I will be leaving this afternoon to conduct three seminars in Brasil. The first dog training seminar will cover training for police patrol and protection. We will be covering drives and teaching skills such as, the out, recall and proper decoy techniques. The second seminar will cover advanced Search and Rescue Dog Training and will be a follow-up to the seminar the we taught last year. In this Search and Rescue Seminar, we will be teaching advanced techniques for S&R dogs and handlers. We are even planning rapelling with the dogs. The third and final seminar will be a three-day Police K-9 and SWAT applications course for the Brazilian Military. These seminars should be doth interesting and exciting and I am excited about being a part of them. We will have updates, photos and video form the seminar on the website soon, so check back often.

tchau

It’s that time of year again, where you could take your wonderful pet to work and show off the love of your life! I received my notice from Pet Sitter’s International where they have selected June 20th for the official date to take your dog to work. Your participation in this event could make a huge difference in saving a dog’s life that is in desperate need of a forever home. The preventing sponsor of this event is Comfort Zone, you can visit them at www.petcomfortzone.com for more information.
Here are three things you should know about Take Your Dog To Work Day:

1. It’s a celebration of dogs and their undivided companionship.
2. It’s an encouragment of pet adoptions in a positive and proactive way.
3. It can also be a way to promote your business to an audience of passionate pet owners.

Here are some of the results from everyone’s participation in 2007!
*Thousands of pet owners, shelters, dog trainers, and pet sitters participated across the United States, and here in North Carolina (this even included folks from the Charlotte area, Hickory, Winston Salem, and Greensboro to name a few).
*The event was covered by more than 200 publications and reached an audience greater than 10 million readers across the U.S.
*This event was heard on the radio or seen on television by more than 16 million people.
*Was viewed on the Internet by more than 125,000 people in the months of May and June alone!

So talk with your boss or HR manager and then find a local shelter, rescue organization or humane society and put together a strategy to get as many people as possible to join the Fun on June 20th! For more detailed information check out www.petsit.com

Recently, I have receive a lot of phone calls and emails about using detection dogs at checkpoints. The handlers that I have been speaking with have wondered what the “rules” are when using drug dogs at checkpoints. The “rules” are simply this:

1. Drug checkpoints clearly violate the Fourth Amendment.
2. Checkpoints can be established to detect drunk drivers, illegal immigrants and to verify license and registration.
3. Detection dogs can be used at checkpoints as long as the are utilized properly.
4. You cannot detain a person/vehicle for the sole purpose of a K-9 sniff without reasonable articulable suspicion.

I have attached a Case Law Reference that can be used to further understand the cases that relate to detection dogs and checkpoints. This 200+ page booklet covers many cases regarding both detection and apprehension/use of force cases.

There a couple of Supreme Court Decisions that can guide handlers in utilizing detection dogs at checkpoints and at other encounters as well. The first case is City of Indianapolis v Edmond. This case informs us that drug checkpoints are invalid and violate the Fourth Amendment. It also clearly outlines when and where checkpoints are valid and can be used. The second case to note is Illinois v Caballes. This 2005 case gives handlers and officers the right to conduct indiscriminate sniffs, without reasonable suspicion, as long as the vehicle is not detained for the sole purpose of the sniff. Both of these cases are listed below, in brief.

City of Indianapolis v Edmond (121 S. Ct. 447, 148 L. Ed. 2d 333 (2000) U.S. Supreme Court

States that roadblocks established to interdict unlawful drugs violate the Fourth Amendment.

A roadblock must be a legitimate effort to implement an authorized regulatory policy, rather than a pretext for a dragnet search for criminals.

The US Supreme Court has upheld brief, suspicionless seizures in three cases:

• Fixed checkpoints designed to intercept illegal aliens;
• Sobriety checkpoints aimed at removing drunken drivers from the road;
• A roadblock to verify a persons drivers’ licenses and registrations.

This decision does not affect the validity of border searches or searches in airports and government buildings. Nor does it inhibit a police officers’ ability to act upon information that they discover during a lawful checkpoint stop.

The fact that officers walk a narcotics detection dog around the exterior of a car during a checkpoint does not transform the seizure into a search.

Illinois v Caballes (125 S. Ct. 834 (2005) U.S. Supreme Court

States that a dog sniff conducted during a lawful traffic stop, that reveals no information other than location of contraband that no individual has any right to possess, does not violate the Fourth Amendment.

Also states that the use of a well trained narcotics detection dog, one that does not expose noncontraband items that otherwise would remain hidden from public view, during lawful traffic stop does not violate the Fourth Amendment.

Where a lawful traffic stop was not extended beyond the time necessary to issue a warning ticket and to conduct ordinary inquiries incident to such a stop, another officer’s arrival at the scene while the stop was in progress and the use of a narcotics detection dog to sniff around the exterior of a motorist’s vehicle does not have to be supported by some reasonable, articulable suspicion.

