Regulated hunting in the United States is a safe activity enjoyed by over 14 million adults. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recorded almost 400,000 paid hunting license holders. This number includes hunting of birds, small animals and deer. Regulations exist to preserve, protect and control wildlife populations. Hunting can bring communities together and help feed those in need. It is a skill that can be learned through hunting clubs and trusted family members.

In Part One of the Hunting Dogs podcast, my guest, Gary Flynn, shares stories about how he learned about the many facets of hunting from family members. Not all hunters use dogs, but Gary’s initiation to the world of hunting at a young age included neighborhood and family dogs to help in the process. He was able to witness how motivated a dog can become while pursuing their prey. He also experienced a “pecking order” amongst dogs gathered under a tree with a raccoon hanging on for dear life. Everyone knew which dog had the tenacity and skills to snatch the coon out of the tree. It helped Gary learn about individual and pack dog behavior.

Living at home versus living in kennels

Hunting dogs can live in the house with their humans. Gary can’t imagine not having his dogs live in his house. He trains them with obedience skills that are a necessity when out in the field. He also makes it a priority to teach them manners so he can socialize them inside hunting clubs and with guests coming to his house.

Many hunters will keep their dogs separate from social gatherings inside the clubs. They do not go to the extent that Gary does in socializing and training his dogs. Some are of the opinion that hunting dogs will not be effective hunters if they become family dogs. Some hunters prefer to board their dogs at kennels. It provides a safe environment for hunting breeds who like to run and roam over great distances. They will climb over fences and dig their way out of a common crate. These kennels are designed with secure slats that are impossible to bend and are cemented to the ground. The boarding staff is often trained on the specific traits of the different hunting breeds. They are also exercised daily so they stay in good shape in between hunts and during the off season.

Over the past 15 years as a dog trainer, there are hunting breeds I frequently see in my obedience classes and private home sessions. I work with a lot of doodles that have either Golden Retriever or Labrador Retriever combined with a poodle, as well as many from the terrier group. It is important to remember that all three of these breeds are hunting dogs by nature. There are also breeds I have never seen before. For example, the Black and Tan Coonhound, pictured on top of the video of the podcast above, the Plott Hound or the Mountain Cur. Regardless of the type of hunting dog you may have, it is highly recommended to fulfill their physical and mental needs in order to maintain a balanced dog.

Plott Hounds

As with many hunting breeds, Plott Hounds have a unique bark that can drive a lot of families crazy. They require lots of daily exercise with plenty of space to roam. They are used primarily for hunting larger animals such as bears and boars. They are an intelligent breed which means they need to be challenged not just physically but also mentally.

As Gary mentions, some breeds like the Plott Hound can be a challenging family pet due to their high energy and strong prey drive. They can also be difficult to potty train. They may eliminate whenever and wherever they feel like it. Gary advises families with Plott Hounds to put in durable, waterproof vinyl flooring. It may take awhile to fully potty train them!

Bloodhounds

Another hunting breed that can be challenging to have as a family pet is a Bloodhound. I have only experienced one Bloodhound in my career as a dog trainer. A woman brought one to Petco for my six week obedience class. He lasted two weeks. He was already a huge dog at 10 months old, which made it difficult to control his urge to jump on everyone and everything. Petco discouraged and forbade their dog trainers from using pinch collars, but when my manager saw how out of control this dog was, he handed me one! Gary jokes about how many Bloodhounds should be in an obedience class - one! Their independent nature requires very patient and consistent training. Their intense tracking instinct sets them in a class above all others. Gary has fond memories of working search and rescue sites with a man who handled Bloodhounds.

Tracking vs Trailing

We have all seen our dogs sniffing the ground wherever they walk. If you observe your dog long enough as they are sniffing, sometimes they sniff intensely and seem to follow a path. This is called tracking. When this is done in a hunting environment, it is sometimes done as the dog drags a long leash or the handler is holding a leash. Handlers use the keen sense of smell of scent hounds to detect, follow and locate a specific scent, such as a wounded or dead deer. Most of us have seen shows on television where the scent hound is used in search and rescue missions. Handlers will have their dogs search for a scent left by footprints, blood, or broken vegetation where animals may have passed through.

Trailing dogs follow a specific scent in the air or around obstacles. They can locate a deer that may have fallen when wounded, but then got back up and kept walking. Their heads are usually level or held in the air. They are usually ahead of their handler and operate independently. If they lose the scent, they will start to circle around to find the scent again. Many dogs will be adept at both tracking and trailing to assist the hunter. Gary talks about how dogs are highly skilled at staying on the scent trail. They know that the scent is stronger on the shady side of a hill covered with dew in the morning versus the sunny side where the scent has been baked off.

Another type of hunting dog is a scent dog. Their powerful sense of smell allows them to track prey over long distances. Their alluring long ears is a characteristic that aids them in sweeping the scent of their prey towards their nose. Beagles, Bloodhounds, and Coonhounds are all scent dogs with the Bloodhound being the apex scent dog. Just look at those ears in the picture above!

Beagles make excellent hunting dogs and family pets. They are known for their nose to the ground while running approach to sniff out and direct rabbits and small game towards their hunter. They work well in a pack to flush out bunnies in the brush. Their baying (type of bark) is unique and can alert their hunters from far away. If you have ever heard a beagle baying, I think you would agree with me that it sounds like he’s being tortured. We had one in our neighborhood we called Torture Dog! However, their curious, clown-like nature makes them fun family pets. They do very well in obedience classes and can learn any skill presented to them.

When referring to hunting dog breeds, there are sight hounds like the Greyhounds, Whippets and Salukis. They rely on their sense of sight over their sense of smell to spot and chase prey. They are notorious for their incredible speed and aerodynamic build. They also make wonderful couch potato loving companions but must be socialized and exercised daily.

Training Hunting Dogs

According to Gary, the most important skill you can teach your hunting dog is the recall, or the “Come” command. Most 8 week old puppies have an innate desire to follow you around. Foster that instinct and develop it by increasing the distance between you and your puppy. At that stage, all you have to do is just look and smile at them, and they will come running to you. When they get distracted by something, go hide behind a tree not too far away. Let them look for you and use their nose to find you. When they do find you, make a big deal out of it. You don’t want to create what Gary calls a “bootlicker” - a dog that won’t wander off on their own and prefers to stay by your side.

The Recall or “Come” Command

As the dog matures, get them used to dragging a long leash around. Gary recommends a Biothane leash that won’t get tangled in bushes. This will be your tool to follow through to make sure they come to you. In the early stages of the recall on leash, keep the distance short and the distractions few. Repeat, repeat, and repeat some more. Add the command “Come” as they are in the act of running to you. Dogs associate commands with the action they are performing at that moment. Only say the command once. If they don’t come, follow through with a tug on the leash until they come to you. It is important that they come right to your feet. Finish the recall with a nice sit and the dog looking at you. Reward them with a toy or treat and lots of praise. We have to make it worth it to the dog to come to us. Have an energetic way of calling your dog’s name to you. Keep it positive. Why would a dog want to come to their handler if they are consistently being yelled at to come?

The “Leave It”/”Drop It” Commands

Another very important command to teach your hunting dog is “Leave It” and “Drop It”. Work with a trainer to help move your dog through the stages of escalation as they pursue a moving target. The dog should be able to leave or drop the lure while they are excited. This can come in handy when your dog is pursuing a skunk!

Some ideas your pet hunting dog can do to fulfill the instinct to hunt without actually hunting:

* train your dog to have a reliable, consistent recall

* Contact the American Kennel Club , NSTRA (National Shoot to Retrieve Association) or a local hunting club to attend hunting breed specific training and trials

* take them for a “sniffari” (walking on a long leash in the woods)

* play hide and seek with your dog

* set up a scent trail of hidden treats or a squirt bottle trail of pureed meat and have your dog follow the trail

* invest in a flirt pole designed to have dogs chase, catch and release a toy lure at the end of the pole (advisable to work with a trainer)

* bury a valuable treat or bone for your dog after they have chewed on it and watch them find it and dig it out (great for hunting breeds known to dig out small prey from their burrow)

* enroll in obedience classes for mental and physical stimulation throughout the dog’s lifetime

* attend pack walks in wooded areas that also do obedience skills with the pack

So many different hunting dogs make great family pets. As I mentioned in my previous podcast, it is important to know the characteristics of the breed you wish to have as a family member so that you can genetically fulfill their needs. We all can get in a rut and get lazy with our dogs. You will notice a difference in their behavior when you drain their energy with one of the many ideas mentioned above. They will be more calm and obedient. Make a commitment to your dog to walk them daily to drain their pent up energy. Do some research on the breed, join a breed specific club, and most of all, have fun with your dog!

