Tag Archives: dog rescue

Yes i do spend about 3 hours a month away from a dog

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Usually once every month or two you will find me out of scrubs or dog training clothes and in the mustang with my husband for a few hours of alone time. Last night was the first time in almost 5 months that it occured! Dinner and a show and then of course some grocery shopping to top off the evening left me dogless for about 4 hours. It was rough but i made it and am now exempt from having to do it again for a few months!!!

Wow they are some amazing looking GSD's!!!

Of course the morning was spent SAR training, but that’s a different post!!!! Ahhh some of us where just BORN TO TRAIN!!!!

I do not whisper, I translate

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I was at a consult this past week when someone made a reference to me as “the dog whisperer” While i appreciate any comment towards a well known popular dog person (albeit whether i agree with his methods or not) i am not, in anyway, a dog whisperer. The term is just plain, well, dumb.  What does it mean??? How would you ever “whisper” to a dog? Why would a dog care if you even did whisper? Dogs do NOT communicate like humans do, we cannot whisper, yell, cry, scream, yodel, bark, meow, purr, whistle, burp, or even groan for godsakes as dogs do not communicate through vocalization like humans do. To really truly understand dogs one must first observe said dog. I say this because EVERY dog is different, it doesn’t matter the breed, sex, age, or size of the dog they are all genetically different and environmentally influenced to have varying personalities. Once the dog has been observed you can start to draw SOME conclusions about the dog, and what methods of communication will work, and even why he is offering certain behaviors or unpleasant habits. Then once this has been accomplished you can begin to build your relationship with said dog, in hopes of opening the barriers in communication that exist between dog and human.

I do not whisper, I translate.

Translation

Offering some basic classes in good canine communication this summer please check out our website for details!!

http://www.EliteInstinctCanine.com

The end of the world as we know it

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prowl

Honestly i’m to busy in my little doggie filled life to pay attention to what goes on in most the world, but even this news did pop up on my facebook account this morning when i got up. It’s really a shame that people have nothing better to do then make up fictional dates and activities that will never happen. So rather then dwell on any possibility that life as we know it will end i got out and trained some dogs!!!!!!

The main lesson for today was training in the rain is fun!!!!  Well it’s wet at least. All 3 girls plus felix got a short search problem in the rain and thunderstorms that ensued this miserable afternoon. Despite the downpour, thunder, and distant lightning (no one was in danger, we made sure the bad portion of the storms was going around us so we were just able to desensitize the dogs to the sounds and environment without actual danger) everyone did AMAZING. Now in most situations we will not search in sever thunderstorms but it doesn’t hurt to know that the dogs can do it without any hesitation. They know there job and they do it well.

I was extremely proud of abby (who’s indication is a bump, meaning she comes up and slams me on my chest as hard as she can then takes me back to the subject) who not only located the subject in her off trail problem but i had already passed him so she had to come up and slam my back which was the first thing presented to her!!!! We had been working the last few months on getting her to slam me anywhere not just my front so i know that she would alert me no matter what part of my body was closest to her. Way to go Abigail!!!

Dog days of spring

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I have been slacking on blogging, but i have to say i do have a dozen dogs to take care of and their exercise, obedience, and varying jobs all come first! Today was a great lazy afternoon where i got some work done, made some new videos check them out www.youtube.com/eliteinstinctcanine and spent some much needed time catching up on computer stuff.

We also took a break and went outside for a 10 minute photo session. Now i have to admit i have THE BEST pack of dogs in the world, and anyone who has met them will agree with me!  The following is pictures of some of our pack enjoying the fenced in back yard escape that we have bbq’s and camp fires in.  Here you will see an example of a stable group of dogs from 6 months to 12 years old and 6 pounds to 80 pounds sharing a backyard, and a life together. It can happen, i have yet to meet anyone else with such a well defined pack as mine but i would love to!!!

Boburka

 

Emeline

Raina

Part of the pack

Better then a bird

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Training the dogs is great, its a mental and physical release, whether its my own kids, or a training class or private session. The focus, the dedication and the overall joy of having that connection allow me to leave this world and enter another, one with just me and the canine. I can really step back and view him or her they way they should be, as a dog.

