Highland Canine Training, LLC » basic http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog Tips and Advice on Dog Training and Behavior Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:46:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Benefits of Dog Training in Your Home http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/10/29/benefits-of-dog-training-in-your-home/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/10/29/benefits-of-dog-training-in-your-home/#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:02:26 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=417 Continue reading →]]> Highland Canine offers both private lessons and in-home dog training for the convenience of keeping your dog at home. Clients that sign up for private lessons meet with our trainers once a week for about an hour. During this hour we put together a game plan for developing more structure in your house and each week our dog trainers teach you a new command and work on certain behaviors that may be disrupting your household. You as a client will be responsible for homework between your lessons! Our in-home dog training programs allow our busy clients the satisfaction of knowing their dog is learning in the pleasure of their own home. Even if the dog owner’s are at work or on vacation! This program works much like a pet-sitter, we schedule times and days to come by and work with your dog one on one. You have the flexibility to observe/participate at each lesson or wait towards the end of the training program to see your results and learn how to maintain your training. Our dog trainers make sure that you have all of the tools and knowledge you need to maintain the training of your dog. As with all of our dog training programs we offer free follow up training for the life of the dog, and we give advice by phone or email anytime!

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!

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2010/10/29/benefits-of-dog-training-in-your-home/feed/ 0 What is a Therapy Dog? http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/19/what-is-a-therapy-dog/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/19/what-is-a-therapy-dog/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:49:40 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/19/what-is-a-therapy-dog/ Continue reading →]]> What is a Therapy Dog?

Therapy dogs function to help people in emotional and physical ways. They do this by using their instincts and social learned skills. Therapy dogs provide affection and comfort to children and adults in mental institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes and homes for children with special needs.

Who Benefits From Therapy Dogs?

People with Alzheimer’s disease, learning disabilities, and individuals whose minds wander such as those with ADD/ADHD and dementia can all benefit from interacting with a therapy dog. By providing a focal point to help them focus on the here and now, they can be more productive in any task or activity in which they are involved. Therapy dogs can be used to teach a child’s lesson. Playing with the dog can be a reward for finishing homework or problem solving. The handler and the dog can use retrieving and scent discrimination to help children name colors, add numbers, spell words and work on physical skills.

Maintaining good morale in a facility can be difficult. Therapy dogs change this by causing people to gather and concentrate on the dog. The change in the environment brightens everyone’s day. Life in a facility is routine, which can lead to inactivity, depression and boredom. The routine quickly changes when the Therapy dog and Handler come into the facility by providing social stimulation. People begin to talk with the therapy dog handler, to the therapy dog and amongst themselves. Often people who will not come out of their rooms will venture out to visit with the dog and handler. This social stimulation increases as people get to know the dog and soon they anticipate the visit.

People sometimes lose the ability or desire to speak. Therapy dogs can learn to communicate with people that others can’t reach. This communication from the dog can help a person find a bridge back to speech. Some people in care facilities do not have healthy relationships with family or staff. Others may be uncomfortable with hugging or touching strangers or staff. Therapy dogs enjoy the petting and hugging they receive and encourage it. Their enjoyment makes people want to pet and stroke them which meets the need for physical touch.
Children learn much more from a trained therapy dog than from a dog at home no one has the time to train. Through therapy dogs children learn the best of dog behavior.

Everyone benefits from a well trained therapy dog, including the handler. Working with your dog to provide needed benefits in your community through therapy dog visits will keep you upbeat and in touch with those who need you.

What Breeds Are Best Suited for Therapy Work?

There are dogs from every breed and size serving as therapy dogs. Shepherds, Collies, Great Danes, Mastiffs as well as Poodles, Labs and Boxers. The breed does not matter, temperament does. A therapy dog needs to be stable, reliable and controllable. Chihuahuas, Miniature Pinschers, Pomeranians, Bishons, just to name a few small dogs make excellent therapy dogs that can sit on a lap or on a bed. Terriers, because they are lively, can be used in group homes for children. Their playfulness provides exercise, companionship and lots of fun. Male or female, large or small, purebred or mixed breed, providing the dog is well trained with a good disposition, becoming a therapy dog is achievable.

How Can I Find Out If My Dog Can Be A Therapy Dog?

Before attending a therapy dog class your dog should know how to Sit, Down and Stay. Attending an obedience class will help if your dog does not know these commands. You should have your dog evaluated to determine his/her friendliness to all people, friendliness to other dogs and to determine how you and your dog interact.

Should I buy a Puppy or Adopt An Older Dog For Therapy Work?