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. There are over 400 different breeds, but they all stem from the Canis Lupus Familiaris species - the literal translation from Latin to English meaning Dog Wolf Domestic. Different breeds were created to serve different functions for humans. For example, some were created to help farmers herd livestock back to their housing quarters. Others were developed to protect livestock from intruders. In this episode, Gary Flynn from The Dog Advocate and I will be focusing on hunting breeds.

It is difficult to quantify how many hunting dog breeds exist, however, they can be broken down into categories such as hounds, gun dogs, retrievers and terriers. They all have their specialties. The type of game you will be hunting will determine which breed you will choose. Gary is partial to German Shorthaired Pointers. They are highly intelligent, athletic and commonly known for hunting fowl. However, he has trained his dogs as versatiles: hunting fur and feathers. Gary recounts colorful stories in our podcast about hunting pheasants, turkeys, and small birds with his client’s and his own German Shorthaired Pointers. According to Gary:

“German Shorthaired Pointers stay locked in pursuit of the holy grail!”

When Gary is working with German Shorthaired Pointer puppies, their instinct to point already exists. He recounts how fun it is to observe a bunch of puppies who are all in point looking at a bubblegum wrapper, a bee, or anything that moves. This is not something that is taught. It is pure instinct. The puppies will learn as they mature to focus that instinct on birds or small animals. Pointing is how the dog communicates what is next. It is a pause before the pounce. If well trained, they will point exactly to what they found and wait for their handler to guide them to what comes next. It is a very intense and focused behavior, but Gary’s dogs will still obey commands while pointing.

When older dogs point in a group, one dog may be pointing at another dog that is pointing to even another dog who is pointing at the location of the animal. They form a chain of pointers. This is called “honoring”. The dogs who come onto the scene where a dog is in a point, respects that dog by waiting and not stealing the prey. This prevents premature pursuit of the prey and demonstrates the discipline required to avoid chaos and an inefficient hunt. As the hunters approach the group, they must assess what they have come upon. They are able to handle the situation without interference from the dogs.

Please keep in mind that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (ODNR) oversees hunting and fishing by issuing licenses, establishing regulations and managing wildlife populations. Game wardens ensure laws are enforced. This is to prevent extinction of certain species and people shooting at game from their cars, etc. Gary mentions there is etiquette to follow when hunting. For example, it is unethical to shoot at birds that are out of range which can only wound and not kill. Suffering of an animal should be avoided. The mission statement of ODNR is:

“To ensure a balance between the wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all.”

Before I elaborate on the different hunting breeds Gary and I discussed, I would like to address the topic of hunting in general. Some people may not want to listen or read this post because it has to do with the demise of living beings. As an experienced hunter, Gary has observed time and time again how matter of fact dogs are about death. There is no remorse. The only emotion you could attach to the experience is gratification. They are satisfying an instinct. Sometimes, the dogs will flip the dead animal up in the air just to see if they can do it all over again. They couldn’t be happier.

We have to remember, before our meat was already wrapped in cellophane to be sold in a grocery store, hunters had to go out and lure, trap, kill and gut animals daily. We all have the instinct to hunt. That means when we are forced to, we will try to live off the vegetables and fruit of the land and/or kill other animals in order to survive. A way we can simulate that instinct to hunt is to shop. The thrill of finding exactly what we are looking for is a form of hunting. We are excited when we find what we were looking for and we are disappointed when we don’t. This can result in pure exhaustion too!

It is us humans who get in the way of our dogs doing what dogs are born to do. So often I have heard clients tell me similar stories about how they punished their dog for digging a hole to catch and kill their favorite chipmunk named Chippie. The dog had no emotional attachment to “Chippie” and couldn’t logically reason with themselves to not kill it just because you loved watching it frolic around your backyard. Pet parents must ask themselves if they are positively or negatively reacting to their dog when they are fulfilling the instinct to hunt. If they do not provide the structure and environment to fulfill these needs, adverse behaviors can arise. Gary drills in his client’s heads:

“Stay out of the way of your dog and don’t interrupt the hunt”.

Gary talks about how dogs feel when it’s an “off day” when the hunters are unable to find what they were looking for. It’s just like going fishing and the fish aren’t biting that day. If the dog doesn’t get rewarded with the hunt, Gary notices their behavior change. They actually seem to sulk and mope around.

You always want to set the dog up for success no matter what skill you are teaching them. When Gary is working with puppies, he always ends a hunting session on a positive note. If nothing was caught, he will tie a long string to a bird wing and fling it around causing them to point. They can chase and catch that as their reward. Sometimes he will sneak away into some tall grass, make a lot of commotion, get the puppies to come check it out. A bunny might be in there. Whether they catch the bunny or not, it was still important to them because a bunny was there.

It is worth mentioning that all dogs have a prey drive. They are predators. The instinct to hunt, chase and kill prey emanates from one of the four responses processed in their brain to ensure survival and continuation of the species: fight, flight, feed (eating) and breed (reproducing). Hunting is not part of the feed response. It is part of the fight response. Gary will return for a future podcast where we will delve into the prey drive and how he manages it so that the dog remains clear-headed as it escalates through this fight response.

The instinct to herd animals also comes from the fight response. A border collie’s locked-in stare and posture when herding sheep looks different than a Bluetick Coonhound holding a racoon in a tree, but it comes from the same fight response. As a trainer working with different breeds, it is critical to understand what to expect from each breed.

“Breed traits are real.”

I don’t own a gun and have never hunted. However, when talking about dogs who were bred to perform specific tasks, there is something special about watching them do what comes natural to them. I love watching dogs work. There is a certain energy they exude while they are performing that instinctual act.

My dog Ebi is a Leonberger. They were bred in Germany to pull carts on farms and to be reliable watchdogs. They also are known to be excellent swimmers and are still used in water rescues due to their size and strength. Their paws are webbed making them effective swimmers. Several years ago, I simulated a water rescue at the old Canine Country Club in North Olmsted. I had a floating device with a handle. I bobbed up and down shouting “Help!” Ebi swam over to me, I showed her the handle to grab with her mouth, and she pulled me to the ramp! I did not train her to do that. I unleashed the instinct which is in her DNA. It was an awesome experience.

I also fulfilled Ebi’s instinct to haul carts by fitting her with a special harness and rigging up leads attached to a sled so she could pull my neighbor’s son on the snow covered sidewalk. As soon as I got her started, the instinct to pull took over and she pulled him right along as shown in the video below.

Gary uses the term genetic fulfillment when talking about this innate, instinctual drive in dogs. I was fulfilling my Leonberger’s genetic makeup by simulating a swim rescue and pulling a sled. The activities I have chosen for her align with the original purpose of the Leonberger breed.

In my opinion, a well balanced dog is one that gets their needs met in addition to the obvious eating, drinking and sleeping. They get plenty of exercise that includes structured and unstructured time. This includes structured walks with their leader and unstructured exercise rooting around in the backyard or playing with other friendly dogs. A well balanced dog is provided with activities that simulate or duplicate their specific needs as a breed. They also know their boundaries and limitations as set by their leader. Finally, they receive affection at the appropriate time - while they are calm and submissive. If these needs are not met, behavioral issues can arise.

Gary recounts a story about clients of mine who were having a slew of behavioral issues with their Redbone Coonhound they purchased from a pet store. The adolescent puppy was eliminating all over the house, would not stay in a crate, and constantly broke away from them. These are all common behaviors of the breed, especially when they are not provided structure and getting their needs met. The clients actually wanted to make him a hunting dog and had aspirations to train him to do so. I reached out to Gary for his expertise since I didn’t know how to train hunting dogs. It required work that the client eventually realized they could not provide and ended up finding a new home for the dog.

Some clients I have come across prefer hunting dog breeds. I understand why. As puppies, they are adorable with their big floppy ears that are almost as big as they are! The bright blue eyes of a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy or the droopy faces of Bloodhound puppies are irresistible. We also can’t forget that Labradors and Golden Retrievers are hunting dogs too. No matter what the breed, puppies melt our hearts. According to Gary, the worst reason to get a dog is how it looks. Instead, match the breed with your lifestyle based on what you currently do now, not what you are going to do.

Puppies grow up to be beautiful dogs from an esthetic point of view, but can wreak havoc on their pet parents when their needs are not met. I hope I have sparked some motivation in you to reflect upon if and how you are genetically fulfilling your dog. You will also benefit from the feeling you will witness when you unleash that skill your dog’s DNA is yearning to express.

Please share in the comments below what you currently do or would like to do for your dog so they can express and enjoy what they were bred to do.

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Dr. Jennifer Smith has returned to the Canine Concierge podcast, “From A Dog’s Eye View” to discuss two misunderstood aspects of dog behavior - reactivity and aggression. Dr. Smith is a trauma-informed behavior specialist in Cleveland with extensive experience working with and training dogs. She brings her unique expertise of both humans and dogs to explain the neurological escalation cycle that drives these behaviors. She will also provide practical insights for pet parents struggling with reactive dogs. Together, we hope to help you understand what is happening in your dog’s brain and what you can do to manage and reduce the reactivity and/or aggression.

