Off Leash dog training, Loveland CO Testimonial

I have a 5 year old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix named Sadie.  We started our training with Maggie at Off Leash Dog Training on September 20, 2009.  I’ve been training dogs for 20 plus years and have tried a lot of training methods (Bark Busters, Koehler, Positive Reinforcement just to name a few) because not all methods work for all dogs, but now I believe that Off Leash Dog Training is the only method anyone would ever need, it’s like a one stop shop.

Sadie is pretty well behaved for the most part, but when we would go out in public I didn’t feel like I had full control.  I would never go anywhere without Sadie wearing a Gentle Leader and sometimes people would ask me if she bites, thinking it was a muzzle.  She also had other issues such as counter surfing, pawing, barking at the front door, stubbornness and others that I’ve tried fixing for years without any success.

Let me tell you what we accomplished in the first week.  Sadie will never need the Gentler Leader again and I rarely ever need a Leash.  Sadie and I went to a friends house that free feeds her dog and normally Sadie would go right to the food and by the time I would give her a command and get to her she’s consumed every last morsel in the bowl, well on this day with the e-collar it took only ONE touch of the button (no yelling and I was standing across the room) she stopped immediately (she didn’t even make it to the bowl), I couldn’t believe it and my friend was amazed.  The training seems so black and white to Sadie, she looks and responds to me as though to say you are finally using a language I understand – what took you so long!  I feel that Sadie has a new found respect for me and now I’m alpha in her eyes, I thought I was before, but there was a difference by the 2nd day.

Anything is possible with Off Leash Dog Training and the skies the limit.  I’ve gained so much knowledge and confidence and it shows with the way Sadie is responding.  By the 3rd week Sadie was able to stand on a galloon paint can with all 4 feet and pivot around or sit, I can’t tell you how impressed people are when they see it.  I could go on and on with all we’ve accomplished and most of my issues that I mentioned in the first paragraph are cured.  I’m so completely satisfied.  My only regret is that I didn’t try Off Leash Dog Training sooner.

I believe this method could fix any training issues for any dog, any size or any problem and no matter what your skill level is as a trainer whether this is your first dog and your first lesson or you have years of training experience you would benefit from the Off Leash Dog Training.  With Sadie I’ve been able to enhance what she already knows making everything sharper and quicker and with anything new I’m able to teach her faster and better.  I can’t wait to go out in public with Sadie now because I know I will be in control given any and every situation and distraction.

Ryan and Maggie are awesome trainers and are so willing to share their knowledge.  They go way above and beyond to help you become the best trainer you can be.  I can’t thank them enough for getting Sadie and I to where we are today and just to think its only been 6 weeks since we started.  They will be my forever trainers.

Debbie
Loveland, CO

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Easy tool to prevent your dog from overheating.

We are having unusually hot summer this year with one heat advisory after another.

Our dogs being our loyal best friends will walk and hike with us until they are exhausted. Being a true Alpha means making sure your pack members are safe.

Off Leash Dog Training. Guaranteed Off Leash obedience. 888.811.3647

In our June newsletter we have provided a great article by Dr Michael Herman of South Charlotte Animal Hospital

But life happens right ?  Some times you may be out in the sun  for an extended period of time and you’re nowhere near a shade or water to cool off your dog then what?

Alcohol wipes are small and easy to carry.

If your dog is hot and you can’t escape the heat, start by  pouring water over her head, neck, chest, abdomen and feet.

If you don’t have any water ,  you can use alcohol wipes on the pads of her feet.  Remember dogs sweat thru the pads of their feet, and Because alcohol evaporates faster than water, so it has a cooling effect.

Get your best friend out of the heat as quickly as you can, and contact  a veterinarian to make sure.

REMEMBER:  Alcohol can be toxic to your dog if ingested, so use it sparingly and with caution.

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Lessons from a dog fight. (part 1)

We spend countless hours training our dogs to have good manners, come when we call them, walk next to us. Not run in to kids,  sit before eating.

We exercise our dogs   so they can burn excess energy, so they don’t become destructive.

We take them around other dogs so they can be socialized.

I spend hours and hours on training people and dogs on meeting rituals, and how to meet other dogs & owners.

But all of that becomes pretty useless when an other dog attacks your dog.

That’s just what happened to me a few days ago.

I was playing with my dogs before our day begun in the field near my home when I saw a the dog without an owner.  As soon I saw the dog I knew she was not a nice dog.  She did not display any of the socialized dog meeting rituals.

In the blink of an eye my Ridgeback and the new dog got into a dog fight, and the pitbull was latched on the my Ridgeback’s neck.

While trying to get the Pitbull to release my dog,  on one hand I was thinking:  I don’t want to hurt her, on the other hand I was thinking is there anything I can kill this dog with?

It took about 3 minutes before someone stopped and offered help.  Once the dogs were separated and my dogs were in our home  Pitbull went back to normal. I took her back to her house and tied her to a tree.

While running back to take Djembe to the vet I called 311 to report the dog attack.

