Red Wing, MN Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet Day

Michelle and I were invited to the Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet in Red Wing, MN to meet the customers there and answer any dog behavioral questions they had. Bless their hearts, we had several folks that knew we would be their thanks to the fine advertising the company and this particular store do to let the customers know who is coming and when. There were also a few who just happened to be shopping and stopped by our table. Everyone left encouraged and armed with new ideas to put into practice when they went home.

Several of the dogs that were brought to us needed the 'dominance ritual' right there in the store. It is a technique that by putting the dog quickly down on his side and keeping him there, puts the owner in a completely dominant pack leader postion. It settles the dog down and establishes the proper protocol in the realationship from owner to dog.

We ment many wonderful dogs and their concerned humans and did our best to get them all going on the right track.

Michelle was not able to be with me the last time I was set up at this store, so it was a new experience for her. She liked the even flow of traffic we had. So rewarding for both of us.

We hope to go back in the spring to do more of the same, and promote our "Start 'em Out Right ~ Puppies" Seminar that we will be teaching in May for the Red Wing Community Ed on 5.15.10 (see our calandar page in January '10). If we can help people to choose the right pup and start the whole process correctly from the beginning, then we can eliminate the problems that inevitabley crop up later on, which is why we developed this seminar.

My thanks to Nicole Doherty and her excellenet staff at this store. They have a clean well stocked store, and very knowledgeable crew. I highly recommend Chuck & Don's for your pet needs.

I regret that there are no photos in this blog. We were too busy with the customers to take any. I guess that is a good problem... :-)

~Candiss DelCastillo
Walks & Wags Pet Service
http://www.walksandwags.biz/

A sunny day for Stormy

A 5 month old Airdale pup crossed our path on Oct 31st. I had met his owner, Gary Reissner, at the Tractor Supply Company in Prescott when we were set up out there in July. Several weeks later, Gary saw our photo in a ribbon cutting that Michelle and I had attended as Ambassador's for the Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce, and it jogged his memory to have us come out for a "Start 'em out right - Puppy Training" Session.

We met Gary's lovely wife and his rambunctous puppy and we were off to the races. Stormy needed boundaries, and loved to mouth, so almost before the session began Michelle and I were giving him one correction after another and showing the Reissners how to do a dominance ritual to settle this high energy pup down and establish their leadership over him. we showed them a few scenes from an excellent wolf documentary by Jim Dutcher called "Wolves at our Door" to help them understand the Pack Leadership concept, its vital importance, how firm the corrections sometimes need to be and why.

The weather was brisk but kind, so our walk was invigorating. I suggested a prong collar for Stormy to give the owners more control. He was very verbal about getting used to it, but did settle down as we all took turns walking him. He was used to running with Cindy which I always like to see. The faster a dog moves, the more energy he drains. We will be going back to the Reissner's soon to try the Gentle Leader harness on Stormy. I have a half and half success rate with those and would like to see how he fares in it. I didn't have one with me that day.

We finished with some obedience training in the back yard. Stormy showed good potential in this area. Obedience commands are not behavioral solutions, but they will give the owner a better handle on the dog. It can help tremendously when behavior modification is being carried out, and make life in general more pleasant.

When we left the Reissner's, they had a fairly full plate to munch on. If they are willing to delve in and follow through, I see no reason why they can't have, in time, a happy amicable relationship with their growing dog. All the best to you Gary and Cindy!

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Chuck & Don's Cottage Grove

Michelle and I always enjoy our day out at Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet in Cottage Grove,MN. On nov 7th '09 we were there to talk to the customers about dog behavior issues and this time the weather was in our favor. We set up outside with all the trimmings.

One of the families that came by was a young couple who had 2 adopted dogs. They were so open to the principles that I shared with them, and were very excited to see how easy their dogs would walk without pulling when done in a structured way with a prong collar. The lady of the couple ran right in and bought one.

We always enjoy our Chuck & Don's friends, and appreciate the manager of this store, Cindy Bartz, who arrranges for us to come out. This store is well stocked, well priced and has a knowledgeable staff. I recommend them highly.

