The Three Musketeers!

My 3 cutie pies arriving at Pet Land for a stroll! Gaia, (the goddess of Mother Earth), Queen Kaleesi, (Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons) and sweet, sweet Baloo (a lover not a fighter).

Queen Kaleesi

Mary Ann


She waiting to feel the pea under all those beds! She loves going to Pet Smart!

Pat Your Puppies

Hello Guardian Angel Family!

This isn't about being nice to your puppies. I expect all of you are nice to your puppies! This is about preventing the problem of resource guarding. Resource guarding is when the puppy fears having whatever she has, being stolen from her. If you have ever watched a litter of puppies, from the time they can walk, if one puppy has something, all the others want it and will chase that puppy down until they get it. All puppies have the fear that whatever they find valuable, will be taken from them. So let's prove them wrong!

When your puppy is eating his dinner, pat him. When he's chewing his raw bone, pat him. When he's eating his treats, pat him. When he's playing with his favourite toy, pat him. You get the idea! Now don't over do this. Just do it once in awhile to make sure your puppy is okay with being touched while he has something of value.

But what happens if he growls?? Just keep patting. Prove to him you are not going to take it from him. Don't take away his food, his toy, his bone or his treat. If you do, you've just proven him right! Just keep patting him. It's hard to eat and growl at the same time. Pretty soon he will stop growling. It might take a few days, but that's okay. If you find your puppy is growling, do this everyday. If you find your puppy wags his tail, just do this occasionally. Test him once in awhile. NEVER take the toy, roll him on his back and growl at him!!! That is an antiquated, ridiculous method that never should have come into existence. Just keep patting. Simple. Easy. Effective.


Mary Ann

KEEP SOCIALIZING your older puppy!

Just because your puppy is getting a little older, doesn't mean you should stop socializing!  It is absolutely critical to continue with taking your dog to new places, introducing him/her to new, friendly dogs and people,  and allowing them to occasionally hear new and possibly loud noises.  It is absolutely NORMAL BEHAVIOUR for a 4-8 month puppy to start withdrawing from society.  Most people don't know or don't understand this.  And this is why my most requested lessons at my dog training club has to do with leash reactivity, shyness and sometimes aggression.  I can't stress enough how important it is to keep socializing.  

This is a quote by Dr. Ian Dunbar, a world renowned dog behaviourist, and in my opinion the best in the world . "people are predictably shocked when between four-and-a-half to eight months of age, their friendly and socialized puppy gradually but progressively changes to become shy, aloof, wary, standoffish, protective, fearful, reactive and maybe aggressive towards people."   Take this comment very seriously.  You cannot expect your puppy to continue being that wonderful, outgoing, exuberant dog if you do not help him through his normal critical learning periods of life.  And these are NORMAL.  Scientifically proven.  I'd say 80% of my dog calls are reactivity and aggression, caused by under socialization.  

It is so much easier to PREVENT the problem than it is to fix it.  And there is no guarantee you CAN fix it once it has become the new norm.   So SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, until you're blue in the face!  So many people say they want what I have.  Beautiful, well trained, easy going German Shepherds.  But they weren't born that way.  I spent hundreds of hours on my dogs making sure they turned out that way.   Just last week I took Gypsy (7 months) Gaia (11 weeks) Balou (11 weeks) and Kaleesi (10 weeks) to Pet Smart.  Each one came in individually for approximately 20 minutes.  I made sure they politely greeted several strangers, and depending on the dog and it's degree of socialization, greeted or saw other friendly dogs.    If I can do that for 4 dogs, surely you can do it for 1!  

Don't be like the uneducated of the world and let your dog slowly regress until you have a problem on your hands.  PLEASE, follow the Service Dog Puppy Program and create the best your dog can be.  If your puppy is as important as you say they are, then you will continue to find time to help them.  Don't stop now!

Thanks for listening to my rant.  It's just so important for people to know this.  

Mary Ann

Is this comfortable?

This is Trinity. She's been in this same position, chewing a bone, for the past 15 minutes!

The eyes of wisdom