Summit Paws

08/13/2024

Multi dog homes are hard, but they are possible with rules and structure.

53 likes, 5 comments. “Having a multi dog household is often ALOT!!! It often looks like managment to some degree, sometimes scuffles, other times fights and every once in a while they totally surprise you! All im saying is if your dogs dont love one another IT IS OK. Put in the work to have a goo...

08/06/2024

To those contemplating the rehoming of a pet, this is not intended to cause shame or guilt, but rather to encourage thoughtful consideration.

It is essential to recognize that there is no ideal home where individuals magically acquire more time or resources. Similarly, there is no farmer in need of an untrained dog, nor is there a rescue organization with unlimited resources and time to devote to every dog.

The reality is that many well-behaved and loving dogs languish in shelters and foster care for extended periods, sometimes exceeding a year, without receiving any adoption applications.

Before resorting to rehoming, it is crucial to exhaust all available options and make every effort to ensure a successful and fulfilling life for your pet. This may involve seeking professional training, exploring alternative care arrangements, or addressing any behavioral challenges.

Remember, rehoming should only be considered as a last resort, and every effort should be made to find a suitable and loving home for your pet.

07/16/2024

07/09/2024

Excellent example.

07/04/2024

We are working on expanding our hiking trails around the property for our furry clients.

We can’t wait to share with all of you the exciting things to come!

06/27/2024

Join The Barefoot Dog Trainer and I at Let's Speak Dog for a day of learning! We are always looking to further our education and learn new ways to help your pups navigate this world.

https://loom.ly/Tq6KN9w

05/15/2024

We love our dogs, they mean the world to us. And because we love them, we train them. If you love your dog, give them what they deserve. Go train your dog.

05/12/2024

Important info right here people.

05/10/2024

04/23/2024

If you pay attention to enough dog training posts and comments, you’ll notice an interesting thing...

There’s a disturbing lack of care, support, or concern for the human.

You’ll find a never ending supply of the above for the dog, but the human...nah, they must have somehow deserved what they got, or are getting. They’re painted as ignorant, lazy, and in some strange way, the enemy.

It’s deeply telling that the humans writing the posts and comments, find it almost impossible to actually care about other humans.

Who cares about the owner who’s been pulled to the ground, drug across the pavement, had muscles pulled, bones broken, fingers crushed, assorted puncture wounds and nasty gashes?

And this doesn’t even touch on the emotional fallout. Loads of stress, anxiety, fear are terribly commonplace. Having to rearrange your life to be able to walk your dog at a safe time. Not being able to safely have friends or family over. Romantic relationships getting caught in the crossfire. Hoping you don’t come home to a broken crate, and a destroyed house.

Yep, I’m a dog lover. But I’m also a human lover. That’s why I train the way I do, and why I recommend the tools I do. I want the best for both species. If training is going to work, it needs to work. It needs to be straightforward enough, simple enough, and replicable enough...for regular, everyday owners. Owners who aren’t trainers, and who don’t have 10 hours a day to devote to working some incredibly intricate and nuanced training.

Too many trainers continue to focus on the dogs, the art, and themselves. And while there’s nothing wrong with being artful and deeply thoughtful about the training process, if it’s not something your clients can or will duplicate, it’s simply a waste of time, and an exercise in self-indulgence.

The true art, the true nuance, and the true magic of great training is figuring out how to make something that IS complex and nuanced, as simple as possible. Not dumb, not unfair, not crude, but simple and replicable.

If trainers can make a shift and learn to see the human as at least as important as the dog, and at least as deserving of empathy and care and kindness, they might just find a new focus on their methods, and their tool choices. They might just find themselves realizing that owners who are happy and comfortable with their dogs, tend to keep their dogs. They tend to enjoy their dogs. They tend to give their dogs much better lives.

And if dogs are your passion, then perhaps when you realize they only thrive when cared for properly, you might leave the fancy, the complex, the ego-fueled lingo, mindset, and techniques at the door, and instead find what actually works for those who’ve asked for their help.

And maybe even do it with kindness and care. Just a thought.

03/31/2024

Hoppy Easter from our gang to you! I don’t think they are too pleased with their new ears but they definitely make cute bunnies 🐰

Karli Mae

03/06/2024

Make recall fun!

No one wants to go home while having fun especially if you know you’re going to get yelled at.

ARE YOU WORTH COMING BACK TO?

I often cringe when I watch people trying to get their dogs to come back when they call.

They call and call and get increasingly angry and frustrated as their dog keeps ignoring them.

When their dog eventually does come back, or has been chased and "captured” by the now really angry person, they get screamed at, yanked about, smacked or punished in some way for taking so long and not listening.

Why on earth would a dog want to return to someone who does this to them!

Genetics may play a big part in this when an environment is far more stimulating and exciting.

Coming back to you is often the last thing a dog may want to do when genetic instinct is triggered.

An exciting scent or seeing something to chase can all override a response to recall.

Genetics aside, the most common reason that dogs don’t come back when called is because it’s not a positive experience.

Make coming back to you worth it by always making it a rewarding experience and keep practicing this throughout a dog’s life.

Have a little patience if it takes longer than you would like, let your dog finish what they’re doing before calling them, practice in different locations and environments and never reprimand or punish them for coming back.

There is never a guarantee of a perfect recall each and every time, but making it a rewarding experience will greatly improve the rate of success.

01/19/2024

Great explanation on reactivity and how you and your dog work together in public.

01/09/2024

This is how a multi-dog house works.

Let's get real for a second.

