Cherry Mountain Kennel

07/18/2024

We are finally able to share the first of (hopefully!) two articles we have been preparing this summer on the topic of cooling hot dogs. This summer has seen the usual barrage of social media posts…

06/20/2024

This is a great idea! Communal water bowls can be risky.

06/15/2024

The photo shows what not to allow children to do, followed by 7 rules to keep dogs and children safe.

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***

02/25/2024

Thanks to Terrierman for this post.

02/17/2024

Click the link in the post to go to the survey. My dog watches TV sometimes, does yours?

We are conducting a new study, “Characterizing TV Watching in Dogs!” For this study, we will be evaluating how often dogs watch TV, as well as what temperament characteristics are linked to TV watching in dogs. Participation in this study will include the completion of an anonymous, online survey. The survey is expected to take 30 minutes to complete.

To participate, you must be 18 years old or older and the primary owner of a dog. The survey may be accessed at the link below. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]!

https://auburn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_02JPqh8wwHhLOT4

02/03/2024

Once again, words of wisdom from Linda at Lionheart K9, Dog Training in Maryland .

We really don't need "Heel".

There's been a rash of commentary lately on the necessity for certain behaviors that fall under the category of 'obedience'.

Some folks seem to think that it's too much of an ask for a dog to sit every time the owner stops. They ponder the necessity of a dog to walk politely at the owners side. I don't care which side. Any side.

They equate that behavior as unnecessary because of the precision it requires to perform at competitive levels. They can't see the necessity of anything requiring that degree of focus in everyday life.

What would your average companion animal need with that much precision one would ask?

They don't really. It's not a perfect performance we're after when we're navigating the construction zone in a busy urban setting or when we have to navigate the sidewalk with other pedestrians with their strollers and their dogs.

No. We really don't need that attentive sit at heel when we have been crowded at the street corner by the busy mob that congregated around us while we wait for the crossing signal. We don't really need it at the vet's or the groomers either, when we're settling our bill at the cashier's desk in the lobby with cats in carriers and dogs yodeling greetings or threats to every passer-by.

We don't really *need* a heel, but it would certainly be nice to have it, I would think...

Wouldn't you?

The obedience being called in question is what people think is too much effort. What they need help understanding is that same obedience is what will help them control their dog in situations where that focused attention on them (handlers) is sufficient to move through a potentially difficult situation with dignity intact and no puncture wounds.

Those things require a lot of effort. It's easy to see how people get discouraged about training at all. There are so many choices, and so many poor examples of training gone wrong.

But for every moment a dog enjoys the reinforcement of engaging in risky behavior, think of how more convenient it would be if you didn't have to wrestle with bad behavior, when a simple "heel" command becomes the catalyst for reinforcement of a different kind.

Now wouldn't that be nice?

What would be even better is if folks understood that the obedience required for everyday living is the exact same obedience required for the highest levels of performance. It's all the same.

All of it.