Dog Daze

05/04/2021

Our dogs communicate in so many ways. Are you listening? Do you and your dog need help overcoming fears and living life to the fullest? Here to support you in your training challenges.

04/30/2021

Harvey, again! Working on a handsfree leash. Smiles all around 😊

04/28/2021

Harvey was out working on some leash skills. Check out the smile in the leash and the smile on the dog 😊

04/27/2021

Athena had a great training session at Raccoon River! To paraphrase her parents, "We've really seen a big difference in her behavior since we started. And not just with her, but with our puppy and our guest's dogs." I love that the principles and methods I teach are being applied to positively affect an entire household and bringing harmony to a family and their doggie friends.

03/22/2021

It's OK to say no.

No to the trainer who wants you to yank your dogs neck.

No to the vet who wants to pin your dog down for a procedure.

No to the daycare who walks your dog into a room with 80 other dogs and let's them figure it out.

No to your cousin who says you 'need to be the boss'.

No to your neighbour who says you shouldn't train with food.

No to the groomer who restrains a terrified dog.

You are your dog's advocate. You CAN say no.

There is another way. There is a kinder way. Empower your dog.

For a vet (or trainer) check out directory

In Alberta visit the directory for a groomer/trainer/daycare/rescue/kennel.

For your friends or family send them to do research from science informed platforms.

*You may need to use some restraint or leash pressure in emergency situations. Save that for an emergency, when you have time to plan and train do so thoughtfully with your dog's perspective in mind.

02/09/2021

Just a little humor for these cold days!

02/08/2021

Relationships are a little more complicated than "dominant" and "submissive." In our human relationships these roles change, ebb and flow with context and circumstances. I might "submit" to someone who has more knowledge than me about fixing my broke down car. While, another may let me "dominate" the situation when it comes to behavioral science. Don't let these terms blind you from looking at the whole of the situation and treating people and animals with respect and compassion.

Dave Mech, scientist and wolf researcher debunks the ‘alpha dog’ theory.

Link to David Mech: https://davemech.org/wolf-news-and-information/

Milan is not an expert, nor a behaviorist. He’s a reality tv personality.

01/27/2021

Are you looking for some online learning? Here's an opportunity on topics I consult and train all the time. These are some top level trainers I've utilized throughout the years. If you need one on one help with any of these issues, Dog Daze is here for you, too!
https://www.puppyworks.com/problemsolvers

Canine Problem, Reactivity, Anxiety, Recall, Pharma

09/03/2020

*** Muzzles are amazing ***

There are so many reasons to use a muzzle!
* Might bite
* Eats unsafe food on walks (scavenging)
* As an alternative to Elizabethan/medical cones
* As a precaution during intros to dogs/people
* To manage mouthiness during training
* To silently ask people to give you space
* To prepare for emergency situations requiring muzzling
* As a precaution at the vet
* As a complement to a crate/gate and rotate situation
* Peace of mind if approached by off leash dogs or kids

I've learned more about them in the last couple of weeks than I had in the last 3 years after I started seeing multiple scenarios where my personal dogs would benefit from a muzzle. I'd like to share what I've learned with you.

Muzzle Up, Pup! - The Pro-Muzzle Community is good for getting advice on conditioning but NOT on sizing. Affiliated with The Muzzle Up Project.

The Muzzle Up Project check out their website for conditioning and training plans. To get the full benefit of a muzzle (peace of mind, happy dog), you must condition your dog to love the muzzle.

Muzzle Training and Tips is the go-to for sizing. They have strict rules (read them!) but they are amazing and I'd only trust them if you wanna get it right the first time.

Muzzled Misfits posts photos and testimonials from people whose dogs have a much better and more fulfilling life thanks to Muzzles.

Measuring is the most important part of muzzle fitting! You must measure your dog's widest natural pant or mimic it by having them hold an appropriately sized ball or measuring with the ball under their jaw. The length, width, and open height of the dogs mouth are the most important but there are others that can affect fit. The admins of the Muzzle Training and Tips group can help you determine.

