DogGone Right! Inc.

10/03/2024

Angel ❤️ ❤️
Gone 8 years but it still seems like yesterday!

05/08/2024

Our new 5 week session of Scenting classes in the Queen Street East / Victoria Park Avenue area The Beaches (Toronto) will be starting Sunday, May 26, 2024.

Please email [email protected] or call 416-690-2793 for more information and receive Registration form.

Scenting I, Started Level:
Teach your dog, and yourself the basics of scent detection! Searching drive and technique developed and introduction to scent (Wintergreen) for fun games or competition!

5 weeks, 1 hour/week, Sundays 10:15am-11:15am
5 weeks, 1 hour/week, Sundays 11:30am-12:30pm - SOLD OUT
Sunday, May 26th - June 23rd

Scenting II, Advanced Level:
The introduction of a second (Pine) and third (Thyme) scent where you will be working in more challenging areas. Advanced searches will contain two hides.

5 weeks, 1.5 hours/week, Sundays 1:30pm-3:00pm
Sunday, May 26th - June 23rd

Pics of some of our most recent students for tax.

04/04/2024

Last call for a new 5 week session of Scenting classes in the Queen Street East / Victoria Park Avenue area The Beaches (Toronto) starting Sunday, April 7, 2024.

Please email [email protected] or call 416-690-2793 for more information and receive Registration form.

Scenting I, Started Level:
Teach your dog, and yourself the basics of scent detection! Searching drive and technique developed and introduction to scent (Wintergreen) for fun games or competition!

5 weeks, 1 hour/week, Sundays 11:30am-12:30pm
Sunday, April 7 - Sunday, May 5

Scenting II, Advanced Level:
The introduction of a second (Pine) and third (Thyme) scent where you will be working in more challenging areas. Advanced searches will contain two hides.

5 weeks, 1.5 hours/week, Sundays 1:30pm-3:00pm
Sunday, April 7 - Sunday, May 5

Pics of my dogs Angel and Molly at their first scent class in 2012 for tax. They both loved the sport!

03/22/2024

Is Naps

03/02/2024

National Veterinary Association Advises Canadians that Ticks are Becoming Fitter, Better, Faster, and Stronger February 27, 2024 OTTAWA, Ont. – March is National Tick Awareness Month (NTAM) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and Merck Animal Health are advising Canadians to sta...

02/27/2024

I shared a post yesterday about body language and someone commented that it's impossible to accurately assess a situation based on a single image. Which is absolutely correct as this image shows! Is Charlie about to rip my face off here? No...but you might be forgiven for thinking he was*!

An understanding of body language is a crucial to increase safety around dogs but it's not the only thing. Equally important are...

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗴
What does their normal body language look like? How does their breed or body shape affect how they move or hold their body? For example, a stiff upright tail 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 mean a dog is tense or even aggressive. But some breeds have a naturally erect tail carriage so making an assumption based on their tail alone is likely to be flawed. Some dogs may have naturally wrinkled faces making furrowed brows or muzzles less easy to spot. In order to make an assessment of their emotional state based on their body language we first have to know what 'normal' looks like for that dog.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆
One body part does not a whole story make! We need to look at the 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 dog to make an accurate assessment - their mouth, ears, tail, stance, demeanour. Focusing on one signal to the exclusion of all others may lead us to the wrong conclusion.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
In other words, context. A dog drooling whilst being groomed (for example) is likely to be in a very different emotional place from a dog who is drooling in anticipation of food. A dog might shake off either because they are feeling stressed or simply because they are wet. Context is key!

Can photos be misleading? Yes...because, often, none of the above are reflected in a single, still image which reflects a fraction of a second. So, yes....absolutely learn about body language. But remember it's only one piece of the puzzle and making a judgement based on that alone may not give you the true picture.

* for context, he was eating...😉

02/06/2024

DogGone Right! will resume teaching Scenting classes in the Queen Street East / Victoria Park Avenue area starting Sunday, February 11, 2024.

