No matter what type of pet dog training you chose, whether it’s in-kennel training, private lessons, in-home training, or even group classes, you have your home work cut out for you! In-kennel clients should understand that just because the dog does all the commands for our dog trainer’s doesn’t mean that will automatically apply to you. Let’s say, for example your dog has had the run of the house the last 2 years, he comes and goes as he pleases, chews up things in your home, lunges at people on a walk, and maybe a little rough when playing with new dogs. You as the pet owner, have allowed that to go on the last 2 years, and that is no big deal, we see it all the time, but when your dog returns home you have to get with the program and apply the rules instantly. This can take several days or even weeks for your dog to realize that “Mom is not putting up with my bad behavior anymore!” And my group class, private lessons, and in-home training clients you are not off the hook either! You will be assigned things to work on between sessions, it’s your job as the pet owner to follow through, and it’s so worth it!

Protection dog clients maybe the worst as far as expectations! They often times purchase a dog that is picked from a vendor in Europe, we ship the dog to our facility, and the owner may or may not even come visit before training begins. We work with the dog for several months in obedience and bite work and deliver the dog to the client’s home. This dog doesn’t know you from Adam; it takes several weeks and sometimes months depending on the dog, for a bond or relationship to take effect. Clients want good social dogs that can do well with kids that perform bite work, then call the first week and say it’s not mean enough! Once the dog understands his home he will guard it to the fullest! This goes back to patience and consistency in training once the dog is in your home! We have a protection dog in the Charlotte area, the owner called after week two and said that his wife has spoiled her so much he didn’t think she would bite a flea! Jason went down to the home did a little decoy work with her and she still had it! Jason explained that she was still settling in to be patient and stick with working obedience daily (this helps with the liability issue that come with a protection dog to work on nice solid obedience). A few weeks later, the owner called and said he had to leave work early and go home, because the cleaning lady had stepped out of the house and their dog would not let her back in! Since then this family has had other positive experiences when the dog performed their job, you just have to give it a chance!

Our Autism Assistance Dog clients probably have the most work do to once the dog arrives. For this simple reason is why we generally stay five days upon delivery of the dog to make sure the transition goes well with the children! Our families already have a tight schedule with school, therapies, and doctor appointments and so on, now they have to learn how to utilize a dog in this chaos! We prepare our clients for the responsibilities that are added with a dog and how they still have to work daily with the child and dog on obedience and structure. Like our protection dog clients we often purchase a dog to fit the family’s needs and they may visit the dog a few times upon delivery, so again it takes a little bit for the dog to settle and bond with your family so be patient it will pay off in the end!

So when asked “What are your expectations of the dogs training?” Your answer should be I understand that your job is to lay the foundation work for my dog, but it’s up to me and my family to properly nurture and mold the finished product with training my dog! Keep expectations realistic, understand that these dogs will not be push button in the beginning, it takes time, with consistency and structure you will get there, and we guarantee it! We are only a phone call away and any of our dog trainer’s will be happy to assist with advice and/or a visit if needed!

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In-kennel dog training is great, but sometimes we just don’t see the behaviors and behavior problems that you may see at home. This offers you and your family a custom training program to work on these behavioral issues. Examples of problem behaviors include: barking and/or lunging at visitors at the front door, nipping at children when they run around the house, fence fighting with the neighbor’s dogs; chewing up furniture/windows, aggression between multiple pets, leash aggression when walking in public or around your neighborhood, potty training/marking issues, moderate to severe shyness with visitors, digging or destroying the yard. These are just a few of the dog problems we see and work with to help you get your household back on track!

Our professional dog trainer’s here at Highland Canine Training have had extensive training and experience in the areas of problem solving and are prepared to handle any breed. We feel that the majority of problems that arise from dogs in their home environment come from an error or lack of communication from the pet owners. It is our job to assist you and get you and your family in the habit of learning to speak dog!

Another benefit of private lessons is that we are actually teaching you how to train your own dog. These dog training techniques can be applied to your next dog or pet, so the investment can last a lifetime! Highland Canine Training currently has trainers located in cities of North Carolina including; Lake Norman, Lake Wiley, Statesville, Troutman, Huntersville, Mooresville, Matthews, Newton, Conover, Lenoir, Granite Falls, and Lake Hickory. We also have contractors that cover areas in and around Atlanta, Georgia including Marietta and in and around Tampa, Florida. Call us today to set up your free evaluation!

