Category Archives: Dog Behavior

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs

CARMEL, CA: 7 DOGGY HACKS

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Do you ever get frustrated with the simplest things with your dog? You’re not alone! I see a lot of people asking for advice for a lot of these situations. It might sound silly, but there’s no silly question. Enjoy these doggy hacks!

DISPENSING PILLS:

Many people put pills in peanut butter and claim it doesn’t work. Their dogs find the pill, eat the peanut butter around it, and spit the pill out on the floor. Try these…

First – When you are training your dog to enjoy Peanut Butter filled kong’s and bones? Use Crunchy Peanut Butter! They get used to the texture and taste of the crunchy peanuts in the spread, so when you need to hide a pill in some – It’s truly hidden! They think it’s another piece of crunchy PB. They’ll just swallow it down with the rest.

Second – Line up a row of treats. Small crunchy bones work; Charlee Bears are good too. Put the pill amongst them somewhere in the lineup. Speak to your dog excitedly about getting treats and start handing them out quickly! They match energy like a little wind-up toy, when you speak quickly and happily they will get excited and want the treats fast! The trick here is to hand them out fast. I like giving at least 2 treats first, before I give the pill, followed immediately with another treat. If you do this quick enough, they won’t have the time to think of what’s going in their mouth. 

DE-STINKING SKUNK SPRAY:

Many dogs have been blasted by skunks over the years. I’ve had my fair share of that happening in my own backyard. The first piece of advice that people give is to use tomato juice. However, there’s a better method. Massengil. Yes, the douche. One wash and you have no more skunk smell left! 

The way that you’d wash your dog with Massengil; Soak your dog first so they are thoroughly dampened. Then you pour the Massengil all over their coat, massage it in. Let them sit for a minute or two, then rinse off. The oils from the skunk spray will get stripped by the douche. You can follow up with a regular shampoo afterwards.

SLOW DOWN FAST EATERS:

Many dogs inhale their food. This can be bad, or cause bloat if they take in too much air while scarfing down their meals. There are many fancy bowls that have been designed to slow down these pups with their structure. You could get one if you like. I’ve seen dogs knock it over to get the food out of it before, however. Or, you could continue to use their cute decorative regular bowl and just add some water to the food. I like floating my dogs’ food like cereal because it slows them down, makes the food more palatable, aids in digestion, and it adds some extra hydration in their day. 

NAIL TRIM TRICK:

To make nail trimming much easier, do it when you’re bathing your dog. When they’re standing in warm water, the nails soften. This makes cutting them quicker, easier, and not so scary for the dogs. 

If you cut a nail too short, and you don’t have any styptic powder, you can use flour or cornstarch to stop the bleeding. Don’t make a big deal out of trimming the nails too short. If you react, then your dog will get smart and use this in his bag of tricks for getting you to stop later on. Just staunch the bleeding off in a shallow bowl or plate of styptic powder, or flour.

PICKING UP YOUR DOG’S DEPOSIT ON A WALK:

Walking gets the body moving, and some dogs just gotta go while on a walk. They also like to sprint off after pooping, too! So, how do you deal with picking up your dog’s deposit when he wants to run flying off the handle right after? I step on the leash. By stepping on the center of my leash, it frees up both of my hands in order to grab a bag, open it up, pick up what they dropped down, tie it off and then continue the walk. I don’t have a dog tugging at me, or getting in the way while I’m cleaning up after them. 

Also, what to do with those full bags and no garbage cans around? I’ll double-bag the mess, tie it off and then use the excess bag to tie around my leash. Hands free, full bag comes with us and I’m feeling good about being a responsible doggy mom. 

CALMING OVER-EXCITED / ANXIOUS BEHAVIORS:

Dogs watch patterns and learn what patterns mean. They are very observant and love to be able to predict their surroundings. When they’ve learned that particular patterns mean things like going for a walk, or getting fed, the pattern itself becomes just as exciting as the end result. Switch your pattern around, or have it result in something different. 

For doggies that go crazy over dinnertime, (believe me, I’m talking about my own dogs here!) we hide the food in a totally different part of the house. We also pick up their bowls immediately after they are done eating. When they don’t get to watch you prepare their food, there is nothing to be anxious about. We just appear with food at one point and they get to eat. No more craziness, screaming or over-excitement. 

KONG ENRICHMENT HACK:

When giving your dog a Kong toy, try freezing it. This has the tasty treat last longer for your dog, and they enjoy the coolness of it. I fill the Kong with one of my recipes, throw it in the freezer overnight then give it to them the next day. The treat lasts longer than 5 minutes and it keeps my pups busy!

Published by Amy Noble on 1/22/20

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist and Dog Trainer in Monterey, Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. Amy’s love for every dog, cat, horse, rabbit, human (and more!) that she trains truly shows in her work and dedication.