On Dec 5th we'll be at the Chuck & Don's in Red Wing, MN. You'll find my blog about that later.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Filming at Carpenter Nature Center

This was our hugest day ever of filming. Our last program, "What Makes your Dog Tick...and other miscellany" was originally going to be a simple program consisting of Michelle, myself and our neighbors loyal golden retreiver, Max, who accompanies us for some of our Walks & Wags events. Well, the 3 of us were definately in the show all right, but let's just say it didn't stay that simple...

Since this was filmed in Autumn for the purpose of capturing the beauty of the leaves in color, I spent 3 weeks thinking of nothing but filming sites as I would drive and go about my daily life. The weather had been cold, so I wasn't sure if we were even going to get a good crop of color this year at all. For some of our scenes, I actually just went up to the 3 different houses, knocked on the door and told the people there that we would like to use their yard due to it's beauty to film a segment of our cable TV program. I was never turned down.

The morning of October 19th, Michelle, Max and I went to 'Red Bush House' #1, (as we dubbed it) and filmed a few scenes there. Then we rushed over to Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings, MN to meet our other co-hosts and their owners for a full day of filming numerous scenes there. Thankfully I had scoped the area out a few days before, and knew exactly where we would be going, in what order, etc. I also have the ability to be flexible which came in quite handy.

By now, the show had mushroomed into 5 owners and 5 dogs, and that was just that days filming. We ended up with a couple more that I will write about in a separate blog. You cannot imagine how difficult a time I had in coordinating 5 adult working people's schedules with the weather, the peak color of the leaves, and getting us all together on a weekday. God Love 'em! They actually took time off of work to bring their dogs out to be in this show. This was the biggest group we have had so far all at one time. They were a real good bunch and made acquaintance quickly with one another.

What I love about filming these programs is that every one just pitches in to do what is needed. Some people handed me another dog for a scene, some checked the camera to be sure it was centered, some contributed an idea, some handled the dogs off camera and some held cue cards. Speaking of cue cards, one of the highlights of the day was the Brittish couple that we met at the River Outlook. It was their first day of a vacation in America. Since all of us and the dogs were in the outro scene, we asked them if they would mind holding the cue cards. The husband of the couple, Mike, was happy to oblidge us for as long as it took. They were staying at the Arbor Inn in Prescott. This was a very special memory for me.

For the first time in any of our programs, I had the owners and dogs in the outro with Michelle and I which we filmed at CNC's River Overlook. Gorgeous!!! When she and I looked at the footage a few days later in the eding room, we were amazed at the beauty in this show due the color. In that outro, the St. Croix River was behind us and it actually looks like we might be in a blue screen room with a back drop behind us. It was so perfect that day. Breathtaking!

By mid afternoon all the owners were done and had gone. Michelle and I kept Max and Kelly, a shepher-lab mix with us. We must have walked 25+ miles all together before we were finished at 5p, 8 hours after we had started at the Red Bush House #1. Some of the terrain was very uneven to boot and we were not in the best walking shoes. CNC is a big spread of many acres of land. It was too far to go back to the van to get our comfy shoes, so we just stayed in our nice ones all day. I seem to remember a blister or two that night.

Unlike earlier in the day, the scenes we filmed with just the 4 of us took alot of takes, so it was all we could do to keep it together by the end. We had the pressure of the rapidly setting sun, on top of being exhausted and starving. We finally did call it a wrap, though, and wearily made our way back to the refuge of our precious van only to find that it had been vandalized. Our right front window was smashed in and our purses gone. Not exactly the perfect finish to the perfect day.

(I am not blogging to elaborate on that incident, but after several days of personal anguish, two+ weeks of changing bank accounts, having keys, drivers liscences replaced, approximately 350.00 in costs to replace thes things, etc. , we are fully recovered from the incident and very grateful that we were not hurt and the van and it's contents was not stolen.)

A few days later, we went to the home of Gary & Kay to film Jazz (the golden lab-above photos) as he modeled every collar, leash and harness we have. This was to give a visual to the 'collar and leash training' segment, so the viewers could see what we were describing. He is such a gentle dog that he was incredibly easy to work with. He posed regally in each item.