Baskervilles (~$20) are great for conditioning a dog to wearing a muzzle because they're affordable and available at big box stores or Amazon/Chewy. These will not work with determined biters. For scavengers, you may be able to cover the front. On many dogs, they will be too long on the length and too short on the height, making it harder to feed through and harder to pant. I've attached an accurate size chart as well as a photo showing two sizes of Baskerville on the same dog, neither fit very well but the size 6 on the bottom is better than the size 5 on top. *Baskerville are great starter muzzles but otherwise I don't recommend them unless they're your only choice.

Jafcos (~$45) or custom TYDM vinyl muzzles (~$45-$90) are awesome, imo. They're bite proof and they don't hurt if your dog slams their head into you. Jafcos are cheaper than custom and available quickly but their sizing is limited. They will not fit blocky heads without modifying. Modifying is possible since you can trim the vinyl however, if you can handle the cost and wait time, a custom vinyl muzzle will be your best bet. I've attached the accurate size chart for jafcos and a picture of a custom vinyl muzzle along with two dogs wearing Jafcos. Jafco without the treat hole is great for scavengers. With the treat hole, it's easy to feed through, without the treat hole, you need to drop the treats into the muzzle from the top or use a nozzle.

Freedom M9/M10 Muzzles (~$40-$60) are also a favorite. These are bite proof. They have the best airflow and the largest range of sizes, however, sizing is very confusing. Use the Muzzle Training and Tips group. The M9 and M10 are the same muzzle but the M10 has a rubber coating. These are easy to feed through as long as the length is correct. There are good and bad places to purchase from. Leerburg is the best choice. Make sure that you size it yourself and DO NOT submit measurements to the company. If you do, they will send one that is too small. Ignore any emails or calls from the company about sizing and they'll send the one you requested. Freedoms are good for scavengers only if you add a layer to the wire, people will zip tie mesh or add duct tape.

Biothane muzzles are so pretty ($35-$120). They're also very soft if the dog bumps into you. This makes them less useful for bite risks, however, they will still help for snappers or nippers. I've attached photos. They will work for scavengers if you get a fully strapped version. The attached photos are NOT of fully strapped biothanes. You have to request it. There's 4 different companies making them (and bumas but they're so friggin expensive that it's not worth it). You can request modifications to make it easier to treat.
Khaos Kollars.These have a more secure strapping than the others.
TYDM (Trust your dog muzzles)
CYOM dog gear on Instagram - these are cheaper than the rest and the same quality but limited availability since the creator does it as a side hobby.
Truffle Muzzles - coming from Spain. These are cheaper than the rest if purchasing for a large dog.

Greyhound or Birdwell muzzles (~$20-$40). These are best for long snouted dogs. They are more bite proof than a biothane/Baskerville

***Shared with permission by author Hannah Schewe***

09/02/2020

I've been working with a lot of dogs that have bite histories. A muzzle can be a great tool to keep everyone safe as we work through the dog's fears. While we never want to push a dog over their bite threshold (thereby not needing the muzzle) the dog's mindset can sometimes change quickly and/or humans can misjudge the dog's internal state. This is especially true if the dog has a history of being punished for showing salient signals like growling and showing teeth. In these cases, teaching a dog to love wearing a muzzle can assist in the training process. It often helps clients feel more comfortable working with their dog, knowing if an accident happens, there's less chance of a bite happening.

08/27/2020

Having your dog at their ideal weight is so important! Please take a moment to look at this. As a positive reinforcement trainer, I use a lot of good tasty bits to facilitate learning. However, this does not mean our dogs should be overweight. If your dog is not at their ideal weight, please take steps to help them live longer, happier, healthier lives.

08/26/2020

If you're looking for help in training, Dog Daze has been apart of this revolution since starting almost 10 years ago. Call today!

