training LLC admittedly was slacking on the blog front, we were out having fun with our clients and dogs instead! So lets do a little recap of the summer.
In June, Follow Me Dog Training LLC (see this blog post) warned everbody about leaving your dogs in hot cars! And in June Richmond, VA was rocked with the news that an older dog belonging to the CEO of the Richmond SPCA died after being left in a hot car for at least four hours. A tragic avoidable loss to the family. Communication in all aspects of dog ownership is incredibly important!!!!
In July, Michael Vick’s federal prison sentence expired and he was reinstated into the NFL. In August he signed a 2 year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. It made a sad day for dogs and I can imagine the Eagles lost a few supporters with this move.
In August, dogs showed up at Richmond’s, Careytown Watermelon Festival! Also, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens held their “Fido’s After Five” event where leashed dogs were welcome. Melvin and Penny made an apperance and had a great time!
Many were cool enough to send me tales of their dog’s first swimming adventures in the James River or at the ocean!
It was a fun busy summer and we hope that you all took your dogs on vacation (and if you didn’t that they got to come stay with Follow Me Dog Training LLC!)
School starts for many kids in the next couple weeks making changes in schedules is on everyone’s mind. Don’t forget to schedule in time for your dog. Learning is an ongoing process for dogs so make sure you bring them out to group class, or set up another appointment (if you have some left in your program!) with Follow Me Dog Training LLC.
Cooler weather also means we get to take our dogs even more places, expect to see Leinie more with me as the temperatures drop…he doens’t do well in the heat!
Follow Me Dog Training LLC has alot of exciting things happening. We hope you join us on our adventures! If you are interested in learning more about training your dog, or would like to set up a time for a FREE evaluation, contact us today and we’ll see what goals you have!
Follow Me Dog Training LLC and Leinie were really really surprised when it took almost the whole month of August for someone to submit their Where’s Leinie? picture. In fact so surprised we actaully helped out Stella’s owners on 31 August. So we have two winners for the month of August.
Chloe and her owner told me they took this picture a couple weeks ago when we did a lesson at it’s location, she just needed to get it off her camera.
Stella and her owners found the location with a little help and since Stella did so wonderfully at the lesson, they deserved a little help.
I am pretty sure that more then half of the Follow Me Dog Training LLC clients have seen this turtle rock. In fact, I know I have even commented on it before to some of you. And that is why we were so surprised that we didn’t recieve more submissions.
So where are they…Joseph Bryan Park! We have walked past it many times during private lessons and a few once or twice at a group lesson. This rock is near the front entrance of the park, with easy access from the disc golf course. This park is a Dogs On Leash park and we are so lucky that it is a great park for us to walk in and teach our dog new things in. Richmond, VA has leash laws and although they aren’t always followed at this park, and most of our Follow Me Dog Training LLC dogs do great off leash, please respect the leash laws. I would hate to live in a place again where dogs aren’t allowed in the city parks!
Go exploring with your dog and find new and interesting places to take your dog! stay tuned for the next Where’s Leinie? picture!
