New Logo featuring Spot and Fred

Well I have been considering a new logo. My brother , Stan Moore of Stan Moore Signs (in beautiful historic Senoia, GA) recently made me a really nice yard sign.He actually made two of them because someone liked it so much they saw fit to remove it from the yard here at the shack. If you have my sign, please return it. No questions will be asked.

He used some clip art cartoon dogs that I am calling Spot and Fred. I really like Spot and Fred. I think I am going to begin using Spot and Fred in my materials.

The logo is still sort of in a draft mode but you get the idea.

So, you will be seeing a lot more of Fred and Spot soon! Let me know what you think of them.

Fred

Spot

My cool yard sign

Till next time

-William 

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

What to do with old Petco Polo type Shirts

Me dressed for Christmas 2012

I have heard a rumor that Petco (allegedly " the place where the healthy pets go") will be phasing out those uncomfortable polo-type shirts from their uniforms soon.

I have many friends and colleagues in the employ of Petco. As a service to all of you I thought I would give you a few helpful suggestions of ways to re-purpose these highly uncomfortable and questionably fashionable clothing items.

My Radio Station with Dust Covers almost completely in place

As you know, as of May 2013, I am no longer a Petco employee. I found a use for my almost worn out shirts. I use them as dust covers for some of my amateur
(Ham) Radio Equipment. I realize that not all of you are Ham Operators. So, I thought I would add a few suggestions that occur to me:

Cleaning rags
Grease Rags
Pot Holders
Sew up the sleeves, collar and bottom... add a hole to fuel and fill with helium or hydrogen and perhaps you could make a giant floating balloon.

My Radio Station ready for operation

Altered properly, they could be made into a dog shirt.
Toaster or kitchen appliance cozy
Dog crate liner
Stuff them with the proper filler, sew sleeves, bottom, and collar then perhaps they would make a pillow.
Sew sleeves and collar, add a handle near the bottom and make a beach bag.
Attach to the end of a mop handle and use to apply wax to floors.

I hope this has been helpful to you! If you have other creative ideas to re-purpose these things I am sure that my friends at Petco would love to read them all! Please feel free to add them to the comment section here!

Till Next Time -

William

(I really hope you appreciate my attempt at humor)

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

Happy New Year and things to remember regarding your dogs this holiday.

The Lovely and Awesome Shane, Cuddles the Corgi mix, Copper the Whopper Beagle, Cody the little Beagle, Trigger the dapple Dachshund, Foster Girl Gracy ( the Georgia Gracy Hound), and Foster Boy Dr. Phil McBeagle wish you a Happy New Year!

The Lovely Shane and I will be observing southern tradition and having collard greens and blackeyed peas on New Years Day.

As I mentioned around July 4, fireworks continue to be illegal in this part of the country. However, this does not seem to stop people from firing them. This may bring out anxiety in your little guys and girls. Our little beagle, Cody is scared of fireworks. We have to try to make him more comfortable at times when they are being fired.

To make Cody more comfortable we will have distractions in the house. We will play some music or turn on the Television set to mask the offending war zone like sounds. It is also important that you not make a big deal about the fireworks. In other words remain calm. Resist the urge to say something like "poor Cody" and put your arms around him when the fireworks go off. This type of reaction makes the anxiety worse. Just ignore the fireworks. If Cody sees no reaction in us, he is likely not react either.

This may go with out mentioning but, I am going to mention it anyway: Please, please, please keep your dog inside during the fireworks. If a dog gets scared he may run off and get hurt or lost in the process.

If you need help teaching your dogs to be polite little boys and girls, please contact me at anytime! I always tell you., " Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you get happy today!

Till next time

-William-

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

Merry Christmas and a few things to remember about your canine friends at Christmas.

The Lovely Shane, Cuddles the Corgi Mix, Copper the Whopper Beagle, Cody the Little Beagle, Trigger the Dapple Dachshund, Foster Girl Gracy, Foster Boy Dr. Phil McBeagle, and I wish to extend Christmas Greetings to you and your families! Thank You for your support over the year. We really appreciate your business and the opportunity to communicate with you through this blog!