Please email [email protected] or call 416-690-2793 for more information and receive Registration form.

Scenting I, Started Level:
5 weeks, 1 hour/week, Sundays 12:00pm-1:00pm
Teach your dog, and yourself the basics of scent detection! Searching drive and technique developed and introduction to scent (Wintergreen) for fun games or competition!

Class dates:
Sunday, February 11, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Sunday, February 25, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Sunday, March 3, 12:00-1:00pm
Sunday, March 10, 12:00-1:00pm
Sunday, March 17, 12:001:00pm

Scenting II, Advanced Level:
5 weeks, 1.5 hours/week, Sundays 1:30pm-3:00pm
The introduction of a second (Pine) and third (Thyme) scent where you will be working in more challenging areas. Advanced searches will contain two hides.

Class dates:
Sunday, February 11, 1:30pm-3:00pm
Sunday, February 25, 1:30pm-3:00pm
Sunday, March 3, 1:30pm-3:00pm
Sunday, March 10, 1:30pm-3:00pm
Sunday, March 17, 1:30pm-3:00pm

06/05/2022

Domestic Social Dog vs Street/Stray Social Dogs

There is a difference...

Our home bred domesticated dogs have mostly gone through the benefits of human manipulation through handling, exposure, and social structure that helps them thrive in our mostly domesticated world. We all know the importance of early rearing and the steps to take to achieve this.

As a dog trainer I've found that recent years have seen a popular increase in foreign street/stray dogs. I used to work with one every so often, now it is on a weekly basis. Many of the cases highlight social issues with other dogs or people, powerful prey drive, and fear and extreme trepidation adapting and adjusting to a new environment.

I wouldn't even say it is a new environment...as these dogs have literally landed on a different planet. That can produce immense challenges for owners.

Some dogs make a great transition and there are success stories. But many of them go through difficult times...

Some of the problems with the dogs include:

Living in a house for the first time...

Being restrained on a lead, or any other piece of equipment for the first time...

Coming through the process of capture and transportation...

Lack of freedom they are formerly used to...

Many are independent thinkers and resolve or do things their own way...it is difficult for them to rely on human guidance and direction...

That independence can influence just how receptive they may be to any training the human attempts to provide...

Living close to human habitat they will have mixed associations with humans who have both encouraged and discouraged them...

They have strong avoidance behaviours of flight response to any perceived threat or potential danger. If they cannot escape and are restrained by the human and equipment this can cause strong reactions...

Some have previously been in fights and will have strong associations in close proximity to other dogs...

Some will be very social and will show social frustration in not being able to interact with other dogs due to equipment and human restraint....(this can be common and also perceived as reactivity).

The task then is not re-socializing these dogs as they are already habituated to a world they've previously known, but in understanding them now that they have been removed from that former environment, appreciating what you may have to live with (not all behaviour can be trained away...) and how you are able to use any of your relationship building and training structure to help them adjust better.

Remember, many of them can be very strong independent thinkers and in dogs well beyond puppyhood that may well prove to be your biggest challenge.

The most important state of mind for any dog is...'Am I safe?' That feeling can override the need for food or water. Avoidance is a strong canine behaviour in any dog, but a prevalent one in street, stray, or feral canines.

Some behaviours you have to live with, others are a work in progress, others will need specific management depending on the environment. That is not to say that some of these behaviours cannot be changed or influenced, but to understand that you are experiencing the resistance of independent strong wiring that is specifically designed to keep a dog safe and make choices towards that end...

Convincing a dog to take your guidance and direction under stress when its instincts tell it otherwise and move it to a behaviour they choose instinctively by default is where most new owners can experience the struggle. It all depends on the individual dog.

There's a huge difference between the domestically social home grown dog and the street, stray social behaviour of dogs.

What are your experiences, what are or have been your challenges, and have you experienced big differences in owning both selectively bred domestic dogs and foreign street dogs?

02/21/2022