Silver Spring Dog Training

No, Your Dog Doesn't Think You're the "Alpha" The toughest, most dominant canine gets the resources and respect - or at least that's the idea that caught on culturally. Turns out, that's not necessarily ...

Adopting a Dog During a Pandemic: A Dog Trainer's Perspective Certified Professional Dog Trainer in the Washington, DC area shares her experience looking for an adoptable dog during the Covid 19 pandemic.

The "rich and powerful" can hire me to work with their barking dogs :) Problem solved!!

‘NO EXCESSIVE BARKING’: A Chevy Chase dog park divides the rich and powerful The battle over barking dogs involves the wife of the Federal Reserve chairman, a former candidate for governor and lawyers galore in the well-heeled Maryland suburb.

Isn’t she stunning!?! This is Winnie, one of my dog training clients and a new boarder. She is fearful and anxious, and her sense of hearing is top notch. I’ve noticed that most of my anxious dogs have amazing hearing. I’m curious if that’s part of what makes them anxious or whether they develop it because they need it to survive, which is anxiety inducing in itself! I ❤️ sensitive dogs! They are incredible, beautiful creatures!!

This morning Winnie decided to hangout in the yard with me eating bites of string cheese when she heard unfamiliar noises. She is awesome!

I ❤️ Charlie 😊

Mila girl 😍

Look at this beauty

My board and train pup Clementine 😍

This little cutie will be staying with me this weekend! Playdates with socialized dogs welcome and appreciated :)

My board and train pup Ollie 😍 Isn’t he so cute?! If you are interested in having your puppy trained while you are out of town, call me at 301-603-3005. Have a puptastic weekend!

Silver Spring Dog Training updated their business hours.

Silver Spring Dog Training updated their phone number.

I have tons of cute rescue dog clients and I know there are more to come! I hope to see all of them on tv one day!

Do You Have the World's Cutest Rescue Dog? People and Pedigree Want to Turn Them Into a Star! Enter with the World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest at people.com/rescuedogcontest

Just got all my hair chopped off! Stay tuned for updated training photos!

Just started offering boarding on a limited basis. Hit me up if you need a professional dog trainer to watch your pup while you are out of town 🙂

http://www.silverspringdogtraining.com/boarding.html

Boarding Your pup will get one on one treatment. He or she will get to stay in our finished basement with a sofa bed to sleep on, plasma tv to watch and easy access to go potty outside.

I love all dogs but right now I am totally googly eyed over chihuahuas! They are so spunky and cute!

Ive been reading lots of posts on my neighborhood listserv about dogs being attacked by other dogs who are off leash. Below is my response:

Hi Neighbors,

To Marie: I am so sorry this happened to you and your pup! As a certified dog trainer with over 7 years experience in training, and almost 20 years total in the pet care industry, I can say that this type of aggression is very hard to treat and it sounds like the owner is very aware of the problem but doesn't care. It is so critical that you report it to animal control but I know how hard it is in the moment when your adrenaline is going crazy to ask for someones info, especially when they are oblivious or don't seem to care. The biggest problem with this type of aggression is that it will only get worse because the more the dog practices the behavior the quicker they are likely to repeat the same behavior, and it tends to escalate without intervention. Also, just one dog bite or negative interaction can make lots of dogs scared of walks which can cause common behavior issues such as leash reactivity (barking at every dog that walks by) and dog aggression. Dogs develop these behaviors as a way to protect themselves from dogs they see as a threat to their safety.

For right now, I would advise carrying pepper spray like this one found here https://www.amazon.com/SABRE-Dog-Spray-Protector-All-Natural/dp/B008SBO9FU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525197930&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+mase. Be as proactive as possible in order to protect your dog. If you see a dog coming towards you, get the spray ready, get in between the oncoming dog and yours, tell the dog approaching to "stop" or "no" in loud firm voice and see what happens. If the dog continues to approach, spray a warning shot. Dogs have a terrific sense of smell and will get a whiff of that stuff and hopefully run in the other direction. If not, spray the dog in the face. Also, always drop your dogs leash incase there is a fight so your dog can defend himself.

