Puppies CAN Walk Politely on Leash

Check out Doggie Academy student Ella on a walk with her dad! They've been working hard and it shows.

Think Ella's cute? She was adopted from Unleashed... go check them out!

Stolen Dog on Long Island

If you know this woman, please help get this dog back to her family.

Nassau Police: Woman Stole Lost Dog in Craigslist Scam: MyFoxNY.com

Why Is Handling Your Dog Important?

Handling is a topic that I usually talk about with my puppy clients. I stress the importance of teaching your dog how to tolerate (or even enjoy) being touched all over their bodies, especially in areas that tend to be sensitive.

I had a personal experience last week that highlighted why this is such a pivotal aspect of your relationship with your dog. Hank and I were at the dog run when he began lifting his front left leg and refusing to put weight on that paw. When I looked at it I noticed a giant splinter embedded in one of his pads. Oh no!

When I adopted Hank, I worked to make him comfortable with with my touch. I was bound and determined to be able to trim his nails myself, so I really focused on getting him comfortable with me manipulating his paws.

Back at the dog run I had two choices: take Hank to

the vet (but I'd rather avoid that bill) or take it out myself. I knew that Hank still had energy to burn at the park so I didn't want to take him home. Instead I asked him to hop up on one of the picnic tables, held his paw and yanked. It didn't come out right away. Hank cried. But he let me continue and eventually the inch long sliver of bloody wood chip was in my hand. And Hank went off to continue playing for another half an hour (I did clean his paw at home).

This incident could have cost me a vet visit or aggravation from having an under exercised dog in the house. Instead, I was thrilled that work I did years ago paid off!

If you have a puppy or a dog that is not comfortable having certain body parts touched and would like to work handling, call me. I'm happy to help!

Upcoming Disc Dog Seminars

Hank & I participated in a Disc Dog seminar last month to learn how to catch and throw and Frisbee, respectively. It was a really fun experience and something that I'd like to do more of when I'm not devoting so much of my time to agility.

The instructor at the seminar was Marty Levy, who has been playing Frisbee with dogs for 15 and competes regularly. His dogs have won numerous competitions and awards in the sport. Most importantly he is terrific, engaging instructor that leads a really positive seminar.

And guess what? Lucky you, he's teaching teaching two more Disc Dog seminars this month! The seminars will be on February 27th atMorris K-9 Campus, with beginners in the morning and an intermediate class in the afternoon. If you've always wanted to play Frisbee with your dog or just to spend a few hours doing something cool with your dog, I highly recommend you register.

Agility Run Thrus

Last week, Hank & I went to run thrus at Morris K-9 Campus. It was a really great training session for us (and workout too). Plenty of other dogs as distractions for Hank since the other participants were only 2 feet from the table obstacle.

In this video, we complete the entire course. The jumps are at 20" (which is low for Hank), but it we'd be working for a long time and I thought he was getting tired. His fatigue is evident when he enters the weave poles at a snails pace.

Overall, I am really happy with our progress. As always, comments are welcome!

Puppy's 1st Class Starts Tonight

Are you looking for a puppy class to join with your new best friend? Doggie Academy's Puppy's 1st Class starts a new session this evening at Ciao Bow Wow and there are still slots open.

Puppy's 1st Class covers the normal puppy concerns (house training, mouthing, etc.) as well as useful behaviors like Sit. We will also deal with the very useful topics of attention and socialization. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

To register for the class, go to doggieacademy.com/services and click 'Sign up for dog training classes now'.