Kitty suprise

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Michelle had the pleasure of pet sitting for Gregg and Leanna Martin and Co. By Company, I am refering to their 4 beautiful cats.

When we went over for the set up appointment, we were greeted at the door by an orange tabby named Rusty. When Leanna opened her door to us, there we were, kneeling down, doting on the orange beauty...and she was loving every minute of it. Leanna, chuckling about Rusty's friendliness informed us that Rusty wouldn't be difficult to find when Michelle made her visits. She was certainly right about that! Wherever Michelle went, Rusty would get there first, as if to lead the way.

During our set up appt, Leanna told us that one of the cats, Angel, (dark tiger coloring) had just had an operation and would be more than likely not too interested in visitors. The other 2 cats, Midnite (black), and Cleo (white) would probably be completely out of sight for the entire visit both days.

Well...Michelle had a very pleasant suprise. You see, she has a very special way with cats. They magnetize to her. Angel, either in spite of or because of her surgery, did come to Michelle both days for an extended time of affection. Midnite made a stealthy debut, and Cleo even peered in for lengthy periods of time through the square, flapless cat door that gave her a good look at Michelle's activity. It was a very victorious first encounter with our new clients and I give all the credit to my gifted assitant and daughter, Michelle.

Leanna graciously bestowed upon us very kind words of gratitude for the work that was done and the gifts Michelle left behind (most of which contained catnip). This assignment made our Thanksgiving just a little bit special.

~Candiss DelCastillo

www.WalksandWags.biz

info@WalksandWags.biz

715.262.5962

Allen's Husky gal, Mackenzie

We want to welcome to our Walks & Wags client team, Alan Martin from Ellsworth, WI and his Husky, Mackenzie.

When we first arrived at Alan's home, Mackenzie curiously came out to inspect/greet us. She is definately feminine, genteel and pristeen in her manerisms.

Located on a multitude of acerage, Mackenzie can pretty much roam when she wants to, and that is what she is used to, but she also did very well on the structured walk with a slip collar lead we used on her. She responded well to our directions and even though she was not used to it, she did very well on the leash. She also loved her full body dog massage when we were done. :-)

Being a Husky and able to take a lot of cold, she is currently bedded just outside of Alan's temporary residency where she is very at home and comfortable. Due to artheritis, Mackenzie can't make it up the steps into the elevated house. She is very devoted to Allen but did quite well with Michelle when she came to walk her the first and second visits.

Allen may need to re-home Mackenzie this winter so she can live with a family that can take her inside on the excessively cold days. With all of the animal abuse going on now days, it does my heart good to see dog owners like Alan making every attempt to do what is right for his dog in order to accomodate the circumstances that are facing both himself and Mackenzie at this point in time.

Good Success to you Allen as you move forward in your journey and carry through with these difficult decisions. We look forward to our remaining Dog Walking sessions with Mackenzie while she is still in your charge.

~Candiss DelCastillo

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Walks & Wags Pet Service

Prescott, WI

Holly and her Boys

We want to welcome our new Dog Walking clients, Holly Nowakowski and her 2 big boys, Dozer and Sammy. Dozer, a 2 year old Rottwieler is as sweet natured in heart as he is brawny in size. Sammy is an adorable 18 week old (65 lb) Bull Mastiff puppy who is doing a very good job at learning the ropes.

We had a pleasant first meeting for Holly's complimentary set up appointment last week and the following night we began our first assignment. (Our first appointments are no charge to our new clients as a thank you from us for using our service). In order to accomodate Holly's plans, we came out quite late, which kept her from having to come back home herself.

The assignment was a joy. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that the dogs were in agreement to be on their best behavior for us. :-)

I took Sammy out first and we roamed the yard so he could take care of business, while Michelle brought Dozer into another area of the spacious acerage. We wanted to bond independantly with each dog without the distraction of the other dog present.

After each dog was sufficiently finished, we donned our reflector vests, and carrying Spray Shield and flashlights, took them for a structured walk together. Do to the size of the dogs and the darkness of the night, we used prong collars on each dog, which they did very well with. They both have strong, stout necks, so I knew that type of collar would be a good match for both dogs.