We as trainers find ourselves discussing this topic quite frequently with pet owners. But we find that many pet owners get confused on the actual diagnosis of the anxiety. For instance, from time to time, in the kennel we see those certain dogs that are escape artist, or drool and maybe not eat well the first few days of their stay in a new place. This does not necessarily mean that your dog suffers from separation anxiety, some dogs are just not use to the kennel environment and do not do well around all of the other dogs, new noises, and new smells.

Let’s start by running through some of the symptoms of separation anxiety. Remember your dog doesn’t have to show every single one of these signs, but just because they have one or two does not mean they have separation anxiety either. You have to look at the whole picture and the different triggers that get your dog into a frenzy so to speak.

*Whining or pacing while you’re getting ready to leave (they know your routine).
*Dilated pupils
*Drooling/and panting or rapid breathing
*Trembling or shaking
*Sweaty pads (which can be hard to see)
*Barking/howling long after you leave
*House soiling (make sure your dog is truly house trained before you use this one)
*Destructive chewing/digging (don’t get this confused with pure boredom)
*Decrease in appetite
*Desperate and often injurious attempts to get out of the house, crate, or kennel

Before you go and diagnose your dog, let’s discuss some of these behaviors that are common among dogs. We have been asked to crate train some of the dogs here at our facility for their owners. I remember we had a miniature poodle that the owners were having a terrible time house training. We started them with crate training and every time we put the little fellow in the crate he immediately began to salivate and panic. His problem was not separation anxiety he simply was not use to being in a crate and it freaked him out. So we backed up a little and made the crate his perfect den. He would eat, have special treats, his favorite toys, and started with just a few minutes at a time, instead of tossing him in the crate for 8 hours. The poodle got to where he didn’t mind being in his crate…he also became house trained within weeks as well! Remember to think inside the box or in this case the crate!!

The destructive behavior we often see is not just from puppies, but can be from full grown adult dogs as well. We had a client from the Charlotte area that brought up a pit bull mix that had simply destroyed their home while they were on vacation, and I mean chewed the trim off of their windows! The problem was the dog was only about 4 months old and it was left to run the entire house the whole week except when the pet sitter came by to feed and let them out. The problem with this pup was not separation anxiety it was simply lack of structure, and complete boredom! You have to be the leader in cases like these and remember the dog would be better off in a crate or designated area of your home where they could not get into trouble than be left to their own devices and have to deal with the consequences which are usually negative from their owners.

Also remember that barking or howling constantly can be a behavior that we humans or pet owners have promoted from our cute pets. A lot of clients tell us that their dogs bark excessively in their crate or in the house, the first question we ask is what do you do when they bark? The answer is usually I go and fuss at them or I give them a treat or something to eat so they will be quiet. So basically the dog barked and you came running and they got what they wanted (which is your attention, even if it’s not always good attention) and you are left with many nights resulting in lack of sleep! Many pet owners are rewarding bad behaviors and not even realizing it…it’s very easy to do when all you want to do is console those whimpering pups!

There are dogs out there that truly suffer from separation anxiety and it can be very agonizing for the pet owner and the dog. I have personally dealt with a German Shepherd who suffered from a moderate case of separation anxiety. As soon as I started putting shoes on he would begin to bark! He has also torn his ear and had other injuries as a result of escaping from his kennel. He has gotten better over the years, but we still deal with those pesky thunderstorms from time to time which is an entirely new article! We had another client whose American Bulldog actually broke her teeth trying to escape from the crate at another facility as a result of separation anxiety.

There are many different ways and techniques to assist in the rehabilitation of your dog however each case is entirely different and a professional trainer would most likely be needed. However there is a great piece of literature by Patricia B. McConnell, PhD. Called “I’ll Be Home Soon!” I encourage everyone to read this 37 page booklet on preventing and dealing with separation anxiety. It’s a great book to teach you how not to create the behavior even if you have never dealt with it before.

We recently trained a German Shepherd named “Apollo” for a client in Huntersville, NC. Apollo attended our three week advanced training course to teach him off-leash obedience and to also instill some manners. We enjoy getting updates and emails from dog owners and we thought that we would share this one with you.

Hi Erin and Jason!

Just wanted to give you a follow up on Apollo. He has been home now for almost four weeks and boy have things changed around here! Prior to coming to your boot camp, we had to deal with the relationship between him and our Australian shepherd, our two cats, and of course the whole family. Now, we can get moments like this because everyone is relaxed around each other AND our little female cat who hid from him for the first three weeks he came to us, now rolls on her back under his nose and bops him on the nose if he is behaving inappropriately!