An important trait in therapy dog work is defensiveness which begins to emerge around the time of puberty. A dog high in defensiveness may be skittish and panic under stress. This type of dog, even with training, may experience more stress around strangers and strange environments. With the right handler, training, and if the dog has a quick recovery time the dog has a better chance to do therapy work. These things can not be evaluated in a very young puppy. Temperament testing for puppies can help a little, but there is always the possibility that the puppy may not be suited for therapy work. If therapy dog work is a priority, you may consider using an adult dog you already own, or you may consider adopting an adult dog. Adult dogs bond with humans as strongly as puppies do.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/19/what-is-a-therapy-dog/feed/ 0 The Pursuit..Dog Training as a Career! http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/17/the-pursuitdog-training-as-a-career/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/17/the-pursuitdog-training-as-a-career/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:11:58 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/17/the-pursuitdog-training-as-a-career/ Continue reading →]]> There is no time like the present to get started on a new career , start your own business, or simply do what you love everyday. Many people adore our four-legged friends and are intersted in pursuing a career in the dog training industry. My advice, is to go for it, there is plenty of business for everyone!

The first step is to decide which area of dog training is most interesting for you; is simply pet dog training (basic obedience and advanced obedience), behavior modification, agility, rally sports, herding, puppy training, therapy dog training, working dogs (police, detection, protection, Search and Rescue). The second area you should work on is deciding how you want to work your schedule or run your business. If you are the person who wants a little more freedom, then private lessons and group classes would be the area to focus on. However if you want the consistency of an everyday schedule, in-kennel training may be a better choice for you as a dog trainer.

Next you should narrow down a few schools that interest you, and go personally visit the site. You can get more out of personal visit than a telephone call; meeting the people you would be working and learning from can help you decide if you are a good fit for that particular school or environment. After a quick visit you can decide how much time you want to put into your career. For example, you could choose a 6 week program or tough it out and sign up for the 12 week program (which will allow you more experience by putting your hands on different breeds of dogs with different behaviors).

At Highland Canine Training we offer teaching for all the above areas of dog training. Students are able to combine classes and learn as much about as many areas of dog training as they can obsorb. Students who are just starting out,often sign up for obedience courses, but are also interested in protection courses; as a student you are able to take the both courses parallel for the length of time you wish to attend (6-12 weeks). Highland Canine also offers custom classes to fit your lifestyle. Many of our students also work full or part-time, have families, layed-off, or simply live out of state; we are able accomadate their schedules to help them earn the certification they are striving for!

Many students ask how they can gain experience after their school is finished and they are building their book of business? The answer is simple, pro-bono work with local shelter and rescue groups is the easiest way to gain experience and give back to your communities and the animals. Now more than ever, family pets are suffering because; people are surrendering their family pets at rescue groups or pounds because they are moving (leaving animals behind), have no time for the dog, or simply don’t like the dogs and will not take the time to place them in a proper home or work on fixing behaivor issues. Rescue groups will return the favor and referr business to you so everyone wins!

Finally, many people want to become dog trainer’s so they don’t have to work with people. That is not the case, the wonderful dogs usually belong to people and you must be able to communicate effectively with the owners to first off, diagnose the problem (if any), then teach dog owner’s how to work with their dogs! At Highland Canine Training we involve our students in the initial drop off of client dogs, what questions to ask the oweners, how to perform at both private lessons and group class settings, and how to teach the pet owner’s to work with their dogs and complete the “Go Home.”

If you think becoming a dog trainer may be in your near future, please give us a call or better yet stop by for a visit ,and we would be happy to introduce you to the wonderful world of dogs!

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/08/17/the-pursuitdog-training-as-a-career/feed/ 0 Success Program of Shelter dog http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/23/success-program-of-shelter-dog/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/23/success-program-of-shelter-dog/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:14:36 +0000 admin http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/23/success-program-of-shelter-dog/ Continue reading →]]> Highland Canine Training and Forever Home Canine Rescue, teamed up through our Second Chance Program for Shelter/Rescue dogs and found Scout a forever loving home!

Scout is a beautiful full blooded black lab that had issues with manners and mild dog aggression. Scout was rescued by Kelly Ratcliff who volunteers with Forever Home Canine Rescue to find Scout a new home. Kelly worked on basic obedience for Scout and then followed up with an in-kennel stay here at Highland Canine Training to work on the dog aggression issues. Scout made tremendous progress and his new owners are doing a great job maintaining his training and exposing him to new things gradually to keep control of the aggression issues. Here is what Scout’s new family had to say about him!

He is such a great dog! He has just melted right into our family. He is house trained, sleeps all night on his bed. He’s wonderful with my son and the kids in the neighborhood. And we couldn’t believe how fast he is! We took him to Fisher Farm in Davidson, there is about 5 acres of open field there. He can flat out fly after a tennis ball!
He heels off leash with me now (in controlled environment only for now), sits, stays, goes to his place when told, still loves to shake paw. We’ve taught him to sit and wait for the ‘ok’ command before eating, getting into the car or going in/out of the house. We found that he was just so excited that he often knocked into our son but he got the command after the first day of training.
He goes to work with me everyday and has a bed in my office. He is doing great with the socialization training. Rarely now do I have to leash correct him, he seems to respond better to verbal commands now. When he gets “that look” we give him his verbal cue, he relaxes and we praise him for relaxing. Afterwards he seems to be ok. It’s almost like he’s just really insecure and needs to be told that other dogs are ok (after he’s correct for the inappropriate response).
Anyway,,,, probably more than you wanted to know but we are just so happy with him. What a GREAT dog he is!
I’ll attach a couple pictures for you guys.
Thanks again for taking care of him all that time so he could get to us.
-Aimee

We are so excited to hear about the great outcomes of our Second Chance Program through the hard work of our Shelter/Rescue groups…Keep up the good work guys!

