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No You Can’t Pet My Dog

No, You Can’t Pet My Dog

Terie Hansen 

Question… Do you let random strangers come up to you or your child, get into your personal space and touch you, your child? No, of course you don’t. Why? Because you don’t know them, becauseno you can't pet my dog it would be uncomfortable, because it would make you feel nervous, anxious or even scared. Because it’s just plain weird.

Well, it’s no different for your dog. Having someone they don’t know approach them and come into their personal space, make direct eye contact, touch them, talk to them etc… makes most dogs uncomfortable. You just don’t realize it because you don’t recognize subtle cues your dog exhibits to show their discomfort. Cues such as turning their head away, looking away, yawning, exposing their belly or licking their lips are just a few of the cues they display. Furthermore, just because a dog is wagging its tail doesn’t mean it’s happy. Dogs wag their tails for many reasons, even right before they attack.

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Dog Walker, Does Your Dog Need One?

If you are a busy professional who works long hours, a stay at home Dog walker needed busy professionalparent with a to-do list that never ends and includes more time on the road than an Uber driver, your dog may be taking a backseat in terms of time, attention and the all important potty and exercise breaks. A Professional Dog Walker can rescue you and your dog from this cycle.

dog walker needed stay at home parentdog walker for busy parentdog walker busy parent

IS YOUR DOG TAKING A BACKSEAT DUE TO YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE?

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Why Basic Obedience Foundation Work Works!

Why Foundation Work works!

Uncertainty and fear are relieved by authority. Training is authority. It’s a release valve. -Ryan Holiday Basic obedience foundation work.

When I say foundation work I’m talking about basic obedience such as:

Sit with implied stay Basic obedience foundation work

Down with implied stay

Place with implied stay (teaches calm on command)

(The above three commands are taught with an implied stay because, what good is sit, down or place if your dog doesn’t stay in them???)basic obedience foundation work

Heel (tight structured walk)

Recall (Come/Here Command)

Name Game (looking when you call their name)

Thresholds-Respectfully moving through doorways (including in/out of the crate) [Read more…]

Is My Dog Playing or Being Aggressive?

Dog Play, Aggressive or Playful?

Is my dog playing or being aggressive?

Knowing how to tell if your dogs playing at dog parks in Buford, GA is my dog playing or being aggressive?dog or puppy is being aggressive or playful when playing with another dog can be tricky for an average dog owner. What looks sometimes scary, -open mouths, mouthing each other, vocalizations from growling to barking, hackles up, jumping on each other, one dog pinning another down and wrestling can actually be just play styles. Dogs often exhibit behaviors similar to those used in aggressive encounters when playing. is my dog playing or being aggressive?

So how do you know if it is aggressive or playful? [Read more…]

Helping Your Fearful Dog Gain Confidence

Living In Fear, Helping Your Fearful Dog Gain Confidence

Living a life filled with fear or anxiety is no fun for humans or dogs. In fact, it is a terrible way to live. Feelings of anxiety, nervousness fearful dog hidesand fear flood the body with toxic chemicals and can shorten a lifespan. Helping your fearful dog gain confidence can be as simple as introducing exercise into their routine, implementing basic obedience skills, coping skills and using something pleasurable (food or toys) to change the way your dog feels about the fearful object or environment.

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Bad Dog or Bored Dog? 10 Tips to Increase Good Behavior in Your Dog

Bad Dog or Bored Dog?

Is your dog bad or just bored?

If you ask me, there are no bad dogs, really. They are either bored and/or maybe justbad dog or bored dog haven’t been taught desirable positive behaviors. Dogs don’t want to misbehave. Quite the contrary, they want to make you happy. However, even when they have been taught/trained basic manners, if they are not getting what they need in terms of daily mental stimulation and physical exercise they may vent that energy in undesirable not to mention, negative ways.

 

See if any of these behaviors sound familiar…

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New Puppy? Top 5 Tips for Bringing Him Home

Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting event for any family. To help make the transition go smoothly there are several things you can do. Remember, a new puppy is a blank slate which your are writing on everyday whether you know it or not.

new puppy training in snellville, ga

New puppy experiencing sensory overload.

1. Stay calm. Too much excitement is sensory overload for your new puppy and can lead to an overexcited dog later on. Your puppy will reflect how you are acting. Rewarding calm behavior and ignoring or redirecting excited behaviors will help the puppy stay calm and make it easier to train him/her.

2. Take it slow and limit access to your home initially. Think of things from your new puppy’s point of view. They have just been taken from the only family they have known and are in unfamiliar surroundings with people they don’t know. [Read more…]

5 Top Dog Parks in Gwinnett County

5 Top Dog Parks in Gwinnett County

dogs at top dog parks in dacula, gaIf you are like a lot of dog owners you enjoy taking your dog to an off leash dog park where they can socialize and make new friends. Take a look at the 5 Top Dog Parks in Gwinnett County to see what’s in your area (not in any particular order).

 

Chattapoochee – Duluthchattapoochee top dog parks in gwinnett

Offering separate areas for small and large dogs, this park has doggie sprinklers for cooling off and obstacle courses for extra fun!

Ronald Reagan – Lawrenceville

Although this is an older park it has a lot to offer with three enclosures and a separate long narrow dog run area. It has some agility equipment, doggie water fountains and [Read more…]

Canine Flu-6 Steps to Protect Your Pet

Canine Flu- 6 Steps to Protect Your Pet

 
All this talk of the canine flu. What is it and how do we prevent it from affecting our pets?
 
There are two strains of the canine flu virus. The first one is the H3N8 strain which was first reported in the U.S. In 2004. There is a vaccine available for this older strain.
The second and newer strain is the H3N2 which was first reported in the U.S. pet insuranceLast month. Currently there is NO vaccine available for this strain.
 
Symptoms may include coughing, runny nose, eye discharge, lethargy, fever, loss of appetite and weight. However some dogs don’t exhibit any symptoms.
 
If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms seek veterinary care immediately. Although this is a virus and as such there is no specific treatment, a secondary bacterial infection is possible and medication can be prescribed.

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