Over the past 13 years, I have helped thousands of dogs and their pet parents learn how to communicate effectively so they can live in harmony together. Most clients just need to establish more structure, consistent boundaries and an exercise regimen for their dogs in order to lead a happy and fulfilled life. Others are presented with challenges by their canine companions, especially when fear or aggression are present.

Dog training is not only about teaching obedience skills. It is also about making pet parents realize that what they are currently doing is not working. I help them solve the problem behaviors they are experiencing. Most clients are very receptive to this and some are not.

I have only been told once to leave a client’s home. A young man’s girlfriend called me to help her golden doodle get along with her boyfriend’s Staffordshire Terrier. She said their first encounter did not go well. The man greeted me outside with his dog. At least he had the dog on a leash, but the dog was lunging and barking to get at me. The girlfriend stayed about 25’ away with her quiet and probably terrified doodle.

The man was offended that I didn’t want to greet his dog. I told him repeatedly over the barking that I never say hello to dogs that are vocalizing, especially in an aggressive tone. I tried to coach him to put the dog in a sit by his side, but he refused for his own reasons. He was struggling to control his dog. I suggested we move to the back yard to see if a change of scenery would help. We did, but the dog never calmed down. The man even told me that his dog is very friendly and this was the worst he had acted out with a stranger. That’s when he said I could go home. I quietly slipped away and was glad when I got inside my car!

You can only learn if you are open to it.

It can be very difficult for people to admit they are part of their dog’s behavior problem. A lot of times, they don’t even know they are reinforcing bad behavior by giving the dog affection at the wrong time. Most clients end up telling me that they have to change even before I come right out and tell them. That’s when I know that I have gotten through to them.

I had to learn how to communicate this to my clients so as not to come across too offensively. My training emphasized to keep everything positive with the dog and the client, but did not outline what to say to the clients when they disagreed with my philosophy and solutions. Customer service is crucial in dog training. You are being hired to fix issues and you better tend to their wishes in a professional manner. If you are the type of person who prefers dealing with dogs and not people, then this job is not for you.

Dogs are the easy part, humans can be the difficult part.

That being said, I have met some incredible people over the years whose friendships I treasure. They started out as clients, and turned into wonderful friendships. I am still a part of these friends’ lives, even after the dog we trained together has passed on. As a dog trainer, you bond with people in a unique way. When a pet parent brings a puppy home, they treasure this puppy because it IS a part of the family. I don’t think I have ever come across anyone who feels any differently. I am requested to help transition this precious puppy from where it came to their new home. That’s a pretty tall order!

During this transition and multiple visits or classes, life happens. I have had several clients whose partner was the primary caretaker of the dog. Then, they either passed away or divorce split up the pack. One client’s son had adopted a dog from a shelter during the COVID shutdown. We conducted our trainings outdoors to stay safe. Then, he was struck with COVID and passed away due to complications with diabetes. His mother wanted desperately to keep the dog, but she knew she could not be there for it due to her demanding work schedule. Happily, she found a great home for the dog and the new pet parent has been very happy with the adoption.

Sometimes, I become like a family therapist. The new addition can wreak havoc on relationships, especially when not everyone agreed to get the puppy in the first place. Let’s face it. Puppies are a lot of work.

Rescue dogs can present challenges that could not be foreseen in the shelter. There can be disagreements between family members as to how to solve problem behaviors. This is when it is crucial for me to find the right words to explain why certain solutions work and others do not.

I absolutely love what I do. I got into dog training all because of my former dog, Hank, the Corgi. Even with my experience and the standards I have today, Hank was a difficult dog. I had to figure him out and I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I had answers to why he acted the way he did. Little did I know that in learning how to figure him out, I would become a dog trainer. I thought at the time I was just really interested in dog behavior. I never intended to make a career out of it.

After I made the decision to pursue a job as a dog trainer, I applied to Pet Smart and Petco. Pet Smart wasn’t looking for a trainer, but Petco was. It took me almost 7 months to get hired at Petco. I pursued management on a weekly basis to see if they had made a decision. Sometimes I would drive to the store to talk to the managers. Every time I would drive there, I would get emotional. I couldn’t explain it. The tears were happy tears even in spite of the obstacles I came up against. I felt so driven this was the job I should be doing and the tears confirmed that feeling. I still feel today that the universe was shouting to me not to give up on Petco because I needed to be a dog trainer. After 7 months of persevering, I was finally in the right place at the right time.

I started studying the Petco curriculum on dog behavior and how to train dogs. The curriculum was written by a well known dog behaviorist named Patricia McConnell. I read all the books I could get my hands on. However, in my opinion, there was something monumental that was missing from what I was learning from a book. It’s what Cesar Millan, the star of “The Dog Whisperer” is all about - energy. While I was learning the Petco way of training, I was also watching Cesar Millan’s, “The Dog Whisperer” episodes on tv in my spare time. Studying dog behavior became a passion of mine,

In every “Dog Whisperer” episode, Cesar repeated the fact that the dog is a mirror of their human’s energy, philosophy, and actions. He proved this concept with every client while handling their dog versus when the client handled the dog. It was not magic or trick photography. It really was all about the handler’s energy that influenced the dog’s behavior. The magic is mastering that type of energy. This resonated with me in some way. I understood the concept, but could not see how it applied to me. I was on a mission to figure this all out.

This ‘magical’ type of energy involves mastering remaining calm but at the same time, being assertive. I typically am a calm person, but I wasn’t when I was communicating with Hank. It seemed like I was always frustrated and mad at him because he wouldn’t obey me. I thought that was somehow being assertive. I thought refraining from exploding and yelling at him was somehow remaining calm. Honestly, I didn’t know how to be any different.

Hank was unpredictable and sometimes aggressive. Anyone who knows me would probably say that I am the exact opposite of that. However, when I dealt with Hank, I was usually agitated and frustrated because he would often ignore me. Cesar was right. I was the one who had to change and then Hank would follow suit. Dogs do not want to follow unstable energy. It’s so true! As soon as I started to change, Hank changed too.

Cesar believes, and so do I, that every human in the household should be a calm and assertive leader. This is the kind of energy most dogs want to follow. I knew I had the calm part down but was fuzzy about what assertive energy looked like. Reading and watching Cesar on tv dealing with dogs using calm and assertive energy was not easy to imitate. It had to come from within and it had to be genuine.

Dogs know when you are faking it and they will not respect you.

I knew the exact moment that I had achieved calm and assertive energy. When I worked at Petco, I used to have a puppy play time. I had to teach puppies how to play nicely and to respect cautious puppies who needed some extra space. One puppy was picking on another and a third puppy was trying to intervene. The third puppy that was intervening was a sign to me that the energy in the pack of puppies was elevating. Dogs have an inherent desire to keep the pack in a calm state. So, as soon as I noticed this, I stood in front of the puppy that was bullying the other and said with my body language and energy only, no words, “Hey, leave that puppy alone!” The guilty puppy slowly laid down and surrendered to me.

I felt like jumping for joy because I knew at that moment what calm and assertive energy felt like. I remembered exactly how I felt in that moment. I tell people that you say in your head “I must get this accomplished and I’m not giving up”. I use and teach this technique and energy on every appointment.

See the end result in your head and get it done.

I can relate to my clients when they are honest with me in describing how they are with their dogs. I was just like them. I explain to them that the calm part means barely talking to your dog. Instead, communicate using your body language and your energy. If you keep repeating “No!”, you are usually saying this in a frustrated and agitated manner. This typically makes the dog excited because your energy is excited in a negative way. On the contrary, if you keep telling your dog, “Sit!, Sit! Sit!”, your dog will start wagging his tail and jumping. You are coming at them in an excited tone that starts out happy and friendly, but ends up frustrated and angry because they aren’t sitting for you.

In order to be an effective dog trainer yielding results, it is imperative to counsel people how their body language affects their dog. Dogs notice when you are hunched over and telling the dog to lay down versus standing up straight and commanding the dog down. Being hunched over is seen as a more submissive stature. People tend to have softer energy when they are bent over. Standing up straight commands respect. Walking your dog and constantly looking down at them is seen as uncertain energy. Walking with your shoulders back, head up, projects the kind of confident energy dogs want to follow. I challenge all of you to do this and notice the difference you feel, and then notice your dog’s reaction.

Personally, I am coaching the humans on improving their energy as well as teaching them what their dog is telling them with their body language. Every movement they make, every time they get up and move to another spot on their own, means something. I feel the more people understand dog behavior and dog psychology, the more they are more apt to be patient with their dog.

Too many people explain their dog’s behavior by using human logic and reasoning. This is called anthropomorphic projection. A classic case of this involved a client I had many years ago who had two huskies. Yes, Huskies. She thought it was too cold for them to go potty outside, so she wanted her husband to build a type of irrigation system in their basement for the dogs to go to the bathroom. In a later conversation with her, she admitted that she hated the winter and putting on heavy coats, gloves and boots. I realized too that her husband was hoping I would “shake her and tell her she was nuts!” I did tell her that she was the first to ever come up with this design and that Huskies love cold weather. I kept it positive!

As I mentioned in an earlier episode, Petco policy would not allow me to go to people’s homes. It wasn’t until I went out on my own that I got a lot of on-the- job training as far as what I would be confronted with. Most of the time, my house visits went smoothly. Other times, it wasn’t so easy. The problem described to me over the phone was not what I observed when I got there.

One client called me to help tame their unruly puppy. I thought this was a typical situation where the client forgot or didn’t know how active puppies were and they needed help setting up boundaries. I find out a lot about a dog when I take them for a structured walk. The majority of cases, it takes me a little while to establish a rhythm walking in a heel position. Then I hand the dog over for the client to practice.

In one case, I had to give up trying to walk the dog. This had only happened to me once before. That dog had a traumatic experience with a collar that the client forgot to tell me about. It was an easy fix when I used the Easy Walk Harness. The dog walked perfectly for me. However, nothing worked with this other puppy. She was a bucking bronco. When I went to tell the clients that I had to give up trying to walk her, the one client admitted to hitting the dog with a stick to get her to behave. I was so shocked. I was speechless. I did tell them I never condone that type of discipline. I should have ended the session right then and there, but I was still stunned.

I waited until the next appointment when the dog peed all over the kitchen floor after the client grabbed the dog’s collar to gently put her in her crate. She had just gone out to eliminate, so I knew this was not a good sign. Most likely, the puppy had been grabbed by the collar with very negative energy too many times. When dogs are scared, they may empty their bladder and/or bowels. It made me realize that I may have dealt with other clients who hit their dogs as a way of discipline. I didn’t know the signs to look for in a dog when they are hit until fairly recently.

Everything that I have outlined above about my personal journey is what I teach my clients. Some get it, some don’t. The ones who do, go on to deepen their relationship with their dogs. It can actually become a spiritual experience. When you realize that your dog needs you to be a calm and assertive leader, you change and own that energy. Then your dog becomes happier. This in turn makes you happier and fulfilled knowing that you have helped your dog become more balanced. You start gaining the respect you always wanted from them just by changing your energy and adding structure to your dog’s every day life. When I see this happen with my clients, it is so rewarding. It is what keeps me going.

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Dog groomers are an integral part in maintaining optimal health for your dog. They are not just limited to bathing and trimming a dog’s coat. They are also checking for ear infections, trimming nails, and noticing lumps and any other superficial health issues. It is important to find a groomer who will point out possible concerns they may have about the appearance and behavior of your dog. They may suggest a follow up visit with your veterinarian.

Finding a groomer you can trust and keeping the recommended frequency of grooming appointments are two key ways to help your dog get acclimated to the salon and the entire experience, which can be somewhat stressful. The more often your dog goes to the groomer, the more they will become familiar with them and the surroundings. Communication between the groomer and pet parent must be open and honest. All pet parents want to know how their dog behaved at the salon and if there are any concerns they need to know about.

Sharyn Ugan is a retired dog and cat groomer from Petco. She still grooms dogs for friends and family on her own. In this episode,Sharyn shares with me all of the tools she uses. When she worked at the Petco grooming salon, the company provided a lot of the equipment. However, if she needed or preferred certain tools, she would purchase them herself. Typically, a lot of the equipment is purchased by the groomer.

Sharyn likes to have backups for every tool. In the pictures below, you will discover which scissors, clippers, and products she prefers. Over the years, she has built up an extensive array of grooming tools for her “toolbox”.

Brushes

Sharyn predominantly uses three different types of brushes. Depending on the job, there are metal slicker brushes, a rake, a fine toothed flea comb, and a FURminator. Brushes are integral in maintaining a healthy coat by preventing and detangling mats. They also help distribute natural oils throughout the body to prevent hair follicles from clogging. Daily brushing keeps matting in check. It also removes loose fur and dirt which helps reduce shedding.

* Slicker brushes

Sharyn likes to use metal slicker brushes with a blue plastic handle. The teeth are made of metal and come in different lengths and textures. The wider brush with shorter teeth are used on shih tzus and smaller dogs. The brush with longer bristles are used more on longer coats like poodles, doodles and German Shepherds. The slicker brush pictured below has an ‘S’ on the back which means that the bristles are soft. They come in soft, medium and hard. Sharyn uses this type of brush on 95% of the dogs she grooms because they are very durable and get the job done.

* The Rake

The Rake is a type of brush to manage matting. They are recommended particularly on dogs with an undercoat. I use a rake on my dog, Ebi, every day. She has feathers, long, wispy fur, by her rear end and behind her legs. I use a slicker brush for her body. One month, I tried using a slicker brush on her whole body and thought I was doing a good job. However, when it was time for Ebi’s grooming appointment with Sharyn, she found the most mats ever. The slicker brush didn’t cut through the feathers. Sharyn calls feathers, pantaloons. Rakes can be found in the detangling brush section on the internet. Many companies make them. Just make sure you get a sturdy handle and appropriate size for your dog.