Dog Behavior, Dogs, Puppies

CARMEL, CA: Adopt Or Shop – You Choose

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I am 100% supportive of Rescue organizations. I work with a few by fostering dogs, training those fosters and finding them their furever homes. Rescue is great. 

I’m also 100% supportive of responsible breeders. I’ve had many wonderful dogs who came from fantastic breeders. I also worked with several AKC Breeders, Judges, and Delegates who are and were members of the Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club. 

What I don’t support is the confrontation that happens all over social media over the one-sided “Adopt Don’t Shop” rhetoric. I really understand the sentiment; there are so many dogs in shelters and on the streets. It would be amazing if we had a major breakthrough in this condition. Still, there are advantages to both sides of the coin. Dogs from Rescue or Dogs from Breeders.

There are so many benefits to getting a dog from a reputable breeder: Known genetic history, known temperaments, most of them come crate trained or have potty training started, they are well-socialized, properly brought up and come with the behavioral advantages of having gone through weaning with mom while growing up alongside littermates. 

Some people require a well-bred dog to do a specific job. With generations of specifically designed genetic lines, you know what to expect and what you’re getting into. You cannot find the same benefit from a mixed-breed rescue dog. This is the goal of most reputable breeders – to continue on, and perfect, the breed to accomplish what it was originally intended for. 

Yes, you can find some purebred dogs in the shelters. You don’t have any history of its genetics or past or upbringing, however. So you can’t be guaranteed to get a specific desired result. There are always exceptions to every rule and I’m sure there are many wonderful shelter dogs who can perform jobs just as well. I work with hundreds of them each year. 

Rescues and shelters have been amazingly beneficial as well. They are a perfect place for seasoned or first-time dog owners to find their loving companion. Shelters and Rescues are a much less-expensive way of initially obtaining a dog. The adopters get the great feeling of having saved the life of a dog who may have had a rough beginning. Shelter dogs I have known are often very loyal, very appreciative, and very bonded to their humans that saved them. I experience this love and appreciation every day in my own home. I love my rescue dog. I don’t know how his first 7 months of life was like, but I know 2 of them were in the shelter and rescue. Confidently, he is much better off being with me now, and I’ll keep him for the rest of his life. 

There are great reasons for finding your next dog through either means. Nobody should have to feel bad about looking for a reputable breeder, and nobody should feel demeaned for rescuing a dog that’s sitting in a shelter. How about we #AdoptOrShop #YouChoose.

Published by Amy Noble on 1/8/2020

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist and Dog Trainer in Monterey, Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. Amy’s love for every dog, cat, horse, rabbit, human (and more!) that she trains truly shows in her work and dedication.

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs, Positive Reinforcement Training, Puppies, Training Tips

MONTEREY, CA: The D’s in Dog Training

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There are three D’s to Dog Training, Distance, Distraction, and Duration. Except, we don’t teach them in that order! 

DURATION

We always begin with Duration, which counts for two areas. Duration can mean how long you work with your dog. In the beginning, when they’re just starting out, we begin by teaching them little things here and there while giving them lots of breaks in between. As your puppy grows and matures, it can practice and perform for longer periods of time.

Duration also applies to how long your dog performs a task. When first starting out, we teach the dog what the skill is and that they will get rewarded for performing it. Once that skill becomes reliable, and they’re doing it when asked the first time, we then begin asking for them to either hold it or perform it for a longer period of time. Instead of just doing the skill, they discover that holding that position for a longer period of time then gets them the reward. 

DISTANCE

Once you have established a solid skill and they are doing it for a set period of time, you can begin working on Distancing yourself from the dog. In the example of Stays, we begin by taking one step back, then two, three, etc. Adding Distance creates a more solidly trained dog. Always begin small, and work out from there. 

In the interest of aggressive or reactive dogs we begin further away and slowly work our way closer to the thing that is causing the reactivity. Distance works both ways. 

DISTRACTIONS

Distractions get added as the dog becomes more reliable. They need to learn amongst Distractions, so we add them in slowly. There are four levels to Distractions and they apply in all cases; whether it be obedience training skills, or rehabilitating an aggressive dog. 

Level 1: This is essentially your low level distractions. The way that I explain this to my clients is; it’s a distraction that grabs your pup’s attention but is easy to get it back from. Such as a temporary noise that happens in another room. Their ear would turn, maybe their head but you’re holding a yummy treat so they immediately connect back to you after it’s over. 

Level 2: This is a distraction that is a little bit more exciting to the dog. Something that might cause them to walk away from your treat, and also requires a little more effort on your part to get them back, but they still come back. Example: One of their other humans comes home and walks through the room – puppy runs over to say hello to them. 

