Book Club Discussion for Parents of Fearful Dogs

fearfuldogbookDoes your dog shy away from new people? Is he afraid of “silly” things like garbage cans or boxes? Do you want to help your dog feel more comfortable, less stressed, and happier? Our September Book Club selection is for you!

Join us on Saturday, September 28th from 10:00 – 11:30am when we will discuss Debbie Jacobs’ insightful, practical, and deeply empathetic book, A Guide to Living with & Training a Fearful Dog.  Discover what the world looks like from the perspective of your fearful dog and learn how to help your dog live a less stressful life.

Please read the book before our Book Club discussion. Reading from cover to cover isn’t a requirement, so if you have limited time, pick the chapters that apply the most to your dog.

Discussion led by: Kelly Spring, CPDT-KA (www.springtrainingfordogs.com)

If you order it (or anything else) from Amazon, Your Dog’s Friend will receive a percentage of your purchase as a donation.

Please click to register in advance so we have enough handouts for everyone. Thanks!

Location

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
6030 Grosvenor Lane
Bethesda, MD

Does Your Dog Bark & Lunge At Other Dogs?

You’re trying to exercise your dog, but it’s stressful because every time another dog appears, your dog goes nuts. Barking like mad. Lunging. Growling. You’re holding on for dear life, trying to pull your dog away while shouting apologies at the other dog’s human. Your worst nightmare is meeting up with an off-leash dog when you’re on a walk. In fact, you’ve given consideration to not walking at all because it’s just so difficult to control your dog.

You’re not alone.

What you have is a reactive dog. What we have is an expert trainer and a team of dedicated training assistants. Our job is to take your dog from barking and lunging at the sight of another pooch to calmly looking back at you. It’s an intensive class, but it delivers results (assuming you hold up your end of the leash/bargain)!

The Proof is in the Picture!

Reactive Dog Latte on the last day of class, not barking or lunging!

Now THAT’s what we call awesome! Congrats to Latte and all of the newest Reactive Dog Class graduates, both human and canine.

Here’s what Latte’s Mom Says…

When we adopted our dog Latte a year and a half ago, we struggled through many “solutions” for his dog reactivity and had become very frustrated with our walks being all about controlling his reactive state when spotting dogs around. What finally worked for us was the positive reinforcement method taught by Michelle Mange in her reactive dog class. Latte is soooo much better on the walk these days – we can go a couple weeks now without any real incident! Sure, there are still bad days or surprises, but we (both dog and human!) are finally able to enjoy the walks more. Michelle gives great instructions, including seemingly small adjustments that go a long way in making the walks more positive. Each person gets their own personal coach to assist and provide feedback. In our case, our coach also owned two herding dogs so she understood our dog well and showed my husband and I many ways to improve our general training technique. Since we started this method, we’ve gotten a lot of compliments on Latte because he is so focused on us when being trained. Thanks Michelle and gang!

Four Spots Left in the Next Reactive Dog Class

Our next session of Reactive Dog Class begins on Wednesday, July 31st at 8:10 pm. It is an 8-week class that will give you and your dog the tools to go out and about without the stress you’re experiencing now. You may not have a dog that likes other dogs, but by the end of the class, you should have a dog that looks to you for guidance rather than taking the situation into his own paws. Sign up today or contact us if you have questions.

 

 

Help! My Dog Is Scared of Thunderstorms!

lawrenceisscared

Lawrence, an alumnus of OBG Cocker Rescue, is really scared of thunder.

In our recent newsletter, we gave some tips on helping your dog through a thunderstorm. (Not subscribed? You’re missing out on great stuff. Sign up, won’t you?)

  •  If a thunderstorm is predicted and you are home, use ace bandages as a wrap (used in TTouch), a Thundershirt, or an Anxiety Wrap before the storm. Whatever you use, remember to let your dog wear it randomly, not just when the thunderstorm or other “fearful” event is taking place. Otherwise, they will come to mean that something bad is about to happen. You can find more information on Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap‘s websites, or order a Thundershirt and free face wrap at Dog Kingdom Pet Supply.
  • Rub your dog down with a dryer sheet (e.g., Bounce) to help with the static in the air before the time the storm is expected.  Your dog may be noticing the barometric pressure dropping or the static in the air.
  • Some dogs want to wait out the storm in a bathroom because the metal pipes are grounded.
  • For those dogs who are bothered mostly by the noise, you can try playing music (classical, not rock), since you can control the volume.  Or there is a CD that has been created specifically to help calm dogs.  You can order it from Through a Dog’s Ear.
  • If you try counter-conditioning and de-sensitization, as described in the article below, you can order tapes through either Legacy Canine or Scared No More.

Have Questions? Got More Tips?

We’re discussing thunderstorms over on our Facebook page. Join us there and give us your favorite tips.

Want to Learn TTouch?

We have a couple spots remaining in our TTouch class this Saturday. In this one, three-hour class, you’ll learn all the basics of TTouch and be able to practice them on your dog during the next summer thunderstorm!