I was so proud of these dogs. They did whatever we asked of them and cooperated beautifully. Max was particularly patient. He konked out for the rest of the night when he got back to his owners house. Marty, his owner, said he didn't move a muscle until morning.

I want to thank my dear daughter and best girl friend, Michelle, the people who let us film in their yards on a moments notice, Barry Waters who oversees this project, Dallas Eggers who is such an encouragement to us and lends us equipment from time to time, as well as all the owners and their dogs in this blog:

Marty Waters - Max
Gary Ericson & Kay Buchanan - Jazz
Liz Lachner (of Prescott Pet Inn) - Kelly
Kris Sampson (of Croix Insurance) - Princess
Tristina Timm (of Stella Dance Studio) - Lola

To save the best for last, I want to thank my incredible husband, Ruben, for his love, strength, patience and being so proud of us for doing Walks & Wags and making these films. I love you, Honey.

This was a huge undertaking and not without it's stresses for both Michelle and I, but we both agree that it was more than worth it, and we will enjoy the process of editing this one.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

www.WalksandWags.biz

Kailey & Charlie

On October 24th, we set out to film to more segments of the "What Makes Your Dog Tick" show. First stop was to a dog walking client, Mike Roger's house, to pick up his dog Kaily to demonstate to our viewers how to handle the corrections we sometimes need to administer to our dogs.
When we picked her up, we noticed that just up the road at 'Hairitage Hair & Tan' were 2 big, beautiful orange/redbushes in the yard. We know the owner through the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and Michelle has her hair cut there, so we took the liberty to set up in the yard and do our filming there. Normally I attain permission before hand, but this was spur of the moment and they were closed. I did leave a message for Cyndi Cashman, the owner, later that night and told them what we had done. She was actually delighted that we used the yard and wants a copy of the show. :)


Kaily was perfect. She is a high energy dog and 'performed' just as I hoped she would so I could do the necessary corrections. We were in and out quickly there. Well, as quickly as it can be - only about 2 hours. We consider that quick.


Then off to Ted And Sylvia Bailey's in Cannon Falls, MN to film the collar and leash training with their dog, Charlie. We ran out of daylight that day, so the Bailey's let us come back on Monday which was a gorgeous sunny day. Charlie is well trained in obedience commands so he was a breeze to work with. He loved it and even stayed with us when we were done and told him that he was free to go over to Sylvia who was gardening nearby. (We took that as a real compliment).


Charlie posed in a dog back pack, and a reflector vest amongst other things. We even filmed he and I in a 4 minute piece (attached) that we brought with us for an interview that the Cottage Grove Community Ed did with me to promote their big Saturday classes event. They are one of the district CE's that I teach my seminars at. I was very excited to be interviewed for that promotional piece.


Then it was over to Red Bush House #2 to catch the last of the daylight and finish our collar & leash training over there. It really gets cold when the sun goes down! We got what we needed, though and went home tired but happy. By the time you have filmed at 3 different locations in the same day, and you are the writer, director, and in the show as well, you are ready for a hot bathtub and a nap.


Many THANKS to:

~Mike Rogers and his wife Joyce for the use of Kailey.
~Ted & Sylvia Bailey at Bailey Farm & Retreat for the use of their place and Charlie.
~Kailey and Charlie, you two were just awesome!
~Cyndi Cashman at Hairitage Hair & Tan for the use of the yard for our filming location with Kailey.
~Joe, the owner of Red Bush House #2, whom I had never met before I knocked on his door that morning and asked him if we could film in his asthetically pleasing yard.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

www.WalksandWags.biz

Behavioral HELP for Dogs Seminar in Cottage Grove

Michelle and I enjoyed our first seminar with a power point presentation on sat 11/14/09 at the Cottage Grove Middle School. We set it up this past summer and it came out well. Very colorful and informative, I found it much easier to follow than the overhead transparencies that we used to use. Certainly more entertaining for our students. Michelle chose some fabulous photos to accompany the outline. Since the seminars are 4+ hours long, she is co-teaching with me now, which gives me a necessary break during a few places in presentation. She adds a fresh twist to the presentation.