Level 3: This distraction is higher up on the enticement scale. This is your pizza man knocking at the door, or hearing someone walk down the sidewalk, on the other side of their fence. This distraction absolutely takes their attention away from you and you need to work at getting it back. Just a treat or a recall won’t do it for them. Usually needs intervention training. If left too long in this stage these distractions can & usually will jump up a level. 

Level 4: This is the highest level of distraction. This is your neighbor and his dog walking towards you down the sidewalk with your dog-reactive dog on a leash. Or a cat that’s running across your yard and your dog has a high level of prey drive. These are distractions that your dog ignores everything, for. They cause your dog to take off running, to pull or lunge at the end of the leash, to completely forget about anything you might be holding or offering him/her. 

A lot of the dogs I meet are at Level 4 and I need to train them down to level 1. So it’s a step-ladder of working at the lower levels and slowly adding more in. Jump too high too fast and it causes confusion and frustration. Also where Distance is important as the closer you get, the higher the Distraction goes. This is why beginning with Duration and Distance is important. Distractions always come last. 

Published by Amy Noble on 12/18/19

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist and Dog Trainer in Monterey, Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. Amy’s love for every dog, cat, horse, rabbit, human (and more!) that she trains truly shows in her work and dedication.

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs

CARMEL, CA: The Way And The Reason I Work.

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Someone asked me recently, “What makes YOU so special?” And, honestly? I love this question! There is something different about me and it does contribute to how and why I work so well with animals – and humans!

I’m a very calm, confident person and I give off that energy to those around me. Dogs are pack animals and appreciate a leader who knows “the way out of the woods,” so-to-speak. A leader who can handle any situation with confidence and ease – so they don’t have to. 

Energy! It’s all about the energy that I give off and even use to communicate with.

I also have a very good grasp of emotions happening; inside of me or within the people around me. I tend to keep myself very positive-neutral and under control – which translates to “leader” in dogs. The confidence I have, and my restraint from having emotional reactions come from years of my own work in self-reflection and understanding the brain and body coherence. 

If a dog is acutely aware of their present self and physical body position / motion, why can’t we be the same? It’s because we’ve become distracted, it’s been trained out of us. I have learned to enhance and utilize it to work for me, with animals, children, and the non-verbal in general. 

And Yes, I do use this same form of self-energy control and distribution to communicate as well. This is a bit more tricky to explain and teach; however, it’s something that we are all capable of. Everybody has the potential – it’s in our code. It’s the same as your gut feelings, your intuition – your Spidey-Senses! You’ve even experienced it before without being aware. Picture this…

You’ve just gotten out of a late night class. The campus is empty and dark. When you showed up earlier, the parking lot was full – so you had to park in the far back. As you pass one of the buildings you see a dark figure leaning against the wall, nobody else is around and suddenly you feel very anxious to get to your car. Your pace quickens, your footsteps pounding in your ears. Your breathing becomes quick and shallow. Your lonely car out there in the lot, by itself in the dark seems to be so far away; it feels like someone is looming right over your shoulder – about to grab you! 

The very next morning news gets to you that a building on your campus was broken into. The very same building you saw the figure the night prior. You felt something was wrong, you knew something was off about that place, that person, that time. You don’t know why or how, but you acted on that feeling by getting to your car quickly, your brain pumping your body full of adrenaline to give you the strength and speed to complete your one and only task of survival. 

It’s instinctual and can be fine-tuned to your advantage whenever you need it.  

Alternatively – You’ve just walked into a new school on day 1. You look around the room for an empty seat, trying not to be noticed. When you lock eyes with a new stranger and they smile. It’s as if a light has shone upon them; all your nerves disappear, you smile easily and suddenly you feel relaxed and excited to start this new year. The two of you have now been the best of friends (or lovers) for 25 years.

I just happened to notice that animals responded much quicker and easier to it all than people did. Though people absolutely can and do – just as well! 

I have been particularly sensitive to these types of moments and feelings since I was a very young child. It’s a silent language that we all are capable of speaking. I just happen to have practiced quietly, internally, since I can remember. Being a child whose vision depended on being extremely observant of my environment, situations, motions, emotions, behaviors and the people around me certainly helped my case. I had to rely on those senses and energy shifts and changes to tell me how to react and adapt in my life.

Energy shifts are the way of animal language:
The deer NEVER needs to walk up to the wolf and ask if he is a friend. He just knows. Zebra know the exact moment to run; the moment the lion has chosen to chase. Instinctual energies have a very palpable feel to them, and as soon as you learn to recognize and read them, is when you can be several steps ahead of the creature you’re working with. 

I do my best to teach this to every one of my clients.

Every time I’ve had a dog on lead who’s decided to attack another, I feel something like a pulse of energy, almost like a puff of air that hits me first. My reflexes and reaction time must be precise to ensure the safety of everybody involved. So I stop it before it starts, or gets too far.

