City-Zen K9 Training

City-Zen K9 Training Canine Training based upon Knowledge, Science and Compassion. All phases of canine companion training
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Timberee River of Aedan NA,NAJ turned 12 March 19th!  Photo from 2015?  Diagnosed with Mega Esophagus in February, “Cras...
05/07/2024

Timberee River of Aedan NA,NAJ turned 12 March 19th! Photo from 2015? Diagnosed with Mega Esophagus in February, “Crash” continues his antics with great joy and a little less energy. Yesterday was Bay Adventure day😬😬😬🤯

02/20/2024
THIS!!!! Stop going for that short term fix. Fallout, people, is real.
02/20/2024

THIS!!!! Stop going for that short term fix. Fallout, people, is real.

Progressive dog behaviour modification utilises positive reinforcement to modify behaviour by breaking down activities into small achievable steps and rewarding the desired behaviour with verbal praise, treats, toys or other rewards.

Rather than punishing undesired behaviour, this approach emphasises gradual learning through rewards. Punishment is an ineffective long-term strategy for training as it often leaves dogs fearful, aggressive and lacking trust in their owners.

In contrast, positive reinforcement encourages desirable behaviours in the future by providing rewards such as treats or toys when they obey instructions well. This helps strengthen the bond between dog and guardian while providing a safe environment where learning can take place without fear of punishment.

Reinforcement strengthens behaviours by making them more likely to recur over time; for example if a dog is regularly rewarded for comming when called then they will become increasingly likely to come when called due to the reward reinforcing this behaviour. Reinforcing wanted alternatives can also help reduce undesirable behaviours; e.g., rewarding alternative behaviours like sitting rather than jumping on humans may result in less jumping occurrences overall over time.

02/20/2024

Dogs kept as pets have restricted control over their lives, as they are subject to the decisions and regulations of their owners.

Their activities, diet, and socialisation are all managed by their owners. When we keep dogs, we need to meet their natural needs to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing. Meeting their natural needs helps to provide them with a sense of security and comfort, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as preventing boredom by providing them with physical and mental stimulation.

Dakota and I are going to have 10 days of adventures!!!
02/20/2024

Dakota and I are going to have 10 days of adventures!!!

This This This!!!!
02/20/2024

This This This!!!!

Dogs kept as pets have restricted control over their lives, as they are subject to the decisions and regulations of their owners.

Their activities, diet, and socialisation are all managed by their owners. When we keep dogs, we need to meet their natural needs to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing. Meeting their natural needs helps to provide them with a sense of security and comfort, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as preventing boredom by providing them with physical and mental stimulation.

Tessa Rose first show weekend!  In the ribbons on day 2🎉
02/20/2024

Tessa Rose first show weekend! In the ribbons on day 2🎉

Awesome work with Timber and Ziva today!  Heel work. Some relaxation protocol and some scent work!!! Good dogs!
02/20/2024

Awesome work with Timber and Ziva today! Heel work. Some relaxation protocol and some scent work!!! Good dogs!

This 1000%💙💙💙
01/28/2024

This 1000%💙💙💙

01/15/2024

Just received message from META that this page is scheduled for deletion because of copt right infringement and HATE speech. WTH?
Bot world is so weird.

We had so much fun!! Scout, Shaker, Cory and Caela!♥️
12/06/2023

We had so much fun!! Scout, Shaker, Cory and Caela!♥️

THIS is how I always say it is done!
12/06/2023

THIS is how I always say it is done!

11/13/2023

When searching for a responsible breeder keep these 10 red flags in mind. If you're searching for the perfect puppy for your family knowing these red flags in dog breeders can help you make an informed choice. With bio security issues number 1 and 2 are not always a possibility but today so many breeders to use apps to Live stream their litters to give you some peace of mind.
During National Pet Adoption Week, consider supporting our effort to put an end to puppy mills.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-put-an-end-to-puppy-mills

10/21/2023

A reference list for the common side effects of the use of aversives in punishment, negative reinforcement, and without behavioral contingency.

We have been busy!🐾🐾♥️
10/10/2023

We have been busy!🐾🐾♥️

Timber is making amazing progress!
10/10/2023

Timber is making amazing progress!

This right here!!!
08/30/2023

This right here!!!

Asking The Impossible?...

It seems a really simple, basic thing - stay home whilst we're out doing boring chores, going to work, trips to the shop - the necessary outings that are not particularly dog friendly. Stay here in this safe, warm building , that has all you need, whilst we're gone.

Unfortunately, what we are asking of our dogs is an enormous task, particularly for puppies.