Our students were very attentive and engaged in the presentation, which makes it all the more fun for me. We had with us a little malteese named Lambeau which I describe in detail in the next blog. ("Interview...") He is a very sweet, easy going fellow and did a perfect job for us. He was also very endearing to the students. It was a blessing to have him with us.

After the intstructional portion on The Innate Make-up of a Dog, and a description of THE WALK, we took the class outside to put it into practice. I demonstrated how a structured walk should look and feel. Michelle was out there with her roller blades on to demonstrate how to move dogs along faster, thus draining more nervous energy from them. Most dogs love to go faster than we can move while we are walking, even if it is at a fast pace. Then each student tried it. We also put Lambeau through the paces on obedience commands. First with treats, then without. Treats have their place, however, they are generally overused, misused and unhealthy, so we encourage our students to use them as a temporary method, only unless absolutely necessary, or for a proper reward.

After lunch, we spent time going over the optimum collar and leash for them. We have a table of all various types of each, so the student can get a visual on what we are talking about.

Then to the part every body came for: Dogs Issues and their Appropriate Corrections. After that we settled in for a good Q & A session, so I could address the problems each student was having with their dog. When our students arrive, they are usually in dire staits with their dog(s). I admire and appreciate their candor as they share their challenges and dilema's and seek to remedy them. That takes alot of courage and determination.

In this particular setting it was just Lamlbeau with us. In other areas that we instruct, however, the students are usually allowed to bring their dogs as long as they are able keep them in the car until the handling portion, which we do outside -weather providing.

Michelle and I are available for speaking and teaching engagements besides the seminars that we teach through the Community Ed's. Currently we are teaching in Prescott, Red Wing, Inver Grove and Cottage Grove/Woodbury area. Please contact us at info@WalksandWags.biz if you are interested in having us speak to your group. As you will see on the services and rates page in our web site, we also do also 1 on 1 sessions at your home, both for puppies as well as adult dogs. http://www.walksandwags.biz/.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

www.WalksandWags.biz

Cottage Grove CE cable TV interview

On November 6th '09, Michelle and I made our way to the cable TV studios in Cottage Grove, MN where I was to be interviewed by Gretchen Carlson and her supervisor, Ernie Pines, as a promotion for their 'Gentle Saturday' event that was held there on Nov 14th.

Gretchen had asked me to bring a lap dog with me, so I called upon Lambeau, a male Malteese who's behavior is exemplary. Michelle and I had only worked with him as a client for a short session quite some time ago, so we took plenty of time to acclimate him to us before we even left for the studio. He did very well that day, and as all the dogs who accompany us, he had fun! A friendly, easy going dog, Lambeau was a real hit that day for all who encountered him. My thanks to Beth Johnson (of River City Stitch, Prescott) and her husband, Nick for allowing us to bring their precious canine with us that morning!

I so much appreciated being chosen to do this interview out of the many instructors that were a part of that event. Since we were teaching our Behavioral HELP for Dogs seminar there, that is what the interview centered on. Michelle and I had also made a 4 minute demo clip that we gave to the camera operator, Sharon Jerome, who inserted it into the interview. Both of my hosts were gracious in their questioning and gave me as much time to answer as I needed. There was also another gal there named Mary who was very sweet, and was interviewed, after I was done, for her crafts class. She was very encouraging and engaged in my interview as she watched on.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am always thrilled when I have the opportunity to take my message about dog (and child) training to the community in larger numbers than I can reach 1 on 1. TV is a good avenue to assist in that. Many accolades to Gretchen Carlson, the CE coordinator in Cottage Grove for the primo job that she and her team do to make it all happen!

