Enjoying A Safe And Happy Holiday Season With Your Dog !

For all of the beauty of the season, holiday time can be a particularly dangerous time for our beloved pets, even in our own homes !

Keep your dogs safe by being aware of the following potential dangers:

Plants: Christmas cactus, hemlock, holly, ivy, mistletoe and poinsettia. The effects of ingestion can range from mild gastro-intestinal upset to extreme toxicity. Safety Tips: Spray with Bitter Apple repellant. Immediately collect and dispose of dead leaves, stems, or berries.


Trees: Live trees including juniper, fir, balsam and cedar can contain sap or be treated with preservatives that can cause gastro-intestinal problems or mouth irritation. The needles from these trees are not digestible and, if eaten, can result in a puncture of the intestines. In addition, trees can be toppled over or used as a place for urination. Safety Tips: Set up your tree in a room that is inaccessible to your dog, or, if this is not possible, place decorative fencing around the tree. Be sure to anchor your tree with sturdy weights and place a plastic tarp on the floor. Hang your decorations on the higher branches and securely attach them for added safety.

Decorations: Tinsel, angel hair, faux icicles, artificial snow, and ornaments - all of these can be potentially fatal to your dog ! Safety Tips: When trimming your tree, be vigilant about cleaning up as you go so your dog does not have the opportunity to ingest any of these items while your attention is elsewhere. Follow the safety tips above for trees for greater security. Do not use edible ornaments or garlands made from food. Rather than using metal hooks to attach ornaments to the tree, use double knotted ribbon instead.

Lights And Electrical Cords: Dogs can get tangled in the strands of lights or electrical cords. Chewing on the cords can cause your dog to get shocked, burned or electrocuted. Safety Tips: When running electrical cords, place them in a PVC sleeve, under rugs, behind or under heavy furniture, or fasten them securely to the floor. String your Christmas lights carefully through the interior of the tree, and run the cord underneath the tree skirt.

Gift Wrapping Items: Everything from bubble wrap to ribbon to packaging peanuts to trim to wrapping foil needs to be promptly and properly disposed of. Safety Tip: If your dog is to be included in the gift giving, wrap his / her present loosely in plain paper and be there to supervise during the unwrapping.....just to be sure !

Fireplaces And Wood Stoves: The dangers here include hot coals and ashes, popping or crackling logs, sparks and color salt additives. In addition to burns, your dog may also suffer bronchial or digestive distress and skin irritation. Safety Tips: Always use a fine mesh or solid fireplace screen while the fireplace is in use. Keep your fireplace clean of ashes and debris and the doors to the fireplace closed when not in use.

Candles And Potpourri: There is nothing quite as lovely as the glow of candles, but it is important to be cautious when using them, especially in households with pets. Potpourri adds a wonderful seasonal element to ones home, but carries a certain amount of risk as well. Safety Tips: Be sure to place lit candles in areas completely inaccessible to your dog, and to blow them out when you are done enjoying them. Keep potpourri well out of the reach of your dog as ingesting it can cause problems ranging from gastro-intestinal upset to toxicity.

Have A Happy And Safe Holiday Season !

Dog Hyperactivity - Jumping Up ! Barking ! Pulling On The Leash ! Driving You Nuts !

Meet Honey, a pure bred Pit Bull Terrier who arrived at my doorstep with a whopping case of HYPER hyperactivity ! This beautiful and super sweet girl was rescued from a Puppy Mill and was, in fact, still lactating when she came to Calm K9 ! Honey was never trained or socialized with other dogs, and she was also not exposed to different environments as a puppy. Honey was highly distractable and nervous, with an over the top prey drive and absolutely no leash manners whatsoever ! She jumped ! She started ! She pulled ! She barked ! She whined ! She would not listen ! She gobbled her food ! Whew - she was quite a handful !

Many of the calls I get from clients have to do with what is often described as "out of control enthusiasm", ranging from jumping up on people, barking for attention, chaos at the front door, physically nudging people AKA "space invaders", pulling on the leash, bolting out of open doors, etc... Not every hyperactive dog is as challenging as Honey, but nonetheless, a hyper dog can be, at best, a nuisance and, at worst, uncontrollable in a dangerous situation. Now that the weather is favoring outdoor activities, and summer is on it's way, this is a great time to focus on these types of behaviors and get to work modifying them, as you and your dog will, undoubtably, be out and about together, enjoying our fine Northern California sunshine - and of course, we want our outdoor adventures to be as enjoyable as possible for all concerned !

Although various hyperactive behaviors may seem to differ significantly from each other, the real work begins with establishing clear and consistent boundaries and rules for your dog, while at the same time making sure that his/her needs for mental / physical exercise and stimulation are being met. By addressing these core issues, you help your dog learn what is expected and allowed in any given situation. By ensuring that your dogs needs are met, you are creating the optimal situation for your dog to be ready and able to learn new modes of behavior. When you have achieved this status quo in your household, all of the different bothersome behaviors will be remarkably tamped down. What a relief !

