Graceful Canine

07/03/2024

If it seems to good to be true, it is. Behavior problems are not fixed in a session or two. We all wish they were.

The Dog Daddy's techniques under the guise of training are not only scientifically unsound but also ethically unacceptable. This examination serves as a warning against the allure of quick fixes and the importance of adhering to humane, scientifically backed training methods.

29/08/2023

23/03/2023

16/11/2022

This is spot on! Don’t feel bad if your dog is more selective.
Thanks to for these words of wisdom.

16/09/2022

NYC area adopters, here's a pretty boy for you.

10/08/2022

NEW BLOG POST

When Your Best Friend Bites
By: Jess Feliciano CDBC

Tiptoeing around teeth in your own home isn’t exactly what someone expects when they acquire a dog. The fundamental age-old idea of having a dog is like having a best friend. But what happens when your best friend displays aggression towards you?

Read more here https://bit.ly/3P6Q4Bv

23/07/2022

09/07/2022

Summer and heat danger for dogs

A post about the most important hazard of summer: Heat can be dangerous for your dog.

There are many PSAs about the hazards of hot weather; so many that we may become desensitized to their message. I hope these thoughts can help to bring more attention to prevention of worst case scenarios.

-- As tempting as it may be, choose not to bring your dog to summer events such as street festivals and parades. Somehow this seems to be overlooked by people with the best intentions. At our local Pride event in Philadelphia it was blisteringly hot, yet I encountered one dog after another, dressed in rainbow finery and panting heavily while their humans slowly meandered through the crowd.

-- Use common sense in the car. Running into a store to pick up a few things allows enough time for the car's internal temperature to rise very, very quickly. Don't do it -- take your canine passenger home, and come back for those few things without her. If you absolutely must leave your dog briefly, keep the engine and air conditioning on and lock the door.

-- During the summer months, change your dog walking schedule to accommodate the rise in temperature. Walk him at dawn or after sunset. On days expected to reach very high temperatures, stick to one longer walk at daybreak (see the happy Cardigans in the photo :)) -- or none at all.

-- Get into the habit of bending down to touch the ground. If it's hot to your hand, it's not safe for your dog's pads.

-- Watch your dog's attitude - if she's dragging along, panting hard or reluctant to move, go back home. Along with that, know the signs of heat stress or, when more severe, hyperthermia (heat "stroke"):
---- Uneasiness, anxiety, whining
---- Drooling
---- Gums and tongue extremely red
---- Exaggerated panting
---- Collapse
---- Seizures

-- If you feel there are signs of heat stress, move your dog quickly to a cooler, shaded or air conditioned location. Wet the bottoms (pads) of his feet; offer water. If the heavy panting and other signs persist, take him to an emergency veterinary clinic.

Please remember that your dog will feel uncomfortable and become overheated well before you do.

18/06/2022

GOOD DOG/BAD DOG
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🟠 Dogs aren’t ever out to get us or do something to anger us “on purpose”.
🟠 If your dog destroys something when you’re gone you need to evaluate if stress is a cause for this, or perhaps your dog just isn’t trusted yet to be out of a crate or other confinement just yet.
🟠 If your dog pees on the floor for the 100th time today it’s not because he’s “mad at you”, it’s because you haven’t properly potty trained him. (By the way I do potty coaching if you need help with this! Visit my site for that pottytrainyourpup.com)
🟠 If your dog grabs things off the counter and runs, she’s likely just having a lot of fun! It’s self-rewarding to grab things and it’s even more fun if a chase ensues. Work on counter-surfing and employ management when you cannot supervise.
‼️ Whatever behavior your dog may do that makes you say “he’s naughty” you should stop and ask yourself, but why? There is usually an answer and a solution that’s quite simple! Sometimes it might be complex, but either way it’s not because your dog is just “bad”.
🌟 Training is a glorious thing when done properly and consistently! Hire a trainer today!

05/04/2022

Warning: banging sound

I've been worried about how he would react when my neighbor started renovating. I did some prep work, but this is all him. He still launches off the sofa if he hears anyone whisper in the hallway.

09/03/2022

14/12/2021

Getting in your dog's face and barking at them is not nice. And it can get you a bite to your pretty face! Don't do it.

Currently, a popular trend on TikTok is the “bark at your dog" challenge. The goal is to get a reaction from your dog for a video.

17/11/2021

If your dog developed an obsession with licking things, from carpet floors and furniture to your own arms and legs, it could be a red flag for GI issues.

29/10/2021

Not a week goes by where I don't have to reassure a concerned dog owner their dog's social behaviour at the park is 100% NORMAL!

It's so strange the way we expect our dogs to go to the park, meet 5-10 random dogs, and get along with them all perfectly.

Me? I hate going to nightclubs. I'd rather have coffee with one or two friends, or maybe a walk. Maybe you're the opposite and love going to crowded pubs and making new friends! Neither of us are 'abnormal'. Ok ok, maybe I am - sometimes I take a book to the pub to sit quietly and enjoy my craft brew...

So the sooner we all realise that our dogs have personalities too, the sooner we can stop creating goals for our dogs that they'll never enjoy.

If your dog is aggressive or nervous around other dogs, it's totally reasonable to have a goal to get them to walk past another dog on leash at say 5m distance. It's not a reasonable goal to expect them to enjoy playing with random dogs at the dog park!

As humans, we rarely stop to chat to folks on the street, unless we know them. Somehow this idea goes out the window with dogs, and there's this weird expectation to meet every single other dog on a walk! That's pretty stressful.

Most people want want their dogs to cope with the fair expectations of living safely in our community - to be neutrally social and robust. So let's set some fair expectations:

🐩🐕 Think about your dog's play style. Different breeds play differently! Eg herding, wrestling, body slamming, chasing...

🐕‍🦺🦮 Find a couple of well matched doggy friends for your dog, and let them play in low traffic locations (eg someone's backyard, a secluded park) to enjoy play time.

👋 Set the expectation early that not all dogs are there for play! Teach your puppy that most dogs you meet on the street aren't relevant to them.

🤚Advocate for your dog in play. Don't allow dogs to 'sort it out', or for your dog to bully or be bullied.

🤷‍♀️ Avoid dog parks. Sorry folks, these places generally suck for fair, beneficial and harmonious play.

Happy playing!
Image courtesy of https://www.everydogaustin.org/post/spectrum
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