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Creative Canine Academy Certified dog trainer dedicated to improving the lives of dogs and their people

Emergencies happen. Do you know the signs that your dog needs to see a vet ASAP? Dogs are pretty good at hiding pain or ...
06/26/2024

Emergencies happen. Do you know the signs that your dog needs to see a vet ASAP? Dogs are pretty good at hiding pain or discomfort, so when it shows, they're miserable. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but my general rule of thumb is if they're suddenly acting weird, I need to call my vet (or nearest emergency clinic if it's after hours) and get them seen.

It’s that time of the year again… Barbecues, popsicles, hanging out at the pool, beach vacations, and temperatures so ho...
06/21/2024

It’s that time of the year again… Barbecues, popsicles, hanging out at the pool, beach vacations, and temperatures so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. My rule of thumb for summertime walks is if it’s too hot for me to walk barefoot on it, it’s too hot for my dogs.

Every summer I see people walking their dogs on hot pavement and it pains me. Their dog gamely follows, tongue down to their toes and high-stepping because the sidewalk hurts. Feet are sensitive, and having to endure even five minutes of broiling concrete is excruciating.

When temperatures are over 90 degrees, burns can happen quickly, depending on the surface you’re walking on and if you’re in the sun or not. Black top gets uncomfortable faster than concrete, and even grass on a sunny day gets painful, especially when it starts to approach or exceed triple digits.

So what do we do? Daily walks are great everyone, and a necessity for those who don’t have a secure yard or if your active dog needs to burn off some energy.

🐾Walk as close to dawn and dusk as possible.
🐾 Stick to shady or grassy areas, and on really hot days, shady, grassy areas.
🐾 Have them wear non-disposable dog shoes to keep their paws safe (usually needs some training)
🐾 If they are sociable, an indoor dog daycare will help them safely burn off some energy (ask indoor-outdoor places at what temperatures they close doors for safety)

Test the surface if you’re not sure! I live in sandals or flip flops during the summer, so it’s easy to check quickly, but I’ll test with my hand if I can’t kick off a shoe. If it starts to burn within ten seconds, it’s too hot.

“Amy, can you work your magic and get this dog to chill?” I’d hear this from time to time at one of the dog daycares I w...
06/06/2024

“Amy, can you work your magic and get this dog to chill?”

I’d hear this from time to time at one of the dog daycares I worked at. My secret was pretty simple: I’d take the dog for a leisurely sniff in a nearby field to help them relax, which worked wonders. After a sniff and a break, they could deal with the doggy daycare party (or mosh pit) better.

Letting dogs sniff is good for their mental health! A dog’s primary sense is smell, and they sniff their world like we see ours. By giving them opportunity and time to explore with their nose, they enjoy their walk more. Happy dogs don’t fly off the handle as fast as tense dogs do, and all that sniffing helps them learn about their environment. It makes training easier because they’re primed to learn since they’re already in “learning mode.”

If I’ve got a really energetic dog who likes to pull on the leash, this is one of my favorite ways to help stop that. Walking on a loose leash is hard: we’re slower. Learning to walk at our pace instead of trotting to the next interesting thing takes patience and self-control. When they’re busy exploring with their nose, dogs slow down. Since they’re having fun exploring, there’s a built-in reward for walking nicely to the next smell. It doesn’t take them long to learn that I’ll follow them so long as there’s no pressure on the leash. This also lets me reward good behavior outside when I don’t have treats on me. It’s a win-win for everyone.

For those who go on sniffaris, where are your favorite places to go?

06/03/2024

Does your dog listen to you when you start training, or does it feel like you're talking to a wall? Worse yet, WHY DON'T THEY DO THAT TO THE TRAINER??
It's all about attention. Waiting for eyes on you and then beginning whatever goals you have planned makes the training session go much smoother. It's how I know what I can and can't do in the moment, and helps me see if what I have planned is possible or if I need to change to something simpler.

05/29/2024

The storms (and no power) have thrown me off my mojo. Thoughts are with those who still don't have power and those who sustained lots of damage from the storm. I was lucky, I had no damage. My family was lucky, the trees were kind enough to aim for the street rather than the house.

Stay safe, y'all. And check up on your neighbors.

I'm disabled. Fibromyalgia and AuDHD impact my life in some pretty profound ways. I'm fortunate enough that I can "pass"...
05/22/2024

I'm disabled. Fibromyalgia and AuDHD impact my life in some pretty profound ways. I'm fortunate enough that I can "pass" as abled, which is a double-edged sword. I avoid discrimination at the cost of my physical and mental wellbeing. Very few people have seen how bad it gets; there are days that I'm in so much pain that it takes several minutes to walk to the bathroom 20 feet away.

Service dogs are a topic near and dear to my heart. They save lives and help those with disabilities live a happier, more independent life. I get angry at people who try to pass off their pets as service dogs, and untrained or poorly trained service dogs being put into situations they aren't equipped to handle. The impact that it makes on people who put countless hours into training and rely on their service dogs cannot be overstated. Discrimination sucks, and those of us abled enough to not need a service dog need to remember that "harmless" lie impacts people you will never meet.

When researching this, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many women have made an impact in this. From Dorothy Harrison Eustis to Dr. Bonnie Bergin and Kerry Knaus, women have been instrumental in helping people with disabilities have better lives.

You will find a lot of information on your dog food bag, it's your best friend for finding a quality food. I first check...
05/17/2024

You will find a lot of information on your dog food bag, it's your best friend for finding a quality food. I first check the ingredients, looking for a protein and carbohydrate in the first five ingredients while also looking out for red flags like Heart, Liver, or lungs listed separately or ingredients listed after Vitamin E, Mixed tocopherols, or rosemary oil. These tell me that the ingredient label or formula has been tweaked to appeal to consumers and it may not be adequately balanced. A lot of the super-premium food is also high-calorie, coming in well over 400 kcal/cup, meaning that most dogs on these diets will become overweight or obese, **even when you feed according to the package directions**. I don't think a high protein diet is appropriate for all dogs, so I prefer to find a food with a more moderate protein count, around 25%. Your vet is a fantastic resource for nutrition questions, and far more reliable than the internet (says a lady on the internet)

Our dogs should fully participate in training, they learn better and faster that way. Having a “start button” behavior, ...
05/08/2024

Our dogs should fully participate in training, they learn better and faster that way. Having a “start button” behavior, like attention, makes sure they are present and ready to work. In order to listen, dogs have to be heard. We have to respond to their needs so that they feel confident and happy, which makes training faster and easier for everyone.

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Mesquite, TX

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 7pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 7pm
Friday 10am - 7pm
Saturday 10am - 7pm

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+19728631065

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