Brick House Country K9

11/01/2023

Recall for Victor dog food, beef and rice... Please read if you use Victor

The FDA has offered advice and guidance to retailers, distributors and pet owners who may have been affected.

10/07/2023

Our garage sale is today from 9-2pm. Stop by! 940 Glendale Rd Galax

09/05/2023

Unfortunately, I am temporarily closing the business. I will continue to work with current clients through this month. I am hoping to heal and have things back come Spring, but we shall see. I am trying to figure things out as I got unexpected news concerning my spine. Please bear with and hopefully I will be scheduling classes and sessions again come March.

09/02/2023

Hey everyone! Have a safe and lovely Labor Day Weekend!

08/24/2023

Say hello to Barley! He's been a challenge and wonderful at the same time but aren't all Labradoodles. :)

08/22/2023

This is the Eastlake full bed that is for sale. Does not include mattress or coverings. I am still debating this one..:)
It's a beautiful bed.

08/22/2023

The bed is wrapped up (that is a picture of the bed) and does NOT include a mattress. The boxspring is in a box.
There will also be tools, mowers, and more.

08/22/2023

Here is a preview

9 new items · Memory by Chirona Penny

08/22/2023

Please note we will also have a large moving in/garage sale on Labor Day weekend! We will have some of the big items on Facebook Marketplace by this weekend. Antique ball bed full Antique Eastlake bed Full with a beautiful tall headboard, lots of pillows all outdoor, ladies clothes sizes 8-10, mainly business/nice, xl dog kennel on wheels for inside in silver (brand new), mirror brand new silver and huge, antique chaise lounge that needs work, and much more. There is a small jewelry box, and a jewelry armoire (which needs a little work), Halloween costumes for adults and kids. If you are interested in any of the listed items, feel free to message me.
There is also a basically new King size green velvet bed from Jennifer Taylor as well as a brand new still in box King size metal boxspring by Zinus.

08/14/2023

How cute is this little girl!? This is Dolly P and she is graduating soon! :)

08/04/2023

I am back to work part time next week!! Very excited! 😊
Text or call for appts.
703.597.6265

07/24/2023

I am on the other side of neck surgery whoo hoo! It's been a week and taking it easy. Hopefully will be back at things first week or so of August. Light duty with Hannah M.

07/10/2023

Does anyone know someone that may need this???

I have a client that has a bag of Purina Puppy Chow that she only took two scoops out of. She paid $27 and change but will take whatever. If you are in need of, please message me.

07/03/2023

Keep an eye on your pups if they are outside for fireworks! Inside too...

Here’s wishing all our two-legged and four-legged friends a happy and safe Independence Day.

07/03/2023

Just a reminder, I will be out for at least 6 weeks for surgery (July18th) but will be back at it as soon as I can! Social Saturdays start in the Fall!!

07/03/2023

Hey all, I know the website is down, I am hoping to have it back up by Wednesday. I did an oops with the retail embed!

06/18/2023

Happy Father's Day!! Stay safe and enjoy!

06/01/2023

How do you introduce dogs ?
Carefully🙂.

Your emotional state will also play a part in introductions. Your nervousness needs to settle as much as your dogs does.
Your emotions are contagious to your dog.
If you are nervous.....nervous and wary dog
If you are calm.....calm and relaxed dog.
So if you have a friend or family member and want your dogs to meet... YOU need to be calm and confident.

This is why we start at a distance, not only for your dogs emotional well being but after a few minutes of having the other dog walk on the opposite side (in the same direction)....YOU will start to relax. Your breathing will be lower in your lungs, your heart rate will decrease and your dog will be aware of ALL this.

There is no rush to meet....you may need to repeat this over a few days, a week or longer. The more your dogs can be in the same vicinity and KNOW you are calm....the easier your dog will accept this new dog.

Neutral territory
I cannot stress this enough.
Not your yard, not their yard.
Not your house.
Not even your street.
Not your car as you drive to a neutral territory.
They need to see each other in neutral territory for the best chance at accepting their possible new friend.

Dogs do not need to accept or like other dogs and for those in the small percentile that have a truly social dog ....this is often difficult to understand.

If you do take your dog to the dog park (not my favourite place but some do enjoy this)....the dog that is running around engaging with all the other dogs, imposing themselves into every situation is NOT usually friendly.....they are over aroused and being pushy. They have no idea of the subtilties of dog to dog interactions. Dogs may respond to this energy badly.

Dogs that ignore most dogs but interact with a few calmer ones is a dog that MAY be ok to interact with. Talk to the dogs family and ask what that dog is like with others.
How does this dog play?
What does this dog like?
What dogs does this dog NOT like?

However there may be those dreaded words .....
"Its OK my dog is friendly"
IGNORE the words and OBSERVE the dog and the interactions with others.

Arrange to meet up next week to attempt a play.....most dogs appreciate being around others to get a feel for this dogs play style and energy.....even at the dog park there is NO rush. They may need a few meetings before they interact.

Don't just judge the breed because it may be the same as yours, that is no guarantee of success.......observe the behaviour....watch the behaviour.....watch the body language.

Dogs meeting can go very wrong.....but just remember there is no rush. If you prepare, observe and look at the body language you can see all the subtle tells dogs have.
Always remember it is OK for your dog to not want to play with others, just being around other dogs is enough for some. Some older dogs are firmly where they want to be socially and will be very reluctant to expand their social circle.....respect that.