Non - Dog Training related Christmas message to my Christian friends and readers:

While there are differing theological views regarding the origin of this holiday, some with which I agree and some with which I do not, I think it wise to set that aside and remember why we, as Christians, claim to observe this holiday. While we may disagree on the Scriptural support for the observance of this day, it is clear the reason for this holiday, Christ, is the center of our faith. It is not clear, at least from my reading of the Bible, if the early church observed Christ's birth, or any other birth for that matter. It is however, clear that without Christ, we are lost.

So, my fellow Christians, I encourage you to ponder this:

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. ( And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;(because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was , while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for him in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, Fear not: for behold I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David is a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:1-11 (KJV)

I am not a theologian...... but.... it does seem that if we chose to observe Christmas, the above passage is worthy of consideration. Our Savior, Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection is the reason for our faith. So perhaps we should spend a little time thinking of this particular passage of scripture and its impact on our lives. The parties, time with family, gifts, etc. are not bad but, the real reason we claim to celebrate on this holiday is the birth of our Savior!

I realize that has little to do with dog training. Christmas is however, widely viewed as a Christian Holiday so, I felt compelled to put it in perspective.

Dog Training Related Christmas Message:

I have mentioned many times before that dogs are very much routine oriented. They do much better and seem to be happier when they have an established routine. For this reason, Christmas, or any other holiday (vacation, etc.) can be difficult for our canine friends.

The break in routine, can in many cases overwhelm and stress even a normally polite little guy or girl. Please remember this if you plan to have new people as guests in your home for a party or other event. The new people and perhaps loud music, etc. can be very stressful for our little buddies. 

If we consider strategies ahead of time, we can make this much easier on our canine friends. You may want to consider making them a comfortable and safe place in a room as far as possible from the festivities.

 Make it fun for them! Maybe give them something special to occupy time. A frozen peanut butter filled Kong style toy many times is a good thing to use! Check on the little guys from time to time. Maybe keep the Television on for them in the room. Also, make sure they have had plenty of exercise the day of the party or event. If they are tired, they will be more likely to relax.

If you plan it right, Christmas can be a fun time for your little buddies too!

Remember, what your dog really wants is to spend time with you! He wants your love. So, even though dogs love treats and toys, my opinion is that they love your attention even more! So, if you really want to give your dog a gift he will love for Christmas, do something special to spend more quality time with him. Maybe a special ride to the park or a day going shopping with Mommy and Daddy (as I have told you before, there are many stores that welcome dogs).

Well I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas! 

As always, please contact me if you need help with training your dog to be a polite little guy or girl. I always tell you, "Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you get happy today!

Thank you for your support.

Till Next Time

-William

William Moore Canine Training

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

678-702-4791

Adventures of Gracy : Housebreaking and Socialization

Foster Girl Gracy in the dog basket.

I am happy to report that Foster Girl Gracy is making great progress! We are very proud of her here at the Dog Training/Foster Shack!

When she first joined our pack, she was not housebroken and needed some work on socialization. As you may remember, Gracy is about 6 months old. She was very sick during the first few months of her life and had to remain in her crate most of the time. As a result, she was never really socialized much and she was not housebroken.

Socialization:

She is a very sweet girl. She loves people. However, she gets stressed when there are too many people or other dogs around. This became apparent when we first started taking her to adoption events at Petco in Peachtree City,GA. The first day we took her to an indoor adoption event, she immediately became overwhelmed and extremely stressed. I had to take her back to the shack after about 10 minutes.

Gracy enjoying the backyard sunshine
 at the Dog Training/Foster Shack

At the adoption event the next weekend, I kept her in a crate right next to a chair in which I was seated. She was still nervous and a little stressed but she did better. I would occasionally let her our of the cage to sit on my lap. The other volunteers also gave her some attention. This seemed to make her more comfortable.

Last weekend at the adoption event we put her in a small pen that was open on the top. She did much better. 

During those three weeks, between adoption events, I was really trying to make her more comfortable around people. She went over to her foster grandma and grandpa's house several times. Each time she became more comfortable over there. She loved the attention and the treats! I also worked with her around other dogs by taking some of the other pack members on walks to grandma and grandpa's house with her. 