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/23/success-program-of-shelter-dog/feed/ 0 What is Rally Obedience? http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/10/what-is-rally-obedience/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/10/what-is-rally-obedience/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:50:30 +0000 Ltaylor http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=44 Continue reading →]]> Rally Obedience, known as Rally O is the hot sport for dog owners who enjoy working with their dogs as a team. The dog and handler team navigate a course with numbered signs indicating different exercises to perform. The exercises include sit-down-sit, figure 8, send over a jump, a multitude of right and left turns, as well as serpentines, front finish and of course, heel. The team navigates through the course at a brisk pace without directions from the judge and the handler can talk to the dog or give hand signals for encouragement.

All dogs, mixed breeds, purebred and dogs with disabilities, can participate in Rally O. Because there are three levels of Rally O dogs in all levels of training can participate. Beginners would work on heel positioning, sits, turning paces, sit stay and come. As the dog becomes more proficient he/she can move to level 2 then level 3.

Titles can be earned at each level and teams may earn Championship titles, National Ranking Awards and a special Award of Excellence.

Rally is an excellent entry level class for Competition Obedience and for Agility. Even though Rally O is a lot of fun, it is a challenging sport that encourages teamwork and develops a bond between the dog and owner. The result will be a well behaved, thinking dog and a very proud owner.

If you think you and your dog would like to try Rally O, or if you just have questions about the sport or the next class schedule, contact Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 or you may e-mail her at ltaylor@highlandcanine.com.

]]> http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/07/10/what-is-rally-obedience/feed/ 0 Upcoming Group Dog Training Classes – Mooresville, Matthews, NC http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/04/28/upcoming-group-dog-training-classes-mooresville-matthews-nc/ http://www.highlandcanine.com/blog/2009/04/28/upcoming-group-dog-training-classes-mooresville-matthews-nc/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:55:55 +0000 admin http://highlandcanine.com/blog/?p=11 Continue reading →]]> Highland Canine Training, LLC will be hosting another round of group classes during the month of June. They will be held at Highland Canine in Matthews and the Humane Society in Mooresville. Here is the schedule with the places and times for these classes.

 

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Class is an excellent way to start your puppy off on the right foot. The focus of the class is socialization, training the basic commands, proper play and exercise and owner responsibility. Each student will receive a S.T.A.R. Puppy handbook and be eligible to receive a S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate and medal upon the completion of class.
When: June 20th at 11am
Where: Humane Society in Mooresville, NC
Cost: $129
Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

Advanced Agility Class is the sequel to the Agility for Fun class.  This class teaches new obstacles and more challenging groundwork.  Completion of a previous agility class is a prerequisite for this course.

When: June 20th at 12:30pm

Where: Humane Society in Mooresville, NC

Cost:$149

Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

Advanced Obedience Class teaches dogs and owners methods of teaching off-leash obedience to afford more control of their dogs when off-leash. By having more control of your dog, you can safely allow them more freedom!

When: June 20th at 2:00pm

Where: Humane Society in Mooresville, NC

Cost: $149

Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

Therapy Dog Class teaches dogs and owners the fundamentals of therapy dog work.  This course is great if you are looking into doing therapy work in schools, nursing homes and hospitals.  Many of our previous graduates are already involved in these types of exciting and fulfilling programs.

When: June 23rd at 6:30pm

Where: Highland Canine in Matthews, NC

Cost:$199

Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Class is an excellent way to start your puppy off on the right foot. The focus of the class is socialization, training the basic commands, proper play and exercise and owner responsibility. Each student will receive a S.T.A.R. Puppy handbook and be eligible to receive a S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate and medal upon the completion of class.
When: June 24th at 6:30pm
Where: Highland Canine in Matthews, NC
Cost: $129
Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

Advanced Obedience Class teaches dogs and owners methods of teaching off-leash obedience to afford more control of their dogs when off-leash. By having more control of your dog, you can safely allow them more freedom!

When: June 25th at 6:30pm

Where: Highland Canine in Matthews, NC

Cost:$149

Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

Agility For Fun Group Class is a great way to have fun with your dog while giving them a little bit of exercise. This is not a competition course.  

When: June 26th at 6:30pm

Where: Highland Canine in Matthews, NC

Cost: $149

Call Linda Taylor at 704-500-6810 to sign-up.

 

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