Focused Canine Academy

07/20/2024

Oh how I have missed these two! Maverick the Boxer and my Whisky Girl. 🥰

I also got to work with Dolly the new addition. She is a 7 month old puppy with a lot of potential. 🥰

07/18/2024

It was great meeting with my old group class today!

If you want training, I am in Tracy till next Wed the 24th. I would love to schedule a session for you and your dog!

07/18/2024

It was great meeting with my old group class today!

If you want training, I am in Tracy till next Wed the 24th. I would love to schedule a session for you and your dog!

04/30/2024

I am working with a lil puppy at the DeKalb Animal Shelter. I have been working here since Dec and work with these dogs periodically. Not as much as I’d like to recently, but that will change soon!

This is Shine. We are working on being polite to come out of the crate and not to jump on people for love or toys.

It’s so important to teach them while they are young that jumping is not acceptable. I hear it all the time, “they are so cute and little I don’t mind it.”

They won’t be little forever and it’ll take a lot of stress and work on your part to change their jumping habit when their bigger.

Just set your expectations early and they will be easier to handle when they are full grown. 🐾

02/13/2024

01/15/2024

We are enjoying this surprise snowfall at our new home. 🥰🐾

01/05/2024

Justice is the sweetest high energy pup. We are guessing he is an Anatolian Shep mix.

01/04/2024

Isn’t Rebel just the cutest!!! He is a high energy boy who needs an active home that can give him healthy, structured exercise and boundary’s.

01/04/2024

Meet Rebel. He’s is a German Wirehaired Pointer. Available at the DeKalb Animal Shelter in Smithville, Tn.

12/04/2023

Kate doesn’t know how to use a dog bed or maybe she is onto something. Lol

11/28/2023

We've had some calls and questions from clients about the respiratory virus that has been in the news so much lately. We saw this information and thought it may be helpful in answering some of your questions!

11/13/2023

This is one thing to really consider before rehoming your dog.

Just think of how happy they are to see you when you get home.

Going to a shelter is stressful for any dog, all the sounds and smells of other stressed out animals is overwhelming.

Plus as much as you love your dog, it’s just a dog to someone else looking for their new pet. So your pup may have a long stay at a shelter, as long as it’s a no kill shelter, if it’s not they may have a worse outcome.

Consider hiring a dog walker, crate training your dog if they are destructive, setting up a nice dog run in your yard with enrichment toys, or taking them to a doggie daycare before even considering they would rather be with another family.

11/07/2023

Sometimes your dogs anxiety or reactivity can be caused by something you can not hear. I know at times I have heard a quiet high frequency sound from our outlets and such in our home. If you have an anxious animal, this sound can up their stress level immensely.

Remember "your dog is not giving you a hard time, they are having a hard time" when it comes to their anxious or reactive behavior. Think outside the box when it comes to helping our dogs chill out.

PSA: We adopted our dog, Rowdy, from the shelter 5 years ago. He was already an adult dog, so we estimate he is about 11 or 12 years old at this point. I love this dog. He is the sweetest soul and my BFF. For the past week or so he hasn’t been acting like himself. He licked a raw spot on his foot. He was panting constantly. He was pacing. Sunday morning, the pacing and panting got so bad, and I was REALLY nervous that there was something seriously wrong with him. For 45 minutes, he panted like crazy and constantly paced back and forth. He was keeping his tail tucked down all the time. His ears were pinned back. He would not settle down and he wouldn’t eat. We tried everything. I ended up giving him a trazadone that he takes sometimes when he goes to the groomer. It seemed to take a little bit of the edge off, but not much. He still wouldn’t eat and still wouldn’t settle. I took off work on Monday so I could take him to the vet. We did bloodwork and x-rays. Knowing he is a senior dog, I was trying to prepare myself for the worst case scenario. I was glad to see his bloodwork was great except for some elevated liver enzymes. The x-rays showed he was a little backed up but no major issues. He got an anti-nausea injection and some Gabapentin to help with some tenderness in his back and to hopefully help keep him calm. When we got home, he was ok for a little bit, but eventually started pacing and panting again. We walked around the neighborhood for a long time and he used the bathroom a lot. He seemed pretty happy about that and was in good spirits until we got home and he refused to come back in the house. Every time I took him out that evening, he would hunker down like he didn’t want to come back in the house. When my vet called and I gave her the update, she suggested there may be some new electronic device in the house that was emitting a high frequency noise that is hurting his ears. We had just put new smart outlets in the house about a week ago. His pacing and panting were worse when the lamps were on, so I unplugged all the smart outlets. He stopped panting, stopped pacing, and ate his food. His tail was even up and wagging again. When I plugged the smart outlets all back in and asked Alexa to turn on the lamps, he immediately started panting and pacing again. My husband used an app to test the frequency of the smart outlets. It was off the charts. We've left the outlets unplugged for two days and have confirmed that it is definitely the smart outlets that are causing his stress and discomfort. He's back to being a totally normal dog now. I really thought this was the end for Rowdy based on the way he was acting. I am so thankful for Dr. Newell at BoonesCreek AnimalHospital for figuring out this simple solution. If your pets are exhibiting similar symptoms, you may want to consider checking your electronics first. I cannot express how relieved I am that he is ok now. 😭♥️🐶

11/07/2023

Ragnar is keeping me company while I feed horses.

He is working on being tied out and waiting patiently.

Ragnar says this is boring work.

11/01/2023

With the cooler weather coming our way in Tennessee, be prepared.

10/06/2023

Working in the misty rain in our front yard. 🥰

10/05/2023

I am finally working on a behavioral down with my own boy Goober.

Our life became busy working on moving across country. Now that we are settling in, I can focus on my own dogs again.

Goober is an energetic boy who has a hard time shutting down and relaxing around everyone. He things there are better things to do out there than relax.

By working on behavior downs, I am allowing him to work through his frustrations and find relaxation on his own.

09/27/2023

Sitting on the porch waiting for the rain to come.

09/26/2023

The Focused Canine Crew made it to McMinnville, Tennessee!

It was an amazing trip with all 5 dogs, 8 people, 4 cats, a Guinea pig and rabbit.

The dogs and family love it here and we can not wait to help family’s and their dogs in Warren County Tennessee!

09/07/2023

love! Kate and Harley loved their puppachino. Especially Harley!

08/22/2023

We are going to miss our Whiskey Girl. She’s always the bestest girl when she stays with us.

We love you Miss Whiskey! 💕🥰