Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
June Newsletter
We would love to be able to say how much we are enjoying the beautiful, sunny Summer weather, but that sure isn't the case! Still, we know that a lot of you have trips for the Summer coming up, so please remember to book early! We get so busy during the Summer months!
Fundraiser
On July 2, from 11:30-4:00pm we will be doing a fundraiser here at the kennel and you are all invited. We are excited to announce this fundraiser as it is for a wonderful cause! This amazing organization http://www.supportmilitaryworkingdogs.org/ raises money to purchase cooling vests and doggles for military dogs. Many military working dogs are working in conditions that are not only dangerous, but also very hot, some as hot as 140 degrees. It is not safe or even possible for them to work for extended periods without this equipment.
The event will be held outside in our training yard. There will be raffle prizes, lots of animals, lots of fun for adults and kids, shopping, good food and military dog demos! Please join us!
Upcoming Training Classes
Fundraiser
On July 2, from 11:30-4:00pm we will be doing a fundraiser here at the kennel and you are all invited. We are excited to announce this fundraiser as it is for a wonderful cause! This amazing organization http://www.supportmilitaryworkingdogs.org/ raises money to purchase cooling vests and doggles for military dogs. Many military working dogs are working in conditions that are not only dangerous, but also very hot, some as hot as 140 degrees. It is not safe or even possible for them to work for extended periods without this equipment.
The event will be held outside in our training yard. There will be raffle prizes, lots of animals, lots of fun for adults and kids, shopping, good food and military dog demos! Please join us!
Upcoming Training Classes
Please contact Vicki at braveheartdogs@gmail.com if you are interested in joining any of these classes!
Fun with Scentwork, Dublin, Thursdays, 6-7:30pm, June 16, $150
Confidence Building for Marshmallows, Dublin, Thursdays, 7:30-8:30pm, June 16, $150
Lectures on the Lawn
When you talk, we listen! So many of you were disappointed that our Lectures were held on Friday evenings when a lot of people are going out of town, so we decided to change our Lecture on the Lawn night to Wednesdays! Our first Wednesday Lecture on the Lawn will be held on July 13, from 6:30-7:30. The topic will be Dog Trainer Secrets! Lectures are $20, no dogs, people only please.
Puppies!
Most of you probably know that one of Sue's passions is her own dogs, specifically the showing and breeding of quality standard smooth Dachshunds. On April 22, Sue's dog Neena had a beautiful litter of Dachshund puppies! Neena, almost finished with her own championship was bred to Dual Champion Hollyhound's Raising Cain at Carrdox. Casey is both a field champion and a bench champion and earlier this year was ranked number one field trial Dachshund in the country! Field trials are events were the hounds are released on fresh rabbit trails and judged on their ability to follow the scent. They do not see, chase or kill rabbits, they only follow the scent. There are 2 males and 4 females, all black and tan. The surprise in the litter was two recessive longhairs! Because the longhair gene is recessive, two smooth Dachshunds produce longhair puppies. Our trainer Vicki Ronchette has been doing a lot of early learning, enrichment and scentwork with the puppies since they were three weeks. This work is being documented on the blog she created www.neenasnosers.blogspot.com. All of these puppies show a lot of field potential. Two, possibly three of the puppies are still available. If you are interested in hearing more about them please contact Sue.
Friday, May 6, 2011
May Newsletter
Summer is coming! We love Summer around here at the kennel, but the Summer in Dublin brings some hot days along with it. The kennel is fully climate controlled which means that your animals will be kept comfortable and cool even on hot days. Here are some ways to keep your dogs and yourselves safe during the Summer months:
Please book early for Summer!! As you know, Summer is among one of our busiest times. Please call us as early as possible to book your Summer reservations!
Lectures on the Lawn
Once a month we host a Lecture on the Lawn with Vicki Ronchette, CPDT, CAP2. Vicki is our resident dog trainer and offers dog training and behavior insights in these informative, informal monthly talks. Join us on the lawn for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, snacks and great discussions! Check our schedule or call the kennel for topics, days and times!