If I start to lose a dog’s attention and they go dancing away, I can picture and *feel* something like an elastic band or cord attached between us, that encourages them to come back by tugging at them to return to me.

That is how I was always able to catch dogs running loose in the neighborhood. 

Now you see, there is something different about me, something special that I have that others may not. I work on many levels with my animals and people, so that everyone benefits and their lives improve. That’s my ultimate goal – to improve the lives of others through transforming relationships with their animals. <3

Published by Amy Noble on 10/23/19

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist and Dog Trainer in Monterey, Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. Amy’s love for every dog, cat, horse, rabbit, human (and more!) that she trains truly shows in her work and dedication.


Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs, Positive Reinforcement Training, Puppies, Training Tips

Monterey, CA: Why Training Though?

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Besides the obvious reasons of having a well-mannered, short, furry member of your family – Do you know why it’s a good idea that every single doggy household should go through some training?

Brain Plasticity is the ability for the brain to modify it’s connections and rewire itself.
This is what learning and re-learning is. This is the entire basis of what I do. I can take dogs who have learned to behave, act and react in one way and I am able to rewire the brain to think, react, and act a completely different way – while leaving the personality completely in tact.

Whether or not they have behavioral issues, we all run into hurdles, stumbles and naughty puppies somewhere along the line. But because they may act a certain way, doesn’t mean that they need to be labeled or expected to stay that way forever. This is why I specialize in correcting severe behaviors and all forms of aggression, and have been able to fix what others have said could never be.

Our dogs have thoughts, personalities, emotions, and reactions just like us, and they get bored just like our children do – heck adults still get bored too. As puppies their minds and bodies are growing, learning, shaping and becoming who they will be through exploring the world around them. Training brings a change of pace, has them guessing and striving to do things for you because it’s fun and rewarding! It’s very stimulating to do any kind of training with your dog. Whether it be Obedience, Agility, Assistance / Service Dog work, Rally or any other forms of dog sports and activities. 

Training is stimulating to your dog, no matter their age, they enjoy learning new things or practicing well-known skills. When you work with your dog on obedience or tricks or agility – whatever it is, you are working out their brain muscles. Just like children in school, stimulating the brain to function is good for their health, and makes them tired too! And a tired puppy is a GOOD puppy! Thinking and working for treats and toys is mentally exhausting for them in a good way. Do let them take frequent naps in order for their new learning to settle in, and their bodies to unwind. 

When you’re training with your dog, you’re spending quality time with them each day where the two of you are having fun, communicating with one another and bonding. It should be fun for the both of you, where you continue to improve, progress and over time, work together as a stronger team. All of which makes your life with your dog that much more enjoyable. 

Something to remember: Regularly working with your dog is good for your health. Interacting with your dog has been proven to release endorphins in both species, and we biologically respond to one another the same way parents do with their children. Also? Patients who are recovering from illnesses or surgeries recover faster when they have a dog present, their own dog even faster. 

In Short, It’s all around good for everyone!

Published by Amy Noble on 8/28/19
Amy is an Animal Behaviorist and Dog Trainer in Monterey, Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. Amy’s love for every dog, cat, horse, rabbit, human (and more!) that she trains truly shows in her work and dedication.

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs, Service Animals, Training Tips

Carmel, Ca: Service Dogs: Paw’rt Two.

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Miss Paw’rt One? Read it Here!

(Feature Image: Custom Patch by Jubalee’s Vests & Patches)

You’ve determined that you could benefit from having a service dog. What’s next? You’ve got a few options.

You can look into getting a program dog. A program dog is one that has been raised in a program specifically designed to select and train service dogs for certain groups of people. You’ve got Guide dogs for the blind, as an example. These dogs have been specially selected from puppies and have been put through their extensive training program for up to two years, to learn how to do their job most effectively. Not all puppies make the cut, but the ones that do can run you upwards of $25k-$50k depending on where you get them and what for. In the case of Guide Dogs For The Blind, they are a free service run on donations and volunteers. However, in other programs there can be a large cost associated.

Don’t get discouraged. I know that’s a really high price tag! But keep reading.

There are breeders who have done a lot of work with their lines to produce service dog prospects. They are able to tell their new puppy owners which ones would do best as a service dog or therapy dog. Usually they pick one or several for you to choose as your SD puppy. These guys can go for normal breeder prices, or slightly higher, about $1k-$2k. If you go this route, do your due diligence on the breeder you choose to be sure that they have produced service dog quality dogs before you pay their prices. Some breeders are known for producing great SD’s.

