Philly Dog Training Pro

05/05/2022

This guy knows his business.

21/03/2022

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

I love the expression "let a dog be a dog".

It's not like they aspire to be birds, or horses. They are dogs. They cannot be anything but dogs.

If it's behavior people refer to when they say this, would they prefer their dogs raid the trash, crap on the floor, bite the mailman and chase cars? Is that what they prefer?

I accept my dogs' 'dogness'. I embrace it. I also expect my dog to be able to function in a human world without a lot of additional effort on my part to contain him or control his behavior.

My dogs are free to run on my property, or in areas that I know will keep them safe, and the world safe from them. They are forbidden to chase game or livestock, but they are still dogs.

Doing dog things.

Doing things on a leash, or because a human makes them do it doesn't make them less dogs, as it makes them better prepared for the invasion of silly people and their bad manners.

So my dogs are dogs, that get to do dog things, and often get to do things that precious few other dogs get to enjoy, like travel, go into places of business, meet new people, and get to do dog things with other dogs in magical places that are not postage stamp back yards and walks through the same neighborhood 2 times a day.

Daycares invite dogs to be crazy dogs. Dog parks invite dogs to be dangerous dogs. I prefer my version of dogs being dogs; polite, mannerly, indifferent to uncouth people that don't know how to act around dogs, or other dogs that haven't had the benefit of training to learn how to adapt to any environment they might find themselves "being dogs" in.

So, when you are compelled to say things like that, or hear someone else say things like that, reflect on what "being a dog" is, first, before trying to cast such a lame aspersion.

11/01/2022

This is what I tell my clients.

Why we don't recommend board and trains..

For those unfamiliar with board and train programs, basically the way it is set up is that a dog will be sent to a professional trainer. The dog stays at the trainer’s home or training/boarding facility. The stay can last up to 2-3 weeks, and during this time, the trainer works solely with the dog. Once the time is up, the dog is then returned to the owner, fully trained and normally the owner is given some follow-up instructions so that they know what to do once the dog is back home. Because of the amount of time and effort put in by the trainer (not to mention the boarding and caring for the dog), these board and train programs can cost a few thousand bucks.

Now apart from the thousands of dollars spent, the board and train program sounds like a dream. As the owner, you can simply send your dog off for training and after a couple of weeks, pick him up and he’s a training champ!

The common issue I find a lot with those that have tried board and train is the fact that the owner is not part of the dog’s training and behavioral growth. Sure, the owner will probably get some guidelines on how to maintain the training that the dog went through, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Perhaps there are misinterpretations with the directions, or the owner simply cannot demonstrate the same leadership and confident handling abilities as the trainer, because they never really learned themselves. Board and train takes the most important person out of the training equation: the dog’s owner.

09/12/2021

The truth about your pup is not necessarily what you may wish to hear.

They make brilliant companions, but do dogs really feel empathy for humans - and what is going through their minds when they play, panic or attack?

29/10/2021

I agree wholeheartedly. I try to politely tell my clients this.

24/10/2021

This is seriously cruel behavior.

Rescue centres say they are increasingly seeing pets that their owners are now too busy to look after

14/10/2021

I love it!

Dog owners…this may explain a lot of our challenges with our dogs! 😂

08/10/2021

So true!

EDIT:

This post is edited to provide some points of clarification that where brought up in the comments section.

1. There are many types of abuse that occur, this post is specifically talking about physical abuse, not abuse from neglect.

2. Many problem behaviors that lead to dogs ending up in shelters are a direct result of a lack of socialization or training. This is due to the original owners of the dog lacking the knowledge to properly raise the dog and develop good behaviors. This lack of knowledge is not abuse, the owners inability does not make them an abuser, and the dog is not a victim of abuse.

3. This post is directed at shelters that lie about a dogs background in order to sell a sob story to owners and make a profit. This is not saying all shelters are bad, just that this is a current issue that many individuals are unaware of and needs to be made known.

