The Proper Dog Club

09/22/2023

Sign up for the next Basic Obedience Class starting October 4th from 6-6:30pm. This class is also beneficial if you need to do some refreshers with your dog. This is not a class for puppies. Those will be starting soon, keep an eye out for them.

1. Dogs must be 6 months old and current on vaccinations and be able to provide proof

2. Email us at [email protected] to sign up

3. This session is 4 weeks long

4. Cost is $120 cash or check

5. Bring a willingness to learn and foster a great working relationship with your pet

6. Cues taught will include sit, down, stay, here, leave it, loose leash walking, roll, touch and how to greet strangers

09/11/2023

When you’re the smallest one and you’re just trying to get the older ones to notice you and chase you!

Duke the golden, Bo the black lab and Prin the yellow future service dog.

Peg Groff Hess

08/16/2023

She’s only 2 but she knows every single dog who comes here. And sometimes she cries when they leave. “It’s Duke”.

Peg Groff Hess

08/16/2023

Tongue out Tuesday as we take a play break in the coolness of the basement today. Althea and Nola

08/07/2023

Duke says this stingray is my favorite today, I hope my report card says I’m being a good boy. All dogs get a daily report card which gives their humans a brief update about what they did during their day here at the club. It includes things like p*e/p**ps, their attitude and demeanor, friends they’ve played with and any concerns from the day. It also reviews training cues that were worked on. Communication is so important to me and I always want my owners to feel informed. Duke loves his Monday’s here.

Peg Groff Hess

08/02/2023

This old man basset hound doesn’t run very often anymore but he tried hard to keep up with the youngsters of the daycare crew today. He’ll never catch Althea, that one has cheetah sp*ed but Truman kept up for awhile. If you can’t catch them bark at them.

Jamie Gieniec Pikolas
Tori Leigh Ressler

08/02/2023

Truman had a trial day of daycare today. He quickly learned that marinating in the pond is one of his favorite activities after a few rounds of fetch. Tori Leigh Ressler

08/02/2023

“Here” is the cue I use for when I want my dogs to come to me and our official recall word. I do not use the word “come”. The reason I don’t is because if you take a day and count the number of times you say “come” to your dog, you’ll be very surprised. It’s a very over used word in the dog world. Here also means come to me wherever I am even if you cannot see me (I’m hiding behind a bush and only Hallie can see me). All they need to do is make eye contact with me and it counts. This can then be paired up with another cue immediately such as sit or heel. The Tuesday daycare crew has this cue down pat!
Hallie, Nola, Althea, Bo

Jamie Gieniec Pikolas
Beth Russell

07/28/2023

The Thursday Club Members left to right: Nola, Althea, Hanna, Martin, Hallie and Bo

Jamie Gieniec Pikolas
Sheila Dupont
Beth Russell

07/27/2023

Watching play is facinating for a trainer. We look at totally different things than the average person. I see bouncy play, equal play (no one dog is winning or losing), play bows and rocking horse movement, and even though Althea has some hackles up it doesn’t always mean aggression, hackles also rise during stimulation so it’s normal to see hers up when playing in this setting. They both also have great bite inhibition which means at a young age they were taught by mom and siblings and understood that a heavy mouth bite means ouch. Mouthing is also appropriate if it’s accompanied by proper bite inhibition. These two have become best friends. Bo is content to just observe.

Jamie Gieniec Pikolas
Sheila Dupont

07/27/2023

Althea and Hanna are part of daycare and train. One of the things we feel is important is the ability to find your kennel and settle upon the given cue (what some may refer to as a command but I like a less bossy word hence cue). A kennel should be a safe place and a place dogs are willing to go and enter into on their own. Normally I would only give the cue once, but since Althea is only on week 3 and learning we remind her. She gets bonus points for being in front of the right kennel though!

Bo the black lab is a seasoned pro at kennel no matter where we are, inside outside or upstairs. He knows where it is and will go to it. But sometimes the trainers dogs are stinkers don’t let him fool you.

Sheila Dupont
Jamie Gieniec Pikolas

07/25/2023

Oh ya know, just watering the dog, it was looking a little dry.

07/25/2023

Yesterday at the club it was home resident Bo and club member Duke the golden who is here not only for play but also to work on breaking some bad habits like jumping and asking for treats. Both sitting in an extended stay waiting for the frisbee looking 😍

Peg Groff Hess

07/21/2023

Althea is part of the daycare and training program. Today we worked on down stay inside since it was so toasty outside this afternoon. Training your dog takes patience, repetition and consistency. No one trains a dog overnight, and just like people they need to practice the basics often. I recommend spending 15 minutes everyday exercising your dogs brain with the basics. Training sessions aren’t always long, but you’re aiming for quality and fun. No one wants a boring teacher so get excited and praise your dog when they do the things you ask. But cookies help too.