According to Dr. Smith, reactivity is the dog’s expression of how they are interpreting their environment. They assess everything they smell, see, and hear, in that order. This determines what type of reaction they will have. Reactions are the dog’s way to communicate about what they are experiencing. If they are left to express their own reaction to a particular stimulus, they can get in a rut and repeat that same reaction over and over again. It is up to us as handlers to teach them to have a different reaction.

“All reactions are communicative in nature.” Dr. Jennifer Smith

Reactivity is not always an outwardly visible and audible response, like lunging and barking. It is also a passive reaction, such as Dr. Smith’s poodle named Blue, laying in the studio with us. He was told to lie down and stay. He is communicating that he feels safe and will successfully hold that stay until he is released. If he didn’t feel safe, he would be pacing, whining, panting and possibly drooling - all signs of stress.

Aggression is the dog’s outward expression that is more severe than their initial instinct to investigate a stimulus they are unsure of. In my opinion, the most dangerous type of aggression is the quiet dog that is not showing the typical signs of an imminent attack. When dogs are improperly trained not to react to stimuli, they can suppress the typical initial signs of possible aggression such as barking and lunging. The dog will react in an explosive manner and go from the green zone to the red zone in a second.

Reactivity is not always aggression. There are many factors that play a part in a dog’s reaction to stimuli. To name a few, a dog that is in pain can have an aggressive reaction when touched, but does not mean he is aggressive. A dog that is restrained and can’t reach the desired target can have an aggressive reaction, but should not be labeled aggressive. When dogs are playing, one dog can bark and bite the other dog when there is a disagreement. This may look like an aggressive act, but it is really a form of dog communication. As Dr. Smith mentions how mama dogs scold their puppies when they start getting obnoxious, is not a form of aggression, but a way to communicate to them to settle down.

Certain breeds have traits that are more prevalent in some than in others. Some breeds are protective of their territory or owner, causing certain reactions. It is important to know these traits so you can manage them better. Just because your dog lunges and barks at other dogs, doesn’t mean that your dog is now labeled an aggressive dog. Could that dog’s reaction turn into aggression? Absolutely! Depending on the circumstances, your dog may have to defend himself from being attacked and bite the attacker. If your dog feels threatened and pressured enough by the stimulus, he can strike out. All of these factors come into play when assessing reactivity and aggression.

Terriers are known to have stronger prey drives than other breeds. Their motivation and persistence when chasing their prey escalates as they pursue their prey more intensely than a dog that is known to retrieve prey. Dogs can be trained to chase but not kill. They can also be trained to maim or kill their prey. They can be trained to pursue and alert their owner where the prey is. It is how the dog is trained to move through these escalation cycles that determines the control you have over your dog.

The average dog owner does not pursue this type of advanced training. Therefore, dogs that have not been taught the skillset to move through these drives can become so dangerous to people and animals that they become a liability to their community. This will be discussed in detail with Gary Flynn from The Dog Advocate when we talk about training hunting dogs.

It is important to point out that our reactions can be totally different than our dog’s reaction even though we are experiencing the same stimuli in our environment. Their reaction can be starkly different when the dog is experiencing something they smell, see or hear, especially for the very first time. If it becomes a pattern, make a note of your dog’s reactions as they may be triggers for certain behaviors. As “my dog trainer friend”, Gary Flynn, always comments about this subject:

One instance does not a behavior make”

This means that just because your dog had a particular reaction to something or someone once, it doesn’t mean he will always have a reaction to the same thing again. It is when the dog has this reaction several times to the same trigger that it becomes predictable, is it now an issue that needs to be addressed. For example, just because your dog backed up and was not interested in meeting a random man with a hat on, doesn’t mean that your dog is afraid of all men with hats. However, if your dog only has this type of reaction to several men with hats in different places, then you will want to take precautions when introducing him to men with hats.

For example, we humans may know that the garbage bin on the side of the road poses no threat to us. However, our dog may start growling, barking, and resisting by backing up. These are all signs of feeling uncomfortable and unsafe with the garbage bin. The worst thing we can do is force the dog towards the garbage bin while vocalizing in a frustrated tone and energy that there is nothing to be afraid of. The reaction in the dog is real and should not be discounted by the pet parent. We don’t want to make the dog feel that they cannot trust their own skillset because you are telling them they should be reacting in a different way. Instead, validate how the dog feels and then take action to fix it.

A way to help the dog is to implement what I call the distance formula - find that distance from the garbage bin where your dog can sit by your side without growling or barking. Then, step by step with substantial time in-between each step to recover, slowly approach the bin until you are right next to it. Keep your leash loose with each progression. Then, leave it up to the dog to investigate the garbage can by sniffing it. This may take several days. You can never be in a hurry when conditioning your dog to have a different reaction than their original reaction.

Why Reactivity is Common Today

Reactivity has become a buzzword in the dog community. So many more people have dogs today than when I grew up. There are many stores that are dog friendly. You can travel with your dog and stay in designated dog friendly hotels. There are patios where you can eat and have drinks with our dogs at our side. However, not every dog is as comfortable as we are with these different places. Not every business owner is a dog person. We must respect that.

Every place and every activity is not for every dog. Be aware of your dog’s limits as a social being. Don’t force them into those situations just because you want a dog that can accompany you everywhere you go. It is a balance you must strike. You don’t want to limit and restrict your dog from certain experiences. but you also don’t want to expose them to situations you know they are uncomfortable with.

Aggression is best explained by Dr. Smith’s chart below. The schematic below shows which part of the brain is activated during each cycle of escalation and what visible signs are noticeable during each phase.

The Green Zone

The part of the brain that is colored green in the schematic is the executive functioning part. It is the CEO of the brain. The dog is in a relatively calm state. They use their sense of smell to explore, their body is relaxed, their eyes are soft (the whites of their eyes are not showing), and they accept treats. This is the only zone when they can take in new information. This is the zone that is necessary for learning in my obedience classes. When I notice dogs starting to move into the yellow zone, I tell the pet parent to move their dog to a different place where the distractions aren’t as high.

In the green zone, the dog may be lying on his side. This reflects a different state of mind than when they lie in the sphinx position where they can erupt and get up very quickly. The dog will feel safe enough to engage in play. It must be noted that play can encourage a dog to move to the next levels of escalation. If you have a dog that moves through the escalation cycle rather quickly, you must know when to end the play session so that your dog does not get to the red zone.

The Yellow Zone

The yellow and orange zones are the emotional parts of the brain right above the brainstem. The dog is processing a stimulus in their environment that we refer to as a trigger. This can be another dog, person, squirrel, or anything that moves. Their head raises up, their ears are alert and they may sniff the air. When they start to focus in and stare at the trigger, the first sense that is affected is their sense of smell. They are not able to sniff and hone in on a target. You may have to repeat a command a couple of times because now they are distracted enough to not execute the command you give them on the first try. You may have to use the scent of treats right up to their nose to get their attention first and then tell them the command. They can still execute the command.

If they are getting fearful, they may sidle up to you or stand behind you. They may even jump up on you as if to solicit your help. Realize that this is happening, but remember if you reward this behavior by petting, hugging or picking them up, they will continue this until you show them how to manage their fear. The best thing to do in this instance is to acknowledge they are fearful but to not vocalize it. Just remain calm. Your dog will sense your energy through the leash.

If your dog is out in front of you, bring them in to your side and react from a position of leadership. If the dog stays out in front of you, they think they have to handle the object that is making them nervous all by themselves. This increases their anxiety. Most dogs want a leader to follow. They want someone else to make the decisions and keep them safe. When they feel they have to make the decisions, they become out of balance.

“Our number one job is to keep our dogs safe.” - Dr. Jennifer Smith

Our promise to our dogs is to keep them safe. The more you do that, the more they will trust you. If you don’t help them get out of situations that are stressful for them, if you wait for them to manage them on their own, now you become part of the reason why they started to escalate in the first place. They start seeing you as part of the trigger. If you let your dog continue to escalate, and you are not breaking that cycle, their brain cannot logically function to deescalate. They are beginning to enter the orange and possibly the red zone.

When dogs are in the yellow zone, they can still return to the green zone. The further up the escalation cycle, the harder it is to come back down. They get more protective of themselves because they are not trusting their environment. It is essential to recognize your dog’s signs when they are not at ease and are starting to escalate. You can still sway them to calm down by providing more distance between the trigger and themselves. You can also use treats to get the focus back on you and not the trigger. This is very important. Your dog should think that you are the best thing in the world to them. More valuable than any trigger. I teach this in my obedience classes. The problem is, overtime, most people abandon this skill.