One Pup at a Time
As you may already know the kennel runs a rescue program to help homeless dogs (and cats) in our community. Our goal was to accept one rescue dog at a time, work with the dog and then find the dog a new home. Of course, there are so many unwanted dogs and cats that we couldn't stop at just one and therefore usually have several dogs looking for new homes. In addition, we typically take in several litters of unwanted kittens a year to find homes for as well. If you or anyone you know is looking to adopt a dog, please check with us, we may have your next companion right here waiting for you!
Easter Egg Hunt
On April 23 we held our first annual Easter Egg Hunt in conjunction with Braveheart Dog Training to raise money for our One Pup at a Time rescue dogs. We were so pleased with the great turnout! Every single one of our dogs found many eggs and won great prizes for themselves and their owners. It was a wonderful time and all the dogs and people had a wonderful time. Perhaps the best part was having Lilith Anne, one of our rescues, get adopted that day and having Jett (formerly Trixie) come and enjoy the fun with her new owner as a former One Pup at a Time dog! See Lilith Anne below, hunting for eggs just after being adopted! See even more pictures of the egg hunt here!
Dog Training Classes Starting Soon at the Kennel
Fun with Agility, Saturday, June 4, 9-9:50am
Beginning Obedience/Manners, June 4, 10-11am
Puppy Preschool, June 4, 11-11:50am
Fun with Scentwork, June 16, 6-7:30pm
Confidence Building for Marshmallows, June 16, 7:30-8:30pm
Uh Oh! My dog looks guilty! By Vicki Ronchette, CPDT, CAP2
The other day my cattle dog Bill ate a cupcake off of the counter. He licked the icing off another one. My husband found the crumbs of the first cupcake and the frosting missing off of the other and said, "Oh man, someone ate a cupcake off the counter. Hey, they licked the frosting off of this one!" There are only two dogs big enough to do this but I was pretty sure which dog it was. I didn't say anything but looked for Bill and found him lying down behind the couch looking very "guilty". He looked the exact same way he looks when my husband raises his voice because his football team is losing, when something he is working on around the house isn't going his way and when he is losing at his video game. Do you see where this is going? Bill didn't feel "guilty" because he ate a cupcake, in fact, he didn't realize Rick was vocalizing about cupcakes, he responds that way anytime Rick is upset about anything. Bill is very close and attached to Rick and freakishly in tune with Rick's emotions. He is so sensitive to Rick's tone of voice in fact, that every time Rick raises his voice he slinks away regardless of what Rick is talking about or who Rick is talking to. In fact, Rick has taken to saying, "It's okay Bill, it's not you" nearly every time he raises his voice to stop Bill from worrying.
People are always saying that their dogs feel "guilty". They say this because this is how they perceive their dog's body language, usually just after they have found something that the dog has done that they don't like. What they don't understand is that the dog is not responding this way because he feels "guilt" or "remorse" over something he has done, in fact, the dog usually has not clue that he did something "wrong". The dog is simply responding to the owner's tone of voice and body language. If a person comes home from work, finds poop in the house, then has an anger meltdown because they have to clean it up, the dog will begin to look worried and afraid when the owner comes home. It isn't because of what he did, it is because of his past experiences of his owner coming home and then getting angry. By the way, a dog can find our reactions punishing regardless of how benign they may seem. To some very sensitive dogs, something has subtle as a heavy sigh or look of disgust can be punishing to the dog. It is so interesting to me how people are can be completely resistant to the fact that dogs have emotions (which they do) or they believe that they have emotions and because they do, they must be exactly like human emotions (which they aren't).
Dogs repeat behaviors that are reinforcing. They also live in the moment. I had a very hard time resisting those cupcakes, even though I had already eaten one! Bill saw them on the counter and wanted one, so he took one. I believe he saw it, wanted it, took it, ate it and then it was over. He probably forgot about the cupcake the moment he was finished eating it (even though there was still frosting on his lip when I found him behind the couch!). When Rick started to complain that a cupcake was eaten, Bill heard his tone and got worried like he always does. There was no cupcake-guilt about it. By the way, we didn't care too much that he ate a cupcake and Bill didn't get in "trouble" for it, we just felt stupid for leaving the cupcake container open on the edge of the counter. STUPID!
