Cleveland's Source for Dog Training News and Information

Thank You Jean Donaldson

Thanks, so much, to Jean Donaldson and all who attended her workshop October 25 - 26.  North Coast Dogs hosted the event at the Cleveland Airport Marriott.  The subject: Canine Play and Aggression.

Jean Donaldson is known for packing in huge amounts of important information into her workshops.  And, she certainly didn't let us down.  We learned how to tell the difference between canine play and aggression.   We also saw how to successfully treat canine aggression against other dogs and against human beings.

Jean Donaldson has written four books (The Culture Clash, Dogs are from Neptune, Mine! and Fight!).  She has a degree in comparative psychology and is currently a doctoral candidate in biology at UC Santa Barbara.  Jean is the director of training and behavior at the San Francisco SPCA and is the founder of the Academy for Dog Trainers there.

Pictured right: Juno learns from the best.

Holiday Training

It's hard to believe the holidays are already upon us.  That will likely mean a change in your dog's routine and the potential for some unexpected behavior problems.

Getting ready

You can certainly get your dog ready for some of the things that go along with the holiday season.

Be aware of what your dog can and can't handle.  There's a good chance there will be people visiting your home, perhaps large numbers of people.  Is your dog prepared for that kind of stimulation?  Is your dog afraid of people or aggressive with new people?  Chances are he will be more so when there are many of them gathered at once.  Better to know ahead of time and take preventative measures. 

Assuming your dog can handle groups of people, now is the right time to brush off his training skills.  We recommend a heavy dose of impulse control (leave it, stay, sit instead of jumping on people).  The remedy here is one of our 4-week Family Dog Extra Classes.

Surviving the Holidays

The best way to survive the holidays is to put your good training into action.  Use your dog's obedience and impulse control skills in the real world.  Remember, with the excitement and novelty of the season you may have to do some retraining on the fly.  Don't be afraid to pull out your treat back and go over the basics with your dog again.

Here's your other key survival tip.  Manage.  If you are having the mother-of-all holiday parties and you know ahead of time that your dog will be bonkers -- by all means, get him out of there ahead of time.  There is no shame in effectively managing a situation that you know will be difficult.  Consider crating the dog in another part of the house with a delicious stuffed Kong Toy.  Or perhaps you could take him to a relative's house or to a good boarding facility.

Holiday Boarding.

Ah yes, a boarding facility.  If you plan on boarding your dog at a kennel during the holidays you'd better make your reservations now.  Good places fill up fast.  Here are the North Coast Dogs picks for holiday boarding.

Oh, the Holiday Puppy Craze

Who the heck wouldn't love that face?

The holidays certainly are a popular time for bringing a new puppy into the home.  Many organizations flat out discourage people from getting a puppy around the holidays.  There are good reasons for that recommendation.

However, if you or someone you know has their heart set on getting a darling fury holiday gift then we at North Coast Dogs want to make sure you are prepared and well educated.  That's why we're offering a FREE Puppy 101 seminar Sunday, November 16th at 5:30 p.m.  Please help spread the word about this important event.

Pictures with Santa

And mark your calendars for this one too!  Bring your dog to North Coast Dogs for pictures with Santa Clause!

Rally-O Show and Go

Attention Rally Obedience enthusiasts!  North Coast Dogs is hosting a Rally-O show-and-go Saturday, November 15h at 7 to 9 p.m.  What's a show-and-go?  It's kind of like a dress rehearsal for a real live Rally Obedience Competition.  If you do well - congratulations.  If you don't do well - no biggie.

We'll be setting up two courses for the evening.  The event will be "judged" by our own Rally instructor, Ginger Alpine.  Entry fee is just $5.

Congratulations JoAnne Blaha and Anne Ferry 

Congratulations to North Coast Dogs Trainers, JoAnne Blaha DVM (left) and Anne Ferry (right).  Each earned her Counseling Certificate from the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers.  Each also earned the added distinction of graduating with honors

Five North Coast Dogs trainers have now graduated from the SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers.  Operations manager, Jonathan Corrigan, will be attending next January.

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Divot's New Digs

Divot has left the building!

Don't panic.  It's not as bad as all that.  Divot just has new digs at home with Michael and Jon.

Divot, the wonder cat, is probably the most dog-friendly cat any of us has ever met.  He's also extremely intelligent.  Read between the lines.  That means he was getting into all kinds of trouble here at the Lakewood Learning Center when left alone overnight.  So, we did the responsible thing and took him home to live with Juno, Phoebe, Maya (a bird) and two other house cats.  He's living it up.

Divot will be back for special events at the Lakewood Learning Center.  He'll also be assisting with selected puppy classes to help the junior learners figure out what cats are all about!

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Event Calendar

View printable version of this calendar.

Sign up for a class online.

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Gift Certificates

Don't forget that gift certificates are always available for our classes, in-home behavior modification and products.  They are the perfect gift for any occasion.  Please contact Jonathan Corrigan to purchase one today!

Feedback

Thanks to all of you who've offered your comments both complimentary and constructive.  Your feedback helps us improve our service.  In fact, many of our new upcoming classes and events come from our clients' suggestions!

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