Adopt! Shelters are full of wonderful dogs looking for homes that could fit your personality and lifestyle perfectly. I do caution you when doing this as there are many rescue dogs that come with baggage. If that’s the case you’ll end up spending a long time fixing problem behaviors before you can even consider training tasks or going in public. The low cost of the dog could be made up in behavior modification cost.

The second two options verify that you can owner-train your service dog. By definition it’s a dog that’s individually trained to mitigate your disability after all. So you can choose to do it yourself and train your own tasks. There is a lot of material on the web to help you do so.

Or you could hire me! I’ve trained medical, mobility, and psychiatric service dogs. Shameless plug.

As a general rule, your service dog will be considered a Service Dog in Training for around the first two years. It takes them time to mature or settle in to their new home and lifestyle. Obedience work can take several months, and tasks can take up to two years to become 100% automatic or “bomb proof”.

Which is the perfect time to mention this: If you see a Service Dog team out in public working – do not disturb the dog. Ever.

I know I just mentioned them being bomb proof – but you will never be able to tell which ones those are. And? Let’s face it, they’re dogs and they have personalities too. They’re working and need to be left alone.

There are some handlers who don’t mind talking to people if you have questions. Address the handler in a friendly manner and ask if you may ask about their dog. If they say no? Politely walk away. They are not being rude or mean, they are trying to go about their normal life. They may be having an issue with their health or disability that day. They have a service dog for a reason and not all reasons are visible or obvious to the outside world.

Do not ask to pet the dog. I’m just going to make that a rule you teach yourself and your children. Not all dogs need to be pet. Especially service dogs. The majority of them can get distracted and break concentration and could miss a mark or an alert which could be very dangerous or even life-threatening to their handler.

Teach your children to not address the dog. They may talk to you about the dog. But I would disallow them to make any noises or calls to the dog who is working. Again, this could be life-threatening to their handler! Teach them young, so we have more knowledgeable adults later on.

To have a service dog there are some general ethical guidelines to follow. The dog must be in perfect health and stature. They should not have any disabilities themselves. If they were in human form and needed assistance themselves, do not make them a service dog for you.

For mobility purposes, size definitely matters! Light mobility tasks require the dog be at least 33% of your body weight. Heavy mobility requires your dog be 50% your body weight. Keep that in mind when choosing a young dog.

These dogs begin work as a puppy (or as soon as you get them) can take up to two years to fully train and can work until they’re about 8 or 9 years old. So if you’re getting an adult shelter dog, understand that you may only get a few years of good work out of them before retiring them and beginning a new SD prospect.

Breed can play a role in longevity of their career as well. Some of your much bigger dogs don’t live nearly as long as medium or smaller dogs. So you might retire them at 6 or 7 instead. It is unethical to ask an old dog to work for up to 8 hours a day. They age faster than us and it’s hard on them.

And, yes, you can have more than one SD. Some handlers have disabilities that require the work of two dogs. Their tasks may be trained differently, and this is slightly more rare.

Lastly, any breed of dog can be a service dog. So don’t be too quick to laugh at that Pomeranian with a SD vest on. He may alert to an oncoming anxiety attack. You just never know.

Remember – not all disabilities are visible! And not all service dogs work in vests to label who they are. They are not required to and it gets hot in certain places!

Published by Amy Noble on 8/7/19

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist in Monterey Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. She has helped clients train Medical Alert, Mobility, and Psychiatric Service Animals, and is an AKC CGC Evaluator.

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs, Service Animals, Training Tips

Carmel, Ca: Thinking of Registering a Service Animal? Here’s What You Should Know…

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…You can’t!

There is no such thing as a legitimate Online Doctors note, Registry or Certification for a pet to be a Service Animal.

Taken from the ADA’s website: “There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.”

There are major differences between the three types of Service Animals: Emotional Support, Therapy and Service Animal.

The ADA defines a Service Animal as any dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. Otherwise meaning, the only ones lawfully covered by the DoJ are Task-trained Service Animals.

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are NOT the same as Task-Trained Service Animals. They are not covered by the ADA or Department of Justice, they do NOT have public access rights to “go anywhere you want”. They are not a license to have dogs where you otherwise couldn’t, and it is illegal and unethical to claim an Emotional Support/Service Animal to get around breed restrictions in apartments. Additionally, faking a Service Dog team can land you up to a $5,000 fine in California.

Including fines and other legal issues that those will run into when bringing their pet dogs to Wal-Mart or the grocery store? They are putting real, legit Service Dog teams in danger simply by just being there. These teams are highly trained and have spent countless hours and money on becoming what they are, and getting to the point of working together in public. More than likely, the pet dog has not had nearly the same amount, nor type, of training and can distract, react to, or attack a legit Service Dog Team. 