Apollo has also become a welcome addition to my portrait studio! He has been welcomed by so many of my customers, helping make children smile and settle down, and most recently even supervising the THIRTY tiny toes of a newborn set of triplets……He just wanted one little lick! The parents were German Shepherd lovers themselves and thought he was terribly cute!

I know I’ve told you before but I just had to write again and let you know how much of an impact your training had on our family and work life. I have a daily companion for work and wish only that I had named him Shadow because that is what he has become……..No leash for us. I actually realized yesterday on the way home from the studio that I had forgotten to bring the leash and never missed it. Thanks again!
See the photo attached our our happy family!

Heather Gaydeski

Highland Canine Training will be offering “Agility for Fun” classes for dogs and their owners at our Matthews, NC location. The classes will begin on June 21st 2008 at 10:00 a.m. and run for six weeks. Registration and free evaluations will take place on June 21st. Agility is great exercise and mental stimulation for any dog and owner who would like do do something for fun with their dogs. Linda Taylor will be instructing the classes that will each last about an hour. Watch Linda in action with Arie the German Shepherd in this short agility video. Space is limited, so if you wish to attend, please call Linda at 704.500.6810 or email her.

In today’s world it’s so hard to just take a time-out for yourself; between family, friends, work, and home, many people forget about playtime with their canine pals! It doesn’t have to be a planned event to hang out with your dog, they don’t care where you go or what you do as long as it involves you and maybe a tasty treat or their favorite toy! Nothing can build the bond between you and your dogs like a little unstructured fun from time to time.

So, if you are a city bound person or simply living in the country with little time… slow down… and take your dog out into the country or even a nice park or farmer’s market will do. It would do you both some good to see new things and smell new smells. Some dogs enjoy the ride itself much less the endless possibilities of an open meadow or wooded area. And don’t forget about ponds, creeks, and streams. Encourage them to take a dip, you may have to use their favorite toy for a quick game of fetch in the water. If you are up for it, you could take a dip too! We recently had a client from Hickory, NC who picked up their German Shepherd, Toby, after he stayed with us for a little off-leash obedience training. His owner took him straight to the wilderness for a little camping with the boy scouts. Another one of our clients from Huntersville, NC took their dog to a birthday party recently. These types of adventures are great for your dog. Not only is it fun for them, but it exposes your dog to new things which only broadens their socialization skills.

If you are stuck at home with little time, get your family involved and make your own obstacles for your dog to perform a little basic agility. You’ll find your obstacles to be very creative and your dog will love every minute of it! We have had several clients in the Charlotte, NC area that have built agility equipment from PVC pipe. You could also play hide and seek with your dogs favorite toy or snacks (you may have to let them see you hide it the first few times, then they usually catch on) around the house or even the yard. Many dogs are always up for a good game of chase, however, I should warn you that you should always get your dog to chase you (with their favorite object) and not chase them. If you chase your dog you could end up with behavioral issues like the dog not coming when called because they want you to chase them and so on.

Life doesn’t always have to be about rules and thorough planning; sometimes it’s the little things that make life with your canine pals and family wonderful. If all else fails most dogs are always up for a little snuggle time!

Highland Canine Training will be conducting a Dog Behavior and Training Seminar for the members of the Humane Society of Iredell on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 from 3-6pm in Statesville, NC. The purpose of the seminar is to teach the fosters and volunteers of the humane society how to better evaluate dogs for placement in foster homes as well as homes with families. This seminar will also teach the volunteers how to properly communicate with dogs and how to understand what they are telling us. The course will also teach how to recognize signs of stress as well as aggression in dogs. We will also cover some dog training methods and techniques during the seminar. We will explain the different types of training equipment that is used, as well as a variety of training methods that may help make these foster dogs more adoptable.

Any member of the Humane Society that wishes to attend, please call Highland Canine Training at 704.728.9494 or contact the humane society through their website.

If your organization would like to host a seminar please contact us at the number above. If you would like to attend any of our seminars, please check our schedule or contact us.

Everyone knows that dogs bark, it’s what they are suppose to do, right? Some dogs take it a little further than others, that’s why it is so important to try and understand why your dog is barking excessively. Sometimes the behavior can simply be breed specific, for example a lot of your small/toy breed dogs (daschunds, yorkies, shitzhu’s) or working dogs (beagles, shorthaired pointers, Jack Russell Terrier’s) are prone to bark, it is hereditary, so to speak. So as we have mentioned before make sure you do your homework before purchasing or adopting certain breeds, you have to make sure they are compatable with your lifestyle and vice versa.