* Flea comb

Sharyn uses a flea comb that also has a small comb on the other side. She likes to use this on small dog’s faces, ears, and paws. Sometimes little knots form on the fur on and around the ears. Breeds like Westies and terriers have beards that need to be brushed out. The small comb is perfect for that purpose. I have seen her use it on my dog’s fur that grows in between her toes. She may even find fleas since these are the areas where fleas tend to reside.

FURminator

FURminators were invented in the early 2000s as a deshedding tool. The purpose was to develop a safe and efficient way to remove loose undercoat fur without damaging the top coat. However, Sharyn says that you have to be careful because of this. They can take a bulk of the fur out, but you can possibly strip away too much of the topcoat. She liked to use them when they first came out, but now she doesn’t care for them.

Shampoo

Shampooing a dog is the first step in the grooming process. There are many different shampoos to choose from. Sharyn likes Johnson&Johnson Baby Shampoo. It is tearless and mild. There are other shampoos available for different skin issues. For example, there is a shampoo with oatmeal in it that soothes irritated skin. No matter what shampoo she uses, she always dilutes it. She finds that rinsing the shampoo out is a lot easier. A little bit of shampoo produces a lot of suds to really scrub into the fur. An added benefit is if the dog should have allergies to the shampoo, it will be less concentrated, producing a milder reaction to it.

I personally prefer all natural products for my dog. I showcase a shampoo made by a company called Doggy Style. It is a shampoo and conditioner in one and only requires a little bit. I love the way it smells and how my dog’s fur feels when it’s all dried. For more information, check out: Doggy Style Dog Care. This is a local Cleveland company that sells varied products for grooming your dog. I love the bath scrubber for short haired dogs too!

Nail trims

Even if you don’t take your dog to a groomer, you still need to trim the nails or get someone to do it for you. The anatomy of a dog’s foot is similar from breed to breed, but the shape and length of the nails can be different. For example, I used to walk my Corgi so much that the concrete would naturally file down his nails. In fact, sometimes the nails would be worn down so low to the quick, they would start bleeding (Please see below the definition of the quick) I walk my Leonberger just as much, but her nails stick straight out and don’t touch the sidewalk unless they start getting too long. When I can hear clicking on the pavement, that’s when I know it’s time for a nail trim.

If dog’s nails get too long, the dog will compensate by walking differently. This will put undue strain on the joints. The nails can also get caught on rugs and become injured, causing even more pain and a visit to the vet. Overgrown nails can be painful if walking on pavement. It alters their natural gait and will cause the dog to shift their weight to avoid the pain. When nails are left long on a consistent basis, the quick will grow out with the nail, which makes it difficult to trim them without bleeding. If neglected for a long period of time, the nails can curl under and grow into the paw pad. Ouch!

The quick

The quick is located on the inner part of a dog’s nail. It will appear as a small pink dot on the inside of a dog’s nail or as a small dark circle on the nail’s tip on the inside of a black nail. It contains blood vessels, so if it is nicked with clippers, it will start to bleed. Before beginning to trim your own dog’s nails, make sure you have some styptic powder to dunk the nail in. The bleeding should stop immediately.

* Small Nail Clippers

These clippers are shown on the far right of the picture below. Small nail clippers are great for cat nails and small animals like ferrets and guinea pigs. They are used for very small dogs like Bugsy, who is laying on his bed in the video of this podcast. Although, Bugsy likes his nails done with a Dremel.

5. The Dremel

Some animals prefer the Dremel over clipping, as mentioned above. Some dogs are afraid of the sound of it as it grinds away the nail. There are some models that are quieter than others. In general, the Dremel is safer since it reduces the chance of nicking the quick. It leaves a smoother finish and is great for thick nails. I have seen Sharyn cut Ebi’s nails with a clipper and then Dremel them to smooth out rough edges. Big Nail Clippers

* Large Nail Clippers

For larger dogs like Ebi, Sharyn uses a larger, sturdier clipper. Ebi’s nails are thick and more suitable for a Dremel. However, Ebi never has liked the sound of it. The sound and the feel of the Dremel can be off-putting for a dog. On breeds whose nails are long and curved under, clipping away bit by bit is the only way to get the job done. If using a Dremel on these types of nails, the Dremel will come too close to the toe pad, causing possible injuries.

The guillotine

Sharyn knows how to use the guillotine for nails but does not like them. She finds that they crush and splinter the nail too much. The nail can get stuck upon releasing the grip.

Dew claws

Some dog breeds have dew claws which need to be trimmed by a clipper. These are long curved nails located on the side of each front paw, by the ankle. Since they are located so close to the leg, it is awkward to Dremel on the side of the nail closest to the leg. Therefore, it is easier to clip them.

Sometimes dew claws are removed at birth so that they don’t present problems down the road. They can get caught on things and ripped off. Some breeds have front and back dew claws. Leonbergers, Great Pyrenees and some Sheepdogs have both. Typically, the dogs that were bred to climb mountains to protect their livestock, will have both front and back dew claws. They help grip the rough terrain as they climb. I have seen Ebi’s back dew claws do this.

Scissors

Sharyn uses three types of scissors for trimming fur. It is difficult to distinguish the size of the scissors and if the blades are straight or curved in the picture below. Just as a hair stylist has their favorite sheers, so do groomers.

* Thinning shears

Sharyn uses thinning shears to thin out bulky sections of a dog’s coat. These shears are pictured below on the far left. She will also use them on poofy ears first and then finish the cut with the curved shears.

* Blunt end scissors

When trimming around the eyes, Sharyn will use the scissors with the blunt ends. These scissors are also curved. They are used to trim the bottom of the pads. If there is a lot of thick, fur there, Sharyn will use her 8” curved shears.

* 8” curved shears

Most dogs do not like electric clippers around the face. Depending on the size and area that need to be trimmed, Sharyn will use these curved shears. It makes shaping a poodle’s head easier and more uniform. She also uses them to trim around their heads, legs, and feet. The pair on the far right are the same, only smaller.

* Clippers

Sharyn’s favorite clippers are made by Andis. They are professional grade and well known for their powerful motors, durability, and reliability. They also are quieter than most brands, making it the preferred choice amongst groomers. Many dogs get anxious when they hear the sound of the clippers. The quieter, the better for the dog. They definitely are an investment since the average cost is $500. They can be pricey, but they are built to last a long time. There are also cordless models which aids in navigating around the dog easier.

Sharyn has many different lengths of combs that attach to the end of the clipper. The length of the fur determines the length of the comb. She has many backup blades and combs she swaps out while in the process of shaving a dog. This prevents razor burn.

Razor burn

According to Sharyn, razor burn happens when you are not paying attention to the heat of the blade. The common size of blade when shaving down a dog is a #10 blade. Sharyn keeps about 25 extra size 10 blades. As soon as the blade gets warm, she will swap it out with a spare, cool one. She may have to do this many times while shaving one dog.

Razor burn can also occur when the angle of the clipper is incorrectly placed. Instead of being flush with the body of the dog, the blade digs into the skin. A lot of razor burns happen around the rear end, genital area, armpits and the inside part of legs.

Razor burn can be very uncomfortable for dogs. I have experienced dogs in my obedience classes over the years who don’t want to sit because their rear end is almost raw. I have even seen confident dogs act very fearful due to their razor burn. The good news is that as soon as the fur grows back in, the dog’s behavior returns to normal.

Sharyn believes that it is possible to prevent razor burn by being attentive and choosing the right sized blade. However, injuries do occur. Dogs do not stay absolutely still during the grooming process, which increases the potential of injuries. Sometimes the skin under the neck gets nicked or the excess skin under armpits gets caught in the blade. Sharyn emphasizes to be open and honest with the client should anything happen. The worst thing a client can experience with a groomer is that they are not told anything out of the ordinary happened during the grooming session when they pick up their dog. Then, when they get home, they notice razor burn or a cut in the dog’s skin. Always report any kind of injury back to the management of the salon.

Sharyn has several products she likes to have on hand whenever she grooms a dog or cat. A lot of these items are sold in pet stores and are easy to find.

* Stop Quick

Stop Quick is a yellow styptic powder which will immediately stop the bleeding in the event the quick or skin tag is nicked. Placing or spreading the affected area with some styptic powder is all that needs to be done. Depending on where the cut is, it is always useful to have cotton rounds and self sticking vet wrap. The cotton can be placed over the wound and wrapped with the bandage.

* Ear powder

Some dogs have a lot of fur on the inside of their ear. This fur can cause ear wax to accumulate and possibly lead to an ear infection. Frequent ear cleaning is essential to avoid infections. Some groomers pluck this fur on the inside of the ear. However, doing so, can cause an infection. There are advantages and disadvantages to this process. Sharyn does this process a lot less frequently now than she used to because of the negative side effects.

Sometimes, plucking the ear fur is necessary because of the presence of an ear infection. The fur needs to be removed in order to thoroughly clean the ear. I have seen dogs get this done, and they are not bothered by it. The ear powder prevents the fur slipping through your fingers and aides in gripping the fur so it can be pulled.

Ear Hematomas

When dogs have an ear infection, one obvious sign is they shake their head to relieve the pressure they feel from the infection. When dogs with long, droopy ears shake their heads, blood vessels break in the ears. Hematomas can form at the bottom of the ear. The blood gets hard and the ear will feel crusty at the tips. It is best to get veterinary advice as to how to manage the hematoma. Options are surgery or just waiting until the blood gets reabsorbed back into the body.

* Spritzer

Sharyn likes to use Espree High Sheen spritzer on short hair dogs, like beagles and pugs. It makes their coat nice and shiny and soft.

* The Stuff

This product is a conditioner for the coat. It is a concentrated formula so it requires adding water before usage. Sharyn loves this product because it wicks the water off quicker, dries the fur quicker, and really makes the fur feel softer. Plus, it smells great!

15. The Hood

The hood is a circular thick band that fits around the head of a dog and covers their ears. It comes in small or large sizes. Some dogs do not like the sound of the dryer. The hood muffles not only the sound of the dryer but also all the other sounds in the salon.

The Hood also wicks away the water. This helps with the ear not becoming saturated and left damp for a long period of time. It is never advisable to blow the dryer directly in the ear, even if it is just warm or cool air. You can cup your hand around the ear so that water and the air from the dryer do not get into the ear.

Headlamp

When working on black dogs, regular salon lighting is usually bright enough to pick up certain hidden areas on dogs. When Sharyn grooms her friends and family’s dogs, a headlamp helps see the definition of the body. Another advantage to using a headlamp is it helps aging eyes see better!

Mobile groomer

An option to taking your dog to a salon is to find a reputable mobile groomer. Some advantages to using a mobile groomer:

* the dog is groomed inside their van parked in your driveway

* avoid potentially stressful car ride

* less stress on older dogs with mobility issues

* individual attention with the groomer

* no ambient noises from barking dogs and dryers

* overall more pleasant experience for fearful/excited dogs

I will have a podcast with a mobile groomer in the near future so that I can share more information about them. I do believe there is a size restriction. I will do more research so that I can recommend some to you.

Once you find the groomer you like, I highly recommend staying with them. It may not be your dog’s favorite way to spend a couple of hours, but you want to make it as pleasant as possible for them. It is important to find that groomer who will be honest and up front with you. Injuries can happen. Whether big or small, they should always be reported to you. Please leave a comment below about your grooming experiences - good or bad.

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Depending on your dog’s breed, you may be well acquainted with your favorite grooming salon. You might even have a preferred groomer who knows your dog and have established a trusting, reliable relationship with them. My guest, Sharyn Ugan, retired from Petco after 14 years of grooming cats and dogs. I met Sharyn over 10 years ago while working at Petco and also got to know some of the other groomers in the store. My dog training arena was right next to the salon. I would watch in awe how they would work tirelessly on various breeds. I was frequently amazed at the transformation from how the dog looked upon entering the salon and then leaving as a work of art with their pet parents.

Dog grooming isn’t only about brushing and cutting a dog’s coat. Most professional groomers check the ears, eyes, the mouth, and even the rear end! Grooming is also about the dog’s health and well being. Sometimes groomers find lumps and bumps that go unnoticed by their owners. They may be located in areas that the owner doesn’t pet on a daily basis. If the fur is overgrown, skin infections cannot be seen. The owner may think their dog is just itching a lot, and doesn’t realize there is a skin infection developing. Regular appointments with professional groomers and veterinarians keep the dog’s health in check.

Over the years, Sharyn has found numerous health issues while grooming. Before Sharyn became a full time groomer, she was a vet tech. She saw and treated a variety of health conditions that came into the vet office. This helped her recognize the signs of common ailments when she became a groomer, like ear infections, broken nails, and growths in hidden places. She even identified a swollen scrotum on a non-neutered male dog who ended up having testicular cancer! The owners had the dog neutered right away which extended his senior life by another 3 years.

Sharyn became interested in grooming when her best friend bought a kennel that came with a grooming salon. Sharyn learned from the woman who was the groomer in that salon and came to really enjoy it. Sharyn learned a lot from her but she really taught herself. Back then, groomers didn’t need to be certified. She used a workbook for groomers as a guide which showed pictures and described details of the standard cuts for all the different breeds.

“It’s just a matter of the more you do it, the easier it gets. You learn by trial and error”. Sharyn Ugan

For 24 years. Sharyn worked two jobs: a groomer and a vet tech, until she decided to just stick to grooming. She loved it and actually made more money than being a vet tech. Grooming is a lucrative business for the salon and the individual groomers. The popularity of all the doodles out there will keep them in business for a long time!

As Sharyn experienced, an unexpected benefit of the job was that she developed relationships with a lot of her repeat clients. It was these relationships that added a little something special to just being a groomer. I remember Sharyn showing me the gifts she would get at Christmas time. Her human clients loved her and her dog clients loved her even more!