Not all disabilities are visible. Sometimes a handler may need their dog to alert them to an impending seizure, a drop in blood pressure, an oncoming anxiety attack, someone or something approaching proximity boundaries. It could be anything, and it is nobody’s business what disabilities the handlers have except their own and their Service Animal’s. The point is, if the animal misses his target because he’s distracted by Pet Dog, Fido, barking at him? His handler could get very seriously injured or worse.

Remember, you don’t need to be the Fake Service Dog Police. If you suspect a pet dog is pretending to be a Service Dog, seek out the store’s manager and alert them to your suspicions. It is up to them to ask the two individual questions that grant public access.

Emotional Support Animals DO have their place, and play a very important role in providing comfort and support in their human’s lives. ESA’s are not required to have any specific training because they don’t perform any tasks. ESA’s can also be other animals such as cats, rabbits, or parrots, though those animals may not be allowed to travel on airlines.

If you feel you could benefit from an Emotional Support Animal; you are still required to get your personal doctor or therapist to sign a letter stating your need for the ESA, in order for you to receive Reasonable Accommodations for housing or travel. Your ESA letter does not grant you public access into non-pet friendly stores. They are seen as pets and can be a distraction to Service Dog Teams. 

Emotional Support Animals can, however, accompany you to pet-friendly places such as pet stores, some hardware stores, some banks, and some outdoor cafes. If you’re fortunate enough to live in places like the Bay Area – You’ve got Stanford Shopping Center and Santana Row. Monterey County is quite dog-friendly, especially Carmel-by-the-Sea. All of these places are very dog-friendly and encouraged! Most stores will even have water bowls and treats hidden in the back for all the good boys & girls.

Therapy Dogs and Mini horses have a special place as well. These are the animals that visit hospitals, homes and schools to provide comfort and love to their residents. They are there for petting, resting, talking and reading to. These animals DO have a certification process that they generally go through to become a volunteer team. Most hospitals & homes will not allow individual Therapy Dog teams to visit their premises unless they belong with a specific Therapy Dog organization. Many of these Therapy Dog Organizations will require the dogs go through CGC Certification before, and to remain current on for the duration of their service.

Therapy Dogs and Mini horses do NOT have public access rights. They are only permitted in their designated places of service, and pet-friendly businesses.

Dogs and Mini Horses are the two most used animals as Service Animals. They have many different jobs that range from Guide Dogs, to Medical Alert, Mobility, and Psychiatric Service Dogs. These are considered Task-Trained Service Animals.

Psychiatric Service Dogs are very different from Emotional Support Animals. PSD’s are individually trained in tasks to help mitigate their handlers disabilities. They may perform Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) for anxiety attacks, alert to an oncoming panic attack from PTSD, perform Grounding, remind handler for medications, break dissociative episodes, wake from nightmares, etc. The amazing list of things goes on and the tasks are all individual to each handler team. These teams spend all day together. Some handlers need their Service Animals on an hour-by-hour, a day-by-day or a week-by-week basis. These animals are truly their daily side-kicks and Superheroes all rolled into one. 

Banner The Super Dog

Superheroes indeed, I wanted to share some Service Animals that I follow on social media. This girl’s name says it all: “Banner, The Super Dog”. What I love most about her is that she’s a Husky that has been very well trained by her handler. She gets to be a husky, and also takes her job very seriously. And who doesn’t enjoy a cosplaying dog?

Miniature Horses can also perform similar Service jobs; Vision Guide, Medical Alert, and they are a great option for handlers who may need more mobility support than a dog can give.

Flirty The Miniature Service Horse

One such Miniature horse I follow on Social Media is Flirty. She’s sassy and adorable and I really enjoy how open and honest her mama is. Her handler does more than her share of spreading education and information about Service Animals. She gives her readers a glimpse into the life of someone with invisible disabilities, dealing with the public, and the training and daily care of her service animal all while dealing with “real life” stuff. Flirty is her life line and it’s often shared, moments she has needed Flirty to jump into action to do her job. They are a great team, and you can see the love between them. 

This is only part of the information I wanted to share. I created a whole second blog to cover the rest. Read Paw’rt Two Here!

Published by Amy Noble on 7/31/19

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist in Monterey Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. She has helped clients train Medical Alert, Mobility, and Psychiatric Service Animals, and is an AKC CGC Evaluator.

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs, Positive Reinforcement Training, Puppies, Training Tips

Monterey, Ca: Potty Training with Puppies

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Puppies are some of the cutest little beings on the planet! They’re soft, and lovable, playful, bouncy, and so easy to pick up and snuggle.

Quick! What’s the first puppy con that comes to mind?! (Except for biting/chewing 😉) Yup, Potty Training!

The number one asked question of every new dog owner – And number one concern of every parent of every child whose ever mentioned the word “puppy”.

It can be a frustrating time, sometimes longer than anticipated, or it can be smooth and easy. I’ve experienced it all different ways and as I say to everyone? Every dog is different.

