Facts and Information About America’s Dog Show Known As the Westminster Dog Show

This show is a celebration of purebred dogs that have gone through dog training NYC or dog training Philadelphia to become one of the top dogs in their particular breed to compete in this prestigious event.
And no matter, how old you are the Westminster Dog Show is older.
That makes it the second longest continuously held sporting event in the United States.
Because of it’s longevity, it has been dubbed America’s Dog Show.

It originally started by the kennel club to gather other people who have a love and appreciation of purebred dogs and to help to bring out the absolute best in each breed which will only make them better for the future.
Some of the breeds that were represented back in the beginning either no longer exist today or are called by a completely different name.

Today the show attracts more than 2500 different champion dogs from 173 different breeds or varieties.
It continues to be held in New York as it has the entire time is has existed and several years ago, the Madison Square Garden, where the show is now held, sold out in advance for the two day event due to it is increasing popularity.
Often, dogs are chosen directly from a litter to be show dogs and they live a life similar to any other conditioned athlete.
The ultimate prize is called Best in Show and that is the overall best dog of the event out of the entire competition.

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Learn how to train aggressive, fearful, and difficult dogs. This is the home and support center for Foundation Style Dog Training.
http://www.selfhelpdogtraining.com/?hop=tsawyer

Private Lessons Or Group Classes For Dog Training – Which is Best?

This was one of the many good questions on his list that day and an example of how working with apprentice trainers is a wonderful way for an established trainer to continue to reflect on their profession in an effort to improve.

My first response to Mike was something along the lines of “Well, I really like both.
As with everything in life, there are potential pros and cons to group classes and private lessons.
I know plenty of trainers who don’t offer group classes because they have such a strong preference for private lessons, and vice versa.

I love the variety of students all in one place and the challenge of helping each dog/handler team.
There are many times when the mix of a group class is so wonderful that at the end of the six week course we all (myself, the students and the apprentice) are truly sad to say goodbye.
I am most pleased when students cheer each other on at graduation as each team heads up to show off a new skill before receiving their diploma.
There may be an especially vocal dog in class, or a person who is already beyond frustrated once they arrive at the first class and on the brink of giving up.
It requires the ability to temporarily veer off from a set curriculum and then get back to it so that everyone in class benefits as much as possible.
Behavior is a constantly changing thing and I always remind students that there is a first time for everything.
In general, group classes are especially advisable for puppies as they provide an invaluable opportunity for the pups to learn in the presence of other dogs.
Trainer moderated puppy play in group classes is a valuable part of a pup’s education.
Maybe in this case a new saying is in order? They are a whole other bag of kibble! Walking into someone’s home means you are teaching in a new environment for each lesson, and it is someone else’s domain rather than your own classroom.
But, in the 15 years or so that I have been offering private lessons, I have found that most students do their best to welcome you in and within a few moments their living room has morphed into a mini-classroom.
But, even for new puppy parents, we often suggest a private lesson or two prior to enrolling in a puppy kindergarten class.

One of the positives of private lessons, working in a fairly non-distracting environment, may eventually become a bit of a drawback.
In some cases, semi-private lessons with two dogs are a good, gradual step towards group classes.
This can inhibit efficient progress.

In most cases, private lessons and group classes complement each other.
But, it is important to make sure you help people choose which might be best for them at a particular stage in their training plan.
All three are most likely to have the best possible experience when the right training environment is chosen.

Learn how to train aggressive, fearful, and difficult dogs. This is the home and support center for Foundation Style Dog Training.
http://www.selfhelpdogtraining.com/?hop=tsawyer

How to Teach Your Dog – The Five Techniques of Training Your Most-Loved Pet

However, there’s no psychologist on earth who would understand if a human being would do the same thing.
In fact, this quality distinguishes them from all the other creatures in the animal world.
This is one of the laws of the universe.
While there have been a lot of scientific findings that established that the mere presence of a dog gives a calming effect, nothing really tops a dog with enough intelligence to understand – and follow – his master’s summons.
It’s important to know that not all dogs are created equal.

