BSL and Service Dogs

I have a really bad feeling that any city, county, state or country that has enacted, or will enact BSL  (Breed Specific Legislation) in the future, will start seeing a huge increase in "service dogs," and theyre gonna be pit bulls! Besides being morally corrupt, and completely disgraceful, its also against the law and a HUGE federal violation to impersonate a disabled person for the purpose of having a service dog; nevertheless, I think I can speak for many, many people in saying that there are A LOT of people in this country, and others, that fit this description.  Many more cities, and counties are learning more and more about pit bulls.  Not to mention the fact that they continue to maul, maim and kill more people and other animals than all other dog breeds combined.  Legislators are learning, and the people are getting tired of it.   More and more places are starting to discuss and enact BSL, which is leading those morally corrupt and disgraceful people to look for new ways to get around the law.  Yup, the perfect way to keep your pit bull, is to impersonate a disabled person and try to get your dog certified as a "service dog." Cmon pit bull owners, we know what youre doing. We may be disabled, but were NOT stupid!!!  Be advised, you morally corrupt and disgraceful people, the ADA and the Federal Government are also not stupid and are well aware of it....and there will SOON come a time when you all will be outed.  There will soon be a Federal Law enacted that will prohibit you from doing what youre doing! As it stands, the ADA is there for the purpose of protecting the disabled, and you, who try to FAKE your dogs certification as a "service dog" will soon pay the price.  Make no mistake!

Heres a quote I found online in regards to this topic. Frightening, isnt it?!

"As far as Im concerned, this is a loophole! Im planning on having all the BSL breeds in our rescue CGC and TDI certified. By federal law, no one is allowed to ask you for proof that the dog you have it a therapy dog. If they do you can sue them under ADA law. And all you need is a doctor willing to say you get stressed in public and need your dog to help you relax. That makes your dog a therapy dog. Done.


And now according to federal law, no city or state is allowed to ban your dog, regardless of breed, if its a therapy dog!!   Take that you brainless BSL supporting morons!!"


I wont go into why this person is a complete idiot, and totally ignorant of the law....well keep that between us.  If you know the law, you know why this will NOT work for this person.  She eventually decides to actually read the ADA regs and figures out why this wont work, but rest assured, there are many morally corrupt, disgraceful scumbags out there impersonating the disabled for this very reason. Watch out for them, and when you see them, REPORT THEM!!!

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How dogs think

Does this sound familiar? You are leaving the house. You look at your dog and say:

“Fluffy, if you’re a good dog while I’m gone and stay off the couch, I’ll give you a cookie when I get home”.




With a small child this might work. Clear instruction along with the promise of a reward might get a child to listen. But Fluffy is a dog.

And Fluffy thinks:

I know my name is Fluffy. And I know your name is Mommy. And of course I know what a cookie is.
Now the couch is that comfortable thing l like to lie on. And when you leave home I’m loose to do whatever I want. So I must be the pack leader. And as the pack leader I can lay down wherever I want. You get all upset about me being there, but you gave me the right to lie where I want.
By the way you sure are a funny looking dog Mommy. And you don’t know how to run our pack. Good thing I’m here to be in charge.

So when you come home, Fluffy is on the couch.

Fluffy is a pack animal, and no matter how hard you try to change him, he lives his life by pack rules.

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Dont Tase me Bro

Last week I played phone tag with a gentleman about training his dog. I finally got in touch with him late that evening.

He has a rescue dog from breed rescue. I was really excited because the dog was of a breed that I had as a child. I really like that breed and have not had one in to train yet. I really want to work with that breed.

He told me they had already picked a trainer. I asked him if he minded telling me who he picked. There is one trainer in this town who is an out and out crook. I figured if he had picked this trainer I would do my best to talk him out of it.

He told me it was the chain that uses shock collars. I asked him if he understood what shock collars did. He said he did. I offered my standard free demonstration and asked him to reconsider using a system that gives an electric shock. I told him to read my blog about shock collars. He said he would and then call me the next day to arrange to come in.

He never called.

Losing client to someone else is no big deal. But this one really got to me. I figure if you go to the crook you get what you deserve. But I couldn’t get over why someone warned about what shock collars do would still chose that method.