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Many parents that have a child that have just been diagnosed with autism should not just run out and purchase a service dog for their child. Talk with your physician, because there are many changes that are getting ready to happen in your life and the life of your child, so this would not be the best time to introduce a new responsibilty in your life. Your physicians and/or therapists will let you know when you are ready to take this step for your child and your family.

If your child has not been around animals or possibly has a fear to animals or new things. Then I would suggest horse therapy, zoo visits, and to go on short visits where they can meet both large and small dogs. Your child is always welcome to visit our facility and meet all the dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and horses! Please keep in mind the responsiblity of purchasing an autism dog, however these responsibility can help your child grow and cross those bridges into communication and social behaviors. For example we had a child that we trained a dog for that, when going out on errrands, shopping, or visits; you could only stop at two places, three if he was having a great day. One of those places had to be the pet store or the toy store or the result would be severe meltdowns. We personally delivered the dog to the family and worked with them and the child for about five days. On day three we attempted the shopping spree. The child was able to heel the dog around town on his own, and before we knew whe had visited 4 stores, a farmers market around the block and then sat down to eat dinner, without a peep from the child. He was so content with having the responisibilty of the dog he forgot about his normal must have routines, and an added bonus wsa that he wasn’t clinging to mom all day!

Once you and your doctors/therapist decide that an autism assistance dog is the next step for your family then you are ready to fill out an application, we ask you to be as detailed as possible including a doctors presciption so that we can pick the best dog for your family. Once your application is excepted, then we scout for the perfect dog for you and your child. Once we locate a dog or two that could be a good fit we ask you to come out for a visit and meet the dogs.

We have had a few parents ask what if they can not balance dog and child once the dog is placed in the home, do they get a refund? We give our families many opportunities to finalize their decision for a service dog, so once the process is towards the end of training and/or placement then the answer is no, but you are more than welcome to donate the dog to the right family that may not be able to afford one.

We have seen remarkable results from autism assistance dogs and the children, after the bonding time is complete. They talk their world head on hand in hand. Highland Canine Training will do everything we can to make sure these happy endings continue you on for years to come!

If you are interested in learning more about our Autism Assistance Dog Programs or training feel free to call us toll free at 866.200.2207 or visit www.autismassistancedog.com

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When everyone comes to a decision on what breed, size and energy level you think would be best the next step is finding a breeder that interests you. A few things that might help you decide which breeder to pick can be if the parents are on site, how long he/she has been in business for and ask them questions on the info that you found on the breed that you have decided to go with. Ask them if you can come to their house or kennel to see the parents and the condition they keep them in. If for some reason they say no, that is a clue you don’t want to do business with them and that they are trying to hide something.

Once you bring your puppy home it is very important to make sure that you have all of the things they need before you bring them home. Puppies can start training depending on the breed anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks old. At a young age the more socialization the better. Introducing them to something new should be a gradual thing. Your goal is to set everything up so your puppy gets something good out of that experience. Some of the things that is important to introduce them to is men, women, children, different sounds and walking on a leash. It is important that the training is a positive and fun experience so they look forward to learning new things. Never hit your puppy when they are having a bad day or when they do something that you are not happy with. Put them in their crate and try it again the next day.

Moving on to training. Whether you go to group classes or get a trainer to work with you and your family it is important for the dogs stability to have boundaries that everyone follows. For example, one person can’t tell the puppy that they can come on the bed and then the next person yells at the puppy when it gets on the bed. Everything has to come across clear so he/she doesn’t start to get confused and then they don’t know what is being asked of them which will set you back in the training. Taking your puppy out to practice training should always be when you are in a good mood. When you are having a bad day the puppy will pick up on this. In turn that session will be a waste of time and will get you nowhere.

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Tracking or Trailing Dog – It is common for people to use tracking and trailing synonymously. This is a common misconception among people learning about tracking or trailing work. In actuality, they are two completely different methods and have two completely different uses. The reason we use both words to describe them here is in the event someone is looking for a SAR trailing dog, but accidently wrote SAR tracking dog. Tracking is a method used in many sports like Schutzhund or AKC competitions. This is a very slow and ineffective way for SAR groups to work. Here, the dog actually follows each footstep of the track layer. They are taught to keep their nose on the ground so they do not miss a footstep and can indicate on a scent article.

