Cactus Country Kat & K-9

06/18/2022

Every dog owner needs an emergency first aid kit for their dog and while there are many pre-assembled kits available, making your own will ensure your kit contains everything you need. Dogs come in…

06/09/2022

Knowing how to administer dog CPR is one of those things that you need to learn before an emergency strikes and then hope you’ll never need. However, in case there’s an emergency, it could save your…

06/09/2022

German shepherd puppies bite for many reasons, just as all puppies do. They explore their world through their mouth. That means whatever they want to explore and play with goes in their mouth. The…

05/29/2022

Will work for food should be the motto for dogs around the world. It is amazing what you can get a dog to accomplish with a simple treat not to mention a high value delicacy. Food is very high on a…

05/26/2022

A hot spot, or acute moist dermatitis, is a common condition that causes skin lesions and is usually caused by scratching and licking. Hot spots can spread quickly and can be quite painful, so quick…

05/21/2022

So, you’ve brought a new puppy into your home and it is certainly a time for excitement! Maybe you have children as well, and they are excited about helping in the process of making this puppy a…

05/15/2022

Socialization is a key component to raising a puppy into a well established adult. Without it, the stresses of every day, modern, normal life is alien and disconcerting to our dogs. But most people…

04/19/2022

A common problem that is often overlooked by dog owners, until it gets out of control, is how to raise a calm and relaxed dog. Of course, all dogs have varying temperaments and some are more active…

03/11/2022

Love this guys logic

If you can’t get the “easy” stuff, you certainly can’t get the hard stuff. Especially when you’ve been training your dog be aroused, disconnected, and disrespectful.

Heel isn’t just about a position or an aesthetic. It’s about what requiring that position creates in your dog’s mind: impulse control, arousal deescalation, handler respect, and the awareness that breaking rules or standards have consequences.

Which are all building blocks you need to have a shot at tackling reactivity. But instead, many let all the foundational moments go, and yet still expect some magical positive reaction to occur based on extremely misguided hope.

It’s like having no respect from, and no control over your kids when they’re at home, and then taking them to Disneyland and expecting them to be polite, patient, undemanding angels. Good luck with that. Best to build those angels in a far less stimulating environment, long before you really need them. And best to build a canine “angel” long before you need it with the far less stimulating stuff, like a nice, polite, tuned-in, and respectful Heel.

Get that, and get it consistent and effortless, and then you can look ahead.

01/21/2022

Don't ever give your dog rawhide!!!

There are dangers lurking in rawhide chews that treat manufactures don’t want you to know. What are rawhide treats made from? Rawhide chews are made from the inner layer of a hide from any split…

12/27/2021

Clicker training or marker training is a type of positive reinforcement training that involves using a clicker to train a dog. It’s simple to learn for both dog and handler and is very rewarding for…

12/15/2021

Be open minded and honest reading this. I see this a LOT.

Over and over I see countless owners pursuing the elusive cause of their dog’s behavior issues. They’re certain that something terrible must have happened in the past, because there’s no way their dog could be acting this way without something deeply troubling having occurred to create these issues. But of all the causes I hear offered as the reason or reasons, what I almost never hear these owners offer as a potential cause is…themselves.

What these owners don’t realize is they’ve been teaching their dogs precisely who they the humans are and what role they wish to play in their dog’s lives, and they’ve also been teaching their dogs who they are and what role they should play. These owners share rules which aren’t enforced, and threaten consequences which never actually materialize. And while they omit much of what’s needed to keep things healthy, respectful and safe, they of course share copious amounts of freedom, affection, and overall softness. Unknowingly they’re teaching their dogs valuable lessons about the social structure in which they live, and the opportunities at hand.

Over time, these lessons/messages compound, eventually leaving the dogs with a clear understanding of the social dynamics of their world, and of course creating an invitation to begin to act on that understanding.

Inevitably these owners are shocked when their dogs begin to seriously misbehave, and even more so when their dogs begin correcting them and setting limits on THEIR behavior. You see, the difference is, the dogs actually DO set rules, and the dogs actually DO share valuable consequences. And thus, without realizing what’s happened, the social dynamics have shifted, and those who should be leading are instead led. Not because dogs are evil and nasty, but because so many owners are overly soft, permissive, driven by emotions rather than reality, and mistake being a doormat for being loving. Which is an invitation to being taken advantage of.

