Beginner through advanced group classes, behavior consulting, specialty classes, Tricks & Games class, AKC Canine Good Citizen, Intro to Clicker Training, Therapy Dog prep class, events & seminars.
Anne Springer
Paws for Praise
pawsforpraise@verizon.net
978-356-7667
Danvers
http://www.pawsforpraise.com
Vera E. Wilkinson CDBC, CPDT has been training dogs and resolving behavior problems throughout the Greater Boston Area since 1996. She offers classes in Brookline, and in-home consultations for people in the surrounding communities. She has written several articles on her site and now writes a blog which you should check out!
Vera Wilkinson (CDBC, CPDT, IAABC Dogs Division Chair, APDT Professional Member)
The Cooperative Dog
Brookline, Ma
617-566-2097
Animal Communicator Maureen Harmonay of Animal Translations uses telepathy and compassion to connect with dogs to resolve behavioral and training issues, ease transitions, and provide insight during times of stress and illness.
Maureen Harmonay, Animal Translations
MHarmonay@animaltranslations.com
978-502-5800
Sterling
http://www.animaltranslations.com
Guardian Angels, in Framingham, wants the world to know what they’ve become in 2008 and into 2009. Mostly a training center but they also offer doggie daycare and advice.
Recently they changed their name (from Guardian Angels Mastiffs) and they also offer a wide variety of instructional articles ranging from dog food ingredients to housetraining to carsickness. Recommended books, too.
I think more pet-related websites should also offer tips and advice so they doggie parents can learn every time they visit your site.
Guardian Angels
Phone: 508-864-7452
Fax: 508-872-0512
Framingham MA
from Jo Jacques
Ever want to know what pro dog trainers read? How about knowing the best of what they read… The absolute BEST?
Here is the cream of the crop, what’s on every GOOD professional trainer’s bookshelf:
The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller
Clicker Training for Obedience by Morgan Spector
Family Friendly Dog Training by Dr, Patricia McConnell
The Dog Whisperer By PAUL OWENS (NOT Millan!!)
Positive Puppy Training Works! by Lt. Joel Walton
The Complete Idiots Guide to Positive Dog Training by Pamela Dennison
How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks by Dr. Ian Dunbar
Outwitting Dogs by Terry Ryan
How to Behave so Your Dog Behaves by Dr. Sophia Yin
Don’t Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor
How Dogs Learn by Mary Burch and Jon Bailey
The Other End of the Leash by Dr. Patricia McConnell
EXCEL-erated Learning by Dr. Pamela Reid
As well, if you REALLY want to learn about canine cognition and learning, there’s Stephen Lindsey’s 3 volume set on Applied Behavior and Training (at a cost of 300-400 for the three), Domjan’s Principles of Learning and Behavior, Schwartz/Wasserman/Robbins’ Psychology of Learning and Behavior, and Sidman’s Coercion and it’s Fallout.
Jo, my name is Andrea and I just started going to college here in Boston last fall. With the warm weather coming up, I was wondering about your advice on getting a dog. I would prefer a smaller, low-shedding breed that doesn’t bark (I live with roommates) and doesn’t need too much exercise (I am very busy). What are your thoughts?
Hi, and welcome to Boston!
College is a very exciting and very busy time, and it can be fun to share it with a dog. From what you’ve said, though, it might not be the best time for you.
Dogs have evolved along side of humans, and are very social animals (just like people!). They don’t like to be alone for long periods of time, and can become destructive when bored or lonely — the busier you are, the more destructive your dog may become.
Getting a dog is a lot like having a baby — your life will change drastically, and with your course load and busy life, you may not have enough time walk, train, and socialize a pup. Pets are a great stress reliever, though — have you though about other options, such as a cat or a house rabbit? Both are affectionate, easily litter trained, and wont’ get upset if you keep long hours.
- Jo
Jo: I’ve got my first apartment and my landlord allows pets both cats and dogs. My problem is that I can’t figure out the best breed for me. This is my situation, my apartment is pretty decent size and has a large front and back yard (no fence.) It’s located in a rural area and is on the top floor of my building. I’m a fairly active person, if I have a dog I can take for walks or a dog to just sit in my lap I’m pretty impartial. I would like a dog I can take places with me. I am also gone for 9 hours a day from 2 - 11. So I need a dog who is a minimal barker, can be unsupervised without tearing apart my apartment and who won’t feel couped up during the day. Maybe a breed that does well with cats so they can entertain each other while I’m at work. Can anyone make a recommendation on the breed of dog that may be best for me? I have no allergies, live alone with no children and want a dog around 24/7. Thanks so much!
