In Tuition Animal Training & Behaviour

09/10/2024

Do you know what good dog play looks like? Here are 2 very different sized dogs playing very nicely together.

Tigg is a 36lb Border Collie and Freya is an >85lb Maremma. Both dogs are 2 years old.

Things that I see in this video that I love: Tigg sneezing (play signal), Freya is running hard and Tigg is just casually running after her to “chase” (he’s very fast and could easily catch her but it’s playful so he’s just romping), Freya rolling over (self-handicapping) and then reciprocal sniffing (calming signal). These two are the best of friends and regularly play really well together. 🥰

Do you know what to look for when your dog plays with another dog? Feel free to drop a video below for a quick review 😃

08/29/2024

Posting for a friend - Dog for Adoption - Sophie

"I’m a 6 yr-old Australian Shepherd named Sophie. Until a few weeks ago, I lived on a nice big property in Nakusp with my human, Uncle Bud. He was 92 and I’m very sad that he went ahead of me over the Rainbow Bridge. Now I’m looking for a new human(s) to call my own. My family all love me, but none are able to give me the home I need.

"I’m spayed and vaccinated and don’t have any health issues. I eat good quality kibble from the grocery store and I’m happy and healthy with that. I’m loving and very clever. As an Aussie I do like to bark when people come onto my property. Uncle Bud wasn’t up to training me though (except for house manners) so I’ve been described as a bit of a wing nut 😝

"I love to run and jump and swim and play. I’m great with other dogs and with kids, though I do tend to try to herd them. I’ve never been around chickens or other livestock.

"My new dream home would have lots of space, loving humans who could help train me and teach me new things and I’d even like a job to do!"

If you think you could be Sophie's furever home, please contact her guardian Jim: 780 360-Four Eight Zero Three

08/22/2024

So fun!

Join us at the Esplanade Saturday with your pet in costume to enter! Contest starts at 10. There will be prizes! :)

08/14/2024

Ninja Dave has been helping to teach children about appropriate ways to greet dogs at Rossland Summer Camp!

Yesterday we had a lot of repeat campers, so things were a little more relaxed!!

The kids got a deeper understanding about consent and how to give space to a dog, even when they love being petted!! Good boy Dave 🥰

08/09/2024

Adorable!

08/04/2024

🤣🤣🤣

07/31/2024

It’s true! Labs really are more hungry!!

One in four Labrador retrievers carries a gene that tricks their brain into thinking they’re starving

07/22/2024

Latest news from CDC on crossing the border with your Canadian dog. Much simpler process!

Updates to CDC’s August 1 dog importation rule: If you are bringing a dog into the US from a dog rabies-free or low-risk country, you now only need to fill out the simple CDC Dog Import Form. Other forms are no longer needed. The requirements for dogs arriving from high-risk countries have not changed, and these dogs are still required to have additional documents. Read the full requirements: www.cdc.gov/dogtravel

07/18/2024

If you don’t know about Emma, then you could be missing out on a key piece of information and/or therapy for your dog!!

How we feel physically can greatly impact our behaviour. If my dogs are a little bit ‘off’, or grumpy, or a little bit slower on their walks, I book an appointment and things are always resolved.

We are very lucky to have such a talented and kind practitioner in our community 🥰

07/17/2024

🤣

07/10/2024

This!!

It’s not about how much you succeed with your dog, it’s about what happens when you don’t...

On days when things don’t go your way, confidence, ego and even your commitment may take a hit.
How you handle those times can make all the difference in being the best partner to your dog.
While for some success comes early and easily, for most, it takes time, hard work, discipline and a lot of mistakes.
For others, it can be even more difficult, coming only after refusing to allow circumstances, setbacks and disappointment be the final story.

Success is a process that is not just about winning, it’s also about progress.
It’s important to be motivated by the accomplishments within your goal and equally important not to fear disappointment, as it provides the road map for what you need to change and improve.
Success has many faces, that show up often, but it’s up to you to recognize and derive the relative sense of fulfillment. It can include:

Understanding and executing the next step in training
Solving a problem (or not creating one by being impatient)
Taking ownership of what you’ve trained (or haven’t)
Being accountable and not blaming your dog
Recognizing when you shouldn’t or should ask more of your dog and yourself
Letting go of ego and expectations
Having a growth mindset
Developing mental fortitude
to name a few.…

In times when success is hard to find, disappointments offer opportunity to spot weaknesses and let go of bad habits.
They are important to acknowledge, and not dispute or hide, as self-awareness is critical for development and becoming better.

You’re the only one that can define what success means for you—
To attain your definition, you’ll likely need to take risks, be uncomfortable, seek help, make sacrifices, have disappointments, learn new skills and be willing to change.
I have many weaknesses that I work on everyday and I’ve found the more I try to improve personally, the better partner and trainer I am for my dog.
macraeway.com

07/04/2024

Do you know about spear grass and how to identify if your dog might have picked it up?

Check out this post from West Kootenay Animal Hospital

07/03/2024

All those soft dog toys on the shelf are marketed towards the humans with the $ and not the dogs!! Regardless, I’m still a big fan of rainbow furballz 😆

Also, this is why agility equipment is often blue with yellow contacts!

Myth! Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not colorblind.

Unlike humans, who have three distinct color-sensing cones—for red, green, and blue light, dogs' vision is limited to blue and yellow hues. This means they can't distinguish between red and green, making their world appear in shades of blue, yellow, and gray.

