Mannerly Mutts Maine Dog Training in Beautiful York Maine - Blog

Poison to your dogs but not necessarily you

7/23/2018

Talking about things that can harm your dogs, here is some more information.

Chocolate
Raisins or Grapes
Castor Beans
Anti Freeze (and other products you may use to de-ice in winter that contain anti freeze)
Caffeine
Garlic
Onion
Mushroom
Plants on the attached link http://www.dogpack.com/health/poisonplants.htm
Moth Balls
Broccoli
Raw Salmon
Too much Asprin & Asprin subsitutes (Tylenol) are always toxic http://www.school-for-champions.com/animalhealth/aspirin.htm
Below are some helpful links regarding this:
Poison Help Site
Various Toxins
Even More Toxins

Human medications toxic or deadly to dogs

Jobs for your dog-helping with putting away laundry

2/1/2018

Jobs for dogs are a great thing. A job can be as simple as walking calmly by your side during a walk or as complicated as doing search & rescue work with you. Not all my dogs have jobs as some are retired now from work. Shana is my high drive in training Doberman, and having work for her to do makes her a happier dog. It is also fun, and makes everyday living with her a lot easier. She needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation. The winter months are especially hard on us, as outside is not always comfortable or accessible.

What are the different approaches to dog training?

1/26/2018

The approaches to training dogs, including behavioral modification, are almost endless. Which ones are wrong? Well nothing is wrong per say, as they all have different strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the only bad thing you could do is to use only one approach, when more than one is necessary to your dog. On the other hand, everyone has to begin somewhere.

The more you understand what these approaches are, the more understanding you will have when working with a dog trainer or by yourself with your dog. There is a lot to learn in dog training, which is why there is no complete definitive book on the whole scope of dog training. There can't be as it is always training and evolving as people learn more about dogs and how they learn or change perception.

New Puppies!

12/20/2017

Adding a new family member in the form of a puppy is an exciting time and filled with joy. Many people will be acquiring their new family member this winter. There are some things new puppy owners need to get up to speed on quickly.

Taking your eyes off puppies can be quite a mistake, that may threaten the life of your new family member. Please be sure to supervise your young and learning puppy, to keep them out of trouble and accidental harm to themselves.
Here are some puppy info links, notes and advice:

Shana's social progress and what we have done

11/15/2017

Our girl, Shana, was a very young Doberman puppy when she was bitten in the face. As we made progress after that, there were also some off leash dogs that made scary advances towards her just as we were making earlier progress.

Clearly, Shana carried the trauma from the earlier incident, and my not stepping up to make sure she felt more protected. After all she was a confident Doberman female puppy, I wrongly expected her to shrug it off. When things happen to a very young puppy, they can leave an unfortunate and negative imprint on their perception. Combine that with a puppy with strong drives and an iron will, there will be much work to be done, as I have found with Shana. Good news is it can be done, but I have had to become far more creative in my approach with Shana specifically.

Dog owner question: What do I do about my technology obsessed dog?

7/24/2017

Question from a pet dog owner and training client: 
Since you asked for questions, here is one that may not be common. Sally is obsessed with animals she sees on tv. She will charge the screen and bark. I'm afraid she will knock it over! She wears the ecollar and I stim her and say, "No" or "Get Away".
She sits in place and stares at the screen. I stim her again and she either scooches backward toward me or comes and sits on my feet. I want her to learn to ignore the tv and to do something like "place" on the couch. We used to enjoy Animal Planet, Westerns, hunting shows, lol! Now it is the Dreaded Toyota Dog Days commercial! She has memorized the music and comes running after two notes!
Thanks,

Small electronic dog equipment

7/21/2017

A controversial sector of Training equipment are the electronic training tools. These tools combined with all other tools of dog training (consistency, reward, correction, praise, motivation, ET AL) are what complete the entire training plan. There must be a training plan in order to train your dog to the level of acceptable obedience that I want from my human and canine client teams! Electronics are one option of a tool, but not a requirement by any means. TOOLS also do not equate training. You will work to train your dogs, these are not magic wands. You must know when and how to use them, and you must train your dog first before overlaying this on them for best success.

Human chain of responsibility in pet dog or working dog professions and ownership

7/12/2017

I love all dogs. I love behaviorally challenged dogs, "bomb proof" dogs, sick dogs, healthy dogs, old dogs, puppies, smart dogs, not so smart dogs, hunting dogs, guarding dogs, small dogs, big dogs, long haired dogs, and short haired dogs. A strength and a weakness that I have is a fondness for all things dog. Many other humans share this trait with me. Many organizations share this trait with me.

Whether it is a owner, rescue, trainer, family member, veterinarian, boarding kennel, or neighbor there is something in addition to the responsibility to our dogs that is our primary responsibility. That responsibility is to ensure the safety of other living things around us as well as our canine companions. If we can not do that, there are some tough choices that need to be made. They are not fun, they are not cool, and most of all they are not easy. Sometimes they are the right thing to do. Sometimes they need to be done because the canine owner has not met the dogs needs responsibility, and is not going to in the future.

Socialization strategies for pet dogs and puppies

7/11/2017

Puppies (and some adult or adolescent dogs) are in need of much learning and guidance. One of the most important things to do is to socialize your puppy well in the critical early weeks and months.

The first thing that you want to check is that your vaccinations are up to date, and that it is safe to take puppy out to areas with other dogs and puppies. Take a moment to have a discussion with your vet about the best plan.

How do you stop your dog barking in unwanted situations?

7/10/2017

When I am out and about a common question that comes up is "how do I stop my dog from barking?". As with just about any training question, this is not something that can be answered for their particular dog and situation in the line of a grocery store. I realize that even though many dog owners have been living with this problem (sometimes for years), they think I know a 10 second secret that I can share. There are no "magic wands" in any dog training (highlighted this because management and avoidance are different and separate issues) issue. This does not mean the solution is hard, but it is a situation in which training and communication are required. Therefore, you need to teach your dog when and how to stop barking, and what the cue is that communications the need to stop.

Author, Robin Rubin

Owner and Head Dog Trainer in Maine, Robin Katherine Rubin, started her Maine dog training business in September 2004. Our dog training facility is located in Southern Maine in York Beach and we help families enjoy their dogs more, making sure they listen reliably and resolving unwanted behaviors.

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