Phil brought the cake!

Celebrate your dog's big day with a cake from Three Dog Bakery San Clemente.

Pets Rule at SeaWorld San Diego!

The Pet's Rule show at SeaWord is a "don't miss" attraction.   Next time you go be sure to catch it.  The pets are trained using the same positive reinforcement methods they use to train the whales and dolphins.  Positive Reinforcement rules!

Have you trained your dog today?

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Declares January "National Train Your Dog Month!"

The APDT announces new annual campaign to promote the benefits of positive training and socialization to create a healthy relationship between dogs and their owners.

Dana Point, California - Hundreds of thousands of dogs have been turned into animal shelters because their owners didn't know how to deal with behavior problems and couldn't find a reliable resource to help them. We at the APDT think it is long overdue to dedicate a month where we can bring awareness to the importance of socialization and training, and most of all, to inform the public that training your dog can be simple and fun! The APDT has selected January as the perfect month because so many dogs and puppies are adopted and brought home during the winter holidays. Our desire is to help these new pet parents start off the new year with their newest family member in the best way possible.

The APDT is planning a variety of events in January 2010 to celebrate National Train Your Dog Month. It is our hope that the everyday dog owners will visit the event web site (www.trainyourdogmonth.com), so they can see how easy and fun training can be, and how patience, consistency and a deeper understanding of their dog's behavior can lead to happier, healthier and harmonious households. We have a wide range of topics that we've covered so that pet owners will recognize themselves and their dogs. We will provide a great deal of information that will help using methods that are kind gentle and that have an emphasis on building your relationships with your dogs.

In addition the APDT has more than 5000 members who are willing and able to help dog owners who need help with their dogs. If there is one thing that current television shows about dog training have taught the public its that there are solutions to help dogs with behavior problems and there are alternatives to try before giving up your dog. States Michelle Douglas, CDBC, CPDT-KA, incoming President of the APDT, "We need to raise awareness that training is fun and rewarding for both the dog and the people!  I hope that the more people hear about the events around the country, the more they will think about taking a class in some doggy-activity and discover the joys if training. Training isn't just for people who want to compete in dog shows and people with 'bad' dogs, it is for every dog and dog-owner."

Our web site content will include contests winners from our membership, downloadable handouts on training, and regular updates on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheAssociationofPetDogTrainers.US) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/apdt) with fun ideas and tips on how to train your dog. APDT members nationwide will help promote the event and focus on bringing awareness to their own home towns.

Please join the APDT in celebrating National Train Your Dog Month!

* * * * *

Located in Greenville, SC, the APDT is a professional educational organization of trainers who are committed to becoming better trainers through using positive, dog friendly methods based on sound scientific principles. With over 5,000 members worldwide, the APDT strives to provide professional dog trainers with a respected and concerted voice. The APDT promotes caring relationships between dogs and people and works to increase public awareness of dog-friendly training techniques. For more information, visit the APDT Web site at www.apdt.com.

Canine Sports: Putting the Fun Into Dog Training - ABC News

Sami, Sugar and Jean Luc all graduated from my Intermediate-Rally Skills Class.  Rally Obedience is a new sport that helps build a positive relationship between you and your dog while strengthening focus and heeling skills.  It combines the attention to detail of traditional obedience with a more laid back attitude where the emphasis is on fun. Go to the APDT website to get more details on this new up and coming dog sport.

Here is an article about Rally featured on ABS News website:

Canine Sports: Putting the Fun Into Dog Training - ABC News Shared via AddThis

Look at what's going on for dogs in September and October

Here are some of the upcoming events for dogs in your neighborhood. 