Why do I share such a harsh assement? Because I see it at the core of countless struggles between dogs and owners; struggles which typically are mislabeled as the dog’s reaction to trauma, neglect, abuse. But if that were true, one would have to ask why when dogs arrive at our program most, if not all of these issues either lessen tremendously, or disappear altogether. This shouldn’t be the case if it’s truly deep seated, profound past issues at play. And yet, while forgoing the deep psychoanalysis, and attempts to construct possible backstories to make sense of the elusive—but obvious when understood—we see these rather profound changes repeatedly. And almost all occur due to the clarity in the social structure we create and share with the dogs in our care. Too simple, I know, but it keeps working over and over.

And just to be clear, this isn’t about being a heavy handed tyrant. It’s about ensuring that there’s clarity. Who leads, who follows. Who sets the rules, who shares the consequences. It’s about inviting your dog’s best while discouraging their worst. Because whether you want to believe it or not, your dog is capable of sharing either, and it’s the power of a clear social structure which decides which of these options you see and which you experience.

12/15/2021

100% YES!!!

How do you feel about retractable leads? 🗑 or 👍🏽?

canineaesthete.etsy.com

12/01/2021

11/30/2021

A little-known health benefit for dogs is apple cider vinegar and there’s a good reason for it. Apple cider vinegar is effective in eliminating pests, fighting disease, and curing many ailments in…

11/05/2021

Dogs are worried/afraid of any things. The fact that they’re worried/afraid doesn’t mean anything negative has transpired, it simply means they’re…worried/afraid. This typically comes from weak genetics, and/or lack of familiarity/exposure. We humans love a good story. We see reactions to things and construct a story which makes us feel morally superior, or grants us attention (and gossip), or just fills the story blank…even if it negatively impacts the dogs or owners.

Think about who dogs predominantly interact with in shelters, rescues, foster care. It’s rarely men. Along with that, men tend to also have a more assertive “vibe” about them. If a dog is unfamiliar with men, and/or has weak nerves, it’s fairly easy to understand why they react to men in the fashion they often do. Same as the blowing bag, or the noisy car.

Get out of the abuse story, and get with the reality story. Dogs are counting on you to be less self-serving, less selfish, and more reality-based. Help them out by operating in reality, rather than the easy, but toxic story.

10/21/2021

There is a lot to do when preparing for your new puppy. Puppy proofing the house, buying food and toys, and brushing up on your potty training skills, are just a few. One important but often…

09/03/2021

The sheer number of amazingly well trained dogs, walking around like they don’t know anything, is astounding. 🤣

If only this dog training thing could be successfully outsourced and one could spend the money, put in the minimal time to check the box, and count on the work that some expert shared with your dog and yourself…and all the great stuff would last.

There’s reasons well-trained dogs backslide, and past issues come sneaking back in: you’re not skilled enough, knowledgeable enough, and haven’t done the necessary emotional work enough.

Regardless of the money spent, your dog will only be as good as you are. YOU have to become the equal to that which you desire. What are your goals? What are the issues you’re facing? What level of skill/personal transformation are required for you to achieve those goals and overcome those obstacles? And are you willing to put in that time and make those sacrifices? If not, no complaining about your dog backsliding—only one of you is responsible for the “sliding” around here.

As Winston Churchill famously said, “A well-trained dog is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Time to get to work, and time to own up. No complaining about what you want, while not doing what you need to get there.

07/30/2021

Bloat in dogs is a frightening and potentially fatal condition. Find out what causes bloat in Labs and other dogs, the signs, and how to help prevent it.

05/28/2021

🚨 🚨 🚨 Summer Heat Reminder 🚨 🚨 🚨

Very well written piece by Jay Nix. Take 5 minutes, read this, absorb this, take it to heart.

************

This is the text from an email I sent out to our K-9 unit last summer and will be sending it out to the again as a reminder. A couple years ago we almost lost a dog to heat stroke. After 10 days in intensive care he walked out of the vet hospital only to be retired due to the internal organ damage he suffered. We learned a lot from this incident and it helped me save my own dog last year when he overheated on a track. I was able to see the signs and symptoms as they presented, I pulled him off and got him cooled down, while the perimeter held the containment for the next 20 mins. After he cooled down we reaquired the track and located our suspect.

I’ve seen 3 deaths already this year of K9’s overheating and dying on deployments. Hopefully this content will help some of you.

Email content: I wanted to send this email as a reminder and a little training on the dangers of k9 deployments while working in this heat.

This summer is going to be brutal. Be prepared. Prevention and preparedness are key. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

-Keep 2 to 4 gallons of fresh water in the back of your car at all times, just for the dog. This is in addition to keeping cold water for yourself. I know it seams like a lot, but think about your dog being hot and pouring a gallon over his back, it won’t last long.

-Check his water bowl a couple times a shift. They are going to be drinking more than normal this time of year.