As for the Search and Rescue trailing dog this is the fastest and most effective way to trail a person when you know their last known location or have a scent article. Here, the dog is taught to follow the scent, not the track of the human it is following. It is taught scent discrimination so it does not pick up a new scent somewhere along the track and follow it instead. It is also taught to work through contamination along the trail like vehicles, other people, animals and other distractions. You will often see a dog with his nose held up, walking fast or running during a trail. It is the handlers job to ensure that the dog is working at all times and is on the right trail. This type of trailing is typically done on a 30 or 50 foot long line or leash so the handler can keep up with the dog. This dog is by far the most common and most often used Search and Rescue dog out there.

USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) or Disaster Dog – This dog is similar to a life insurance policy…you pay into it each month but hope that you don’t have to use it in the near future. What I mean by this is that the Urban Search and Rescue or Disaster Dog is used very rarely. We typically refer to them as disaster dogs because they are used after hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, flash floods, acts of terrorism, etc. These dogs are taught to find living humans in difficult terrain, i.e. a pile of rubble, a collapsed building, rooftops, etc. This dog not only understands the fundamentals of finding the human, but also has the agility training to move himself to the location to show a final indication. These are the dogs that were used during the 911 tragedy, the Oklahoma City bombing and most recently in Haiti and Chile. These dogs are extremely valuable when it comes to disasters but a typical USAR dog may only work once in its life.

Wilderness or Air Scent Dog – These dogs have not only mastered on and off leash obedience, but have the ability to be set free in the woods to locate a human in large or rough terrain. These dogs are often times used to search larger areas where no last know location has been given. Once they pick up the scent they tend to zigzag back and forth creating a cone shape until they eventually find the source of the odor, the missing person. They are most commonly used to find a missing person in the wilderness or someone lost on terrain which would be hard for an individual to navigate through. These dogs are also highly skillful at agility so they can move quickly, smoothly and fluently while locating someone.

HRD or Cadaver Dog – Human Remains Detection or Cadaver dogs are usually brought in last during a Search and Rescue operation. These dogs are trained to find and indicate on a number of decomposing human odors. Whether it is decomposition fluid, hair, teeth, blood, tissue or nails the dog is always looking for someone who has died. HRD dogs are taught on and off leash obedience, plus directionals which help the handler control their search pattern from a distance and in rough terrain. The most popular HRD dog is a land cadaver dog. This dog is trained to indicate when it has found a body (or part) regardless if it is visible or not on the land. A water dog will indicate on odors of a body under water while riding in a boat or similar vessel.
Although it has been done, we do not suggest training a dog to find live humans and cadavers. It has been seen throughout history that when presented with a situation where it is presented with both live people and cadavers it has been extremely easy for them to get confused and indicate on the wrong thing. For instance, during 911 dual trained cadaver/USAR were used to find living humans. They wanted to spend as much time trying to save the individuals still alive as possible. So when the dog indicated, they assumed the person was alive and spent a large amount of energy trying to save them, only to find out they had been dead for hours or days. So that is why we don’t suggest it.

It is easy to write an essay on each one of these categories of Search and Rescue dogs, but it is important to understand the fundamental differences between them. Knowing what each is will only help you decide which route you and your pup want to go when joining a SAR Chapter. Here at Highland Canine we pride ourselves in producing some of the finest SAR dogs in the industry. Call today to schedule an evaluation to see if your dog is capable of becoming a Search and Rescue dog or if you were looking to purchase a dog already trained.

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We commonly work with owners and handlers that consistently hit their dogs on the head or other places in order to correct unwanted behavior. They hit them with everything from their hands, feet, leashes, newspapers, or anything else that they can get their hands on. We recently spoke with the owner of a 6 month old Labradoodle who admitted to hitting it in the head whenever it did anything that they didn’t like. Some of the things it would get hit for would include, jumping, pulling, barking or getting on the furniture.

So, what do these dogs learn from being hit in the head? For one, they learn to stay at least an arms (or leash) reach from their owners at all times. They also learn to be afraid of leashes, hands, newspapers and anything else that they feel may strike them. Equally as important, they often never know why or when they will get hit next. There is often no clear direction from the handler as to what is and is not expected from them. Therefore, the dog experiences “learned helplessness” and feels as though they are trapped as an unwilling participant in a game of “WHACKAMOLE”.

