Mahany Canine Center

08/12/2024

Attention New and Expecting Parents with Dogs! 🌟

Prepare with your family dog for the arrival of your little one with our dynamic and engaging Dogs & Storks Webinar on August 17! Trusted since 2002, our program is your ultimate guide to a harmonious home for your growing family.

🐾 Discover & learn more about:
🐶 Can your dog sense your pregnancy?
🐶Understanding dog body language
🐶Dog senses
🐶Essential manners that make a difference
🐶Preparing your dog for the big day
🐶Smooth homecoming tips and much more!

Whether you're expecting a baby, adopting, or planning for the future, this webinar is your go-to resource.

🎁 BONUS! Sign up today and receive a FREE Body Language PDF/Video when you hire a Family Paws Educator after the webinar.

Join us and weʻll help you lessen any stress or worry during this transition for your whole family. Don’t wait 👉 Sign up here: https://familypawsbooking.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=19390846!

07/22/2024

Exciting!!! It’s time to come home with your newborn. This is a special time. With all this excitement, let’s consider our family dog. It can be fun to think about introducing our newborn to our dog, of course! But. We actually don’t encourage this at all. This experience of homecoming should be treated like any other time someone new walks in the door to your home.

Where is your dog typically? What are they doing? We would like them to be in a relaxed and peaceful place. For some, this will be easy, and then for others, it’ll be harder and take more practice (if you haven’t been practicing already). Don’t take a chance, prepare in advance!

To be extra safe and prepared, we suggest gradual exposure at a distance. It could even take multiple days, and that’s ok! Including your dog gradually is a great start (you can always use success stations, too!), and always better to be safe. If all is going as planned, we might suggest a quick sniff with your hand/arm between dog and baby. There is no need for a dog to be super close to a newborn.

Dogs can smell from a distance. Also, keep an eye out for your dog’s body language and always use active awake supervision when dog and baby are present in the same space. Remember relationships take time. No need to rush this relationship!

07/20/2024

OUR NEW SITE IS LIVE!! Check it out at www.familypaws.com. Let’s help share ! We have free resources for download, blog, posts, upcoming webinar information, and so much more!

07/15/2024

07/03/2024

Rally and Walking classes start very soon! Get signed up for some fun with your pup.

06/17/2024

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

06/07/2024

We have to share this again…We understand the addition of children is an exciting time in a family’s life and one that can be filled with many unknowns and concerns. We also know you want the most qualified professionals to support your family during this life-changing time.

With Family Paws, you have come to the right place! Our goal is to increase safety and decrease stress through positive, practical real-life strategies as well as to provide education to support you and your family dog. Our goal is to strengthen your Dog Aware skills and prepare with your dog for life with children. We are dedicated to positive solutions for busy lives. Our licensed educators are dedicated to positive training techniques and relationship building and are ready to answer your questions and support you. Reach out to us today and let’s get started!

06/03/2024

🥰 Oh my Harley! This little girl is adjusting great here at the shelter while she waits for her forever family. Harley loves shopping, doggy playdates, treats and being outside in the sunshine ☀️
💜We love Harley and we know you will too 🩷

05/21/2024

05/21/2024

Join us for our Dogs & Toddlers Webinar on May 18 where we cover all of this and more!
Register here: https://familypawsbooking.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=19391069


Sneak peak…. A big Yawn by this dog as the little one enters into its space. This is a great opportunity for an adult to distract or redirect either child or dog. Yawning is a great communication for parents to respond to.

If your dog yawns, stop and think…what is happening? What just happened? How close is my kiddo? What might I change? Yawning is a great signal to let you know there may be stress. I like to say to my dog “ you need help.” and then I give them another option or I tend to the child who might be approaching. The more we respond to subtle signals like yawning the more our dogs will offer them for help.

Acknowledging and taking action when your dog offers a yawn or lip lick or other stress signals allows them to build trust that you’ve got their back and will step in and support them when your kiddo is cruising around or near by. This is very important during the newly mobility phase.

We highly recommend success stations and barriers for everyone’s safety and comfort during this time.

05/20/2024

Let sleeping dogs lie (even if they’re in their success stations!). This one is SO important for kids and adults! It is so helpful to remember that if you see your dog or another dog sleeping, let them be.

If the dog is a senior dog, they may have some pains or just need rest and do not want to be disturbed. Even if your dog is young and not in pain, they may be startled and snap if they are abruptly pet/engaged with while sleeping. I know I would jump out of my skin if someone just hugged me out of nowhere while I was sleeping!
Dogs need their undisturbed rest, too. If you are going to have friends and family over and you know your dog may be sleeping or resting while they are over, set everyone up for success by crating your dog (if they enjoy crates) or setting them up in a success station with their comfy bed and KONG toy. This way, they can be relaxed and nap undisturbed.

We let sleeping dogs lie to decrease stress upon the dog and prevent any toothy situations from occurring.
…
Family Paws is passionate about creating Dog Aware Generations that can identify stress signals in dogs and help them before they escalate to the more observable behaviors of discomfort like growling, snapping and biting.

05/20/2024

As summer rolls around, we start to plan more visits from friends and family or our own travels, it's such an exciting time. Here's a quick tip as these visits begin!

