San Bruno Dog Obedience School (SBDOS)

11/18/2024

Thanksgiving is next week. Please take that dogs do not get into something they cannot have.

Don't forget to keep groceries and ingredients out of your pets reach while you are preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. Keep them in a cabinet or pantry where pets aren't even tempted. If your pet does eat something, please call us or pet Poison Helpline to determine if immediate care is needed or not.

11/08/2024

Our 2025 puppy and Beginning Adult classes are on our website. Go check them out.

Classes are held Saturday mornings at the College of San Mateo. For directions, please see the Contact page. A variety of classes are offered based on your dog's age, needs, and your own interests....

11/07/2024

WHEN SECONDS COUNT

This post is not advocating that dogs meet every other dog, but about how to go about it, if and when it does happen, in a safer way.

The 3 second rule for dogs meeting each other is used as a guideline to help foster positive introductions, prevent either dog from feeling overwhelmed or trapped and prevent any potential reactivity and stress.

A short 3 second introduction is enough time to provide important information to both dogs.

Enough information for dogs to know – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I need you to go away?” etc. Both dogs may not feel the same way – one may not be happy to engage while the other may want to.

All interactions should ideally happen like this, not just initially. Just like us, dogs can have off days – things like pain, trigger stacking, lack of sleep or a host of other reasons can influence whether a dog wants to interact or not.

There are countless times I have witnessed meetings or introductions between dogs that have gone on just a few seconds too long and have not ended well. This can have long lasting effects on future behaviour when meeting other dogs.

Understanding body language is critically important. If we are going to share our lives with another species, protect them, advocate for them and help them feel safe, then we need to understand and respect their language.

The examples in this post of red and green flags are just a few general ones to look out for – there are many more and these will differ depending on the individual dog, context and circumstances.

Here are some resources and links to learn more about body language -
On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://www.dogwise.com/on-talking-terms-with-dogs-calming-signals-2nd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOoqj8ruQJx5bCP7qWb03TqCyAGfmAvCj988UuWk_L1_UHbYcZsES

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://www.heska.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TVBC-Canine-Dog-Body-Language-handout.pdf

Make sure those first 3 seconds count – they can make all the difference.

10/26/2024

Did you know your dog can get a spider bite too?
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1087149186749310&set=a.492201906244044

🕷 You can't always see a spider bite on a furry animal, but the symptoms are pretty significant and hard to miss.
🕸 There may be swelling in an entire limb where the bite was, an open wound that gets worse, a foul smell and the pet does a lot of licking around the bite area.
🐈‍⬛ Cats are very reactive to most spider bites and take longer to heal than dogs.
👀 Look around basements, vents, under dressers, or entertainment centers to make sure they aren't wintering over in your house!



https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/toxintails/spiders-can-do-more-than-spook-this-halloween/?fbclid=IwY2xjawF-l6JleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXMCtRBEEEj3BQO7o0KWWX52ziU5URGpBmkmbS2leYzyxy7C5JZuUTnR0g_aem_Cn0oOjYf5y8f08NoPgrY4w

10/25/2024

Halloween is next week... be careful of chocolates as your dog can be poisoned.

Keep the Trick-or-Treat candy well hidden and away from the animals!

🤮

10/01/2024

What happens if you can no longer care for your pets or if you die? Think about a pet trust.

A pet trust designates a new guardian for companion animals and sets aside funds for their care. Better yet, it’s legally binding.

09/29/2024

AGE ISN’T JUST A NUMBER
Aging in dogs is really not that different to the way that we age, but the sad reality is that when our dogs age, it all seems to happen so fast.

Considering their life span, we really have so little time with them.

It’s important to be aware of the changes that come with aging and do what we can to make this time of their lives as comfortable as possible.

Senior dogs often have a more difficult time coping with things that didn’t seem to bother them before.

Many behaviour changes in this life stage are due to an underlying age-related condition that is causing pain or from a decline in hearing, sight or perception.

Unexpected touch, movement or noise may cause already sore or stiff areas to jerk or tense up in response. That touch, movement or noise is often associated with more pain, creating a new negative reaction.

