July is Dog Training Month - AnnArbor.com

Posted: Mon, Jul 25, 2011 : 5:04 a.m. This is what agility training looks like.

Don Levitt

Hi and welcome to July!

A fun fact — did you know that July is dog training month? Based on that happy news, let’s use July as a checklist for you and your canine companion.

Do you take your dog out for regular walks? Twice a day?

Do you take your dog to training classes specific to its breed — finding a person who has sheep for the herding breeds and agility for high-energy dogs? Both of these activities channel the breed's natural instincts for herding. These activities also keep the dog focused-attentive to its handler.

The person who has a poodle might say, "They don’t need activities."

Wrong.

Did you know that I have seen poodles work in obedience training in the highest level of obedience? I have also seen a poodle work in obedience with its handler being in a wheel chair. These dogs are believed to come from retrieving backgrounds. They are smart and versatile.

Swimming anyone? Most dogs can swim. And it's not just the Labrador; I know of Labradors that are afraid of water and pit bulls that love to swim. A dog, like a human, can be taught to swim in a calm and gentle way.

Portuguese Water Dogs have tests for swimming. According to the American Kennel Club, the highest level of a training test is jumping off a boat and retrieving a net.

After all, these dogs were bred in Portugal to work. Their job is to help fishermen send messages between boats and, of course, retrieve fishing nets from the water. They were often “paid” with a ration of fish!

But let’s not forget the terriers. Terrier comes from the word Terra or earth. Yes there are earth dog trials where they pursue what they do best — "go to ground"! You don’t need me to tell you how they love to dig!

Did I mention the sled dogs? Malamutes, Siberian Huskies; all you have to do is watch the Iditarod and you know these dogs love to work.

My point is, all dogs were bred to do something, and it's important to understand a dog's breed — even if it is like my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who prefers to sit on a lap.

A happy dog is one that is challenged. A well-exercised dog who is properly challenged is a pleasure to live with. A dog of any breed loves to work — just ask him!

Julia Levitt isa regular pets contributor for AnnArbor.com and the founder of In Harmony Dog Training (www.inharmonydogtraining.com) in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at julia@inharmonydogtraining.com or at 734-645-4707.

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Canada collars dog training series - C21Media

Canada collars dog training series

Canada's Animal Planet will air reality series It's Me or the Dog in the country for the first time.

The series follows UK dog trainer Victoria Stilwell as she visits US families having trouble controlling their canines.

The 20-episode American version of the show will debut on Animal Planet in Canada on Tuesday August 2 and will then air on weeknights at 19.00 (ET).

The UK programme, produced by Ricochet, aired on Channel 4 and has since been sold into 20 territories by Outright Distribution.

Animal Planet in the US aired the first three British seasons before commissioning its own version, with Stilwell travelling across the Atlantic to take part.

Clive Whittingham
25 Jul 2011
© C21 Media 2011

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City Council Celebrates Dog's Heroics as a Cop, Family Pet - Patch.com

Sponsored By ‹ Back to Article View full size Embed | Share      Dani became the family pet when he retired. He was great with Sgt. Barry's children, Liam and Quin. Courtesy Santa Cruz Police

A police dog is put through months of training so it can track bad guys, sniff out drugs and find bombs. But it turns out those skills that make a K-9 officer so indispensable on the street come in handy at home, too.

Santa Cruz police Sgt. Warren Barry and his family know this first-hand.

Before he was promoted and stopped pushing a patrol car, Barry had one of the most coveted jobs in any police department: K-9 handler. He was teamed with Dani, a German shepherd, and for four years, the pair caught crooks.

But one of Dani's best finds wasn't on the job. Rather, it happened at home with the Barry family after the police dog retired in 2003, and Quin, the sergeant's daughter, had lost a toy in some ivy at their house. She was pretty upset.

Sgt. Barry recounted how Dani saved the day:

"Dani had been retired for a while, and Quin asked if I could have Dani look for it. I put Dani on a 'down' and simulated (that) I threw something into the ivy, and commanded Dani to search. Within a few minutes, he lay down, alerting me he found something. He located Quin’s toy. He was Quin’s hero."

On Tuesday afternoon, Dani will be a hero to all of Santa Cruz. The City Council is expected to proclaim July 26 "Dani Barry Day" in honor of the former police dog. Dani died two weeks ago at the age of 13.