Keep in mind that Sammy is a young puppy and up to this point has had only minimal structured leash training. He amazed us with his ability to catch on so quickly. I had walked him the day before for about 10 minutes during the set up appointment, so he had some idea of what I wanted from him. With Michelle and Dozer in front of us a couple of yards away, Sammy fell into a nice "heel" and walked along with me very comfortably. He was so good about it that during the 2nd half of the walk, I was able to relax his leash completely so that it was very lax, but he was still right beside me.

Dozer gave Michelle the same cooperation and we spent 15-20 minutes in sync with one another as both dogs engaged in what dogs do best...walk with their pack leaders. Holly, of course, is their main pack leader when she is present, but on our watch, they will look to us for leadership.

After we returned to the house, we spent some time in the basement walking the dogs in a large circle in opposite directions so that when they passed each other they would see the other one coming. If the dogs broke the "heel" and moved towards each other, we gently gave them a quick tug and release with the leash to redirect their attention back on the walking. The object of this lesson was to help them ignore each other and keep to their allotted boundaries.

We put both dogs through the paces of some obedience cmmands, (Dozer more than Sammy), and they rose to the occasion well. Dozer even went into a "down" towards the end of our time without my needing to use a treat.

Holly has 2 dogs who have the potential to do what ever she wants of them, given the time she can put into it. She is a devoted dog owner. In the short time we've known her, we have observed her exude her love and dedication to her to beloved canines.

When the session was near it's end, we calmed them with a full body dog massage for each one. Light training and full body dog massage are a part of all of our Dog Walks and Pet Sitting sessions. They kenneled up well with no separation anxiety at all. After this session, they were 2 extremely calm dogs ready for sleep!

Welcome on board, Holly. We will certainly look forward to our next time with your cherished family members.

"What Makes Your Dog Tick"...Cable show is here!

At long last, our 7th cable TV show is ready and airing. This one is called, "What Makes your Dog Tick..."

This is by far our best production. Filmed in the Fall of '09, the aesthetics are as gorgeous as the contents are important to raising your dog right. We have even woven into it tips for family relationship harmony as well.

With humorous skits and marvelous musical overlays, as well as some special effects, we think you will find "What Makes Your Dog Tick..." a show well worth the viewing for the whole family.

Comcast TV station Ch 18 seen in both Prescott, WI and Hastings, MN will air the program on Mon, Wed, Fri through the month of November at 10am & 10pm. After that it the air times will be at the station manager's discretion. For more information go to the Events page on our website http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Enjoy the show and thanks for watching!

~Candiss DelCastillo
Walks & Wags Pet Service
Prescott, WI

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Prescott Daze 2010 Grand Parade

Last Sunday, Sept 12th, we enjoyed the great town get together that closes Prescott Daze here in Prescott, WI where I live. The Grand Parade.

This year we did it a little different. First of all we had our new van with us (1 yr old now!) and covered it sides and back with our Walks & Wags banners.

We walked 4 dogs in the parade, an increase by 2 from last time. Max, our ever faithful Golden Retriever friend; Jazz, our mild mannered golden lab mix dog walking client; Oreo, a new walking friend black lab mix who belongs to the owner of the HAIRitage hair & tan in town; and Dusty, a Jack Russell Terrier who is a very new Behavioral HELP for Dogs client.

Michelle walked Jazz and Max together as they are the most dependable in a crowd to safely relish in all of the adoration and petting poured upon them by the onlookers when Michelle brought them up close to the people.

Eilleen Petaja, Dusty's owner, walked him herself. When she asked me 2 weeks before the parade if she could bring him out and work on walking with my dogs, I couldn't think of a better way to get him acclimated than to be in the parade with us! We all met an hour early, and let the dogs get acquainted by walking them side by side as a pack. Eilleen was absolutely amazed that her once dog agressive, Dusty, was amicably moving along with dogs 3x's his size. He did absolutely great and we were so happy to have him. He only showed some mild agression twice which Eileen, now trained herself, knew how to manage in short order. She is diligently becoming a wonderful Pack Leader to Dusty and we are very proud of her. (See blog entry titled, "Polishing up Dusty").

