Access Canine Solutions

04/06/2025

But can they cuddle after the job?

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16541neUv1/

03/30/2025

I'm in two Facebook groups filled with owners, vets, and techs focused on this medication. My concern is that many owners report that if they stop the drug early enough, side effects that appear to lead to death in other dogs resolve. That's concerning. Clearly, more research is needed, and I personally would need to think long and hard about whether I'd start this medication with one of my own dogs.

The agency recommended that the maker of Librela update its label to reflect the possibility of more serious adverse reactions.

03/25/2025

BIG congratz to several of my students who had big WINS over the weekend!

Derek and Diesel went to their first CPE Scent trial at Rocky Creek and walked away with their Level 1 title!

They also got some Q's in Level 2. More importantly, he saw significant improvements in his dog's confidence at this venue from the last time they were there.

Frederique and Emile won their AKC Scent Work Advanced Interior Elite at Bayshore.

They also Q'd in Excellent Interior and got their Excellent Exterior title!

And though I don't coach her in this sport (or have any experience in this sport), Molly won a bikejoring race this weekend in Connecticut with a borrowed dog!

Her own pup is on the injured bench at the moment. But she's got a great group of dog folks in her sport who have lent her dogs to run so she can continue learning while her pup heals - and I LOVE that.

We need more of that in the dog community!

https://tenor.com/t5mBtIdNPpt.gif

03/25/2025

If you're in dog sports, learn about structure! It's the foundation your dog is built on.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18zQ9r8TnG/

The Slope of your dog's pasterns....

A dog’s pasterns correspond to our wrists, and as McDowell Lyon points out in The Dog in Action, a dog’s foot is made up of the same bones found in our fingers with the heel that section of the palm at finger union. Put another way, a dog walks with his fingers in front. Dogs are digitigrade animals which means that their digits — not their heels — take most of their weight when they walk. A dog’s toe bones are very important, as are the front pasterns, that space between the paw and the lower end of the radius bone closest to the paw.

The pastern’s slope, the angle seen in the image, is about 20 degrees in many breeds with well set back shoulders, BUT, pastern slope and length vary by breed. The slope and angle seen on a German Shepherd Dog is wholly incorrect in a Treeing Walker Coonhound for which “the pastern, from the joint to the top of the foot is strong and distinct, slightly slanting but standing almost perpendicular to the ground.” Consider, too, the English Foxhound in which “legs as straight as a post” were desired, with the result of straight pasterns. As an aside, the AKC breed standard adds, “The desire for straightness had a tendency to produce knuckling-over, which at one time was countenanced, but in recent years this defect has been eradicated by careful breeding and intelligent adjudication.”

Check the breed standard to determine what is appropriate. As a rule (a very general rule), some slope absorbs shock and prevents knuckling over. It also helps lift the dog’s center of gravity. A short pastern offers more efficiency by working at a better mechanical advantage and greater endurance, but when there is too much slope for the breed, it is referred to as being “down in the pasterns.” Weak pasterns will cause the dog to lay his pasterns on the ground like a human lays his forearms on a table, but in the dog’s case, it’s not done willingly, but often because of pain. A dog that’s down in the pasterns will tire faster, and enjoy playing less (let alone working).

Books on structure correctly say that weak pasterns are usually caused from injury or genetics; in puppies, however, pasterns can also go “wonky” during teething when cartilage in the pup’s body goes soft resulting in low pasterns. This is completely natural and usually resolves itself in several weeks. Rapid bone growth, especially common in large breed dogs, can also cause pasterns to let down. In all growing puppies, walking on slippery surfaces makes things worse by making the dog strain its muscles and joints, so a surface with good friction is helpful for them.

Some people believe that supplying a dog with vitamin C can boost help with joints and connective tissues, but as with any supplement, a veterinarian should be consulted first. Others believe that when muscles don’t function well, they become “demoted “by the brain, and using something like PawPods to helps strengthen the musculature by biasing the carpus into proper alignment. In essence, it’s similar to the way an arch support works in a human shoe.

The internet is filled with sources about how to improve weak or broken down pasterns, but to help with it, one must recognize it. Conversely, over-angulated pasterns are also problematic, and we’ll address that in another post.