Dogs can learn very quick that barking can get them what they want from humans. For example, many people will not crate their dogs or limit their space throughout the house because of barking issues. When dealing with owners, we often learn that when the barking behavior was occuring the owners would run to their pets and console them or simply scold them. Either way the dog got the owners to them and received attention from their owners, which is exactly what they are hoping for. If you give that behavior any attention what so ever, you are going to encourage or promote the behavior and it will only get worse. We have a 5 month old miniture long haired dapple daschund at our house and since he cannot really jump in your lap, he has learned to sit at your feet and bark! My husband and I have learned to ignore this behavior and he does not do it very often with us, however our kids are a sucker for it everytime…which only encourages the behavior when they are around.

If you have a mature dog or have adopted an adult dog from a shelter with barking issues, you will need a lot more patience when trying to correct this behavior. You can’t undo years worth of issues in a few weeks, most often it takes months. A lot of times simply ignoring the behavior will not work, you have to find out the cause of the barking (help from a trainer may be necessary) and work on gradual positive behavior changes. For example, you have a dog that barks excessively when you are not paying them any attenion (talking on the telephone etc.) Then you have to find a way to channel the unwanted barking into a behavior that you want, like the place command or a down stay. Many times, these dogs are simply bored out of their minds and need structure from their owner. A great way to accomplish this is through professional obedience training or finding a hobby, activity, or job that you and your dog can both enjoy. Remember, a mentally tired dog is a happy dog which means a happy dog owner.

Let’s not forget about the alarm bark. Many owners appreciate and encourage their dogs to bark when someone strange comes to their home or strange dogs come through their yard, so this is not always a bad thing. When you hear that high pitched bark it’s your dog’s way of alerting the pack, or in this case their family, that something strange is there. Most often, the dog keeps their distance until they understand that it is safe for them to come near the strange person. Other owners however, don’t particularly care to hear theie dog barking everytime someone walks by the front window. Remember, if you pick your dog up or console them while they are demonstrating this behavior you are encourging this and it will not go away. However, if you ignore the behavior and encourage them to come up to the person (usually food motivation or toys work best for this exercise) and only give them attention or the reward when they are quiet or happily greeting the stranger then you will eventually diminish the alarm bark.

Barking can be a wonderful thing at times and other times it is a total nuisance, it’s your job as a dog owner to teach your dog to understand the difference. If you are experiencing excessive barking from your dog I would consult a professional dog trainer, since every dog and every situation is different.

I recently found an article on Discovery that has a quiz to see if you recognize seven, very distinctive dog barks. These barks range form 4 month old labrador puppies to aggressive growls and barks from a Rottweiler. The quiz has several audio files that you can play to see if you can match them to the correct description. I thought the quiz was rather interesting.
Take the barking dog quiz.

We often receive calls from clients that are concerned about their dogs and children. Their concern is that either their dog knocking the kids down, barking at the child, growling at the child or has bitten their children or someone elses child. This is obviously a situation that should raise concern with any adult. However, we often find that the dog is generally not at fault in most situations. I have had cases where children have jumped on, stepped on or pulled on the dog and hurt it in some way, and the dog acted out to defend itself. For example, I once trained a Rottweiler that bit a child after the boy stepped on the dog while it was fast asleep. The dog awoke a bit the boy instinctively after being hurt and startled.

We often see owners who intentionally keep their dogs away from children, simply because they don’t know what the dog’s reaction will be. This often creates tension and does not allow the dogs to properly socialize with children. In my opinion, a great deal of people are overly cautious. A few years ago in NC, a small girl was mauled and killed by two dogs and I observed first-hand the aftermath and damage. Having any child injured or killed is by far a great tragedy that no one should have to endure. However, when we look at some statistics, I think that it can help us better put things into perspective.

Shockingly, approximately three children are killed each day, or 1,100 per year, by their own parents.

Dog attacks kill an average of about nine children per year.

Based on these statistics, children run a much greater risk of being killed by their parents or in a car accident than by a dog attack. These statistics generally surprise most people. There are things that we can do to help prevent these problems with dogs and children. First, we should have a schedule of training for the dog. The dog should be properly socialized around children and learn to act appropriately around them. More importantly, children should be taught how to properly handle and work with the dog (as seen in this video) and should learn how to act appropriately around the dog(s).

Having the children care for the dog can also help and will allow the dog to see the children as leaders as well. Have the children assist in feeding, grooming and walking the dog on a regular basis. If you train with the dog on a regular basis, teach your children how to train with the dog as well. Teach them how to get the dog to sit, down, stay and do other exercises. If you are attending training or other classes with your dog, take your children along as well. This can be a fun event and learning experience for everyone involved. If your dog trainer won’t assist in working with your children to teach them and the dog how to interact properly, find another dog trainer.

If you feel that your dog needs socialization with children or if training is in order so that the dog can learn to act appropriately around the kids, contact us, we’ll be happy to assist you.