When Sharyn worked at Petco, there were strict protocols in place. For example, it was required that puppies and dogs be up to date on all vaccines. Typically, puppies don’t get their rabies shot until at least 6 months old. It is essential to get them used to the salon as soon as they are fully vaccinated, so they don’t develop fear issues later. Sharyn’s advice to pet parents who rescue adult dogs is to take them to the salon about 3 to 4 weeks after they become accustomed to their new home. It is possible the rescue dog already had a bad experience with a groomer/grooming salon. Therefore, you don’t want to stress the dog out too much right after bringing them home.

Petco also changed their policy on using muzzles on dogs that showed signs of aggression. Groomers used to be able to muzzle these types of dogs who were getting something as basic as a nail trim. However, the company changed their policy on muzzles. They were no longer allowed. Instead, groomers were directed to start referring aggressive cases to their local veterinarian to avoid their employees getting bit. Vet offices will muzzle dogs and even sedate them if necessary.

When seeking out a grooming salon or individual groomer, it is worthwhile to find out what their policies are with dogs who have a hard time being manipulated. Get a tour of the salon so you can see where dogs are placed while they are being bathed, dried, and waiting to be picked up. Go at a busy time so you can hear the noise that your dog will hear. If your dog has fear issues, you may not want to expose your dog to such a hectic environment. Always have your dog’s best interest in mind.

At Petco and other corporate pet stores, there is usually a training program that involves being mentored by another groomer. When groomers first begin their apprenticeship, they get to know the dog by handling them on leash and leading them to the bathing area, shampooing and drying them, and learning how to get the dog up on the table to be worked on. Many dogs are fearful of the entire experience, so it is important to learn how to handle and manage a dog in this state of mind. It requires a lot of patience with calm and assertive energy.

Sharyn mentored plenty of apprentices who weren’t cut out for the job. They discovered they were more fearful of dogs than they thought they were. It can be a very stressful environment when dogs are barking while grooming a fearful dog, and being afraid of getting bit. Groomers should know they will get nipped and sometimes bit. It comes with the job!

Part of being a groomer is building a relationship not just with the dog but also with the client. When the client drops their dog off, Petco had a list of questions to ask them which included if there were any changes in the dog’s health. Groomers were instructed to have the dog walk into the salon instead of being carried. This way they could confirm that the dog didn’t have mobility issues. Sharyn would always do a quick check up before the client left for fleas, sore spots, and anything that might affect her grooming.

Sharyn found the best approach with clients was to be honest and upfront. If she found fleas or ticks, she would put them in a baggie to show the client, in case they were in disbelief. If she found any health issues, she would bring it to the client’s attention. If the dog was having an “off” day, or the dog was so stressed out from the noises in the salon, she would call the client to have the dog picked up as soon as possible.

One time, Sharyn was only able to groom half of the dog because it was so stressed out. She had the client bring the dog back after a week to finish the rest. Sometimes, the dog wouldn’t exhibit any aggression or fear until they were put up on the grooming table. If the dog was wiggling and thrashing about so much that it impeded working on the dog, the client would be contacted to pick up their dog. It was a matter of the dog and the groomer possibly getting hurt. Whatever needed to be done that was best for the well being of the dog, Sharyn would act accordingly. She was always her client’s best advocate.

Sharyn not only groomed dogs, but also cats. It had to be a special cat to tolerate a noisy salon and be surrounded by dogs. Some cat clients would shave their long haired cats because it was easier to maintain a short coat and it would also keep hairballs in check. One thing to keep in mind when shaving a cat or a dog is that it can damage the follicles, making it difficult for the coat to grow back in. The fur will grow back in different places and not in others. Sometimes, it doesn’t grow back at all.

Sharyn had a longhaired Scottish Fold named Marshall who she would use as a teaching tool for apprentices to learn how to shave and work with cats. Marshall lived a nice long life and died at the age of 22! Almost unheard of for a cat!!

One common issue that groomers deal with is when the fur gets tangled and forms knots, called matting. This is a painful condition especially when the mats are close to the skin. It actually starts pulling on the skin. Sometimes mats can be brushed out, but more often than not, they have to be cut or shaved out with clippers. Breeds like Poodles, Doodles with tight curls, and Shih Tzus, are more apt to get mats. Daily brushing can keep long coats in check to avoid matting.

In reality, any breed of dog can get mats. They can be formed by:

* lack of regular brushing

* not using the correct type of brush

* loose fur that hasn’t been blown out periodically (like Samoyeds and Huskies)

* moisture and dirt

* friction due to harnesses, sweaters and even petting behind the ears

* areas that are frequently overlooked when brushing (under carriage, private parts)

* excessive itching due to skin infections or parasites

Sharyn says a misconception about matting with most people is that if they give the dog a bath first, then it will be easier to brush out the mats. The moisture actually makes it worse. What should happen instead is that the dog gets blown out with a high powered dryer and then brushed. Then, mats that can be cut or teased out with scissors are worked on first. The mats that are located in hard to reach spots or close to the skin get shaved off with clippers. If the dog is covered with mats, the whole body will be shaved. In rare cases, mats are so severe that amputation is the only option, I have seen this happen when people have rescued a dog that has been neglected for a long time.

Clippers are a gentler way of tackling mats than trying to tease them out with a comb. Dogs may have an aversion to the noise of the clippers but they do not hurt the dog. There is such a thing as razor burn that comes from not changing out the metal detachable clipper often enough. Sharyn and I talk more in depth about razor burn and clippers in our next episode.

Bugsy, who is pictured below and laying on the bed on the table in the studio with us, loves to burrow in a covered bed and blanket. His fur is so fine that little knots form at the end of the strands of fur. Bugsy also does not like being groomed at home by Sharyn. He was so used to being groomed in the salon that Sharyn still takes him in to be groomed at Petco by the same groomer who knows him.

Lastly, the most frequent question I get from my clients about grooming is how often to bathe your dog. According to Sharyn, dogs should be bathed no more than once a month. Otherwise, the natural oils in the dog’s skin get stripped away and skin issues can form. Spot cleaning is better when it’s not time yet to bathe your dog. Daily brushing also brings out the oil from the skin and onto the fur, making it shiny.

I highly recommend the self wash at Pet Supplies Plus. The one pictured below is located on Lorain Rd. in Fairview Park. It is a state-of-the-art facility where the shampoo, conditioner and dryer are regulated by a touch dial system. They provide towels and aprons so you don’t get soaked in the process. They even provide treats too! For more information, visit Pet SuppliesPlus.

Whether you groom your dog yourself or you take them to a professional, dogs require baths, nail trims, ear and teeth cleanings. Between your vet and groomer, regular visits will avoid the possibility of the pet parent overlooking any one of these issues and potentially harming the health of your dog. Besides, seeing the finished product makes the dog feel good, and you too!

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There are so many fun activities to do with your dog that speak to the instincts of specific breeds, such as agility for Jack Russell Terriers, hunting for Beagles, and herding for Border Collies. However, there is a whole other venue that is all about the preservation of over 200 purebreds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). That is the world of the show dogs. Breeders dedicate their lives to ensure their dogs are born healthy and structurally sound according to the standards set by the AKC. Judges at dog shows are an integral part of preserving the legacy of purebreds by choosing which dogs (males) and b*****s(females) meet these standards.

My guest, Dr. Jennifer Smith, has been involved with competitive dog performance sports for decades. That was her comfort zone. However, she was always interested in the show arena, but never gave it a try until about 5 years ago. Watching the handlers and dogs on the Westminster Dog Show every year looked easy. Little did Jennifer know that there was a lot more than just prancing around the ring with your best buddy. As with everything that Jennifer decides to take on, she went all in! At this point in her life, poodles are her favorite breed. Please refer to our previous episode entitled “Oodles and Oodles of Poodles” where Jennifer elaborates on the temperament, intelligence, and instincts of this magnificent breed.

Jennifer studied for years how to groom poodles to standard. Her goal was to learn how to groom her own poodle, Scarlet, so she would become show quality. She would go to shows and just observe what the pros did. Poodles have a continuous coat which keeps on growing. Jennifer used this to her advantage while learning because the coat happens to be very forgiving. If you make a mistake, you can cut it out, and it will grow back fairly quickly.

If hunters never trimmed poodles’ fur, it would weigh them down in the water so much that they could drown! Styling the poodle has changed a bit over the years, but the shape of the cuts around the body serve the same function. The “rosettes” (the two round mounds of fur on their back) were trimmed to keep the poodle’s hips warm. The poof balls on the ankles are intended to keep them from getting too cold. The “jacket” around the body keeps their internal organs warm. The function of the poof ball on the tip of the tail is to make the dog visible while swimming to retrieve fowl from the water.

Jennifer also had to go through a series of conformation classes. Conformation classes teach handlers how to present their dogs in the show ring. They teach handlers how to position their dogs in a standing position called stacking. They also teach them how to move around the ring to highlight the dog’s gait. Lastly, they learn proper etiquette when communicating with the judges and how to prepare for the judge’s exam.

Jennifer also spent countless hours watching and practicing handling dogs. Part of Jennifer’s dream was to not only have a show worthy poodle, but also to handle her poodles in the ring. Jennifer succeeded because Scarlet now has her Championship and is a finished dog. She performed beautifully, but she really wasn’t thrilled about being in the show ring. Therefore, Jennifer didn’t pursue getting Scarlet her “specials”, which is the highest level of competition in a dog show.

The anatomical structure of the poodle is unique. Poodles are squarely built, which means their length is equal to their height. They also have a specific angulation to their structure which allows for a very elegant and effortless prancing gait. It looks like they are floating. There really is no other breed that compares to it. Every feature about them evolved that way to facilitate retrieving fowl in the water swiftly and powerfully. This becomes integral to assessing the poodle in the show ring.

**“Not all family dogs are show dog quality, but all show dogs are family dogs”. - Jennifer Smith

When interested in getting involved in the dog show arena, one of the first places to start is searching for reputable breeders who have experience showing that breed. Jennifer recommends for people to go to dog shows and actually talk to any of the breeders of the type of dog you are interested in. They have a lot of pride in what they do. They will give you unique insight into the breed that online research cannot. The most responsible breeders will divulge information about how they breed out certain health issues. Good breeders are all about sharing information about the breed they love and live with. They want others to love their dogs as much as they do. These are the owners who will make sure their dogs will live on for generations to come. Just as with any profession, there is plenty of fraud, so make sure you do your homework.

After selecting a favorite breed, do extensive research on the breed. Make sure this is a breed that is suitable for your lifestyle. Border Collies are a lot of fun and they are highly intelligent, but that comes at a cost. You better be prepared to provide an active lifestyle for them and challenge them intellectually or else behavioral issues can arise.

Jennifer talks about the pages and pages of standards set by the AKC for every recognized breed in the United States. When you show your dog, the judges are looking for the one that best conforms to those standards.

“Dogs aren’t competing with each other. They are competing against the standards.” - Jennifer Smith

Jennifer reads and then rereads the pages of standards for the poodle breed. Each time she reads them, something jumps out at her that she didn’t notice the last time she read them. The more experience you have, the more you understand on a deeper level what the standard means. Jennifer has 4 poodles as pets. She has studied their behavior, learned how to properly groom them, and how to handle them in the arena for several years now. Showing a poodle is different than showing a dachshund, like her husband Tom does. They are a different breed with a different temperament and require a skillset unique to each one. It is imperative to know the breed you are handling in the show arena inside and out.

One important aspect of owning and showing dogs is they have to remain intact. This means that dogs cannot be neutered and b*****s cannot be spayed. This presents a challenge for Jennifer and her husband Tom twice a year when the b*****s go in to heat. She says that the intact males will claw through anything to get to the female! The instinct to reproduce is that strong. They get triggered by the smell of the urine. The entire heat cycle can last for a couple of months. However, when the b*****s are ready to mate, the males can no longer just be separated by fences in the backyard. They have to go live with other show dog friends until the b***h’s hormones subside.

Jennifer’s latest addition to her poodle pack is Chapel, shown below. Chapel finished her championship on September 13 and won again to earn points towards her grand championship. Jennifer decided to have Chapel live with and be handled by a professional handler. She likes to play with her dogs and let them be dogs in her vast backyard, which isn’t conducive to maintaining the type of coat required for the show ring. When dogs play, they like to take bites at each other’s tails. It’s cute and fun to watch but it is too challenging to keep them from doing this. It prolongs the growing out process needed to properly groom them for show quality. Therefore, Chapel’s handler makes sure her coat pristine.

As Jennifer explains in our podcast together, showing your dog starts as early as 6 months old. There are many categories to pass through, all while earning points. The more shows you compete in, the more chances you have of earning enough points and winning to progress to the next category. This is why you will find show dog people who have motor homes. They can transport their dogs and set up camp at nearby camp grounds for the weekend events. Days in the show arena are long days, sometimes 12 hours. It can be grueling, but very rewarding when all of your efforts pay off with a win.

For those of you who are interested in finding out more about the show dog life, please contact the AKC at akc.org. There is also the UKC (United Kennel Club) which has different standards and events that may be more appealing. They can be reached at ukcdogs.com.

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**This episode is dedicated to Gary Flynn, all of the Task Forces deployed with their search and rescue canines, including Ohio Task Force 1, and those who perished on September 11, 2001. This is also dedicated to the dog handlers and emergency crews who continue to suffer from the trauma experienced during that time, and to their family members supporting the mental and health issues of their loved ones who continue to suffer.

September 11 was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. People were stunned and frightened as they watched the events unfold on their television screens. After the plot to destroy human lives and weaken American leadership had concluded on that horrific day, the largest call-up of emergency services occurred and FEMA task forces were deployed. One of the 26 FEMA task forces summoned was Gary Flynn and Ohio Task Force 1.