At Calm K9, we work on this deep level with all of our 4 legged clients (as well as the occasional tripod) ! During a Private In Home Consultation, we spend as much time as needed to get a thorough understanding of a dog's behavioral issues, and begin our work with him or her by addressing the relationship that exists in the household between owner(s) and dog. Oh boy, do we love happy dogs, and we strongly encourage appropriate playfulness ! Here at Calm K9, we think of healthy play as "controlled exhuberance". When you are dealing with a dog as strong as Honey, who also carries the stigma of her breed, it is especially important to be able to intervene when things begin to teeter towards mayhem !

A wise trainer once told me that "excitement and aggression are on the same page", and the truth of this statement is played out in dog parks all across the country on a daily basis. As dog lovers and owners, it is our responsibility to ensure that our dog(s) are well trained when out in public areas, be they dog parks, city sidewalks, or seated with you in front of your favorite coffee shop. I certainly do not advocate "training the dog out of the dog" by any means ! Rather, as a matter of courtesy and safety, it is up to us to make sure that our dogs are not hyperactive beasties, and the basis for this begins at home by defining and maintaining rules, structure and boundaries.

A couple of last thoughts - Chad Mackin, a colleague of mine, has written a superb article on what motivates dogs to learn. Remember that old habits die hard, and while your dog is on the path towards a calmer demeanor, celebrate the little and big victories along the way ! Many small steps does a big leap make !

And Honey ? What about Honey ? Well, after a few months of training with me, Honey is happily crate trained, has some doggie friends, walks proudly alongside of me on a loose leash, loves to play fetch and returns the ball to me every single time, has traveled from the hills to the sea and back again acquainting herself with the world at large, savors her food, has pretty darn good manners and a nearly flawless automatic sit, is generally much more relaxed, and continues, every single day, to develop into the fantastic dog she was always meant to be !

Cesar Milan, The Pack Walk, and Real Life !

Cesar Milan has provided such a wealth of information through his books, DVDs, and, of course, his highly successful show "The Dog Whisperer". He took the dog world by storm, so much so that a number of his key phrases are now a part of our common vernacular ! Although his methods and observations are not necessarily appreciated by every canine behaviorist / trainer, it is likely that we can all agree upon the value of walking one's dog on a regular basis, something Cesar calls a Pack Walk. Walking, or migrating, is one of the primary canid drives. In nature, wild dog packs migrate in search of food. Domestically speaking, we provide food for our dogs, so they have no need to migrate - or do they ?

It is my belief that indeed they do ! Walking your dog is one of the fundamental responsibilities incumbent upon a dog owner. At Calm K9, we always go for a long, vigorous, structured walk in the morning, after which time the dogs are fed in their crates. They are then allowed to rest in their crates before our next work session.

We are lucky that right down the street, there are many trails that criss-cross the green rolling hills surrounding Port Costa. In addition, because our lives have gone to the dogs (!) our schedule allows us to go on two to three lengthy walks every day. However, our dogs are not allowed to run willy nilly and meander the trails according to their whims and wiles. Instead, we view every walk we take as a training opportunity, and as such, we call this particular activity a Structured Walk. In addition to burning physical energy and fulfilling the migratory drive, we also challenge our dogs mentally during a Structured Walk, thus insuring that when we return home, our dogs will be ready to eat and rest.

It can be very challenging for dog owners to find the time to take their dogs for a 30 to 60 minute walk even once a day. We always work with our clients to create programs that fit their lifestyle while at the same time, providing their dogs with everything they need to live a fulfilled, happy life. By all means, find the time to walk your dog as often as possible. Keep in mind, though, that there are many other interactive activities you can do with your dog that will engage him both physically and mentally ! Don't feel bad if you can't strap on those roller blades like Cesar does and spend 1 1/2 - 2 hours a day walking your dog. Playing fetch in the back yard can be a great training opportunity - especially if you focus your dog and make him wait...wait...wait...FETCH ! The waiting burns that mental energy, and a properly tired dog is a happy dog ! Perhaps some more advanced obedience commands could be taught ! You can also practice things you have been working on with your dog in an area of higher distraction !

When you are working with your dog mentally, 15 to 20 minutes at most is the recommended time frame. Any more than that, and the lesson can take a turn for the worse - and you always want to conclude a training session on a good note. So you see, one good walk a day plus various other activities could make for a pretty happy household ! On the other hand, if you do have the time and inclination, more than one walk a day would be terrific ! The bottom line is it's got to work for both you and your dog !

Training A Difficult Dog - How To Deal With Separation Anxiety and High Prey Drive !

As a professional dog trainer, I am always amazed at what I learn from the dogs I am schooling.

