The extra attention your family pet was enjoying over the summer has abruptly come to an end.  Dogs may experience separation anxiety, boredom, and even start acting out in unusual ways. Bark Busters, the world’s largest dog training company, offers some great tips to help ease the transition.

Now that everyone is gone during the day your dog may experience separation anxiety. In order to avoid this it’s good to start paying less attention to the dog about a week before school. This helps prepare him for the routine change.

Practice leaving the house by going out and coming right back in. This will stop the dog from associating your leaving the house with your departure. The dog will be more relaxed when you do leave.

Your dog can become bored during the day when there is no one around to play with. It’s important to make sure to keep plenty of toys around, and try scattering treats for them to search for.

If your dog starts exhibiting unusual behaviors, such as jumping or biting, it could be due to stress.  It’s important to correct these behaviors immediately using positive training techniques.  If it is something you can’t do on your own Bark Busters offers in-home training.

To read all the great tips stop by the Bark Busters website.

* Brewtus is new to Dogster, stop by his page to say hi.

There isn’t a Johnny Cash  song about the Mitchellville state women’s prison but maybe there should be. They have implemented a terrific program in conjunction with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, allowing inmates who qualify to help care for mixed breed dogs until they can be adopted.

About 100 dogs annually receive care from Mitchellville inmates through the prison’s PAWS program, which stands for Pets and Women Succeeding. It started in February 2002.

About the same number of cats are overseen each year through WHISKERS, an acronym for Women Helping Indigent Special Kittens Earn Residence. It began in January 2003.

Oscar and Jo Jo have cocker spaniel and schnauzer bloodlines. They came from a puppy mill, where they were locked in cages for the first 11 months of their lives, prison officials said.

They were antisocial when they arrived at Mitchellville and didn’t want to be separated. Now, both dogs let inmates pet them and they can sleep alone, said Jennifer Hines, 32, of Dubuque, who is serving time for forgery.

“I feel like I have accomplished something,” Hines said. “I can actually say that these dogs are ready to be adopted out, and I don’t think they will be returned.”

Five inmates provide full-time care for dogs through Mitchellville’s PAWS program. They work in two, eight-hour shifts each day, using dog-friendly methods to teach some basics, including house and crate training, and getting used to a collar and leash.

Across the yard at the Mitchellville prison, officially known as the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women, is the WHISKERS program. Eight women patiently care for abandoned cats and kittens.

This program can literally make the difference between life and death for these animals, and at the same time help to change the lives of the prisoners.

Both the PAWS and WHISKERS programs teach responsibility, patience, leadership, teamwork, self-control and self-esteem. The training gained through these programs helps prepare the inmates for future employment opportunities and allows them to contribute positively to the community.

I’ve read about other prisons doing this to aid in rehabilitation, it has benefits for both animals and humans alike. If  these types of programs spread to prisons throughout the country think of how many homeless animals could be saved.

I want to thank Dogster member Aloya for barking this to me.

* Photo courtesy JOHN GAPS III/THE REGISTER

I just received this message about a special “It’s Me Or The Dog” show casting call. I don’t have any other info besides what I posted so if you’re interested please use the  contact emails listed.

Now Casting: “IT’S ME OR THE DOG” on Animal Planet!

Casting very special summer episode for dogs that have bad POOL etiquette!

• Do you have a backyard with a pool?

• Is your dog going to ruin your summer pool parties?

• Are you not able to enjoy your backyard because of your pooch’s bad behavior?

IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN WE WANT TO MEET YOU!!!

The casting team is looking for dog owners who are ready for the ultimate doggy boot camp.

***MUST be available to shoot May 23-27th (Memorial Day Weekend)***

EMAIL: rapploff@shedmediaus.com

Names & Ages of people in household, Name/Age/Type of dog, Tel #, City you live in, along with summary of your doggy issues & photos of household members and dog.

*CASTING NOW, interviews to be held immediately!

Greg Fieser
gfieser@shedmediaus.com

Good luck to everypup that enters.  If any Dogsters make it on the show let us know so we can post an update.

