Happy Social Dog

03/06/2024

"Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have updated their guidelines on when to neuter 40 popular dog varieties by breed and s*x. Their recent paper in Frontiers in Veterinary Science adds five breeds to a line of research that began in 2013 with a study that suggested that early neutering of golden retrievers puts them at increased risk of joint diseases and certain cancers."

“This guidance provides information and options for veterinarians to give pet owners, who should have the final decision-making role for the health and well-being of their animal.”

A new study provides updated guidelines to decrease risk of certain cancers and joint disorders.

12/12/2023

Blessed to have such a wonderful community of dog professionals in Bend. What a great group of people! Missing one of our gang for tonight’s “Quarterly Meet Up that happens to be close to a holiday”. Missed ya

10/11/2023

Veterans Day. Our thanks go out to our veterans and their families. While we have several veterans within our own family and network of friends, Smidge’s favorite veteran lives in our neighborhood.

R- Col. Scott (Army) says good morning to her and gives her a good rub down every morning on her 5:30am walk. She knows it’s him, even in the dark, her tail will do her happy swishes and she softens her gait as he approaches.

For her favorite active duty neighbor, Major Jared (Army), she assists him in chasing the cats out of his yard, helps to roll the bins in/out and pick up his packages if he’s away on duty. Now that he’s married, she goes by to say hi to his wife whenever she can to keep her company.

We like to support our local veterans year round by giving them a discount on their training. It can be on the cost of the training or pay full price and we throw in a leash from

Shout out to another favorite veteran of ours, Chester’s dad, , we appreciate you!

Thank you for your service to this country.

10/10/2023

Cheri Lucas’s Learn to Lead workshop. October 2023.

11/08/2023

Want a puppy who can settle down more easily? Crate train.

Want a puppy who bites or nips less? Crate train.

Want to speed up your potty training process? Crate train.

Want to begin separation anxiety prevention work? Crate train.

Want a fresh and well- rested puppy who can focus on training? Crate train.

Want time for yourself again? Crate train.

Daytime naps should be in the crate.
Nighttime sleeping should be in the crate.

It’s not fair to deprive your overtired puppy of sleep because you feel guilty about using the crate. Embrace it. Make it a safe space.

25/07/2023

For our free monthly support class series we hosted local business See Spot Run Mobile and gave several of our clients dogs an opportunity to work on a slat mill.

Slat mills are tracked and the dog powers the speed. It provides a mental and physical workout for the dogs. Sunday’s fastest pup ran a mile at 7mph.

There’s no sound to this reel as Instagram wouldn’t let me share it to Facebook but here’s the video/reel sound free. If you are imagining cheering and delightful squeals coming from owners you are on the right track.

See Spot Run comes to your house, their van has AC and air filters to provide the freshest and coolest air for exercise. They service Bend and offer service one day a week in Redmond. Please check them out, See Spot Run Mobile or go over to Instagram and give them a follow.

02/06/2023

Clients, don’t forget your free group support class this Sunday! Text or DM me for location.

01/05/2023

Happy 9th Birthday to Smidge, Official Puppy Nanny.

To celebrate her birthday, yesterday, she went on a 7.5 mile off leash hike with her pal Drake and during the week she had the puppies join her in party hats and treats.

Smidge is a smidge of American pit, Rottweiler, Lab, and Mastiff. She weighs in at 50 pounds. She was born in Eastern NC and adopted from Saving Grace Animals for Adoption.

Instead of making her character in her life story a “poor rescue dog” she was given a chance to grow into her own character. She’s a sensitive gal, who excels at teaching puppies. Two days a week for around 6 hours a day she assists and participates in teaching puppies around Bend dog interaction skills, what is appropriate energy, and as they grow, how to walk together, rest together and just be together.

To see some of Smidge’s work, check out the puppy tips highlights to see her in action.

19/04/2023

I have a 2 yo female dog that needs to be re-homed. Debbie is 37 pounds and 100% American Village Dog breed - a rescue pup from Mexico. She is already spayed.

She has bouncy energy, and she is low in confidence which means she is nervous in new situations. Because of this she will come with training needs and will require a lot of structure to get her off to a good start. She is crate trained and knows basic obedience as well as "PLACE". She is currently in a two dog home but can be nervous with new dogs. If you are interested and want more information I will provide. Please EMAIL me for more details: [email protected]

13/04/2023

Quality over Quantity.

The socialization period closes anywhere from 12 weeks up to 16 weeks. Depends on the dog!

If it’s planned purposeful socialization, break things down into baby steps and let your pup move at its own pace.

Your socialization goals should include:

+ Body handling - to prepare your pup for veterinary care and grooming

+ Sounds - indoor and outdoor sounds. Include sounds from all seasons, not just the current one you are in. Lawn mower, snow blower, power tools, garbage truck plus the rolling of bins out and back.

+ People - quality calm interactions if at all possible. And some don’t have to interact, they can simply stand and talk to you with your puppy by your side.

+ Other dogs- here be particular. I opt for quality; trusted dogs who are vaccinated and are tolerant of puppies. Just because an owner says their dog is friendly that may not cover to ALL ages, energy levels, temperaments. Also you don’t want a highly energetic dog playing to rough with your puppy.