I highly recommend listening to this podcast where Gary describes, in detail at times, how the events impacted him and his 5 year old Belgian Malinois, Tascha. To say that this was an emotional podcast is an understatement. In fact, words cannot describe adequately the plethora of information that Gary was willing to share. Therefore, I am only going to write about details in the best way possible to help break down the magnitude of that day, and the months and years to follow. This is also the platform where I can share photos that Gary took during his time there. Never did I think that I would meet and get to know someone who I could call my mentor and my friend, and someone who tirelessly worked at finding survivors with his personally trained professional dog.

This was a war zone, no doubt about that. The way that Gary describes how he got the call while working his day job at BIOPLASTICS CO. in North Ridgeville, Ohio, is already uniquely different than the majority of us who watched the news that day in our homes. He was called up and ready to go like any soldier summoned to war.

We all remember exactly where we were when we found out about the first plane slamming into the World Trade Center. None of us dreamt this was part of a much bigger plot to wreak devastation on a such a grand scale. We were able to watch the events on tv in the security of our homes. However, the first responders and those called up to search for survivors had to risk their lives and the lives of their beloved and highly trained canines.

Out of the 72 people in Ohio deployed by FEMA, only 4 dog handlers and their canines were chosen to go. Three of the four handlers were from OSDA (Gary’s search and rescue dog agency). The fourth handler, Terry Trepanier was a veteran firefighter and paramedic from Washington Township, shown in the picture below with his dog Woody. There were many more qualified people ready and willing to go serve, but were not chosen by the federal government to assist. FEMA plans for disasters similar to this and whatever they decide is not to be debated or contested. Gary talks about how much the love and support from those not selected to go was an immeasurable support system while being there.

FEMA requested that the canines to be deployed be live human finds only. Gary had a cadaver dog, Felix, fully trained and ready to go, but that was not what was needed from Ohio Task Force 1. There were Task Forces from other states who received the order for trained cadaver dogs. However, Gary’s dog Tascha, exhibited an aversive behavior whenever she would come across cadaver parts. She would shrug her body in such a way that it was almost an actual alert signal. Gary had specifically trained her to go past any cadavers and only focus on the live human scent.

Gary and Tascha worked 12 hour shifts, but it never ended at the 12th hour. If they were commanded to search a specific area of “the pile” (which was approximately 40 stories high) and they kept finding more openings within that pile to investigate, they did not quit just because their shift was up. They continued until there was no more area left to search . If it required to rappel blindly into a dark hole, then that’s what they did. Sending his dog in first with no leash and no collar to find survivors caused fear and anxiety that cannot be verbally described.

“I can tell you what it was like, but I have no way to tell you how it feels”

Gary Flynn

Gary and Tasha weren’t always working the pile. Sometimes they were commanded to search the surrounding buildings. A badly damaged structure assigned to Gary and Tascha was the Merrill Lynch Financial Center, pictured below. They had to climb 51 flights of stairs with no lights to guide them and search every inch for survivors. What they found was mostly plane pieces, cadavers, luggage and clothes. Gary says that the job always starts from the top on down, instead of the other way around. That way, when you are all done with the search, you can just exit the building.

One of my questions to Gary was about using protective gear for himself and his dog. Gary had all the protective gear needed for a toxic environment like the one at Ground Zero. He knew what he could be exposed to because he was a certified environmental hazard specialist. However, the protective gear got in the way when navigating through narrow passages with sharp objects all around. He wished he could have worn the gear all the time, but it wasn’t feasible.

Tasha did not wear any boots for her paws. She managed okay without them. She did endure a large burned area on her chest, not from direct fire, but from abrasions caused by squeezing in between and crawling through so much rubble. The wound healed up, but the fur never grew back. She lived until the ripe old age of 17. She was a cancer survivor on top of all that. It was too difficult to say that the cancer was due to her exposure to chemicals at Ground Zero, but living 13 years after the event is pretty astonishing!

Gary is beyond grateful to the Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams dispatched by FEMA to Ground Zero to provide medical care to the hundreds of search and rescue dogs on site. Tascha became dehydrated to the point where she needed to have intravenous fluids pumped into her. The VMAT teams provided the prompt assistance required to get Tascha back on her paws again.

Another question I asked Gary was if dogs experience PTSD. He believes they do but it is because those dogs were not properly trained or they were not the type of dog that could handle the stress from search and rescue work. Just like not all dogs make good service dogs, not all dogs are cut out to make effective search and rescue dogs. The stamina and prolonged self motivation required for this kind of work is not present in all dogs. The dogs who have been correctly trained succeed and love what they do. Their handlers reward them with play time whenever they can sneak in a few minutes of downtime. Sometimes, due to the tasks at hand, the only reward was their handler’s voice praising them. Other times, down time meant rest time. Catching a few Z’s had to be squeezed in there too!

Another amazing feature of the search and rescue dog is their ability to provide loving and caring support to their handlers and emergency staff members. Gary said there were plenty of them crying into their beloved dog’s fur. Dogs provide comfort that humans cannot. It’s just different.

Gary is eternally grateful to so many people, but most importantly, his wife and young daughter. Returning from any search and rescue mission is difficult to resume a normal routine, but coming back home from Ground Zero was especially challenging. The trauma of seeing so much death and destruction can make it hard to carry on. Gary encourages anyone experiencing trauma to seek help. PTSD manifests itself in so many disguising ways. Seeking professional help is crucial to learning how to resume mundane chores and a “normal” lifestyle. You want things to be the way they were, but it’s impossible when you have changed because of this traumatic event in your life.

I want to extend my humble and sincere gratitude to Gary for giving me the opportunity to talk about such an emotional subject. I feel deeply that our paths crossed at Petco because as fate would have it, one day I would have the platform for him to share his experience with all of you. So many people suffered, and sadly still suffer, from that sunny fall day 24 years ago that suddenly turned dark. Please be kind to all people. You don’t know what their story is.

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Search and Rescue dogs are highly trained canines used to locate missing people and their personal items at disaster sites either natural or man-made, crime scenes, and terrorist attacks. Dogs possess the ability to pick up different scents that humans and technology cannot. They travel faster than humans when navigating through rough terrain, which speeds up the process of finding missing individuals. Time is of the essence when working a search and rescue mission. Every minute counts when dealing with life and death. Human emotions can be highly charged during these missions. Therefore, professional search and rescue organizations must maintain a sense of calm and control while adhering to local, state and federal standards.  

Gary Flynn, owner and head handler for The Dog Advocate in Vermilion, Ohio, has been passionate about working with dogs since his time in the military. His training as an infantryman taught him how to navigate in the wilderness. This highly refined skill became very useful when he started working with Georgia Canine Search and Rescue while stationed at Fort Benning. Land navigation skills are extremely useful while working on a mission that may last days, even weeks.

Sometimes these search and rescue missions will take crews into the woods or disaster sites where there are no well defined exits. The crews have to figure out how to navigate through it without getting lost. Before cell phone and GPS technology, search and rescue missions were even more challenging. Gary used his land navigation skills and applied them to become an extremely qualified and well sought after search and rescue handler.

Upon Gary’s discharge from the military, he moved back to familiar territory in Vermilion, Ohio. He knew he wanted to become a professional search and rescue canine handler. He contacted Benji McPeak who owned and operated Firelands Kennels. Benji was a police dog trainer who also trained wannabe professional handlers like Gary. Benji had contracts to train dogs for the Ohio State Police, numerous sheriff departments, and even police departments that had their own canine programs. Gary started training dogs in junkyards searching for various items and conducting car searches for drugs. However, what really sparked his interest was training cadaver dogs - placing cadaver parts in different areas for training purposes for the dog to find.

One of the most important lessons that Gary learned was how to shape dogs into performing desired behaviors. It takes a skillful eye to piece together the deliberate behavior conditioning by the handler with what the dog does naturally. Reading the dog accurately was key to developing the most effective and reliable professional dog. Taking this skillset and applying it to searching for humans, dead or alive, became one of Gary’s specialties. He trained his dog to be a cadaver dog. He used this skill many times when doing area searches of collapsed buildings, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

Gary discovered that how he trained dogs to alert him to dead or live finds was different than a fellow canine handler for the Ohio State Patrol. Gary trained his imported German Shepherd, Iren, to alert him to a deceased body by running back to him, bark 4-5 times, and then run back and forth between him and the deceased. If the body was alive, she was trained to run to Gary, run back to the person, and stay there and bark.

This was vital later on when Gary had his own search and rescue agency and he got a call from a homicide detective for the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) who was trying to solve a missing persons case. Sometimes Gary was called to help solve cold cases. There was a possibility that by using one of his dog’s keen sense of smell and method of alerting, some of the SBI’s cold cases would result in closure.

One of those cases was a deathbed confession. The murderer told his wife where the body was. Then, the wife was dying and told their daughter. So many years had passed, so the credibility of this confession was suspect. However, the daughter did the right thing and contacted the police. The police made contact with the new owners of her parent’s house. Then, Gary and his cadaver dog, two forensic anthropologists and a coroner showed up. Bingo! The remains were there and the identity of the deceased was verified.

Another pertinent lesson that Gary learned while working for Benji was how to keep a dog engaged with their handler and remain focused with the task at hand for a prolonged period of time. This is the foundation for building the motivation and drive which is required in professional dogs. A tremendous amount of time is spent teaching the dog not to give up. Providing the appropriate rewards and the timing of it is also extremely important to achieve this.

As a professional handler, Gary believes everything he does is intentional. The dogs must be worked in every type of situation imaginable so they ignore the bunny that runs in front of them and continue to search for people or articles of clothing. They have to ignore the juicy cheeseburger on the ground and be motivated enough to stay on course. Many times the dogs are out of the handler’s sight, so it is crucial to work with them in all scenarios in order to ensure they stay on task.

I believe this lesson can be applied on a much smaller scale to every dog owner who wants to train their dogs to do a certain behavior. You have to make it exciting and fun for the dog with plenty of rewards to keep your dog engaged. Otherwise, the dog will wander off mentally and physically because you are not providing enough excitement to keep them interested.

I had the privilege to work with one of Gary’s professional dogs named Abby. First, Gary demonstrated how he worked Abby through the different stages of escalating her drives. Once he got her to where she needed to be, he had me copy him. I put the bite sleeve on my arm and shouted out the German commands for her to run towards me, no leash, no collar, and bite my sleeve. I was not scared because I trusted Gary and knew previously how well controlled Abby was.

Since it was my first time wearing a bite sleeve, I was hesitant and not confident enough. I couldn’t get Abby to respond in the same way that Gary could. Gary told me that I wasn’t all in. I needed to be 100% committed in order for Abby not to be confused with what I was trying to achieve and then stop working for me. I tried again and did better, but I definitely needed practice! This is exactly what Benji taught Gary and Gary taught other handlers.

The easy part is shaping the dog’s behavior. The hard part is teaching the handler to trust their dog and maintain prolonged engagement with them.

Benji introduced Gary to North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWADA) and North American Search Dog Network (NASDN). These organizations established a working standard for all police work dog handlers and trainers through an accreditation program. There are standards for tracking article search, area search and human remains detection. Any evidence that could be presented in court had to adhere to strict standards so as not to corrupt a crime scene. Gary even brought his dog into court to prove the reliability of their results.

As far as search and rescue missions were concerned, Gary started noticing the lack of standards in place that was prohibiting the expediency and efficiency of conducting and completing a mission. The issue of liability was emerging and the last thing Gary wanted was for him or his co-workers to be sued by individuals because the integrity of the mission was compromised. This was the motivation for Gary to form his own search and rescue agency, Ohio Search Dog Agency, which still exists today.

The impetus to follow through with Gary’s desire to form his own search and rescue agency was when he received 3 calls to find missing searchers in the same county. Gary realized that not all search and rescue handlers had the same land navigation skillset he did. There was no requirement to be trained in that and no guidelines to be certified in wilderness first aid. Being a paramedic is a great foundation for what may be expected of a handler while being deployed on a mission, but it is not the same as wilderness first aid. Injuries from a tornado are different than injuries from a flood or a terrorist attack such as Ground Zero on 9/11.

Search and rescue is not just about the dog sniffing out and finding missing humans. It’s also about getting the proper education required, knowing the standards and most importantly, knowing your dog. Lack of resources, lack of egress, and the undefined time spent searching, are all factors that weed out the professionally trained handlers from the volunteer handlers. Gary understands that people want to volunteer their dog during times of disasters. Their hearts are in the right place, but due to their lack of professional training, they get in the way and can become a liability.

Gary suggests to people who want to become handlers of search and rescue dogs to contact their local Emergency Management Agency and inquire about trainers with credentials and experience in search and rescue in their area. Start your way down the chain of command instead of the other way around. There are too many organizations who claim they are search and rescue experts but they are not. Make sure you weed them out from the real professionals.

Some of the individuals Gary was introduced to when he worked for Benji would become invaluable assets to him when he formed his own search and rescue agency in the 90s called Ohio Search Dog Association, He decided to contact three people he thought would work well together in this new venture. One of them was John Macioce, who had a lot of experience working with professional dogs with Benji like Gary did. Another person was Mike Palumbo, who was the deputy for Union County sheriff’s department. Mike showed and trained labs but did not really have working dog experience. Lastly, Gary contacted Kelly Clark who had been to dog training school in Columbus and went on to work for the city of Oregon, Ohio police department. All four of them signed on the dotted line and Gary filed the paperwork to become the statutory agent for the Ohio Search Dog Association. Gary insured all his dogs which is very important when working treacherous search areas. This was another aspect of setting up a professional and vetted agency.