To all Woodmoor neighbors who have aggressive dogs, I can totally come from understanding. I have a fear aggressive, leash reactive dog (constant work in progress) who has the potential to bite another dog if approached. She will not approach another dog to instigate a fight but she will finish it if she has to. For that reason, I make sure that I am her advocate while on walks. I never let her off leash and will do my best to protect her from being in a situation where she needs to defend herself. There are leash laws for a reason. Please keep your dogs leashed even if they are the friendliest dogs in the neighborhood. If your unleashed, "friendly" dog approaches my dog and she feels threatened and reacts, my dog could easily be labeled vicious. To me, that is totally unfair and unacceptable.

I know I might get some backlash with this next comment but I feel like I have to say it and welcome a healthy debate. I think the unofficial Woodmoor "dog park" or play group at Pinecrest is a recipe for disaster. Every last one of my Certified Professional Dog Trainer colleagues (http://www.ccpdt.org/), and almost all of the most well known positive trainers in the industy are against dog parks for the following reasons: They are unmonitored by professionals who truly know dog behavior and body language, most people assume their dogs are friendly because their tail is wagging and they seem "happy" when in reality that most often isn't the case, it is an unpredictable environment where anything can and does happen, "minor" behaviors (pinning, rolling, groups of dogs chasing one dog) can lead to major consequences for your dog that can happen immediately and/or in the future (fights, aggression, leash reactivity, fear of other dogs, etc.). I was strictly talking about fenced in dog parks above. Now add in the element of a completely open space where the "dog park" dogs can run up and approach any dog they want, aggressive or not. IMHO, it is not realistic to assume that your dog will always come when called, especially if the reward (meeting a new dog) is better then the consequence of coming when called (fun goes away). The probability of a dog fight is extremely high with the way things are going now.

Good news is there are alternatives to free for all, off leash play: getting familiar friendly dogs together in someones backyard and slowly introducing new ones, going to an enclosed dog park if you must, taking familiar dogs on hikes together (more controlled and they get more energy out), finding a play group monitored by certified professionals (Humane Rescue Alliance used to offer one when it was still WARL), etc. I always tell my clients that 15 minutes of mental stimulation is like a 30 minute walk for your pup. If you do these off leash play groups just to exercise your pup, instead consider teaching your dog a new trick or doing some obedience training, followed by a walk, run or rollerblade.

With all of that said, just like people, some dogs like socializing with others and some dogs don't. It would probably surprise you how many are not into greeting and tolerate interactions as best they can because they are being forced to or just to please us. Its our job not only protect our dogs on walks and play groups but every other dog as well. First step is by leashing and muzzling if needed. Trust your gut; Just because someone says their dog is friendly doesn't actually mean thats the case. Dogs greeting on leash can be more aggressive than when they are off leash because leashes can put them at a vulnerable disadvantage incase a fight happens and they can't flee. Most importantly, if you KNOW your dog is aggressive, do whats right and don't let your dog off leash under any circumstances, unless you want your dog to eventually be deemed vicious and euthanized. Personally, if an aggressive dog comes for any of mine, I will do anything and everything I need to do to protect them, bottom line. Also, I think it would be helpful if all our neighbors could take pictures of any dog fight that occurs even if its not your dog and you're just on a walk, since its really hard in the moment to get all the info necessary to file a report. Oh, and if you disagree with anything I've said, I would love to discuss it further :)

Best,

Lisa H, CPDT-KA
www.silverspringdogtraining.com

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Silver Spring Dog Training updated their website address.

Great article!

Opinion | The Pain of Loving Old Dogs It’s hard to know what to do when age brings a faithful companion so much fear and suffering.

Adopt Maize on Petfinder

Look at this sweetie! Soft eyes, good desription, worth checking out if you are looking to adopt a low to medium energy adult dog! Contact me for my consultation services if you are looking to adopt her or any other dog(s) in the DMV!

Disclaimer: I do not know this dog personally but I would love to meet her!!

petfinder.com Maize is an adoptable Dog - Beagle & Dachshund Mix searching for a forever family near Washington, DC. Use Petfinder to find adoptable pets in your area.

Dallas rescue group stands behind dog that bit toddler at adoption event

This is such a sad story! So many things must have gone wrong in this situation and I have many questions/concerns.