Managing any medical conditions through regular vet checks, feeding a balanced, age-appropriate diet, increasing mental stimulation to slow down cognitive decline, shorter, slower walks, allowing lots of time to sniff, keeping predictable routines and supervising children or other animals so they don’t bother our senior dog are just some of the things we can do to help our dogs navigate this stage in their life.

Much like how we should be patient and understanding and adjust the environment to accommodate the changing needs of our human seniors, we should be doing the same for our senior dogs.

“Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” - Agnes Sligh Turnbull

09/25/2024

DISTRACTED DOG WALKERS

The distracted dog walker is commonly seen chatting on their cell phone, wearing headphones or socializing with other people while oblivious to what their dog is doing, how their dog is feeling or what is going on in the environment.

This may not sound like a problem to some, but it is something that many people have a problem with, even more so if you have a reactive dog.

I compare walking a dog to driving a car. It’s not so much about our driving skills, but having to constantly be aware of the driving skills of others – trying to predict what they will do, which rules of the road they will ignore and how distracted they are. This is especially true in the country I live in, where driving can be a stressful experience.

I understand that we often need to multi task – there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in our day to accomplish everything we need to, but walking our dogs should not be one of these times.

Some people might say – “but my dog is really friendly, well socialized, gets on well with everyone, is well trained, knows this environment well etc. and I hear that.

But another dog might not be – maybe they need space, are reactive, are not sociable, are recovering from an illness, might be terrified of another dog racing straight towards them chasing a ball thrown from a ball launcher etc.

If distracted dog walkers have no regard for other dogs or other people, they should at least have regard for their own dogs. Walking your dog should be a time of bonding, of relationship, of seeing the environment through the eyes of your dog, of reinforcing and teaching wanted behaviours, of keeping them safe and protected from the unknown.

Our dogs need us to be focused, to pay attention, to be aware and attentive.

Our dogs depend on us to advocate for them.

09/24/2024

We only have one more Beginning Adult Dog class and two more puppy sessions for 2024.

To check out the schedule, go to

Classes are held Saturday mornings at the College of San Mateo. For directions, please see the Contact page. A variety of classes are offered based on your dog's age, needs, and your own interests....

09/24/2024

Darwin's dog food recall....

FDA warning after Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes are found in lots of Darwin's Natural Pet Products raw dog and cat food.

08/26/2024

Happy National Dog Day! Go out and celebrate with your four legged friend.

Found on Google from scld.org

08/22/2024

We only have two more Beginning Adult dog classes for 2024. If you need a class for your dog, check out our classes at: https://www.sbdos.com/beginning-adult.html

We also have Beginning Adult Attitudes classes for dogs With behavioral challenges.

Cost: $160 This class is for dogs six months and older that have had little or no training. It is the perfect class for the dog that needs better manners or for a dog new to your family. The class...

07/24/2024

Wow! We need to remember this as we train our dogs.
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/23/nx-s1-5049543/dogs-stress-smell-study-emotions-decisions?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0VqSRoZ05ijrZmVQLMHFz9RXZZUMdDRDHpZxbPBiP-b-V5-cnF0RBdb14_aem_i1mYjx4D92wdGbESCExmmg

Researchers made volunteers do public speaking and math on the spot, then showed them a calming video. Then, using sweat samples, glass jars and food bowls, they examined the emotional impact on dogs.

07/23/2024

Remember! we are having our rummage sale this Saturday 07/27 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

07/19/2024

Got a new puppy and needs puppy training? We have 5 sessions left for 2024. Check it out at

Cost: $160 This class is for puppies three to six months old who will have at least two of the distemper series vaccines by the second class. It provides training in basic obedience and...

07/14/2024

Come to our rummage sale on July 27th 9-11am
We have some harnesses and collars a soft sided create, and more
Cash only please

07/09/2024

We only have three more Beginning Adult classes for 2024.

Cost: $160 This class is for dogs six months and older that have had little or no training. It is the perfect class for the dog that needs better manners or for a dog new to your family. The class...