Gary continued to make connections in Ohio with various police departments, the FBI and SBI. He even had equine teams, dive teams and ground teams to help with search and rescue missions. He was also evaluating dogs and handlers because there can never be enough qualified search and rescue dog handlers. As his reputation grew, police departments sought out Gary’s knowledge and expertise.

“Success is growing it past you” - Gary Flynn

When Gary heard Ohio may be getting a Task Force that was regulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a federal governmental agency, he wanted his team of handlers to be a part of it. He started working dogs in rubble and all sorts of common situations where Task Forces are deployed. They were called on natural disasters and then the ultimate disaster of September 11, 2001.

My next episode with Gary will be released on that memorable date, 9/11/25, which will be an episode you won’t want to miss. He will recount his experience with his Belgian Malinois, Tascha at Ground Zero. Three of the four federally deployed dogs at Ground Zero were from Gary’s Task Force 1. I will include pictures that Gary has allowed me to share with you.

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Canine Companions is one of the premier service dog organizations in the United States. They provide dogs to people with disabilities free of charge. One of the clients who applied for a Canine Companions service dog is Jim Turner. Jim has a hearing dog named Koogle, who helps him navigate his daily life with confidence and independence. I had the privilege of talking to Jim with Koogle by his side, and saw first hand how Koogle assists Jim as his link to the world of sound.

Jim was diagnosed with bilateral neurosensory hearing loss during a company physical exam when he was in his forties. His wife, Kathleen, thought he had selective hearing and was sometimes ignoring her. It is a hereditary condition which worsens over time. Since then, he has been wearing hearing aids. Jim’s hearing challenges are defined by the limitations of not being able to hear the upper half of the frequency range that humans normally hear. Smoke detectors, doorbells, microwave alarms are all very challenging for Jim because even his hearing aids do not pick up that frequency. Also, when Jim is in a crowd of people, it is difficult to hear, especially when his name is being called amongst all that background noise.

Jim and Kathleen were familiar with Canine Companions because they were already puppy raisers for the organization. Volunteers like Jim and his wife, agree to raise the puppies provided to them by selected breeders from 8 weeks to 16-18 months old until they go on to professional training. (Please refer to my previous post with Staicey Sholtz dated 8/5/25 for more details about puppy raisers).

Jim was being encouraged by his close friends in the Canine Companions community to get a service dog. He didn’t feel that his hearing loss was that bad to warrant one. He wanted the service dogs to be reserved for people who were deaf. An event in his life changed his mind. One day, his wife was working in the kitchen and hurt herself. She was bleeding and calling Jim for help. Jim was only 10 feet away in another room and had no clue he was being called. He didn’t hear her pleas for help. That day he applied for a service dog.

Jim filled out an application online at Canine Companions’ website: canine.org. Applicants are prompted to describe their disability and how they could benefit from a service dog. The organization then reaches out to them for an initial interview. There is a space to write about your lifestyle - what your interests are, if you are an active or sedentary person. In Jim’s case, he had to provide a medical recommendation from his audiologist about hearing limitations. Canine Companions wants to ensure that the request is not only warranted, but also to match up the right dog with each applicant. This entire process can take up to two years.

Jim is a retired geologist. He had an illustrious career in the oil and gas industry and was part of a team who located oil and gas under ground. The first day of Jim’s retirement, at age 63, was the day he started his team training with Koogle. It was meant to be!

Part of the process of getting a service dog from Canine Companions is to go to one of their training facilities to be matched up with your personal service dog. At the time, Jim and Kathleen were living in Houston, Texas. The closest training facility was located in Oceanside, California. This is where he completed his two week team training, referred to as “rotations”. There were 7 applicants and 8 dogs. All of the applicants practiced handling each one of the dogs. The professional trainers who spend 6 months with these dogs make their observations and match up the best dog for each applicant. The “extra” dog remains at the training facility and is the first one in the next rotation to be matched up with the next group of applicants. After several days, Jim was matched with Koogle. Jim said it was like magic how accurately the teams were put together so perfectly.

Koogle is a six year old Labrador Retriever Cross. His mother is 50% Lab/50% Golden Retriever and his father is 100% Lab. Canine Companions select breeders who must meet certain standards. Koogle’s breeder was the caretaker of Koogle’s mother and had the privilege of naming one of the puppies in the litter. Canine Companions have restrictions for naming the puppies so that the names are appropriate and not repetitive. Koogle’s breeder/caretaker’s maiden name was Koogle. What a great way to honor her late father.

During Jim’s two week stay at the training facility, he learned many cues that were taught to Koogle. The trainers tailored certain cues according to Jim’s hearing loss needs. He learned protocols for socializing Koogle such as making sure Koogle wears his Canine Companions vest and what he should do when approached by people who want to greet Koogle. The first six months, Jim was to be the only person to give Koogle food. He was instructed to notify close friends and relatives about how important the first six months were and to abide by Jim’s rules so as to not disrupt any training Koogle had received up to this point. Canine Companions wants to assure that the bonding between their client and the dog remains intact.

The Americans With Disabilities Act does not require any labeling or vests for service dogs. Canine Companions require their dogs to wear a vest which you will see in some of the pictures below. Wearing a vest helps Jim notify the public that Koogle is a service dog. He found it useful to have “Please Ask To Pet” sewn on to it. Like most dogs, Koogle loves people and would love to greet everybody he meets. However, every time he says hello to people, he is no longer working for Jim during that interaction. It is out of respect for the handler of any dog, let alone a service dog, that they be asked first to greet their dog.

Koogle was trained to perform many different tasks to assist Jim in his everyday life. When he hears an alarm, a doorbell, or Jim’s name being called, he is to find Jim, nudge him with his nose, Jim tells him, “Good, Koogle what?”and Koogle takes him to where the sound is. However, if it is a smoke alarm, Koogle will still nudge Jim, but instead of taking him to the noise, he lays down. So, whenever Jim sees Koogle lay down after being nudged, he knows to get out of the building they are in.

Koogle was also trained to do standard service dog tasks such as turning on and off lights and opening and closing drawers. He can even jump up and push the accessibility button to open doors in public places.

One intangible benefit that Jim did not expect to experience with a hearing dog was the acceptance of having a hearing disability. For example, Koogle gives Jim the confidence he needs when trying to have a conversation with someone in a crowded environment. Background noise impedes the ability to hear well. He is more apt to tell a stranger to repeat themselves because he has a hearing disability when Koogle is by his side.

Jim’s wife was very excited to have a hearing dog in the house so she didn’t feel she always had to be Jim’s ears. Koogle relieves her of knowing that when she is not with Jim, the dog can alert him, if needed. Even something as simple as dropping his keys and not hearing that sound, Koogle can stop Jim by nudging him and taking him to where he heard the keys drop. This gives his wife a lot of reassurance that he will manage well when going out of the house.

Jim believes there are two aspects to being a service dog. One is the ability to perform the tasks they were trained to do as demonstrated in the video above. That’s the easy part! The other part is that the dogs need to be calm and manageable in public. This is attributed to the puppy raisers who properly socialize them while they are in their care. The other part of being calm is the temperament of the dog. This speaks to the breeding of these dogs. For example, if a dog is too hyper or has a high prey drive, Canine Companions breeders will not breed that dog.

In both podcast videos of Staicey Sholtz and Jim Turner, their dogs remained laying down until they were called to do a task. Although the dogs look like they are sleeping, they always have an ear out for noises that change in their environment or that could possibly harm them. This auditory instinct allows them to differentiate between familiar voices and changes in the intensity of those voices which will wake them up in case they need to act on them. Their dogs are trained to be ready for action as soon as they hear their name being called.

Jim meets people out in public who either have service dogs they paid a lot of money for, or who tried to train their own dog only to find out that it didn’t work out for numerous reasons. Sadly, there is plenty of fraud in the service dog field. Organizations will claim they can train your dog to become a service dog, but are not qualified to do so. They also do not have the standards required to be an effective service dog. Canine Companions is a well known and trusted service dog organization yielding qualified dogs and plenty of satisfied clients.

There is so much that goes into training service dogs above and beyond just training the standard tasks. If a dog is fearful or even mildly aggressive with certain triggers, this can present problems. Professional trainers can work on these issues with the dogs, but it can slow down the timeline required to place these dogs with applicants. My dog, Ebi, could make a great service dog, but she is too big and too hairy! Also, I have come across some people who are afraid to meet her because of her size, or they are cautious because they don’t know what breed she is.

Labs are a great size and can fit under tables at restaurants or places of business. They don’t drool, and have a very inviting look. They are famous for being friendly dogs. They do shed but their fur is not long and fluffy like a Golden Retriever’s. Since service dogs are allowed anywhere that humans are except in sterile environments, this is very important.

Koogle is 6 years old and will work for Jim until he retires around 10 years old. Canine Companions requests their clients to make out a retirement plan for their dogs when they reach 8 years old. If the dog is showing signs of slowing down or having difficulty with performing their tasks, it may be time for retiring the dog. However, there are some clients who have their dog work almost right up to the day they pass. As long as the quality of life remains intact and the dog is happy performing their tasks, this can be an option.

Since it can take up to two years to apply for and get a dog from Canine Companions, it is recommended to submit the application for a “successor dog” two years prior to retirement. Jim plans to apply for his next dog when Koogle turns 8 years old. This way, by the time he gets him/her, Koogle will be 10 and can enjoy his senior years just being a dog. It will be strange for Jim having a new hearing dog while knowing that Koogle is still with him.

Currently, Jim and his wife are raising a puppy for Canine Companions named 50. This name was chosen to commemorate 50 years of providing dogs to those in need. They also have another dog that was a professional dog training school dropout with the organization named Alex Seven. All three dogs live harmoniously in the same house and provide lots of playtime and companionship during Koogle’s free time.

September is National Service Dog month, Jim and Koogle are big Cleveland Guardians fans. On September 8, 2025, the Guardians will host “Bark in the Park”. Canine Companions has made arrangements with other MLB teams to participate in events to raise awareness and funds.

I know you will want more information about Canine Companions, so please visit their website: canine.org.

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Canine Companions, formerly Canine Companions for Independence, is the oldest and largest service dog organization in the United States. It was formed in 1975 and is credited with starting the concept of the modern service dog that we are familiar with today. They attend to over 65 different types of physical and cognitive disabilities including autism, hearing loss, PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, POTS, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, and debilitating arthritis. They do not train dogs for the blind or for people who need to be alerted for medical conditions such as seizures and low blood sugar levels. Canine Companions provides their own breeders, puppy raisers and professional trainers with the end goal of placing the right dog with the right person in need.

Since Canine Companions’ inception, 8,000 dogs have been placed nationwide. Currently, approximately 400 dogs are placed annually, of which 50 are in Ohio. The need for these highly trained dogs far exceeds the supply. Canine Companions’ longterm goal is to decrease the current two year waiting list by increasing the amount of puppies born as well as volunteer puppy raisers.

There are many ways that distinguish Canine Companions from other service dog organizations, but the main feature is that these highly trained dogs are provided at no cost to the person in need. Canine Companions exists solely on donations. Please access their website: canine.org to read the stories of the celebrities who have generously donated their time and money to the organization. You can also read many heartwarming personal stories about how these dogs have helped people live their daily lives more independently.

One very generous donor was Charles Schultz, the late cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Shultz was instrumental in getting Canine Companions off the ground. He donated money to help fund the national campus and current headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA, where he resided the last 30 years of his life. Since he passed away in 2000, his wife and family continue to support the organization.

Canine Companions was founded by Bonnie Bergen. She is credited with inventing the concept of the service dog. Up until then, there were only guide dogs for the visually impaired. While Bonnie was traveling overseas, she saw donkeys assisting people with mobility issues. Her special education background motivated her to help her own students by experimenting with training dogs to assist them. She started with shelter dogs and began training them to pick up things. It was highly successful and rewarding to discover that this could actually be a way to help people with disabilities. Because of her innovative idea and determination, Canine Companions has grown into the thriving service dog organization it is today.

Service dogs are different from therapy dogs in that service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for physically and cognitively challenged individuals. They are paired with an individual in need and live with them in order to assist them to manage their day to day lives with more independence. Service dogs have access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This permits public access anywhere that humans are allowed to go, except where they may compromise a sterile environment. Most importantly, they serve one person only.

Therapy dogs are not trained to perform specific tasks. They are considered a family pet just as service dogs are, but they do not have public access rights. They are able to go to venues that are dog friendly. They are trained and tested to have good manners and are there to provide emotional comfort wherever they go with their handler. Please refer to my June 17 podcast regarding therapy dog training for further details.

My guest on this podcast is Staicey Scholtz. Staicey is a Northern Ohio Leadership Team member and a 15-time volunteer puppy raiser. After the female dogs (referred to as dams) give birth at a Canine Companions approved breeder’s home, the puppies are transferred to volunteer puppy raiser’s homes for 16 to 18 months. Currently, Staicey has a 16 month old Lab/Golden mix, named Rocco the 5th, who hopefully will be ready to go to his professional trainer on August 8, 2025. If he qualifies, he will be trained on specific tasks and hopefully placed with a person in need. Staicey also has a 5 month Lab/Golden named Hammond the 3rd.

Staicey’s motivation for volunteering as a puppy raiser grew out of the desire to help raise future service dogs. She wanted to help those in need live more independently. According to Staicey, service dogs are life changing. Raising the puppies has had a tremendous impact on her. The experience has made her look at her own life and feel blessed that she does not have a disability that would require a service dog. She views what she does as a puppy raiser as a gift to someone in need.

When Staicey is out in public, she sometimes gets comments from people who don’t understand how she can give a dog up after living and caring for them for a year and a half. They think of it as comparable to a death of a pet. Staicey doesn’t view what she does in the same way. The clients who get these dogs love them just as much as she and the professional trainers do. The dogs want to work and are happy doing the jobs they were trained to do. However, she does admit that getting another puppy to fill the gap definitely helps in getting over missing the dog who has finished their stay with her. Hammond will be filling that gap very soon!