03/17/2025

Uh..... No. It's not up to handlers to pay for TSA dogs healthcare and food. They're government owned dogs. The government is required to pay for their care. DOGE needs to find their "waste" elsewhere.

02/26/2025

I've found new local dog treats that are the bomb!

I rarely use commercial dog treats anymore. There are always sticks of string cheese in my fridge door, ready to grab for a quick session. I love string cheese because I can cut it into tiny bites or use it in strips, like when teaching attention heel.

My other daily "go-to" treats include cut-up frozen meatballs from the grocery store, hot dogs, cut-up or shredded chicken, cut-up flour tortillas, squeezed cheese, oyster crackers, Cheerios, carrots, peas, blueberries, apples, etc. If you don't want to make the chicken, buy the frozen fajita precooked chicken or beef.

I always have a mix of low-to-high-valued treats and prefer a variety of flavors.

When I'm busy teaching in-person classes and training daily, I'll prepare treats beforehand.

I'll cut up the wet, fresh treats and put them in a single container in the fridge that I dump, wash, and refill once a week. I keep a mix of the dry foods in a big cereal container in the pantry. When it's time to go, I can combine a scoop of the wet and a scoop of the dry in a plastic container and go. That way, the wet stuff doesn't make the dry stuff soggy, and if the wet stuff goes bad, I don't ruin all my dry stuff.

This method is far less expensive than commercial treats, especially if you're a professional trainer or instructor who might go through a bag or more in a day. Plus, no recalls! And bonus - if I get hungry, I can eat it, too. :D

However, sometimes, a shelf-stable treat is a necessity.

For example, I keep little food containers around the house in key locations - by my chair, on top of the crate, by the door, at the back of the toilet, and anywhere I'm managing behavior, etc. Cheese or meat treats won't work in these for obvious reasons. And if I'm going to be out all day training, I need something that won't get icky in my pocket or bait pouch.

The best training treats are small and soft, so they don't require time chewing and don't make a mess.

I tend to avoid grocery store treats. They're often sourced from China and have questionable ingredients and nutrition.

My "go-to" commercial treats include Zukes, Cloud Star's Tricky Trainers, Merrick's Power Bites, Bil-Jac, etc. I also like Wellness's Soft Puppy Bites and Rewarding Life treats because I can tear them up into small pieces.

But I'm always on the lookout for something better. And ideally, something local. And I've found it!

Saint Rocco's is local out of Pipersville, PA, and was started by two young brothers who had their college and internships disrupted during the pandemic

They are available to purchase through their online store, at various pet stores in the area and local farmer's markets. You can even set up auto-ship.

They are a bit expensive compared to even the commercial treats I mentioned above -- BUT -- you're basically buying homemade dog treats made in smaller batches using high quality and simple ingredients. I save them for my high value treat needs.

If you're dog has food allergies, this may be a viable alternative. You can read every ingredient on the bag. No grains, no lentils.

They're kinda like 1/4 inch thick jerky. They're basically a homemade dog treat 'fudge'.

You can break them up but I use a butcher knife and cut them up into pinky-size cubes ahead of time so I can just grab a handful when I need some.

They'll work just fine in your bait bag or pocket all day -- but they aren't quite as shelf-stable as something you'd get at the pet store or Chewy because they're not adding a ton of stabilizers. I have had them mold if I don't use them in a month or two after I open the bag -- but I rarely have them that long.

But if you keep the bag or container closed and keep the desiccant sachet in the bag, they last longer. I haven't tried yet, but I imagine if you put them in the fridge or even the freezer, they'd last even longer.

I really like to use them in my little treat containers stashed around the house. That's usually when I need a high-value treat anyway. I purchased some extra desiccant bags from Amazon and added them to my plastic containers around the house to help keep the moisture out.

They aren't greasy or crumbly. They're basically homemade treats but you don't have to do the cooking.

So far, I've tried the beef and pumpkin, beef and bacon and cheeseburger. I haven't tried the chicken or seafood. My client's dogs love them.

Also, if you have a picky eater, they have food sprinkles!

