Copper the Whopper Beagle's Thanksgiving Message

Me in the kitchen. This is my favorite room!

Hello-

I am Copper the Whopper Beagle. I think the time is overdue for me to write a post for my Daddy's Blog.

Thanksgiving is approaching so I thought it appropriate to write about the things for which, I , Copper the Whopper Beagle, is thankful.

• Being rescued from the Clayton County Shelter

My foster mommy (Michelle Crampo) rescued me from the Clayton County Shelter. I was already an adult and really needed to get out of that place. The food was okay but the other dogs were really loud and I did not get as much attention as I needed.

• Being a foster member of my foster mommy's pack

My foster mommy took me home and I got to be in a pack with a lot of other cool dogs! I loved running around in the yard. Foster mommy had to chase me sometimes when I found a way out of the fence. I could not help myself, the scents were just so interesting and it was fun to follow the trail!

I got lots of treats and love from my foster mommy and daddy. We had a great time! The only part I did not enjoy was the small amount of time that I had to spend in a dog crate.

I often got to help with the new puppies who temporarily joined our foster pack. I really liked sniffing them and watching them play!

I am really thankful that my foster mommy rescued me! She did not come to the shelter intending to get me. But, I loved her at first sight and I think she loved me too! She was almost out of the parking lot with a pit bull buddy of mine when she came back in to get me. 

I stayed with foster mommy and daddy and my foster pack for quite sometime. It was great but I really needed a forever home!

• Being adopted by my Daddy and Awesome, Lovely Mommy

Foster Mommy took me to Petco in Peachtree City, Georgia one Saturday  in January 2013.  I was helping her with an adoption event for me and some of my other foster buddies. We were outside the Petco store because it was a really pretty day.

I met my adopted Daddy there. He saw me and we really hit it off well. He took me for a walk and fed me some treats. I decided that I would really like to go home with him! He called my adopted Mommy and she traveled to Petco to meet me. She also fell in love with me. She is a lovely and awesome lady. Daddy, at the time, worked at Petco. He had to go back to work. Mommy took me to my new home. Foster Mommy wanted to take a look at my new home. She stopped by a little later. While we were waiting for her, I helped myself to a loaf of bread that my new Mommy apparently left out for me. It was great after I got the plastic off! Foster Mommy looked at my new home and cried a little before she left me there with my new Mommy.

Me and some of the pack enjoying the sun in the
backyard.

I got to meet my new pack mate , Cuddles the Corgi mix. Cuddles was not exactly gracious but I am sure that she loved having a new adopted brother. I really loved having a forever home. Mommy and Daddy are very nice to me. We have a great time together!

Grandpa giving us treats

Daddy is a dog trainer and he taught me all sorts of cool things that I could do to get tasty treats! I learned sit, stay, down, leave it, how to wait at doorways and how to walk properly on the leash. We were so good together that he began using me as a demo dog.

I am really thankful that Mommy and Daddy adopted me! It has been great living here! I also have really awesome adopted grandparents. They live next door. I visit them often with Daddy and/or Mommy. They love petting me and have really tasty treats and a nice back yard in which to play!

Later on we adopted Cody the Little Beagle to be my brother. That has been really fun. Mommy and Daddy also now foster other dogs and I love to help with that! Recently we added another permanent member to the pack, my other adopted brother Trigger the Dapple Dachshund. It is really a lot of fun to be a member of this pack. I love my new Mommy and Daddy and my forever home! 

• Meeting all the members of my fan club at Petco in Peachtree City, GA

I worked with my Daddy for a while at the Petco store in Peachtree City. I was his demo dog. While we worked there, I met a lot of nice people. Some were customers, some worked in grooming, some worked in other areas of the store. They were all very nice to me! Some gave me little bites of their lunch (Linda). Some gave me little pieces of bacon from breakfast (Kelley). They all loved to give me treats when I did the stuff Daddy taught me! They also talked to me and gave me treats. 

For some reason, the district manager decided that Daddy did not need a demo dog so, I was fired. That was a sad day for me and for my Daddy. But, I made some really good friends. When we go to Petco now, the people who Daddy calls my fan club are always happy to see me. I love them and am very thankful for them!