There has been a video circulating on the internet of a "guilty dog". The owner comes to the dog with a ripped bag of cat treats and says to the dog "Did you do this? Did you rip open these cat treats?". The dogs starts to do a series of appeasement behaviors including pinning his ears back, yawning, lip licking, squinting his eyes, and finally offering a full, submissive grin with all of his teeth showing. People watch it and laugh and say that the dog is guilty, but the dog is not feeling "guilty" the dog is simply responding to the owner's tone of voice. It's sad to watch actually if you know what is going on. If you tested it (which I don't recommend you do since it's stressful to your dog) you would see that your dog will respond the same way if your tone and body language worries him.
The take away message here is "please don't assume your dog is feeling guilty", he is likely just responding to you. Oh, and remember to put the lid back on the cupcake container before leaving it on the counter!
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
- A car can get dangerously hot even on warm days, so leave your dog home when it's warm out.
- Take care not to go on walks mid day when it's very hot. The hot sun and heated pavement can be a dangerous combination and both you and your dog can be at risk for heat exhaustion and dehydration. Walk early in the morning or late at night.
- Make sure that your dog has access into the house on hot days. It is usually cooler inside the house on very hot days.
- Take extra care if you have a brachycephalic (flat faced) breed of dog such as a French Bulldog, Pug, Boxer, Shih Tzu, Bulldog or any combination as these individuals have even less tolerance to heat.
- As always, make sure that your dogs have plenty of fresh water available at all times.
Please book early for Summer!! As you know, Summer is among one of our busiest times. Please call us as early as possible to book your Summer reservations!
Lectures on the Lawn
Once a month we host a Lecture on the Lawn with Vicki Ronchette, CPDT, CAP2. Vicki is our resident dog trainer and offers dog training and behavior insights in these informative, informal monthly talks. Join us on the lawn for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, snacks and great discussions! Check our schedule or call the kennel for topics, days and times!
One Pup at a Time
As you may already know the kennel runs a rescue program to help homeless dogs (and cats) in our community. Our goal was to accept one rescue dog at a time, work with the dog and then find the dog a new home. Of course, there are so many unwanted dogs and cats that we couldn't stop at just one and therefore usually have several dogs looking for new homes. In addition, we typically take in several litters of unwanted kittens a year to find homes for as well. If you or anyone you know is looking to adopt a dog, please check with us, we may have your next companion right here waiting for you!
Easter Egg Hunt
On April 23 we held our first annual Easter Egg Hunt in conjunction with Braveheart Dog Training to raise money for our One Pup at a Time rescue dogs. We were so pleased with the great turnout! Every single one of our dogs found many eggs and won great prizes for themselves and their owners. It was a wonderful time and all the dogs and people had a wonderful time. Perhaps the best part was having Lilith Anne, one of our rescues, get adopted that day and having Jett (formerly Trixie) come and enjoy the fun with her new owner as a former One Pup at a Time dog! See Lilith Anne below, hunting for eggs just after being adopted! See even more pictures of the egg hunt here!
Dog Training Classes Starting Soon at the Kennel
Fun with Agility, Saturday, June 4, 9-9:50am
Beginning Obedience/Manners, June 4, 10-11am
Puppy Preschool, June 4, 11-11:50am
Fun with Scentwork, June 16, 6-7:30pm
Confidence Building for Marshmallows, June 16, 7:30-8:30pm
Uh Oh! My dog looks guilty! By Vicki Ronchette, CPDT, CAP2
The other day my cattle dog Bill ate a cupcake off of the counter. He licked the icing off another one. My husband found the crumbs of the first cupcake and the frosting missing off of the other and said, "Oh man, someone ate a cupcake off the counter. Hey, they licked the frosting off of this one!" There are only two dogs big enough to do this but I was pretty sure which dog it was. I didn't say anything but looked for Bill and found him lying down behind the couch looking very "guilty". He looked the exact same way he looks when my husband raises his voice because his football team is losing, when something he is working on around the house isn't going his way and when he is losing at his video game. Do you see where this is going? Bill didn't feel "guilty" because he ate a cupcake, in fact, he didn't realize Rick was vocalizing about cupcakes, he responds that way anytime Rick is upset about anything. Bill is very close and attached to Rick and freakishly in tune with Rick's emotions. He is so sensitive to Rick's tone of voice in fact, that every time Rick raises his voice he slinks away regardless of what Rick is talking about or who Rick is talking to. In fact, Rick has taken to saying, "It's okay Bill, it's not you" nearly every time he raises his voice to stop Bill from worrying.