In the picture below, Rosie is focused on something outside. Her tail is up, her mouth is closed, her stare is intense, and her legs are stiff. She either is about to bark or is taking a quick break from barking. She has also climbed up on the bed not only to see out the window better, but also to feel in a more dominant position to the object outside. She is in the yellow zone, but will be able to return to the green zone with some coaxing from her pet parent.

The Orange Zone

When dogs move into the orange zone, the handler must be very attentive to take action quickly so they do not escalate into the red zone. Their body is stiff and the corners of their mouth are tight. However, when your dog is in the orange zone, the last thing you are looking at is their mouth! I have seen too many times how pet parents will stay in place in front of the trigger and have their dog out in front of them while the dog is barking and lunging. They get frustrated at their dog for continuing to bark and lunge. Your objective should be to move your dog to a safer place that will calm your dog down. At this stage, they will no longer take treats. You have to physically remove them. This is when your dog can be more powerful than you and can actually take you down if not handled properly.

“Triggers are not going to remove themselves. You have to remove the dog.” - Dr. Jennifer Smith

The Red Zone

As the dog moves up the escalation cycle, the part of the brain that is activated moves further down. The brainstem is activated in the red zone. This is the fight or flight response. It is the oldest part of the brain and sometimes referred to as the caveman’s brain. Upon birth, it is an expert at what it does. The fight, flight or freeze responses are its only skills. If your dog has escalated to the red zone, there is no longer voluntary learning. Its only job is to keep itself safe. A dog’s skillset becomes very limited and will take it upon himself to attack if necessary or to run away. They may freeze, which will leave them vulnerable, but for some, their only way to cope with this situation is to freeze. No logic can be mustered up. It’s all about survival at this point.

In the picture above, the classic signs that a bite is most likely imminent: ears are drawn back, whites of eyes showing, pupils are dilated, the corners of the mouth are tight and drawn in, teeth are barred, and the paw is stiff and extended to get the person to stop manipulating them. This dog is most likely more fearful than forward moving dominant because of his position of leaning slightly backwards.

I have experienced plenty of red zone cases where the dog will attack or run away. I have seen dogs freeze because they were so scared of their environment. I have also seen dogs shutdown and freeze when their pet parent has corrected them too much with their voice and their collar. Sensitive dogs can be very quick to freeze, especially those who have experienced trauma. It takes an extremely patient handler to work with dogs like this. They have to be calm yet assertive, and not too assertive. This is a difficult lesson to teach my clients, but most have been successful. The dog can remain cautious and fearful but still live a good life.

The same effects of trauma happen in the human world. One client I had froze when his girlfriend was being attacked by their dog. Now I know why the boyfriend had that reaction. Both the boyfriend and the dog activated their caveman brain! I had to intervene to put an end to the attack. Luckily the woman had on a thick enough jacket that the dog didn’t pierce through, but the bite was vicious. He bit and thrashed her arm from side to side almost taking off her loose coat. I’m lucky I didn’t get bit.

In cases where the dog has experienced repeated trauma at a young age, the brainstem can actually grow and bump into the adjacent part squeezing out the ability of that part to develop. If that happens, then that part of the brain and neuropathways get pruned. If the dog stays in the red zone, those pathways will never develop.

Temperament Testing

Temperament testing is the functional assessment of a puppy or dog through observation. A professional will look for patterns the dog manifests when exposed to stimuli. It is not just limited to puppies. Puppies change as they mature according to their experiences. However, Dr. Smith believes that as soon as the sperm hits the egg, the temperament is born. This is why show dog breeders and service dog organizations heavily emphasize the temperaments of many generations of the male and female breeder dogs. Even though the genetic line is exemplary, each dog still requires a temperament test.

When I go to a client’s home for the first time, I start by telling them to let the dog(s) come to greet me. The client is usually worried about the dog jumping on me. I tell them that I can tell a lot about how the dog(s) behave around me. I always enter the house and just stand there without looking at or touching the dog(s). I have to make sure the client understands why I do this. Otherwise, they think I am being rude to their dog(s) by not acknowledging them.

After the greeting process, then I observe how each family member interacts with the dog and what their response is. Sometimes, I will ask the family members to leave temporarily in order to evaluate if their behavior is affected by them. I make mental notes of where the dog positions themselves in relation to myself and other family members. In a multi-dog household, I observe if there is a dominant dog and how that dog affects the behavior of the other dogs. Finally, I ask the client to show me how they feed their dog and how they walk their dog. I will also walk the dog to see how receptive he is to my energy and leadership. After all of those factors, I can begin to develop a plan to improve these behaviors and help train the dog so that everyone can live harmoniously under the same roof.

According to Dr. Smith, changing a human’s or dog’s behavior is extremely challenging. Sometimes with little to no results. It depends on how receptive and committed the human is to change. It takes consistency to stick to a rehabilitation program and knowledge of dog behavior. The motivation to change is key. It is amazing what people will put up with from their dogs. Sometimes, clients don’t even realize they can change their dog’s behavior. My success as a professional dog trainer is by proving to the client that the dog can change. I accomplish this by successfully demonstrating what they thought was impossible.

I would like to conclude this post by recapping the key takeaways in defining reactivity, aggression, and the escalation cycle. First, reactivity is simply how dogs interpret and respond to their environment. It is not always aggression. Every dog reacts to stimuli, but the key is understanding when those reactions indicate stress or fear versus curiosity or excitement.

Second, the escalation cycle shows us that dogs move through four distinct brain zones. The green zone is where voluntary learning happens. Your dog is calm, accepts treats, and responds to cues. The yellow zone is the emotional response where dogs become alert and their ability to learn diminishes. They are still able to return to the green zone.

The orange zone is also an emotional response area but more intense. Dogs are no longer exploring their environment through their sense of smell. If not removed from this zone, they can easily escalate to the final zone, the red zone. This is the fight-or-flight response, where dogs have limited options and can no longer process incoming information. Signs of aggression can be imminent if not restrained.

Third, understanding your dog’s temperament is crucial. Temperament is presented from birth. While you can’t change it, you can work with it. Some dogs are naturally more excitable, others more cautious. Knowing your dog’s baseline helps you recognize when they are escalating.

Fourth, consistency is everything. Dogs learn through patterns and repetition. If your dog reacts the same way to the same trigger every day, they are becoming an expert in that reaction. You must intervene and teach alternative responses with the help of a qualified professional trainer.

Finally, your vital role as the handler is to keep your dog safe. When your dog escalates, remove them from the triggering environment. You are their protector. Building that trust is essential for helping them feel secure.

Please remember, not every dog needs to go everywhere and do everything with you. Respect your dog’s limits while working to expand their world safely and gradually. If you are dealing with serious aggression, seek professional help immediately. Your safety and your dog’s well-being depend on it.

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

 My guest, Brendan McCarthy, is the operations manager and one of four founders of Doggy Style. Brendan’s company sells their own line of pet care products. What separates retail dog grooming products from Doggy Style products is the quality and uniqueness of the natural ingredients. Most of the ingredients are plant based.

Work experience

Before Brendan formed his own company, he worked for Park Ohio Industries in Cleveland. He ran their operations for 12 years by revitalizing local companies that were run down and needed improvements. This experience led to his next job working in operations, quality control and sales for Blue Buffalo, the #1 - selling pet food brand. They were one of the first national companies with an all-natural ingredients dog food.

Blue Buffalo is a family run business that started in 2003. When the family’s Airedale, named Blue, was diagnosed with cancer, they started looking into giving him the best quality food possible. What a motivator to create their own all natural food with quality ingredients!

The founding members of Doggy Style are Brendan, his brother, his cousin, and a good friend from the Blue Buffalo family. They were talking one day about creating shampoo for dogs. They noticed that it was hard to find a good dog shampoo, especially one with natural ingredients. Brendan was intrigued by this concept since one of his dogs was plagued with itchy, irritated skin. The shampoo he was using could have contributed to that.

One of the team members was in the ingredients business. He had knowledge and exposure to plant-based products for humans. The four compadres all loved dogs and thought it would be innovative to invent a recipe for a shampoo. They wanted their product to be good not just for the dog, but for the pet parents and their home/environment. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were to become a team and create a whole line of pet products.

Doggy Style Shampoo

Brendan remembers the day they all got serious in creating an all natural dog shampoo. It was August 23, 2023. Some ingredients they wanted to include were coconut oil, olive oil, and natural soaps. It was important to them that the remaining ingredients were all natural and plant-based.

Doggy Style shampoo is both a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner. It only takes a little shampoo to produce a lot of suds. The best way to apply it is putting a little bit on one of their massaging brushes and gently rubbing it into the dog’s fur.

In order to make a shampoo, an elastomer is required. Most elastomers are man-made and silicone based. Doggy Style shampoo uses an all-natural elastomer called Gransense, which has only been on the market for approximately 5 years. It binds the other ingredients in the shampoo with different oils to produce a moisturizer type feel to the shampoo. This benefits the dog by making their fur stay soft for days and weeks.