Anyone who knows me knows that i am a talker, and i am not afraid to say anything!  This allows me to talk through what the dog is thinking, and why it is behaving how it is, and really explain what i see to clients. This clear communication is part of our foundation at Elite Instinct Canine.

annnnnnd...........ACTION

The girls love a good training, whether its just basic obedience or their favorite search and rescue missions! The other kids really love just polishing up on some obedience and getting a few trips out to the dog park.

L-O-V-E

Either way its spring and soon will be summer the dogs are happy and i gotta go out and find a pool!!!

ahhhhhhhhh

Update on the dogs

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Well so far everyone is hanging in there pretty good. Its been a long winter and while the dogs enjoy playing in the snow i know they are ready for spring just like us. Valentine is doing good, her leg is still in rough shape and I will never go back to colonial in Ithaca NY for an orthopedic surgery again. I have always seen Dr. Ross do great work but Val would have been better off if left to heal without a $4000 surgery.  We are slowly trying to continue her recovery even with her turned out leg that just refuses to build muscle. While opening her up again to fix any possible meniscus tears he may have caused during surgery may be in order i do not think we will put her back under for it. She developed some extreme anxiety over her months spent in a kennel rehabbing including severe skin breakouts and anxiety inside kennels. She is now living in a crate free environment and is doing much better after some calming exercises and rehabilitation work to the mind.

Olive is doing good but is slowing down in her old age. Her hips and knees are getting worse which after the xrays we took last year i’m not surprised. She has  hip dysplasia and DJD so we are going to make her comfortable and  happy. She enjoys laying around on her orthopedic bed chewing on kongs and peanut butter filled bones and that is what she shall get!

Snoopy is his grumpy old self but doing well. He has his moments of puppy like play but it lasts only a minute or two and then hes curled up on the couch again sleeping. He’s almost 12 and besides some arthritis we are doing well medically.

Everyone else is doing great. Kendal is my current demo dog going to all my training sessions, working with some dog aggressive dogs and passing her calm stoic mentality to all who she meets.

 

I cannot complain, it has been another great start to the year and all the dogs are doing wonderful.  Going to bed every night and waking up every morning to a slobbery batch of kisses and anticipated tail wags for the adventures we will enter that day is a blessing!

Everyone looking like stars

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As always the girls impress me when day after day i ask so much of them! Just a short video clip of last weekends fun time after of course a day of work. More updates to follow!

 

 

And then there was thaw

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This weekend was a busy eventful one! Saturday I brought my girls and the Family Foundtion School Dog Corp Kids helping Canines first dog down. Delilah will live in one of the dorms with 10 of the dog corps kids and they will be responsible for training and raising her until Life Long Tails places  her into a home. The boys were very excited when we got there and sweet shy delilah took right to them. It’ll be a long road but i know this will be a great program for the boys and the dogs!

 

The girls got some work that afternoon and each performed a great moving subject problem with multiple refinds. I’m stoked, they are doing so good!!  We spent the night at Ritas and got a few hours of sleep after much talking. Sunday morning brought our meeting to discuss the Comfed we are hosting in September with Amigo and NJ Sar. The girls were patient and new their time would come!

I did it!

 

Eme got a nice 35 minute long problem with 2 subjects hiding together. It was the longest she had ever done and despite being very tired, and the subjects not being were they had been marked on my GPS I was able to follow my dog and her alerts and find the boys. She was exhausted but did a perfect refind and indication with a long bark and victoriously got her ball! The problem had been worked 20 minutes prior by another k9 team so she had to work out their scent and the subjects scent which made it even more difficult!

 

Raina got a short demo problem for a few new people who had come to check out the team. She of course showed off her perfect scent work and full refind. I wanted to set up a longer problem with her so we can start to build some nose time, she can be certified by a year old and i’m sure she will be ready. I set up a good problem which lasted 15 minutes the longest she has worked so far. She preformed great and maintained her refind and indication giving me 2 before i reached the subject.

playing with her subject

We finished the day with 2 HR hides including one that was up about 3 feet.  Both girls did great and are ready to move on in their HR training. Next we will put in the indication using boxes that deliver their toy. This allows the dog to sit and wait for the ball while focusing on the source and not on me!

Its amazing how quick my girls are growing up. Eme turned 1 on friday and i just don’t know where the year went! The next few months are going to be hard, we will be doing a lot of nose building long problems and drilling in obedience. Certifications will start soon and mom will need to learn not to be a nervous wreck! Off to get re packed and ready to work the girls again later today!

All done