I walked Oreo, whom I have come to love since her Behavioral HELP for Dogs session in March (see blog entry titled, "A winning ticket!") At first her owner, Cyndi Cashman, and her husband were reasonably concerned that the noise of the parade would be too much for Oreo to handle, but Cyndi saw it as an oportunity to help Oreo overcome any fears she may have had of noisy places and things. Cyndi's instincts proved to be true. All of the walking that I have done with Oreo in the past 7 months and the 'noise practice' session I had with her 3 days before the parade, paid off. She never flinched one time during the parade procession regardless of a fire truck that blew its horn fairly close by. Fortunately we were located in a fairly quiet part of the line up which I'm sure helped. She was quite the celebrity as her markings made her recognizable to the town's people who know her. I didn't allow her too much petting, but what she did have she seemed to enjoy. She has definately come a long way since we met her. She is a gentle delight to walk (and be friends with).

Our only disappointment was that we forgot to bring Michelle's camera. We have rarely done that since Walks & Wags opened.

Having all of the dogs well drained of their nervous energy before we set out was an intentional move on my part so they would be calmly at their best during the parade.

When we reached the end of the line and loaded up the precious cargo in the van, Max and Jazz, who were also filming buddies in our last cable TV production, collapsed in a heap rump to rump like a couple of sphinxes. Oreo sat with me in the middle and remained her pristine self all the way home. Dusty seemed quite pleased with the adventure he had just experienced that day. Suffice it to say that all of the dogs were very relaxed and no doubt slept well that night!

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Zoey and a bicycle built built for 3

Had the pleasure of working with a beautiful, 1+ year old, black, Shnauzer named Zoey last Friday, 9.3.10. Michelle, my ever trusty assistant was back at home with a ripe cold, so I don't have the photos for this blog that you usually notice in my posts.

Owners Pete & Pam Huppert of Ellsworth, WI are Zoey's proud owners, and together we set out to help her get on the right track. A good dog by and large, some of the challenges she was having were barking when people would come to the door, infringing impolitely on their space and jumping up on them. These were easily nipped in the bud when we got done with the walk and a long session of obedience command training. All the Hupperts needed was the right information and they quickly slipped into their role as Pack Leaders to this little canine.

When I first arrived I ignored Zoey, gently knocked her off me with my knee and created a boundary for myself by keeping her out of my bags with my hand in a bite shape tapping her firmly on the neck whenever she would come and sniff them. When she remained persistent, I stood up in front of my things, thus claiming them and the space around them. This helped, but she was still too invasive for my liking, so I put her in a dominance ritual on the floor for several minutes while I talked with the Hupperts about the necessity of doing it. It was then that she surrendered to me and gave me a curtious amount of space.

When we were exiting the house for the walk, we spent a lot of time at the door with Zoey to deter her from dashing out in front of us, which had been her usual way up until then. It took some time reconditioning her, but she was clearly looking to us for direction and just wanted to know what it was she was supposed to do. She did very well.

I was impressed with her quick learning ability and in no time we had her doing fairly well in the Sit, Stay, Down, Stay commands. She is very treat motivated and that came in handy, although, I instructed the Hupperts to wean her off of the treats once the commands are established. Treats should be observed as a means to an end, with rare exceptions.

We switched Zoey into a prong collar when I could see that she would be doing alot of pulling on her nylon slip leash. She responded well to it, and both Pete and Pam had a very good walk with her once she settled down.

The highlight of the session was when we returned and I asked Pete to bring out one of their bikes so we could get them to ride with Zoey on leash safely at their side. We started with Pam. She rode her bike, I ran along side of her and when I felt the time was right, I switched the leash to Pam's hand. It went off without a hitch! We were all so excited. Lot's of cheering and thumb's up. Zoey pranced proudly next to the bike, loving the increased speed. Pete's ride went just as well and when we were done there were High 5's all around.

I will be back for our follow up in 4 weeks with Michelle in tow next time. I have a very strong peace inside about this family and their ability to take over their roles quite naturally as the Calm-Assertive Pack Leaders they were meant to be. Zoey won't disappoint them as she naturally gravitates to her innate dog instincts and responds in kind.

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

Polishing up Dusty

A warm, sunny Monday (Aug 23rd) brought Michelle and I just outside of Ellsworth, WI to the home of Eileen Petaja and her 3 year old Jack Russel Terrier, Dusty.

Eilleen has a fabulous relationship with Dusty. She exhibits good leadership over him and he responds well to it. He even runs on a tread mill with or without Eileen by his side, which impressed us a great deal. Eileen is a bright lady and has alot in her favor, as she understands and agrees with Cesar Millan's techniques, which we utilize in our work with our clients. All she needed was a coach to help her sew it all together. That's where we came in.