I finally figured out why it bothered me so much.

I was one of the first deputies on my department to carry a Taser. When we first got them there were not enough of them for everyone to have one so they selected certain people to carry them from each shift. I believe the criteria was that you were known to be a $%*# magnet.

As part of the training you had to be hit with the Taser. I had spent more than one end of shift in the emergency room over the years. Plus I had both back and neck surgery. I understand pain. But when they turned it on, it was the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced. I would have bought the operator a car to turn it off. And I am talking a good car, like a Rolls.

Maybe we should require owners to get tased before they are allowed to use a shock collar.

Doug

PS. The dog in the picture was not shocked, but it was taught to trust.

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Aggressive Dog Behavior Don’t Even Think of Letting Your Dog Get Away With It

Aggressive dog behavior is not always recognized. Many people only recognize the major aggression problems, but some smaller aggression in dogs goes by unnoticed or at least accepted. But dominant and alpha behavior in dogs should be corrected.

Dogs depend on humans for their food and to open doors for them, etc. But if the dog becomes demanding, then he feels he is the dominant one, and this is where dog aggression starts. If he is not stopped he will continue developing aggressive behavior over time, which can become a very serious problem.

Not all aggressive dogs bite or growl. They can have more subtle aggressive behavior, such as being stubborn and demanding. They might refuse to obey you and insist on getting their way. They might jump on your lap without being called, or nudge you to play with them. They might whine or bark at you when they want something. All these are signs of aggressive behavior.

Aggressive dog behavior, if left untreated, will develop over time. Your dog will become more and more dominant, and he might start acting out more aggressively. We all know that this is not only stressful, but dangerous as well. Dog attacks are not uncommon, and are known to happen with family dogs that have been in the family for years.

Dogs are supposed to obey your command and follow you, not the other way around. When a dog is making you do what he wants, there is something wrong with that picture. You have to become the leader again and put a stop to his aggressive dog behavior in order to avoid a major catastrophe. We love our dogs, and I cannot think of a worse scenario than if one of my dogs injured someone and I would have to give him up.

A dog trainer is very expensive. Also, the dog trainer will train your dog, but you need as much training as the dog, so you can learn how to become the dominant one. You need to learn how to regain the command of your dog, so he will recognize you as the leader.

Here is the #1 method I recommend that will really help you put an end to your dog’s aggressive behavior.

This method is guaranteed to help you and your dog with his aggressive dog behavior.

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Walking In The Woods With My Dog

I don’t get up in the woods a lot, but when I do, I love taking my dog for walks in the hills.  I love having him off leash and having just a great time with all the great smells and “woodsy-things”.  What do I need to know to keep the whole thing safe for my dog and myself?

It might just be me, but I love the opportunity to have my Sheppard and Springier Spaniel up in the woods; up a back road; hanging out with us at a rustic cabin.  They love going out and are very good at staying nearby and listening to my commands.  We have a great time and everyone is kept happy and safe. 

Please understand that this is not something you can do right away with your dog.  It might be something you may never be able to accomplish with your dog.  In order to accomplish this, you must take on a specific and possibly lengthy process in order to assure your success.  As I stated earlier, some dogs are just too high strung or too easily distracted to engage in this activity.  Let’s look at some of the things we must do.

Before we even think about getting up to that backwoods cabin, we must perform a good amount of work back at home:

• You must work on on-leash and off-leash recall/come.  Your dog must be able to return to your side when you command him from up to twenty yards.  You must be sure that he can do this while there are natural distractions commanding his attention and even when you can’t directly see him.
• You must be able to have your dog sit and stay while you walk thirty yards away.  He must stay there until you release him and he must run straight to your side.
• You must gain off-leash attentiveness control where your dog is walking near you without a leash and always change their direction, based on any change in your direction.
• You must practice the “drop” or “leave it” command with your dog so that he will not place anything harmful in his mouth.
• Your dog must be able to instantly sit and give you focus on command.