To understand why, we need to look at the evolution of dogs - sit tight, this is a bit of a ride!

Dogs were not domesticated by us...

We have of course, selectively bred dogs for our own purposes for centuries, but unlike cattle, sheep, horses, donkeys... dogs began that process themselves. They chose to hang around near us, they found our wasteful ways beneficial - we were a source of food!

130'000 years ago, or thereabouts, the prototype dog split from the common ancestor they share with the modern gray wolf. Despite the still popular belief that we domesticated dogs by taking gray wolf cubs and keeping them captive (try it, what you get is a confused gray wolf that will eventually be a risk to you and everyone else around you!), the truth is, dogs and gray wolves had a common ancestor.

Dog became dog by ... not being wolf. By wanting to be with people, near people, by being unafraid of people.

Wolf... remained wolf by being the exact opposite of this - scared of people, avoiding people, wanting nothing to do with people.

That desire to be with people is everything. It allowed us to selectively breed, accidentally at first - driving away or killing animals that were bitey, providing more food for animals who had a cute loppy ear or a lighter colour or a cute marking in their coat (and as Belyaevs foxes demonstrate - selecting for human friendly/non aggressive to humans also causes physiological changes in coat colour, patterning and ear set!)...

I doubt these early proto-dogs had issues with separation anxiety - they were not shut in our homes, they were free to follow or not, and there was always someone around so they had choices.

Our modern dogs don't live this life though.

We have intensively, selectively bred our dogs to not only want to be with us, but in some cases to hang off our every word, to default decision making to us, to work with us. We've bred them to want physical contact with us, to be our close working colleagues and companions.

A major change between wild canids (and that includes the feral street dogs, wolves, painted dogs and more) and our domestic dogs, is how they raise their young.

Puppies/cubs are with their mother until 3 weeks, and she will be brought food by the rest of the group. From then they will be left for short periods but checked regularly and are of course with their litter mates. They will feed from Mum and the ratio of milk to regurgitated meat gradually shifts until at around 8 weeks they are just eating regurgitated meat.

From 8 weeks onwards, for the next 3 months or so, they will get regurgitated meat from Mum and helpful Aunties and Uncles, and any bits and bobs they are cheeky enough to scrounge/beg/pinch from the social group (that begging behaviour your puppy does at meal times... and licking your mouth. Yup!).

So for the first 4+ months, a wild puppy of any sort is continually with litter mates, Mum, Aunties, Uncles, and being actively cared for by their own species.

After that they will venture further with the group, practice hunting and killing and scavenging... but they will not leave that family or social group, and will not be alone, where they have no choice but to be isolated from everyone, ever...

Until adolescence! At around a year old, some juveniles may leave the group. Typically young males and more likely not solo but with a brother or two. Very occasionally (and more likely seen in feral dogs than truly wild species) they will be shunned by the group due to unpleasant behaviour (violent, over the top bullying or intimidating behaviour). Death rates for loners and 'bachelor' pairs are very high!

Even if we look at species well known for solitary adults - tigers, cheetahs, jaguars - they don't strike out on their own until well on their way to adulthood at around 2 years of age!

No wild canid chooses to leave their own kind and fend for themselves entirely alone prior to this point, and very few do after it. To do so is really risky and dangerous - even tiny puppies know this!

In comparison, domestic dog:

Weans puppies off milk completely from as early as 3 weeks (by choice!)

Abdicates responsiblility for their young to another species (us!)

That's not natural. That is something we have bred in - unfortunately what we have not bred in is any capability to be alone - because up until probably 30 years ago, we didn't need it! Dogs were with us, working, or if we were too busy to be with a dog, we did not have one.

We've inserted ourselves into dogs lives as a primary care giver - we've altered early maternal behaviour to allow for this, but done absolutely nothing to equip puppies to cope with being alone any earlier than their wild counterparts.

What does this mean for our pet puppies?

Well firstly, it means they can't manage alone reliably, repeatedly, for useful time periods. Not at 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 26 weeks... Certainly not 2 days after you collect from the breeder and need to go back to work!

Some may stay quiet and sleep when alone (as wild puppies will when Mum pops out to hunt or toilet), but we cannot rely on that, particularly once the puppies are separated from their litter mates. Even if they did - the first year of life is the most optimal phase for learning - if they're alone, you aren't teaching them and what they are learning is unlikely to be anything you're keen on!

We should not be expecting our puppies to sleep alone or be alone during the day until after the start of adolescence - and adolescence is the point at which they can start really building those skills. Do not assume that adolescence is when they magically become independent and able to cope... don't forget the other elements we've selectively bred in.