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

www.WalksandWags.biz

BHD at the Krolls

We had the pleasure of meeting the Kroll family recently in a Behavioral HELP for Dog's session with their 5 dogs (4 Labrodoodles and 1 chihuahua) and umteen number of beautiful cats. A family of 4 living in Cannon Falls, MN halfway to Red Wing, they own and operate 'Dr. Krohll's Health Solutions Chiropractic & Rehab' out of their lovely home. Brian, the chiropractor and Beth have two teenage sons, Blake and Blair, who really impressed me. They were attentive and polite and played a very hands on role in our 3 hour session. All of them were good students.

We were there to assist them in some challenges they have had with the dog's barking excessively when clients come for their adjustments, which is an obvious distraction for both doctor and patient. Oh, and Romy, one of the 4 LD's, was eating the cats...

We were impressed with the dedication that this family had towards correcting the challenges they were experiencing. After a time of introduction and instruction, we went out for THE WALK so we could first drain that nervous energy that causes any unwanted behavior in a dog. We all handled the dogs, even Tinkerbell. Her name fits her little body well. She was a bit dubious of our time outside with all the 'giants' around her, but she was a trooper for her first time doing this. By and large the dogs loved it. My favorite part was walking the dogs that prior to that didn't get along well with each other. I first walked them one on each side of me, then put them together on the same side of me as I walked them. They got along beautifully that way.

One thing I want to mention here: When dogs are moving forward on leash at the side of a confident Pack Leader, they are usually amicable towards each other. We saw this in the behavior of these dogs which was very encouraging. This type of structured walk will eliminate a high percentage of problem behaviors when carried out on a daily basis twice a day. It must, however, be incorprated with confident leadership from the owners and consitently kept rules.

Now for the cats. Before we went inside, I took Romy up the front stairs slowly. She was wearing a prong collar, which I rode up very high on her neck, just behind the ears, to give me better control. The cats were strewed all about on the deck and she certainly must have been salivating at these savory morsels before her. I walked Romy extremely slow towards the cats, establishing a clear boundary for Romy, letting her know that she could not under any circumstances touch them. The cats dispersed one at a time, but a couple of them remained so I could put Romy down on her side in an intense dominance ritural as close to a cat as we could get. This lasted for approx 10 minutes, but on a daily basis it should go up to 20+ minutes.

I instructed the Krolls to do this daily, so the cats can become the Pack Leaders to Romy as well. This may take some time. I never know how long, but they will definately see some positive change if they keep doing it.

Michelle and I also showed the Krolls how to correct their dogs with a cupped hand 'bite' under the neck - or the tug of a slip leash; feed the dogs Food Event style; and set rules, boundaries and limitations for each one.

I look forward to our return follow-up visit with this dedicated family and I wish them the very best in their journey.

~Candiss DelCastillo, Owner

Walks & Wags Pet Service

www.WalksandWags.biz

Training Clips

As I mentioned in my last post, we recently worked with an overbearing 8 month old golden lab named Dozer to help him become more responsive and respectful to his owner, and friends. I have included some video clips that we took for the owners to show our progress with him while they were away. This is by no means going to show you all of the techniques we do during a "Behavioral HELP for Dogs" session, but you'll see how quickly we can take a dog from the beggining to the end. These sessions were done for approx 1hour over a
4 day period.

You'll notice that in the first clips where I am wearing a green hoodie, and the one of Michelle (brown jacket) with Dozer, he is quite excitable and not paying attention to much of anything but what he wants to do. However, in the clips where I am wearing a flesh colored jacket, it is the final day of training. In that clip, I don't have to do a dominance ritual with him or give him any extreme corrections. He is calm and obedient for the most part, yet still the happy 8 month old lab he should be.

There are actually several more clips not shown. I selected the ones that best illistrate what we did with this particular dog. These video clips were not originally intended for this blog, so they are not presented on a professional camera or in a professional way. We didn't fuss with our appearance since we didn't realize that this would be posted for the world to see. We were just outside training on a rainy day...and it shows.

~Candiss DelCastillo
Walks & Wags Pet Service
www.WalksandWags.biz

Catching up...

It's been a while since I have been able to post a blog. We have been very busy answering inquiring client's calls and questions, editing the shows that we filmed this summer, preparing for the next show we will be filming next week, and taking over for D'Animal House where we did some private training for a golden lab that was left in our care while they were gone.