Jamie Gieniec Pikolas

07/20/2023

This is my fetch toy choice for today, please throw it again and again and again and again.

Hanna the Chessie

Sheila Dupont

07/18/2023

Tongue out Tuesday at the club, whew it’s definitely the dog days of summer here in PA.
Hallie, Nola and Althea

Beth Russell
Jamie Gieniec Pikolas

07/18/2023

Duke showing how good he is at sit stay and down today. We played inside all afternoon because whew was it a hot smoky one outside. He helped Martin celebrate his birthday, but opted to not wear a party hat.

Peg Groff Hess

07/18/2023

Today Martin turned 9! He celebrated with some blueberry treats, a party hat and now he’s sleeping on a luxury double layer bed. Only the best for this old man.

07/11/2023

Tongue out Tuesday here at the club.

Hanna the chessie
Althea the Husky Mountain Cur

07/10/2023

Indoor play session to take a break from the sun and heat. If you’re looking for Hanna she’s in her crate napping with her frog in her mouth.

Sheila Dupont

07/10/2023

Hold onto your squeaky frog at all costs even if she’s offering ice cubes.

It’s me.
Hanna the Chessie

Sheila Dupont

07/10/2023

Today we welcomed Duke to the daycare! Nola and Hallie who wouldn’t sit still for their official daycare photo with the letter board. And Hanna who has been a regular play date visitor now turned daycare attender who was too busy hiding her frog toy to sit for a group photo. Do what you love, love what you do, live life like a dog who just gets to play with friends all day long.

07/08/2023

Grandpa Moses loved his Cucumber paw-popsicle on this hot day.

07/08/2023

Paws stopped by the stand today and got a bandana and some dog treats. He’s a service dog and his owner and I had a long chat about her journey and his. See you next week buddy.

07/05/2023

Just a few of the things I’ve created over the past month! Horse cookies, dog cookies and people cookies.

07/05/2023

Just a few of the cookies from the past month 🍪🐶🐴👧🏻

07/05/2023

Cucumber Pup Pops will be at our spot this Saturday

$.50 each for a delicious cucumber yogurt honey bite of frozen bliss during a hot summer month

07/01/2023

While the 4th of July is exciting for humans, it’s not always a favorite for your furry friend. Below are ways to help your dog cope with a potential scary few days:

1. Do some pre-training using fireworks sounds on your phone, feed your dog some yummy treats and gradually turn the sound up as you dispense treats like you’re a Pez dispenser to him/her. Fast and constant. Repeat “gooooood” as the sound increases and watch for signs of fear.

2. Dog anxiety vest like a thunder shirt.

3. Complete a pre-fireworks workout or play date to get your pup good and tired. It’s hard to be scared when you’re snoring because you just walked 3 miles.

4. Be sure to take Fido out to p*e and p**p before dusk arrives!!! Same for feeding. Feed a tad early so that no bathroom breaks need to happen at the start of dusk. Nothing like having to p**p and BOOM off goes a loud crack. That’s enough to make anyone’s p**ping experience unpleasant.

5. Keep your dog occupied during fireworks! Have a fresh delicious new bone or a frozen Kong stuffed with a mix of bananas, blueberries, natural peanut butter and some cucumbers. A large carrot soaked in beef broth and frozen also works great.

6. If you’re calm, your dog will feed off of your energy. Sit quietly together on the sofa or on the floor. Slowly rub your dogs favorite spot, for many the chest rub is a great soothing spot. Speak to your dog in long slow low tone “easssssy” or “goooood” which is better than a high pitched excited voice.

7. Turn on the TV or some music. A totally quiet house means more focus on the booming happening in the sky.

8. Take your dog out on a leash. Unless you have a property that is sealed up like Fort Knox with fencing, and you 150% know that Brutus cannot escape. A leash is the way to go.

9. Microchip your dog. It is the safest and quickest way to get him/her returned to you in the event they run away.

10. If your dog does go missing, post photos and contact information on local social media pages, notify your vet, notify the local shelters and the local police department so that if someone finds your best friend you can quickly be reached and reunited.

What fear can look like in a dog: airplane ears (or flat ears), hiding, pacing, shaking, panting, lip licking, whining, crouching, refusal to accept a treat or food, large eyes and a lowered tail. Fearful dogs frantically may want to escape, or they may completely freeze.

How you manage these symptoms can mean a less stressful experience for both you and Fifi as we navigate the upcoming holiday.

06/15/2023

06/08/2023

On days like this we opt for brief outside play times and more inside play time. If it’s bothering your lungs it’s bothering your pets lungs. Come on jet stream, swing a different way we all wanna go out and play 🐶🔥☁️👎🏻

Also, remember the impact your life has on our Earth, we can’t get things back that have been ruined. Future generations will thank you.