Hi, Josh,
Well, it’s good that you posted such honest info about your lifestyle. I’m assuming that you would be looking to adopt an adult dog, not a pup? Would you be able to take time off of work or work a flexible schedule for a bit in order to properly socialize and train your dog?
Due to evolutionary behavioral and health factors, dog breeds are not all that okay with being alone for 9 hours a day. They are VERY social creatures, and they are a pack animal — happiest when when someone or another animal. Some dogs can adapt, but usually dogs that have been slowly acclimated to that length of time alone.
As well, there are no ‘breeds’ that are minimal barkers or less likely to be destructive. Both of those behaviors are traits that happen when a dog is under-exercised and/or under-socialized. The best dog in the world — who has never barked or chewed anything — can have days when it does both non-stop due to boredom, too little exercise and lonlieness. As well, there is no dog breed that ‘naturally’ does well with cats — successful multi-species households happen through the work of owners who carefully introduce and contition their pets to get along — and sometimes, even that doesn’t work.
If you’d really like a dog, might I suggest a Maine Coon Cat? They are large and VERY dog-like, while still retaining the self-sufficience that cats natually possess and dogs lack. Affectionate, clean, highly trainable, and remarkably low maintenance (their coat, although it looks like it might tangle a lot, remains fairly tangle-free because it’s staggered).
- Jo
Exercise and Your Dog: How Much is Enough
The modern rally of ‘a tired dog is a good dog’ has been taken up by nearly everyone who has or works with dogs. However, excessive or inappropriate exercise could harm your dog, physically and/or mentally. In recent years, area vets have begun experiencing a large increase in ACL/PCL injuries among their clients – an injury that isn’t a normal occurrence in most dogs. After surgery (always required in a full tear), recovery is slow and arduous, and many dogs develop painful arthritis in the affected knee. As these injuries are happening more frequently in pet dogs (rather than canine athletes), vets believe this increase may be due to inappropriate forms of exercise and improper conditioning of these dogs.
What kind of exercise is inappropriate for a dog? That depends on the breed of dog, its current level of physical conditioning, the weather/climate, and of course, the dog itself. For example, most Basset Hounds do NOT make great running partners, in ANY weather <VBG>! Yet, even a Nordic breed, developed for pulling a sled long distances, can be injured by running on concrete sidewalks (paw pad injuries), or even dirt/sand (joints injuries and heat exhaustion/dehydration) during our inconsistent New England weather if an owner doesn’t take the right precautions. Just like humans, dogs need careful conditioning when beginning a physical exercise program. However, a human can respond appropriately when they feel themselves ‘overdoing’ it – dogs depend on us to keep them safe and healthy during exercise, and we don’t always notice the subtle signals of physical stress in a dog.
Certain breeds need a good amount of physical exercise in order to be healthy – sporting breeds, such as Retrievers, benefit greatly from 2-3 hours daily of running and swimming. Hounds, while they may not need as intense physical activity, require ‘nose work’ as part of their exercise plan – an hour or two a day of physical walking plus nose work will go a long way in keeping a hound happy and behaviorally healthy. Among the toughest dogs to ‘tire’ are the working breeds – dogs that were bred to do a physically and mentally demanding job independently – these are the guarding breeds (Belgian Shepherds, Pyrenees, etc.), sled dogs (Siberians, Malamutes, Samoyed, etc.) and herding breeds (Australian Cattle Dogs and Shepherds, Border Collies, etc.). These groups demand mental exercise in amounts that equal or surpass their physical exercise needs – needless to say, unless an owner is prepared to give them enough stimulation, it can be tough to keep these dogs in a city situation.