The owner turned out to be a guy who I saw earlier being dragged by his other 2 pitbulls. “He went to the store and left her at home, she must have jumped out the window . he said. I assume it was to follow, possibly find him.  He seemed sorry about the incident and said he will pay for the medical bills.

If  you have been following my personal blog, then you know I’ve been a student of  Metaphysics and Law of Attraction for years, and I always try to seek the deeper lessons.

As soon as I was able to think straight I begun asking what was the purpose of such a terrible incident and what were the lessons I learned? I will post more on this subject in future posts, but for now  this is what I got:

1) Training our dogs  does not mean other dogs will not attack / hurt our dogs. So, as a good leader we have to be ready to protect our pack members.

2) Leash laws will not protect us and our dogs if the other dog is not attached to another human being with a leash also.

3) Important to have 1 or 2  24hr vet numbers ready for emergencies.

4) When in crisis get centered and look at the big picture. If you’re panicking you can’t help anyone.  Shameless plug to my US Air Force training, Fire Department School in particular

More to come.

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Great dog toy for hyper active heavy chewer- Tested by Pitbull

One of the first things we try to instill in our guardians (aka owners) is respecting our dogs’ needs.

As TV start Cesar Milan keeps saying every time he’s in front of a camera, for our dogs #1 need is exercise.  Having a big yard is not a substitute for exercise, and exercise means physical and mental.

Ramsey the Pitbull is a hyper active, hard headed Pitbull. He destroys the indestructible dog toys in about 90 seconds. Samantha works and trains her dog Ramsey again and again, but Ramsey will not tire out.

When the makers of  Egge asked us to carry it  we let Ramsey test it.  We are happy to show Egge passed with flying colors and now we carry various colors of them. Here is the video.

Enjoy

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Advise On Ways to use E-Collars (remote collars)

I came across question about the uses of remote collar on the internet. The site didn’t have an option to register and you had to register to leave a comment. So, I hope via trackback Alysa can read this.

Alysa,
I’m former Sit Means Sit location owner (now have my own dog training co.)

Remote collars are all different and the stim levels can change from one collar to another even within the same brand. When you say is a no name brand I cringed.
Julie is right. Throw away the no name brand and get a reputable collar.  I test different collars all the time. I hope the following information is helpful. These are my findings based on my actual test/play with these:

Although they are reputable brands I don’t recommend /use PetSafe (too cheap  -not inexpensive.. cheap), Innoteck (not consistent stim), or TriTronics (way to strong for average pet dog)

Lucky dog mentioned Dogtra brand. I tested 280NCP and 300. I liked 280 NCP  better than 300 because the stim dial (the dial that controls the stimulation levels) has a little tab. It’s helpful to use your nail to adjust levels. When using remote collars you want to be able to adjust your levels quickly with a single hand. I really like the LED screen and ability to control stim levels just 1 click at a time with Dogtra and the vibrate option (Pager)

SMS collar is comparable to SportDog 800.
The thing I like about SportDog series is the single hand operation. dial and buttons are all in one place so if there is an emergency and you need to bump the levels you don’t even need to look at the remote to increase stim levels.

As far as training with remotes. You didn’t leave any information about the trainer and her/his philosophy and techniques. But based on what you wrote it seems like you’re using the remote for “avoidance” or “correction” although that method works and fast it does nothing to strengthening your bond between you and your dog.
The rest is philosophy:
The issue I have with that approach is You the owner now reduced yourself into a button pusher and because when your dog the pet is around other dogs he switches to being a dog the animal stim levels will not be perceived as communication from the owner essp. in early stages of training and/or during aggressive exchanges.

I’d recommend teaching your dog to leave high value items and coming back to you. Play with him in high energy situations and have him come and sit. (Toss a ball and have him come back in the middle of running to it) rough house play and in a climactic point put him to sit and have him stay there for 10 seconds and start playing again.  This will teach him to listen to you in high energy situations.

Feel free to visit my site and/or Facebook FanPAge:

www.OffLeashDogTraining.com
www.facebook.com/OffLeashDogTraining.

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Off Leash Dog Training visits Charlotte Today Show Live.

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Chicken Soup Sorbet

Here’s a really great summer time recipe for our dogs!

by Helen Fazio, Travel Dog Blogger, www.traveldogbooks.com

Looking to relieve your pet on a hot summer day? If you have an ice cream maker handy, try soft freezing a can of low salt, no MSG chicken broth for your pet. It’s a cheap and creative way to help your pup beat the heat!

Hot dogs can chill out on hot days with a scoop of this tasty (well, to them anyway) and healthy iced soup. We recommend you dish up this simple sorbet at the next doggie summer birthday party!

Helen Fazio and her dog Raja are world travelers. Click here to visit their blog.

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Off Leash Dog Training client testimonial: Charlotte NC

When we met Moses, Tracie and their dog Bailey Bailey was dog aggressive and was going after every dog she saw.  After just 2 lessons the family is able to walk her wherever they want.

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Off Leash Dog Training. Group hike video

Our clients want more than a dog that doesn’t pull on the leash or a dog that doesn’t jump on people.