The objective of a dog trainer is to condition the dog to react to voice commands or hand signals.
Don’t bribe a dog; it’s enough that you let him know that you are pleased.
, based in Ossining, New York.

- Heel.
He should walk in rhythm with you – neither pulling at his leash nor lagging behind.
Doing this everyday will condition him, and will become part of his nature.
When you say, “Sit,” your dog should down immediately.
Say “Sit!” every time you do this.
You have to keep in mind that the uppermost agenda in a dog’s mind is to please his master.
When you say, “Down,” he should lie down on the ground.
If your dog is too frisky or stubborn, use your other hand to pull his two front legs forward so he will get the message.
When you say, “Stay,” your dog should remain in his position.
To teach him to stay, put him in the “Sit” position.
” You should draw out the word: “St-a-a-a-y.
Eventually, he will learn to stop when you say so, regardless of his position.
This is a bit academic.
Put him first in the “Stay” position, then walk away and call out, “Come!” while pulling the leash.
If you say it, he will come.
To do so would bring bad karma for seven years.

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Learn how to train aggressive, fearful, and difficult dogs. This is the home and support center for Foundation Style Dog Training.
http://www.selfhelpdogtraining.com/?hop=tsawyer

Preventing and Controlling Separation Anxiety in Dogs

This mutual admiration society is a large part of why so many people choose to have dogs as part of their families.
Dogs are superbly social creatures.
Unfortunately, many dogs suffer from some degree of separation anxiety.
This anxiety can result in destructive behaviors such as inappropriate chewing, house soiling, excessive barking, and even self mutilating behaviors (such as chewing at their own fur and skin and creating irritation and raw spots).
It can also do serious damage to the canine/human bond and ultimately result in a dog’s banishment from the home or surrender to a shelter.
e.
) as a result.
But, as a general rule, some or all of the following are likely to be observable when a separation issue exists:

-The dog seems to become distressed at signs of your departure (such as turning off the lights, or reaching for keys or a coat).

-The dog salivates excessively prior to and during your absence.

-The dog is destructive in the home when you leave and may focus this destructive behavior near exit areas such as windows and doors.

-The dog consistently follows you around the house.

-The dog eliminates inappropriately in the home when you leave.

Helping a dog overcome separation issues can be challenging.
While some dogs may be more genetically prone to suffering from separation issues, those dogs which are not taught to spend time alone during their most formative early months will most surely suffer most gravely.
This lack of early preventative measures is a sure fire way to set the dog up to fail in this regard.
So, if you have just welcomed a new dog into your home or are planning on doing so soon, be sure to focus on helping your dog to learn to spend time quietly alone on a consistent basis every day using some or all of the suggestions outlined below.
In the short term, it might take your dog some time to become accustomed to some of the tools and new daily routines you establish.
So, take a deep breath as you endeavor to set your dog on a new course to becoming equipped to spend time calmly, quietly and safely alone.
When you are confident your dog can handle a slackening of the rules then you can gradually reduce the use of some of them.
In most cases, it is advisable to err on the side of caution and help your dog to maintain his or her new ability to spend time alone by sticking with the course.
Keep Greetings and Departures Short and Sweet: Few friends are likely to greet us with the same enthusiasm as our dogs.
However, for each time you enter your home and interact with your dog while he or she is in the throws of this canine love fest, you are reinforcing or rewarding your dog for an over the top expression of their happiness to see you, but also for their relief from their time without you.

When you get home, spend the first five minutes ignoring your dog.
It may seem extreme, but separation anxiety can be an extreme problem and requires gentle, but tough love to resolve it.
Your efforts are intended to do all you can to ultimately protect your dog’s feelings.

The same holds true for departures.
Simply provide your dog with some food stuffed chew toys at random times prior to your departure (i.
sometimes 30 minutes prior, others 15 or 5 minutes prior), set them up in the chosen long term confinement area (more on that below) and leave.
Look at leaving the house as no different than leaving a room.