Dozer

1). The lab's name is Dozer. He is 8 months old and very rambunctous!! Michelle and I had to get his attention first of all just to get him walking on a structured walk with us. We found a prong collar to be the only way. We did many dominance ritual sessions with him, which helped calm him down tremdously. He responded well to all of the techniques we commonly use. Then we could teach him some obedience commands. He was already familiar with 'come' as well as cooperatively going into his kennel. Michelle gets the accolades for most of the obedience training. She is a dilligent trainer, and had him going into a sit whenever we would bring him to a stop, amongst other things.
Dozer definately gave us a challenge, but we were pleased with the results. As far as I know the owners are too!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2). Editing is going much faster this year than last, since we know what we are doing now and the bugs of learning the trade of producing a show are all worked out. The cable access coordinator, Barry Waters and the Techical Director, Dallas Eggers, have been outstanding in giving us whatever asssistance we need.


Michelle at the task of editing

The Shelter/Rescue show is almost done now and should be ready to air as early as next week if we can just get the right equipment to finish a scene that needs some sounds adjustments.

We are already into editing the Puppies show which is alot of fun and brings back precious memories. Michelle and I have shared much laughter in the editing room over these programs. I have decided that since the Puppies program isn't due to be aired until next January, I will trade places with Michelle and let her train me in using the equipment so I can edit them myself if need be. This is not my forte', but we had our first go at it today and it actually went quite well!

Next week we are scheduled to film the last show of this season called, "What Makes Your Dog Tick...and other Miscellany". It started out to be so innocently simple, and has grown into our largest production yet, with approximately 5 owners and their dogs involved all at the same time. We will film the majority of the show with them in it next Wednesday. I am hoping for a burst of color from the trees for a lovely Autumn backdrop.

I did find a nice place to film the instructional portion while I was driving home today. I saw some Mums and a lovely bench in a well manicured yard, and I stopped in to ask the owner if we could do some filming there next week. He said he was flattered, and welcomed us to come. That's the way I find alot of our locations. You do what it takes...

Prescott Daze vendor booth

Walks & Wags had a primo corner spot this year at Prescott Daze '09. We had a large amount of people come to our booth drawn in by the free stickers, hand stamps, dog biscuits, and free drawing that we offered. In 4 hours we gave out approx 150 business cards and secured several clients for the future.

A gal from the face painting booth came over to us and did a superb job of placing free advertising on Michelle's arms. One side was a doberman, the other was a husky with 'Walks & Wags" painted down her arm!

In 2 of the photos above, I am working with a couple named Ryan and Tristina Timms, who brought their pug to the booth for a visit and some help. After a short period of instruction and an exchange of collars from the flat buckle she had come in to a prong, we were off and they were amazed at the transformation. "Lola", the pug stayed right by my side as opposed to the pulling she usually does with her owners. It was an easy fix, but so gratifying to be able to help in that way. Incorporating the structured walk into their day ( 2x'/day for 30 minutes) with Lola should eliminate or greatly reduce the seperation anxiety that Lola exhibits while her owners are away. Tristina is the owner of Stella Dance Studio here in Prescott, WI.

A good time was had by all.

Final filming of the Puppies show - 6 week Golden Retreivers

Puppy breath x 8! When we arrived and entered the gate to meet Julie, her sister, Lisa and the pups, we were greeted by 8 - 6 week old Golden Retreiver puppies who were experiencing their first day out of the area they had been previously kept inside with the mother, Lilly. They bounded towards us and gave us a royal welcome that can only be bestowed by ones so young and innocent. It was beyond precious and heartwarming.

We have been searching for these pups since May of this year! (3 1/2 months). Some people did reply to my ads, but I knew they weren't the ones. By and large, I didn't get too many responses for this age group of pups. At one point we thougt we were going to have to just incorporate the information we displayed in this segment into our instructional portion. But...ta-daaaa! Let there be puppies. 8 to be exact! This segment will richly enhance the program and delight the viewers as well. A blessing, to be sure.