06/01/2023

06/01/2023

Just some FYI

I don't think there would be many trainers out there that would disagree that dogs "playing" can be very misread.
Sometimes what may look like play is often highly stressful for one or all dogs involved.

Puppies need little and often exposure to play, however if the play styles they have been continually exposed to has been problematic, there may be issues with play going forward.
If they have limited exposure to dogs/puppies, they have limited experience and may struggle with appropriate play.

With grown dogs.... play is often encouraged with others they have just met...often without taking the time to assess and watch the play style and energy levels.

Playstyles matter
Energy levels matter

Supervising and stopping play is so important. If you have a dog that changes their own play style the longer it goes on (perhaps it starts to get more frantic and far more physical)....stop play before it gets to that stage.
I am all for dogs learning appropriate play with each other and allowing communication between them to signal "hey...thats enough"....the difficulty is you need to trust implicitly that the other dog involved can GIVE those more subtle signals that play is getting too rough....and you need to trust your own dog will read those subtle signals BEFORE a much larger and possibly damaging incident .

If these dogs have no history together.....neither will have any knowledge of those individual signals given.

Being excited to play....does NOT mean the play about to follow is going to be a healthy interaction for all involved. In fact dogs which are "bursting" to play often will not wait for signals from others that they are reciprocating...they will just charge in there....and that can cause an immediate fight.

This is just a guide.
There will be many people that have dogs that have stiff bodies when playing....it is very individual...however it is a good "rule" to be wary of stiff posture, especially from a dog thats energy is vastly different from yours.
Many larger dogs do a beautiful job "handicapping" when playing with smaller dogs.....they will continually drop/tuck a front leg to continue to play with another much smaller buddy, this is a great signal to watch....but generally speaking there are real and obvious dangers of a much smaller dog and a larger dog play.

Healthy play is a fantastic uplifting and joyful experience for all involved, participants and onlookers.....always advocate if needed,

05/23/2023

Another question~ more retail coming in Fall also, any requests??

05/23/2023

I am curious...I am looking to start a Saturday Social for clients and pups. We would go to different locations, it would be limited in number and split into 2 groups, under 45 lbs and over 45 lbs would be a separate group.
Would anyone be interested in that? It would be for June only and then resume in the Fall. Please let me know if that is something you would be interested in!?
It would also be a pay as you go as you register for the class. It would certainly involve training, proper meet and greet dog etiquette, leash manners etc.

05/14/2023

Free couch!! It's not perfect but it's free. Has cat scratches on the back and some damage to the left front arm, see pic.
First one to pick it up gets it. I thought I would reach out here first. Message me if interested!

Send a message to learn more

05/09/2023

So I just wanted to let you know moving forward there will be no classes per se. I will be doing a socialization hour with training that will be a group training starting mid June on Saturday mornings.
I will be doing one on one sessions only in 30 minute increments. First session will be an consultation for an hour all others after will be in 30 minute increments unless more is needed.
I feel that the classes were not getting people the help that was needed and some dogs were just unable to focus. Building blocks first! 😊
The website will be updated by this weekend and should be the last changes made to it hopefully. I will let you know when it is completely as it will have more information. Feel free to ask questions! The current beginner and intermediate are free to set up a half hour appt here to finish up the class.

05/03/2023

Hope you are having a good day!

05/03/2023

HAHA!

04/28/2023

TELL ME WHEN I GET IT RIGHT!

Imagine this – You work for someone who continually reprimands you. You never know from one day to the next if there is anything this person is happy with, because the only feedback you receive from them is what you are doing wrong – it’s all just so negative!

You are never thanked for a job well done, never given any positive feedback, recognition or encouragement.

This leaves you feeling demotivated, confused, insecure and unhappy. You have no idea what this person really expects of you or wants from you.

Surely you must be doing something right, some of the time? If only you had more feedback about what that was – you could do more of that and you would both be in a happier place.

We often treat our dogs this way, only focusing or providing feedback on the “wrong” behaviour and neglecting to provide feedback and encouragement for the “right” behaviour.

Rewarding, reinforcing and encouraging a dog for whatever they are doing right is an effective, scientifically proven way to communicate, teach, create trust, build confidence, security and build a strong bond in a positive, force-free way.

Just like us, when a dog does something that results in something good happening, they’re far more likely to keep repeating that behaviour.

Reinforcement or rewards don’t always have to be food or treats – it all depends on what that particular dog finds more rewarding – lots of praise, a favourite toy, playing a game or anything else a dog really enjoys can be rewarding.

Keep telling your dog when they get it right and very soon, they will be doing less of the wrong thing and more of the right thing.

Stop focusing on the unwanted behaviour and communicate to your dog that they are getting it right by rewarding the behaviour you are looking for.

04/28/2023

I wrote this because it is something I see with many newly adopted dogs. What rescued/adopted dogs need more than anything is calm. You will never regret taking it slow.
You have a chance to completely change a dogs life, you also have a chance to make a positive difference in many of the behaviours some dogs are rehomed for in the first place.

You will get to the cafe's
You will be able to go to the beach

However....the MOST important thing you can give your newly adopted dog is calm and predictability in their new home and immediate local environment.

You know the noise on the street at 3.25 is a school bus.
Your dog may have never heard the noises a bus can make.
You know that dinner is prepared for the family at 5.30 and that is a time of gathering together, talking and clanging of pots and pans....even that can be overwhelming for a newly adopted dog.

They will be extremely aware of all the little things we take for granted in our own environment.

Take it slow.....build the trust.

Build a lifetime of happiness together.....slowly.