Muddy Paws Dog Services

12/12/2024

Some fun pics from class last nite!

Intro to Scent Work classes will be held in January 2025. Reach out to join my mailing list

12/12/2024

Kona getting it done!

12/12/2024

Kuuhla working thru a food distraction to find odor in the green pencil case!! Well done

12/12/2024

So much fun was had last nite at scent class. Amazing to watch these teams work together to find odor

03/12/2024

Hehe! Smarty pants!

01/12/2024

Have a new puppy? Are they suddenly afraid? There's a lot to get used to and prepare for, but one thing that often gets overlooked is puppy fear periods.

19/11/2024

A few pics of our Puppy and Life Skills folks. Puppies all
passing their Puppy Essential Classes.

Looking for some guidance with your puppy reach out today. 6048807663

16/11/2024

Congrats to the latest group of Intro To Scent Work Class Grads!
If you'd like to try it reach out anytime via messenger

16/11/2024

This will be so much fun!

13/11/2024

This will be a fun event!

Hit the trails on November 16 & 17 for our first Easter hunt in November!
We have chosen a few of our favourite trails to hide a ton of awesome prizes. Leashes, collars, toys, gift certificates and more! All food and treat prizes will be redeemable in store 😊

Prizes can be found in Kinnikinick, Sprockids, Hidden Grove, Big Tree Rec Site and Cliff Gilker!
Be sure to tag us with what you find!

13/11/2024

WHEN SECONDS COUNT

This post is not advocating that dogs meet every other dog, but about how to go about it, if and when it does happen, in a safer way.

The 3 second rule for dogs meeting each other is used as a guideline to help foster positive introductions, prevent either dog from feeling overwhelmed or trapped and prevent any potential reactivity and stress.

A short 3 second introduction is enough time to provide important information to both dogs.

Enough information for dogs to know – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I need you to go away?” etc. Both dogs may not feel the same way – one may not be happy to engage while the other may want to.

All interactions should ideally happen like this, not just initially. Just like us, dogs can have off days – things like pain, trigger stacking, lack of sleep or a host of other reasons can influence whether a dog wants to interact or not.

There are countless times I have witnessed meetings or introductions between dogs that have gone on just a few seconds too long and have not ended well. This can have long lasting effects on future behaviour when meeting other dogs.

Understanding body language is critically important. If we are going to share our lives with another species, protect them, advocate for them and help them feel safe, then we need to understand and respect their language.

The examples in this post of red and green flags are just a few general ones to look out for – there are many more and these will differ depending on the individual dog, context and circumstances.

Here are some resources and links to learn more about body language -
On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://www.dogwise.com/on-talking-terms-with-dogs-calming-signals-2nd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOoqj8ruQJx5bCP7qWb03TqCyAGfmAvCj988UuWk_L1_UHbYcZsES

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://www.heska.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TVBC-Canine-Dog-Body-Language-handout.pdf

Make sure those first 3 seconds count – they can make all the difference.

07/11/2024

It's here somewhere!!

07/11/2024

Great evening of scent work!

07/11/2024

What an awesome scent class yesterday! Dogs and handlers rocked it!!!
Thank you KM for setting this up for us!

31/10/2024

31/10/2024

We had a spooky situation lastnite for Advanced Scent Work!!

03/10/2024

Therapy Dog Training course is back! Would you like to visit a variety of locations with your dog in order to brighten peoples day?! This course is designed for those that would like to become a Certified Therapy Dog Team
Start Date October 21st
Please reach out 604-880-7663 for more information