One of our dogs came to us with over the top, completely out of control behavior when she spotted a squirrel or cat in motion. Utilizing every tool in my kit, I finally found great success by taking this little gal all the way back to square one, and utilizing low level stimulation and warm praise to distract her from her obsession with small beasts. I have certification in e-Touch Training as taught by Martin Deeley, and have relied heavily on my experience with this training modality to help this OCD-ish dog. She has had a sordid past and virtually no training whatsoever in her three short years of life. By breaking the training down to tiny, clear steps and maintaining calm, patient persistence, she is coming along so well now ! She has taught me not to give up even if the first 100 or so approaches haven't yet worked ! This little gal has been bounced around so much - everyone who had her as either a potential companion pet or as a training client gave up on her ! But I am a nose-to-the-grindstone sort, and "doggedly" kept at it. Well - her world has been topsy-turvied, and she is blossoming under a regular schedule of challenging mental work, physical exercise and rest. Once the appropriate tweaks were made, she quickly and comfortably took to the routine I created for her, and she is a different doggie ! Many thanks to my training mentor, Heather Beck, for hosting her 3-D Seminar (Dealing With Difficult Dogs) ! Training this little girl challenged me to dig very deep and create a program that would work for her and all of her idiosyncracies. I will keep you all posted on her progress !

Separation Anxiety has been touted as one of the most challenging behaviors for a trainer. A recent client took my advice and began crating her dog Honey, and much to my client's astonishment, Honey is doing great ! Along with crating, there are so many things that you can do to achieve both peace of mind for yourself and a happy, self-confident dog who is perfectly content to be home alone. If you are facing this issue, go ahead and give me a call - you can find my contact information on my website calmk9.net. I'd be happy to hear from you and give you a few pointers on how to transform your Nervous Nellie into a Happy Honey !

Still working on getting that camera fixed - pictures will soon be up !

Thanks so much for visiting !

Autumn Is A Busy Time At Calm K9 Behavioral Dog Training !

Hooray ! Our move to Port Costa is finally complete ! My personal items are still mostly in boxes, of course, but the dogs are cozily ensconced in their new digs, with all of their canine accoutrement at the ready ! As expected, they have adapted to their new home beautifully, and we have been taking full advantage of everything this area has to offer - miles and miles of trails, a large fenced grassy meadow just down the street, bayside strolls, and a variety of distractions which are great for training purposes. Port Costa is not what you would call a bustling metropolis, but our little downtown area does provide some interesting challenges, especially on the weekends when the biker dudes roar down the main stem on their Harleys and converge at The Warehouse. Lots of people, lots of action, lots of training opportunities !

In addition to Cowboy, we have taken in two dogs who come from divergent, less than ideal circumstances. Yang, a little Pit Bull mix, began life with a homeless man in the City, and, after being bounced around for the better part of two years, a small group of us saved her from euthanasia at the eleventh hour. She is thriving under our Hard Core Rehabilitative Program and is quickly advancing through our training regimen. Yang's biggest challenge is her over the top prey drive ! Anything small and in motion sets her off ! However, we've made some significant inroads into modifying this behavior, and her progress is really exciting !

Sparky lived in a beautiful home with a large family, but he was not suited to their lifestyle. A 7 year old Border Collie, he spent much of his time in a small, enclosed laundry room, or outside, unsupervised, in the backyard - his weekly routine consisted of escaping from the yard and running wildly around the streets - yikes ! Long story short, I adopted him from the family and he joins Yang in our Hard Core Rehabilitative Program. In less than one week, Sparky has morphed from an out of control, whining, anxious dog into one who is much calmer, attentive and relaxed. He is an angel - so smart, sensitive and lively ! We don't have any sheep around here, so I can't wait to get him involved in some agility activities - if ever a dog needed a job.....

Several new clients have come our way recently, and we have thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and working with their dogs - from Akitas to Goldens to Hounds ! Many thanks to all of our new two and four legged friends !

Will post more photos soon - my camera has decided to go on the fritz !

New Bay Area Dog Training Facility Almost Ready To Open !

As the summer of 2009 draws to a close, we are truly poised on the launching pad of Calm K9's grand debut ! Although we have had several unforseen obstacles pop up (and aren't unforseen obstacles the most "exciting" of all ?), things are progressing wonderfully, and soon we will be in our new facility which is located in the beautiful town of Port Costa, California !

Port Costa is in Contra Costa County (in the East Bay), just a few miles off of Highway 4, nestled on the banks of the Carquinez Strait. Although it is quite conveniently located, Port Costa feels as if it is hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area ! We are literally just a few minutes walk from some of the most stunning trails the East Bay has to offer, and our canine clients are sure to be as thrilled as we are about that ! It's been lots of fun planning out our new "dog room" so it's just the way we like it - clean and comfortable, well organized, and totally dog friendly !


Other projects we are currently working on include finishing up the re-vamping of our website, calmk9.net, and scouting out a location for special, free Puppy Socialization classes that will be offered every weekend, rain or shine ! Knowing how important socialization is for puppies, we are really looking forward to meeting lots of new folks and their pups ! Can you imagine how much fun this will be ? Bring your video cameras along - we will post your footage here on our blog so the world can appreciate your adorable little one ! Again, this will be offered at no cost, so please keep checking back with us for more information as we get this exciting opportunity off the ground ! If you'd like, we'd be happy to send you an email when we are finally ready to let your puppies loose - just send us a note, and we will keep you up to date on our upcoming free Puppy Socialization events !

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the photos of our Cowboy when he was a puppy - we'll be back soon with more news from Calm K9 !