These are a lot of things to accomplish, but they are the minimum needed to assure a safe walk in the woods.  Now, let’s think about our walk in the woods.  Here are some things to think about:

• Before you take your dog for a walk, go out alone first.  Follow the course you plan to take, looking for poisonous plants, areas where you may experience animals, areas of standing water, steep inclines, tight spaces, etc.  Pick a path that minimizes these issues in order to maximize your ability to keep your dog as safe as possible.
• Place a leash on your dog before you start.  You don’t have to hold the leash, just let it drag behind him.  If you need to step in quickly, it gives you one more tool to safely control him.
• As you walk, always scan the area for anything that might distract him or draw him away from you.
• Keep your dog engaged and focused on you by calling him to you, having him stay as you walk a short distance down the trail and calling him to you, encourage him to walk next to you by patting your leg as you walk, etc. 
• If you see that your dog is tiring, finish your walk.  You don’t want him to just stop or “decide to take a shortcut home”.
• Never let your dog wander off in high grass or through thickets.  This just increases the possibility for fleas and ticks.  Oh, by the way, make sure that all the proper flea and tick medicines have been applied.  Also, consult with your vet if any additional medication might be needed for the area you will be visiting.
• Take your own water for the walk.  Standing water is not good and you are never sure what might be upstream in that pretty country stream.
• Have your dog return to you immediately and hold the leash if encounter a person or animal on your walk.
• When you return from your walk, check your dog for any fleas, ticks, burrs, etc. 
• If he still has some energy, play fetch around the cabin for a few more minutes before you come in.

Once you and your dog get back inside the cabin, you will probably see him take a long and very happy nap.  If you have any further information or clarification, please contact Your Great South Florida Dog Trainers.

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Wolfie Seems to Think He is the Boss

I just dont understand it.  I work with Wolfie on Come/Sit/Stay.  I play with Wolfie.  I walk Wolfie.  But it seems like he still thinks he is the boss.  I think I am doing everything right, but something must be missing!

Remember the old phrase  "Walk a mile in my shoes"?  Well, this is the problem that you are having with Wolfie.  Yes, you are providing him education, exercise, and bonding.  What you dont understand is that Wolfie sees the world through a canine perspective.  He judges you as if you were a dog and not a human.  You must understand his perspective to understand how and why he does what he does.

So why does Wolfie act like he is the boss?  The reason is because you are constantly telling him that he is!  You dont know that you are doing this because you view the world from a human perspective and your actions reflect that.  From Wolfies perspective (the canine point of view), you are constantly implying that he is the boss.

Here is what you are doing, why Wolfie believes he is the boss, and what you have do to...

It is a typical Saturday afternoon and you are sitting on your back porch reading the paper.  Wolfie comes up to you and sticks his nose in you hand asking for a pat on the head.  You think nothing of it and give him a big pat and maybe even throw the ball for him.  You have just told Wolfie he is the boss.  Since he is the boss, he can do whatever he wants because you will always comply.

In a human family, anyone can have an idea and the family can respond.  Nobody implies anything about leadership about the act.  We (humans) thought it was a good idea and did it.  Now, in the wolf pack you have the canine alpha leader and the rest of the pack.  The only one that tells the pack what to do is the canine alpha leader.

As soon as Wilfie said "pet me" and you did, you submitted to his demand, placed yourself in the role of the pack, and promoted him to being the canine alpha leader.  We (humans) do this all day long.  We are constantly telling Wolfie that he is the boss.  Since he is the boss, he can do whatever he wants.  This normally equates to a misbehaved dog that is always annoying us.  So what can we do to fix this?

You must always make sure that it is your idea and not Wolfies.

When Wolfie comes over to you and wants to be petted, ignore him.  In a moment or two, he will turn away.  At that moment, you can call him to you and you can tell him that you want to pet him.  It is now your idea and when Wolfie comes to be petted, he has placed himself as the pack member and you as the canine alpha leader.

This sounds like a simple thing to do, but in reality, it is very difficult.  The reason is that (we humans) really dont care whose idea it was.  Dogs do care whose idea it was because that equates to leadership and ultimately their general safety.

So, if you want to be on the way to having Wolfie well behaved and understanding his position in the pack, you must always initiate, you must always begin, you must always implement your idea.  For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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