My King Shepherd and Malamute were the easiest two – Done in just a weekend. Next easiest would be Kiba our current Husky/WGSD; though in his favor – he was already about 7 months old when we got him and had already been getting potty trained in his foster home (Thanks Sara!). Our Border Collie kid, Raizo and my past Husky Prince tie for the most difficult. Thankfully for me, my parents did most of Prince’s training. And coincidentally – these two were trained using the same technique, paper (pad) training.

Let’s get into it – Which way is best? Easiest? Most effective? The answer, as always is “That depends…”

It depends on how much time you have, how quickly your puppy learns, how routinely you live, and even the type of environment you live in. You could train to go on puppy pads and eventually move them closer to the door and outside. You could use the good old frequent trips outside to show them where to go. There are grass patches now that act as doggy litter boxes that can be effective. An actual doggy litter box with absorbent puppy-safe litter.

What matters most is being consistent and having a set routine. Everybody benefits from having a regular routine of the time you wake, when you exercise and have meals, work, and the time you close it all down for the night to sleep. Just to do it all over again several days a week.

Having a puppy on a set meal routine for instance, will encourage regular, fairly predictable trips out to potty. Having a walk each day will also help keep their systems running regular.

Your rules of thumb are; Every time they wake up from sleep or a nap, potty. Every time after a meal from immediately to up to 30 minutes later, potty. After a big play session of running, zooming and bouncing, potty. Essentially, they go about every 30 mins to an hour. You can do the leg work and take them out to their spot to encourage them to go – but be sure to throw a puppy potty party after! You want them to feel good about where they go!

If they go inside on the carpet, just remember that they’re learning. We wouldn’t get angry at our infants for soiling their diapers. Don’t get angry at the puppy.

Puppies aren’t completely in tuned with their bodies. It takes a bit for them to recognize patterns of the physical feelings and sensations, what they mean, and how to take care of it. When you do your due diligence and pay close attention you will start to notice their signs and it is up to you to guide your little one to the correct spot.

Things to look for: Sudden sniffing in circles, tail held high, sometimes stiffened at the base, then you’ll see concentration show up on their face – bring them to their spot!

Sometimes the act of stopping them to bring them out can startle them and then their bodies shut down and they don’t need to go anymore. That’s ok, try again in another 10 minutes or so.

Reward, reward, reward! That is what will train them faster than anything else. Have some special “potty party” treats that you give when they’ve successfully gone in the right spot.

Just remember it takes time, patience and proactive consistency!

Published by Amy Noble on 7/17/19

Amy is an Animal Behaviorist and Dog Trainer in Monterey, Ca, with over Thirty years of experience and active knowledge working with animals. Amy’s love for every dog, cat, horse, rabbit, human (and more!) that she trains truly shows in her work and dedication.

Dog Behavior, Dog Training, Dogs, Training Tips

Jump Pups and What To Do

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Is this a familiar sight? That blur coming right for your face, at full speed? It can happen anytime. Going out for a walk, coming in the front door, even walking back into the room after being in another for 5 minutes. Maybe you don’t get this view often, but all of your guests do?

Jumping is one of the most common problems of all dog families. Especially with younger dog members. They love to jump! But why?

Firstly, let’s look at the structure of the dog’s face. (And what a cute face that is!) Eyes together facing forward, their nose is under/between their eyes, and their mouth is under their nose. Ears are on the sides/top of the head.

Now, what’s the structure of our face? Eyes together facing forward, our nose is under/between our eyes, and our mouth is under our nose. Ears are on the sides/top of the head. Kind of the same huh?

Dogs communicate through body language and a little bit through scent. They observe us a LOT as young puppies to learn how to read us, our facial expressions, and what we smell like throughout the day.

One of the first things that packs do with one another, is run up to members who may have gone off for a bit and sniff their mouths. This is a survival instinct that’s formed at birth. “If you smell like you’ve eaten something, that means I get to eat too!” The young puppy thinks – and it never goes away. Food = Survival.

Other than our faces, we look like upright-walking, naked dogs. Except our furry canine companions treat us as family and see us as their pack – so naturally they want to do the same thing instinct tells them to. Explore that face! They are able to read if you’re ok, came back safe, if you’ve run into any other naked upright walking dogs, and what you’ve consumed all day. They want the interaction and closeness, and the only way to achieve that, is to jump up at you.

When they’re tiny, we tend to accidentally encourage the jumping. Because five pound Fido looks so cute with his ears flopping all over the place, tail going a million miles a second! So we squeal and coo and pick them up and cuddle them and tell them how much we missed them too! So then our domestic dogs learn that jumping up means love and safety and fun!

Some breeds are more likely to jump than others of course! And if your pup shows a lot of interest in jumping, there are so many things to do with them to hone that skill!