• Going to work with my Daddy

My Daddy owns and operates a Lawn Maintenance and Handyman Business. He also now has a new dog training business. I love to go to work with him! I can not go when it is really hot outside. But when the weather is right, he takes me to work. I have a special tether that I use to keep me safe next to the trailer while he works. I like to sit there and supervise the work. I also meet a lot of customers that way. They love to pet me and give me tasty treats!

Me supervising Daddy's work.... he did okay on this job.

I also go with Daddy to Home Depot and to Lowes to buy material for jobs. I really like helping out! We meet a lot of people who like to pet me and feed me tasty treats! I sometimes just sit or lay down next to daddy while he picks out material. It is great to go on these adventures! I am really thankful that I can go to work with my Daddy!

I also help Daddy with his dog training business. If you need help please contact my Daddy. We will be glad to come work with you to teach your dogs to be polite like me. My Daddy always says " Polite Dogs = Happy People! "

• Being a member of a really cool pack

It is really fun to be a member of my pack at my forever home! We have four permanent members ( Cuddles, Cody, Trigger and Me) and usually one or two foster members. We have a really nice fenced in backyard. We get to chase chipmunks, squirrels, and bears in the backyard (well maybe not bears).

I also like to help the foster dogs learn new commands to get treats. I help them learn where to go potty. It is a lot of fun. I am sad when the foster dogs get forever homes. I miss them but soon enough we have a new foster to help.

I am really thankful to have this cool pack at my forever home!

Daddy took me to the vet. We got some medicine for me that I take every day with a treat. It is for a thyroid problem. Since I started taking it I am feeling better than ever! I think  I am beginning to lose some weight too! You can still call me Whooper though :) .

This is a short list of the things for which I am thankful. It has been a great year for me! In January I will have been with my new Mommy and Daddy for a year. I have really loved it!

Remember if you want a new dog to be part of your pack, please consider doing what my Mommy and Daddy did and adopt or rescue a dog. Many of my buddies still need forever homes! If you need help finding a dog for adoption, please contact my Daddy at anytime!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bye for now

Copper the Whopper Beagle

William Moore Canine Training

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

678-702-4791

Why I never recommend retractable leashes.

Actual injury caused by a recent accident caused by a retractable leash.
In this particular case, the finger was saved. However, there have been reported cases of
accidental amputations of fingers by these leashes. 

This post may be somewhat less than palatable for some of my friends in the Pet Supply business. However, I think it prudent to explain why I have such a distaste for these popular retractable leash devices. So, to my friends at Petco, PetSmart, and even some of you smaller retailers, please understand that my opinions here are based solely upon my observations and experiences as a Dog Trainer.

Furthermore, it is my hope that you will consider the points that I make the next time you have an opportunity to recommend a leash for a customer in your fine establishments! Remember, I have no malice against you personally nor professionally, I just see some very real safety hazards for your customers and their dogs from the retractable leash products that are sold in your establishments.


First lets examine how the retractable leash works:

The drawing shown here is from the US Patent office. It is for US Patent US7896281 B2. I think this a pretty good representation of basically how most of the modern retractable leashes work. Take a look at the google patent link for more details.

I have heard people say that these leashes are similar in design to fishing reels. When looking at the patent , it reminds me more of the recoil assembly on a lawn mower rope start assembly. You know when you pull the string to start the mower and let go, the recoil mechanism pulls the rope back. That recoil action is very similar to the way the patent indicates that these leashes work.

The only remarkable difference that occurs to me is that the retractable leashes implement a braking mechanism to stop the retracting action. In other words there is a lock button that you can press to stop the recoil or retract action of the leash.


Okay, it sounds like a good idea. You can have a 20 or 30 ft. long leash in a small package and retract it when you want. On your walk, the dog is 30ft away, you lock the leash and let him roam then when he comes closer you retract it ,to make the leash shorter, then you go home. What a concept, huh? Well, in my experience there are multiple potentially extremely dangerous problems here.