People are always saying that their dogs feel "guilty". They say this because this is how they perceive their dog's body language, usually just after they have found something that the dog has done that they don't like. What they don't understand is that the dog is not responding this way because he feels "guilt" or "remorse" over something he has done, in fact, the dog usually has not clue that he did something "wrong". The dog is simply responding to the owner's tone of voice and body language. If a person comes home from work, finds poop in the house, then has an anger meltdown because they have to clean it up, the dog will begin to look worried and afraid when the owner comes home. It isn't because of what he did, it is because of his past experiences of his owner coming home and then getting angry. By the way, a dog can find our reactions punishing regardless of how benign they may seem. To some very sensitive dogs, something has subtle as a heavy sigh or look of disgust can be punishing to the dog. It is so interesting to me how people are can be completely resistant to the fact that dogs have emotions (which they do) or they believe that they have emotions and because they do, they must be exactly like human emotions (which they aren't).
Dogs repeat behaviors that are reinforcing. They also live in the moment. I had a very hard time resisting those cupcakes, even though I had already eaten one! Bill saw them on the counter and wanted one, so he took one. I believe he saw it, wanted it, took it, ate it and then it was over. He probably forgot about the cupcake the moment he was finished eating it (even though there was still frosting on his lip when I found him behind the couch!). When Rick started to complain that a cupcake was eaten, Bill heard his tone and got worried like he always does. There was no cupcake-guilt about it. By the way, we didn't care too much that he ate a cupcake and Bill didn't get in "trouble" for it, we just felt stupid for leaving the cupcake container open on the edge of the counter. STUPID!
There has been a video circulating on the internet of a "guilty dog". The owner comes to the dog with a ripped bag of cat treats and says to the dog "Did you do this? Did you rip open these cat treats?". The dogs starts to do a series of appeasement behaviors including pinning his ears back, yawning, lip licking, squinting his eyes, and finally offering a full, submissive grin with all of his teeth showing. People watch it and laugh and say that the dog is guilty, but the dog is not feeling "guilty" the dog is simply responding to the owner's tone of voice. It's sad to watch actually if you know what is going on. If you tested it (which I don't recommend you do since it's stressful to your dog) you would see that your dog will respond the same way if your tone and body language worries him.
The take away message here is "please don't assume your dog is feeling guilty", he is likely just responding to you. Oh, and remember to put the lid back on the cupcake container before leaving it on the counter!
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
December Newsletter
Merry Christmas! All of us at Dublin Creek Kennel would like to wish all of our clients and their pets a wonderful Christmas! We appreciate all of you and thank you for trusting us with your beloved companions!
GROOMING
Don't forget to set up an appointment to get your dog or cat groomed for the holidays! Our wonderful groomer Michelle can shampoo, brush and comb your dog or cat to get them looking and feeling great for the holidays! Remember that your dog or cat does not need to be boarding in order to get groomed, you are welcome to book grooming appointments in between your boarding stays! Sorry, no full haircuts.
OUR NEW CATTERY
We are so pleased with how our new cattery has turned out! We worked hard to provide a fun, enriching environment for our feline guests! Come and see it today!
PUPPY SLEEPOVERS
We are now offering Puppy Sleepovers! For just $25 for one night, you can board your puppy aged 2 to 5 months to expose them to the kennel during the critical socialization period. Feel free to bring your puppies favorite toy and bed or anything else that you think that they would like to have with them. Each stay includes a play session and a stuffed kong! We will go out of our way to make sure your pup has a great boarding experience! Puppy Sleepovers are available Monday through Thursday!
ONE PUP AT A TIME RESCUE
Sue and Katherine, the owners of Dublin Creek Kennels want to do their part to help the community. Because of this we have created One Pup at a Time rescue where we take in rescue dogs, work with them, and find them new, permanent, loving forever homes. Of course, there are so many dogs and cats in need of rescue that our "one" dog at a time quickly turned into two or three or four! Please check out our rescue page and see our wonderful dogs and cats that are looking for their forever homes. These loving animals would love to be in a forever home of their own for the holidays. Do you have room for one more?