How can you tell what kind of exercise is appropriate for your dog? Start by talking to the parent club for your specific breed to find out what kinds of activities are appropriate. Next, take your dog to the vet for a physical evaluation to make sure he’ll be able to take part in the exercise you’ve chosen. If your dog has hip dysplasia or other physical problem that limits his ability to exercise, swimming can be an excellent option for exercise. You can ask your vet to explain the signs of physical stress you need to look for in your dog, or you may want to take a Pet First Aid course. In the New England area, heat exhaustion is a common issue because dogs don’t really have an efficient body-cooling system. Puppies and older dogs have worse temperature regulating abilities than healthy adult dogs, and dogs with shorter faces have impaired heat tolerance, as do black dogs and long-haired breeds. Generally, the top temperature for exercising a dog is about 85° F. However, if the dog is young, old, black, long-haired, short-muzzled, or not in perfect health, 85° F could be too hot. This is especially true when the humidity is high, so plan your exercise carefully in order to ensure your dog’s safety. Once you’ve decided on the type of exercise and when you’ll be engaging in it, you’ll need to build your dog up gradually, just as if you were starting a new program yourself. Remember, though, that puppies who are still growing shouldn’t engage in any exercise or activity during which they have to keep moving for long periods of time – the best exercise for a growing pup is playing with other puppies or people, with frequent rest periods. Plus, this type of play has the added bonus of exercising the pup’s brain, too.
Danish researcher and trainer Mogens Eliasen recently stated in his book, BrainWork for Smart Dogs (note: the term ’smart’ doesn’t mean a dog needs to be smart to do his ‘brainwork’, but that your dog will become smarter as a result of it) that while most people understand that a dog needs exercise, few comprehend that physical exercise by itself doesn’t always calm a dog down – in fact, it can cause what he terms a ‘build-up of mental energy’, resulting in just as many nuisance behaviors as a lack of physical exercise. People who train dogs to do complex behaviors such as those required by assistance tasks have noted how ‘tired’ the dogs seem after even a short training session.
So, does this mean you can get by with ‘mental exercise’ and forgo physical exercise entirely? NO – it means that a dog needs BOTH to be physically and emotionally healthy. When it comes to physical exercise, your dog will benefit greatly from at least two walks daily, of between 45 minutes-2 hours at a time, on or off leash (in a safe area). But the GOOD news for city-dwellers is that when the weather is bad and you can’t get out, you can STILL give your dog quality exercise that will help condition both his body and his brain.
How? Well, you can start with fetch and retrieve, if your dog enjoys this game (many retrievers will play for hours), but retrieve by itself is a physical-energy burner only. A better choice is ‘Find It!’ with a toy or other object – this will get your dog’s brain working, and kick in some of his natural prey instincts in the bargain. A great physical energy burner is ‘Tug of War’. No, it doesn’t make dogs more aggressive – just the opposite, in fact. Tug games, when played using easily-understandable, consistent rules, are a huge energy burner and also serve to increase the human-dog bond. What kind of rules? You should always use a designated ‘tug toy’, first of all, and your dog should know the ‘drop’ or ‘give’ cue, as well as a ‘take’ cue. ‘Take’ will be used as an invitation to play tug. If you see the dog becoming too aroused by tug, take an ‘obedience’ break – give a happy verbal announcement such as “Break-time!” and run your dog through a few of his known behaviors, such as sit, down, paw,etc. Then continue playing Tug (which becomes the ‘reward’ for performing his obedience tasks).
Another physical and mental game that dogs enjoy immensely is ‘Hide and Seek’ – this game is also a great way to work on recall skills. Place your dog in sit or down, give a ‘wait’ cue then leave the room and hide. Now, call your dog in a really excited way, so that he can come and find you. If you want, you can also give him a treat when he finds you, but most dogs are ecstatically happy to find you for praise and affection rewards, as well.
Trick training, using shaping methods really works to burn mental energy. Train your dog to ‘touch’ objects that you point to using his nose or his paw – begin by rewarding him for touching his nose to your hand, then adding the cue ‘nose’ or ‘touch’. Then, use that behavior as a stepping stone to other tricks such as closing doors, picking up toys or laundry, bringing you a magazine or newspaper, and ringing a bell. A great starter game that is used by new clicker trainers is ‘101 Things to Do With a Box’: (http://www.clickertraining.com/training/clicker_basics/index.htm?loaditem=101_w_a_box&itemnumber=8 ). This game encourages your dog to try new things when previous behaviors aren’t working – a great way to get your dog thinking!
You don’t need to have an ‘organized’ activity in order to get appropriate exercise for your dog – there are plenty of ways to keep him mentally and physically healthy. But, no matter how you choose to exercise your dog, remember to do so safely and in a way that will be fun for BOTH of you.
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