* Photo courtesy Animal Planet

I found an interesting article this morning in the Telegraph.co.uk about the use of  dog shock collars. There has been controversy over these collars for a long time,  advocates think it’s a great training tool while opponents feel they are cruel.

Recently a man in Oregon was arrested for using shock collars on his kids. He’s in custody charged with “criminal mistreatment” of his four children.

After seeing this Peter Wedderburn, writer of the article, wonders why is it alright to use on dogs but criminal to use on children.

My question today is: if it’s not OK to use these in children, why should it be acceptable to use them to train dogs? The video report of the case states that some dog trainers justify their use by saying that “dogs have a higher pain threshold than humans”. This is news to me – how do you think they’ve worked that out? Give a dog an electric shock, then ask the dog “how much does that hurt?” Then compare the dog’s response with a human?

Electric shock collars are used on dogs by some to apply an electric shock to the dog’s neck when a dog behaves incorrectly. The shocks, understandably, cause pain and confusion for the dog, affecting it physically and mentally. There’s no doubt that electric shock collars have a powerful effect, but there’s also no doubt that they’re cruel.

New research published by the University of Pennsylvania has shown that aggressive pets which are trained using confrontational or aversive methods (such as electric shocks) by their owners will continue to be aggressive unless training techniques are modified. The year-long study, which has been published in the February 2009 issue of Applied Animal Behaviour Science showed that using non-aversive or neutral training methods such as additional exercise or rewards elicited very few aggressive responses.

The Kennel Club has been campaigning for many years to have the sale and use of electric shock collars banned, and at last, some progress may be about to happen.

The Welsh government is making big strides in getting electric shock collars banned, including mats and leads. On their website you can review the draft regulation, you may make a submission before May 27th.

The Kennel Club is encouraging Welsh dog owners to respond, and to contact their local Assembly Member to ensure that effective legislation is drafted.

If you’ve ever watched a video of a human trying out one of these collars for fun you can see they soon realize exactly how much pain this device can cause.  As Wedderburn stated, humans have the choice to remove the offending device, dogs don’t.

Let me know what you think about these collars, give me a bark.

*Arwen in her lovely spring, non-shocking, collar.

I recently read an article on Happy Tails, it’s a group of pet owners who volunteer time to share the unconditional love and joy pets can give by visiting patients at a variety of facilities.  In order to become a therapy dog your dog must meet certain health requirements, have completed a a basic obedience class, and pass a pet/handler evaluation.

Lisa and I have discussed what a great way this would be to spend special time with your pup and give back to the community at the same time. We are now looking to attend an orientation to find out more. If you’re  interested but aren’t sure what it takes,  Dogster member Georgia and her mom Christy recently became a certified therapy team and were kind enough to share their experience on getting started.

Christy lives in the Atlanta, GA area so she chose Alchemy Dog Training to take Georgia for basic obedience class.

I arrived at my first obedience class “dragging” my 80 lb. golden who I said was “totally trained.” Our reason for being there was to get her Canine Good Citizen certificate before she could be evaluated for pet therapy training-our ultimate goal.

The class was well organized, well run and fun. When an instruction is not followed correctly, it is addressed and corrected immediately using (only) positive reinforcement. (In our case, it was the parent who needed correcting more than the “child”…)

During the course of the 8 weeks, I definitely learned a thing or two and so did Georgia. The “homework assignments” between classes serve to reinforce what you two have practiced in class. Whether Georgia enjoyed the classes as much as I did, or she happily attended because there were treats involved, we may never know but she did well and graduated.

We are now awaiting the arrival of her CGC certificate and we’re moving on to the next step of training so we can visit hospitals and nursing homes. When you have a dog whose temperament is as sweet as Georgia’s-sharing her is just the right thing to do.

Since I had such a positive experience at Alchemy with Anne and the other trainers, I am contemplating enrolling my Shih Tzu, Toby, (or as I lovingly refer to him-my “menace on 4 legs”) in obedience classes. Toby is the Marley of the Shih Tzu world-can they turn him into a polished purebred?

