Carmel Dog Zone

30/08/2024

Genetics are strong.

28/08/2024

Electric fences are SO popular here and we see the fallout often when they are used, especially with hounds and other breeds.

How secure are electric fences?

A survey of 974 dog owners asked how their dogs were confined to the yard, whether they had escaped. The results showed that an electronic fence was the LEAST effective method of containing a dog: 44% of dogs contained by one had escaped. Dogs were less likely to have escaped from a tether (27%) or from a see-through fence (e.g. chain link or slatted wood) (23%) or a privacy fence that is not see-through (also 23%). Escape rates were not associated with how dogs were trained on them.


Ref: Starinsky, et al (2017). Escape rates and biting histories of dogs confined to their owner's property through the use of various containment methods. JAVMA, 250(3), 297-302.

19/08/2024

We have had a few cases of mycotoxin poisoning recently. Its not a poisoning that folks are generally familiar with, so we thought we'd share the information to raise awareness.-

Ingestion of mouldy food from the bin or a compost pile puts dogs, cats, horses, livestock, and even wildlife at risk for toxicity due to tremorgenic mycotoxins. These toxins may be found in MOULDY bread, pasta, cheese, nuts, or other decaying matter like compost. Clinical signs include vomiting, agitation, incoordination, tremors, seizures, and elevated body temperature. A specific mycotoxin called aflatoxin can even cause liver failure. Be sure to keep mouldy food and compost out of your pets reach!

13/08/2024

A Carmel Dog Zone client and their little girl :) They practiced and put in the work! Well done!

13/08/2024

It’s up to you how you want to train.

09/08/2024

I truly believe that if Steve Irwin were alive today, he would have a dedicated group of people who hated him for how he treated animals.

Steve always treated every species he worked with, as the species they were, not forcing them to change their nature.

More and more I find myself trying to convince people to "let the dog go outside, it's okay if they get a little dirty" or "your snake is arboreal and can't just be confined to a small tub." Or "Your working breed dog is not happy being still and lazy in your one bedroom apartment with nothing to keep them active and thinking."

It seems in this next generation of animal husbandry, we're deciding that all animals are now going to become (and be treated as) our little babies.

Now, is it okay to refer to your furry, feathered, scaly friend as such? Of course!
Is it okay to treat them as human babies...absolutely not at all.

As we see this change taking place, so to do we see more and more stressed out animals. Ones with a lack of structure and mental enrichment...but tons and tons of random toys and bags of treats.

What Steve Irwin did is create an environment that was enriching for the animals he had. Not attempt to force the animals to adjust to his environment.

Taking your Border Collie or herding, working, hunting, breed on a 10 minute walk (as long as you remember, it's not raining or just not feeling upto it) once a day, is not cutting it.

Locking your pyrenees or Shepherd breed in a kennel all day and then keeping'em in a small apartment, but still expecting the dog to be still and always cuddling...not cutting it.

Keeping your African grey parrot in a small enclosure with a few items that you've not replaced...is not cutting it.

When you bring an animal into your life. It is so important to understand what that animal is and have a structured enrichment routine and appropriate setup for the breed/species before you take in the animal.

Anything less than what your animal needs is a disservice to your best friend.

Be kind to your animals, enrich their lives (in a way that's appropriate for them). Keep them thinking. Keep them exploring. Give them understanding and structure and you will keep them happy.

~Benjamin McGill, M.C.B Owner of GoodBoy animal training.

Picture taken while visiting local aquarium store.

19/07/2024

24/06/2024

Be a Dog Detective – Dogs Do Not Like Hugs and Kisses
https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/resource/be-a-dog-detective-dogs-do-not-like-hugs-and-kisses/

20/06/2024

Loving our pets to death. :(

Body condition. It’s important. This is my dog Finn who is an AmStaff/American Bully mix found as a puppy, produced by a backyard breeder who did no health testing.

Finn is almost 9 years old and was an athlete most of his adult life. He participated in a variety of sports and was in excellent physical condition.

When he turned 7, he began to have physical problems. Limps here and there which progressively got worse. Over the course of a year, multiple vet visits, specialists, images, etc he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, possible IVDD and eventually discospondylitis, an infection in the spine which deteriorated the discs and vertebra.

This caused his immediate retirement and a very long journey of recovery. His body condition deteriorated quickly. Shockingly quickly.

Now. Had Finn been out of condition, overweight or had no experience with body awareness his recovery would’ve been exceptionally more difficult.

These days I see far more overweight and morbidly obese pet dogs than I’ve ever seen. It breaks my heart. What’s worse is that many of these owners tell me their veterinarian has never discussed their dog’s weight with them. I’ve learned that if I bring it up, people often get offended.

This is particularly heartbreaking with young dogs. Owners are loving their dogs to death with food. Canine obesity reduces your dog’s lifespan. It increases the chances your dog will be in pain for years as the extra weight exacerbates arthritis and stiffness.

Please, please learn about Canine body condition scores and what your dog’s healthy weight and muscle tone should look like. A fit dog is much happier and healthier and our perception of what that looks like is flawed.

The photo below of my own dog probably looks okay to most people. To me he’s overweight, albeit slightly, and his muscle tone is lacking. Because he is greatly restricted in activity I have to be creative to get him to and maintain a healthy body condition.

https://www.petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check

01/06/2024

We’ve neglected our social media but….