Dusty had been presenting Eileen with some aggressive issues as he was becoming protective of her. He would randomly lash out at both people and dogs, as well as just plain barge into people's space and didn't understand the concept of respecting their boundaries.

When we first arrived, he basically wanted to jump and play and gave us every indication that he needed help in getting his Gentle Leader halter off! He exhibited no aggression as I was expecting, however, when I wouldn't let him sniff my bags and used my hand to create a bite to his neck, he snapped at me. (We had removed the halter by then). That was the begining of dominance ritual #1. He was very good about it and surrendered to me quickly then layed on the floor until I let him up in a few minutes. After that he and I had no problems with each other and we were both calmer.

The exercise was repeated by Michelle about 5 minutes later when he did the same thing to her. She, too, had the same positive experience with it that I did. What that did was set us in Pack Leadership in Dusty's eyes. A very good thing to make the session a success.

The WALK portion went well, but we had difficulties with Dusty wanting to rub off his Gentle Leader halter. I replaced it with a prong collar, which definately gave us a better walk, but Dusty was very vocal about his new aparatis. It wasn't hurting him, but the suprise of the rounded prongs on his neck statled him. Some dogs are more vocal than others. I then switched to a flat nylon slip leash. He immediately took advantage of this and began to pull, which was something that he could not do on the prong.

When we went into the pole shed to enjoy the cooler temps in there, I got the idea to use a Gentle Leader HARNESS on him, which rides down low around the girth of the chest of the dog. Now, please note: I do not endorse the use of harnesses on dogs for the structured walk because it gives them the advantage and allows them to forge ahead of you, making for an unsuccessful walk. Harnesses were originally used for cart pulling and that is where they function best. The GL Harness, however, is designed to keep the dog back with you and can be the answer to your prayers when you are having dificulty finding a collar that works for your dog. We were all delighted when the GL Harness won the contest and saved the day. It is a tool that I rarely recommend, but in this case, it gave us what we needed for Dusty.

In all fairness to the prong collar, we did find that it was very helpful and needful in keeping Dusty from charging the door when visitors came. We practiced with it a couple of times with Michelle and I taking turns coming to the door with Dusty unawares. When we knocked, he escalated immediately from a 1 to a 10 and the tug and release we used with the prong collar settled him down quickly. Eileen was very suprised after going to the door to let Michelle in, that when she came back, find Dusty was sitting calmly with his ears back in between my feet as I stood over him loosely holding his collar. ( I was the one handling him on the leash for that practice run). Michelle had the same success with it that I did when it was her turn.

We are in hopes that Eileen can convince her friends that when they come over, the best thing they can do is utilize a "No Touch, No Talk, No eye contact" behavior with Dusty can settle down quicker and give them their space politely. Once that happens, then they can give him affection and a good time will be had by all.

I have every confidence in Eileen and Dusty to overcome the challenges they presented to us on this visit. I look forward to our follow up visit. If you ask me, Dusty is gong to come out shining!

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Lift High the Banners!

8.14.10

This month, those of us business owners who are members of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce had an opportunity to sponsor a Welcome Banner for the town for $150.00. In turn, the banner we sponsored would not only have "Welcome to Prescott" on the top, but our business name on the botttom. A win win situation for the city and it's businesses.

I was very excited about this and was one of the very first to get my payment in for my banner.

Well, they are here. Just beautiful. The city maintanance crew put ours on main street in a place that accomodates many people on any given day and multitudes during Prescot Daze every September.

As Walks & Wags Pet Service continues to grow, I am always in awe, and humbled that an idea with a bit of elbow grease and alot of prayer behind it can become something that contributes so significantly and positively to the community that Michelle and I serve.

~Candiss DelCastillo, Owner

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Herbie, 11 weeks and counting.

Last Monday, 8.9.10, Michelle and I went to Hastings, MN to meet a lovely couple named Erick & Dawn Lindgren. This insightful couple hired us to come out and train them how to raise their adorable 11 week old Yorkshire Terrier puppy, named Herbie.

The reason I created the "Start 'em out Right~Puppies!" 1 on 1 sessions and group seminars, was to help people to avoid the nuisance, destructive or potentially dangerous behaviors in the first place. So many of the calls we get at Walks & Wags are for dogs that are in some way out of control and causing trouble. During our "Behavioral HELP for Dogs" sessions, we go in to correct that, and I am so thankful that we can. It does my heart good, however, when I get a call for help on the fore side of the pups life, rather than the aft.