My thanks to Julie M for her patience, generousity and hospitaliy to us on this project. She and her sister, Lisa, were right there to do anything we needed. Mostly gathering up loose puppies, holding cue cards and helping us arrange props. By the time we were done with our 2nd day of filming Julie had even been doing sound checks for us and centering the camera when both Michelle and I were in the same scene. I told her she could add this skill to her resume! We couldn't have filmed this without the help of these dear gals.

Of all the sessions we have done, this one contained the most scenes and was the longest. The nice thing about it was that if we had a puppy that was too wiggly, we could just cut the scene and ask for a quieter one and vice versa. The 8 pups and 4 women were quite exhausted when we were all done just before it was too dark to continue filming. It was a full afternoon to be sure. Now it's off to the editing room for Michelle and I.

Watch for this show, "Start 'em out Right ~ Puppies" to be aired in January of 2010.

Day at Tractor Supply Company

We were invited to come out to the Tractor Supply Co in Prescott, WI on August 15th for the afternoon to meet with the public as they came through and field questions in the area of 'Behavioral HELP for Dogs'. Michelle and I put up our new 8x8 canopy, set out our things and the people came.

Many inquired about our services. One man went back to his car and brought out his beautiful Doberman Pinscher whom he handled well with an e-collar. Another man was very interested in having us come out to show he and his family how to train his 10 week old Airdale pup through our "Start 'em out Right" service. I do think we will be hearing from him soon. He sincerely understood the importance of raising his pup appropriately from the begining.

We so enjoy and appreciate the opportunities we have to go out into the public and spread the word about Walks & Wags Pet Service and the training we do. Many thanks to Joe and his crew at Tractor Supply. We look forward to our return visit there on Sept 26th.

Filming at The Gray's

On August 10 of this month we spent a wonderful evening filming a large portion of our newest cable program, "Adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue". Pete and Kristen Gray and their two boys, John and Henry did a wonderful job with us as we portrayed them in the Phase 1 decision making process of adopting a dog at Braveheart Rescue in Hastings, MN. Of all the fillming we have done, this session was the one that took the least amount of takes, much to our delight. The footage turned out beautiful and we eagerly anticipate our time in the editing room so we can get this show on the air!

After our filming was done, we did some trouble shooting with the Gray's dog, Annie (actually purchased from Braveheart Rescue). She was a delight to work with. Barncat, the family's cat was a pleasant addition. Thank you to the Gray's for putting us in touch with Braveheart Rescue in the first place, and for their contribution to this show. Their part will definately help the viewers to better understand this very important process.

Speaking engagement at Kiwanis meeting

I was the guest speaker at the Prescott Kiwanis meeting yesterday, 8/6/09, for their weekly meeting. What fun this turned out to be! Many special perks.

I was suprized to find out that I knew so many of them (all but 2) from my involvement with the Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce. It's fun to address an audience of friends and aquaintances.

I don't think they really knew just what we do at Walks & Wags, and on what a professional/high quality level we operate. Most of them shared with me afterwards that it was eye opening and beneficial. I expounded mostly on the Behavioral HELP for Dogs techniques and told them how special the production of our newest cable shows have been. That gave me an opportunity to promote Braveheart Rescue, Inc in Hastings, MN where we filmed a large portion of our Shelter/Rescure show.

Several of the members had questions for me about their own situations with their dogs. I even ended up staying after the meeting with the journalist/photogragher from the Prescott Journal who much to my suprise was apparenty there for a story for the paper. The Journal has been so good to Walks & Wags and highlights us often, for which we are greatful. Thanks Lauren.

When the meeting adjourned, I was greeted by many of the attendees with thank you's, and positive comments, most of which included the words: "knowledgeable and zealous". Since I inject alot of humor in my speaking, a good time was had by all. It was an enjoyable way for them to open their minds to something that they, prior to the meeting, had not fully understood.