The world often paints a picture that dogs who live together are best friends and do everything together.

This is just not true. Many many many multidog household utilize management in different situations to allow dogs personal space to enjoy things such as:

- feeding time
- chew time
- play time
- attention time

This. Is. Normal.

Just because someone utilizes management, doesn't mean their dogs don't enjoy each other's company or have fun together. It just means that there are certain activities that they prefer to do on their own.

And I will tell you firsthand that implementing safe space zones and time apart can be so beneficial to the relationship between two dogs.

Think about it-- do you enjoy doing every single activity that you do at home with your spouse, family, or sibling RIGHT there? I don't think so.

So let's normalize management between dogs who live together!!

Do you want to work on your dogs' relationship and/or interactions? Go to my website here to schedule a private consult: perkedears.com/private-training-sessions

12/30/2023

I see a lot of cases where dogs frequently dart out of the front door. Some of these dogs, encounter danger if they run loose. But many of the ones I see, are a danger to others when they run loose.

Teaching impulse control and boundaries at doorways is an absolute must. However, if you have a dog that is a danger to society AND has a history of bolting through the front door, I always recommend creating a double barrier at the front door. Training and behavior is never 100% fool proof. Dogs make mistakes. People make mistakes. And sometimes we cannot afford for any more mistakes to happen.

This recommendation is NOT a substitute for training. But, when added in as a compliment, if we make it a rule that the gate closes before you open the door and vice versa, we can get pretty close to a 100% fool proof guarantee that door dashing will never happen again. I always tell people that I’m a realist and that safety is top priority. So in these cases, the configurable gates are a crucial part of the plan.

12/20/2023

This is extremely relevant today and the lifestyle within your average family. It’s a good listen!

12/16/2023

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Christmas is coming, why not give the gift of relationship building and an unforgettable bond for human and dog?
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12/07/2023

Please watch until the end!
Such a good example of consistency and why it’s so important.

12/05/2023

A must read!

12/03/2023

Why you shouldn't buy that puppy

Today’s the day. You’re picking up your new puppy. A couple months ago you found an ad for German Shepherd puppies for sale, you went and picked out your puppy, you’ve been gathering all the things you’ll need for him, and you’ve been impatiently waiting for the day you get to bring him home. You anxiously make that two hour drive, smiling from ear to ear and thinking about all the adorable puppy snuggles you’re about to have. Those first few puppy months will be difficult, but you’ll make it through. With lots of training and daily exercise, you'll turn him into the best behaved boy, and you’ll be very proud of both yourself and your dog. You’ll end up spending the next 7 years with your best friend. Making incredible memories, going on awesome adventures. Until that one dreaded day. You wake up in the morning and you notice your dog seemed to fall when he woke up. He’s limping a bit on his back leg, but after a few minutes he’s back to normal. It seems like his leg was asleep, maybe he slept on it weird, you tell yourself. Until it happens again, only this time his leg doesn’t return to normal, and you notice it's happening with both of his legs. He starts to drag them a bit as he tries to walk, he seems wobbly, and has difficulty getting up from sitting or laying down. You immediately make a vet appointment. You’re hoping it’s nothing, or that maybe it’s something that can be fixed with surgery. After all, your dog is only 7 years old. The vet comes in after running tests and tells you that your dog has Degenerative Myelopathy. First signs of the disease generally begin between the ages of 7-12. You have no idea what that means, but the vet tells you that it is a genetic progressive incurable disease of the spinal cord, it will not only paralyze your dog, but it will eventually make it’s way up to his front legs and neck, and inevitably lead to death. Your dog is given 6 months to three years to live. If he does make it three years, he will need constant care. He will develop urinary and f***l incontinence, and he will never have the quality of life he once had. They recommend euthanasia.

This all happened because some irresponsible backyard breeder decided to breed their dogs without doing proper health testing. Ethical, responsible breeders would have tested both parents for the gene prior to breeding, to ensure their puppies came out healthy. Backyard breeders only breed for money, and they do not do any necessary testing. The gene SOD1 can be responsible for the development of this disease. A DM DNA test can show whether the dog is clear of the gene, is a carrier of the gene, or has two genes. No dogs that are both carriers of the gene should ever be bred. If the dog has two genes, they are at risk of developing DM, but this does not mean they will 100% develop the disease, it just makes their chances of developing it much greater. This is one, amongst many genetic diseases, that can be tested for and prevented in litters. It is one of MANY reasons why people should boycott backyard breeders, and it is also one of MANY reasons why pet professionals have opinions about backyard breeders. No one deserves to lose their pet in this way. No one deserves to watch their pet suffer from something that could have been prevented.

So remember friends, adopt a dog from your local shelter, or if you wish to purchase a puppy, please do adequate research to ensure they are ethical breeders that do proper health testing. Regardless of what some may believe, there are many breeders who breed for both quality and health, they do it because they are passionate about their breed of choice, and many of them spend A TON of money on their dogs, leading to very little, if any profit, from the sale of the litter. Dogs bred from responsible breeders will rarely ever end up in a shelter, because homes are carefully screened and questioned prior to taking home a puppy. They also have a clause in their contract that prohibits new owners from breeding their dogs. In addition to that, reputable breeders will always take one of their puppies back if the owners can no longer care for them, even if already well into adulthood, because to them their produced puppies are family, not just dogs.

PLEASE adopt OR shop responsibly, because supporting backyard breeders also supports the abundance of unwanted dogs that end up in shelters, and you as the purchaser are part of the problem.

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