There are several concerns and safety issues here:

• These cord on these leashes is usually mostly really thin line. If there is more than one dog in a close area, this is a potential disaster because the leashes very easily become entangled. This presents a risk of tripping and falling to the people and risk of extremely severe injury to the dogs. The potential for injury is due to the line being so thin and strong. It cuts very efficiently.
• Because this line cuts so efficiently, it is also a major risk for causing severe injury to people. There is a braking mechanism on these devices and you are suppose to use it to stop the recoil. However if the dog is suddenly alarmed a moves very quickly, usually a natural reaction is to grab the line and pull. This causes a lot of burns and cuts.
• It is very easy to accidentally get the small line wrapped around your fingers or other body parts causing sever injuries. If the dog suddenly pulls while the line is around your finger you could get an injury like the one in the picture at the top of this blog. You could also get a finger cut off. It has happened before!
• Because theses leashes are so long people are often tempted to give the dog more leash than they should and can not control the dog well enough when an aggressive dog approaches. Not to mention that dogs simply should not walk in public places on that long of a leash. It is dangerous to you and your dog!
• These leashes are much more difficult to handle (in my experience). There is no loop to put your wrist through. So if you are carrying anything or if you are mildly distracted, it is extremely easy to drop one of these things.The plastic case is  heavy and big .Sometimes the leash is not locked and retracts upon being dropped. This can rattle the nerves of even a polite and well trained dog!

Why, then are these dangerous devices so popular? Well, I think it may be because they are perceived as convenient. And, I suppose there is a certain convenience if you want the dog to have a very long leash.  But, that is not really the proper way to walk a dog (in my opinion). The dog should always be close beside you. If he has to relieve himself give him a little bit of leash but I really see no benefit to the dog being 30ft away from me on a leash walk. 

There are some training situation in which I use a very long (30 or 40 feet) rope or leash to teach recall. But I never use a retractable for this purpose. And sometimes people who have tracking dogs will use a long lead to let the dog follow the trail but never a retractable.

I think the real reason the Pet Stores and Retail Outlets sell these things it that there is a great deal of profit to be made. I have absolutely nothing against profit. I like to make profit myself! But, these are truly dangerous devices. 

Just to make my point a little more strongly, I  submit the following for your consideration. Petco carries Flexi retractable leashes. Unfortunately, when I worked there, these were big selling items. Flexi is the same organization that applied for the Patent that I referenced above. Take a look at there very lengthy retractable leash warnings on their own website. Even the people who make these things acknowledge that they are dangerous.  One of the things that they mention is: "Do not use this leash with a disobedient or uncontrollable dog, since they are more likely to wrap the cord/tape/belt around people or to run off at high speeds." Let me tell you from my experience, almost any dog has the potential to "run off at high speeds" under the proper circumstances.

 For instance: Copper Whopper, my demo Beagle, is a very polite and well behaved dog. He is great on leash. I use him frequently to demonstrate proper loose leash walking technique. However, sometimes his instinct briefly takes over and he will chase after a chipmunk, bear, etc. (well maybe not a bear :) ).

My point is that there is no way to predict when this may occur. I can get him under control easily but he does have the potential to bolt off. This could be very dangerous with a retractable leash.

My advice is use a 6 foot (maximum) fabric or leather leash. This is what people in the business call a "flat leash" (just to be cool).  You can even use a chain leash. I do not really like the chain leashes because they are heavy and harder for me to manage but they are many orders of magnitude safer than a retractable leash!

If you need assistance helping your dog to walk properly on leash, please contact me at anytime! Copper and I will be happy to show you the proper technique!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

678-702-4791

Skype Dog Training Consultations Now Available!!!!

Where is the "treat" key?

I am pleased to announce that I am now offering Dog Training consultations via Skype!

This allows those of you who are outside my home travel area ( 20 mile radius from the intersection of Westbridge Rd and Hwy 92 N in North Fayette County) to purchase my services without the added travel expense.

The Skype video conferencing is also an additional low cost option for busy people who just need a few minutes of advise to help them achieve a polite dog.

