Just as we are committed to improving our dog training knowledge and techniques, we are also committed to improving how we share our knowledge and experience we gain from training hundreds of dogs each year with our clients.

As technological advancements become more and more available we try to use it to utilize them also .

Our new and hopefully improved website is now live. There are still some missing pages and some of the links are not working. But by clicking on the image you can test drive it.

Please let us know what you think

I remember the times when people used to dress up as dogs. These days not even dogs are going out as dogs. 
One of the common questions I get asked around Halloween is if I dress up my dogs and if so as what?  When my first born Djembe was a baby Jill & I used to dress him up. Looking back all I can think is  ignorance may not be a bliss, but it sure is more fun.  Now that I am a dog trainer and know more, I think I can make my amends to Djembe by sharing with you why dressing up your dogs in costume is OK for some dogs and not so OK for other dogs .

News Flash !  It’s not natural for dogs to dress up.  If your dog enjoys being in costume you have no issues. Enjoy the Halloween.  But remember this

When we are placing things on our dogs, for some dogs this can be seen as a form of domination.  For dogs who are not good with stress and/or pressure dressing them up in costume may  manifest itself in Freeze behavior. Although it’s normal for your dog to Freeze briefly to figure out what the heck is going on,  If your dog remain in Freeze and seems like unable to move, know that You are putting your dog under extreme pressure. 

If you put your dog in costume and your dog freezes,  try to lure your dog with treat and/or try to get your dog moving by leash walking your dog briefly (30 steps or more) your dog depending on her trust/nerve strength will either walk or freak out.  If your dog is freaking out. Do the right thing and limit dressing up for Halloween to humans and kid members of your pack.

You can watch an episode of Carolina’s Dog Master series on Halloween Safety here.

Please read Halloween Safety

Here in our  Off Leash Dog Training community our dogs are family.

So naturally we strive to include our dogs in our vacations also. Camping with your dog is one of the best places to be with your dog.   On this episode of Carolina’s Dog Master for WCNC36 Charlotte Today Show I have shared some pointers.  Make sure to check out this earlier post on the subject of camping with your dogs

Enjoy.

Please let us know if we can help you with your dog training needs.

We have lots of great clients who are dedicated to well being of not only their dogs, but dog community as a whole. So often some of my clients will foster (or consider fostering) dogs from various rescue organizations.

Here is a question I received from one of my clients:

Q: Hi Turk,  Question for you…
Do you think Marley can handle an adult male foster dog? He is a pit that was found stray with old bite/scar wounds (possible bait dog) Rescue has stepped up but he needs a foster and I wanted to ask your opinion about this. You’ve seen Marley in my home and in group classes so hoping you have some thoughts.  I fostered the female puppy this summer and she was okay but not sure about males.  He is said to be very dog and people friendly. Thanks for any advice or suggestions you may have!
Megan

A: WOW Megan tough call without seeing the dog, but I would be VERY VERY CAUTIOUS. The scars is what concerns me most indictaing some sort of an altrecation even if it’s not initiated by the new dog. Although fostering is a noble cause not at the expense of damaging your existing pack. I’d take MArley to meet that dog THERE first, then judge from there. ABSOLUTELY NO TOYS, FOOD, etc etc etc at least for a week.

Good Luck let me know

PS Check the ENERGY LEVEL of the new dog and MANNERS.

To learn more about how to introduce a new dog to your pack you can read this article here.

To watch the episode of Carolina’s Dog Master on the subject on WCNC36 Charlotte Today show click here.

The great outdoors is one of the best places to spend time with our dogs. They love all the new smells, sounds and sights. They get to interact with nature and explore the world as they were intended to, and we get the benefit of spending time with our dogs as well as being in nature.

If you are planning to take a camping trip with your dog, here are some things to consider:

Make sure  your dog is healthy

Get current on all shots and vaccinations and obtain a Rabies tag for your dog’s collar.
Consider a possible Lyme disease vaccine.
Obtain a current copy of their records and vet’s phone number. Check in with your vet and let them know where you are planning to go in case your dog needs a new kind of vaccination.

