Canine Learning Centers Doggie News…

Canine Learning Centers
Doggie News…
Winter 2013”
What?? December already?? Time seems
to go by faster and faster!!
I want to say thank you, thank you, thank
you to all of the wonderful people that are
in my life! I have learned something
unique from each and every one of you!!
This year our beloved trainer Marcia
Wigdahl retired after 21 years of devoted
teaching for CLC. Marcia will be dearly
missed!
This year also marks 12 years of devoted
teaching for instructor Julie Kroonenburg!
A few months ago I had the opportunity to
watch Julie teach a class and I was in
awe! Julie is such an amazing and
effortless communicator! I actually took
lots of notes and learned quite a few things! Thank you, Julie! Did I also
mention that Julie is composer of our newsletter?!
We have redone our website and made it more interactive. Please check out
our training videos and news blog training success stories!
A heartfelt thank you to all of the veterinary offices and people who refer and
support our programs! I couldn’t be in business without you! Thank you for
being a part of the CLC family!
May you all have a blessed holiday with family, friends and your pooches, of
course!!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy 2014
Laura Christiansen
Help Your Dog Cope With Holiday Guests
By Stacy Braslau-Schneck
Holiday guests can be
exciting, but they might
also be more than your dog
had on his wish list.
Preparation is the best way
to make sure your seasonal
entertaining goes well.
Give Your Dog a
Break Does your dog
really have to play host?
Consider giving the dog his own space in a quiet part of the house -- like
his crate in the bedroom -- or perhaps give him a complete respite from
the madness with a day or two at a doggy day care or boarding place.
This is especially important for shy, fearful or overly excitable dogs
(especially if there’s any chance that an injury might occur). This gives
you an opportunity to play host, without having to worry about your
dog’s behavior, while your dog gets a fun vacation!
If you’re going to try to train your dog, start weeks before the guests
come and do fire-drill practices.
Guests Are Good! If your dog is hesitant about meeting new people,
ask all of your guests to give your dog a few treats as they come in -- and
then tell them to ignore your dog. Many people seem to feel that if
they’ve handed out treats, they’ve earned the right to touch any dog.
Explain that your dog won’t be ready to socialize until he’s really warmed
up, so it’s best that they initially keep their hands to themselves.
Dog-loving guests and children can often be overwhelming for a dog.
Don’t be shy about telling guests (of any age) to tone it down if you think
your dog is being overwhelmed. Notify guests that your dog doesn’t like
being petted on the top of his head (unless of course he’s one of the rare
ones that do); direct them to pet his chest instead. I often tell children or
strangers that a particular dog is a look-but-don’t-touch type. Often a toy
works great between strangers’ fingers and your dog’s jaws; get the
insistent dog-fan to play fetch or tug (by the rules!) instead of
roughhousing or chasing.
Keep Routines and Rules Make sure your guests know the household
rules -- whether the dog is allowed on the furniture, and whether the dog
is to be left alone near his bed or food bowls. If you keep a fairly
consistent routine through the rest of the year, try to keep it up through
the holidays as much as possible. You might both appreciate that
morning walk away from the madness even more!
If you do change your routine, be sure to give your dog plenty of
opportunities to go potty outside. Often the chaos results in a few
accidents from missed chances (and perhaps unfamiliar treats).
Finally, while it may be tempting to let your dog join in on the feast, try
to resist the temptation; a number of edibles are poisonous for dogs
(chief among them being chocolate and alcohol).
5 Ways to Spoil Your Dog
By Lauren Camerini of The Peaceful Dog in N.Y.C.
As a private dog trainer in NYC, I frequently have clients confess that
they spoil their dog. When they are revealing these daunting words “I
spoil my dog” I watch as their face shifts to a look of concern and
embarrassment. They often then look up at me and pause -and I can tell
they are waiting to be scolded.