She has made a great deal of progress over the last few weeks. However, as with many things in dog training, it takes patience and routine. We have to slowly introduce her to more people and dogs and make it a very positive experience for her.

Housebreaking:

With Gracy, we had a fairly unique but not unheard of issue. Because of the extended time she had to spend in the crate when she was sick, she learned to eliminate in the crate. When she first arrived at the shack, the crate was the only place that she would eliminate. That made for some very nasty clean-ups.

We began watching for signs that she needed to eliminate (i.e circling a spot, stress, etc). When we saw these signs we immediately took her outside. We also took her outside immediately when she had accidents in the house. We stopped keeping her in the crate at night and when we were away. We just left the door open on the crate. We also kept her where we could see her when we were home.

Dr. Phil McBeagle. He has no direct connection to this post
He is just a cute little foster guy in our pack. He will
be available for adoption very soon!

I noted how long it usually takes for her to eliminate after eating  (it was about 5 mins) and I began taking her out 5 minutes after meals.  We also took her out about once an hour when we were home and she was awake.

She still could not make it through the night without accidents. So, we set an alarm for 3:00 am and one of us would wake her up and take her out at 3:00. Most of the time she eliminated outside at 3:00 am. 

Eventually we noticed that she could make it through the night. 

I am pleased to announce that she rarely has accidents inside anymore! We are very proud of our little foster girl. 

Her housebreaking was difficult but, because we were diligent and developed a routine for her, the effort has been very successful!

I am writing this not to blow my own horn but to encourage my readers. If you have a dog with housebreaking or socialization problems, the situation is far from hopeless. I know that it is extremely frustrating but, you can be successful! It takes proper technique, determination and routine.

The Lovely Shane dressed for Christmas working on master
degree classes from the office at the Dog Training Shack

If you need help with the technique please contact me at anytime, I will be happy to help! As I always tell you, "Polite Dogs = Happy People". Let me help you get happy today!

Gracy is available for adoption. If you are considering adding a new addition to your pack, please, please, please, consider adoption! There are many little guys and girls like Gracy who desperately need and want a forever home. If you are in the Atlanta Area please contact me and I will be happy to get you in touch with a wonderful local rescue group!

Till Next Time

-William-

Dr. Phil McBeagle anexity update

The brave Dr Phil McBeagle waiting to cross the scary
kitchen doorway at the Dog Training/Foster Shack.

I am happy to report that Dr.Phil McBeagle is making great progress in overcoming his phobia of interior doorways! The Lovely Shane and have been using the techniques that I described in my last post.

Dr. Phil McBeagle bravely crossing the doorway
from living room to Dog Training Office. He is followed by
Cuddles the Corgi Mix.

After two days of using these techniques, Dr. Phil no longer had to be coaxed using treats. Sometimes he does not even slow down through the doorways.

I think it also helped that he could see that the rest of the pack had no problems at the doorways.

We are very proud of Dr.Phil here at the Dog Training Shack!

I hope that Dr.Phil's story helps to encourage some of you who have an anxious dog. There is hope! With the proper technique, persistence, patience and routine, you can be successful as well!

Dr. Phil is a very affectionate beagle. He really loves sitting next to Foster Daddy and getting petted! He can be quite the couch potato. He loves to watch TV. We do not watch that much TV here at the shack. But, Dr. Phil likes to lay next to me on the bed, just before bedtime, and watch a little TV.

Dr. Phil McBeagle exploring the back yard with Copper and Trigger

We are going to now begin working more on loose leash walking. I really don't think Dr. Phil ever really learned to walk on a leash. He does okay, he really does not pull that much but, he likes to put the brakes on so to speak and not move forward. We are going to work with him using positive reinforcement. I think he will make fast progress on loose leash walking.

He is really a smart dog and wants to please the people. However, as is common with beagles, he can be stubborn too.

We have begun our diet and exercise program. It is a little too soon to notice any results. He is quite an active dog for his age so that is encouraging!

I think it has really helped Dr. Phil McBeagle to be a part of our pack. Copper the Whopper Beagle and the rest of the pack have been really good about welcoming him and helping him to learn how the pack should behave. Phil loves to work for treats with Copper and the rest of the pack. We are working on the down command now. He has pretty much mastered sit and stay. We are going to begin working with him on how to wait and behave properly at doorways.