The journey of a Canine Companions dog begins and ends as follows:

* Breeder - from birth to 8 weeks old

* Puppy raiser - from 8 weeks old to up to 18 months old

* Professional trainer - from 18 to 24 months

* Forever handler - from 24 months to end of life

Breeding Program

Canine Companions has a state of the art Research and Science Team who discovered that the ideal breed for service dogs involves a combination of Labrador and Golden Retriever. All of the males in the breeding program are 100% Lab. The females can be Lab/Golden crosses and have varied percentages of each in them. They decide which dogs will be best suited for breeding by the time they are old enough to move onto their professional trainers.

If a dog is not marked for breeding, it is either spayed or neutered. They are very careful to breed out any physical and medical defects, so that the failure rate of service dogs due to medical reasons is very low. For example, if a dog’s bite doesn’t align quite right, that dog may not be suitable to carry things in their mouth to their handler. A dog like this will most likely be deemed to be a therapy dog, which will be discussed later.

Volunteer breeders sign up to take care of either the sire (male) or the dam (female). Litters are born in the homes of these volunteers located in California. If a volunteer has a sire, they will get called to meet up with the dam in heat and travel to that location. They drop them off and give them several days to do their magic and then get picked back up again once the dam is no longer in the receptive period of her heat. Caretakers of dams have the option to whelp (assist in the birthing process) the litter in their own home, but are not obliged to do so. If they choose to experience this, there is a Canine Health and Wellness Center near by to assist them with the birthing process or to just support the breeder during this stressful yet exciting event.

When puppies are born in the caretaker’s home, they will be named by a letter of the alphabet which is assigned by headquarters. The breeders will submit 50 names which will be reviewed to make sure there are no other working dogs with the same name. There is a possibility for a donor of $15-$20K to submit a name for a future service dog. In fact, Staicey’s dog Rocco the 5th was named after the owner of Fahrenheit Restaurant in Cleveland - Rocco Whelan.

Puppy Raisers

Once the puppies are named, they will be designated to volunteer puppy raisers in one of the six regions of the United States. Ohio is in the North Central region and includes states from western Pennsylvania to North Dakota. The puppy raiser will go to the nearest training center to pick up their puppy. The closest one in Ohio is located in the Columbus suburb of New Albany. This is also the same location where the puppy will return for professional training once they have reached 15 to 18 months.

Puppy raisers sign a contract stating that they will be responsible to care for the puppy for the next 15 to 18 months, including veterinary care, food, and spaying or neutering if they aren’t marked for breeding. They are obligated to attend at least two obedience training classes each month which follow the LIMA training philosophy, or as most people are familiar with, the positive reinforcement technique. The LIMA training philosophy stands for Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive, and prioritizes the dog’s well being. They are to avoid any methods causing fear, pain or distress.

As soon as the puppy comes home, they are introduced to the preferred walking tool by Canine Companions known as the Gentle Leader. In the picture above, Hammond is wearing a Gentle Leader. In order to establish positive association with the Gentle Leader, the puppy will wear it while they eat as soon as they arrive at the puppy raiser’s home. Since puppies eat three times a day, this is a frequent opportunity for them to get used to it.

The Gentle Leader is a tool that requires some conditioning since it encompasses their nose and mouth. Typically dogs do not like it at first and need to gradually get used to it. However, it can be a great tool to guide the dog in different directions and teach a nice heel position. The designated client is under no obligation to use the Gentle Leader, but it is highly recommended.

The Gentle Leader is not a muzzle. When puppy raisers socialize their puppies in public, many people stop to ask why the dog is wearing a muzzle. It works very similar to a horse’s bridle. It redirects the dog when it pulls on the walk. For some dogs, it can have a calming effect due to the pressure points being activated around the nose and ears.

Puppy raisers are representing Canine Companions and how service dogs should behave while in public. Part of that responsibility is making sure they are in control of their dog at all times. It is vital for a service dog to follow their handler’s pace. The handler may be in a wheel chair and cannot be pulled at all. The Gentle Leader is a great tool to accomplish that. Your average dog owner typically does not have the time and patience required for the necessary conditioning that must take place in order for it to be an effective walking tool.

Staicey socializes her puppies frequently with other Canine Companions puppy raisers in the local chapter. They enjoy going to venues such as stores, restaurants, West Side Market, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Cleveland Aquarium. Each place exposes the dogs to different sights, sounds, and smells which teaches them to be comfortable in all types of locations. Remember, when they are paired up with their forever handler, the handler can take them everywhere humans can go except where their fur is not welcome in a sterile environment! Therefore, service dogs in training cannot be so fearful or excited that they cannot focus on their job of doing tasks for their handler.

When a service dog is in public with their handler, they should not greet other people because they are working and need to be focused on taking commands from their handler at all times. While the puppy raisers and their dogs are out and about, they primarily work on ignoring people. However, they do want to train the dogs to be friendly with strangers so that they aren’t afraid or excited around them. It is also a great opportunity to share with the public why they are training their dogs and what Canine Companions is all about. If someone asks to pet their dog, the puppy raiser may elect to release the puppy to greet them. All they ask is that you please ask them first!

Puppy Raising Prison Program

In addition to puppy raisers like Staicey, Canine Companions is using inmates from various prisons around the United States to raise puppies. There are currently 25 facilities participating in this program. These puppies are in prison for a few months with their handler until they are ready to socialize. At that time, the puppy will go for an outing with a volunteer puppy raiser to expose them to the outside world since inmates cannot leave prison until their release. This program is so impactful for the inmates that the recidivism rate for these volunteers is almost non-existent.

At a recent conference to celebrate Canine Companions’ 50th anniversary, there were two inmates who spoke about their time raising puppies and how it impacted their lives. One inmate said that this experience was the first time she felt she was not just a number. It gave her purpose, someone to love and someone who accepted her for who she was, not for what she did to land her in prison.

The volunteer inmates train the puppies the same skills that volunteer puppy raisers do. like the basic “Sit”, “Down”, “Stay”, “Come”. and to walk nicely on leash. Besides the basic obedience commands, Staicey says they learn about 30 cues, including grooming skills such as getting their teeth brushed and fur combed. Some of these cues are the foundation for the professional training that follows. For example, there is an “Up” command. The dog is to put his two front legs resting on an object, but is not allowed to jump onto it. This is useful for when the handler needs the dog to give a store clerk a credit card and needs to get “Up” on the counter. Rocco is in the “Up” position on Staicey in the picture above.

Professional Training

Once the puppy raiser has completed their job and the puppy is between 16 and 18 months old, it is time to take them to the closest training facility. There are 6 nationwide. The closest one in Ohio is located in New Albany. This is where puppies are dropped off to start their professional training if they meet the qualifications of being a service dog.

The client applicants will spend two weeks in New Albany with the dog chosen for them by the staff at Canine Companions. The professional trainers have a lot of weight in this decision since they spend every day for 6 months training the dogs. They know the temperament of each dog so they can ideally match them up with the client’s needs and lifestyle. The client applicants learn all of the commands the dog has been taught and also has time to bond with their new dog. They also have an opportunity to express to the trainers particular tasks they would like the dog to learn.

The professional trainers will teach the dogs approximately 45 tasks including, but not limited to, picking up dropped items, turning on and off lights, closing doors and drawers, tugging laundry baskets and opening and closing refrigerator doors. There is also a “Do Nothing” command which is almost identical to the “Place” command a lot of dog trainers teach. The “Do Nothing” is very useful for service or facility dogs who have to be content with laying down until they are released. This could be hours depending on the scenario. During this podcast, Rocco was demonstrating the “Do Nothing” command until Staicey released him. He actually fell asleep and started snoring but he woke up when Staicey commanded him to work!

There is a high demand for service dogs for veterans who have PTSD. Dogs can be trained to wake them up and disrupt a nightmare, they can turn on lights and pull back the covers on the bed. A lot of veterans have social anxiety in public. Their service dog knows commands “Front” and “Back” which means the dog positions itself in front or behind the person to block them from other people in a crowd. The dog can take the vet back to the their comfort place when experiencing mounting anxiety due to certain triggers in their environment. The dog gives a veteran a reason to get out and the security to be in public when they wouldn’t have done so on their own.

Staicey finds raising puppies for Canine Companions very rewarding because she is able to meet the client her dog will serve. Four times a year, there is a graduation ceremony for the dogs that have completed their 6 month professional training. Staicey is able to have lunch with her dog’s client and shows them pictures of when the dog she spent 16-18 months with was a puppy. They typically share contact information, but it is up to the client if they want to reach out to her in the future. Staicey has been fortunate that almost all of her 15 puppies she has raised have gone on to graduate and become service dogs.

Facility Dogs

Facility dogs are as well trained as service dogs, but do not work for someone with a disability. They are assigned to a professional in the medical, judicial, educational, or physical/occupational therapy fields. The biggest difference between a facility dog and a service dog is that facility dogs do not have public access because their handler does not have a disability. They are allowed to go to work with their handler and help so many people in various ways.

Examples of facility dogs are:

* Judicial - a children’s lawyer can bring their dog to the courthouse to provide comfort to children in forensic interviews and support them in court.

* Rehabilitation - a physical therapist may bring their dog to help clients with their physical therapy goals and offer comfort while enduring painful exercises. They can also grab equipment for the patient.

* Educational - a speech therapist can bring their dog to help children undergoing speech therapy. Children will talk and feel more at ease with a dog versus a human.

If you are interested in having a facility dog at your place of employment, please access the Canine Companions website at canine.org and fill out the application stating your desire.

Therapy Dog Program

For dogs that do not meet the standards of a service or facility dog due to temperament or medical issues, these highly trained dogs are released to enter the therapy dog program. Canine Companions started their own therapy program because they wanted them to continue to represent the organization.

Therapy dogs typically do not have any task training. However, sometimes dogs have to be released from professional training due to a medical issue that has arisen, such as an allergy to something environmental. These dogs are already trained and can continue to do the tasks they have learned for the handler at home, but are not expected to do tasks for the people they comfort.

Since 2008, September has been recognized as National Service Dog Month. The life and job of a service dog with their handler is beyond amazing that an entire month is dedicated to them. The Northern Ohio chapter of Canine Companions is celebrating their 50th anniversary by hosting an event open to the public called “Stride for Service Dogs” this September 13, in Medina, Ohio. They are hoping to get at least 50 people to each walk one mile collectively with others at the event to total to 50 miles and 1,000 people to donate $50 each to hit the $50,000 amount to help celebrate 50 years of being in existence.

For more information or to donate to the Stride for Service Dogs event, please click on the link below:

https://secure.qgiv.com/event/dogfestnorthcentral2025/account/2036487/

As I write this post, I am happy to announce that Staicey and Rocco matriculated on August 8 and Rocco will be moving on to his professional training program! I look forward to hearing who Rocco will be matched up with and what tasks he will be taught to help his new handler live more independently.

If you have a disability and would like to apply for a service dog, facility dog or if you would like to apply for any of the volunteer positions available within Canine Companions, please access their website at canine.org. You can also follow them on Facebook by searching for the Canine Companions name and logo above.

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 In order to have a well-balanced dog, 60% of a dog's day should be filled with exercise, 20% discipline, and the other 20% affection, and in that order. This is according to Cesar Millan, a well known dog behaviorist. I agree with that, but I break that down a little bit more by saying that within that 60% exercise, 40% of it should be structured exercise. This refers to walking your dog in a structured way - more specifically, in a heel position. The dog should not be in front of you, behind you, or allowed to go wherever they want.

Another form of structured exercise is playing fetch or tug of war with your dog, but there has to be rules. When playing fetch, the dog must sit before you throw the ball. When the dog brings back the toy, you tell them to drop it, and then step in front of the toy to show that it belongs to you. This demonstrates you are the leader, making the rules of the game you are both engaged in. This also avoids the dog lunging at the toy at the same time as you, possibly avoiding an unintentional bite. After the dog retrieves the toy, you either engage in playing more fetch or you end the game.

If playing tug of war, the dog should be trained to release the toy on command. It is important to note that when you are playing tug of war with your dog, you are both competing for the same toy. They will see you as an equal until you set some rules from a position of leadership. Some dogs get over-the-top excited when playing this game, especially the terrier breeds, who are known to hold on at all costs!

In order to teach the dog to drop the toy, start with a light game of tug and trade the toy with a treat. At the same time the dog releases the toy from their mouth, say either “Release” or “Drop It”. They need to know what “Release” or “Drop It” means before escalating further with stronger tugging. This takes hundreds of repetitions. If you feel that your dog starts to get into a more aggressive state of mind, please contact me or a certified dog trainer for guidance.

The other 20% of a dog’s daily exercise can be unstructured exercise. This includes having free time in a fenced-in yard to wander around or to play with other dogs. Playing with another dog can totally exhaust a dog because there is the physical part of playing, but also the mental part of navigating how to communicate with the other dog. As dogs play with each other, they are communicating through their body language and movements. I always recommend that playtime be supervised in case any disagreements arise between the dogs.

Throughout the day, 20% of it should include discipline. This does not mean we are telling the dog “No!” every time they misbehave. It means that we are telling the dog where they can and cannot go. We are enforcing the rules of the house: what to do when guests arrive, if they are allowed on the furniture, or where they are allowed to sleep at night. This is where your basic obedience skills come in to play. For example, you may want the dog to sit and stay while you prepare his breakfast or dinner, or the dog must be in a down stay while your child or grandchild eats at the table.

