Custom Canine

06/30/2023

Things that can and usually do make dogs reactive.

Reactive dogs lunge, pull, bark and/or fixate on other dogs. They may be friendly, scared, insecure, aggressive, timid, confident (you get the idea). Regardless of why they're reactive.. these activities will and can increase reactivity.

06/17/2023

Join us this Saturday in Duluth! We are having an adoption & microchip event at the Duluth Petco from 1pm-4pm.

Meet adoptable pups and get your pet microchipped for only $20/chip. Our chips include lifetime registration.

Check out our facebook event for dogs that will be there!

05/10/2023

04/16/2023

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.

04/11/2023

Happy National Pet day from my pack to yours!

04/06/2023

Giveaway alert‼️

🔅Must follow our page, like & share the post to be entered in the drawing.

Giveaway includes: 2 RAK branded bandanas, 1 RAK branded mug & 1 free day stay for 1 dog.

Drawing will take place April 9th at 8pm. Get sharing ☺️

02/28/2023

Puppy socialisation is NOT just about playing with other dogs.

In fact, too much uncontrolled exposure to other dogs can cause so many unintended consequences.

If you have a puppy, make sure you try to work on ALL aspects of socialisation, as listed in the bottom graphic.

02/28/2023

02/12/2023

02/11/2023

THE GIFT OF THE GROWL
Why growling should never be punished and also never be ignored
Not all growls are negative. Some growls are play growls, attention seeking growls, pleasure seeking growls or frustration growls. They may all sound a little different and may be unique to the particular dog. This post is not about different types of growls, but about warning or aggressive growls.
When a dog growls, maybe even at us, the natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry. Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, growling is unacceptable, growling is a problem and needs to be punished so a dog learns it’s wrong, disrespectful and not to do it again, right?
NO, this couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with a very valuable communication signal. In their way, they have just communicated to us how they feel without resorting to a bite. Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily have not even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.
Growling is a dog's way of saying "please stop," "stay away from me," "go away," “I’m not comfortable with this and I’m feeling threatened”. A dog that growls is trying hard to communicate and punishment suppresses this ability to communicate. Punishment doesn’t change the level of the dog's discomfort; it creates more stress and the dog will feel more threatened.
Growling is not the problem. Growling is the result of and the symptom of a problem. A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.
Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Recognize and take note of what makes your dog feel threatened and create distance between your dog and whatever is triggering them.
Be grateful for the gift of a growl - it provides us with an opportunity to address the cause & prevent the bite.

01/08/2023

12/26/2022

12/26/2022

🐾 “Do you believe e-collars are necessary for reliable recall?”

I got this question today, and thought that taking the time to share my answer would be helpful for others who may have similar questions!

Here was my response:

Great question! 🙂 The simple answer is no, I do not believe e-collars are necessary to achieve reliable recall. The training I do with my dogs, and client dogs, is based on each individual dog, and their person.

The longer answer is that the low level e-collar training I do is intended as communication, not purely correction. Most folks hear e-collar and think of shock collars, or ‘hot’ collars, which I do not use. The E-Collar Technologies collars use the same technology as a TENS unit, which is what we use in muscle therapy for humans.

My personal dogs are an intense high-drive working breed, with very high prey drive. As sled dogs, when they take off they can travel hundreds of miles. My dogs are members of the family and have good manners that reflect such; they know how to behave in the house, chill on the couch, relax out in the yard, etc. But if they see a deer, that switch flips and it’s 0-100. The e-collar has allowed me to give my highest drive dogs all the freedom in the world, without having to worry about them ever taking off on me. E-collars have allowed me to proof young dogs while traveling, do group walks and hikes safely, and have really given me the ability to perfect training with better communication and easily understood corrections when needed.”

12/10/2022

11/29/2022

11/25/2022

Thank you UpNort K9 for new gear! Bellatrix approves.

11/25/2022

11/23/2022