Don't Worry Be Waggy

08/30/2024

When you're searching for a dog training class, what are the things you are actually looking for? Class size? Methods used? Do you call ahead to learn more about the training instructor?

My dad and step-mom recently got a puppy, a daschsund named Ollie, and are looking for puppy classes for him. I told them I'd be happy to look over any potential classes they find to see if it gets my "seal of approval" or not. I figured I would record myself doing this, in the hopes it helps other puppy owners think of how to best find a class suitable for them.

The main take away is -don't be shy about asking questions! But what questions should you be asking in the first place? I list several in the video description on YouTube; check it out and let me know if it is helpful to you!

I'm Vic, a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant! My dad got a new puppy recenlty and was wondering what he should be keeping an eye out for while...

07/29/2024

Here's one way to get something away from your puppy -by not making a big deal about it!

Approaching a dog when they have a coveted item may lead them to play "keep away", or to show tense, even aggressive behavior (what we commonly associate resource guarding with). To help prevent this, find what your dog values MORE than the item they have (if possible) and use it to your advantage.

In this case, the puppy valued being in the same room as me over being alone with the shoe. 😄

06/16/2024

Our first table at an event! It was a great learning experience, and we got to chat with some lovely pet owners about their dogs and cats. Having a cute puppy to draw folks in was definitely helpful!

Here's to learning and growing!

05/04/2024

I know this is cat news, but it was too amazing not to share! There will now be a legal treatment for FIP cases here in the U.S. starting June 1st!!

"FIP (Feline infectious peritonitis) is a disease in cats where fluid may accumulate in the abdomen, leading to a swollen abdomen, or in the chest cavity, resulting in difficulty breathing... Historically, FIP has been fatal in almost all cases. Supportive treatments may extend longevity and improve quality of life, but there is no proven cure." (VCAhospitals.com)

Well, this great news was just posted on the FIP Global group:

"Happy Friday everyone! FIP Global CATS has been supporting treatment for FIP cats for years, but our dream and goal has always been legal treatment available through veterinarians. Today I have an exciting announcement that legal treatment with GS-441524 will be available in the US starting June 1!

Stokes pharmacy in the US has partnered with BOVA to bring legally compounded GS tablets to the US. The tablets will be compounded in the US in a formulation identical to the BOVA formulation currently in use in the UK and Australia. Availability begins starting June 1!"

Years ago, at one of the shelters I worked at, I remember watching a very young kitten be euthanized right in front of me because she likely had FIP, and the vet techs were told to put down cats they determined had this condition. I understood the reasoning for it, but it was still heartbreaking to witness (I can only imagine how the vet tech felt...).

Soon that won't have to be the case anymore; FIP will no longer be an automatic death sentence for cats and kittens. What a win! I'm tagging some of my shelter/animal welfare friends here, but please share with anyone you think would appreciate this fabulous news :)

Mountain Humane
Jonathan McDonell
Hailey Marcus Signora
Kelly Mitchell
Katie Millonzi
Irith Trietsch Bloom
Rachel Golub
Heidi Hayes
Rosemary Aquilante
Gadrie Edmunds
Sommer Mae

04/14/2024

Here's a quick tutorial I made on how to use luring to teach a dog the 3 basic positions: sit, down, and stand. If you have a new dog or puppy and need a way to redirect them from unwanted behaviors, like mouthing, then try a mini training session using luring! Ginger Gasser and Guy Gasser I made this with you two in mind! 😗

03/22/2024

Ginger Gasser do you even TikTok? 😜 This one's for you!

Check out Vic Gasser | Dog Trainer’s video.

03/22/2024

If you're a dog lover, what are some of the most common things you search for on the internet regarding your dog? Food? Toys?Questions about their behavior (why does my dog do ___)? Training tips? Cute dog memes??

What would you like to see more of??

Here's a cute pic of a puppy in some clover, as a reward for reading this post :p

02/11/2024

It looks like the state of New Jersey has a bill in the works that will require dog trainers to be liscensed (I'll put the link to it at the end of this post.)

Did you know that in the dog training industry there is NO official liscening or regulations? Anyone can wake up one day and claim to be a dog trainer or "behaviorist" and then take your money for training your dog...

What happens if their training makes your dog's behavior worse? What happens if you spend thousands of dollars on a trainer and end up not only with bigger problems than you started with, but no way to get your money back, or hold that trainer accountable?

This is one of the reasons I continue to maintain my professional dog trainer certification through the CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) -this gives my clients a way to hold me accountable should anything go south. Trainers with no certifications may have an easier time taking advantage of dog owners who don't know what methods may be best for their situation.