"We're extremely touched and we're honored," Sgt. Barry said. "Dani was a huge part of our lives, and he was a dedicated police dog."

Dani's police career started in 1999 when the city purchased the Czech Republic-born dog, then 2, and assigned Barry as his handler. For Barry, it was a dream come true.

"It had been something that I had wanted to do ever since I had gotten hired by the police department," he said.

Barry had twice been rejected for a K-9 handler position, then took matters into his own hands by buying a German shepherd and starting the police dog training process. That seemed to tip the scales in his favor. Four months later, Barry was given Dani, and he sold the other dog.

It proved to be a good investment all around. Dani had a good average of catching bad guys, and once, at the end of a long swing shift, he nabbed a burglar who was breaking into the Barrys' garage.

The sergeant shared how the late-night capture went down:

One night I was coming home and I lived on the East side of Santa Cruz, and my house had alley access. Being in the K-9 unit and on-call, I had a take-home car. It was about 3 in the morning, and as I was pulling into my driveway I found a person attempting to get into my garage.

"I lit him up with my spotlight and yelled at the guy. Dani began to bark. The guy ran past the passenger side of my car north down the alley. I put the car in reverse; however,  the alley is partially a dirt road, and dust was being kicked up. I could not see behind me. I went forward and began to put out on the radio what was going on. Other officers began to arrive and began looking for the person. I began to go into my neighbors' backyards, and I found the hat the person was originally wearing. I went back and pulled Dani from the car, and began a track. Using the hat as a starting point, Dani led me from the alley to the street down through front yards to a house where the suspect was hiding on a front porch. The subject was arrested and found to be in possession of items that were from a car that had been previously stolen."

Police K-9s, though property of the police department, live with their handlers. Sgt. Barry's family learned some of the German commands the dog obeyed, but Dani paid them little attention while he was on the police force.

Barry said after the dog retired "he mellowed out" and became the family pet. He had a special bond with Quin, who was just a baby when Dani joined the family. When she broke her arm badly and underwent surgery, the dog slept at the foot of her bed to make sure she was OK.

"Dani and Quin were extremely tight," Sgt. Barry said. "He was real protective of her. He always gave her a break." 

His wife, Jana, and their 14-year-old son, Liam, also were close with Dani.

Two weeks ago, the family decided it was time to euthanize the dog. Dani's sight was fading, his hearing was gone and his hips were failing. Still, it was a hard decision, Barry said. Dani was their only dog.

"It's a pretty fresh wound," Barry said Tuesday.

Barry no longer is a K-9 handler for SCPD, though the department has two other police dogs on its force.

Barry said if his family gets another dog, he'll take the lessons he learned from Dani to train the new pet, and he suggests other dog owners do the same.

"You are really going to enjoy your dog a lot more when it's trained and obedient," Barry said. "Take the time to train with it. Spend time with it or go to a trainer. It'll increase the bond between you and the dog a lot.

"All they want is to be loved," he added.

The Dani Barry Day proclamation is on the 3 p.m. City Council agenda. Dani will be the first retired K-9 to be honored by the city.

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The force needs you - Midweek Herald

One of Devon and Cornwall's police dogs undergoes specialist training.

Katy Griffin, Reporter Tuesday, July 19, 2011
10:37 AM

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s plea for puppy walkers.

THE growing success of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary’s puppy scheme has led to a call for puppy walkers in East Devon.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is casting a wide net to find willing walkers for its puppies, which are trained at the police’s Middlemoor headquarters in Exeter.

The dog school trains puppies from 12 months and once fully trained they will assist with tracking missing people, locating stolen property and chasing and detaining suspects.

However, before the puppies undergo their training they are reared in homes until their first birthday where they then embark on a 13 week training course.

All puppy walkers must have a settled family background, a secure garden and be willing to undertake daily exercise, grooming and care of the dog.

The puppies are placed with the walker at eight weeks of age and it is the responsibility of the walker to expose the dog to a variety of situations such as a bustling town centre, busy roads and rough terrain.

Throughout the year the puppy walkers receive training and socialisation advice from the dog training school and can attend weekly puppy classes.

The force also pays for any food and veterinary bills during the year.

Anyone interested can call the dog training school on (01392) 452410.