Saturday, September 26th
Seal Beach’s 14th Annual 2009 Wag ‘N Walk at Eisenhower Park (adjacent to the Seal Beach Pier)from 10:00am-3:00pm for more details go to http://www.sbacc.org./ Individual Registration: $25.00 or Family Registration: $40.00

Saturday, September 26th
Irvine’s 8th Annual Pet Trek at Woodbridge Park, Alton Parkway & Lake Road Irvine, CA 92604 from 8:00am to 12:00pm for more details go to: www.irvineshelter.org or call (949) 724-7741 Registration: $25 per individual, $40 per family or $50 per team

Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th
Pet Days at the OC Marketplace from 7am to 4pm at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.  For more information go to: http://www.aaloc.org/. (Note: No pets allowed.  There will be animals available for adoption)

Saturday, October 3rd
A Tail of Two Cities ~ "Caribbean Skulldoggery" Benefiting the animals at the Pro-humane San Clemente – Dana Point Animal Shelter at Talega Golf Club 900 Avenida Talega San Clemente, CA 92673
For more information go to: events@petprojectfoundation.org or call (949)-595-8899 PRICE: $100 per person.

Sunday, October 4th
12th Annual Walk for the Animals at Central Park East (Golden West & Talbert Avenues behind the Central Library) in Huntington Beach from 9am. For more information call the Orange County SPCA (714) 374-7738; email, ocspca@verizon.net, or go to: http://www.orangecountyspca.org/

Sunday, October 11th
1st Annual Surf City Surf Dog Event at Huntington Dog Beach PCH, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 For more information go to: http://www.surfcitysurfdog.com/

Tuesday, October 20th
Howloween Party and Costume and Trick Contest from 6pm to 8pm at San Jaun Capistrano PetSmart 33963 Doheny Park Road San Juan Capistrano CA 92675.  For more information email: ocsmartpets@aol.com or go to http://www.petsmart.com/.  Free!

Saturday. October 31st
Howl-o-Ween Pawty at Three Dog Bakery  118 S. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672
(El Camino Real & Del Mar)from 1pm to 2pm.
Phone: (949) 218-3DOG (3364)

If you know of any events that should be listed here email me at ocsmartpets@aol.com

Coming soon... November and December events

Celebrate your big day with cake!

        Last night Bella the Yorkie, Bella the Bichon, Sophie the mini Aussie, Duffy the Poodle cross and Spirit the Bichon all completed Puppy class with near perfect attendance for all of them! Bella the Yorkie's owner brought a cake from her favorite doggie bakery Three Dog Bakery in San Clemente.
Congratulations, piggies--I mean puppies! From the pictures, you can tell they had a great time!


I can't wait to see them all in the next class.

Make Positive Training Work for You

Here are some steps to take for successful positive training.
I do positive reinforcement training in my classes. It isn't the only way to train, but I do know that it works the best for the most dogs. These are just a few tips to make positive training work for you.

1. Create an environment where your dog can make fewer mistakes. For example put your shoes away, place the garbage in a safe place, and keep a dog that is not housebroken off of carpeted floors.
2. Supervise your dog fully so you can not only prevent mistakes but also catch your doing something right like making eye contact, or playing with its own toys or lying calmly in its crate. Often we spend so much time interacting with our dogs when they are misbehaving, that they learn those behaviors are the best way to get our attention (even if it’s bad attention) and continue to do them.
3. Ignore bad behavior or at least don’t inadvertently reinforce it. If your dog is doing attention seeking behaviors like jumping or barking at you, it is best to ignore those behaviors. A dog won’t waste its energy doing something that doesn’t get it anything.
4. Provide consequences to your dog’s behavior. This is how your dog learns what to do. Behaviors that are rewarded will be repeated. That doesn’t just mean behaviors you are training but everything your dog does to get what it wants. For example the first time your dog pulls something off the countertop that behavior has been rewarded and is highly likely to be repeated. If your dog can provide its own good consequences, it is less likely to look to you for rewards. Your dog may blow you off instead of trying to meet your impossibly high expectations.
5. Establish which things motivate your dog to use as rewards, then, control your dog’s access to those things. The two most obvious examples are food and your attention but toys, walks and even sniffing can be considered motivators for which you can and should control dog’s access.
6. Keep your training sessions short and successful. It takes several repetitions for your dog to learn something, but those repetitions don’t have to be all in one session.
7. Train new behaviors initially in a minimally distracting location, then practice in as many different locations as you can. Keep in mind that in early stages of training, whenever you change locations, you may need to lower your expectations until your dog clearly understands your instructions apply no matter what your surroundings are.
8. Be very clear and consistent with your cues and your expectations. It is fine to have high expectations just keep in mind you need to take baby steps to reach them.
9. Don’t only tell your dog what not to do; you must also provide an appropriate alternative behavior, especially for compulsive behaviors like chewing. You can tell a dog not to chew on a chair leg, but unless you provide an acceptable chew thing, the dog will probably just move on to the table leg and so on.
10. Until your dog is doing something perfectly, you are still training that behavior. Training is a lifelong process.