Saint Rocco's Promise When you give your dog a treat, you want to be confident that it has the nutrients your dog needs to thrive & flavor your dog will adore. At Saint Rocco’s Treats, we have created the perfect blend of irresistible flavor, easy-to-break texture, & artisan quality in eac...

02/22/2025

The debate over "dog driven" vs "handler driven" is silly --- it's BOTH -- and knowing WHEN to do each.

We teach BOTH at Access Canine. It's a TEAM effort.

He has the nose, but you have the bigger brain. Use it!
Don't just be a passenger!

Classes starting soon!

In Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) there is a saying; "Sometimes good medicine is bad tactics and bad tactics can cause the mission to fail." This can be whittled down to Perform the correct intervention at the correct time.
Now yes we're not gonna die at a scent work trial, but this means that the right idea applied in the wrong context can cause less than optimum search outcomes.

This past weekend I timed for another judge at an NW2 trial. The search pictured here is the Second Interior Search and last search of the day. This is not to scale and just from memory.

The start line (upper right corner) was in an alcove with double doors from the outside. Teams staged in the alcove before they started. The upper left corner was another alcove with a door to the ladies room. This ladies room had an outdoor access.

The brown rectangles are two picnic table style folding tables. The blue rectangles to the left are Ice Cream coolers that were not on.

The hides are represented by green stars and numbered #1 and #2.
Hide #1 was on a black in color cylinder wall mounted paper towel holder. This was at around 3ft high
Hide #2 was on the Purple Chair. Hide was on the seat of the chair at about 18 inches high.

The reason I'm painting this picture is that it brings up a point that needs to be reiterated. Teams need to Search areas in deliberate ways.

Search Patterns and Search area management are not dirty words. It is disheartening to watch as teams randomly bounce around a search area with little to no real plan or strategy. When you walk into a space, be it Exteriors or Interiors, EVERYTHING (within reason) in the space is productive. The VAST majority of teams were convinced that a hide had to be on the picnic tables. Many teams spent over a minute of their three (3) minutes of search time searching and over detailing the tables because yes some odor was pluming away from the hide.

Many of the competitors either completely missed the paper towel holder on the wall, or were convinced that the hide had to be on the table.

No amount of Chemistry knowledge can overcome bad strategy.

A way to over come these training scars is Hide Placements.
In training we need to drive handler behavior. Recognition Primed Decision Making says that we need to expose handlers to the potential that hides can be on things along walls. Through these hide placements we can drive the handlers initial OODA loop. While at the start line they should acknowledge that their are items along the walls. additionally there are tables in main space away from them. Knowing this they should acknowledge that all of these items are productive search areas. If teams miss items along the walls that means that there's a chance they have procedural blind spots built through training repetitions. In other words, they have to many hides on things away from the wall.

Handlers must recognize that yes the dog is finding the odor but we're working with them to find the hides.

Another training scar is searching or dwelling in one space on at or near one item too long. If you have three minutes to search, you need to be judicious with you time. Coming up with a plan from the start line assists this. Yes the dog gets a vote and may run to the tables. Fine, then search them and then search along the walls. If the dog chooses the wall, then make sure they search the things on the wall, and anything adjacent to them. But, you need to remember what you've searched and be aware of how much and how long you've searched it.

Working as a team is about how we support our dogs. This can't just be dog driven around the area. The search is our responsibility. Finding their odor is their job. Be more than present in the search. You have a role and must be engaged in the search. Not necessarily involved directly, but supportive and deliberate in how you prosecute the search.

No amount of fancy understanding can overcome bad strategy. Hicks Law or "The Hick–Hyman law" states that the more choices a person has, the longer it takes to make a decision.
If you keep the formula about covering and searching all productive areas and things, then you increase the likelihood the dog will encounter the hide. You can overcome science with strategy. Or you can hope your way through the search girded with the hard earned knowledge that didn't overcome your lack of or poor plan.

02/16/2025

Dave the octopus uses fish to hunt for him.

And when his fish get lazy...well, let's just say he *does not* use positive reinforcement to motivate them to get back to work.