Ensure that no child has access to any dogs without adult supervision! This is so important it’s ok to set out dogs up in a success station away from the festivities with a special frozen goodie! It will help decrease stress for everyone.

Depending on you dog’s comfortability levels with guests, you may or may not need a leash. For us, Bear doesn’t need a leash. But, years ago we had a dog who required more management and planning if we had a gathering. If your dogs are comfortable with guests, that’s great! If not, that’s ok too. If there are kids at the gathering as well, it. can be fun to have parent supervised activities - like having the kids help with stuffing KONGS or Toppls!

Feel free to also check out our Doggie Detective Coloring Sheets They’re free to download here: https://www.familypaws.com/resources/coloring-pages/

05/20/2024

ADOPTED

This is Nala!

Intake date: 05/07/2024
Intake type: Surrender

DOB: 09/12/2023
Gender: Female
Current weight: 32 lbs

Nala is a nervous but sweet little girl. She is still a puppy so she is very playful and high energy, but she is also very smart and foot-motivated so training her won’t be a challenge! Nala is also very eager to please her people. She would love an active family or one with a big fenced-in yard where she can run around and play! She can be a bit shy at first but warms up with a gentle approach.

Nala does not seem to mind the dogs here at the shelter. She has not been cat-tested but can be upon request. Nala would do best in a home with older children (12+) seeing as she is still a puppy and working on her manners.

Nala is starting to get the hang of potty training and only has accidents over long periods of time. She is working on her leash manners as well.

Upon adoption, Nala will be up-to-date on vaccines, spayed, and microchipped. If you are interested in Nala, apply today!

05/20/2024

ADOPTED

Meet Larry and Moe!

*TWO FOR ONE SPECIAL*

Intake date: 05/09/2024
Intake type: Surrender
Current weight:

05/18/2024

05/18/2024

My cute stand for The Lilac Project - U pick blooms this weekend ! Don’t miss out on these cute photos!
5$ for one photo
20$ for 4 photos
Digital copy
Book through email
[email protected]

I can’t wait to see people there! 😌

05/18/2024

03/26/2024

Let’s shift our perspective from “my dog knows better” to “my dog needs support to get things right.”

03/26/2024

Many calls I get are from concerned parents after their dog has snapped or bitten their child. This usually happens when the child approaches the dog while resting or just being comfortable.

👦Toddlers especially are prone to a bite for giving a kiss goodnight. The awkward and unsteady tiny human is concerning to dogs. Dogs will offer signals prior to a bite but often we miss them as they happen fast.

❗This is why we suggest blowing a kiss, waving night night or as The Family Dog suggests kissing your hand and then touching your dog. Children leaning down on to a dog to give a kiss is often seen as threatening to the dog and we don’t want any unfortunate bites to happen. Keep this in mind and express love from a dog’s mindset.

❗Give space, stay out of their face. Dog and baby on the scene a parent in between. Most of all INVITES DECREASE BITES.

03/26/2024

FORGIVE YOURSELF. You were doing your best with the information you had.

✨Learning is a journey: Nobody starts out knowing everything. The best caregivers stay open and continue to learn and improve.

✨Intent matters: If your actions are rooted in love and care, unintended mistakes deserve a pass!

✨No one is perfect: Perfection isn’t a thing. You can let that go.

✨Prioritize growth: Use past missteps as opportunities to grow and become a better dog guardian in the future.

✨Seek guidance: Reach out to a credentialed force-free professional for guidance and support when needed.

✨Focus on the present: Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, focus on the present moment and how to provide the best care for your dog moving forward.

✨Self-compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness and compassion you would extend to others.

✨Every dog is unique: Recognize that what works for one dog may not work for another. Allow room for understanding and adaptation.

A brown dog in a floral sweater stands on a plaid stool in front of an orange and pink plaid background. The text reads: FORGIVE YOURSELF. You were doing your best with the information you had.

03/26/2024

03/26/2024

02/08/2024

Here we go! A quick series on Kiss to Dismiss (a lot of dog body language coming). We’re seeing the start of the “Kiss to Dismiss”. At Family Paws, we do not encourage engagement like this with a dog. Invites decrease bites!

02/07/2024

I wondered why so many bite calls included the mention of a dog licking or “kissing the child.” I became curious if there was a correlation and if so I wanted to understand more. Was a lick a “kiss?” Or was it possibly a “dismiss?” Licking can be many things. Grooming, care taking, self-soothing, appeasement — but what about distance increasing or a cut off cue?

I began asking questions like: “Can you describe a situation where you notice your dog licks your child? Would you describe the lick as fast? Slow? Hard? Soft? Frantic? Have you ever felt that this interaction was too intense? If so, can you tell me more?”

In gathering more information I found that the children were often newly crawling and that they had been able to approach the dog….

02/01/2024

We get it. We all have moments where our days are feeling “too much”, and we need a moment alone. It’s a lot to manage with dogs and kids. It really is. Some days go smooth and some are well, not so smooth.

We’re here for you too. Feel free to message us if you just need a minute to relate. We’ve got you.

Another great resource we love .
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