The other plant based ingredient is Sage Balance. It has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. It is also anti-odor and anti-dander. The antimicrobial agents destroy microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi that can cause itchy skin. Doggy Style shampoo is the only shampoo on the market with both Gransense and Sage Balance.

Doggy Style shampoo doesn’t claim to be a whitening shampoo. However, it does whiten dog’s fur because it removes the unnecessary oils and returns them back to their natural pure color. I refer you to my previous podcast dated 10/14/25 about grooming with Sharyn Ugan, a dog should not be fully bathed every day or every week. Once a month is adequate. Bathing too often can strip the natural oils in a dog’s coat.

If it is necessary to bathe your dog more often, using Doggy Style shampoo is much safer than other shampoos on the market due to the natural ingredients. It is based off a baby formula, so you could bathe your dog twice a week and it wouldn’t hurt. It would actually help in the case of hot spots or itchy skin. Brendan recommends a couple of baths within the first week of the onset of skin irritation. The itching will most likely disappear unless an internal problem exists, such as allergies or other conditions. Please seek the advice of a veterinarian to identify the root problem.

Deodorizer Spray

If there is a need to freshen up your dog’s fur or just make it smell better, Doggy Style makes a deodorizer spray that also acts as a conditioner. This is a top seller for Doggy Style. Brendan suggests carrying a bottle in the car and having one on hand in the house. Sometimes I feel the need to freshen up my dog in between baths. This spritz smells very fresh and pleasant. Brendan suggests to spritz a little on your wrist to smell it first to see if you like it. After all, it is you who will be smelling it the most!

Doggy Style chose Grant Industries as one of their main suppliers. Grant Industries is a leading global provider to the personal care and beauty industry. They pride themselves in providing materials that are safe for consumers. One of their products is essential oils which are derived from plants and contain aromatic compounds. Brendan’s team tried many different ones until everyone agreed on The Ocean. This is what makes their shampoo and spritzer so pleasant. The scent is for the humans, of course. Dogs can roll in dirty diapers and be happy, but their pet parents won’t be!

Paw Protector

Another great product that Doggy Style sells is a paw protector. This product can protect paws from cracking, bleeding and getting chapped from very cold, dry temperatures. Exposure to snow, salt, ice, and chemical de-icers can irritate the pads and become problematic. The best time to apply the paw protector is right before heading out for your daily walk. It is also advisable to wash and wipe off the pads when returning home from the walk. If there are any injuries or small fissures, apply some more protector to the pads. The same product that protects, also heals.

Many pet parents may not use paw protector because they are concerned it is not safe for their dogs if they lick their paws. However, Doggy Style’s paw protector is lick safe and will not cause any stomach upset if ingested. There is actually some charcoal in the product to deter the dogs from licking it. After all, you don’t want to make it so appealing that the dog enjoys licking it and negates the whole reason you are applying it in the first place!

The variety of oils: coconut, olive, sunflower seed and sweet almond, combined with the sage balance is what produces the healing properties of the paw protector. It can also be used to heal hot spots, dry spots, and even can be used on their nose and crusty elbows. It is soft enough to scoop easily and apply just the right amount.

Scrub Brushes and Regular Brushes

As mentioned above, the best way to apply Doggy Style shampoo is with a scrub brush pictured below. A little bit can go a long way. The scrub brush also helps spread the shampoo more evenly. The shampoo is thicker than most dog shampoos, so squeezing it out directly on the dog makes it more difficult to spread around.

Personally, I love the scrub brush better than scrubbing my dog’s fur with my fingers, especially around the back end! It acts as a massager too. Just as a massage feels good for us, the scrub brush can act as a massager as well. Brendan’s dog Maggie isn’t a fan of baths but she perks right up when she sees the scrub brush.

The scrub brushes come in two different sizes. The smaller one is for short fur and smaller dogs. The bigger one has longer bristles and can cover more territory for larger dogs. Both the scrub brushes and the regular brushes are made out of bamboo and are tightly sealed with high quality silicone. This prevents mold from forming. Bamboo is durable and water resistant but is not waterproof. It is advisable not to expose it to prolonged moisture.

Towel

Doggy Style also makes a 20”X40” towel for drying the dog off. It is 87% cotton and 13% charcoal fused rayon. When you dry your dog, the charcoal pulls any odors and oxidants out of the skin and fur. The charcoal is activated by the heat from the friction of drying the dog off. The charcoal is good for the life of the towel. Putting it through a wash cycle and then in the dryer will not degrade the effectiveness of the charcoal.

Doggy Style is currently working on a larger version of the towel. It will be the size of a bath towel - great for larger dogs. They are also working on developing all natural disposable paw wipes - great for spot cleaning dirty paws.

How Doggy Style Got Its Name

Doggy Style strives to keep as much of their products manufactured first in Ohio (as close as New Albany) and then within the United States. However, they had to source out the cap of the shampoo overseas in order to get the green color they wanted. So much more goes into not just developing the product but also finding a company to manufacture the container it is sold in.

Now that the team had a specialty product available to market, they needed to come up with a name. Brendan’s brother Dan interviewed over 500 people in Washington, D.C. where he lives. He asked people walking with dogs 6 questions about grooming their dogs. He asked questions about where and how often they bathe their dogs. He also asked what shampoo they use or what their groomers use and if they would prefer an all natural dog shampoo. Some people knew the name of the shampoo they used but many did not. That’s when he decided that the name of their shampoo had to be catchy and memorable. Doggy Style achieves that! Every dog has their own style!

Doggy Style Logo

Doggy Style found an exceptional Cleveland based brand company called New Baum. Brendan and his team wanted their own dogs to be part of the logo. Instead, they compromised and chose an Irish Wolfhound because of their heritage. Irish Wolfhounds are huge dogs with huge character. It just fit their Doggy Style image. When Brendan is exhibiting his products at a convention, inevitably people with Wolfhounds will come up and approach him.

Where to buy Doggy Style Products

Doggy Style products are sold first and foremost on their website. They are also sold in over 60 stores in the Cleveland area, the east coast, and in Florida. Some of the stores where they can be found locally are Pets General in Lakewood, Lake Road Market in Rocky River, and Pet-Tique in Cleveland. They are looking to expand in other retail stores that sell all natural products. When ordering products via the Doggy Style website, enter the discount code: 10_OFF_WELCOME to receive 10% off your first order.

I highly recommend and use all of the Doggy Style products. I take Ebi to Pet Supplies Plus to bathe her. In my opinion, they have the best self-serve pet wash in town. Their state of the art bathing station at their Fairview Park store includes an operator friendly dial to control a rinse, shampoo, and conditioner cycle. You can also bring your own shampoo. They provide plenty of towels and an apron so you don’t get soaked when your dog decides to shake off excess water! After the final rinse, there is an attachment for drying your dog.

I started using Doggy Style products last summer and was hooked after the first time. Ebi’s fur stays soft and looks so shiny and healthy for at least a week after her bath. In between baths, I use the spritz to freshen up the typical dog smell. She doesn’t care for it when I spray the deodorizer spray directly on her fur, so I spray a some on the brush and brush her out. She still tries to rub it off on the floor unless I immediately put her leash on and we go for a walk.

The all natural ingredients in Doggy Style products resonates with my holistic approach to nutrition and wellness treatments for pets. In the near future, I will have a podcast dedicated to this subject. After all, we are what we eat and the environment around us has an impact on our health and well being.

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

Before I had the honor of meeting my two guests, Zaron Van Meter and Stefanie Mowrey, the information I had about puppy mills was based on second hand knowledge. I also learned a lot from a book that a client/friend gave to me entitled, “The Doggie in the Window” by Rory Kress, pictured below. My very first exposure to the existence of puppy mills happened about 25 years ago. I remember exactly where I was. I had just finished playing tennis with a weekly women’s league. We were all talking in the lobby of the North Olmsted Rec Center. One of the ladies was asking for signatures on a petition that had to do with puppy mills and the welfare of the puppies born and raised in them. Someone had to explain to me what puppy mills were. I was horrified to say the least.

My Exposure to Puppy Mills

I am originally from upstate New York. I thought at the time that the existence of puppy mills was an Ohio issue. I was in disbelief anyone could treat dogs with anything but love. Jump ahead 25 years, I never dreamed I would have a venue such as this podcast to spread awareness of this sensitive subject. Additionally, to be able to host two dedicated dog advocates who are fighting for more effective and efficient enforcement of legislation protecting the welfare of dogs in high volume dog breeder facilities, known as puppy mills.

Zaron and Stefanie have taught me so much about the regulations puppy mills are supposed to adhere to and the current oversight that exists. In both episodes of our podcast, they talk about this and the effects puppies and dogs have after growing up in a puppy mill. It is not just the physical, but also the mental toll it takes on them.