Remember, I always say " Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you become happy today!

For more information see: http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/p/dog-training-consultations-via-skype.html.

Till Next Time

-William -

My little buddy does not come when I call... what can I do?

One of the most common things that folks ask me about is getting a stubborn little guy or girl to come when called.

This is what us dog trainers, just to sound cool, sometimes call "recall".

There are positive reinforcement techniques that can be used to teach the come command. They work very well. However, I am going to share a secret with you here. The most important thing when teaching recall is that coming when called can never be optional! If the dog does not come to us, we have to go to the dog.

Like almost everything in Dog Training, recall can be taught. It takes patience, consistency and routine to get results. You have to start in a almost distraction free environment and then slowly add distractions. But, it can be done! There is hope for any dog here, regardless of age!

There is something that is really important to remember here: You may be fighting against instinct in some cases so, you may need to adjust your expectations accordingly. What I mean is this: In the case of scent hounds (Beagles, Bassets, Bloodhound, Dachshunds, etc) an interesting scent may capture these dogs' attentions to the point that no amount of recall training can get them to come when they are on a good trail. This is why it is important to not let these breeds run free they are very much ruled by their sense of smell. Sight hounds (Labradors, Pointers, etc) can be similarly disctracted by the sight of interesting critters like squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, etc. It is very difficult to achieve 100% off leash recall because of these factors. So, please keep that in mind and do not set a goal that your little buddy is not capable of reaching.

Keeping instinctual challenges in mind, with practice you can achieve vast improvement in recall in most cases! Your dog should come to you when you call. This is a very important thing upon which most other behaviors that you will teach your dog rely.

All the dogs in our pack will come when called. However, there are limitations. Just yesterday, The Lovely Shane and I let the pack out in the back yard while we were in the house. A few minutes later we heard barking and howling coming from the backyard. It turns out Copper had breached the fence and was on the trail to Grandma and Grandpa's house (they live next door and love to give Copper treats). Well, Copper was literally on the trail of dog treats. This is a very high motivation for Copper Whopper.

Luckily the rest of the pack alerted the Lovely Shane and me to this situation. Both the Lovely Shane and I called Copper. We were walking toward Grandma's place and sighted Copper. We both called again. He looked at us to acknowledge that he heard us but kept following the trail. I had to physically catch him and snap the leash to his collar and pull him off the trail!

Copper is my demo dog. He knows all the commands that I teach and does them very well most of the time. But, you see, his natural instinct to follow the trail was overriding the training. This is very difficult to overcome. Copper did acknowledge us and slow down. Had he not had the training he may not have even slowed down. But , even with Copper Whopper, a trained dog that I work with every day, I can not say that he has 100% recall and he probably never will but, that is the way God wired him. His breed was bred to hunt not to come when called so he is doing precisely what his breed was bred to do!

This is why it is so important with Beagles and all scent hounds that you have a proper fence if you let them run free. You also need to supervise them in the fence. Do not leave them unattended anymore than you absolutely have to. See my previous blog entry for more details.


Teaching the come command (recall) is one of the most import things you can do in your effort to  teach your dog to be polite. Please contact me for help with this! There a techniques that I can teach you that will be very helpful. There is even a fun little game that I can teach you to play with your dog that will help tremendously in this effort!

Remember, regardless of how bad your dog's recall ability is now, there is hope! Please contact me for help!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

For your fence repair or fence installation needs, please contact William Moore Lawn and Handyman Services. 
fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com
678-702-4791

You can teach an old dog new tricks!

The Lovely Shane with our Senior Beagle, Cody

Many of you know that I really love adult and senior dogs! I only adopt the older guys. This is because the older guys have a difficult time finding forever homes.  I suppose also that like me, they are a little less active than they used to be :) .

Some adult or senior dogs really never learned good manners. As you may be aware, I always say, "Polite Dogs.... Happy People". It is possible to teach these older guys to be very polite little guys and girls.

Our little Beagle, Cody is a senior guy. When we adopted him and added him to our home, he had some, what I would call "bad manners". He was not good on the leash ( he pulled pretty hard). He also really had no door way manners. He knew how to sit but had not quite mastered stay. He also did not get the concept of "leave it". I wanted to have him leave things alone that I may drop on the floor.