GROOMING
Don't forget to set up an appointment to get your dog or cat groomed for the holidays! Our wonderful groomer Michelle can shampoo, brush and comb your dog or cat to get them looking and feeling great for the holidays! Remember that your dog or cat does not need to be boarding in order to get groomed, you are welcome to book grooming appointments in between your boarding stays! Sorry, no full haircuts.
OUR NEW CATTERY
We are so pleased with how our new cattery has turned out! We worked hard to provide a fun, enriching environment for our feline guests! Come and see it today!
DOG TRAINING CLASSES!
Braveheart Dog Training now offers a wide variety of classes at the kennel including Beginning Obedience and Manners, Puppy Preschool, Fun with Agility and much more! Check out the class schedule to find a class that is right for you and your dog here.
We are now offering Puppy Sleepovers! For just $25 for one night, you can board your puppy aged 2 to 5 months to expose them to the kennel during the critical socialization period. Feel free to bring your puppies favorite toy and bed or anything else that you think that they would like to have with them. Each stay includes a play session and a stuffed kong! We will go out of our way to make sure your pup has a great boarding experience! Puppy Sleepovers are available Monday through Thursday!
ONE PUP AT A TIME RESCUE
Sue and Katherine, the owners of Dublin Creek Kennels want to do their part to help the community. Because of this we have created One Pup at a Time rescue where we take in rescue dogs, work with them, and find them new, permanent, loving forever homes. Of course, there are so many dogs and cats in need of rescue that our "one" dog at a time quickly turned into two or three or four! Please check out our rescue page and see our wonderful dogs and cats that are looking for their forever homes. These loving animals would love to be in a forever home of their own for the holidays. Do you have room for one more?
Monday, November 15, 2010
November Newsletter
Book Early
As we welcome Autumn we want to remind all of our clients to remember to book early for Christmas. As you know we tend to fill up around the holidays so please make sure to let us know as soon as possible if you are planning to go away!
Grooming
Don't forget that we offer grooming! Our wonderful groomer Michelle will brush and comb out and bathe your dog! Grooming includes nail trim and feet trimming if needed. Sorry, we don't do full haircuts. Also, your dog does not have to be boarding in order to get groomed you are welcome to come in for grooming in between boarding visits, whenever your dog needs freshening up!
New Cattery
The new cattery is nearly complete and will be ready by Thanksgiving! Cats staying in our new cattery will be treated to a minimum of 3 hours a day of free roam play time in the cattery. They will also get to enjoy extra luxuries such as a flat screen TV playing cat enriching videos, constant running drinking fountain and many climbing and play areas! Come and check it out for yourself! Stay tuned for pictures next Newsletter!
Puppy Sleepovers
We are now offering Puppy Sleepovers! For just $25 for one night, you can board your puppy aged 2 to 5 months to expose them to the kennel during the critical socialization period. Feel free to bring your puppies favorite toy and bed or anything else that you think that they would like to have with them. Each stay includes a play session and a stuffed kong! We will go out of our way to make sure your pup has a great boarding experience! Puppy Sleepovers are available Monday through Thursday!
As we welcome Autumn we want to remind all of our clients to remember to book early for Christmas. As you know we tend to fill up around the holidays so please make sure to let us know as soon as possible if you are planning to go away!
Grooming
Don't forget that we offer grooming! Our wonderful groomer Michelle will brush and comb out and bathe your dog! Grooming includes nail trim and feet trimming if needed. Sorry, we don't do full haircuts. Also, your dog does not have to be boarding in order to get groomed you are welcome to come in for grooming in between boarding visits, whenever your dog needs freshening up!
New Cattery
The new cattery is nearly complete and will be ready by Thanksgiving! Cats staying in our new cattery will be treated to a minimum of 3 hours a day of free roam play time in the cattery. They will also get to enjoy extra luxuries such as a flat screen TV playing cat enriching videos, constant running drinking fountain and many climbing and play areas! Come and check it out for yourself! Stay tuned for pictures next Newsletter!