Before I became a dog trainer in 2012, I volunteered at the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter for almost a year. I knew that I wanted to work with dogs and thought this would be a good way to get hands-on experience with all types of dogs. I don’t ever remember anyone telling me that certain dogs were from a puppy mill. When I look back on that experience knowing what I know now, I think about particular dogs behaving in a way that could have indicated they were distrustful of humans for one reason or another, or they were from a puppy mill. We were told to just put the bowl of food in their crate and not to take them out for a walk. They were terrified and shaking. Their pupils were dilated and they were practically glued to the back of the crate.

As I mentioned to Zaron and Stefanie, there was a computer station at Petco when I started working there in 2012 that allowed customers access to websites selling dogs. The general consensus was that this was a great idea - better than buying a dog from the newspaper, like my family and I did with our Corgi, Hank. By the time I left, the computer was gone. We weren’t told why. We all assumed that it was because it didn’t work anymore. However, Zaron and Stefanie revealed to me that puppy mill breeders can also be licensed brokers. They could be the ones selling these cute puppies online or part of a network of high volume dog breeders.

When I think about certain dogs I trained in obedience classes, they too could have come from puppy mills. No one ever told me they knew they adopted a dog from a puppy mill. I recall soon after I was hired at Petco, I asked the dog trainer I replaced if he thought dogs could have “a screw loose”. I don’t really remember his answer. At that time, I was experiencing a young dog that was so out of control and unpredictable that nothing worked. One minute he was happy go lucky and the next minute he was attacking whoever had the leash, even his owner. The owner purchased the dog to be a therapy dog. Well, the dog ended up getting rehomed and the owner’s dream dashed of making him a therapy dog. At the time, I chalked that one up to my inexperience as a dog trainer.

Current notoriety of puppy mills

When I think about the dog I tried to train at Petco with the knowledge I have now, there was something wrong with the dog. Perhaps the dog’s behavior was due to poor breeding and was possibly from a puppy mill. Today, it is more and more common to hear that people knowingly adopt a puppy or dog from a puppy mill. Individuals at shelter and rescue agencies, including Stefanie, are familiar with the urgency that arises when breeders surrender unwanted dogs or puppies to a shelter. This situation occurs after breeders receive a two day notice of an inspection. Please refer to her story in Part 1 about the Rottweiler puppy she adopted within the past two years.

It has reached a point where rescue agencies are tapped out. Volunteers and fosters are in short supply. There are just too many dogs being born that are suffering due to the lack of care inside these puppy mills. Additionally, the people who rescue or purchase them can be riddled with vet bills due to diseases, physical, or behavioral issues. There are just not enough people to care properly for them.

This issue is not improving. It is only getting worse, to the point that puppy mills are no longer a hush-hush word. Puppies and dogs need to be rescued when puppy mills are violating regulations after being inspected, and they need to get rid of dogs. Too many dogs are disposed of either by dumping them on the side of the road, or ethically or unethically euthanized. It is difficult to state accurately what they do and how widespread it is since reporters and the public have difficulty gaining access to this information.

How Ohio rates in regulating puppy mills

Ohio is second in the nation for having the most egregious violations found by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)inspectors. This is backed up annually by “The Horrible Hundred” published by The Humane World for Animals.

Some issues that are commonly found by inspectors in “The Horrible Hundred” list itemized by state are:

* too many dogs per crate

* unsanitary conditions

* sick or injured dogs

* inadequate and substandard veterinary care for surgical procedures

* problematic veterinary check ups of female dogs suitable for breeding

According to inspection reports that are available to the public, docking of tails have been performed using carpet knives. I remember a client of mine with a Corgi whose tail was cut off right at the base of the tail. It made an impression on me because my Corgi’s butt did not look like that. I also have seen Corgi tails cut off about 4 inches from the base of the tail, like a boxer’s tail. I have seen a Boxer’s stub infected when the puppy was picked up. At the time, I knew what I saw wasn’t quite right, but I didn’t know what I was really looking at.

Cropping ears used to be legal only if done by a licensed vet. However, in 2022, the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) ruled in favor of the breeders. Now, ears can be cropped by the breeder. We can only hope that both the docking of tails and cropping of ears are done under anesthesia by a licensed vet in the puppy mills. PPOV is trying to reverse this procedure back to where only a licensed vet can perform the cropping of ears.

Stefanie tells us the Humane Society she volunteers for accepted 1,000 puppies and dogs in 2023. Almost half of them came from puppy mills. According to the intake person at the rescue agency, the biggest problem she sees is how many emergency medical issues exist with the puppy mill dogs such as C-section complications on female breeder dogs, dental issues, and the effects of the amount of stress endured at the facility. Whether the breeding process is done naturally or by artificial insemination, it has to be very stressful on both the male and female dogs. When ethical breeders get the male and female together to mate naturally, that process is stressful for both. I can only imagine how puppy mill breeders conduct the mating process.

Oversight for high volume dog breeders

High volume dog breeders in Ohio are regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. These breeders must obtain proper insurance or surety bonds, breeders licenses, and adhere to existing laws ensuring the welfare of the puppies and dogs housed on their premises. Ohio regulations classify high volume dog breeders as an establishment that keeps, houses, and maintains 6 or more breeding dogs and does at least one of the following:

* sells 5 or more adult dogs or puppies to brokers or pet stores in one year for a fee or consideration

* sells 40 or more puppies or dogs to the public in a year for a fee or other consideration

* houses and maintains more than 40 puppies under 4 months old, bred on premises and have been primarily kept, housed, and maintained from birth on the premises of the establishment.

Currently, there are over 900 licensed breeders in Ohio. According to Ohio Department of Agriculture, there are 468 licensed high volume dog breeders. There are 453 licensed brokers. It is possible for a breeder to also be a broker. This means that a breeder can sell their dogs on the side of the road to paying customers like us. However, due to their high volume of dogs, they will also use brokers to pick up puppies and dogs to be sold to pet stores and online sites. Brokers pay the breeders for the cost of the dogs. They in turn will charge the pet store or online brokers a fee to recover their costs.

Legislation intended to protect the welfare of puppy mill

The last time legislation was passed concerning high volume dog breeders was in 2012. Senate Bill 130 (or SB130), section 956.04 took 7 years to pass. This bill established criteria for high volume dog breeders to follow. These are outlined in Part 1 of this podcast. Two of the stipulations have to be reintroduced due to lack of adherence by the breeders and lack of enforcing. One provision is the “no-knock” inspection. Inspections are to be unannounced so that inspectors see the real conditions of the facility. The other provision that needs to be reintroduced is the proper, ethical docking of the tails and trimming of the ears by licensed veterinarians.

Senate Bill 232

Zaron and Stefanie founded Passion & Purpose for Ohio’s Voiceless (PPOV) two years ago. Their mission is to educate the public and advocate for the welfare of dogs in puppy mills. Although the state has some of the strongest laws in the country, loopholes allow ongoing violations that jeopardize animal welfare. PPOV is collaborating directly with Senator Casey Weinstein, who has re-introduced and sponsored Senate Bill 232. There are four parts to this bill:

* increase the number of establishments that are considered high volume dog breeders to be subject to regulation under the law governing breeders

* require that all euthanasia and surgical procedures be performed by a licensed veterinarian

* add tail docking, dew claw removal, and ear cropping as surgical procedures to be performed by a licensed veterinarian

* require the Director of Agriculture, or an authorized representative to conduct inspections of high volume dog breeders during regular business hours without prior notice

How everyone can help

Senator Weinstein has asked PPOV to rally support for this bill. Legislative action depends on clear evidence that the community stands behind this cause. Your voice is critical in demonstrating to the legislature the urgent need for reform of the management of puppy mills. If you are willing to help, please strongly consider providing written testimony when the General Assembly reconvenes in February. A few days before the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee meets to hear testimony from us citizens, PPOV will be provided with a link to submit your written testimony.

I will be sending out a separate post including a template with suggestions to follow for the testimony. Even if you have never had a personal experience with a suspected or known puppy mill dog, you can still voice your displeasure with how puppy mills are run. You can prepare your testimony now so that it is ready in a moments notice. I will be sending out a text only podcast notification of the date to submit your written testimony, as soon as I hear from Zaron and Stefanie. There is power in numbers - if we all work together, we can achieve our goal of adding legislation to help give a voice to the voiceless. We appreciate your support!

Who to contact if you experienced fraud

What you can do to speak up for the voiceless is to report any discrepancies in the required criteria for ethical breeding when purchasing a puppy or dog. If you feel that you have experienced fraud in any way, please contact the Attorney General of the State of Ohio, David Yost at tel. 614-466-4320.