With persistent work, all these things improved greatly within the first couple of weeks.

Cody does have some limitations, however. When he was a younger dog, he apparently broke one of his hind legs. The leg never healed properly. He can no longer really jump and he can not really do the down position.  So, I never taught him down, roll over, crawl or anything that would require too much stress on the hind legs.

I mention Cody's limitations because it is important to know your dog's limitations. You should not really expect to train a dog to do something for which he is not physically capable.

That being said, barring physical problems, you can really teach an older dog anything that you can teach a younger dog. Sometimes it takes a little more patience because the older guys may have developed some bad habits that you have to break. However, it is very possible to train an older dog.

Another thing that the Lovely Shane and I like about older dogs is that they are long past the puppy stage. We like this because we don't have to worry about teething( and the chewing that goes along with teething). Also, as a general rule, older dogs are not nearly as hyper as the young pups. Since we already have older dogs in our pack, the really hyper little guys do not fit in as well as adult guys.

We do sometimes foster puppies. In fact, our current foster boy, Biscuit is an older puppy (he is around 9-10 months). Biscuit is actually learning from our adult guys. It is really cool to watch. But, I have to make sure that I give Biscuit plenty of  physical exercise because our older guys do not play nearly as much as Biscuit.

If you are thinking of adopting a dog, an adult or senior dog may be an excellent choice for you. This is particularly true if you do not have children or if your children are teenagers. We really do love our adult and senior dogs!

Copper, our Whopper Beagle is not a senior guy. He is about 7 years old or so (we are really not sure exactly... even the veterinarians guesses vary between 5 and 8). I actually chose him to be my demo dog. I knew when I first saw him at an adoption event, that he would make a great demo dog! I had to work with him quite a bit but, within a month of adopting him, he was helping me with dog training!

The point I am attempting to make here is that if you have an older dog and he/she is not polite and well behaved, do not give up! You can teach your dog to be polite and well behaved!

If you are thinking of adopting an adult or senior dog and are concerned about training, don't worry!

Please contact me at anytime and I will be happy to help you train your dog to be a well behaved, polite dog!

Till next time

-William-

William Moore Canine Training
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
678-702-4791

Dog Fences and Other Containment Devices

When the weather is nice outside, it is tempting to let the dogs run. Actually, it is a really good idea to let them get off-leash exercise if you have the proper place to for this sort of activity. Our pack loves to be outside in the sun!

The Lovely Shane and I have a backyard that is enclosed with a 4 foot high chain link fence here at the Dog Trainer Shack. This is certainly not in any way an adequate containment system for an unsupervised Beagle. However, it is adequate for supervised romps. Copper just loves to track and chase chipmunks, squirrels feral cats, grizzly bears and whatever other interesting critters make their way inside the fence. Well perhaps I exaggerated the grizzly bear thing :).

I mentioned that this 4 foot chain link fence is not an adequate containment system for a Beagle that is unsupervised. Many of you new Beagle buddies or those of you who have never had a Beagle buddy in your pack may think that I am overly cautious here. I have been around Beagles most of my life. One should never, ever, ever, ever underestimate a Beagle's ability or determination to escape. It is not that your little guy or girl is not happy living with you, it is that the Beagle has a very strong instinctual drive to track game. If he/she is on the trail of something the focus of the little brain is very narrow. All he/she is thinking about is following the trail. This is one thing that makes them wonderful hunting dogs. A Beagle with its relatively short legs can follow a trail with its nose to the ground without slowing down to sniff.

I went into the house for just a couple of minutes the other day and one of our pack (not sure which member, I am not convinced that it was not a group effort) was on the trail of something and began digging under the fence. I have temporarily filled the hole with brick and concrete block until I can make a more permanent repair. Under is not the only way a Beagle will try to escape either. I once had a very smart guy named Boomer. When he was about 4 years old, he once climbed over a 6 foot chain link fence! He looked a lot like the guy in the picture here scaling the privacy fence. If you need to leave your dog unattended outside for short periods of time (please do not do this for extended periods) there are some options. You can build or buy a kennel type chain link enclosure. some of these have tops that will keep out rain and sun.

