Dogs in Mount Tremblant

The bachelor weekend was a fun one as 5 guys took a road trip to Mount Tremblant, Quebec. I have never been there before and wondered what dogs I would see in Mount Tremblant. You know me, it's all about the dogs. "Look at this guy, every picture there's a dog in it!," my friends would say. "...probably more dog pics than human pics..." They know me too well.

So I was on a mini mission to see how many dogs I could find in Mount Tremblant. Seeing that many of the hotel resorts did not allow pets I figured I would be disappointed in my quest for dogs in Mount Tremblant. To my surprise there were a handful of dogs! Actually I saw many people come up to the owners and have a good chat about their dogs and their stories.

At one time during our trip, an owner and what looked to be like a white poodle mix rode the elevator with us 5 guys. Of course I stood beside the dog and looked at it. Stuck my hand out and the dog instantly started licking at my hand. "What a friendly dog", I thought. "Shy would probably go nuts if she saw you." She would got nuts even if it was the cutest puppy in the world.

During the trip the boys decided to play "Spot that Asian" and accumulated points for every asian they saw in Mount Tremblant. The boys were real good at picking out the Asians as they called out, "Two there, and I see one there. I got 45 now." I was fed up 'cause I was more focused on getting good pictures the whole trip. So I said, "If I see a Boxer, then I win guys." Sure enough during our bike hike I spotted one and called "I WIN! I WIN!" I cried out like I had just won the lottery. Then I said, "All right, I get 10 points then 'cause the face looked like a Boxer but it did not have the typical markings of a boxer." We laughed and just played on.

The trip ended with a dip in the pool, many jokes and a fun card game over some drinks. Mount Tremblant was a good relaxing weekend and a well deserved one. I'm sure the dogs in Mount Tremblant enjoyed it as much as we did, maybe even more

"I'm a Stupid Owner"

"I have a smart dog...but I'm a stupid owner," said one of our clients today. I guess she was upset at the fact she couldn't get her dog to sit and focus in front of her. "Whoa whoa whoa....hold on...you are not a stupid owner. Any owner who brings their dog to a puppy class and is willing to take time to train their dog is a smart owner," I replied. Then I said, "I never want to hear that again!," and I corrected her on her technique. After that, she got her miniature schnauzer to sit right in front of her and focusing right at her. Yes!

I tell a lot of our clients, "It's not only about training your dog, it's about training yourself too." When I got into teaching dog obedience, I was naive. I thought it was about training our four legged friends. In fact, it was about training our two legged friends. There are no stupid owners when they take their dog to our classes. I can think of a couple of reasons why taking your dog to a class is a smart choice.

1. It promotes the human to canine bond.

2. Puppies get the chance to socialize and learn how to play with other puppies. (i.e bite inhibition especially for bigger dogs)

3. An obvious one, you will have a better behaved dog.

4. Reinforces your puppy recalls in a distracted environment for the safety of your dog.

5. You will be educated about your dog and provide a foundation for advanced manners.

There are a lot more but those come to mind. We never provided our puppy with the chance to learn or see the outside world often enough. When the terrible twos hit, I decided I needed to learn about our dog and it's bad behaviours. When reflecting back, it has been the driving force in my work with dogs. Truth be told, I was the "real" stupid owner back then, not my client today.

Barking Min Pin

Oh yes, I definitely wanted to show you guys the barking min pin we have. She's a great min pin and we love her to death but it's tough to take the barking min pin out on regular walks. Lack of socialization during the critical window of socialization is partly the factor. The lack of socialization caused her to become shy and unsure of new or different environments. Mind you she has gotten much much better and she makes a wonderful dog when inside the house. Our barking min pin gets stressed at the sight of dogs, trucks, bicycles, skateboarders and a lot of others things. What do your dogs bark at?

In this clip, she barks at a german shephard as Neilynne tries to calm her down. The barking min pin just won't stop. Her focus is right on the german shephard and we can't get her to focus back on us.

How do we change such behaviour? It's a difficult question to answer. I leave it to the experts. I would only venture to say that a controlled environment is needed with a well behaved dog. Possibly flooding the barking min pin with positive associations to the other dog. Have the min pin approach and walk past the other dog while the other dog is in a down stay. That way the min pin is not stationary while a big creature is coming towards them causing a flight or fight response. If the min pin barks, ignore it, you have approached too close. Try again and you should be able to work at a successful distance where the dog doesn't bark. Reward behaviour that your want!

As a first time owner, Shy has been the dog that has taught me everything about dogs. She has been our "mistakes" dog. I've made many errors with her but at the same time, I have learned so much and made the corrections necessary. This barking min pin, the one that goes crazy at the slightest things, is still a beloved family member, and I thank her.

Breeder of the Pack

Breeder of the Pack is coming July 29th on Animal Planet and it's a new Canadian production. Breeder of the Pack is a reality series focused on the breeder and competition. My friend and mentor, Lucinda Glenny of Canine Campus will have the spot light on her as camera crews follow her into competitions. I will be sure to watch. Breeder of the pack camera crews have already invaded the shop to see the training that is involved with championship dogs. The show focuses on the world of dog competitions and the strict training required. I'm sure it was fun and I'm not going to spoil it for everyone. So watch Breeder of the Pack on July 29 only on Animal Planet.

Love Cute Dogs

Dog Slideshow. Enjoy