I highly recommend you contact Anne and her training staff at Alchemy. If your dog doesn’t need better manners, maybe he or she would like to release some of that penned up energy through agility training. Or maybe you’d like to see about turning your prized pooch into a pet therapy dog. There is definitely a need for more pet therapy dogs.

Whether it is agility, obedience, special needs or conformation classes you are interested in, Alchemy is the place to go! Whether your wish is to turn a four-legged menace into a polished purebred, hone your pooch’s table manners, or you seek the thrill of competition, Alchemy Dog Training can help you achieve your goal. Alchemy is located in Woodstock, GA and offers both group and individual classes to suit your needs.

Alchemy offers:

Agility: An enjoyable activity for both owner and pet, agility allows for the creation of a team where the dog can demonstrate it’s agile nature and the handler can learn to direct the dog through the courses. This is one of the fastest growing sports.

Obedience: Obedience training not only teaches your dog important skills, it also improves communication between the owner and their dog. Good basic training will allow your dog more off leash freedom and help keep him safe from harm. Well-behaved dogs are welcome almost everywhere. Alchemy offers group, private, and board training obedience sessions.

Special Needs: If you want to add a new puppy to your pack, or have a pup that needs some specific help, the folks at Alchemy can assist you. They offer both on site behavioral problem solving and aggression consultations for problem situations.

Conformation classes: Alchemy offers show handling, or conformation, classes taught by a trainer with over 20 years of experience with a wide variety of breeds.

There are many basic obedience classes out there but it’s important to make sure you have a qualified instructor. Alchemy Dog Training was started by Anne Jones in 1996, although her love of dogs and enjoyment of teaching began when she was 13 with Ranger.  Anne has been an obedience instructor and trainer since 1992. Another thing to keep in mind is the size of class, the smaller the class the more attention you will receive.

Congrats to Christy and Georgia, we know they will bring happiness to all the patients they go to visit. If any other Dogsters have a story to share about pet therapy give me a bark, we’d love to hear about it.

*There is a doggy daycare, Playful Paws, located in the same facility as Alchemy.

The economy, bailouts, foreclosures – all need to take a back seat right now as did you witness as I did the trouble at the White House?

Obama Bo is pulling all the weight literally dragging our Commander-n-Chief and First Family across the lawn.

I heard Bo had been at puppy boot-camp, so what happened?

Alright, so the Obama family is a pup themselves when it comes to dog leadership. So we need to help the First Family get a grip on Bo while the President has the lead on the nation.

So let’s put the kids in charge! That’s what Oscar Winner Marcia Gay Harden did with her daughter, Eulala, for their dogs even though they have a tête-à-tête on whether she’s resentful.

The girls first command for Bo is to teach him sit, down, and off.

What would you like Bo to learn? Let me know as we’ll continue the sessions for Bo!

Sheryl Matthys, The Dog Expert, helps you learn what your relationship with your dog can teach you about yourself, and how that knowledge makes your human relationships more successful – in life, with friends, family, associates, and in love! As creator of Leashes and Lovers online social community, a certified dog trainer with a psychology degree and master’s in Radio/TV, Sheryl’s doled out advice to thousands of dog lovers.

If you can’t see the video, click here.

There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than walking through your door and not knowing if Fido has used the last 8 hours to rearrange the house.  If you’re like most dog owners, you leave him at home when you go to work.  The problem is, when you’re away the doggy gets very bored and finds the need to play, sometimes with your new sofa.

One of the top reasons dogs are brought to shelters are because of anxiety related issues.  To correct these issues takes time, patience, and training.  Unfortunately, not all dog owners are willing to work on redirecting their dogs’ energy and find it an easier solution to just get rid of the problem, the dog.

But don’t despair, I came across a good article on Paw Talk, a blog that deals with those that have claws and paws.  The article ‘Home Alone’ by Lisa Woody, who owns FunStuffForDogs, offers some helpful advice to get this behavior under control.

1. Take your dog on a morning walk.
A brisk walk not only provides a workout, but physical activity is an outlet for stress. And, along with the physical stimulation, there’s plenty of mental stimulation, too. A walk provides a dog with plenty of things to look at and sniff. This often results in a dog who’s ready for a nap when he gets home. Plus, it’s good for you, too.