+ Environments- until your puppy is fully vaccinated stay away from dog parks, local parks, rest stops if you’re travelling—anywhere there are large numbers of dogs that are present or frequent. Unfortunately we can’t assume all dogs are up to date on vaccinations and we have our fair share of wildlife and their droppings to contend with. No sharing of water bowls with any dog who frequents daycares or dog parks. Environments here also mean surfaces; indoor carpet, hardwoods, tile, etc. Outdoors such as rock, mulch, ice, snow, wood, sidewalk, the grass in your yard, happy vet office visits where you pop by for a weigh in and a treat.

+ Other activities - what do you want this dog to do with you? Paddle board? Kayak? Be good with your kid’s bicycle or scooter? Will it be in elevators? Hardware store trips? Riding in the car? Being in the camper?

This list is not all inclusive, you can add things that fit your lifestyle but make sure to encompass every day living for an optimal outcome.

12/04/2023

Your first human lesson in dog training, your timing matters.

Puppies can begin training at home or with a trainer without being fully vaccinated.

I can’t begin to count the amount of times owners say “My puppy is fully vaccinated and is now ready for training.” I’m sorry, your puppy was ready for you to start training them the moment you signed that adoption contract.

Being fully vaccinated is not the milestone of “now it’s time to train”; it is generally the milestone of, critical socialization window is now closed. Unfortunately we can’t go back to that socialization window.

We waste precious “sponge like brain”time by waiting. So yes, your timing matters.

With puppy season ramping up, finding classes or a trainer to help you on your time frame and your price range can be hard. So best to plan ahead and prepare!

07/04/2023

It’s graduation day for Mavis, Porto and Frankie! These sweet pups have completed 5 weeks of Puppy Camp and have great understanding of their basic foundations. Leash work, Place work, offering eye contact, food work, crate work, recall, rules of play, doorways and thresholds.

                   

29/03/2023

Short reel of clients kids who came during their spring break to learn, work, and feel more confident in their handling skills. They did amazing job today and aced all their dog safety/dog bite prevention tests.

10 Likes, 0 Comments - Happy Social Dog () on Instagram: "Porto’s siblings came during their spring break to learn about puppies and have other experienc..."

17/03/2023

Happy St Patrick’s Day! ☘️

From, Thursday Puppy Campers. They are:
Porto- Portuguese Water dog
Frankie- Golden (show) Retriever
Mavis- Cane Corso

13/03/2023

March Group Support Class

12 Likes, 0 Comments - Happy Social Dog () on Instagram: "Lots of organized chaos for class. Still working on our long lines and sling shot place practice...."

21/02/2023

Join us for Puppy Talk!

I will be joining my friend and fellow dog trainer, Nicole Gossler of San Diego Puppy Coach, to talk about some of the most common training concepts we see new puppy owners struggle with. Up this week:

⁃ The why’s and how’s of crate training
⁃ The Importance of having your puppy on a schedule

28/01/2023

Number One problem in new puppy owners homes is the puppy does not get enough rest/sleep.

What problems does not enough sleep bring? A few things are-

- mouthy/nipping/biting
- potty training accidents
- overstimulation/ over excitement
- difficulty in their learning & training
- can lead to separation anxiety (pup always out and around you)
- crate issues because the
puppy doesn’t learn to self soothe throughout the day

Put your puppy on a schedule that includes daytime naps in the crate. Your puppy should be out of the crate at maximum 40 minutes and that 40 minutes should be potty break immediately at waking and a combination of planned learning, socialization, explore and/or play.

You do yourself and your new puppy no favors by keeping it up and trying to wear it out or let it crash on its own.

Set the puppy up for success by having a schedule with proper rest time of 1.5 hours minimum. Then YOU get downtime YOU need which helps you better appreciate the entire puppy experience. Puppies can be so much fun or so much a source of frustration. I’d rather you enjoy the experience ❤️

19/01/2023

I am here. With incredible women; dog owners, dog walker, and dog trainers.

An amazing wet, cold weekend in California attending a Cheri Lucas workshop. Mother Nature threw us several curve balls but we adapted and savoured every sliver of calm between the storms.

Exactly as life intends things to be.

I learned this weekend that I am resourceful. I am diligent. I am patient. I am honest.

The dog I was handling brought this to light and these incredible ladies helped put it into words.

I am very grateful to have shared moments with these ladies. Made new connections while old friends made me cry with laughter.

Most importantly I am very grateful for Cheri. My 150. Thank you for helping me notice and to shift.

“Every time it rains, you’re here in my head, like the sun coming out, I just know that something good is going to happen.”

10/12/2022

Clients! Our Bend Parks permits are in place for our next six Group Support Classes. Mark your calendars, check our Facebook group or message me for locations. Looking forward to seeing everyone in 2023.

14/11/2022

November Group Support Class

21/10/2022

What a great night and great weather for our glow light pack walk.

20/09/2022

September group support class began with handling exercises, moving into a pack walk, ending with group place and spending a few moments sharing the positive changes/shifts we are seeing in our dogs.