Much to their surprise I always meet that statement with a big smile and
answer “Great! So do I.” I spoil my dogs every day, and I especially spoil
them on holidays! Our dogs bring us so much joy and unconditional love
that it is natural to want to return the favor. However, there are
definitely right and wrong ways to spoil your dog.
The key to spoiling your dog ,is knowing what makes your dog smile and
what is on their wish list. You can spoil your dog the “right way” by
providing activities and gifts that strengthen your relationship, provide a
mental or physical exercise outlet for your dog, and improve your overall
training regimen. You should try to avoid “spoiling” your dog the
wrong way by contributing to unwanted behavior, or by providing gifts
that make the human
smile but not the dog –
i.e. booties, sunglasses
and other odd ‘bling’
accessories. These types
of rewards do not
strengthen your
relationship with your
dog and can sometimes
even have an adverse
effect on your overall
training program.
The top 5 ways to spoil your best friend
1. Be Present
Being present is a simple thought, but it is definitely not an easy task.
Being present requires us to be aware, attentive, compassionate and
emotionally available. Giving your dog your time, energy and undivided
attention is the ultimate gift. Dogs communicate through body language
and they are highly astute at realizing when we are present and when we
are the ghost at the end of the leash chatting away on the magic machine
we call an I Phone.
When you decide to take your dog for a walk, or on errands, BE with
them – talk to them, laugh with them, practice manners training, and
bring a couple of their favorite snacks to reward polite behavior. You
wouldn’t invite a friend out for coffee or shopping and then ignore them,
and our dogs deserve the same social graces.
2. Food Puzzles, everyone loves a crossword puzzle!
Chew items are a doggy parent’s best friend! Dogs are hard wired to
want to chew and use their jaws, so try to provide a variety of nice and
safe chew toys for your dog on a daily basis. If your dog is busy chewing
a toy they are not chewing the furniture, your shoes or barking! A busy
dog is a peaceful dog!
Give your dog a Crossword Puzzle! Put away the food bowl and feed your
dogs meal in a food-dispensing toy. Some of our favorites are the Kong,
JW Amaze a Ball, Twist and Treat, Kibble Nibble and Atomic Treat Ball.
Fill the toy with food and then your dog has to figure out how to make
the food fall out. This may seem easy to the human, but food dispensing
toys are crossword puzzles for dogs!
3. Fun and Games
Dogs don’t require big expensive gifts. Often the items on a dog wish list
are free! One of many dog’s favorite activates is play. And playing with
their parent makes it even more fun. Learn how to play with your dog! Is
he a chaser, a tugger, a retriever, a hunter? What does he find cool to do?
Find It. This is one of my favorite games. It is perfect for mealtime, a
rainy day, or just plain fun with your dogs. Ask your dog to sit and stay.
If they do not know this behavior gently tether (tie) them by their leash
to a chair or table leg. Show them the yummy food in your hand. Run
away from your dog and pretend to the hide the piece of food. Let them
watch you do this. Reach your hand under a table, next to a chair, behind
the bookcase etc. After a few “pretend’ hides, actually leave the treat in
an easy hiding spot. Walk back over to your dog and tell them to “Find
It” in enthusiastic voice and release them. Now watch your dog use his
nose! To learn more about this game and the details check out our article
and instructional video on Find It.
Hide and Seek is another favorite. To play this game you must get your
dog distracted. I often show them a treat, say Find it, and then toss the
food. While they are searching for the cookie, I run away and hide
behind a chair or in another room. I then say “ Where’s Mommy” and my
dog runs around the house looking for me. When my dog finds me I give
them a yummy treat, toss their favorite toy or play a quick game of tug.
4. Meal time is training time
Make mealtime a training session and use the food as a reward. Teach
manners, tricks, or just capture your dog doing something you like and
reward them for it. For example, sit on your couch with your dog’s food
in a bowl. Watch your dog. When he makes any movement such as lifts a
paw, turns his head, sits, lies down, walks, licks his nose mark the
behavior by saying YES in a happy voice and toss him a piece of kibble or
give him a lick of wet food off a spoon. Be creative and have fun! With
capturing you can mark and reward almost anything!