The rescue side:

1. They think this dog "deserves a second chance" but my question is why? This dog has terrible bite inhibition and is a danger to the public http://apdt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ian-dunbar-dog-bite-scale.pdf. They should spend their time focusing on the dogs they rescue who are not dangerous.

I know I may come off as cold to many of you but I have worked in animal shelters for years. During that time, I have seen so many great dogs euthanized for reasons as simple as needing more shelter space because too many animals were coming in. Those dogs should be the focus, those dogs should be taken to adoption events, those dogs are the ones who "deserve a second chance" at LIFE!

2. Why was this dog at the rescue for an entire year? After each month the dog should
have been reevaluated. Was it ever temperament tested in the first place? How were they unable to see any aggression at all? My guess is that he has low sociability with people and has always been aggressive. It is the responsibility of the rescue to make sure the dogs they are adopting out are safe. If they can't do this, or don't know the signs of aggression, they should educate themselves or be shut down.

3. How was this dog able to bite a child? Most dog savvy people know that lots of dogs are scared of children. If the rescue had an attentive handler paying attention to this dog, it would have been that person's number one goal/responsibility to protect the dog from the "scary child". Not all incidences are predictable but most are. That's why excuses can't be tolerated and ignorance shouldn't be rewarded by letting these people continue to run a "rescue". The rescue is responsible for training its volunteers. Number one rule: don't let small children approach a dog you know very little about. Its not fair to the kid AND its not fair to the dog either.

Side note: I just had a client who needed to return two dogs to a rescue because one of them was very aggressive towards people and the other was aggressive towards other dogs. The rescue's response to my client was patronizing to say the least. The first dog is already back up on the website with nothing substantial added to warn the public except something along the lines of "needs more than 2 walks per day". There haven't been many dogs that I have been afraid of, but that guy was one of the few. To put a dog like that back up for adoption is troubling and unethical.

To the mom:

1. Come on lady...this is common sense. Don't let your kid run up to any dog even if that dog knows your child. Its very scary, and while most dogs will learn to tolerate it or run away, some will fight if they feel threatened enough, and this dog had nowhere to go because he was on leash.

2. I can't help but believe the rescue when they said she was not with her son during the second approach. Its critical that parents remain with their kids if they must interact with dogs.

3. My child is 3 and I am constantly reminding her not to hug our dogs and only use gentle touches, if they walk or look away to leave them alone, and to never force them to play with her, etc. But she needs constant reminding ALL THE TIME! I never let her meet dogs we don't know because the risk outweighs the benefits. It is our responsibility to protect our children and educate them on how to interact with animals appropriately.

To the media covering the story: The dog's breed is irrelevant!

Conclusion:

Animal rescues, when done right are wonderful! But there are way too many out there thinking with their hearts and not their heads. I know you are animal lovers but think about the bigger picture. If you rescue aggressive dogs, adopt them out, and they hurt someone, you are out of business and you will be of no help to anyone. Focus on dogs that could actually fit into a home with anyone. There are plenty out there! Also, instead of taking the defensive by saying this dog needs a second chance, and blaming the child or parents, take responsibility for your actions and think about what practices you could change to make things better and more successful.

fox4news.com A Dallas pet rescue thinks a dog deserves a second chance after biting a 2-year-old boy at an adoption event two weeks ago.

How to ‘Winterize’ Your Dog

Read to find out how to take care of your pups during the winter months!

nytimes.com Dogs can face special hazards in the colder months, ranging from cracked paws and dry skin to electrocution or immersion in a frozen pond.

The 2017 Best Dog Harnesses Review | Whole Dog Journal

This is a great summary of the best harnesses in 2017! Check it out :)

whole-dog-journal.com This Whole Dog Journal review of harnesses does all of the trial and error work of finding a quality harness for you!

Adopt Ellie on Petfinder

Small dog of the day: Ellie (5) is good with kids, cats and other dogs with a "sparkling personality" to boot!
Disclaimer: I do not know this dog personally but I would love to meet her!!

petfinder.com Ellie is an adoptable Dog - Terrier Mix searching for a forever family near Bethesda, MD. Use Petfinder to find adoptable pets in your area.