The last 20% of a balanced dog’s day should be affection. The problem most of us have is that we give too much affection to our dogs at the wrong time. We unknowingly pet our dogs lovingly when the dog is in an excited or fearful state of mind. Remember, petting our dogs is a reward in the dog’s mind. You are rewarding the state of mind the dog is in at that moment. The best time to pet our dogs is when they are calm and submissive. We can be fooled by our dogs too. We may think they are calm because they are laying down. However, their brain may be in a tizzy still because they just finished playing and they haven’t calmed down yet. So, if you go to pet your dog and they get up and start getting excited all over again, then they aren’t totally calm and submissive. Just wait a few minutes for the brain to adjust to a calmer state and try again.

I believe that our dogs want us to be the leader and make decisions for them. Even in our human family, the parents should be enforcing the rules of the house. Otherwise, the children will feel they have to make their own decisions and they simply do not have the skillset to do so until they have matured into adolescence. Dogs are no different. Remember, they have the intelligence and insight of a 2 to 3 year old toddler. Dogs thrive when they know where to go and what to do in every situation, especially new scenarios. They need their leader to tell them.

I have found over the years working with clients, this 60% exercise, 20% discipline and 20% affection is lopsided. People are giving too much affection to their dogs, not enough discipline, and not enough exercise. Some people actually do exercise their dogs quite a bit, but it is mostly unstructured exercise. All of this can lead to unbalanced dogs who end up with various issues that get in the way of living harmoniously with their human family.

It is very challenging to keep up with our dogs. They have way more energy than we do. However, by keeping this 60-20-20 lifestyle with our dogs in the forefront of our minds, we are on our way to having a more balanced dog.

There are two different types of walks. One is a structured walk in the heel position and the other is a nature walk on a long leash, sometimes referred to as a “Sniffari”-a sniffing safari. The structured walk is what I recommend and teach all of my clients. This involves teaching the dog not to pull on the leash. It involves a mentality that the human is the leader and the dog is the follower. I am not opposed to a sniffari type of walk. Just make sure you are giving the dog permission to be at the end of the long leash instead of the dog making that decision. In fact, a sniffari type of walk can exhaust a dog due to the brain power expended from processing all of the scents on the walk. However, your everyday walks should include a structured walk to maintain a healthy leader-follower relationship.

Structured walks in the heel position require a lot of training and patience to accomplish. It doesn’t happen overnight. I haven’t met one person yet who enjoys being pulled on the leash by their dog. However, since it takes months and hundreds of repetitions to achieve a walk with no pulling, people tend to rush the process. So many people abandon walking their dog because of the danger of being pulled. Even those clients who do contact me for this reason, still won’t take the time necessary to teach the dog how to heel, and therefore still deal with being pulled on the leash.

The way I have had success in teaching a dog to heel is first finding the best walking tool for that dog. I go in to this in detail in my episode “Harnesses, Leashes and Collars, Oh My!”. After deciding on the right tool for the dog, choose which side you will predominantly walk your dog. It really doesn’t matter if the dog walks on the right or left hand side, unless you have plans to make your dog a show dog, a therapy dog, an AKC Canine Good Citizen, or enter competitive handling competitions. In these cases, it is highly recommended and even mandatory that the dog be walked on the left hand side.

As a trainer working with a pack of dogs, it is easier when everybody walks their dog on the left hand side. Some people may have physical limitations which may require the dog to be walked on the right hand side. However, as long as the dog is in the heel position, I can still manage the pack for certain obedience exercises.

After determining the right walking tool and the side the dog will walk on, next is teaching the dog to stay next to you by using treats. As far as where the heel position is, I tell clients to think of the dog’s ears lining up with your thigh. When dealing with medium to large dogs, this position is even more important. It helps arrange the dog’s shoulders and chest to be a little behind you. Should the dog lunge, you will have much more control from this posture as opposed to the dog already being in front of you and possibly making you fall down as you try to hold on.

Fun fact: The “heel” position originated in the military. Guns were drawn from the right and dogs were handled on the left.

When training your dog to walk in the heel position on the left hand side, it is best to hold the leash in your right hand and treat the dog with your left hand. If your left arm hangs straight down with your hand open and palm facing the dog’s mouth, that is the heel position. Treat the dog only when the leash is loose. Later, add the “Heel” command and always use your voice to confirm this by saying, “Good Heel”. I taught my dog Ebi this way. She doesn’t know how to walk way in front of me. A Leonberger in front of their handler would be sending a message to the dog to protect the handler. That is not a scenario I want to intentionally create.

I wish more people asked me how often they should walk their dog. Before I knew how beneficial it was to the dog, I would walk my Corgi, Hank, whenever it fit into my schedule. When I had to get a professional dog trainer to manage Hank’s aggression, it was brought to my attention how beneficial exercise was to his well being. I was advised to walk Hank twice a day for at least one to two miles. This is what I advise my clients. Hopefully, one time in the morning and another time in the afternoon to early evening. If you can get another walk in, that is great. We all have busy days, but we have to remember the exercise requirement of our dogs. One walk is better than no walks. No exceptions for holidays. Obviously, as the dogs age, adjust the schedule according to what they can manage. If you can’t physically walk your dog, think of hiring a dog walker. I can recommend a few!

When you are walking your dog, it is very important that you don’t stop every 10-15 feet to let the dog sniff. This interrupts the instinctual feeling you and your dog get when walking in a pack, even if the pack is just you and your dog. You should be the one deciding when and where to stop to let your dog eliminate or just take a break, not the dog. For a one mile walk, it’s okay to stop 2-3 times for a break. Any more than that, the dog is marking his or her territory and changing the dynamic of the leader-follower relationship. It is worth mentioning that female dogs mark too.

Your responsibility while walking your dog is to look out for any potential triggers. Each dog has their own set of triggers. It may be squirrels, deer, birds, dogs, or people. You may have a dog that is just so excited to be out that they want see and experience everything. Then, your responsibility is to teach the dog they can't go after everything they want to unless you have given them the permission to do so. If you keep giving into the dog, all of a sudden the dog is directing how the walk is going, and you're no longer the leader. They are. You become the follower.

The Top 10 Reasons to Walk Your Dog

* It fosters the relationship of leader - follower between you and your dog.

Positioning in a dog’s world is very important. The heel position reminds the dog every time who is in charge. A well behaved dog is one who has no doubt who their leader is and that leader is you. This promotes the development of a secure dog.

* It releases pent up energy.

The best time to walk your dog is in the morning after your dog has slept for eight to 10 hours. They need to get out there and walk to release pent up energy. That's what they would do in the wild. They get up and start walking with the pack, searching for food. You may find that changing the time of your walk to first thing in the morning sets a better mood for the rest of the day. This is even more important if you will be gone all day. Sleeping all night, then doing nothing all day can lead to destructive and over excited energy when you do arrive home.

* It keeps your dog safe.

When your dog is by your side, you have more control of your dog in case they lunge at something in their environment. If your dog is out in front of you and an unfriendly dog approaches you, it may be too late to reel them in to avoid conflict. Also, a fearful dog out in front of their handler does not want to be making the decision whether or not stimuli is a threat. This should be there responsibility of the handler.

* It is a time to practice obedience skills.

Turn the walk in to a '“working walk” by getting your dog to sit and stay as you scoop up their poop. Have the dog sit by your side and stay as you wait to cross the street. Randomly, stop and put them in a down until you release them.

* It gives you the opportunity to have your dog check in with you.

Train your dog to look at you on your command. This helps when the dog gets distracted for whatever reason, It avoids the dog locking in and intensely focusing on something in their environment, You can diffuse explosive reactions this way. We want the dog to believe that you are more important than that other thing they are looking at.

* It familiarizes the dog with your neighborhood.

In the event your dog gets away from you and you don’t have a reliable recall, hopefully they will find their way back to you. This is a frightening experience that I hear about too often. Besides working diligently on the recall in all types of situations, I recommend walking a two mile radius from your house. There will be repeated smells and sounds that can help them find their way back home. If this should happen to you, one little tip is to put an article of your clothing at the point where you lost them, and then that scent will hopefully guide them home.

* It exposes the dog to the environment.

Socializing your dog to new places, people, and things will make them more adaptable and comfortable exploring. It also exhausts them mentally because they have to process what they are experiencing. If they have you as their leader to prevent conflicts or danger, or safely and respectfully introduce them to new things, they will learn to respect you. Remember, dogs have 4 different ways to process things in their environment: fight, flight, ignore, or avoid. It is our responsibility as their handler and leader to confront issues in a safe and respectful way.

* It keeps you and your dog in good physical shape.

Exercise we all know is good for us too, so we benefit from walking our dog. It's good for our emotional and mental state of mind. We release endorphins when we walk and so do the dogs. It is good. That's why dogs are usually happy when they're out there walking.

* It helps maintain a healthy digestive system.

Beneficial bacteria outside leads to a healthier digestive tract. This applies to humans and animals. So many dogs have digestive issues. Getting outside can help regulate the digestive tract. Also, exercise can help ease constipation.

* It fulfills the instinct in all dogs to walk.

You will notice your dog’s instinct to walk with you when their stride is regimented, their head is held lower, their tongue is hanging out, and their rhythm is in sync with yours. This touches the core of their being. It is rewarding to the humans when you experience this. You won’t feel this if you are constantly stopping at your dog’s whim. I will never forget the first time I experienced this with my Corgi, Hank. It is an awesome experience and one that still is repeated with my current dog, Ebi. Look into attending a pack walk. I hold mine on Sunday mornings from 10-11am in different parks in the Cleveland area, predominantly on the west side. Please contact me at the number below if you are interested.

The best result from walking …. a tired dog is a good dog! You want your dog coming home from their walk panting and laying down. This is the dog that is going to be more compliant. This is the dog that isn’t going to bark as much. They will be a happy and fulfilled dog!

If you need any guidance on walking your dog so that it is more enjoyable, please contact me at the phone number below my logo. Also, please leave a comment and tell us how walking your dog benefits both of you!

Thanks for reading From A Dog’s Eye View! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Aggression in dogs is a serious issue which always needs to be addressed. Some dogs are reactive, but not aggressive, towards other dogs. Some are aggressive towards dogs and some are aggressive towards people. I hope to clarify the difference between these behaviors and explain some of the reasons why dogs act out in an aggressive manner.   Getting to the root of the behavior and why it is occuring is key to a rehabilitation plan for the dog.

Some dogs show aggression when protecting their human, their territory, or things of value. Other dogs show aggression when in a state of uncertainty and fear. Very few dogs that I have encountered are aggressive due to their dominant temperament. Dogs are not born aggressive. The environment, which includes the humans around them, can contribute to developing aggressive behavior.

Reactivity is when a dog barks, lunges, shows their teeth, or the hackles are raised on their back. They are reacting to things in their environment. Sometimes reactivity can be mistaken for aggression because the dog’s reaction can appear to be intense. Aggression is taking it to the next level of intensity and the dog bites either another dog or a human. However, just because your German Shepherd may have bit a stranger while he was protecting you, it doesn’t mean that your dog will bite all humans after that incident. It is important to know the traits of your dog and seek the guidance of a professional dog trainer to help manage these types of breed traits and identify potential triggers that cause the reactivity and/or aggression in your dog.

The training I received at Petco was based on the positive reinforcement philosophy. The company policy prohibited dog trainers to work with any kind of reactivity or aggression. I probably dealt with more reactive cases than what Petco wanted me to. However, I knew my limits and I was not qualified to handle a certain level of intense reactivity that could turn into aggression. I had no formal training on how to deal with it. Therefore, I referred these cases out to Chuck Stella, owner of Elite K911.

I met Chuck almost 15 years ago. It was very rare when I had to refer aggressive cases to him, but it was a necessity nonetheless. The dogs I referred to Chuck would take part in the board and train service that was and still is offered at Elite K911. The dogs stay on premise and trainers work with the dog to discover the root of the aggression and devise a rehab plan to help the dog and the humans live harmoniously together. Whenever I come across a dog that is beyond my expertise, I still refer them to Chuck, as well as Gary Flynn, an excellent dog trainer who has been a guest on my podcast.

Presently, I still base my assessment of a potentially aggressive dog as I did many years ago while working at Petco. I observe the dog’s body language, how it interacts with me first, then with their pet parent, and finally with other people. If a dog has bit their pet parent, I will find out what happened which caused the dog to act that way. If a dog has bit strangers, I will find out what environment and position the dog was in, in relation to their pet parent. For example, if a dog was out in front of their handler, the dog may be in protection mode. In this case, a dog should be walked in the heel position to confirm that they are being led by their handler. Their handler does not need to be constantly protected.

Conversely, if a dog is a cautious dog and is also allowed in front of their handler, they feel more insecure and may lash out because of that. This type of dog prefers to be led than to lead. They don’t want to make the decisions on how to react to stimuli in their environment. They prefer their handler to make those decisions.

I also assess the dog’s temperament and body language. Finally, I feel I have a sixth sense which picks up the dog’s energy. I always tell people I am way better at sensing a dog’s energy than people’s energy. Dogs can’t fake how they act or feel. People can be experts at it!

I will work with the dog that is having aggressive tendencies, as long as the dog lets me handle them. The best way for me to really get to know a dog is by walking them on leash. I may try different tactics, and specific walking tools to come up with how to manage this dog in different scenarios. A lot of times, I am successful. However, when I have exhausted my options and I am not seeing any improvement, I will refer this dog to either Chuck or Gary. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen a lot. The good news is the majority of dogs that come my way can be rehabbed and very few have unfortunate outcomes.

Cesar Millan, a famous dog trainer/behaviorist whom I admire, says the true nature of a dog is to be calm and confident, to exude love, and to be joyful. Everyone wants to be around this type of energy. We all know it when we experience it. My previous dog, Hank the Corgi, did not have it. My current dog, Ebi the Leonberger, does. Part of that is due to the amount of training and knowledge, or lack of knowledge, the pet parent has about dog behavior. The other part is their temperament and true nature that Cesar Millan speaks of. Dogs do not want to be in an aggressive state. They prefer to be in a calm and submissive state of mind. They strive for balance in any pack they are in. It is when they cannot achieve a balanced state that they act out, sometimes in an aggressive manner.