Make sure you have an updated ID Tag

Make sure your dog is wearing proper ID/Rabies Shots tags at all times. I ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING TEMPORARY ID TAGS WITH YOUR CAMP SITE’S CONTACT INFORMATION.

Bring extra leashes/collars/whistles – (FYI- Our clients don’t need leashes)

Just in case your dog thinks his leash is a chew toy, it’s best to be prepared. Be sure and bring extra collars and leashes. If you use other tools (whistles, clickers, remote collars) to maintain control of your dog, bring an extra set of those as well.

Bring a Brush to get out all the fun stuff that gets stuck

Your dog is likely to be just like you when you went to the beach for the first time. Running around, and round, and round. If she has long hair, she will naturally pick up every prickly thing she can get her paws on and wear it like a Great Outdoors Badge of Honor.  Make sure you have a brush with you to keep her head scratches safe for both you and her.

Bring a First aid kit

Your dog may end up finding a porcupine or something even worse. We don’t like to think of these things, but for those unexpected situations, pack first aid items for your dog along with a few extra towels.  It’s always a great idea to obtain the phone number of the vet in the area where you are staying before leaving.

Consider your options for where your dog will sleep at night

A lot of critters are out and about at night and your dog might be tempted to play a game of chase. Unfortunately there is a great potential for this to be fatal. It’s the safer option to tether your dog under the stars. This way you are not only protecting your dog, but he is protecting you.

Nothing will come near your camp without your dog letting you know.

Most Importantly Have Fun!

Go on hikes! Swim in the lake! Roast marshmallows!

And remember as your gazing into the night sky that there’s nothing like the bond between you and your dog. Camping is a great way to allow your dog to be a dog, and for you to just Be.

This year has been especially hot one.  That’s why we have been doing a lot of shows on heat and effects of extreme hot weather on our dogs.

As suggested on  earlier blog post on Code Orange days If you usually walk your dog around 30 minutes, you should limit the walk to about 15-20 minutes.

If you are planning to take your dog on a boat or pool party here is another video about water safety.    

Today we received news from Colorado that Ryan Matthews, the independent owner of Off Leash Dog Training in Colorado, has been accused of abusing his dog Montage. This news comes as a complete shock to us. We have known and worked with Ryan for over 3 years now and have personally witnessed the love he has for animals, especially for Montage. It is difficult for us to even fathom that these types of allegations have been brought against him.

At this moment we are choosing to wait and see what happens with the charges. The news thus far has only reported what has allegedly happened and we choose not to rush to judgment about Ryan. We are extremely optimistic that the charges have no actual basis and will be dropped. However, we wish to make it perfectly clear that Off Leash Dog Training does not, and will never, condone inhumane and abusive treatment of dogs by anyone. Ryan or anyone else.

To address the concerns of our customers and community members, it is and always has been our philosophy at Off Leash Dog Training to treat dogs with respect. We want our relationship and communication with our dogs to be between friends with different roles and responsibilities rather than that of a boss and an employee. We take this philosophy seriously and will never treat the dogs that we train or our own dogs inhumanely.

We sincerely appreciate the comments that have been posted in support of Off Leash Dog Training and Ryan Matthews. We value all of the relationships that we have with you and your dogs and we will continue to keep you updated on the situation as it develops.

On a Code Orange Day be careful with the dog walks; you should limit their walk to slow and easy ones. If a dog is old or very young, this is especially important. Don’t let him have a lot of water before or after the walk if it is 30 minutes or longer.

If you usually walk your dog around 30 minutes, you should limit the walk to about 15-20 minutes on Code Orange days.
You and your dog can enjoy playtime inside after a few ice cubes. Be careful with the humidity, even on a Code Orange day – your really old or young dog should be limited on the time spent outside.

On a Code Red Day, limit your outside time with the dogs to enough time for the dog to do #1 and #2. If a dog is old or very young, this is especially important. Their walks should also be slow and easy ones. Don’t let them have a lot of water before
or after the walk if it is 30 minutes or longer. Use ice cubes as a source of water. Again, outside time should be limited to letting the dog do its business with playtime inside after a few ice cubes.

Be careful with the humidity, especially on a Code Red day – your really old or young dog should be very limited on the time spent outside.