2.
The choice of a spot depends on a number of factors, including your dog’s size, age and temperament, and the length of expected departures.
For other dogs, a puppy proofed room or an exercise pen will do.
Firstly, they will be as safeguarded as possible from causing themselves or your home harm.
Your dog may feel isolated when first spending time in this area.
So, the more times you offer your dog an opportunity to rest here when you are home (while you are eating eals, on the computer, reading, etc.
When you go to let your dog out of this area, remain calm and quietly go about your business.

3.
Start with your dog as clase as you feel necessary for him or her to be calm and comfortable and over the course of a few weeks, gradually increase the distance away from you.
Surprisingly, this simple and gentle technique of gradually getting your dog accustomed to time alone when you are home with them so they are more likely to be able to handle time alone when you aren’t home, is one of the tools to preventing and controlling separation anxiety that pet parents seem to find most difficult to adhere to.
While the ultimate goal is to have a dog who can roam freely, calmly and safely in your home when you are home and when you aren’t, consider how tough it is for a dog to go from one extreme to another, rather than a gradual introduction to soemthing.

4.
But, avoid doing so when your dog demands it.
Yes, some of these behaviors can be very cute, but allowing your dog to learn he or she can get your attention whenever it is demanded is a sure fire way to make those times when you aren’t available to your dog harder for him or her to handle.
Then, ask him or her to do soemthing positive to get your attention.
Ask your dog to do something for you in exchange for each thing you do for him or her.

5.
Of course, every dog is different and the exact amount of exercise which is ideal depends on a number of factors including a dog’s age, health, and temperament.
If you have an especially high energy dog or a puppy or adolescent, odds are it is more like to hours.
Equally as impprtant is providing your dog outlests for mental energy.
In which case, their investigative nature will probably lead them into trouble (i.
inappropriate chewing, digging, barking, etc.
Variety is the spice of life, so be sure to provide as many unique enrichment opportunities as possible.
Some good options are: Busy Buddy Twist n- Treats, Gimborn white sterilized bones, Bob-a-Lots, Buster Cubes, Roll-a-Treats and Tux toys.
Feeding your dog his or her meals from a variety of toys such as these is a way of allowing your dog to ‘hunt’ for their food in a safe, constructive, energy burning manner inside their home.
Pinpoint Departure Cues That Trigger Your Dog’s Anxiety: Dogs are experts at picking up on what, to people, can be incredibly subtle cues.
This might be soemthing like putting on your shoes, looking at or picking up your coat or keys, or starting to reach for the front door.
At first, your dog may already be too anxious to eat the food.

7.
So, instead of expecting your dog to handle one big absence each day and then prolonged exposure to you when you are home, you are helping your dog understand that absences from you are more often than not for tiny bits of time and not cause for major concern.

8.
Dog Appeasing Pheremone (DAP) is a synthetic pheromone which mimics the natural pheromone a lactating female dog emits to calm herself and her pups.
There are also homepathic remedies such as Bach flower essences Rescue Remedy.
However, all of these aids must be used in conjunction with a program which includes management tools, desensitization and counter conditioning in order to have a possible beneficial impact.
So, it is advisable to enlist the help of an experienced trainer who adheres to a gentle, positive approach.

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Learn how to train aggressive, fearful, and difficult dogs. This is the home and support center for Foundation Style Dog Training.
http://www.selfhelpdogtraining.com/?hop=tsawyer

How Safe Is Your Pet’s Food?

By: Darlene Sawyer, Owner Aunt Darlene’s Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service since Fall 2003 and Aunt Darlene’s Bed & BarkFest added in Fall 2007.

You may have seen the question “How Safe Is Your Pet’s Food?” asked online already. My next question is, do you know the answer to the question? Just reading the question without getting the facts, the honest to goodness, no B.S. Truth about what goes into most commercial grade pet foods including dog food and cat food too isn’t enough. The commercial companies don’t want you to know because if you did know, and you do have any love for your pet at all, you would throw most toxic, contaminated, life shortening pet food in the trash and cook dinner for your dog, or cat every day. It’s just that disgusting.