Octopuses are so freaking cool! ❤️🥰

JMP offers a 30-day free trial for anyone, anywhere. Go to https://www.jmp.com/scishow to see the benefits of visual statistics for yourself. Octopuses are s...

02/14/2025

Here's a new scent sport to unlock! Truffles anyone?

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1XGPVN9uEg/

02/13/2025

What a great hack!

02/08/2025

If your pet was chipped with the "Save This Life Microchip," -- your dog is no longer protected!!!

The company has gone out of business with no warning. You need to re-register your dog with another company to protect it if they get lost.

🚨

02/02/2025

Photo of one of our regular clients, Belle, relaxed against her mom after her mani-pedi.

After a long holiday break, we spent about 10 minutes working on a possible new door routine --> knocking sounds = "go to your crate."

Then we did some scent work, Belle's favorite game. After that, we trimmed her nails and cleaned her big ears.

02/01/2025

Let's Go SNIFFIN!

Nosework 1: Inro to Odor! is a 7-week virtual class is designed to get you started on the right paw with the fun sport of nosework.

STARTS: March 3, 2025
LENGTH: 7-weeks
MEETS: Wed's @ 6:00-7:00 PM EST (1st class 1.5 hrs)

WHERE: Zoom & Google Classroom
CLASS SIZE: Limited to 5 Students

COST: 160$ - includes free NW1 kit!

**Contact us to Register: **
email: [email protected]
- OR - phone: 267-261-6504

* * * * * * *
ABOUT THIS CLASS:
* * * * * * *
Nosework is one of the fastest-growing dog sports in the US! It's a fun activity that almost any dog can do, regardless of age, s*x, breed, or past training.

Our program is focused on giving you and your dog the foundations you need to reach even the highest levels of trialing.

Nosework is also a great way to exercise your dog’s mind and body, build confidence in 'scaredy' dogs, and provide a healthier outlet for reactivity.

Through various fun games, we start with odor on DAY 1.
No wasting weeks or months hunting food.

We emphasize obedience to odor so you never miss another alert. Once the dog finds the hide, he stays until released.

The games we use help the dog develop a trained alert organically with little effort, but we can also help students get a more specific indication.

We start distractions early, including toys and food.

Classes meet for one hour each week on Zoom. The schedule includes demonstration and lecture, with time for students to try out the games themselves for immediate live feedback.

Homework is assigned during the week, with handouts and support materials available via Google Classroom.

If students need help between classes, they may upload up to 10 minutes of video for additional coaching. We want you to succeed and not get stuck during the week.

By the end of Nosework 1, most dogs are:
* On all 4-6 odors without pairing food.
* Alerting at odor and staying there until released.
* Started ignoring food and toy distractions.

Class is 160$ and students receive a FREE Starter Kit of odor!
(20$ value). A $30 non-refundable deposit holds your spot.

NOTE: For students who would like to train a more "useful" odor, we can help you source the correct example odor and will help you adapt the exercises accordingly.

Examples of a "useful" odor includes: antler sheds, black powder, mercury, gluten or diabetic alert, etc.

* * * * * * * * *
ABOUT OUR PROGRAM
* * * * * * * * *
Unlike many other programs (both virtual and in-person), we don't just keep assigning searches without purpose just to fill class time.

Each exercise has been methodically designed to prepare you and your dog for the more challenging searches down the road.

We want to give you the foundation and tools to solve problems independently, whether practicing at a park or if something unplanned happens at trial.

Nosework 1 is about instilling the foundation games we use throughout our program. Even dogs already on odor and searching may find this class HIGHLY beneficial as the games are a useful troubleshooting tool.

In Nosework 2 thru Nosework 4, we focus on introducing your dog to searching in various elements (containers, interiors, exteriors, vehicles, buried, etc.).

Students learn how to be a part of the team, not just an observer at the end of the leash. At the same time, we continue building upon the foundations learned in previous sessions, developing tools that will be critical at the higher levels.

Classes include as much live instruction as possible. When that’s not possible because of the logistics of an online class, exercises are assigned for students to complete and record on their own, which are then reviewed and discussed as a group during the next class.