If you anchor these enclosures to a concrete slab the dogs will be unable to dig out.

The Lovely Shane and I are planning to, one day, install a 6 foot privacy fence on at least one side of the back yard. Perhaps we will install one or two of these cool portholes. This will allow out pack to look out. Besides, I think it looks really cool :).

Okay, now I am going to mention something that is a little controversial.  The devices that utilize shock collars to make a so called "underground" or" invisible fence". What I am about to write is my opinion as an electronic engineer and a dog trainer. To call these devices "fences" fosters a false sense of safety and security and, in my opinion, borders on fraudulent. These devices sometimes use a buried wire and sometimes use RF (Radio Frequency) transmissions. When the dog gets near the "border" he receives what is sometimes called a static correction. I have studied electronics for many years. It was a career for me. I am now an FCC Licensed Amateur Radio Operator and it is also a hobby of mine. Please, let us not sugar coat this matter. I have never, other than from the manufacturers and advocates of these devices, heard the correction that they provide called "static". I suppose in the academic electrical sense this is technically accurate. But, my friends and readers, in a strictly scientific, electrical sense, lightning is static. Static does not, in any way, co-notate safety. What the collars that come with these devices do is administer a high voltage, low current electrical shock to the dog in the guise of "correction". To some extent it is effective. It does get the little guy or girls attention. However, do they really understand why they are being "corrected" ? I am not convinced that they understand.

A dog can and in many cases will learn that if he/she runs hard and fast enough the "border" can be crossed. He will only get a short and painful electrical shock. The really bad thing about this is if the dog tries to return he will get the shock at the border again. Also, my friends, these collars are in no way foolproof. Batteries can get weak or die. The collar can slip off. The control unit can lose electrical power making these things completely and utterly useless. The underground wire can be accidentally broken. An adjacent transmitter could possibly interfere with the signal from the wireless transmitter rendering its performance unpredictable. Many things can happen to make these devices even less effective.

I am also not at all convinced that these collars are safe. Because of the way the heart works (remember I am not a doctor, don't even play one on T.V.) electrical shocks, even non-lethal ones, can be dangerous to dogs and people.

It is very rare that I find myself in agreement with PETA. They are generally much too radical for me. However, I have to agree with most of their position on shock collars when used as a "fence" or containment device


If you use Google or the search engine of your choice, there is no shortage of images and stories of dogs who were reportedly hurt or killed by shock collars. By the way, just because a product has the word "safe" and "pet" in the name does not mean that it is absolutely safe in all respects to all pets in all applications.

Please understand I am not stating that there is no legitimate use for these devices. In some very extreme cases of aggression, these shock collars with a remote (not as a so called fence) can sometimes be effective as a last resort only. However, this should be done under the supervision of a professional ( a dog trainer, canine behaviorist, or veterinarian).

During my time working at Petco, I saw many of these shock collar devices sold. Some of them for bark control, some of them for containment, and some with the remotes were sold for "training" purposes. They were almost never sold to be used as a last resort in a difficult case. Many times people bought them expecting them to be a magic bullet for behavioral issues. Many times, at the store where I worked in Peachtree City, GA they were bought to be used as "fences" so that the people in deed restricted communities did not have to put up an "unsightly" real fence. I always explained how these devices really worked to customers. But in many cases they bought them as "quick fixes" because of the way these things are miss-marketed. These things are promoted by Petco as "training aides" look at their website there is really no explanation of exactly how these devices work and the inherent dangers of them. I guess there is a great deal of profit to be made here. I suppose that is the real focus at the place "where the pets go".


Well, as always if you have any dog training questions or concerns, please contact me. Also I do, as many of you know, operate a Handyman business. If you have any questions about proper fences or need one installed or repaired also please contact me.

Till next time
-William -

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
678-702-4791

William Moore
William Moore Lawn and Handyman Services
fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com
678-702-4791