Do you want to see more regulations in the dog training industry? The state of New Jersey is working on a bill that will require dog trainers to be liscenced through the state -here's the link for it: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A2548

If you read the bill and want to show support for it, and IF YOU LIVE IN NEW JERSEY, then please send a note of support to assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy.

For those of us who don't live in NJ, it's probably best we stay out of it. Instead, share this post with your Jersey dog lovers.

The New Jersey State Legislature

01/09/2024

How cute is this routine?? Just had to share!

12/22/2023

My friend is thinking about bringing her cat to her mom's house for Christmas, so I wanted to make a quick video with some advice on how to decrease stress for everyone! Maybe this advice will be helpful to others in a similar situation.

Ideally you should leave your cat at home when traveling, but that's not always possible. I highly recommend following the advice I give here, even if you have a very confident cat, to best prevent stress and thus unwanted behaviors (like marking territory)!

12/10/2023

Trixie came up with this trick all on her own!

Has your dog ever come up with a fun trick that you never would have thought to teach them?? Let me know!

Check out Vic Gasser's video.

12/04/2023

I keep seeing these amazing long distance recall videos from other dog trainers, using rewards only, and I wanted to add to that!

This clip was taken years ago when I first adopted Dougal, hence the dragline.

Are you happy with your dog's recall? Do you think a solid recall can really be taught with just rewards and no corrections, or is that too good to be true? 🤔

Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.

10/26/2023

Am I the right dog trainer for you? Does watching this "trailer" give you a good feeling about how I work with dogs (and cats)? Do you want to have that much fun while teaching your doggo new behaviors?

If YES then GET IN TOUCH at [email protected]

Check out Vic Gasser's video.

10/22/2023

I don't know who wants to hear this, but bringing your dog to a "dog-friendly" event is usually not a very kind thing to put them through.

At last week's street fair I saw soooo many dogs. None of them looked like they were enjoying themselves. Some looked like they were tolerating their situation alright, but most looked outright stressed and anxious. 😟

I totally get the urge to want to bring your dog to things like this; the thought of sharing more moments with your best companion is probably one of the reasons you got a dog in the first place! I even caught myself thinking "Aw, I could have brought Dougal here..." but then instantly I thought "Oh, but he'd be so overwhelmed and get frustrated by not being allowed to greet everyone, smell all the smells, eat the food, etc."

Can you spot all the signs of stress and anxiety in the few dogs I caught on video? How do you think your dog would feel about being in that environment?

Check out Vic Gasser's video.

10/13/2023

Looking for a LIGHT UP DOG COLLAR? 😀

The days are longer, dog walks are happening in the dark more and more... time for some visibility!! Check out this review I made (for fun) on my favorite LED dog collars! Do you have a favorite light up tag/collar the rest of us should know about??

I love these LED dog collars so much, I wanted to give an honest review about them. If you've been searching for a long-lasting LED dog collar for your night...

09/15/2023

What an inspirational story Dot has!! For those of us who may have always wanted to learn and even compete in a dog sport, but never got the chance, don't worry! It's not too late!! 💞

At age 92, Dot Dobie is going strong as an Agility competitor with her two Standard Schnauzers.

08/26/2023

Happy National Dog Day!! 🧡🩷🧡🩷

Check out Vic Gasser MSc, CPDT-KSA's video.

08/01/2023

Potty🚽 training isn't just for puppies!

Do you have a dog who has accidents in the house? This tends to be more common in smaller dogs and older dogs, but can happen with any dog!

Here are some tips to help with your potty training journey!

1. Make sure a veterinarian has cleared your dog of any medical conditions that may make it harder for them to hold it, or make them eat/drink more and thus have to potty more. 🩺
2. Keep a potty log for at least a week! Track when your dog goes, what they do (pee/poop), where, and when. This will reveal a pattern that you can use to create a more robust potty schedule for them. 🗓️
3. When you take them outside and they do their business, REWARD them right away! The act of relieving oneself is self-reinforcing. It's a relief to the body no matter where it happens, so adding something extra nice OUTSIDE or in a potty box gives your dog a reason to WANT to potty there instead of just anywhere. 🎁
4. What your dog finds rewarding maybe not be a treat. Every dog is different, so find out what they want most in that moment and use it to your advantage.🎉

Happy Training! 🐶

Check out Vic Gasser MSc, CPDT-KSA's video.

07/19/2023

I just love getting video of dogs in slow motion 🤓

Check out Vic Gasser MSc, CPDT-KSA's video.