5. The perfect Saturday: A munchkin at Dunkin Doughnuts, a
walk in the park and sunbathing.
If you were to ask my lab Aspen how she would like to be spoiled, I think
her answer would be to make every day a Saturday! My boyfriend and I
have a tradition of waking up every Saturday morning and doing the
snack and park routine. We stop by Dunkin Doughnuts and get a plain
glazed munchkin for each dog and we then proceed to central park for
off leash hours. Off leash hours in the park is Aspens heaven. She spends
time scenting, playing with dogs, lying in the sun and romping in
streams. She has the biggest smile on her face. Now when I compare
romping in the park to taking her shopping for a new winter sweater,
you can guess which activity easily wins out!!
Canine Learning Centers Success Stories…
Fearful Jasmine is coming out of her Shell!
Dogs are our passion! We looove
what we do, but even if you love
what you do, you still need positive
reinforcement!
Jasmine, a Baja rescue adopted by
Polly Ulrich had a rough start in life
with pneumonia. Jas is very fearful
but she is attending daycare at
instructor Julie Kroonenburg’s and
recently came out of her shell. She
played all day with fellow day care
attendee Summer the Golden!
Jasmine also just graduated Canine
Learning Centers Basic obedience
and is enrolled in our next class. No
doubt she will continue to
improve! Way to go Jasmine!
Thank you for the positive reinforcement!
“Teddy” graduates October/November beginner class
earning “most improved” award
Teddy earns the most improved award in the Basic Dog Obedience Class.
“Teddy” approx. 1 – 2yr old Jack Russell Terrier was just 1hr away from
euthanasia at a Santa Monica humane society when a caring person
called a rescue organization to retrieve him.
Owners Natalie and Vince Castriotta adopted Teddy and enrolled him in
Canine Learning Centers basic dog obedience class.
Teddy’s history is not quite clear but he was very fearful of new things.
Fast forward 6wks later: Although at first he still barks at any new
people entering his surroundings he has mastered general obedience,
takes treats and petting and is interested in playing with the other dogs
in class.
Thumbs up to caring owners Natalie and Vince for their receptiveness to
instruction, patience and dedication!!!!
Boarding and Training
Canine Learning Center Instructor
Julie Kroonenburg offers boarding!
No more feeling guilty about leaving
your dog in a kennel while you’re
away…
At Julie’s house your dog is free to
roam around all day! Her 2-½ acre property is tucked away in a quiet
country setting in the city of Poway. She is only 30 minutes from Del
Mar!
www.theexcellentcanine.com
Phone: (858) 883-2520
2014 Class Schedule
PUPPY KINDERGARTEN (4 wk course - pups 9 - 16wks)
Location
Start Date
Time
Carlsbad/La Costa
Monday 1/06/14
7:00 to 8:15 PM
Del Mar
Thursday 1/08/14
6:30 to 7:45 PM
Puppy All Star
BEGINNER OBEDIENCE (6 wk course - pups 16wk and up)
Location
Start Date
Time
Saturday 1/04/14
9:00 to 10:00 AM &
Carlsbad
11:00 to 12:00 AM
Encinitas
Tuesday 1/10/14
6:30 to 7:30 PM
Del Mar
Thursday 1/09/14
6:30 to 7:30 PM
Specialty Classes
PERFECT THE BASICS/ CANINE GOOD CITIZEN
Start Date
Location
Del Mar
Thursday 1/09/14
Carlsbad
Saturday 1/04/14
Encinitas
TBD
Time
6:30 to 7:30 PM
10:00 to 11:00 AM
TBD
SOME NEW CLASSES MAY NOT YET BE POSTED – PLEASE CALL
760-931-1834