Most of the meat used in most commercial grade pet foods is the cheapest possible meat that money can buy. There’s a saying in the pet food industry for this kind of food. It’s called the 4 D’s. The 4 D’s are;
1. Decaying – Meat that’s been waiting until enough accumulates to have it hauled away.
2. Diseased – Near death, not fit for human consumption. Ours is human grade 100%
3. Dying – On its way out for whatever reason, Flu, TB, Abuse?

4. Dead – Throw the dead ones in, it’s only dog food. Makes me ill!

The first time I heard this I was sick to my stomach and had to change food for both my new dog Pebbles whom I got in October 2003, and my cat Boo Boo Kitty that my Dad who’s retired, was feeding every day for 2 weeks. He talked me into just going down to see her, Un-Huh, the old “just come see her trick”. That did it I was in love and brought my Hubby Tom toe see her the next day and Mr. didn’t like cats picked her up fleas and all and held her in his arms in our SUV all the way to the Vet. We both just fell in love with her at first sight.

Anyway back to the food. We did a lot of research into pet foods and found a pet food company that not only has a great product, it has a 30 day money back guarantee and weekly customer conference calls with Product Formulator Dr. Jane Bicks, DVM. Since the early 1980′s Dr. Jane has authored three national books promoting the responsible care and treatment of pets. Her books include Revolution in Cat Nutrition (Rawson Associates, New York, 1986), Dr. Jane’s Thirty Days to a Healthier, Happier Cat (Berkley Publishing, New York, 1997), and Dr. Jane’s Guide to a Healthier Happier Dog (Berkley Publishing, New York, 1999). She is currently writing another pet book. She has been the dog columnist, cat columnist and for the last 7 years natural product columnist for the highly recognized magazine “Pet Business”.

After 2.5 hours on the phone with Life’s Abundance Distributor, John Albrecht I was not only convinced that this was the food my pets would eat for the rest of their lives. It was a great decision because of the exceptional results we had. I would like to share my personal experiences with everyone because the results are worth sharing and you may have the same issues, or know someone who’s dog does have these problems. As pet owners these are things that you need to know if you care what your feed your pet, and if you want your dog to live a longer, healthier and ultimately a much happier life. And remember premium healthy food for your pets is much cheaper than vet bills to keep them from suffering, so you do pay one way or the other. The ONLY pet food we use and recommend is Life’s Abundance from Heathypetnet.com. The product and the company speaks for themselves.

When I first became a distributor my step-daughter owned a Chinese-Sharpei that was 8 years old and had suffered her entire life with sores between her wrinkles, hot spots and she chewed her feet a lot. She told me she never got out of the vets office for under $500 and that not a single cream, ointment, or injection helped her dog. The vet even had her on a prescription diet that contained wheat, which was ultimately the real problem. I gave her a 40 Lb bag of our food and she told me that before her first bag was gone all of her dog’s ailments had cleared up and she was much more playful and like a puppy again. She also told me that that Winter she had the nicest, thickest Winter coat of her life. She was so impressed that she started buying the vitamins too.

We had a pet sitting customer that had a 6 month old Boxer who was losing her hair on her back. She had been diagnosed with canine alopecia and the owner thought she had a special needs dog who was going to lose her beautiful brindle coat. We took one look at her and said she as a WHEAT allergy. We told the owner to order a large bag of food and if she didn’t like it she could get her money back within 30 days. She ordered the food and 6 weeks later when we pet sat her again her hair had almost completely grown back in. JUST AMAZING! We teared up from joy at knowing that we save Bella from a life of hairlessness, suffering and painful allergy symptoms. Nothing deserves that.

Our cat became and has stayed much, much friendlier since we changed her food in 2003, 7 years ago. She is a different cat. That’s because we no longer feed her food filled with contaminants, mold, toxins, the 4 D’s, etc.