07/14/2023

Thank you for being kind to your dogs! (And for making my walk easier 😜)

07/13/2023

Get up close and personal with Trixie the doberman!

She's practicing a new behavior out at the park today and is doing great!

She's learning to target the platform with her rear feet. This will help us clean up her position changes, like going from a sit to a stand to a down, etc. She already knows so much, I need to keep teaching her new things so she doesn't get bored! Strengthening basic skills like sit and down can still be fun and novel, so if you're ever not sure what to work on with your dog, you can always build upon the basics. 🙂

Trixie is also rocking the floppy ear look 😍

Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.

07/08/2023

Luring vs Shaping!

These are two training methods that can get you fast results, but one tends to be better than the other... (Hint: it's shaping!)

Taking the time to break things down into small, easily achievable steps may sound like it'll take forever, but often it ends up working out faster and gets you longer lasting results!

This is an example of when shaping worked out better for me than luring. My senior cat needs to have his weight checked often, so I need him to be able to sit on the scale. Trying to lure him on it made him more wary of it, but taking the time to shape the behavior I wanted (sitting still on the scale) worked out so much better! In less than 5 minutes he was sitting calmly in the scale and I was able to get his weight.

Cutting corners... looking for quick fixes... It just doesn't pay off!

Check out Vic Gasser MSc, CPDT-KSA's video.

06/27/2023

I've been working with my dog Dougal on cooperative care training on and off for awhile now, but these past few weeks it's been even more important to me.

Now that he needs monthly injections at the vets, something needs to change. The techs try to physically restrain him (keyword: TRY), but he becomes defensive and puts up a fight. I feed him treats non-stop, which allows the injection to be given, but doesn't reduce his stress or anxiety at all.

So I'm putting more emphasis on our cooperative care training, and he's great with it at home! The next steps are getting him comfortable with it in different environments, eventually at the vet's office.

Here's a quick clip of us at a park, with real life distractions to work around. Stay tuned for more updates, and reach out if you'd like help teaching your dog to cooperate with you when it comes to their care!

83 likes, 2 comments. “He's pretty great with cooperative care in the house now. But I need him to be great with it at the vet's office. So we practice in different, distracting environments, building up to the vet's office.”

06/17/2023

Ever stop and just watch your pet? I appreciate having technology that allows me to capture certain moments and slow them down so I can better see what's going on! Usually I do this to better see body language that happens too fast, but this is a good use for it too. 😸

Check out Vic Gasser MSc, CPDT-KSA's video.

06/13/2023

Start improving on those basic behaviors with the 3 D's of Training: Distraction, Distance, and Duration.

Here's a clip of DJ building up his duration for the "down" behavior!

Improving a basic "down" by proofing it with one of the 3 D's of Training: Duration! Start short and gradually increase duration (but throw in some shorter downs, too!) This will teach your dog not to 'pop up' right after following the down cue, but to hold position for longer instead. Release cues....

06/10/2023

Courtesy post for a client, who's working with this stray and trying to find her a good home! Please share with anyone who may be interested!!

Jessie was found as a stray a few months ago 😟 She's with the woman who found her, living in Inglewood, CA, but is in need of a more permanent place to settle down. She looks to be a shepherd mix of some sort, and is likely under 2 years of age. She is spayed, microchipped, and up to date on her ...

06/08/2023

Have you heard about Darwin's Ark Cancer Project? It's one way you can start to help scientists learn more about why our dogs get cancer, and how we can help them, just by taking a survey!

This study won't involve any cancer treatment, but your dog’s genetic contributions and your survey answers can help scientists find new treatments one day.

"If your dog has cancer now or has had cancer in the past, please enroll them in our new Darwin’s Ark Cancer Project. All dogs – purebred, mixed, or mystery – are welcome. Dogs with any type of cancer can enroll without any specific testing or treatment to qualify." -from the website.

To learn more or to enroll your dog, click here: https://darwinsark.org/about-cancer-project/

Welcome to the latest initiative of the Darwin’s Ark team. Together, we’ll be learning more about why dogs get cancer and the best ways to help them. We plan to study risk factors passed down from parents to puppies, test methods to detect cancer in a blood sample, and compare exposures to poten...

06/06/2023

Enrichment on a budget! 😉

In the past I had a hard time finding a snuffle mat that was large enough for my dog that wasn't too pricey (I was living on quite the budget back then!) I found a cheap, s**g bath rug at a TJ Maxx or something, and it lasted for years! Now that's my go-to kinda snuffle mat. What are some of your favorite enrichment "hacks"??

Enrichment on a budget 😁 What are some of your favorite enrichment "hacks"??