-Keep a towel with you. After a hot deployment you can wet the towel and lay it on your mat in the back of the car. The cool a/c in the car, mixed with the wet towel, gives them an extra cool place to lay on and will help cool them down after a normal hot deployment.

-Go buy a big bottle of rubbing alcohol and keep it in your car. It’s cheap and can provide a way to drop the dogs temp fast. If you can make it back to your car, lay them down and pour it on the pads of their feet. Alcohol will instantly get cold and provides fast cooling through one of the places they regulate their body temp quickly. Be cautious doing this if they have a foot injury. This is one of the first things they did to cool Kevin down when we got him to the vet. It works!

-If you find yourself on a deployment during high heat and humidity, remember if you're hot they’re very hot. They’re wearing a fur coat.

-Know and be familiar with the early signs of heat exhaustion and signs of a heat stroke.

-Heat exhaustion starts when their body temp rises above 103, they could exhibit some of these symptoms, heavy panting, excessive drooling, slow down and become weak, may try to p*e but not much will come out or none at all. They may become less responsive to commands and look like they're just walking aimlessly.

If there is any question at all, get them out of the heat quickly. Get to the shade and let them rest at minimum. Find a house or building close by and get them wet. Soak them. Not just for a minute, keep soaking them. Give it a good 10 minutes, at minimum. Take their harness off, put them in a down and SOAK them.

Even though the health of the dog should be priority, this will not prevent you from catching your bad guy. Communicate with your perimeter and have them hold what they got. You can get back on task as soon as he’s recovered. Add this to your training tracks. Practice stopping, get off your track, go lay him down and wait 10 mins. Then go back and reacquire the track. TRAIN IT

-Heat stroke is a real possibility when their temp gets over 106. This is very bad and they need to get to a vet ASAP!

-Signs of heat stroke include, eyes may glaze over, excessive drooling, a rapid heart rate, dizziness or lack of coordination, lethargy, collapsing, they may start having convulsions, vomiting or diarrhea, dark/black tar like stool, gums or tongue can turn blue or a bright red color, and of course loss of consciousness. This is BAD THEY NEED A VET FAST.

BUT... don’t just throw them in the car IF you have some options to cool them down near you first. If you just throw them in your car and go, they’re temp will more than likely continue to rise and you will loose a precious opportunity to bring down their temp before transporting, possibly saving them. Find a source of water to soak them ASAP. Carry them there, do not make them run or walk. They will most likely not drink once they are at this stage, don’t try to force them. Let them breath and pant, this helps with cooling. You need to soak them. If you can find a pool in someones back yard, a lake or pond...submerge them. You will need to get in with them to support their heads out of the water, they will be very weak. You need to bring down their core temp. While you’re cooling them down, make arrangements to get your car to you ASAP. Try not to use ice cold water, some study’s show this could send the dog into shock, some more recent study’s say this may be wrong. If it’s all you got use it. Hose water, pool water, lake water are all great options though. Once you have soaked them good and your car is to you, get them in a/c quickly. Soak that towel I mentioned above with water and place it on your mat. Lay the dog on the towel. Do not cover them with the wet towel, it only traps their body heat, preventing the cooling process. Get them to the vet as fast as possible, safely. Call the vet on the way and let them know what’s going on, so they can be prepared when you get there. If possible you call instead of asking the comm center to do it. They may have questions or give you different directions. Know where your after hours or emergency vet is located and have their number saved in your phone.

The day that K9 Kevin had his heat stroke it was In the mid-70s and he was in the shade the majority of his track. So it does not have to be scorching hot out for this to happen.

Again, being prepared and having a plan can save your dogs health and career, possibly his life.

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!! Both of you! I can’t say it enough!

05/17/2021

While it's tempting to give your pet bites of people food every now and then, you must be very careful about what you give them because it could be deadly.

04/21/2021

04/21/2021

Remember, your clients aren’t trainers, they’re owners. Your job isn’t to bewilder them with countless unnecessary commands, overwhelmingly complex protocols, actions which aren’t directly related to their needs/problems, or removing tools that would make their lives with their dogs better and safer.

Your job is to make them successful. Your job is to help them enjoy their own lives, and their lives with their dogs. Your job is to ensure you don’t confuse your occupation with your client’s goals.

Trust me, it’s already hard enough. Owners don’t need it to be made any more difficult. Look for how to take all that knowledge and all those skills you possess and take what’s hard, and make it easier. That’s the mark of a great teacher, and one who puts their ego far behind the needs of those they are entrusted to teach.

04/20/2021

We often confuse our our dogs when talking to them!