Your Dream Dog

01/10/2024

Is anyone missing this friendly orange and white cat? This fellow was brought to the shelter yesterday after being picked up on Welsford St, Brockton. Please contact us at [email protected] or call 508-586-2053

14/06/2023

This is Paloma. This poor 1 year old girl has been through a lot, but she is remarkably resilient; she is friendly, happy, and tail-waggy.

Paloma was brought to us by Bellingham and Franklin Animal Control after she was hit by a car. The officers found her with a painful broken leg. They knew this dog needed more help than they could give, so they called us. How could we say no? We are doing everything we can to help as many dogs as possible and there is no shortage of dogs who need us. We often talk about dogs from other regions, but local dogs need our help, too. We want to keep saying YES every time we are asked, but we need your support. Donating, adopting, and sharing our posts will all help us help more dogs💙

We have assessed Paloma’s injuries and we are going to prioritize a surgical fix. This will be more expensive than an amputation, but we want to do everything we can to try to save Paloma’s leg. Can you donate to help cover these costs so we can help as many dogs as possible?

Paloma will need to complete her stray hold as well as complete treatment before she is available for adoption, but we encourage anyone who would like to learn more about her to come down during open hours to express interest. Boston hours are 12-3 Tuesday-Sunday.

26/04/2023

Today's reminder to an old trainer: Keep your eye on the horse in your hands. All good except a bruise on my leg.

Tam is our elderly horse (25), a well mannered fella. Loves attention & people. I've never seen him kick or strike at anything except a fly.

He was standing on lead being held by me while our fabulous barefoot trimmer Margaret Schoonmaker did her magic. We literally had just finished chuckling about horses being horses, always, and how we knew to never to underestimate what they can do in a heartbeat.

I looked away to admire our gorgeous rooster Bluey down at the other end of the barn, and suddenly felt a baseball bat slam into my thigh. Tam's front hoof!

It was a fine spring day, and after a long winter, the equines are feeling frisky and silly. Even nearly 25 year old polite old fellas who were eyeballing their 32 year old stable mate who *might* be eating out of the wrong slow feeder! (There are rules, you know...)

That hoof meets girl moment refocused me right smartly. Funny, as I often say that if your dog's attention is not where their feet are, you need to be careful. Tam's attention was clearly elsewhere. Which I knew. And yet I took his good manners for granted, and looked away from the horse I was handling.

He wasn't being bad or intending to hurt anyone. Just a very unusual bit of frustrated pawing that happily did not do me any serious damage.

Sunshine, warm breezes, green grass, frisky elderly equines -- and a reminder to this old trainer to keep *her* attention where her feet are!

07/01/2020

If you're worried about your dog's behavior around other animals or people or anything else, and aren't sure what to do, please read this article.

Excerpt:
-----
We’ve all seen them – those nightmare dogs who lunge, leap, growl, snarl, snap, bark, threaten, bare their teeth, act like bullies, and charge at other dogs. They ruin visits to dog parks and even walks around the block. They’re out of control. They shouldn’t be allowed!

It’s only natural to feel angry or annoyed when you encounter a problem dog. That’s scary enough – but it’s worse when the out-of-control dog is yours.

We’ve all seen them – those nightmare dogs who lunge, leap, growl, snarl, snap, bark, threaten, bare their teeth, act like bullies, and charge at other dogs. They ruin visits to dog parks and even walks around the block. They’re out of control. They shouldn’t be allowed! It’s only natural ...

17/06/2019

"Tail talk" is only part of canine communication, but it's a good place to start in learning how to "read" dog. Like any language, though, you need to take it in context to interpret the full meaning....

For example, the dog's general body relaxation (loose, curvy) vs. tension (stiff, straight, right angles) sets the overall tone that can help you more accurately interpret the dog's state of mind.

Dogs can tell us a lot of information with their tail. Wagging doesn’t necessarily mean everything is hunky-dory!

While tails can give us some info, it’s important to remember they’re only part of the puzzle. Always make sure to look at the big picture!

09/06/2019

"Last year, a position statement from the European College of Veterinary Clinical Ethology argued against the use of electronic collars in dog training and for a Europe-wide ban on their sale and use. Now an article in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour by Dr. Sylvia Masson et al explains the reasons behind their position that electronic shock collars should not be used."

A review of the scientific research finds there are risks to using electronic collars in dog training and calls for a ban.

04/05/2019

For anyone wanting to learn more about dogs and training, Ihighly recommend Denise Fenzi's Blog (and her online Fenzie Dogs Sports Academy with awesome courses).

Here's a blog post about the disconnect between actual skill and perceived skill....

-----
In a nutshell, the Dunning-Kruger effect says that experts tend to overestimate the ability of others to do what they can do, and novices tend to overestimate their ability to do what they really can do.

For dog trainers, this is bad news because it means that the experts teaching assume that the students can correctly execute what they were taught, and the novices learning think they can do it too – and both are wrong! No one’s got much perspective here.
-----

In a nutshell, the Dunning-Kruger effect says that experts tend to overestimate the ability of others to do what they can do, and novices tend to overestimate their ability to do what they really can do. For dog trainers, this is bad news because it means that the experts teaching assume that the st...

04/08/2018

Really good list of things dogs — and dog owners / trainers — should know.

Some time ago I came across an article by Alicia Bayer called What should a 4 year old know? . It’s a very interesting article, which really got me thinking. I ...

26/05/2018

This is SO important to understand. (That, and what /good/ socialization actually entails, which is not how many dog owners expect it to be....)

So often I get this request -
"I want my dog to be able to play with other dogs."
And my answer is always -
"Why?"

The reasons are usually similar. Things like, I have friends with dogs and I want to be able to go over and have fun with them. Or, I think she's missing out. Or, I've always had a dog who liked to play.

The problem with these answers is that they are all based on what the human wants, not at all on what the dog wants. Playing and enjoying the company of other dogs is something that WE like because it gives US pleasure. It however, has very little effect on a dogs quality of life.

Not all dogs want to play with other dogs past adulthood. In fact it's very common for lots of dogs past 3 years old to start looking at play with other strange dogs the way human adults look at teenage raves. They may co exist well, or play very occasionally with close dog friends, but the enjoyment of large groups of rough housing and playing no longer thrills them. They'd rather go on a walk with you and play with you. Some dogs, whether because of personality, genetics, or past experiences/traumas, never want to be around other dogs, even co existing is a challenge. However even well socialized, playful adult dogs may not like every dog they meet and as a result be choosy in who they play with. There's nothing wrong with them, it's us humans that need a lesson.

Our expectations and desire for dogs to play with one another has to be checked. I often tell people if your dog doesn't like other dogs, I can help them work through some of that and show them how to walk past them, even be in the same room with them calmly, but can't force them to enjoy playing with another dog the same way I can't force you to like someone else if you just don't.

If you have a dog that doesn't like to play, your dog isn't broken. Change the way you think and give your dog other fun activities he will enjoy rather than forcing an expectation on him that isn't fair. Enjoy your dog for who they are, rather than worrying about who they aren't.
- Helen St. Pierre
Please give credit if sharing