For Nosework 5 and beyond, teams learn how to apply all that they have learned in the past as the searches become increasingly challenging.

Throughout the program, instruction is highly individualized. We know each team works at its own pace, faces unique challenges, and has individual goals.

As much as possible, we try to keep groups together as long as possible so students benefit from a collaborative learning environment and peer support.

** FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TRIAL:
We believe trialing is for TESTING your training, not training your dog. We want you to go into the test confident in your and your dog’s abilities so you can relax and have fun!

By doing things right from the beginning, you can avoid hitting the “Level 3 wall” or discovering, too late, that you have serious gaps in your training. You’ll have a solid foundation you can depend upon if and when things get tough.

If you're already trialing, and you're finding Q's illusive . . . we can help! Let's fill those gaps and give you the tools you're missing so you can be more successful!

** JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN? COOL!
For those not interested in trials, many of our students do nose work only as a fun activity to exercise their dog’s mind and body.

Others do it to build their dog’s confidence or develop a healthier outlet for their dog’s reactivity.

We’ll support whatever your goals may be and can help you keep the game fun and interesting.

** ALREADY STARTED BUT NEED HELP?
We are always building classes for those who may have already started in nosework, but are looking for a more dynamic, individualized coaching experience.

Some of our students even continue to take their in-person classes, but take virtual classes with us for more intensive instruction.

We believe scent sports is more than just training your dog to find odor. Handlers should be an active participant - not just a spectator at the end of the long-line.

As such, our classes are jammed full of information on learning theory, olfaction, handler strategy and tactics, and more.

* * * * * * * *
HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT
* * * * * * *
Just a few things our program teaches that makes us different:

* Training methodology, learning theory, commands, etc.

* Diagramming a search from start to finish.

* Reading your dog, avoiding fringing and false alerts, etc.

* Passive indication training (if students want more than what the games already teach)

* Transitions between multiple hides, dealing with “sticky” alerts, empty rooms, etc.

* Long-line handling (it’s a skill!)

* Agility turns and footwork for nose work, etc. – e.g., How to handle your dog during a search so you are part of the team, not a burden.

* Switching between dog-driven and handler-driven. – e.g., When should you let the dog drive the search, and when should you take the wheel?

* Drills and patterns for a more efficient search (and when to do them).

* Residuals, odor cones, pooling, fringing, inaccessible hides, and more.

* Scent theory - how odor works (olfaction).

* Equipment, kits, etc. - what to buy, avoid, “recycling” for nosework, handling odor safely, making hides, etc. etc.

* Building drive and overcoming fear (environmental, etc.)

* Choosing a venue, rules, trial prep, what to pack, etc.

* Search strategy and trial tactics, keeping logs, and so much more.

**Contact us to Register: **
email: [email protected]
- OR -
phone: (267) 261-6504

* * * * * *
WHAT OUR STUDENT'S ARE SAYING:
* * * * * *
Below are two emails we've received from one of our students regarding her 1 yr old Beauceorn, Luther:

1st email:
"Luther earned his SEN (novice exterior) and SIN (novice interior) titles today in the pouring rain!! I have to thank you for teaching us the commitment to odor. This trial was at a fairgrounds and with so many great smells Luther was able to push through and keep true to not only finding odor but solidly staying there."

2nd email (8-mo later)
"I wanted to reach out to let you know that Luther achieved his Master Container title this year with very limited shows.

"I wanted to let you know that without your foundation and commitment to odor this wouldn’t have have been something that we could’ve achieved so quickly. We haven’t taken any other classes, so this is based on what y taught us.

"You are a great teacher and gave us a solid foundation to be able to make these achievements. I want to thank you for working with us and for helping give us the best start imaginable with scentwork. I think of your tips often.

"I truly credit your method of commitment to odor to be the core of his foundation. Without that we wouldn’t have made it as far. I haven’t taken any other courses, I just keep reinforcing the commitment and I have gotten better at the celebration"

-- Luther is a 1yr Beauceron & only taken a few sessions of class

**Contact us to Register: **
email: [email protected]
phone: 267-261-6504

01/30/2025

New dog sport unlocked for the overachievers out there!