Brynn's Critters

05/16/2024

Thinking of getting a pet?

Adoption fees reduced by 50%.

Did you know that you can get help with vaccinations, dental and spaying/neutering through Stransky Vet?

They also help people get dog training.

Brynn’s Critters provides pet sitting, walking, training, and pet transport. We accept CHS training vouchers.

Remember that pets are a commitment for the life of the pet which means 15+ years for dogs and as high as 30 years for cats.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=889043353250707&id=100064351522744&mibextid=WC7FNe

***ADOPTED!***
Did you hear? All pets have a reduced adoption fee of 50% today through Sunday! Letty asks that you adopt her promptly at 11:30 when our Pieloch Pet Adoption Center opens today!

05/12/2024

A question I’m seeing so often lately is ‘How do I get my dog to stop tearing up the yard?’

It’s simple. Constant supervision outside with redirection to appropriate toys etc.

You wouldn’t leave a toddler outside alone, but we expect our young dogs to “just know.”

Your dog isn’t being naughty. Your dog is doing what’s fun to him/her.

You can also mark an area with boards, railroad ties, etc and put dirt or sand in it. Bury toys or appropriate chews for your dog to find in that area. Change up what’s in there so it’s always “new.” This still needs monitoring for eating the dirt or sand.

Is your dog getting enough mental and physical stimulation? Most dogs need AT LEAST 2, 20 minute exercise periods that really get them moving AND similar periods for mental stimulation each day.

If your dog is going several miles a day and getting challenged mentally each day and still isn’t settling, your dog may need some help learning to be calm. This is a very overlooked issue in dog training.

So get outside with your destructive dog, give him a place to dig, and make sure they’re getting enough challenges each day.

Need help? Let me know.

04/25/2024

We have a new pup! His name is Phoenix (black dog on the left). He is a 1 year old lab/Boxer mix.

He was surrendered at a high kill shelter because he’s too big (50 lbs) and he tore up the yard when left alone. Since he’s black, he went straight to the top of the kill list.

He knew sit and that was all. He’s begun obedience classes, and is getting along really well with Rocky (brindle).

More to come.

03/31/2024

Yes

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/5j9SSTYrbDcCV1nN/?mibextid=WC7FNe

03/26/2024

Absolutely!

My first goal when training a dog is to develop rapport with a dog.

My second goal is to communicate with the dog in a way that they can understand. This means luring and body language. They don’t know English. Vocalizations are not their first line of communication.

If you want your dog to understand you, learn to speak dog.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/rdipqdFth5QPoYAR/?

03/23/2024

I am helping a person with their Frenchie. Frenchies can be stubborn and hard to train. It’s her first dog and she’s very frustrated.

To everyone who has a difficult dog:

💜It is NOT your fault.
💜If you are trying to train your dog, you are doing the right thing.
💜Try (I know it’s hard) to focus on the progress you’ve made; Write down (with the date) what needs work. Then write down the progress you’ve made; focus on the progress.
💜Know that a good trainer will not judge you for your dog’s behavior while you are training.
💜If others judge you, ignore them or tell them to mind their own business.
💜Know that I’m proud of anyone who is trying.

02/29/2024

We recently have had one family lose two dogs in as many months. I feel bad for the family. I want everyone to know that we grieve their loss as well. We really care about the pets we care for. They were sweet pups. 💔💔💔

12/05/2023

Don’t forget that your pets need care if you’re leaving them here and traveling for the holidays.

We provide pet sitting and walking services. We watch more than cats and dogs and travel within 25 miles of our location for free.

Besides cats a dogs, we’ve watched bearded dragons, fish, snakes, chinchillas, and ponies.

Let me know if we can help!

12/01/2023

Run free sweet boy. Chase all the balls. Play with all the dogs 💜💜💜

11/17/2023

Remember, your holiday celebrations may not be comfortable for your pup.

Introduce new dogs slowly or keep them separate.

If your dog shows signs of stress, put him in a quiet room with a dog bed and something safe to chew on.

If your dog isn’t used to children, watch for signs of stress and supervise constantly.

A dog that is forced into situations that he’s not comfortable with may bite even if he’s never bitten before.

Avoid allowing unfamiliar people to hug your dog. Dogs can’t get away from a hug if they want to.

Last but not least what are signs of stress:

A stiff or slow body carriage

Hiding

Moving away from where the people are

Yawning

Rapidly blinking

Looking away

Growling (don’t punish the growl! Just take the dog to a quieter space)

Help your dog feel safe for the holidays.

11/17/2023

Amazing program!

📸 Watch this video on Facebook https://fb.watch/omzmtcFcRQ/?mibextid=v7Yzm

11/16/2023

This is why rescuers burn out.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=591771529801760&id=100069067541164&mibextid=cr9u03

This is the side of rescuing that people don’t see, and just don’t realise how hard it is for us behind the scenes.
Strap in guys, while I explain.