Remember, Dr. Phil is looking for a forever home. He loves it here as a foster at our place, but he really needs a permanent home with people who love him and can devote lots of time to him :) .

Dr. Phil really loves people and attention! He loves to go visit his foster grandparents! They live next door to us and love to pet our dogs and give them treats!

If you need help training your dogs to be polite, please contact me! I always tell you, " Polite Dogs = Happy People" Let me help you to get happy today!!!

Till Next Time

-William-

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

Anxiety: Dr. Phil McBeagle

The doorways at the Dog Training/Foster Shack are not nearly
this scary looking. It seems this may be how Dr. Phil McBeagle
sees them.

Our newest foster boy, Dr. Phil McBeagle, seems to have some anxiety issues. I suspect that his fears are the result of some previous trauma.

Even your macho dog trainer friend would be apprehensive
of crossing this particular doorway!

The most concerning phobia that he seems to have involves interior doorways. He is really scared to cross doorways inside the shack. He does not seem to have as big of an issue going inside or outside the structure. In fact he is house trained and has not had any accidents since he got here.

He just appears to be terribly frightened of crossing doorways from one room to the next. Once he is in the room he is okay.

He also cowers if you try to pet him on the head. I suspect that this is also the result of past trauma, Perhaps someone hit him on the head in an attempt to discipline the poor little guy.

It thought it may be helpful to some of you if I write about this problem and how we are going to address it here at the shack.

It is very important that the dog not be forced into a situation that he fears. It will not help to try to force him through the doorway. In fact, in Dr. Phil's case, it is almost impossible to force him short of physically carrying him through.

In Dr. Phil's case, The Lovely Shane and I are using techniques that involve what us dog trainers, just to sound cool, sometimes call desensitization and rehabilitation. Basically, the objective is to help the dog to become less sensitive to what we call, the stimuli (doesn't that sound cool). In Dr. Phil's case the stimuli is the interior doorways. This seems to be what stimulates his fearful behavior. So, our objective is to make him less sensitive to the stimuli or to the doorways. We do this by using a motivator that is desirable to him. In his case, and with most beagles, tasty treats make a very good motivator. So, we have to make him associate the treats and the praise that he gets from us with walking through the doorway. It is not as fast and easy as it sounds. There are certain techniques to learn and the timing is really important. But, with persistence and patience, this method can be very successful in addressing this type of anxiety.


We have already begun this technique and it is beginning to work a little. But, I can not stress enough, this is a slow process. We do not know what sort of trauma the little guy has been through. Nor do we know how long this phobia of doorways has been an issue for him. As with all dog training, patience and routine is essential.

Dr. Phil McBeagle (I still think that is a cool name)

For the critics of my approach, I will state that the treats are only used to give the dog an immediate motivation. The treats will not have to be used permanently. I think that eventually Dr. Phil will not show any outward signs of being afraid of doorways. It is not that he will be going through the doorway to get the treat, it is that he will associate the doorways with good things rather than traumatic things.

I have successfully used this sort of approach for various other anxiety problems in the past. This is the sort of approach that I would use for a dog who is afraid of the veterinarian or a dog who is afraid of the clippers a groomer uses.

It is difficult to state with precise accuracy how this approach, or any other approach for that matter, will work for a particular dog. Each dog, like each person, responds differently to a particular treatment or approach. What is effective for an individual dog may not necessarily be effective for another. However I am very optimistic that this approach will be very effective with Dr. Phil McBeagle!

Veterinarians are not evil aliens.... not sure
about lawyers though :) 

If you have a dog that seems to have a phobia or anxiety, please do not give up! The intent of this post is to inform you that there is hope! Many people get frustrated and give up when dogs have anxiety issues. From our prospective, as humans, it can be very frustrating. This is particularly true if we do not understand the proper techniques. It is important that your dog does not sense your frustration. This is something that you can effectively address!

If you have a dog with anxiety issues, please contact me at anytime! I will be more than happy to help you develop and execute a training plan to address the issue. This is precisely why I am in this business!

Till next time

-William