15/09/2022

Some benefits of long line work.

Long line work is one of my favorite exercises to do with a dog.

Recently one of my puppy clients commented on how amazed they are with the bond they’ve created with their 5 month old puppy through long line work.

Lots of positives from one exercise. Lots of brands to pick from, but I start with a 15ft slip style. You can find links to the leashes I use in bio.

18/08/2022

It’s graduation day for Boone! This sweet gold retriever (who is a cousin of ) is around 4 months old and he’s done amazing at camp. He has a high prey drive so when he came in he was crazy about food and he’s been slower to pick up on his leash skills as he wants to explore. He loves to carry things for me so we’ve incorporated that into training by using the opportunity to teach Drop or Leave It when it’s not the time for him to work. Boone:

- loves the treadmill (only allowing 3 minutes and slow walking)
- offers eye contact
- offers calm sit to ask for things
- plays nicely with other dogs
- is comfortable in his crate
- is respectful of thresholds
- knows his name and will recall
- enjoys his long line work
- has fun with flirt pole work

Boone has made great strides in his food work. I love a food motivated dog because it’s super easy to lure behaviors when I need to. On the flip side their excitement about food can lead to problems- issues with impulse control, counter surfing, jumping on humans, barking, resource guarding, and for Boone his red rocket would make an appearance because he was so overstimulated.

Boone’s family has put a lot of focus on his food because they have 3 young children in the home who don’t think about being at his level with food in their hands or perhaps they wander near where he’s eating. We’ve been doing a lot of prevention work the past 5 weeks around food. He’s quickly learned what behavior gets him paid.

His family have worked hard on his training and it defintely has made an impact. Boone has the sweetest temperament. Once we figured out who he was and tailored his training to fulfill him, he has blossomed.

We’ll see more of Boone as he’s asked to come back to fill in as a guest for the September camp.

14/08/2022

12/08/2022

Congratulations to Nacho!
Nacho, a mini Aussie labdoodle, is around 14 weeks old. He:

- is a rockstar with place work
- offers eye contact
- has a great pack drive
- offers calm sit to ask for thing
- knows leave it / take it
- enjoys structured games & play
- plays nicely with other dogs
- is comfortable in his crate
- is respectful of thresholds
- knows his name and will recall

Nacho and his owners have been so much fun to work with. Everyday he comes to camp he is happy to be here and he shines. Outside of social time he enjoys doing place work and manding. If there is something he wants he sits calmly and offers eye contact to let me know he’d like in on the treats or his food. He is always the first puppy to offer a sit and be calm. He sets a great example (just like his Nanny) for the other puppies. He is a confident lad who hasn’t been phased by much in his socialization. We’ve built a great relationship around asking/giving and giving him a voice.

Training is never about suppressing the dog or their voice. Dogs do speak but only to those who will listen. Every behavior they offer you is a piece of their voice, how YOU translate that is on you. Learn who your dog is, respect their voice, fulfill their needs over your own…you’ll be amazed at the relationship you can create.

Way to go Nacho!! We hope to see you back as a guest visitor/ helper pup in our upcoming camp!

                     

22/07/2022

Pixie’s graduation from Puppy Camp. Congratulations Pixie!
Pixie is a Pommapoo, around 19 weeks old. She can:

- walk nicely on a leash
- place
- offers eye contact
- offers calm sit to ask for things
- play and place with other dogs
- Crate work
- Pack walk with other dogs
- recall to her name
- respectful of thresholds

Pixie has been the highlight of puppy camp the past several weeks. All the dogs adore her and she always is up for a good play session. Being a small dog it’s been important for Pixie to learn how to “be” with big dogs as she has 2 larger dog siblings at home and let’s be honest, Bend is a big dog town. She takes corrections nicely but she also is not afraid to advocate for herself. “Play with me but don’t step on me.” “That’s too rough.” “Hey, I maybe small but how about you let me win too.”

                       

07/07/2022

Another pup graduates! Here is Miss Birdie, with her Nanny, The Smidge. She is currently 13 weeks old. She can:

- walk nicely on a leash
- place
- offers eye contact
- offers calm sit to ask for things
- play and place with other dogs
- barking in the crate has decreased dramatically
- walk nicely with other dogs
- recall to her name and come
- respectful of thresholds

Birdie has a high prey drive so her training is far from over. She will need to practice recall and impulse control daily. In play she will need to learn to have limitations. Even when not purposefully training, Birdie watches everything and learns. Every inaction or action we take with her matters. Every moment is a training moment.

When working your puppy or new dog, take whatever situation comes your way and work through it. It’s an opportunity, not a obstacle.

04/07/2022

Happy 4th of July from Nanny Smidge and her pal Ayda.

25/06/2022

So excited to have some new, fresh, colourful logos!

If you are looking for a creative designer look no further than .designs.bend

Harper is amazing and easy to work with. She is open to collaborating and made the process seem easy while also being very affordable.

Personally I’ve never been a “favourites” type person so I had a hard time locking in on one design. These are the ones I’ve chosen to represent me & my business. I hope you like them!