The old, obedience-driven model directed at show dogs is out. A new, more relationship-based approach aimed at companion dogs is in.

07/29/2020

Puppy Aslan had a great day on his socialization outing! Beaches, floating toys, kids, dogs, bikes; we saw it all and made sure it was a good time! Socialization is much more than meeting dogs and people. If you want to learn more about what trainers mean by "socialization" then give Dog Daze a call! Here to help you reach your dog's fullest potential.

07/07/2020

9 week old Puppy Aslan met some new friends during his socialization trip today.

Did you know, between 8-16 weeks is the critical period of socialization for puppies? This means your puppy should have lots of POSITIVE experiences with all the things they may encounter in life. That's not a lot of time to help set your puppy up for success! If you're needing help getting the most out of this critical period, give Dog Daze a call!

10/11/2019

Did you know all these? A great visual to start learning to listen to your dog. They communicate with us all the time! Are you hearing them?

09/27/2019

We love our party animals!!

08/09/2019

There is a common misconception that fear can be reinforced. It cannot. Fear is an emotion.

“The confusion here is the conflation of the word reinforcement with the concept of strengthening or worsening. You can definitely strengthen fear. You can always make it worse. It’s just not through the process of reinforcement. You don’t make fear more likely by “giving a reinforcer” after it is triggered. In fact, you most definitely can click and give a cookie during barking or lunging and watch it reduce, because the process involved there is classical, and the behavior will reduce! I’ve done it a million times. We do it in shelters a lot, feeding the barking dogs so they’ll reduce their barking. 🙂

Fear based behaviors are not “chosen,” but are “reactions,” and they are changed via classical conditioning rather than operant. Feed fear reactions and they will reduce (or nothing will happen, because the dog is too [over threshold] for putting that together). Clicking/feeding fear, even fear expressions, does not increase it.”

- Dr. Amy Cook, Applied Animal Behaviorist and instructor for Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

07/30/2019

"Out of nowhere" rarely exists...

  A cleverly done video that looks at the two sides of a dog bite on a child by Grant Teeboon. By K9  Posted February 18, 2016  In blog 2016-02-182016-02-18http://paulkithua.com/projects/k9/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/png-white-logo1.pngCustom Made K9200px200px 38 0 Seeing Both Sides http://custom...

07/01/2019

"It's hot! Maybe I would be cooler as a frog."-Puppy Mosby

07/04/2018

Happy 4th of July!

06/04/2018

Meet Bill, one of Dog Daze's oldest clients. In his older state of life he needs a little extra care getting around and keeping him healthy. Happy to do it for moments like this! Love this little teddy bear 😍

06/02/2018

Sometimes, you just like to relax in the sun and work on your tan. What are your favorite summertime activities?

05/31/2018

Toby thinks the heat is a little overrated. He takes a shade break on one of our walks. Take a tip from Toby and also make sure to stay hydrated during your outdoor activities!

05/29/2018

Karras could be a model! Look at this beautiful girl enjoying her weekend with a Dog Daze sitter. Summer is just about here, time to plan your vacation! Entrust Dog Daze to help care for your four-legged companions while you're away!

05/18/2018

Clare is doggone tired after her workweek. Happy Friday, everyone!

05/16/2018

LOVE my Dani girl! Her human has done a great job putting in the foundation training, making my job a breeze! Plus, she has a lovely disposition. If you're having trouble with your dog's training, let Dog Daze help guide you! We'll even do some training for you, helping you and your dog be more successful!

05/14/2018

Dogs have many useful skills that provide benefit to the humans they live alongside. Here, Bentley demonstrates his ratting skills to me before our afternoon walk. Rodents can be a real nuisance in the home, but not on Bentley's watch! What useful (trained or natural) skills do your dogs have?

04/26/2018

The weather is too nice not to get out and play! Toby and Tag enjoyed their weekly afternoon walk today 🌞

04/08/2018

04/06/2018

Love this!