This is Marcus.

His owner contacted me to ask me to rehome him, because….
‘He barks at other dogs and people when out so needs rehoming ’

Marcus is a 2 year old patterdale x Labrador.

He had been owned by said owner for… 5 weeks.

He’s just settling in, learning his new environment and family, and at only 2 years old he will be rather overwhelmed as well as adjusting to everything new.

Barking is how dogs communicate, and express their fears, and also excitement.

When I asked his owner what training she had been doing with Marcus to help him overcome his possible nervous behaviour, the answer was ‘he’s had none’

I explained I am full at the moment but I will let her know when I had room to fit him in.

2.5 hours later I receive a call from a vet practice.

Marcus had been taken to the vets to be EUTHANISED.

Put to sleep.
To end his life, because his owner could not be bothered to put any time or training into him.

THANKFULLY, the vets refused and called us.
They spoke to their behaviourist while they were there, and offered the owner sessions to help Marcus- the owner declined.

Killing him was the easy way to end her problem.

So, of course, with fear the owner would then just go to another vet and put him to sleep- I made room.
I don’t have room, but I’m not having it.

Marcus has been with us less than half an hour.
He has sat, taken a treat very gently.
Has met 6 dogs- enjoyed a sniff and his tail hasn’t stopped wagging

He hasn’t barked yet.

Too many people are getting pets without any consideration to the time they need to adjust, and expecting them to be ‘perfect companions’ without actually putting anything into them.

Take some responsibility and invest the time into them, you chose them to be part of your family. Stop destroying them just because you cannot be bothered to help them.
It’s not their fault.

You are safe Marcus, and loved.
You will never be treated so badly again, and that I can promise.

11/16/2023

Please be careful if you send your dog to a board and train.

This is not training. This is abuse.

https://www.facebook.com/100044323751824/posts/881726356648148/?mibextid=cr9u03

This video https://youtu.be/A72gIasnUsU has already been widely circulated on social media. It highlights the community’s growing concern over Westbrook Pet Resort’s endorsement of Augusto Deoliveira’s controversial and globally-condemned training techniques.

Despite extensive outreach and sharing of evidence against such methods, the "resort" and its owner, Rich DuBarton, remain unapologetic and plan to continue their association with Deoliveira.

🚫🚫🚫After acknowledging and dismissing the clear evidence of the dangers to their community that these methods pose, they have chosen to double down on their support for Deoliveira and have invited him back for another series of these "training" events in April 2024
🚫🚫🚫

YOUR VOICE MATTERS! Spread the word, contact local media, and please share this video. Let’s ensure your concerns are heard and the safety of your dogs is prioritized. Harmful training methods like these will not go unchallenged.

This situation underscores a larger issue within the unregulated dog training industry.

Many members of the public, not being behavior experts, may unknowingly expose their dogs to harmful practices under the guise of training. We believe it’s our responsibility to raise awareness about such methods, especially when they compromise animal welfare and mislead the public.

Our goal is not to vilify, but to inform and protect. We urge viewers to share this video and join us in advocating for safe, humane, and ethical dog training practices. It’s time to hold those who exploit public trust accountable and promote a higher standard of care in the dog training community.

Your voice matters. Boycott Westbrook Pet Resort to send a powerful message that these outdated and harmful tactics have no place in your community.

If you’d like, you can let them know how you feel about this by leaving an honest review or comment:

🚩 Westbrook Pet Resort
🚩 https://instagram.com/westbrookpetresort
600 Westbrook Rd. Ringwood, NJ
(706) 889-7079
Email: [email protected]

These dog-related accounts are also run by Rich DuBarton:
🚩 Europa K-9
🚩 Aranwood Kennel
🚩 https://instagram.com/aranwoodkennels
🚩 https://instagram.com/europa_k9
🚩 https://instagram.com/europa_k9_training
🚩 https://instagram.com/europak9imports
🚩 Europa K-9 Owners page dogs bred by Europa K-9 or imported by us.

Here’s how I work with dogs in a setting like this who are exhibiting fearful or aggressive tendencies. REMEMBER: If you’re looking for aggressive behavior as evidence that a dog is “aggressive” in a dog training video, you are looking for evidence of BAD dog training 🫣 Here is one appropriate way to approach this issue: https://youtu.be/FYfpIbO2dNA

10/28/2023

This isn’t the best quality because I was filming and training at night, but this is how you teach your dog several things. I am working on teaching them to sit, teaching them the word “treat,” and teaching them that jumping gets nothing from me.

Depends on the pups how fast they learn these things. I keep working on it with repetition.

These guys are 9 weeks old.