Puppy Sleepovers
We are now offering Puppy Sleepovers! For just $25 for one night, you can board your puppy aged 2 to 5 months to expose them to the kennel during the critical socialization period. Feel free to bring your puppies favorite toy and bed or anything else that you think that they would like to have with them. Each stay includes a play session and a stuffed kong! We will go out of our way to make sure your pup has a great boarding experience! Puppy Sleepovers are available Monday through Thursday!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Howl-O-Ween Party Cancelled
The Howl-O-Ween Party has been cancelled. The weather forecasts are warning of a big storm at the end of the week through Sunday.
Monday, October 18, 2010
October Newsletter
Sorry for the late newsletter! We have been busy bees working on more exciting changes at the kennel!
New Cattery
Our beautiful new cattery is nearly complete! This area was designed with your cats in mind and they are going to love it! We have created a new cattery containing four separate cat or cat family areas (much like our old cattery) that open up to the full cattery which is filled with climbing areas, play areas and lots of things to enrich your cats stay. Each cat (or cat family sharing a house) will be allowed daily out time which will allow them to explore, play and climb around. We are very excited to be able to offer this new space to your cats. We still have our other cattery which will still offer cats roomy houses to stay in! Come by and check it out!
Howl-O-Ween Party
Don't forget that our Howl-O-Ween party co-hosted with Braveheart Dog Training will be held here at the kennel on October 30, at 6:30 pm. Bring your dog, yourself and your friends to the party to enjoy treats, snacks, costume contest and more! Please think about your dogs comfort and safety when choosing their Halloween costume. Hope to see you then!
Upcoming Classes
These are upcoming classes taught here at the kennel by Vicki of Braveheart Dog Training.
Beginning Obedience/Manners, Thursday, November 11, 6-7pm
This is a beginning class which will teach owners how to train their dogs to do a variety of basic behaviors including sit, down, loose leash walking, come here, out, off and much more.
Novice Obedience, Monday, November 15, 6:30-7:20pm
This is an intermediate level class for people who want to learn the behaviors and exercises necessary for Novice Obedience.
Marshmallows, Monday, November 15, 7:30-8:20pm
Is your dog shy or uncomfortable around certain things? Is he or she nervous of new people? Then this class is for you! This class is designed especially for shy dogs. The goal will be to teach owners of shy or fearful dogs to understand their dogs behavior and body language and how to help their dogs become more comfortable with different things. We will work on some manners and obedience behaviors while also learning to help dogs cope in a new environment.
New Cattery
Our beautiful new cattery is nearly complete! This area was designed with your cats in mind and they are going to love it! We have created a new cattery containing four separate cat or cat family areas (much like our old cattery) that open up to the full cattery which is filled with climbing areas, play areas and lots of things to enrich your cats stay. Each cat (or cat family sharing a house) will be allowed daily out time which will allow them to explore, play and climb around. We are very excited to be able to offer this new space to your cats. We still have our other cattery which will still offer cats roomy houses to stay in! Come by and check it out!
Howl-O-Ween Party
Don't forget that our Howl-O-Ween party co-hosted with Braveheart Dog Training will be held here at the kennel on October 30, at 6:30 pm. Bring your dog, yourself and your friends to the party to enjoy treats, snacks, costume contest and more! Please think about your dogs comfort and safety when choosing their Halloween costume. Hope to see you then!
Upcoming Classes
These are upcoming classes taught here at the kennel by Vicki of Braveheart Dog Training.
Beginning Obedience/Manners, Thursday, November 11, 6-7pm
This is a beginning class which will teach owners how to train their dogs to do a variety of basic behaviors including sit, down, loose leash walking, come here, out, off and much more.
Novice Obedience, Monday, November 15, 6:30-7:20pm
This is an intermediate level class for people who want to learn the behaviors and exercises necessary for Novice Obedience.
Marshmallows, Monday, November 15, 7:30-8:20pm
Is your dog shy or uncomfortable around certain things? Is he or she nervous of new people? Then this class is for you! This class is designed especially for shy dogs. The goal will be to teach owners of shy or fearful dogs to understand their dogs behavior and body language and how to help their dogs become more comfortable with different things. We will work on some manners and obedience behaviors while also learning to help dogs cope in a new environment.
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