We recently went to the vet and commented on how Amazing our Dog Pebble skin was and asked what we feed her. She looked it up and said she was very impressed. You owe it to your pet to watch the 5 minute video that explains in detail what I’ve tried to convey here. Please for your pets sake take the 5 minutes to listen
http://www.healthypetnet.com/wesitpetsnj

Thanks for reading this far,

Regards,
Darlene Sawyer Aunt Darlene’s Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service, LLC
Email: PetSitters@WeSitPets.com
Website: http://www.WeSitPets.com
Blog: http://wesitpets.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/petsitternj
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com
Pet Food: http://www.healthypetnet.com/wesitpetsnj

New Customers Brinks (Cow Dog)

We just had a new puppy (Brinks) stay with us for a week.   He’s a mix of English and French Bulldogs.   Holy cow is he cute and as strong as a bull and he actually kind of looks like a little cow.  My husband Tom, nicknamed Brinks Cow-Dog.
If you have kids, or don’t, and remember a cartoon named CatDog, than you probably somewhat remember the CatDog Theme Song.  
My husband who loves cartoons (What man doesn’t) and was a fan of CatDog, kept singing the theme song to cat dog every time he would see Brinks, but instead of calling him CatDog, it was Cow-Dog.   He make up his own lyrics.   He’s a very funny guy, which is one of the reasons I married him.   He keeps me laughing most of the time.    Anyway below is what I had to listen to for the entire time Brinks stayed with us.  Tom always sings to the dogs and they love it.  You can tell because they come running to him and get all frisky and roll over on their backs for belly rubs.  He’s self admittedly not much of a singer, but he says the audience doesn’t care so he doesn’t either.
We’d love to hear from you about anything pet related.

Nickelodeon’s Original Version Of Cat-Dog.
One fine day with a woof and a purr
a baby was born and it caused a little stir
no blue buggy, no three-eyed dog
just a feline kanine little catdog

catdog ,catdog
alone in the world was a little catdog
out on the road or back in town
all the little critters put catdog down
trying to be brothers , trying to get along
trying to walk together, trying to sing this song
catdog, catdog
alone in the world was a little catdog
catdog,  catdog
alone in the world was a little catdog
alone in the world was a little catdog

Tom’s Version Cow-Dog
One fine day with a Woof and a Moo
a baby was born didn’t know what to do
not a little heifer , doesn’t look like a Hog
just a Bovine, Canine little Cow-Dog

Cow-Dog, Cow-Dog
Alone in the world was a little Cow-Dog
Out on the road or back in town
all the little critters puttin Cow-Dog down
trying to be the Alpha, trying just to get along
trying to walk together, trying to sing this song
Cow-Dog, Cow-Dog alone in the world was a little Cow-Dog
Cow-Dog, Cow-Dog
alone in the world was a little Cow-Dog
alone in the world was a little Cow-Dog

Regards,
Darlene Sawyer
Aunt Darlene’s Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Service, LLC
Email: PetSitters@WeSitPets.com
Website: http://www.WeSitPets.com
Pet Blog: http://wesitpets.wordpress.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/petsitternj
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/darlenejsawyer
Pet Food: http://www.healthypetnet.com/wesitpetsnj

New Puppy

I just met the most adorable Boxer puppy named Roscoe last night on a consult.   I will be walking him and teaching him how to be a well behaved, house broken doggie.  I don’t have any pictures of him yet, but I will put one on my dog pictures page when I get one, he’s so cute.  I only have a fraction of he dogs I have had as clients on my website.  It’s just too hard to keep up with all of them.  You can see my pets and some of the pets I care for at my Doggie Pictures page.

I love being a pet sitter and dog walker!
Darlene Sawyer
Wesitpets.com
petsitters@wesitpets.com
Healthy Pet Food

Hello Pet Lovers!

Welcome to WeSitPets.com. This is my first post and I just wanted to say thank you for stopping by.  I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love and make a living at it.  If you are thinking about starting your own pet sitting, dog walking or in-home boarding services, I would love to hear from you and provided you’re not my local competition, I’d even like to help get you started  making money very quickly.  I have seen a lot of pet sitters come and go since I started back in 2003 and they all seemed to be lacking some things.  This is a very busy time of year for me and I would love to be able to stop by and blog every day.  Unfortunately I am unable since I already work from 7:00 AM to about 11:00 PM 7 days a week, so I am going to add a page to my website at WeSitPets.com that you can get tips on how to make more money without going broke advertising.  I expect to have the page online by the end of March 2010 so check back and thanks for reading my first entry

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