Stefanie recounts a story that a Facebook subscriber on the Passion & Purpose for Ohio’s Voiceless page, shared about how she received a dog that was different than the puppy she thought she purchased. She thought she was getting a puppy, but a vet determined it was at least two and a half years old! The “puppy” was sold online by an entity based out of Pennsylvania, the “puppy” was actually located in Ohio, and then was transported to Michigan and delivered to the customer’s doorstep. No paperwork was accompanied with the “puppy”. The woman did not want to try to return the dog for fear of what would happen back in the hands of this unethical breeder. The picture of the puppy was still listed as available on the website months later. This would be a classic case of fraud to be reported to the State Attorney General.

Spread awareness of puppy mills by word of mouth

Another way for people to help is to spread awareness of the signs that puppies or dogs may be part of the puppy mill network. When you hear about a friend or family member thinking about getting a dog, tell them to do their homework. You can even refer them to part 1 and part 2 of this podcast.

We can fight for more and new legislation for our beloved canines, but it is up to the general public to report any offenses of existing laws to the proper authorities. By increasing awareness to your friends and family about puppy mills, we can all push back against the agencies regulating them. For example, if you know of anyone who volunteers as a transporter from the mills to the rescue agency, encourage them to learn about what is within the law or when the law is being broken. Violations must be reported.

Who to contact if questioning the legitimacy of your breeder

Please refer to the signs that your puppy may have come from a high-volume dog breeder in Part 1 of this podcast. One of these signs include paperwork that must accompany every dog which includes the breed, age, and name and address of the breeder. If you do not go home with the proper paperwork, or you have repeatedly asked for it with no success, find out the name and address of the breeder and report it to The Department of Agriculture. For enforcement issues, contact Jason Davis at tel. 614-549-0158. For all other issues, contact Donna Potter at tel. 614-728-6350.

Also, please call the contacts above if you discover that the breeder you are dealing with does not have a breeder’s license. Refrain from buying the dog or puppy. Instead, do more research to find ethical breeders. A place to start is online for breeder specific clubs. These clubs are made up of people who care deeply about the dogs they find homes for. They can tell you where breeders of your desired breed are located near you. I suggest attending dog shows where ethical breeders have booths set up to answer any questions you may have about their specific breed. Dr. Jennifer Smith talks about this in our podcast entitled “Best in Show”.

In my opinion, the existing problems with puppy mills can only be remedied through stricter regulations that are enforced. Not to diminish any onus on The Department of Agriculture, but I respectfully ask how 5 inspectors in the entire state of Ohio can properly manage over 450 high volume dog breeders. How many breeders exist under the radar, referring to unlicensed breeders? There are over 300 licensed breeders who don’t get inspected because they don’t meet the criteria for being a high volume dog breeder. I believe all breeders should be licensed and inspected. This will never happen with only 5 inspectors. Everyone involved is overworked and frustrated at the constant barrage of puppies and dogs that need homes right away.

This podcast isn’t just for people who may have purchased or rescued a puppy mill dog. It is for anyone considering purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder or rescuing a dog from a shelter or rescue agency. I hope to have provided some insight into this eye-opening issue of where puppies and dogs were bred and the conditions under which this occurred.

^1 “Ohio department of Agriculture”, https://www.agri.ohio.gov, last updated 1/18/26.

^2 “Ohio department of Agriculture”, https://www.agri.ohio.gov, last updated 1/18/26.

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Nearly half of all households in the United States have at least one dog. Many have multiple dogs. All of those dogs were bred somehow and somewhere. This episode is to increase awareness of where your puppies and dogs may have come from. In particular, I will be focusing on commercial dog breeders known as puppy mills. Specifically, those located in the state of Ohio, even though they exist worldwide.

Puppy mills are not the reputable breeders your friends or family may have recommended you get your puppy from. Commonly, they are unsanitary and have inadequate veterinary care. Their dogs are overbred and ill-bred, live in crowded undersized crates, and are provided insufficient socialization time, if any at all. There is no limit to how many dogs can be in one building. It can be hundreds. It is doubtful that there are enough people to properly care for the dogs housed in one location.

Puppy mill owners typically use brokers who act as “middlemen” between the puppy mills and pet stores, breeders and online sales. However, they can also sell directly from their kennels to prospective customers like us. Many customers may not realize that they are dealing with a large-scale commercial breeder. The facilities, which can house hundreds of puppies, are often located at a distance from the point of sale and may not be visible to buyers. These breeders frequently transport animals across state lines. Puppies raised in such conditions may experience significant stress, potentially leading to behavioral challenges such as fearfulness or aggression.

There are puppy mills who relinquish breeder dogs, and sometimes puppies, to rescue groups and shelters. They also call rescue groups to let them know that they have a certain amount of puppies or dogs they need to move out of their facility within hours. Some of the reasons could be:

* an upcoming inspection

* not adhering to size requirements of crates per dog

* dogs can no longer produce puppies for health reasons

* shoddy veterinary procedures

* cost of euthanasia

For this episode, I introduce two women from Columbus who are passionate in their advocacy for dogs and decided to do something about it. Stefanie Mowrey, seated next to me in the studio, and Zaron Van Meter, have tirelessly volunteered their spare time for many years by fostering, rescuing, and adopting dogs.

Stefanie is a registered nurse whose passion for animals has endured since childhood. She was heavily influenced by a “60 Minutes” episode decades ago which depicted the unsavory conditions of puppy mills. It captivated her attention to take action when she became an adult. She started fostering, adopting and then volunteering at the local Humane Society, and for the Ohio state chapter of Bailing Out Benji., where she met Zaron. Bailing Out Benji is a national non-profit organization which advocates for dogs in puppy mills and also provides research and education about them.

While volunteering, Stefanie became more aware of the increasing number of dogs and puppies from mills and backyard breeders ending up in shelters and rescues. All too often, the shelters were already at capacity. Therefore, they have to rely heavily on fosters to take in dogs, especially puppies.

Stefanie uses the example in our podcast of the shelter she volunteers for. This shelter will only adopt “puppy mill breeder dogs” out to a home that already has a resident dog in order to help the mill dog become less anxious and learn how to actually be a dog. Some puppy mill dogs do not know how to play. They don’t know how to socialize with people or other dogs.

As a dog trainer, I know that the best teacher for dogs like this are other patient, gentle dogs. Dogs learn quickest and most effectively from other dogs, but it has to be the right type of dog. Dogs also want to know where they fit in their pack. A dominant and/or guard dog in this situation with a fearful newcomer can cause havoc. It is also up to the humans in the pack to ensure the safety of those involved.

Zaron Van Meter is a business owner and has been an advocate for dogs for over 25 years. Through her involvement as the founder of SK9 Scottish Terrier Rescue, she organized presentations by well-known devoted companion animal advocates, such as Cesar Millan, Dr. Jean Dodds, Temple Grandin, and Dave Hunt(an expert on dog fighting).

In 2012, Zaron was instrumental as an activist in getting an anti-puppy mill law passed included in Senate Bill 130 (Ohio Revised Code 956.20)1️⃣ which mandates better living spaces, regular vet exams, and health certificates for every dog that is sold to a vendor, like a retail pet store. Violations to this code is a misdemeanor.

Zaron and Stefanie wanted to do even more to help out by reducing the amount of dogs coming from puppy mills, with the ultimate goal of eliminating them. They became involved in educating the public and informing Ohio legislators of the need to close loopholes in the current laws to protect dogs who come from all commercial breeders.

In my opinion, there is not enough attention and priority given to puppy mills by the public and the government agencies that oversee them. More regulations need to be passed and current regulations need to be enforced more effectively. A light needs to be shined on these factories of sadness for the benefit of the dogs and the customers who unknowingly purchase them.

There are laws and agencies to oversee and enforce existing regulations against the breeders. On a state level, there is the Ohio Department of Agriculture. On a federal level, it is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Existing laws preventing abuse are rarely enforced. If they are, often the penalty is simply a fine. Breeders who have received many violations have been known to change their name and operate under a different licensed name.

Even the mission statement of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees the high volume commercial dog breeder kennels, gives no mention to dogs. It reads:

“To protect Ohio citizens by ensuring food supply safety, maintaining the health of plants and animals, and creating economic opportunities for the state’s farmers, food processors, and agribusinesses, all while preserving resources and supporting the state’s largest industry.”2️⃣

In Ohio, dogs are similarly classified as livestock. We all know and love our dogs as loving companions that share our homes and are members of our families. To think that dogs are also viewed as property and can be discarded at the whim of these commercial breeders is beyond sad. Their well-being is not at the forefront of their business plan. It all comes down to money. If a breeder dog can no longer have puppies for health reasons or overbreeding, they cease to be a moneymaker. They are discarded or euthanized. Their best chance for survival is to be transported to rescue groups or shelters and eventually adopted by a loving family.