4. In many cases poor behavior from dogs such as extreme anxiety, fearfulness, and aggression can be caused by poor genetics. Many dogs taken into shelters have unknown pedigrees and therefor they can often be dealt a poor hand at birth setting the stage for their behaviors later in life. If a dog is cowing in fear as you walk up to it there is a good chance that is largely due to genetics.

5. This meme is not anti shelter or rescue nor does it suggest that breeders are better than shelters. It simply is pointing out a flaw in the system, which is a small percentage of shelters that seek to make a profit off of the misfortune of animals. If you believe that there is no such thing than I am sorry to inform you that is not the case. Here is but one of many articles that takes a look at the issue. https://www.philanthropydaily.com/the-big-business-of-dog-rescue/

28/07/2021

Useful information to be disseminated

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

17/06/2021

I believe many people feel this way.

✅😁

08/06/2021

Stay in the know with Nextdoor, the neighborhood hub.

07/06/2021

24/05/2021

Dogs are amazing creatures. Training exercises their brains and gives them a job to perform!

Study in London used six enthusiastic dogs in a double-blind trial

03/05/2021

I completely agree. This is something I tell my clients. Nicely.

Some of you will no doubt have seen the segment on dog theft on the BBC's “Countryfile” programme. If not, I recommend you watch it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000vlsh/countryfile-nidderdale

DOG THEFTS IN THE UK HAVE INCREASED 170% SINCE THE START OF LOCKDOWN IN MARCH 2020 . 52% OF DOGS STOLEN ARE TAKEN FROM OWNERS’ GARDENS. Let that sink in. Also, let it sink in that only ONE PER CENT of dog theft cases make it to Court. Dog theft is not treated any differently by the police than the theft of a mobile phone or any other inanimate object. It is still considered a low-level crime; a dog is still considered “property”. The onus is therefore on YOU, the owner, to ensure the safety of your beloved pet or working companion.

Lockdown has resulted in a massive increase in dog ownership. Sadly, from my observations, lockdown has also resulted in an increased lack of awareness in us humans, who seem to have forgotten how to interact properly and safely with the world around us – especially with other humans.

A few days ago I was standing talking with a client, with our dogs sitting quietly beside us, when a woman approached us, completely unsolicited, and – totally ignoring us and the fact we were having a private conversation – tried to call my (on leash) dog over to her, crouching down as she moved toward him (not a good idea with any dog), clicking her fingers, and making kissy noises. When she finally realised our conversation had stopped and that we were both looking at her, and that my dog was not going to come to her, she reluctantly made eye contact with me and, rather than greet me, simply asked if my dog was “friendly” (whatever that means) – as if she had every right to treat a perfect stranger and their dog as a mobile petting zoo. When I told her politely that he wasn’t, and that for his safety I didn’t allow him to greet strangers, she actually became upset and offended, and strode off muttering to herself. The point in posting this story is not merely to highlight the woman's odd and intrusive behaviour; it is that, for all I knew, she could have been a potential thief. It would have taken seconds for her to grab my dog and run off with him, if he had not been sitting closely behind me as trained to do.

Society in certain cultures has reached a juncture where we are willing to sacrifice our own safety and comfort in order to avoid “offending” someone else. We have forgotten how to put boundaries. We are prepared to put our dogs in jeopardy by teaching them that strangers are things of value, for fear of appearing impolite, or not appearing “kind”. I’m sorry, but that doesn’t fly, with me. “Kind” is a word that has been weaponized. I consider the greatest kindness to be keeping myself, my dog, and others, safe.

The current epidemic of dog theft cannot be mitigated against entirely; nothing in life can. But I have put together a few (common sense) pointers in the attached infographic that I would encourage you to read and share, that may help prevent someone having to go through the heartache of losing a beloved companion.

Edited to add: "My dogs are trained to come back to me," is no good whatsoever in a theft situation. I don't care how good your dog's recall is: if you are sending/allowing your dogs away from you to seek value elsewhere (e.g. from "sniffing things"), you are already at a disadvantage if someone chooses to grab them.