They want a dog that they enjoy having around, a dog that they can take wherever they  go.

So we have developed Group Lessons to emulate real life scenarios our clients experience in their daily lives. This approach allows them to practice dog obedience in “real world” under supervision.  Dogs get to show off their obedience skills and earn their freedom to be more like a real dogs. Goofy, playful and Free.

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June Newsletter

Happy June Everyone,
I trust this message finds you in peace and all is well.

Last month I started the newsletter by saying “April brought lots and lots of changes.” It turns out April was just a warm up for May.

Let’s start with the big one.
We made some changes to our roster, and as a result Greg, Erin, and Jenny have moved on to bigger and better things and no longer part of Off Leash Dog Training.

Please contact me or the office directly for your questions and/or support issues.
Although this seems like a big change, regardless of this fork in the road, it’s been what’s best for us all.

Last month we started a new feature called “Ask a Vet” and the questions we received were about the safety of our dogs during hot summer months.
So, I turned to Dr. Michael Herman from South Charlotte Animal Hospital and he was kind enough to provide the following article:

Now that the weather is getting warmer, be aware of the risks of traveling by car with your pet.
The inside of a car heats up amazingly fast. In fact, it’s comparable to the ‘greenhouse effect’ and if you leave your pet in a vehicle on a warm day… it can literally be ‘a killer’.
When it’s 85 degrees outside, in just 10 minutes the inside of the car (even with the windows slightly open) soars to 102 degrees in only 10 minutes!… or worse, 120 within a half hour.
A dog’s normal body temperature ranges from 101 – 102.5 degrees but it can only withstand a temperature of 107-108 for just a short period of time before suffering brain damage – or even death.
Don’t let this summer be the one you look back on with regret in years to come.

If your pet spends a lot of time outside during the warmer months don’t forget to leave them in an area where they have access to shade and fresh water while you’re gone.
Provide two areas of fresh water and shade…just in case one spills! If you utilize a ‘dog house’ make sure it’s very well ventilated.
Also, be sure to change out any blankets or bedding if you have ‘plumped it up’ for extra comfort.
Sometimes those blankets can become infested with bugs, ticks or even become a hiding area for poisonous snakes!

Jogging is also dangerous in the warmer months. If your dog jogs everyday with you and is in excellent shape – it’s fine, right?
No!
We humans can shed heavier clothing for shorts and tanks and sweat more to compensate for the extra heat. Your dog cannot.
Dogs are still sporting their winter coats – even after a shed and they can only cool themselves to a degree by panting or sweating through the pads of their paws. T
his isn’t enough. They’ll want to please you and keep up but do your dog a favor and bear this information in mind while making better ‘running choices’.
Go in the early morning or late evening. Allow them to run on the grassy side so as to not burn the pads of their paws and offer them a break now and again with a portable bowl of fresh water.

We humans can speak when we’re feeling ill or faint from the heat. Our pets cannot – at least in a language we could understand. So body language is all we can rely on with our pets. Please look for the following signs of heatstroke and seek help with a veterinarian immediately.

* Panting
* Staring
* Anxious expression
* Refusal to obey commands
* Warm, dry skin
* Rapid heartbeat
* Vomiting
* Collapse or unusual lethargy

We all love a cool dip in a pool when it’s hot. So does your dog, no doubt. Be sure there is an easy ‘exit area’ of your pool in the event your dog decides to sneak a little ‘skinny dip’ while you’re not around. There are numerous cases of pets drowning in pools due to not having an area to simply walk out of. If this is a concern for the set up of your pool – consider a cover. For both pets and children, they offer a great peace of mind. Oh, and don’t let them drink the water! A belly full of chlorinated water could make for a sick pooch!

The following is a list of things that are helpful to have on hand in case a little TLC is needed for your pet. This will hold you over until you think you might need a more in-depth look by a veterinarian.

# Vet Wrap

# White athletic tape

# Ace athletic bandage

# Benadryl (for snake bites or bee stings! Call for dosage information!)

# Antibacterial ointment

# Hydrocortisone cream

# Hydrogen peroxide

# Antibacterial cleanser

# Gauze sponges
# Syringes to flush wounds

Thank you so much Michael! By the way South Charlotte Animal Hospital give 10% off to our Off Leash Community. Please submit all other vet questions here.

Group Lessons are always changing. The most accurate list is on FanPage. Remember the power of these lessons is the Group. When we have less than 3 people sign up, the lesson may be canceled. Check the status of your Group Lesson on FaceBook. Please remember to RSVP.

Do you have any friends or family who would benefit from having a well balanced dog like yours?
If so, click here for your referral. Referrals are how we stay in business.
The best way to say thank you to us is through your referrals.
We thank you for your continued support and remember to support our partner members listed under the Photo of the Month (This month’s diva is Miss little Ginger) , many of which offer discounts to our Off Leash Community.

We look forward to an exciting summer! The World Cup starts tomorrow so if you have upcoming lessons, I may train your dog to score a GOOOOOOOL!! Go Team USA!!
All the best,
Turk.
Off Leash Dog Training.com

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