Caribbean Canines, LLC

30/12/2024

To all my clients, past and present, thank you for your business and your friendship over the last 9 years. I appreciate your trust in me and I’m grateful for the privilege of serving you and your dog’s needs.

As I shift into retirement, I’m no longer taking on new clients, and will finish up with the ones I have in training to close out sometime later in 2025. If you were my client, I still welcome your questions, and, as always, I love pics and updates on you and your pups.

Thank you to all the volunteers who came on board with me training dogs waiting to be adopted either through Loudon County Animal Shelter, Monroe County Animal Shelter, or The Animal Protectorates in Friendsville. You all made a positive difference in these dogs’ lives and I hope you saw that each time you spent time with them. I’m thrilled that Loudon K9 Paws and Tails non-profit will continue this work at Loudon County Animal Shelter.

Dog training found me while volunteering in a small shelter on the little island of St. John, USVI. It’s been the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. The homeless dogs will always hold a special place in my heart.

It’s never easy to walk away from something you love doing, but it’s the right time, and equally so, there are more things I’m excited to do and learn.

If you are in need of a force-free dog trainer, I highly recommend Beccy Hughes. Beccy has agreed to taking referrals. She has extensive experience in training animals and has narrowed her work to just training dogs. She obtained her certification in professional dog training through Victoria Stillwell’s academy. You can reach Beccy by calling 865-280-0749 or email at [email protected]

Shirley Bierkamp
Caribbean Canines LLC

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12/10/2024

Thank you neighbors for voting Caribbean Canines LLC a FAVE for 2024! I look forward to serving you and your dog training needs in 2025!

05/10/2024

Love it when I run into former students while out for a walk 🥰 This sweet little girl giving a nice sit and pose for the camera.

07/09/2024

06/09/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

28/08/2024

This message is so important. While there are breed specific characteristics for every breed, there is also a varying degree of temperament (personality) within each breed which is made up of genetics, early learning with mom and littermates, and environmental learning after pup leaves mom and littermates. Dogs are all as individual as humans. This little pit in the pic is adorable. 🩷

26/08/2024

National Dog Day! Give those pups a special treat today! 🐶 My Oreo who will be 12 on Friday. ♥️🥳🥰

14/08/2024

Tober is one of our dogs in the dog training volunteer program at Loudon County Animal Shelter. He has spent most of his life at the shelter. Now he’s going to have the life he deserves. Congratulations Tober!!

24/07/2024

I believe this to my core!! Maybe you’ve seen before and after videos some trainers post with the “misbehaving” dog in the before and the “trained” dog in the after. Look at the after through this lens.

21/07/2024

These girls are starting on their journey in Therapy Dog training. Ages 6, 7, and 8 months old and working on AKC STAR Puppy.

10/07/2024

A D O P T E D 🥳

This beautiful girl is available for rehome due to owners medical issues.

She’s 3.5 years old, female, spayed, lived in only one home. She’s up-to-date on all vaccines. There is a small adoption fee. She comes with her crate and food.

If you or someone you know is interested in meeting her, please let me know.

08/04/2024

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