Laws in Ohio need to be passed to change the classification of our beloved dogs to be recognized as companion animals, not livestock. Examples of states that consider dogs’ welfare and best interest are New York, California, and New Hampshire. More states are updating their regulations and classification concerning dogs. Within the past two years, Pennsylvania joined suit. Ohio can too with your support!

The Ohio Department of Agriculture(ODA) inspects high volume commercial dog breeders. However, there are only 5 inspectors in the entire state to cover the approximately 475 that exist.3️⃣ In 2025, Ohio was designated once again, the second worst state in the nation, with 16 commercial breeders committing major egregious violations. 4️⃣ This is according to the Humane Society of the United States’ (now known as The Humane World for Animals) list called “The Horrible Hundred”. These mills are sometimes documented repeat offenders that should be shut down.

Currently, ODA inspections are announced. This is why puppy mills will dump numerous puppies/dogs at a time at a shelter or elsewhere before the inspection date. Mill breeders know they will be fined because of the health conditions of certain puppies or because they lack required paperwork.

Legislation in Ohio needs to return to the original code stating inspections be unannounced. This way the proprietors would not be able to hide the true conditions of the living quarters for the puppies and dogs. More inspectors need to be hired, trained and protected from zoonotic diseases that can pass from puppies to humans.

One disease that is becoming more prevalent in puppy mills is brucellosis. According to Dr. Felicia Nonnenmacher at Animal Clinic Northview, there is a simple blood test to screen for brucellosis. Most reputable breeders have their breeder dogs tested annually to make sure they do not expose positively tested dogs to people and other dogs. If a dog tests positive, antibiotics can be attempted, but unfortunately do not always lead to a cure. Euthanasia is recommended. Fortunately, Dr. Nonnenmacher has not seen a case of brucellosis in her practice. Zaron describes in our recording an experience a woman had in Canada with a dog she added to her existing pack that had brucellosis. It did not end well for her and her own dogs.

Under the current Ohio law (code 956.20), when puppy mills sell to pet stores, the pet stores must provide paperwork to prospective buyers which include:

* puppy’s date of birth

* puppy’s breed including color, gender, and identifying marks

* name and address of the breeder or kennel

* health info, including vaccinations signed by a licensed vet

* when the pet store took possession of the puppy

* breeder’s USDA license number and inspection report (if applicable)

Shady breeders hope that people won’t do their homework and research. Their website may look professional and inviting. They may say all the right things on the phone, but they are sourcing their puppies from puppy mills.

Questionable breeders depend on impulse buyers. They advertise online and post pictures of adorable puppies. They count on prospective customers falling in love at the sight of these posing puppies. It is not difficult to hook them into a deal to buy them. The puppies in the picture below had Parvo - a potentially fatal and highly contagious virus that causes diarrhea and severe vomiting. One did not survive. They look cute, but their disease can easily be hidden.

These puppies are not cheap. They are the same puppies that are sold for thousands of dollars at pet stores. On top of that, if puppies are not bred for their genes and temperament, they can cost thousands more dollars to correct health and behavioral issues. They could have been traumatized in their living quarters at the puppy mill, which can trigger fear or aggression issues. In some cases, these issues cannot be “trained out”. More often than not, some dog trainers do not want to take on or rehab severe fear or aggression cases. Shelters will not take them in if they have a bite history. Their future is grim.

Guilt falls on the humans running these operations, all in the name of greed. It is up to the customer, and prospective pet parent, to be aware and do the hard work of researching and verifying their breeder of choice. The tricky thing about getting a puppy or dog from a breeder is you may think they are reputable. They may say all the right things to make you purchase a puppy or dog from them, but they really are part of a bigger network that gets their dogs from puppy mill breeders.

Classic signs that the breeder your puppy or dog may have been sourced from a puppy mill include:

* lack of transparency about the mother and father of the puppy

* health certificates and papers not accompanied with puppy

* puppy is delivered to your doorstep or at a neutral location away from the kennel

* reluctance and resistance to answering your questions

* urgency to sell puppies - puppies must be sold right away

* injuries and diseases not disclosed

* poorly docked tails or clipped ears

* malnourished appearance

* many different breeds bred on premises

As Stefanie explains, shelters are overwhelmed. They already have enough dogs to take care of that come from the general population who either don’t want or can no longer take care of their dog. On top of that, they get litters coming from puppy mills. Space and funding for some of these shelters depend on donations. Volunteers help feed and walk these dogs. Vets give their valuable time to provide as much veterinary care as possible. Resources and volunteers are limited. Shelters are overcrowded. Puppies and dogs suffer from the overtaxed system.

Stefanie and Zaron experienced puppy mill dogs through their rescue and volunteer work. As a practice, Zaron did not adopt or foster puppy mill dogs. However, while volunteering for the Scottish Terrier Rescue, they received notification that Scottish Terriers needed to find homes ASAP. This is referred to as a puppy mill bust. Zaron took in three Scottish Terriers that day. She happened to be having a fundraising garage sale for her rescue group. She decided to display the pups in a pen at her garage sale to see if they could be adopted.

More importantly, Zaron wanted to educate the passersby on what puppy mill puppies looked like fresh out of the mill. She found homes for two of them. Zaron ended up keeping the third puppy because this puppy was so terrified of the world. Zaron named her McKenzie. Zaron knew she could end up with an owner lacking knowledge on how to properly deal with a fearful dog. McKenzie was an added incentive for Zaron to fight even harder for better conditions, more inspections, and more regulations on breeder dogs.

Recounting Stefanie’s story about a foster “win” illustrates an all too common occurrence with puppy mill puppies. Late one night, three years ago, while laying in bed and scrolling through her messages from the Humane Society she volunteers for, Stefanie received notification of an emergency foster plea. There were female breeder dogs and Rottweiler puppies from a different mother, that were 9 weeks old. The puppy mill kept the Rottweiler puppies’ mother to breed again. Either she or the stud had structural issues that were passed down to at least one of the puppies, as you will discover in detail below. Reputable breeders would never rebreed a female or male with health, behavioral or structural issues.

The Rottweiler puppies and breeder dogs had already been purchased to be sold to a particular pet store. However, when the broker arrived at the puppy mill, he/she did not want them because the puppies were too small to be successfully sold at a pet store. Therefore, time was of the essence, and the Humane Society needed to find fosters for these pups, or else their fate would be doomed.

Stefanie and her husband fostered one of the Rottweiler puppies and unintentionally fell in love. They named him Mac. Right away, Stefanie noticed that Mac would whine whenever she would pick him up and support his rear end with her hand. She thought it was because his tail had been freshly docked. Little did she ever imagine that it was because he had a broken hip! Stefanie and her husband didn’t find this out until he started limping about a year later. Mac had already been diagnosed with bilateral elbow dysplasia. Surgery would have cost $11,000 to fix it with no guarantee of success.

Additional x-rays revealed that Mac had a severely broken hip that had healed incorrectly. After consulting with one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the nation at The Ohio State University, it was determined that Mac did not appear to be in any pain from this horrific injury he sustained as a puppy. The total hip replacement surgery would have cost $8,000. Instead, the vet determined that Mac’s condition could be maintained with medication and lead a normal life, and that’s exactly what has happened. He currently lives happily with his 3 pack mates in Stefanie’s home.

It’s one thing to know that the puppy or dog you are getting is from a puppy mill and you are willing to take on possible health and behavioral issues stemming from those conditions. It’s another thing when you are led to believe that your puppy came from a reputable breeder, but you were deceived. This is only discovered if you start researching why your dog has health or behavioral issues and the breeder is not forthcoming with the truth. These dogs still need loving homes even though they come from a business that you believe is not an ethical one. The more we support the puppy mill breeders, the longer they will stay in business.

Abuse should never be tolerated. It should always be reported. What makes animal abuse unique is they don’t have a voice to report their abuse. We have to be their voice.

More action is needed by the general public to put pressure on our legislators. No longer can we sit back and remain silent while our loving companions are being mistreated in so many ways. If you believe that your puppy came from a puppy mill and you were deceived, please write a letter to your legislator.

You can also send Zaron and Stefanie an email at [email protected] which will be hand delivered and read to representatives in Columbus. Time is of the essence. Zaron and Stefanie will find out days before the committee hearings are scheduled for oral or written testimony on a current and pending legislation SB232. This piece of legislation, supported by Senator Casey Weinstein will involve stricter regulations ensuring the welfare of dogs in puppy mills. This will be explained in more detail in my next episode to be aired on January 20.

Dogs deserve better and we are the only ones who can speak up for them.

1️⃣. “Ohio Laws Legislative Service Commission”, http://codes.ohio.gov

2️⃣. “Ohio Department of Agriculture”, http://agri.ohio.gov, “last updated January 2018.

3️⃣. “Ohio Department of Agriculture”, http://agri.ohio.gov, “last updated January 2018.

4️⃣. “Humane World for Animals”, http://humaneworld.org, “last modified 2025”

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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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