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Sportdog has a wide selection of dog control collars to give you more training ... - Newsbycompany (press release)

 While humans like us can shout, scream and talk to express ourselves, dogs can likewise use different vocalizations to communicate and express themselves. Barking, whining, and howling are only a natural thing for dogs to do. However, when it goes too extreme that you are getting frequent complaints from your neighbors, it may be considered to be a behavior problem. Most probably you have been thinking since then on how to stop dogs barking and how to effectively train him to be well-mannered, right?   Well, worry no more as Sportdog frequently develops their lines of bark control collar to suit any specialized area and any location for dog training sessions.

Depending on the situation, dogs bark to signal one of the following stimuli: loneliness, hunger, thirst, excitement, fear, and need for toilet. Once barking becomes dictatorial might as well think of an effective way on how to stop dogs barking.  Your pet might be overly barking because you “unintentionally” trained him to do so. When your dog barks and you get annoyed, you shoo him out of your sight. When he barks again, you open the door and let him in. When he barks yet again, he gets a treat. Then the cycle goes on and on. Now you see the picture. Dogs certainly know that when they bark, they will surely receive special attention, which is exactly what the dog wanted.

If you have meticulously examined the reason for yapping but you still need assistance on how to stop dogs barking, Sportdog products can help you correct your dog’s inappropriate behavior. A bark control collar is particularly designed for dog training purposes. Training collars are basically used for two main reasons: to help teach basic commands, and to help deal with problem behaviors. Apart from e-collars, the manufacturer also develops new pet accessories to help you in conducting dog training sessions easily.

New developments and inventions in a bark control collar give dog trainers and pet lovers more options than ever before. Sportdog has a huge selection of e-collars that include The Field Trainer Series, The SportHunter Series, The WetLandHunter Series, Specialty Gear, All Purpose Gear, and all of its accessories. Depending on the location where you want to train your dog, these collars are apparently your best choice when you want to impose pet obedience while teaching him new commands and correcting his undesirable behavior.

Most pet owners do not have the time to play with their pets. Through a lack of or out of frustration, masters would basically correct the behavior by yelling or hitting their dogs. Apparently, this is rather inhumane than using a bark control collar instead. Although Sportdog collars are there to help you stop dogs barking faster and more conveniently, make sure that you do not overuse the punishment system to a violent degree. For instance, you may adjust the level of punishment to a minimum once your dog has improved already until such time that your dog has learned to behave well.

Resource Box: So, how to  http://www.dogmaster.co.nz/ stop dogs barking? Similar to picking a new item for your baby, when choosing a bark control collar you must go for the trusted brand—  http://www.dogmaster.com.au Sportdog! You can freely visit our website for a vast array of pet products for your precious buddy.

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2 police officers, dogs to graduate from training Friday - Utica Observer Dispatch

Two police officers and their canines will be graduating this week from a police dog school sponsored by the town of Webb Police Department.

Webb police Officer Trevor Tormey and his partner — K9 Timber, a nine month old German shepherd — completed the five week narcotics course that started June 27. They were trained in the discovery of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and hashish.

Utica police Officer Christopher Faniglula and his partner — K9 Rex, a 2½- year old German shepherd — started their training for explosive detection June 20. They were trained in the discovery of both commercial and military explosives.

Both Faniglula and Rex previously had attended an eight-week patrol course. They learned obedience, tracking, agility, building and area searching and reasonable force. All courses were taught by Webb police Officer Anthony Sege.

Sege recently retired from the Oneida County Sherriff’s Office after working there for 25 years. He went to school for dog training in 1998 and offered these courses after being approached by the city of Utica and the town of Webb departments.

“Both places needed a dog school,” he said. “The town of Webb offered to sponsor the course to train the dogs in a matter of necessity.”

Tormey has been a police officer for five years. He said that he was interested in working with dogs after watching handlers and seeing the bond between them and their dog. He said that he has a good bond with his dog.

“In the beginning, it’s hard,” he said. “It’s kind of difficult because she’s young and a puppy. They want to do puppy things. It takes a lot of work to get her interest level up.”

Faniglula said working with dogs was one of the reasons he went into law enforcement. His department wanted a dog that it could use for explosive detection after it received a grant from homeland security.

“My department wanted a dog that would do the tracking and aggression work,” he said.