Coyote attacks terrier, dog bites back

Coyotes see your pet, alone in the yard, as fast food. Their barks are the dinner bell. Don't leave your dog alone in your yard.

Coyote attacks terrier, Dog bites back -Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Wire fox terrier protects Rossmoor owner and small dog from aggressive coyote By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER The Orange County Register

ROSSMOOR – A coyote was apparently no match for a terrier that confronted the aggressive scavenger in his back yard, fought back and chased the coyote until it scampered away. Eric Christensen said his wife was in their back yard near Martha Ann and Kempton drives about 7:40 p.m. Saturday with two of their three dogs when a coyote jumped a 6-foot-tall wall and landed within 10 feet of his wife and pets. Christensen said his wife was holding their 8-pound silky terrier while their larger wire fox terrier, Ronnie, ran in front of the coyote, blocking his owner and the silky terrier. The coyote clamped down on Ronnie’s shoulder but the terrier fought back and bit the coyote, sending the wild animal running for the wall. Ronnie chased the coyote until it was out of sight, Christensen said. Ronnie suffered two puncture wounds to his upper shoulder and is recovering at home. The brave dog is on restriction for a month, which means no walks until his wounds heal, Christensen said. "He’s on house arrest, as the animal control officer put it," Christensen said Monday. "But he seems to be doing fine physically and psychologically." Ryan Drabek, spokesman for Orange County Animal Control, said an officer gave the couple literature about how to keep their pets safe. "This is not considered an abnormal circumstance,’’ he said. "If a coyote was showing aggression toward a human, that would obviously be more serious, and we would have to look further into that.’’ Christensen said the coyote did not seem to be afraid of humans and could still be lurking in the neighborhood. "We believe this is a serious threat to other owners of animals in Rossmoor," he said. "The coyotes are getting pretty aggressive." Christensen said he and his wife were shocked at Ronnie’s behavior, which seemed uncharacteristic of the timid 30-pound terrier. When they take their three dogs on walks, Ronnie is the one who cowers behind his owners when children come up to give the dogs a pat on the head. "When we told this to our daughter and son-in-law they said, ‘Ronnie?’ " Christensen said, laughing. "Possibly it was just a reaction to something being in his back yard. "But he could be a hero … and, by the way, we are treating him as a hero." Contact the writer: 949-553-2932 or jfletcher@ocregister.com

Coyote tips:

Residents can lower the risk of coyote encounters by following these suggestions from the Los Alamitos Police Department. •Do not feed coyotes. •Don't leave children outside unattended. •Keep small pets indoors and supervise pets outside. •Don't leave pet food outside. •Don't leave a water source for coyotes, cover pools and bring in pet water bowls. •Trim yard shrubbery. Overgrown foliage gives coyotes a place to hide. •Don't leave fallen tree fruit on the ground. •Secure garbage containers.

Coyote attacks terrier, dog bites back coyote, christensen, ronnie, terrier, wife - News - OCRegister.com