Nancy Freedman-Smith, dog trainer and owner of Gooddogz Training, provides a place for dog owners to find positive training tips, canine-activities and places to visit along with the latest information on keeping your dog healthy and active. Nancy lives with her three young kids, Charlee and Finney the dogs, Yellow the parakeet and Tater-Tot the Hamster. Staying current, keeping fresh, and always learning new things is a must for Nancy and her profession because one thing that animals surely teach you is "the more you know, the more you know you don't know."
surfing-Simon Says
Here is the best time wasting video that I have posted in a while. Check out this dog playing Simon says with a bunch of kids.
Can you guess who wins?
Thanks for the link Donna!
Where's Charlee # 7-the She's back and life is good again edition
This morning I took the three kids, and three dogs (Charlee, Finney and Sophia, our guest) to this mystery location so the dogs could run and cool off (and mess up my new car). The first person to correctly identify this location via a comment in the comment section will win a Maine Today.com Frisbee.
(hey Dad I was only kidding about the car, we used lots of towels and blankets!)
Frisbee nibbles
Lots of people have written asking how Charlee is doing since nearly dying as a result of going out the window in my car accident last month. She is not 100 %, but she is very close and doing really well. From all accounts she has made an astounding recovery with the help of lots of love, a very special diet and great medical care.
Tune in later today for the return of Where's Charlee and to have a chance to win one of the few remaining Maine Today Frisbee's that Finnegan hasn't found and nibbled.
To learn more about the car accident, you can read June's archives here.
Health scare-Wolf hybrid dies of rabies in Gray
Did you know that Wolf hybrids are not protected from rabies with the canine rabies vaccine? I didn't.
Read the entire Portland Press Herald article here.
Update-
After reading several emails I have learned that it is not proven that hybrids do not benefit from a rabies vaccine. There is no acceptable standard due to the small percentage of hybrids and the high expense it would take to test.
Read about this and more from Wolf Park here
Dog Fest photos
Logan and Lincoln
Emmet and Finnegan
Remember Fontana the dog who was adopted while hiking the Appalachian Trail?
AWS Drill Team was great
Bena in the bathroom.
Update-
Emmet wears my daughter's balloon hat later that night
The 5 Collie blog
Lance being hopped on, Keyna, trying to get to her Mom who is taking the picture, Finnegan, Emmet, and Casey
This photo was taking on Weds, when the four Smooth Collie littermate pups graduated.
My puppy has a bit of catching up to do, but he is coming along great.
We took a lot of pictures that night and I will add a few more here, when other class members email me theirs.
Update-Thanks Allison!
Cool treats for your hot dog
Jack eats a Frosty Paws from the Ice Cream truck while his sister Sadie looks on
I awoke to find this great picture of Jack in my in-box. It was sent to me by his owner Kim of Raymond. Jack is beating the heat with a cool fix of Frosty Paws from the local ice cream truck. Several people have told me recently that their neighborhood ice cream trucks now sell Frosty Paws, and I say-you gotta love it!
If you would like to make your dog a cool summer treat try some of these recipes.
Step one-
You will need a Kong or other hard rubber hollow dog toy
Step two-
Fill with Yogurt. My dog loves Stoneyfield Farm Banilla, but most flavors will work great. You can mix in anything that your dog likes. Jack likes Reeces cereal and/or Cheerios mixed with Vanilla yogurt. For puppies I take their kibbles, soak in water and then stuff the Kong and I am always sure to put an extra special goodie in first for a bonus when they get to the bottom. For the special goodie I use whatever I have handy, like a piece of deli meat, or leftovers.
Step three-
Freeze
I keep several stuffed frozen Kongs in my freezer at all times.
Step four-
Feed and watch your dog enjoy!
Some dogs can get a bit messy and you may want to take your frozen Kong outside.
Click here for more sample recipes direct from the Kong company. Be sure to click tips and advice. Not all recipes are frozen, but a stuffed Kong will keep your dog busy, and that as they say, is a good thing!
Thanks again for the picture Kim, and I can't wait to get Jack back in class this fall!
If you have a special Kong recipe please share it here.
After his Frosty Paws, Jack cools off with help from the hose
Event!-Dog film Fest this Thursday night.
To Benefit My Wonderful Dog
-Festivities begin at 6:00pm, 10 short films with dogs, for dogs and about dogs start at dusk
-Bring your comfy chair or blanket and settle in for an evening of fun for the whole family
-Chicken BBQ available catered by Southern Maine Catering (complete with roll, corn on the cob and baked beans for $10.00)
-Working dog demonstrations - Service, Scarborough K9 Police and Flyball
-Kids area with face painter and balloon artist
-Puppy kissing booth!