Did I mention that Herbie was adorable? The first thing I told the Lindgren's was that although that cuteness is surely a blessing, it is also Arch Enemy #1. Why? A cute puppy is so easy to coddle rather than to let him figure out his problems. He is easy to protect, spoil and not correct when he does something wrong. Think of a bowl of fruit and how wonderful it smells and looks and tastes when it is washed and ready to eat. What does it do to your senses when it is rotten? Get the picture? This goes for our children as well. Both dogs and children need our leadership and direction even more than our companionship and affection.

We began with the basic training about the Innate Make-up of a dog and laid the foundation with Erick & Dawn. Herbie actually gave us a few opportunities to do a Dominance Ritual on him to keep him from puppy biting. At times all his behavior would require was a gentle squeeze on the snout and a "No" from me to cause the behavior to cease. I assurred Dawn, who is the softer energy of the two, that puppies are used to this behavior from their mothers and liter mates. We had photo's with us of two 6 week old Golden Retreiver pups who were engaging in a dominance ritual during a filmling session of our Cable TV show entiteled, "Start 'em out Right~Puppies!". Proof.

Sympathy for a puppy is perceived as weakness to him and will only enable him to become the dominant one over you. Aside from neglecting to take your dog for a structured walk, humanizing them is the main reason for the negative issues that they develope.

I encouraged Herbie's new owners to purchase several of the same chew toy and place them all around the house. Make it clear to him that those are acceptable to chew and furniture is not. When you are only 11 weeks old as a puppy every thing seems fair game. This is a good way to help pup sort that out.

Then it was Herbie's turn to have some fun. We took him outside where he became gleefully animated regardless of the high temps that evening. I proceeded to show the Lindgren's how to teach Herbie some basic obedience commands. In one instance, I used an old fishing pole of my husbands with some string tied to the tip of it and one of Herbie's toys tied to the end of the string. All I had to do was stand in one spot, turn in a circle and watch Herbie run. It was awesome. He had no thoughts about running away from us at that time! I slowed down to let him catch the toy at times, then speeded up again. The point I was trying to make for the Lindgren's was that fast play is a physical drain, whereas slow play is more of a mental drain of the dog's energy. It causes him to look to you for direction. Both physical and mental challenges are necessary.

We, then, postioned ourselves across from each other, about 8 feet apart to work on the recall/ come exercise. We leashed Herbie up with a lightweight long tether and took turns calling him to us. If he balked, we could tug gently with the tether and encourage him forward to us. I told them not to use Herbie's name to scold and never to scold or correct him punitively if they have called him to them and he has come. It is important that when a dog comes to you , there is always a reward of some type of affection waiting. If you need to administer a correction, go to your dog to do it.

I was very pleased when we came back in the house that Herbie was extemely relaxed. Our work outside accomplished exactly what it was supposed to. When The Lindgren's put him in his bed he rested there quietly while we went down stairs and continued more of the session. Later, I went to get Herbie and he slowly got out of his bed and wiggled towards me, not at all afraid of the first human to ever establish dominace over him in an overt way. As a matter of fact, Herbie and I enjoyed some nice, gentle affection time when I brought him back down to join the rest of the group. He was exhibiting behavior that was calm and submissive. The kind I could reward.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Pearl, her Girl, and Misty

In June and July this summer Michelle and I had the joy of Pet Sitting for 2 weeks while our client's, John and Louise Chevalier, were on a vacation out West. Their dog, Pearl, and cat, Misty were left in our care.

This household was not a new one to us. A couple of years ago, we were Pearl's dog walker's. Louise and Pearl also "starred" in one of our Cable TV shows. That episode was entitled, "Dog's Isssues and their Appropriate Corrections". In that segment of the show, Louise demonstrated for us how she had learned to calm Pearl down when she would turn the coffee maker on using the techniques we had taught her and what she had seen on "The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan".

During those days, Pearl was exhibiting some fear aggression and Louise was concerned for a new grandchild that was on the way. She hired us to drain Pearl's nervous energy by taking her for a structured walk a couple of times a week and we did see some very positive changes.