We've created animals who are dependent on us for instruction and guidance - we have also trapped them in our homes and taken away all their choices. That's not necessarily a bad thing - the choices my dogs would make given the opportunity would often amount to Absolute Bastardry - but it is a fact.

When we leave them, we are likely to see distress, anxiety, frustration and even panic.

Not simply because they are alone, but because they do not know what to do with themselves - they don't know how to make choices or decisions, they were not built for that.

For those of you with companion breeds or working breeds developed to work very closely with human instruction, that goes triple!

Having interfered with dog to the point that they trust us to replace their own species as primary care givers, it is us to step up and fulfill that role properly - not half arse it because its too much effort or too big a sacrifice - you have a choice, nobody forced you to get a puppy!

So what can you do?

Don't leave your puppy alone - use sitters, daycares, friends, family and reschedule your life for the next year or two to account for this.

Build security by being there and providing comfort and contact

Let your puppy sleep with you until housetrained and steady enough to be given free access between where you sleep and where you want them to sleep (so they can access you if they need to in an emergency)

Let your puppy follow you around - this helps them learn that you do boring things, that there is not a portal to another realm in the bathroom, that you're not secretly snacking or playing with puppy toys in another room.

Play games, train, build confidence - this is your foundation for everything else.

Socialise and habituate your puppy properly - this includes hanging out doing boring stuff with them present.

Have realistic expectations of the abilities of this baby animal you have chosen to raise - it takes the average human 3 years to toilet train and 18 to 20 years to live independently from the primary care giver. It will take your puppy 9 months to toilet train and they'll have passed from old age before your kid leaves home!

©Emma Judson 2023 - feel free to share in it's entirety. Do not edit, crop or amend this text.

(For the link - check comments. Best shared from the original link as FB has removed all the bullet points and bolding! And probably some of the spacing!)

I believe it is real!
08/23/2023

I believe it is real!

Dogs show greater brain sensitivity to the speech directed at them than to adult-directed speech, especially if spoken by women, according to a new study in Communications Biology.

Also now known as birch sugar
08/18/2023

Also now known as birch sugar

IMPORTANT REMINDER re Xylitol

08/09/2023

Dogs, to me, are easy. They are very literal. Black and white almost. People,well, not so much.
When I talk about MANAGEMENT of a dog’s environment to PREVENT unwanted (perceived as bad) behaviors, it means as an on going life style! We want dogs’ behaviors to change, but we do not want to change our own to facilitate that change! Then, when things go wrong people are baffled!
Yikes, rant over! 😉

06/19/2023

Are retractable leashes bad?

Oh, this old debate!

I was asked this question yesterday and like all questions my answer was, "It depends."
It depends on who, what, when and where.

Retractable leashes can be really nice to use when walking in an open area like a park or an open trail.

They are not nice if in a heavy traffic area.

🐾"Should I use one when walking my small dog at the park?" Probably fine, just be mindful of others and how long the leash can get.

🐾"Can I walk my large dog that doesn't pull when going out for a potty break on a retractable?" Sure. Just be aware of your surroundings.

🐾"Can I use a retractable when walking down my road?" Maybe. If you can reel it in safely if/when needed.

So why do retractable leashes have such a bad rap?
There are lots of horror stories about them being used in the wrong situation but there are horror stories about other leashes too.

⚠️They can break.
⚠️They can hurt if you grab them or get it wrapped around your ankle.
⚠️They are not the right leash for some situations, like walking on busy roads, busy trails, in to the groomer or vet clinic.
⚠️They require paying attention to the dog and surroundings just like any leash.
⚠️They are not the right leash for some dogs.
⚠️They are not the right leash for some people.
⚠️They can really scare a dog if dropped and you might have nothing to grab if the dog bolts.

But they are nice in some situations like:
💚Walking in open areas
💚Walking at parks
💚In some training scenarios like scent games
💚 Potty breaks

I find them uncomfortable to hold because of my hands. Some people find them much easier to hold than a longine because of their hands.

🐶If using a retractable leash it can be really helpful to keep a regular leash with you in case you need to swap out.

If you need to lock your retractable leash at 2-3 feet long it is probably not the right leash in the scenario, switch to a regular leash and try to maintain some loose leash if possible.

🧐So am I on the team Hate Retractable or Pro Retractable?
Neither.

I'm on Team It Depends.

You are welcome to share your horror stories and positive stories but as always bullying is never allowed on my page.

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Chestertown, MD

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14108102157

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