2. Give your dog something constructive to do.
Instead of letting the dog decide what she’ll chew up each day, give her an approved toy to work on, Hard plastic treat-dispensing toys, Kong toys and even femur bones filled with peanut butter or spray cheese, Cheerios, carrots or kibble can keep a dog occupied for hours. And most of them are dishwasher safe.

3. Re-introduce the crate.
After a vigorous walk in the morning, put your dog in a crate with a chew toy that will keep her busy for hours. She’ll likely work on that for a while, then nap until you come home. When you come home, take her out of the crate and go straight outside with her. Throw a ball or frisbee to let her get the kinks out. This daily routine can give you a mentally balanced, de-stressed dog, and can save your cabinets and shoes!

Run on over to Paw Talk to read all the helpful tips.

*Butter hoping mom appreciates what he’s done with the place.

I want to thank all the Dogsters who entered to win a Canny Collar.  The winners have all been chosen, but there is good news for those who didn’t win.  The Canny Collar Company is offering a special discount for any Dogster who would like to try the collar.

If you order a collar and put in “dogtalk” (when prompted for coupon code) you will receive $5 off.  If you would like to get a collar go to the Canny Company site.

Thanks again to the Canny Company for generously giving away 10 of their collars to Dogsters.

For any Dogster that has a pup that pulls and tugs relentlessly at their leash when being walked there is a solution. There’s a new training collar on the market by The Canny Company that can totally turn this behavior around  making walking your dog fun again. The great thing is that it doesn’t matter the size of your dog, with the collar you will easily be able to regain control.

The Canny Collar
This revolutionary Scottish-designed product is the first dog training collar to give you complete control and good behavior when walking your dog. Simple to fit and easy to use, it tackles the most common dog behavior problem of leash pulling and ensures that within minutes your dog is walking happily by your side. It is a simple piece of dog training equipment made up of a conventional flat collar with a traditional buckle fastening for security. Your leash attaches to a thinner slip line, made from soft yet strong material, which then fits over the nose of your dog.

Go to the ORIGINAL POST to get the full details and to enter.  Just click on the highlighted words and you will be brought to where you should leave your entry.

Our dog Copper is the sweetest girl you could ever want, until we get to the park.  While she loves people she turns into Cujo around other dogs.  She starts to pull and tug relentlessly at her leash. It’s easier for me to control her than Lisa, who usually gets pulled about 10 feet before she can get Copper to a complete stop.

There’s a new training collar on the market by The Canny Company that can totally turn this behavior around  making walking your dog fun again. The great thing is that it doesn’t matter the size of your dog, with the collar you will easily be able to regain control.

The Canny Collar
This revolutionary Scottish-designed product is the first dog training collar to give you complete control and good behavior when walking your dog. Simple to fit and easy to use, it tackles the most common dog behavior problem of leash pulling and ensures that within minutes your dog is walking happily by your side. It is a simple piece of dog training equipment made up of a conventional flat collar with a traditional buckle fastening for security. Your leash attaches to a thinner slip line, made from soft yet strong material, which then fits over the nose of your dog.

Unlike other dog walking devices where the leash fastens under the chin, the leash fastens behind your dog’s head – an innovative and unique design in dog behavior training.

Lisa and I have tried a similar collar, the one that attaches under the chin. The collar has made a huge difference, Copper will stop pulling with a simple tug of the leash.  The only thing we don’t like is the fact that it fastens below the chin, we’re looking forward to the Canny collar with the fastener behind the head.

When we first started using the collar we noticed people with children and small dogs tended to back away, they thought it was a muzzle.  Lately we have spotted more dog walkers using this product and we’ll just look at each other with a knowing look, it isn’t a muzzle but a great training tool.

Do you have problems with your pup pulling or going after other pups? If so, you can be one of 10 lucky Dogsters to win a Canny Collar. To enter leave a comment in the comment section about why your dog needs a one. The contest starts today and will run through Tuesday, January 20th when I will pick the winners at random.