But, how do we STOP it? Yes, some dogs love to jump up more for fun than communication, and others have just built a very naughty habit of doing so.

One – walk towards them. In fact, march towards them! While saying “off!” When puppies are little they don’t want to get stepped on (we’ve all done it, don’t feel bad! How else can they learn to steer clear?), so when you march at them you’re making a big point that your body is moving THIS way, and they better watch out! As they bounce out of the way, do tell them how wonderful they are.

Two – If you’ve got your treat bag handy, grab a handful as you’re walking in the front door. Jumpin Jasper darts towards you, just before he can make it – it rains treats on the ground all around him, in between the both of you. Tell him to find them all! And suddenly you’ve distracted your pooch from pouncing!

Three – Teaching a very strong Wait or Sit Stay of course can always help. Giving them something else to think of before they get the satisfaction of making contact with your legs or stomach or privates even!

When they’re little and bouncing around and trying to get your attention, don’t give it until they’ve stopped jumping! Then they’ll see that patience gives them that needed contact & interaction.

Having guests stop by? Putting Lady on a leash will help control the situation, tell your guests to ignore her until she stops hopping around. As soon as she sits and waits, she suddenly appears and gets recognized by the newcomers! (The treat rain can help with guests too!)

So what if you’ve got a very agile jumper? You want to do something with it and get involved in doggy sports?

Several breeds are famous for their jumping skills. Malinois are probably some of the best jumpers I’ve seen, scaling walls and climbing ladders. We have one in the family (pictured above) and I’ve watched him hop 4 foot fences like they’re ankle high. Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, Shelties, Dalmatians, the list goes on. If they’ve got the build and stamina for it, why not channel it?

Some great sports to do with your jumpers: Agility, fly ball, frisbee or disc dog, and dock jumping for the water lovers. Whatever you decide to do – be sure you introduce slowly and always make it fun!

Cats, Dog Behavior, Dogs, Holidays, summer

Happy Fourth of July! Fireworks and your fur babies.

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Fourth of July can mean family time, BBQ’s, swimming pools, and beaches. The beautiful display of fireworks celebrating our independence, closing the evening out with spectacular shapes and colors displayed all over the night sky. The perfect midsummer celebration to create magical memories that last a lifetime.

But for some, it can mean stress, anxiety, fear, loud noises, over-stimulation, confusion and the sense of being under attack from above.

So what should you do if your pet is fearful? Plan ahead! If you know your pets don’t or won’t like the fireworks, there are plenty of preventative measures you can take.

Most importantly, if you have an outside cat who likes to cruise in and out during the day and evening. Bring them in. Set up a room or bathroom with their food, litter box, a cat tree or a bed to hide in / under. Put them in the room with some new toys, catnip, and some yummies – and close the door. Keeping them contained in a room is much safer for them than trying to brave the outdoors when confusion hits. I recently mentioned to someone: “I’d much rather have a cat who is pissed off at me for locking them up, than to have to bury my cat because they tried to find cover in a panic and got hit by a car.” Hurting your pets pride or ego is 100% curable. Keep that in mind.

Setting up a quiet, comfortable space for kitty to spend the evening is going to be your best bet for keeping them happy and safe!! Don’t take any chances. Keep them in.

I have heard many, many horror stories about dogs getting out of the yard, jumping fences, chewing through fences, breaking through glass windows, all for getting away from fireworks.

My advice for them would be quite similar as for cats. Bring them in where it’s safe. If they are kennel dogs, setting the kennel up in a bedroom with the radio or TV playing for some noise, some chew bones or filled frozen Kong’s to keep them busy – and something to take their stress out on. Close windows and doors to help dampen the sound, maybe turn on a fan to keep the air flowing. All of these things will help to set a calm environment.

If your dog is exceptionally anxious or nervous, I would suggest NOT leaving them alone. Keep them with you, hang out at home, or board them with a friend they are comfortable with where you know they’ll be contained, safe, and with others. In most of the Animal world there is safety in numbers! Being with the pack and watching them handle the noise helps a nervous dog tremendously!

Being in a pack of dogs that are all friends and being able to play can help many dogs make it through the fourth also! Years ago I would have puppy parties at my house. We would take all the nervous dogs and have them in mid-play before the fireworks in our neighborhood began. That way they were otherwise distracted during the event and then too busy to even care.

What helps the most is being a calm, confident, leader towards them. Dogs are looking for leaders to follow and if the leader isn’t worried, they drop their worries too. Never coddle or fawn over your dog when they are in a nervous state. Instead, confidently tell them that they are ok, and divert their attention to something else. If they aren’t interested in anything else and would much rather cuddle and lay with you – then do that without any emotional sing-songy communication.

Remember: Calm, confident, leadership.