Graduation of the teams is at the town of Webb Police Station at 11 a.m. Friday in Old Forge. There will be demonstrations from both teams.

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Dogs train to save troops' lives - Today's THV

Labrador Retriever

JONESBORO, Ark. (KTHV) -- Duck dog trainer Chris Akin's farm is full of eager young dogs, but not all are being trained to retrieve feathered fowls.

Akin is teaching dogs to find improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, to help save the lives of U.S. troops.

"The training is the same," Akin says. "We teach these labs to find ducks and now we switched some of our training to find explosives."

Akin says it takes a special kind of dog for this program.

"We have a bunch of dogs so we go through and say this dog goes in this bunch, this one goes here and this one goes in the special group," Akin says.

Akin says dogs in the explosive sniffing program are more hyper than most duck dogs but are still willign to learn.

"In the bomb dog situation, the way we use them now is let's say you and I were sneaking through a jungle and we come up on an Army Jeep about 200 yards away. We line this dog up send the dog all the way out to the jeep. When he gets there he can do a search pattern on the jeep so our troops don''t have to get close."

The military is asking for more of these specially trained dogs. In fact, at the end of last year, the Marines asked to double the amount of dogs that are trained to sniff out explosives.

For Akin and the fellows at Webb Footed Kennels that means more dogs and hoepfully safer troops.

"We call them troops but let's face it they're dads, they're brothers and sisters, they're sons and daughters, these people are family members to somebody. We got to keep them safe in every way we can."

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Following the monks's path to puppy training - HeraldNet

This month, my 22-year-old daughter came home from her apartment 20 minutes away, and said she was spending the month at home and, here's the best part, getting a puppy.

Have you ever succeeded in talking a 22-year-old out of anything? I haven't either.

As we looked at breeds and their traits, I found several reasons why every dog from a German shepherd to a Chihuahua was not a good fit. After I rationalized how? 50 breeds were a terrible fit for her, she realized there was no point in trying to find the perfect dog with me.

I wasn't trying to help her find the right breed, I was trying to talk her out of anything with four legs and a tail.

She skipped the talking and went on to the buying. Could I please go with her to pick up her new Shiba Inu puppy? After our thoughtful conversations about each breed, she picked a puppy that is rated one of the top three most challenging to train.

I got in the car to pick up the puppy because she agreed to meet a total stranger at Deception Pass Bridge with hundreds of dollars in cash in her pocket. I went because we live in a crazy world, and it's never good to go to any bridge anywhere with hundreds of a dollars to meet a stranger.

As we drove to Deception Pass Bridge, I was thinking in my head about how my daughter really knows nothing about puppy training and how I trained all of our dogs. Just as I was thinking about what would be involved in puppy training, my daughter asked if I would teach her how to train the puppy.

She said, "Be my Obi-Wan Kenobe and I'll be your Anakin Skywalker. Show me what to do."

It was pretty to easy to imagine her taking on a puppy as long as she was fully willing to learn how to train the puppy. We picked up the puppy and then a crate, food, halter, leash, chewy things and toys.

I thought about the best book ever on dog training, it is called "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete. The monks in?New York?are renowned for dog training at their monastery for the past 40 years.

People come for all over the world to learn how to train from the New Skete monks. At the end of June this year they released an updated version of the book. It's truly a great book, and their book "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" is one of my favorite books ever.

Together, my daughter and I read the New Skete monks' puppy training book. I watched her follow every single thing the monks suggested. I wasn't really needed. There is an art to parenting and knowing when to not say anything.

She and this puppy are a fine match. The Shiba Inu is highly intelligent, loyal and bold. These are things I would say about my daughter as well. She wanted a companion, a willing running partner and someone to protect her. This dog will be all that and more.

My daughter is devoting the time and energy to truly caring for her puppy and seems to understand the enormous dependency and responsibility. She'll be returning to her own place to live, well equipped to give her puppy everything it needs.

It was a great idea to spend a month together puppy training. All I really had to do was go for a drive to Deception Pass Bridge and read a wonderful book by the New Skete monks. She did the rest.

Sarri Gilman is a freelance writer living on Whidbey Island and director of Leadership Snohomish County. Her column on living with meaning and purpose runs every other Tuesday in The Herald. You can email her at features@heraldnet.com.

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