This speaking engagement was a real treat to me and as always gave me another opportunity to share the heart of Walks & Wags, let people know we are here and what we do, and educate them on how they can interact with their dogs in such a fashion as to rid them of their unwanted behaviors and live more harmoniously.

Filming at Braveheart Rescue, Hastings, MN

Wow! What a day! We started filming on our newest cable TV production, "Adopting a dog from a Shelter or Rescue". We were on location at Braveheart Rescue, Inc in Hastings, MN.

Brandi Tracy, the owner, was very involved in the action, as well as on camera. She and her volunteers, Robin and Megan accomadated us in everything we needed to get the filming done.

She is extremely knowledgeable, and confident with the dogs that come to her. She knows how to handle an adption! As a matter of fact, she is the only one I know of that puts the extensive amount of time into rehabilitating the dogs both physically and behaviorally as she does. There are several acres for the dogs to dwell outside as well. This is one well run rescue organization! http://www.braveheartrescueinc.com/

We used Brandi's dog, "Braveheart" (whom the rescue was named after) as one of our Co-hosts. As you can tell by his big smile, he was perfect for the job.

Braveheart

This production, when it is done is going, to be an eye opener to all who view it. There is so much more to adopting a dog than people think, but adhering to the apropriate proceedures is more than worth it in the long run.

Whenever I instruct, I learn. I have done an extensive amount of research on this topic, as well as for the "Start 'em out Right ~ Puppy Training" show we are producing alongside of this one. Brandi turned out to be a terrific source of information to michelle and I, which was a perk that we weren't expecting when we first contacted her. Also, Cesar Millan's new book, "A member of the Family" covers these two topics exceptionally well. Along with the book, was a DVD by Cesar Millan, Inc. called "Your New Dog, First Day and Beyond". I recommend these resources highly. The book, DVD and Brandi came along at just the right time to assist me in the presentation of this material, for which I am greatful.

Our goal is for these shows to be aired is late Fall '09. They can be seen on Comcast Ch 16 & 18 in Prescott, WI and Ch 18 in Hastings, MN. Show times TBA.

Follow - Up

My heart soared as I left a follow up with a wonderful family that Michelle and I have had the priviledge of working with this summer, The Lawrences and their adpted Westi Terrier mix, Linus. This is why we do this business. I watched these very dear and dedicated people become transformed into very confident dog owners from the first session in June the return visit I made today.

They had virtually applied everything I had taught them to do and then used some of their own creative ideas to advance even further. Linus, was not the timid little one I had first met, either. He, too, had gleaned from his owners new found freedom as he gleaned from what they had applyied - the principles that we adhere to in our Behavioral HELP for Dogs Service.

Today I showed the Lawrences how to introduce Linus to other dogs in a respectful and safe way. We had Sidney with us, their son's 12 year old lab, who was just a honey and a treat to walk on leash, for our "other dog". It is amazing to see Linus respond so readily and watch the Lawrences marvel at the difference.

When we parted Maralyn said, "I'm so glad we met you." She has no idea how much that meant to me. My heart just soared as I drove home, once again having witnessed a positive difference in someones life. I love all my clients. They give me the chance to flow in my gifting, and experience the joy that that brings . I'm glad I met you too, Maralyn...Thanks!

Freedom Park Seminar

Freedom seems to be a word that comes to me often and has for the past several years. It's a theme for my life. That's why I have always wanted to teach a class at Freedom Park's Great River Road Learning Center in Prescott, WI. Last Saturday we did! A seminar acutally.



I've been teaching classes on "Behavioral HELP for Dogs" for 2 1/2 years now, but this was the first time we have presented it as a Seminar in it's expanded version. Well, you have to start somewhere. The scripture passage "Do not despise the day of small beginnings" came to mind as I was preparing for it. I knew that since Walks & Wags was sponsoring this event and promoting it alone that the chances of it being small was likely. I still had a strong 'green light' in my heart to go ahead with it no matter what and that's what we did. We gave it our all and Michelle and I had more fun than if we had had 100 students!



That day represented another round in the bend for us. A step forward in our growth as a businesss and a new begining in the complexion of our classes-turned-seminars.