10/27/2023

Foster puppy Izzy has figured out tummy rubs. 💜💜💜

10/24/2023

10/24/2023

10/24/2023

Izzy, Callie, and Baloo

10/22/2023

5 scent events a day for 2 days. My boy Rocky got all 10 right! He also placed 4 times. So proud of him!

10/17/2023

Facts do not support bullies being more dangerous than other breeds.

https://www.facebook.com/100064879410276/posts/737985618374079/?mibextid=cr9u03

As "pit bull" advocates, we don't spend much time thinking about topics like "locking jaws" and "bite strength" because we know these are settled arguments.

These issues have been scientifically debunked, yet they have been meticulously fashioned and are deliberately repeated over and over to generate fear in the public of an entire grouping of dogs that happen to have similar physical characteristics.

A recent study confirmed that truth-by-repetition (TBR) works on virtually any kind of claim, even highly implausible ones. This means that no matter how outrageous, repeated lies become the quote/unquote truth. (See the post pinned to the top of our page entitled, "Truth by Repetition.")

So while we know the truth, many people not familiar with "pit bulls" believe and continue to spread these falsehoods.

I shared a local news clip last week with four talking heads discussing breed bans. One brought up that "pit bulls" have greater jaw strength than any other dog, and their jaws are "just different" than other dogs.

People hear this...it's on the news, so it must be true...right?

Let's help people distinguish fact from fiction and do a little myth busting today.

10/02/2023

Tilly came to us Saturday as a new foster. She’s very timid, so she had to be on leash outside until we could catch her. This is her first time outside off leash. Yay Tilly!

09/26/2023

I know of one rescue that is shuttering it’s doors and another that is considering it. Why?

Rescue fatigue. It takes an army to run a rescue—transport, intake, vet care, fosters, fundraising. Rescuers see the worst of people badly treating dogs and these same people having litter after litter. It’s emotionally draining.

Money. Since so many of the dogs are not well cared for, vet bills are astronomical. Treating parvo can cost thousands of dollars. A parvo shot costs around $25. Providing supplies for fosters. Potty pads, food, collars, leashes, kennels, dishes.

Constantly being judged. People complain about dogs that are taken in, dogs that aren’t taken in. It’s easy to criticize for the decisions of the rescue team when you’re not in it.

Not enough fosters. Fosters are the best way to help pups learn what it’s like to live in a real home, but they can be hard to come by. Kenneling is expensive and not ideal for the dog.

Before you get a dog, do your research! You may like a certain breed but are you equipped to deal with high activity level and/or independent behavior, training needs—time and cost, vet care, potty training, shedding, and on and on.

Before you give up your dog, consider training if there are behavioral issues. Your home is better than a cold, hard cement floor in a noisy environment. If your dog has a bite history, most rescues won’t take them, and most shelters euthanize them.

Rescuers tend to be anti breeding because they see all of the dogs who have become victims of poor planning and poor care. They see puppy mill dogs and unethical breeders dumping dogs.

Please be a part of the solution. Keep your dog and care for it well. Adopt. Foster. Donate even a small amount, especially regularly, helps.

09/24/2023

If your neighbors don’t think you’re crazy, you’re not training right. Lol

https://fb.watch/nfkz3hFEwN/?mibextid=v7YzmG

09/19/2023

Breeding matters. Please share.

https://www.facebook.com/100065547247812/posts/663251145869788/?mibextid=cr9u03

At Bully Watch, we began delving into the pedigrees—essentially, the family trees—of dogs from the most well-known Bully XL kennels across the UK. Our investigation steered us down a trail where on…

08/16/2023

Absolutely hilarious!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/657675232358588?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=rzpEBT

08/12/2023

Wow. That an orangutan can learn from watching TV and watching a human is amazing!

https://fb.watch/mmQtetKpT-/?mibextid=uEQos9

08/11/2023

Let’s talk “alpha.” Alpha and dominant training was one of the worst things that could happen to dogs. It’s based off of faulty research of CAPTIVE wolves.

Captive wolves were seen using dominant, more aggressive styles of communication with the wolf being dominated submitting, ie rolling on their backs etc.

Wild wolves do not employ such domination unless absolutely necessary. (Think another wolf refuses to back down from the lead wolf.) Wild wolves use lots of body language in an effort to avoid the fight in the first place.

Dominance training gets swift results, because it shuts down the dog. Science has shown that it also can result in increased aggression later.

I am not 100% positive. Sometimes a dog needs to be told “no,” just like kids need to be told no. Any “no” should be done with the lightest correction possible. The correction should work in 1-2 attempts.

I introduce new behaviors positively, no jerking, no pushing on the dog, etc. If you don’t know how to do that, please ask a trainer that introduces new behaviors positively.