Blue Ridge Dog Training Club

03/01/2025

Happy weekend folks! Get out there and soak up some sun!

And remember class registration is open thru March 10. Classes are filling fast!

03/01/2025

Dogs need to move freely - but there is no doubt that this might be easier said than done. While we may not be able to bring all dogs to the dog park or other legal off leash spaces, it's of the utmost importance that we find safe ways to integrate freedom of movement into our dog's daily routine.

What might this look like?

↔️ Using a longer leash, including long lines, when safe to do so.

🌳 Finding safe, legal off leash spaces where your dog can run off-leash (think SniffSpots and backyards)

🐕‍🦺 Allowing your dog to lead the walk and decide which direction to go, including weaving back and forth to sniff as needed.

❌ Not picking small dogs up unless necessary, and giving them a way to opt in and out of these interactions.

Dogs were not designed to walk in a straight line on a short leash for their whole lives. If we expect them to do that, we will often find that we are left with a frustrated dog who develops behavior problems that are difficult to resolve until we can give them what they need to thrive.

Remember that your relationship goes both ways. If we want our dog to try their best to fit into our lifestyle, we have to offer the same courtesy to them. ✨

02/20/2025

Pet dogs blink more in response to videos of other dogs blinking—new evidence of their complex communication

02/20/2025

Every day. Right?

It's Love Your Pet Day or as we like to call it, Everyday! 😘

02/18/2025

Today’s Daily Cartoon, by Sarah Kempa. https://newyorkercartoons.visitlink.me/KlHxMR

02/15/2025

The gift that keeps giving. :)

Credit
Nathan W. Pyle

02/13/2025

Good advice.

If anything happened to you, what would happen to your pets?

We've responded to several calls over the last few weeks where we have had to impound pets after their owners unfortunately passed away, or unexpectedly became incapacitated.

These folks had no friends, family, or discernable next-of-kin that could provide care for their pets.

Many were loved family pets. We are sure their owners would have never wanted them to end up impounded at a shelter.

It is never too soon to ensure you have a plan for your pets if you are unable to care for them (for any reason).

Talk to your friends, family, or neighbors regarding your pet's arrangements should the unexpected happen. Encourage your friends and family to make arrangements for their pets, especially those that are elderly or those with health concerns.

Your pets are sure to appreciate the foresight and will be glad to have avoided the stressful shelter environment.

02/12/2025

02/11/2025

Here it is! Beagle Hunting Performance Test! March 15 in Maurertown, VA. Email [email protected] for entry form and more details!

02/09/2025

Indeed

02/08/2025

Way to Go!
At our inaugural AKC Fetch! Tests, we had 42 runs and 37 passes with 4 new Intermediate titles and 13 Novice titles.

And thanks to our volunteers!

02/04/2025

😋

Peanut Butter Pupcakes - Treat your pup with these dog-friendly cupcakes filled with pumpkin, applesauce and carrots topped with a peanut butter frosting!

RECIPE: https://damndelicious.net/2017/04/09/peanut-butter-pupcakes/

02/03/2025

Still a few spaces in our AKC Fetch! Test this Saturday. Premium on

If You Enjoy Having A Well-Trained, Responsive Dog, Then Blue Ridge Dog Training Club Is For You!

01/28/2025

❤️

Argos, the faithful dog of Odysseus, remains one of the most iconic symbols of loyalty in ancient literature.
Its story comes from Homer's Odyssey, an eighth-century BC epic poem that chronicles Odyssey's long and perilous journey as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. After 20 years of absence filled with battles, shipwrecks and constant death threats, Odyssey finally returns to Ithaca, his homeland, but in disguise. No one recognizes him, not even his family or closest friends. But there is a soul that does.

Argos, his old dog, neglected and weak, lying on a pile of dirt, sees him from afar. Her ears stand up, her tail wags softly. Despite being too weak to stand, she finds the strength to recognize the only one she had waited for all those years.

This short but powerful scene appears in Corner 17 of The Odyssey and has remained as one of the most moving moments in all of literature. Argos, forgotten by all but still clinging to hope, finally sees his master once again. And with that small, quiet moment of joy, let go of life, dying in peace.

It is a testament to the eternal love of dogs: they never forget, never stop hoping, and never stop loving. Argos loyalty is timeless, reminding us that even in the earliest stories, the bond between humans and dogs already seemed sacred. For anyone who has ever loved a dog, this scene touches the heart deeply. It's not about greatness or heroism, it's about the quiet power of devotion.
Credits: Engie ena Alvarez

01/26/2025

Got wellness on your mind? 🤔 It’s time for Ask Mary Pat!

Have questions about animal massage, reiki, or canine conditioning? Mary Pat is here to help!

Send us your questions, and you might just see her answer featured in our next newsletter. Don’t be shy—your curiosity could inspire someone else’s journey too!

Either post your questions below, or email us at [email protected]

01/25/2025

WHOSE WALK IS IT ANYWAY?

Imagine going on a long-anticipated walk, through new scenery and exciting smells after being cooped up in the same place all day, but you have been fitted with a blind fold and are being dragged or yanked along at a fast pace.

I imagine that this is how dogs feel when we don’t allow them time to stop, sniff and explore the environment.

Dogs largely perceive their world through scent and it’s how they collect and process information to help the world make sense.

Taking away an opportunity for sniffing on a walk really isn’t being fair.. As much as physical exercise is important, the mental stimulation that sniffing provides is equally, if not more important.

Allowing dogs to choose when to stop and sniff provides so many benefits – increases self-confidence, promotes calmness, lowers stress and anxiety levels, lowers pulse rates, reduces cognitive decline in older dogs and provides important mental and environmental enrichment.

Make time for a slow sniffing walk when you can, where your dog is allowed to choose which direction to go and allowed time to just investigate, interpret, process the environment and follow wherever their nose leads them.

It may take far more time and patience as we wait for them to finish smelling that particular blade of grass, but the benefits are well worth it – after all, whose walk is it anyway?

01/21/2025

This is one of the factors in "Do As I Do" copy training. Have you tried it?

Did you know that dogs mirror human behaviour?

This mirroring in humans is driven by motor resonance and mirror neurons. Research suggests that dogs, with their social skills, might have the capacity for motor resonance too. Although we lack direct studies on dogs’ neural basis for this, studies on other social animals hint that mirror neurons could exist in all social mammals.

If neurological studies confirm the presence of mirror neurons in dogs, it would directly prove motor resonance between dogs and humans. Motor resonance causes motor contagion, which is influenced by social factors. Studies show that this motor contagion and its social modulation, seen in humans, also occur in dogs, supporting the idea of motor resonance between species (Lamontagne & Gaunet, 2024).

However, dogs' behavioural mirroring might also result from associative learning. Therefore, more research is needed to see if motor resonance properties, like motor interference, are present in dog-human interactions.