About a year and a half ago, we had the opportunity to work with a dog that had been consistently hit in the head by his owners. After several short months of this, the dog began to bite. The dog would bite the hands of anyone who tried to pet it, feed it or touch it in general. This made it difficult for the owners to have company over, to take the dog to the vet and to work with the dog in general. It took months to rehabilitate this particular dog and teach him to trust people and their hands again.

Let’s just take a quick look at when and how we use our hands with our dogs. We give them treats with our hands. We feed them with our hands and we also pet them with our hands. Therefore, it is important to use our hands properly with the dog so that we don’t create a negative association with our hands in general. When we think about it, we also use a leash for walking, training and other exercises and it is equally as important that we do not create the same association with the leash by whacking the dog in the head or nose with it.

Plain and simple, there is no benefit from hitting a dog with anything, including your hands or a leash. There are much better and more effective ways to train a dog and to correct unwanted behavior in dogs without hitting them. Physically hitting dogs is not a positive punishment techniques that dogs can understand and not beneficial in training or living with a dog.

If you have any questions about our training methods or programs, please feel free to call us at 866.200.2207 or email us at training@highlandcanine.com.

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This seminar is a great opportunity for dog owners, veterinarians, rescue volunteers, petsitters, groomers and others to learn about canine communication, canine cognition as well as answers to some common myths and questions about dog behavior. The seminar will last for about 3 hours and will include about an hour question and answer session with our training staff.

The seminar will include such topics as:
How Dogs Learn
Canine Body Language
Behavior Problems
How to be a Better Dog Owner
Bite Prevention
Working with Dogs and Children
…and much, much more!

This seminar is free of charge and is open to anyone who would like to attend. Space is limited and registration for the seminar is required. If you would like to attend the seminar, please email us at training@highlandcanine.com. Please include your name and phone number in your email. Our recent seminar posting for Charlotte filled in about a week. If you have questions about the seminar, feel free to call us at 704.728.9494.

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Highland Canine Training, LLC offers private detection services for businesses, schools, and private homes. This service allows private businesses to determine whether their facility has an issue with employees using illegal drugs at their workplace. This service also allows companies the opportunity to take a proactive approach to this increasing problem without the initial presence of local law enforcement. Drug detection services allow the employer to promote a Drug Free Workplace as well as providing an unmatched psychological deterrent.

Highland Canine Training, LLC offers teams that are capable of searching residential and commercial structures as well as motor vehicles. Our top-quality dogs are able to easily search a multitude of areas and objects and can detect the odor of illegal narcotics effortlessly. Our narcotics detection dogs are trained to locate the odor of Marijuana, Methamphetamines, Cocaine HCL, Crack Cocaine, Heroin and derivatives.

Our services can be contracted monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or you can be placed on a “will-call” status. These detection sweeps are coordinated with the appropriate company personnel and can be scheduled to suit your company’s needs.

Our handlers and employees are discreet and are held to the utmost confidentiality. We can assist you in implementing an effective plan for properly conducting these random searches within your business. With proper planning, these searches are often very effective and have little or no impact on the day-to-day workflow of your business. In some cases, these searches can be conducted in a manner that most employees never knew that they occurred.

Cost for our services is calculated based on a number of factors including but not limited to:

Size of facility
Area of facility to be covered
Number of employees
Vehicles to be searched (if any)
Scheduling (recurrent scheduling is at a reduced rate)

Highland Canine Training, LLC welcomes the opportunity to visit your facility and provide you with a detailed quote before services are contracted. Our services are very affordable and can easily fit within your budget. For example, a company with 100 employees would spend an average of $50 per employee to have them randomly drug tested once per year. This comes to a cost of $5,000 per year to drug screen each employee only once.

By utilizing detection dog services, the same company, with 100 employees could have their entire business screened once a month for an average cost of $200 per visit, totaling $2,400 per year. Therefore, the employer could have their employees and business screened twelve times more at a savings of $2,600 per year for the employer.

Some businesses are also eligible for insurance discounts when they initiate a proactive drug free workplace program. Check with your insurance provider for available discounts.

Highland Canine Training strives to offer the most professional and effective detection services available. A majority of our handlers are former or current law enforcement handlers. We provide discreet and confidential services for our clients at reasonable rates. You can learn more about our staff and facilities at our website. If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to contact us toll-free at .866.200.2207 or locally at 704.728.9494.