Understanding this helps us better appreciate how our furry friends experience their surroundings! Next time you choose a toy or treat, think about how it looks through their eyes. 🌈

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3L00Yco

06/27/2024

This is going to be so good!! Play is so good for relationship building, confidence boosting and fostering optimism in our dogs. Got a reactive dog? Or a dog who’s a little nervous? Definitely check this put!

Get your play on with us in July! This conference isn't just for playing with toys for dog sports. We're talking playing with your food, social play for therapy and understanding your dog's preferred style so you all can have a great time whatever venue you play with your dog in 🙌

Conference details: https://tinyurl.com/bdfx7htx

06/26/2024

TD;LR For heat stroke, immerse the dog in water as quickly as possible. Then transport to the vet.

There is a lot of mis-information out there about how to effectively cool animals with heat stroke. There are many "don't cool too quickly" articles that can seriously reduce how well an animal can recover from heat stroke. It's a serious problem.

I herd and do other sports with my dogs regularly, they run quickly and get hot quickly and the first thing they do when they are done is dunk themselves in the stock water tank (or paddling pool) whether I like it or not! My dogs do not like water (certainly not clean water 😝) and yet they always dunk. They quickly and effectively cool themselves using this method, and they have never gone into shock from the quick cooling.

Please share far and wide - it could save a life!

Und zur Abwechslung noch eine Veröffentlichung über die Behandlung von Hitzschlägen bei Hunden...🌞🌞🌞

In einer retrospektiven, britischen Analyse wird die fehlende Anwendung von empfohlenen Maßnahmen durch Tierarztpraxen kritisiert. Leider hat es sich trotz intensivem Bemühungen von Sportmedizinern noch immer nicht überall herumgesprochen, dass langsames Kühlen die Überlebensrate signifikant senkt und bereits für viele unnötige Todesfälle und Langzeitschäden gesorgt hat.

Es gilt:
- erst Kühlen, dann Transportieren
- Immersion in kaltem Wasser ist das Mittel der Wahl
- Bedecken mit feuchten Handtüchern ist kontraproduktiv

"The cooling methods used to manage dogs with HRI presenting to primary care veterinary practices during 2016–2018 demonstrated poor alignment with the Vet-COT best practice recommendations for prehospital management of canine patients with Heat Related Illness (HRI). Only 21.70% of the dogs treated for HRI had been recorded as cooled prior to arrival at the veterinary practice, highlighting the need for stronger communication of the message “cool first, transport second”. The most frequently used cooling method was the application of water-soaked towels (51.31%), despite strong evidence from both the human and equine literature that this method is less effective than cooling methods recommended in the Vet-COT guidelines (cold-water immersion or evaporative cooling). In conclusion, current messaging regarding the management of dogs with HRI requires urgent attention to dispel cooling myths; the message to “cool first, transport second” should be widely promoted, as delayed cooling will result in poorer clinical outcomes."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10385239/

PS: Platz ist in der kleinsten Hütte... Der Hund im Bild weiß, was gut für ihn ist. Er nutzt sogar einen wassergefüllten Tränkeeimer zur Abkühlung.

06/24/2024

2 spots open in Agility Foundations - starting this Thursday!

Facebook group with content for class support!!

PM me or email [email protected] for more info and to register!!

06/22/2024

😍🦛🐕‍🦺

Spot the difference! There is none.

06/19/2024

As always, Megan has very good advice.

To generalize and grow our skills and create interesting and dynamic training sessions, we have to get creative sometimes!

Having a pre-determined list of variables you need for a given skill can make planning for future training sessions much easier.

Take action now! Grab your notes and start writing down a list of small changes you can make to each training session that support your dog's ability to perform that task in all of the situations you need them to.

Need help? Leave me a comment and let's unpack this together! New around here? You may not have my free video course, Plan with Excellence, yet and you can grab it at this link: https://fxagility.com/trainingplans/

06/01/2024

How many can you get?!

05/30/2024

This!!

Meet these two mixed-breed dogs with a similar percentage of American Pit Bull Terrier in their DNA. Despite their diverse appearances, they share over 50% of their genetic background, showcasing the complexity of breed labels. Studies on DNA variations in mixed-breed dogs have revealed substantial genetic diversity and differentiation among populations, challenging the simplistic approach of visual breed identification. Let's rethink how we label and perceive dogs based on appearance alone. Link in caption

05/24/2024

🤣🤦‍♀️

05/16/2024

Every single client I meet gets information on scatter feeding. I cannot stress the importance of adding this activity into your dog's life.

It calms your dog, mentally stimulates them, enriches their lives, builds confidence, and so much more.

I recommend starting your dog out with 5 minute sessions and then going longer as they get better at it. In the beginning they may search for the food with their eyes. Finding places with long grass or leaf litter can really hone those sniffing skills!!

Here's a lovely video on scatter feeding:

In this video, I demonstrate how I use scatter feeding to promote a sense of calmness in my high-drive spaniel when we're outdoors.This has been such a simpl...

05/10/2024

New rules for traveling to the USA with your dog.

Starting on August 1, all dogs entering the U.S. (including those that left the U.S. and are returning, and regardless of the country they are coming from) must be:
• healthy upon arrival
• at least 6 months of age
• microchipped
• accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form receipt and required vaccination and veterinary documents.

Additional requirements may apply depending on where the dog has been in the last 6 months and whether or not the dog was vaccinated in the United States.

Use CDC’s Q&A tool (the CDC “DogBot”) to determine what rules apply to your dog: https://bit.ly/2rww2bq