Michelle Hill Cpdt-ka

09/11/2024

💕🐾 Patch is a cutie pie and going to be so smart.

So, it’s fluffy you like…one of those thick, luxury edition coats. Well, that’s exactly what Patch has. And it’s gorgeous! He’s a handsome guy with a huge smile who’s known for his friendliness and his love of zoomies. Yes, he loves to race around the yard as fast his little feet will carry him. Patch is fan of everyone and everything. He’s never meet a stranger and he probably never will. Patch is a mix of…well, I’m not really sure. But I’m going way out on a limb and saying St. Bernard might be in there. But all I know for sure is that he’s a head-turner. Just a beautiful boy! Patch is 6 months old and weighs 48 pounds. He’s going a be a big boy. A big, fluffy boy with a fantastic personality!

09/11/2024

09/11/2024

I am just in love with this little girl!!! If I thought for a second that she and Yadi would get along she would be coming home with me!!! She is so smart and has so much personality.

Goodness gracious, we don’t know how she does it. Her workload is tremendous…never has a break. Never gets a moment’s peace. All poor Mila does is work. No time off. No holidays. Just work and more work. With her nose constantly to the grindstone, it a wonder she has any nose left. Ask her, and this is the story she’ll tell you. As you can see, though, it’s not 100% accurate. The truth is…Mila does train and do her lessons. But she’s also babied. A lot. Because she’s sweet and cute. And because she loves being babied. Mila is a 2-year-old, 24-pound mix. She’s an overgrown puppy. That’s her chosen profession. And she’s very, very good at her job!

09/11/2024

Lord Ruffenstein on his velvet throne. He’s puppy royalty, and he’s looking for a forever kingdom. He’s a social creature…loves to meet people and enjoys the company of other dogs. Ruff is a big-footed 7-month-old mixed breed. Looks like he could have yellow lab in him. Don’t have a weight on this handsome blond dude, but he’s going to be lab-sized. As nice looking as he is in this photo, he’s even more handsome in person. He’ll be a great sidekick. And a loyal one!

21/10/2024

She does have feet. And legs. We’ve checked, and Callie has all the essential body parts. She also has plenty of personality, charm, sweetness and smarts. Everything is beautifully wrapped in spots and splotches. Callie is a very striking young lady. She’s a Catahoula mix, about 7-months-old. The sweet girl already weighs 40 pounds, which means she will be large…probably 65-70 pounds. Callie is a nice, focused dog. Especially considering she’s still a puppy. She would make an excellent walking or running buddy. And a darn good family dog!

20/10/2024

So proud of all these kids that came out today to be a part of our Fit Dog Club’s Turkey Trot!! 🐾🩷

27/09/2024

In case you were wondering what it takes to use a shock collar.

02/09/2024

02/09/2024

This is perfect for both canine and human

15/08/2024

It’s so important to see what the dog needs to be able to fix behavior problems!!

30/07/2024

Maggie Mae is at the clinic working on not barking so loud at her friends that come in! She is deaf so she doesn’t hear how loud her bark is. Alicia

07/07/2024

Congratulations to Lori & Jude and Debbie & Pheboe!! They both passed CGC tests today!

03/06/2024

A UC Davis study updates guidelines for when you should neuter or spay your dog to prevent increased risk of certain cancers or joint disorders.

21/04/2024

Oh my, what a dramatically marked, beautiful dog! Her name is Willow, and she’s still a baby girl Willow is just 7-months old. Her current weight is 30 pounds. She’s one of a litter of 7, and her handsome brother is in the program with her. Their mother died when the pups were just 5 weeks old. And they owe their lives to the wonderful foster who filled in for her. Willow is well-rounded…both ready to play and romp, and then to settle in a for nap on the sofa. She’s very sweet and well-intended. Willow already gets an A+ on her report card, and she just got here!

24/03/2024

The amount of times someone has said “but their tail was wagging”

A WORD ABOUT WAGS
“I don’t understand why that dog reacted so badly to me; his tail was wagging!”

Contrary to popular belief, a wagging tail doesn’t always mean a dog is happy.

Dogs communicate through so many different types of body language, but the wag and the tail position are probably one of the easier to notice.

As with most things it depends on the individual dog. Some breeds naturally carry their tails in a different position and some breeds wag their tails differently to others.

Wags and tail positions should always be looked at in context and together with the rest of the body language. Body language should always be looked at as a “video” and not as an isolated “picture”.

Noticing how your dog’s tail usually looks or how the tail behaves when they’re happy to see you or relaxed and contented, provides a good base line to interpret other types of tail language.

I often watch my dogs’ tails with fascination as they stalk or hunt for something, bark at something outside or see another dog approaching while out walking.

The type of wag and position of their tails gives me so much information about their emotional state.

Although some people won’t agree, I definitely see wags to the right when my dogs are happy and wags to the left when there is arousal, uncertainty, predatory behaviour or other emotions going on.

Not only is the tail an important method of communication but it also plays a role in balance, stability, movement and counterbalancing should a dog quickly change direction.

I believe that tail docking destroys an essential part of a dog's ability to communicate with other dogs by creating a distinct social disadvantage or misunderstanding as tail signals can’t be read.

People with working dogs believe that tail docking is necessary to prevent tail injuries or improve performance, but many countries have banned this practice either completely or only under specific medical circumstances.

Start taking notice of what your dog is doing with their tail - you may find it interesting and it may open up a new way of understanding how your dog is feeling.

Here is a link to a graphic I created with some different tail positions and what they might mean -

https://www.canva.com/design/DAF_7l_2LvA/UGXVDl-TOPc_FCqHXsCWRQ/view?utm_content=DAF_7l_2LvA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=GOVbqw1dfw