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The puppies name is Sammy and he is a 6 month old Dalmatian. Not only did he have no obedience, he was resource guarding his food and water, biting at people and extremely under socialized with people and other animals. This combination could have led to a terrible outcome for the owners and the dog if they had not taken the initiative to get the dog help right away.

To start, this process is long, frustrating and by no means easy. Sammy has been here for about a week now and is coming along great. We are introducing him to more and more people every day, letting him play and get his energy out with other puppies, and teaching him that there is plenty of food for him to eat and he does not have to get aggressive and guard it anymore.

It is more frustrating than anything trying to teach a deaf dog. Many people get frustrated because they cannot yell at the dog for doing inappropriate things. I found it more frustrating that I could not praise the dog for doing things that we like! Imagine being told that you need to drive a close friend to a state you had never been before. Problem is, you cannot use a map or GPS and your friend can not tell you if you are going in the right direction or not. If…and only if you ever made your destination how frustrated do you think you would be by that time? This is how a deaf dog feels when it has no direction.

It’s hard to understand how often we use verbal disapproval and verbal praise in our daily lives with our furry companions. Take a deaf dog for a day and you will begin to understand. Now, how about we change the situation I gave you before. You are driving your friend and every time you make a correct turn that person gives you a dollar, but every time you make a wrong turn they take one away. This will make you a little more motivated to go the right way, no? This may also make the process a little less stressful and more enjoyable, wouldn’t you think?

With Sammy what we began doing is using non verbal cues to show approval and disapproval. Sammy is beginning to learn that eye contact is key to understanding whether he is doing the right or wrong thing. Touch is the dogs first sense that it is capable of using. Without being able to hear, his other senses have been heightened. For this reason we tend to use touch to show approval. A gentle pet when the dog is relieving itself outside while housebreaking it, a pat on the head when we are baiting a sit/stay or down/stay. As much as we take these for granted, these are the cues that Sammy needs to understand he is doing well and we are happy.

At Highland Canine Training we have the proven track record to work with dogs of all breeds and sizes, whether they have a disability or not. Please remember, although it may be frustrating having a dog with a disability, a dog must still have guidance in order to prevent it from being destructive and possibly dangerous. If you or someone you know has a dog that may have issues with resource guarding, biting, or may be under socialized with animals or people give us a call. We offer free evaluations so we can map out a plan of action to better your relationship with you and your dog.

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I think the most important aspect of dog selecting is being honest with yourself regarding the type of life style you have.

The standard poodle is an old breed whose name comes from the German word pudel, meaning “to splash in waster”. The county of origin is France and was originally used as a water retriever. These dogs made good hunters into the nineteenth century then later became popular companion dogs. Because of their intelligence they often excel in training especially obedience training. The standard poodle is an active breed and requires daily exercise, both physical and mental exercise. The best living environment is suburban or rural living. With this in mind, this is a good breed for you if you enjoy going for walks and have time and desire to train your dog.

Their coat is hypoallergenic and often people who are allergic to dogs may have less of an allergic reaction to a poodle. However, their coat requires maintenance and routine grooming.

An important note when becoming a dog owner…always get the dog from a reputable breeder, understanding the temperament and purpose of particular dog, and make sure your life style is compatible with the dog you select.

Highland Canine Training, LLC is currently training a Standard Poodle for their Autism Program. The Poodle is good with kids, affectionate with family members and friends but can be aloof towards strangers, making her a perfect candidate for the Autistic boy who will receive her in 6 months. Because this Poodle is highly intelligent, we are also able to train her for the specific needs of our customer.

The Autism Assistance Dog program has provided hope for a family that has exhausted all their resources. A family living with an autistic family member, not only has the pressure of everyday living but the added responsibility of routine doctor visits, school visits, other therapy visits, and dealing with a number a specific issues. Our particular customer struggles with anxiety, sleeping, repetitive behaviors, making friends and wondering to name a few. By working closely with this family we will train their dog to meet the specific needs of their child. We just recently received a letter from these customers saying “I cannot even begin to tell you what a pleasure this process has been for us! You have made one of our New Year wishes come true and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

We at Highland Canine Training are grateful to be able to provide a service that will make a difference in someone life. Learn more about our Autism Program by visiting www.autismassistancedog.com.

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