There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.
Fred Rogers, 1928 - 2003
Welcome to our "it's almost spring" newsletter!

In this issue, you will find information about our group classes starting in March for the puppy, tween angel, or teen tyrant in your life! And, we are offering introductory nosework classes for the first time. Learn more about the exciting sport of nosework in "The Nose Knows", below.

Mr. Rogers, the beloved children's TV host, was a kind and gentle man, who spoke slowly and softly, with clarity and simplicity. And that's the way we can talk to our dogs, to teach them about the world. Learn how to channel Mr. Rogers with your dog in "Talk Like Mr. Rogers" below.

As a professional dog trainer, I keep my education up-to-date with leading experts in the fields of training and behaviour. Learn more below about two professional courses I am proud to have recently completed.

Thanks for being here! I hope you enjoy this newsletter along with the warmer temperatures and longer days. Spring is around the corner!

Group Classes Start in March


Puppy Power

Do you have a new puppy? Puppyhood is such an important time in your dog's life. Set you and your puppy up for success with our Puppy Power program - both group and private options.

Puppy Pre-school: Socialization and basic skills for puppies 8 - 16 weeks. Must be under 16 weeks at start of class. Register here.

Tween Angels: Foundation skills for puppies 16 - 24 weeks. Must be under 24 weeks at the start of class. Register here.

At home private sessions for puppies up to 6 months: Private training is a great option! Register here.
Teen Tyrants
Adolescence is an important time in your dog's life. Teenage dogs are experiencing many changes, not unlike human teens. These biological, physical, and psychological changes affect your dog’s behaviour and some of this behaviour can be challenging.

Join us in our Teen Tyrants group class and help your teenager learn the skills to live safely and comfortably in our human world.

We start with a private, in-home session. The group setting can be challenging for many teens. By starting in your home, we can help you and your pup learn some skills in a less distracting environment. We'll also review the curriculum, address any questions or concerns you have, and set you up for a successful experience in group class!

Learn more and register for Teen Tyrants here.
Nosework
Nosework is a wonderful sport/activity that lets dogs do what they do best – use their amazing noses!

Join our introductory nosework class. We will start with some hunting games where your dog hunts for food and then we will introduce your dog to odour.

Find out more and register here.

The Nose Knows

“A dog can never tell you what she knows from the
smells of the world, but you know, watching her,
that you know almost nothing.” Mary Oliver

Did you know that:

  • Dogs can detect some odours in parts per trillion? For example, a dog could detect a teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water, or two Olympic-sized pools worth. Or a dog could catch a whiff of one rotten apple in two million barrels!

  • The US Pentagon spent billions of dollars trying to replicate the dog's nose only to admit that the canine nose is superior?

  • A dog can scent in 3D and is able to determine the direction and source of a smell?
 
In nosework your dog searches for essential oils. These oils are placed on cotton swabs and hidden. This is called the "hide". Your dog searches for the "hide" and lets you know when he finds it - the "alert". Searches take place inside buildings, out in the open, in containers such as boxes and luggage, on vehicles, and even buried in the ground.

Nosework is wonderful for building a bond with your dog, and for creating focus and confidence in your dog. After all, your dog already has a Ph.D. in sniffing! When you do nosework with your dog, she is doing what she loves to do and does best - use her amazing nose!

There are many benefits of nosework for dogs. For older dogs with limited physical capacity, nosework provides wonderful mental stimulation. Nosework keeps their minds active without putting any stress on their bodies. Nosework is also wonderful for young, active dogs. It builds confidence and provides an outlet for all their energy.

Even dogs who are uncomfortable with or reactive to other dogs, can participate in nosework. In nosework classes, the dogs take turns coming into the search area and wait in the car between turns. Dogs must be comfortable with people and with being left unattended in your car between their searches.

Interested? Join us for our introductory nosework class starting in March! Learn more and register here.

Talk Like Mr. Rogers

Dogs have the ability to understand the words and phrases we use. Their receptive language ability is similar to that of toddlers. Dogs also have the ability to understand the emotional message and intent conveyed by our words.

Kim Brophey, the creator of the L.E.G.S. model for understanding dog behaviour (see below), emphasizes the importance of talking to our dogs to give them more information about their world. She calls this process, "Talk like Mr. Rogers", the TV host beloved by millions of children.

Dogs are cognitively similar to toddlers, and our relationship with dogs is like the parent-child relationship. Dogs are dependent on us to meet their physical and emotional needs. By talking to them and sharing information, we can help them navigate life with more confidence. Much of the world is novel and strange to dogs and they lack the points of reference to understand it. By using words and phrases consistently and deliberately we can give them important information about what is happening or about to happen.

Narrate daily life as it unfolds to your dog. Create a sense of safety and predictability. Talk to your dog about the things that are relevant to him or her, being careful not to focus only on things that are scary or potentially fear-inducing.

Talking like Mr. Rogers to your dog is beneficial at any age and especially important for young puppies who are learning and experiencing the world for the first time.

If you have children, get them involved! Children will love talking to their dog and be thrilled when they see that their dog understands!
Saying goodbye

Golden retrievers Kiko and Watson were best friends until Kiko passed away from cancer earlier this year. Click on the image of Kiko and Watson and watch their guardian talk to Watson as Kiko lay dying. See the understanding flow between the woman and her dog and feel the power and empathy of this communication.

My Continuing Education


The Aggression in Dogs Master Course is taught by internationally renowned aggression expert Michael Shikashio, with contributions from other leading experts on topics such as applied ethology and aggression and medical issues and behaviour medication and aggression.

The comprehensive course includes all aspects of working an aggression case including safety, behaviour change strategies, defensive handling, risk assessment, and more. The course covers dog to human and dog to dog aggression, including resource guarding.

Aggression is a response to a situation, not a dog's personality trait. We can modify aggressive behaviour through evidence-based methods that change the dog's emotional response to triggers and train alternative behaviours. We can help dogs learn a new way of acting in the world and develop new habits around people and other dogs. Find out more about our approach to working with aggression here.
The L.E.G.S. Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation Professional Course, taught by Kim Brophey, offers a new approach to dog training and behaviour that looks at why behaviour occurs, before we ever ask how to change it.

Weaving together research and insight from a host of scientific disciplines, Brophey has created the L.E.G.S. model to help us understand dogs:

  • Learning: your dog's experience and education
  • Environment: the many aspects of your dog's external world
  • Genetics: the DNA that designed your dog inside and out
  • Self: your dog's unique interior world including health, development, age, sex and individuality.

No one of these is ever predictive. They interact in endless variations and possibilities. When they are in balance, they work in harmony and when they are out of balance, they can create discord.

From the L.E.G.S. perspective, behaviour problems are often normal responses to the friction between the dog's genetics and the environment because dogs are captive animals and the freedom to express natural behaviours is the most difficult to meet in captivity. Quite often, this friction creates a behaviour problem or simply makes the behaviour look wrong because of the setting in which it occurs. For example, dogs are often aroused/excited by sensory information but then frustrated by captivity constraints and unable to engage appropriately with their environment to act on those signals.

I am excited to be certified as a Family Dog Mediator and to bring this innovative approach to my work. Contact me if you would like more information about L.E.G.S.
Read my latest article in The Peak on resource guarding

Read past articles and also past issues of this newsletter on our blog.

Volume 2, Number 1, February 2022