This is Bosco… 😍

21/05/2024

**It has been brought to our attention that our site through Google has been hacked.

Thank you for your patience as we contact Google and remedy this! Contact us here, by phone or email, [email protected].**

01/05/2024

Some adorable Board and Train faces for your day!

13/04/2024

29/03/2024

People hate to hear about management and how important it is, but preach!!

I have loads of amazing clients that do the work we discuss and put forth the effort to train their dogs using the advice and plans I gi...

07/03/2024

Everyone who is thinking of getting dogs should read this because you need to understand this reality:

***I am a 21st century dog.***
-I'm a Malinois.
Overskilled among dogs, I excel in all disciplines and I'm always ready to work: I NEED to work.
But nowadays I get asked to chill on the couch all day everyday.

-I am an Akita Inu.
My ancestors were selected for dog fighting.
Today I get asked to be tolerant and I get scolded for my reactivity when another approaches me.

-I am a Beagle.
When I chase my prey, I raise my voice so the hunters could follow.
Today they put an electric collar on me to shut up, and you make me come back to you - no running - with a snap of your fingers.

-I am a Yorkshire Terrier.
I was a terrifying rat hunter in English mines.
Today they think I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

-I'm a Labrador Retriever.
My vision of happiness is a dive into a pond to bring back the duck he shot to my master.
Today you forget I'm a walking, running, swimming dog; as a result I'm fat, made to stay indoors, and to babysit.

-I am a Jack Russell.
I can take on a fox, a mean badger, and a rat bigger than me in his den.
Today I get scolded for my character and high energy, and forced to turn into a quiet living room dog.

-I am a Siberian Husky.
Experienced the great, wide open spaces of Northern Europe, where I could drag sleds for long distances at impressive speeds.
Today I only have the walls of the house or small garden as a horizon, and the holes I dig in the ground just to release energy and frustration, trying to stay sane.

-I am a border collie
I was made to work hours a day in partnershipwith my master, and I am an unmistakable artist of working with the herd.
Today they are mad at me because, for lack of sheep, I try to check bikes, cars, children in the house and everything in motion.

I am ...
I am a 21st century dog.
I'm pretty, I'm alert, I'm obedient, I stay in a bag...but I'm also an individual who, from centuries of training, needs to express my instincts, and I am *not* suited for the sedentary life you'd want me to lead.
Spending eight hours a day alone in the house or in the garden - with no work and no one to play or run with, seeing you for a short time in the evening when you get home, and only getting a small toilet walk will make me deeply unhappy.
I'll express it by barking all day, turning your yard into a minefield, doing my needs indoors, being unmanageable the rare times I'll find myself outside, and sometimes spending my days sunk, sad, lonely, and depressed, on my pillow.
You may think that I should be happy to be able to enjoy all this comfort while you go to work, but actually I’ll be exhausted and frustrated, because this is absolutely NOT what I'm meant to do, or what I need to be doing.
If you love me, if you've always dreamed of me, if my beautiful blue eyes or my athletic look make you want me, but you can't give me a real dog's life, a life that's really worth living according to my breed, and if you can't offer me the job that my genes are asking, DO NOT buy or adopt me!
If you like the way I look but aren't willing to accept my temperament, gifts, and traits derived from long genetic selection, and you think you can change them with only your good will, then DO NOT BUY OR ADOPT ME.
I’m a dog from the 21st century, yes, but deep inside me, the one who fought, the one who hunted, the one who pulled sleds, the one who guided and protected a herd still lives within.
So think **very** carefully before you choose your dog. And think about getting two, rather than one, so I won't be so very lonely waiting for you all day. Eight or ten hours is just a workday to you, but it's an eternity for me to be alone.

©️ Karen Caron

29/02/2024

Rachel with Murphy! They are doing fantastic!

27/02/2024

Shake it…shake it off…

A recent study by two researchers in France looked at sniffing, pulse rate, and leash length on walks. Sixty-one dogs were taken on three separate walks, five minutes each walk, once with a 1.5m leash, once with a 5m leash, and once without a leash at all (walk order was randomized for each dog). Off-leash dogs sniffed the most, more than 3x as long as the dogs on short leashes. Dogs on long leashes spent nearly as much time as unleashed dogs sniffing, almost 3x as long as dogs on short leashes.

This study also found that sniffing resulted in lowered pulse rates, and the more intensely they sniffed, the more their pulse rates lowered. Pulse rate was also lowered when dogs “shook off” during walks on all leash lengths. The “shake off” behavior was often seen when the dog’s pulse rate was particularly high.

Read more about it below!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HX77kp2HBDiTxmq/?mibextid=Le6z7H

https://www.tuftsyourdog.com/everydaydogcare/giving-your-dog-time-to-sniff-on-walks-will-literally-soothe-his-heart/

What else can we learn about dogs from their walking behavior? Take your best friend on a Sniffari and see what you observe!

20/02/2024

By Stateofmind dog training

14/02/2024

Recall work with Chewie! 😂😍

07/02/2024

Handsome Murphy started training today! He’s a fun loving guy we will be helping with manners.

28/01/2024

Happy birthday to handsome Sully! He’s one today and has become a fantastic dog!

25/01/2024

This is a very normal thing, especially as dogs mature.

22/01/2024

A hospice organization contacted me needing pet therapy teams to visit individuals. We wanted to pass this along to any of our current therapy dog teams and those possibly interested in becoming one! Please reach out to us directly and spread the word.