-Animal Welfare Society Drill Team
-"Ask the Vet" table sponsored by Pine Point Animal Hospital in Scarborough
-Adults-$15.00 in advance / $20.00 at door
-Children under 10 - $5.00
-Family Package Special: Family of 4 - $40, each additional family member is $10
Dogs - free!
-Tickets are on sale at My Wonderful Dog's 54 Cove St. facility and the Planet Dog store on Marginal Way. To purchase tix on line and for directions to Camp Ketcha in Scarborough. Click here to go to MWD web site.
Besides being lots of fun, the film fest will help to raise money for wonderful folks like my friend Suzan and her service pup in training Logan.
Please visit Suzan and Logan's web site to learn how you can help even more.
I will be there with my kids, our new puppy, and my digital camera. Check back on Friday for on line pictures from the event. Be sure to stop by our blanket and say hello.
Your Monday morning moment of puppy Zen
Above are my two daughters with Finnegan. As you can see the pup is doing really well walking on a loose leash. He has never learned to pull.
Gotta love it!
Trainers tip-
You are your pups teacher.
Treat a pup roughly and they will learn to be rough right back. Treat your puppy gently and he will learn to be gentle in return.
To read a great article on how to teach loose leash walking, click here to read Pam Dennison's article More Interesting Than Spit on the Sidewalk
Introducing Finnegan "Finney"
Hylight's Finnegan Begin Again
"Finney"
Look what we got!
You can plan on reading more about Finnegan, our new 5 month old Smooth Collie puppy addition in the very near future. He just arrived yesterday and we are still all getting to know each other.
Here is the photo from our initial meeting on Saturday, when we took a walk in the woods to introduce him slowly to our dog Charlee.
I have 4 of his littermates in training class and each puppy is nicer than the next.
He ended up with the breeder after someone who had a deposit on him backed out. Their loss is our gain. Obviously he was waiting for us.
News from the UK, dogs bring more happiness than than Partners
From the UK-
"The MORI poll of 2,000 people, commissioned by Pedigree, reveals that 81 per cent of people’s happiness significantly improves once they become dog owners.
In fact, according to the research, a dog tops the ‘happiness index’ and is way ahead of other factors which improve people’s moods."
Dog ownership beats off other feel good factors including the weather, job satisfaction and even being in a steady relationship".
Do you love your dog more than your partner? Have you broken off a relationship because of the chemistry between the new person and your dog? Have you met your partner while walking your dog? Do you agree with this article?
Post your comments here.
Waiting to hear from Erin! Chain off 2006!
Brady and Kelsey
I am anxiously waiting to hear from Erin of Lewiston who spent 24 hours chained to a tree Sunday night to raise awareness and funds for Dogs Deserve Better and their Chain Off 2006 campaign. I met both Erin and her rescue dog Kelsey, who she adopted in Oct. 2005 from Dogs Deserve Better, when they attended my tricks clinic last month.
She has promised before, during, and after photo's-so check back soon!
Here is her original email where she explains her motivation in her own words.
As some of you may know, our wonderful dog Kelsey came from an organization called Dogs Deserve Better. This is an organization that has touched my heart. This 4th of July weekend is their annual Chain Off Campaigned designed to raise awareness of dogs that spend their entire lives on chains. Although I can’t be part of the national campaign, I decided to do my own Chain Off.
I will stay chained to a tree in my yard for 24 hours – I will only go in the house to go to the bathroom! I will do this from 12pm on Sunday to 12p on Monday. I also heard it was going to rain during this time…I want the whole experience
I will not be allowed books, TV, radio, or even visitors; I will be stripped of all the comforts we take so much for granted on a daily basis. In their place, I will receive only a chain, a collar, water, food, sleeping bag, and shade.
I will record my feelings 3 times during the 24 hr period, in a journal, helping to light a path for the dogs to travel toward freedom. I will experience the pain and suffering chained dogs endure, day in, day out—often for life. This knowledge may make it virtually impossible to look at a chained dog without a burning desire to make a difference in that dog's life.
I’m doing this for my own personal experience but if this is something you also believe in and would like to sponsor me, please let me know. Whatever I raise in donations will be sent to our Maine Rep Susanna Richer.
For more info you can also go to www.dogsdeservebetter.comThanks
Erin
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