Chuck recounts on our podcast how it pains him to see dogs who want to be dogs, but their pet parents get in the way. Some people have their own version of how dogs should be trained, which goes against what professional dog trainers believe. It is necessary to make the pet parents understand dogs are animals with certain instincts which are different than ours. We have to call out the pet parents when they try to anthropomorphize their dogs. This is when humans project human emotions and logic on to their dog. They explain their dog’s behavior using human logic and reactions, and not basing it on dog psychology. This is one way that pet parents get in the way of fixing their dog’s behavior.

Chuck believes dogs are survivalists. Their brain is always in survival mode. They assess their world by determining if they need to fight or flee any given situation. It is up to us humans to assure them through our confident and consistent leadership that “we got this.” It is through repeated events that are handled in this way, when the dog begins to trust us. The majority of dogs do not want to handle unknown situations. They much prefer to surrender that job to their leader.

It is when this leadership and trust are not present that the dogs become unstable. We cannot love our dogs into changing their behavior. There is a time and place when it is appropriate to show affection towards our dogs. However, what typically happens is the pet parents will pet the dog who is barking or is scared. This reinforces the exact behavior in the dog they are exhibiting in the moment.

From a dog’s point of view, petting is a reward. Ultimately, you are rewarding the dog for barking or you are rewarding the dog for its current fearful state of mind. That coupled with saying “It’s okay, it’s okay” in a soft voice, is not only rewarding the dog, but also demonstrating that their leader is no longer calm and confident. In the dog’s eyes, their leader has weak energy and therefore there must be something to be fearful about. This is another way pet parents get in the way of rehabbing their dog.

Always remember the behavior you are reinforcing in the dog when you pet them or give them a treat.

It is very rare to come across truly aggressive dogs. According to Chuck, people tend to quickly label a dog as aggressive, even if the dog is not biting, but is growling and showing their teeth. These are all warning signs a bite may be imminent, but doesn’t mean the dog is aggressive. There are many reasons why dogs may act out in an aggressive way, but it doesn’t mean that this dog should be labeled aggressive. So many of these aggressive tendencies can be managed by teaching the pet parent how to handle the dog when triggered.

In order to highlight the issue of reactivity, I will cite examples starting with my own dog. When Ebi was about 15 months old, she went into heat. During those months prior to the heat cycle and post heat cycle, she didn’t want any stranger dogs near her. She started barking at any dog passing by, sometimes rather intensely. I was able to manage her 110 lb. body, but it was challenging. I did not know at the time this could happen during a heat cycle. I had to work through this reactivity in order to rehab it. This took a long time. As of today, she may bark and jump a little at certain dogs who stare her down, but she has never gone after a dog aggressively.

It was around this time that she started barking a particular bark when she was outside in the backyard. A key instinct of a Leonberger is to protect their territory from predators. She started barking at pedestrians walking by on a nearby busy street. I had to go outside each time to put her in a sit by my side, which communicated to her I was now in charge, and her job to alert me of the stranger was done. She still does this occasionally today. It’s difficult to fight Mother Nature and that actually is a useful trait to have. I want my dog to alert me, but then I also want her to stop once I get involved to manage the situation. If I never addressed this issue, some other negative behaviors could have formed and she could have become aggressive.

Both of these examples are reactivity examples. The second example is one of two reasons that Chuck says can trigger a dog to be aggressive. If Ebi thought the stranger on the street was encroaching on her territory and a potential threat, she could bite that person. She would be in the territorial mindset and could act upon it and become more intense. I would never say that she won’t ever bite anyone. She is still an animal with animal instincts. Again, it is up to me to manage it so we never get in that situation.

Another trigger can be for predatory reasons. Some dogs may only want to chase a small animal, but others want to chase, catch, and kill. All dogs have a prey drive. Some breeds have it much stronger than others. Recognizing the intensity level of the prey drive in your dog can help you manage them most effectively. Terriers are known to have the tenacity to hunt, catch and kill prey that comes across their path. It is possible to manage this prey drive through extensive training. Gary Flynn and I will be discussing this topic in a future episode when we talk specifically about training hunting dogs.

Other reasons that can cause aggression in dogs, but don’t necessarily mean that your dog is aggressive:

* boredom and frustration - not draining enough physical and mental energy

* being groomed - touching ears, paws, and tail are sensitive spots

* lack of fulfilling breed traits - for example, a hunting dog confined to the home

* lack of leadership by pet parents - not enough structure and too much affection

* resource guarding - when dogs won’t surrender their toys/food

* reacting defensively to being bullied or dominated by another dog in the pack

* spatial pressure - when dogs feel cornered or when two dogs are going thru the same threshold at the same time

* redirected aggression - particularly when on leash, the dog is restricted to pursue something and turns around and bites whatever is nearest to them

* already excited state of mind over one thing can intensify another reaction to something else

* defending themselves from being hit by humans

Communication between dogs can appear harsh, but it is not necessarily aggression. My dog Ebi has never been aggressive towards any dogs, even dogs she has met for the first time, which can be stressful. If she is playing with a dog and the dog is trying to hump her, she will air bite at that dog to let them know that she doesn’t like that behavior. This is not aggression. This is how dogs communicate. However, if the other dog does not get the hint, Ebi would send a more powerful message. Dogs need to learn what the boundaries are of the other dog they are playing with. If the dog still doesn’t get the message, I would step in with no words spoken and make the dog surrender to me as if to say with my body language only “Stop humping her”. When dogs are playing, they should always be supervised for this reason. No one wants to break up a dog fight!

Another similar example is when there are several dogs running around and playing together and one dog decides to be the peacemaker between two dogs who are playing too intensely. That peacemaker dog will go after the dog who is causing the intensity by barking, nipping or even putting a paw on that dog’s back to settle him down. This is not aggression. This is dog communication.

Dogs do not like unsettled energy in a pack. They operate best when there is calm energy in their environment. This is also why a happy but hyper dog can get “corrected” by another dog when they approach each other. It can actually cause a fight. Dogs must be in a calm state and all four paws on the ground when being introduced to another dog. If the dog rears back on its hind legs, that can be seen as an aggressive sign and cause the other dog to react negatively. I have seen dog fights break out because of this. This doesn’t mean that your dog is now going to be aggressive with all other dogs.

Dog communication cannot be confused with aggression.

Some dogs can be aggressive with other dogs, but not people. Pit bulls that I have known have been very sweet, but they can be a different dog out in the community. This is common for the bully breeds. According to Chuck who has had pit bulls as pets and rehabbed many pit bulls, they can be challenging to socialize. Pit bulls were bred for bull baiting until it was banned in the 19th century. However, instead of bull fighting, that type of entertainment moved underground. They were then bred to kill rats in a pit. Some pit bulls are used as bait and others are used to fight and kill each other.

Since the AKC does not recognize pit bulls as a purebred, there are no reputable breeders to disclose temperament and breed traits. So many times their history is not known. Therefore, a lot of pit bulls end up in shelters due to overpopulation and behavior reasons. It is important to be aware of their history as a breed and their specific instincts, in order to manage the dog in the optimal way.

Chuck has always had a dog in his pack that he had to keep an eye on. He talks about a dog he adopted named Radar who bit 3 people, including Chuck. Radar was used as a fighting dog. Sometimes, when you bring a dog home for the first time, the dog needs time to acclimate himself to his new surroundings. The dog’s fight or flight response may be on active alert because of so much fear of the unknown. During this time of uncertainty, or as Chuck calls it “detox phase”, the dog may strike out at anything and anyone in their path.

Some dogs have experienced trauma wherever they were living before and their trust of humans can be almost non-existent. Chuck had to work with Radar and be vigilant for many years. Over time, he learned what Radar’s triggers were. He had to make sure to manage those situations properly in order to avoid mishaps. Radar never bit anyone else after those initial 3 bites and became a well balanced dog.

Another dog Chuck was very fond of was named Venus. She was a young 100 pound Cane Corso that went from street dog to therapy dog in just a couple of years. Rescuers were chasing her around Cleveland State campus trying to catch her for some time, but to no avail. They wanted this large dog off the streets. Chuck offered his help with a big enough crate to handle her. He put food inside the crate, Venus took the bait, and she was caught.

However, they all had to come up with a plan for this huge dog that was nasty and thrashing about in the crate. Chuck volunteered to take her home. He recounts how it was as if a lightbulb went off in her head and she all of a sudden became Chuck’s best buddy. Chuck ultimately was able to take Venus into hospitals and nursing homes. She made a lot of people happy with her unconditional love. She will always be remembered fondly by whomever was lucky enough to know her.

The majority of cases can be rehabbed in a few weeks or months. For a more difficult dog, it can take longer. The problem is not everyone has the patience, skill, and knowledge to manage a dog with aggressive tendencies. If a dog has bitten more than once and the pet parent wants to surrender the dog, the shelter will not take the dog back. It is very difficult to find a home for a dog with a bite history. It is important to note that not everyone reports dog bites. They may not even know they are supposed to. However, if you seek medical attention for the dog bite and admit that you were bit by a dog, that medical establishment must report it to the local health department.

Dogs may be surrendered back to the shelter without disclosing that the dog bit people. What a terrible predicament the new pet parents find themselves in. They have already bonded with the dog, but later find out that it wants to bite people, including themselves. They realize it isn’t fair to the dog to keep them in their current living situation. They know that the dog would be better off in a different family or living quarters, but no one wants to take on the responsibility of a dog with aggression issues. This scenario usually does not have a good outcome. So, please report any bites to future owners for your dog or seek a professional dog trainer to assess if the dog can be rehabbed.

I was referred to a couple who had recently rescued a young dog from a shelter. They lived in a high rise apartment with plenty of green area for dogs to be on and off leash. I could tell that the dog was definitely unsure and probably never socialized before. He made tremendous progress with training. He learned to sleep in a crate, to properly greet people, and to walk by the pet parent’s side in a heel position.

However, when he would see another dog on the apartment grounds, he went crazy barking and lunging. He also had a very stiff body, his hackles were raised, his pupils were dilated to the point that they were black, and his tail was straight up. These are all signs of what Cesar Millan refers to as a “Red Zone” case. If he ever broke away from his handler, it would not have been a pretty sight. This was a dog I referred to earlier as having very intense energy. A dog trainer with aggression experience needed to intervene.

This client contacted the dog trainer she had worked with many years ago when she had a different dog. He kept the dog for a period of time, and the dog did amazing being around other dogs. However, as soon as he returned to this apartment building, he went ballistic again and bit several people. The issue was where he lived. He had to be exposed to other dogs in tight quarters, on leash, while waiting for the elevator upstairs. There were always people walking around. This atmosphere put too much spatial and social pressure on the dog, and he finally lashed out.

The problem was that with a bite history, the shelter did not want him back and the client could not move to a new place. This client did everything she could to keep the dog alive. There was no guarantee that the dog would never bite again in a new environment. Ultimately, she had to make the agonizing decision to put the dog to sleep. The dog had become a liability. The only suitable person to manage this dog would have been a dog trainer with a lot of aggression experience, and there just wasn’t any to be found.

I recently referred to Chuck and his staff a pit bull mix named Daisy. She was rescued by a couple with a young child. They knew they needed to reach out to a trainer for help because Daisy was so fearful and reactive to everything in her environment. When I went to their home, I observed a fearful dog that was warning me not to get close to her. She was backing up and barking very intensely. I had them put a leash on her and walk her around the house until she calmed down. I could tell that she wanted to check me out, so I told the client to drop the leash and let her sniff me. When a dog does this and I know they are sensitive, I don’t make a move and stay calm. No petting, no eye contact. By the end of the visit, I was able to give her treats out of my hand. I knew there was a lot of hope for Daisy.

However, as time went on, Daisy became more reactive when family visited, and their child became afraid of Daisy’s unpredictable behavior. I did not want this to escalate any further, and therefore referred the family to Chuck. He showed the family how to claim the front door and Daisy did not have the privilege of greeting people at the door. She was to be in her safe place in her crate and had to be quiet too.

The great news is that Daisy is doing amazingly well and the family is putting in the hard work required to rehab her. She responded very quickly to her new rules, boundaries and limitations. Her work is not over and will require a vigilant eye for quite some time. She can walk in a heel position, she can go to public events, and even be pet by the kids in the neighborhood. She has transformed remarkably and quickly.

There are many different scenarios that can send an excited dog into an aggressive state of mind where they lash out at the closest thing to them. Some dogs can be triggered by various things even from far away. Very few dogs are truly aggressive. Rehabilitation can be very challenging and time consuming. The most challenging part of the rehab process can be returning the dog back to the pet parent. These types of dogs must be closely monitored. The pet parent must have an advanced level of knowledge about dog behavior and dog psychology. Even if this pet parent exists, not everyone wants to take on this responsibility. The dog becomes a liability and no one wants to have a dog that could harm another dog or person, let alone a young child. Sadly, these types of cases do not always have a good outcome.

However, in the majority of aggression cases, rehabilitation can be achieved in a relatively short period of time. Dog trainers need to stress how the rehab process does not end when the dog trainers leave. It is up to the pet parent to follow through with a new approach to communicating with their dog. They must closely monitor the potential triggers of their dog to reduce and avoid the aggression.

The big question of the day is “Can aggression ever go away?” I personally believe that dogs have a memory. They learn and retain information through association. If a dog was aggressive and bit another dog or person several times, something in those instances could be remembered and become a trigger for future aggression potentially for the rest of their life.

Please consult a professional dog trainer if you are experiencing any type of aggression mentioned above. Most of the time, it can be fixed with the proper instructions. Never try to manage it yourself.

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