Since I, Candiss, do the majority of training and teaching for our 'Behavioral HELP for Dogs' and 'Start 'em out Right~Puppies' 1 on 1 sessions and group seminars, Michelle is the primary Dog Walker and Pet Sitter at Walks & Wags. I oversee the compimentary Set- Up appointments with the clients before we begin our service with them. I always come on the first 1 or 2 visits and then wherever I can fill in when Michelle has multiple appointments simultaneously.

During the Chevalier's 2 weeks away, Misty kept us laughing with her adorable antics. Not a shy kitty. As with most cats, food was a very important priority for this feline. When we would arrive and open the pantry door, she would run and jump on top of her bin and yowl. She made sure we knew what to do.

Pearl on the other hand started out very timid and shy as she had always been every time we had seen her before. But...during our 2 weeks with her, Michelle noticed that Pearl was warming up to her, becoming affectionate, wagging her tail when Michelle entered the house, rolled over for belly rubs after the walk, played with the tennis ball, and towards the end of each visit, rested close by the chair that Michelle sat in when she recorded the log sheet for that visit. This was a Pearl that neither Michelle nor I had known before! A delightful surprise.

Pearl loved the routine contained in those 2 hourly visits day after day. She came to trust and love Michelle. She was very good with me as well, but I didn't see her nearly as much. Thus, in the title of this blog, Michelle is Girl of which I speak. :-)

On one of my visits, I took Pearl down the steps in the back of the house and re routed her from a path that she normally took in which she would walk over one strip of board that bordered a basement window well on the side of the house. Louise had mentioned during the set up appointment that she found it an odd behavior, so I decided to see if we could work with it into something a little safer. It only took one time and Pearl got it.

It was a delight to see this once timid dog become so annimated with us. The 2 visits a day were more than ample for both of these pets. We are in hopes that when the Chevalier's returned home, they found Pearl and Misty in better condition than when they left. That is our goal for all of the Pet Sitting assignments we have, which is why we incorporate the Light Training as well as Full Body Dog Massage into every visit.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Our case with Casey

June 11th brought us out to Jason and Michelle Shulte's home for a "Behavioral HELP for Dog's" (BHD) session to see what we could do to eliminate a habit that their black lab, Casey, has picked up in the last 2 months. Snacking while the family is away.

Up until April of this year this had not been an issue for Casey. It first became problematic when the Schulte's came home to find that Casey had eaten an entire cake, tin pan and all while they were away. The canine was very sick, but ultimately and thankfully fine. This was the most dramatic and disconcerting incident, but there were more misdemeanors to follow.

When Jason told me that Casey sometimes runs away from him and has to be tracked down with leash in hand, my first instincts were that we had a very bored dog on our hands who needed something to do, so why not eat, dig in the trash and rendezveaux with the neighborhood?

The session went well and we followed the usual pattern, starting by helping the Schulte's to focus on the fact that Casey is primarily an animal and a dog. We covered Casey's basic innated make up so that his owners can interact with him as his Pack Leader and not the other way around.

Where we made the most progress was on the Structured Walk. They had never experienced a walk with Casey in which he was at their side and not out in front. Michelle particularly seemed surprised and pleased that that could be done - and in such a short time. She has not been involved with walking Casey as much as Jason. I told her that for a dog, the structured walk is the most closely they will ever be bonded to you. If you miss the stuctured walk with your dog, then your dog is lacking the bonding he needs with you. I encouraged Michelle to walk Casey more often to create such a bond between her and Casey as well as bring more balance to the situation.

In order to assist us with our walking time we used the self confidence of a Pack Leader, and a prong collar which proved to be the most effective of the leashes I tried for this hearty outdoor sports breed.

Casey has a medium size townhouse to occupy, with a very small yard. For a dog of his breed, size and energy, he has to be walked structurally at least twice a day to accomodate for the lack of living space he has. I stressed the importance of a bare minum of 30 minutes 2 times a day in order to drain the nervous energy that is building up and driving him into the unwanted behavior catagory. By and large he is a very sweet dog, and just needs the extra structured exercise in the form of a structured walk.

A benefit for him is that the Schulte's live near a nice field where Casey is also allowed to run and play his favorite game: fetch. He is a good retreiver. I also told them of the importance to work on the obedience commands.

When we went for the walk, Michelle (my assistant) and I rigged Casey up in a dog pack pack and explained that the extra weight will not only be better exercise for him, but will provide a mental draining of energy as well. It will give him something to conentrate on while walking and even provide a job for him, which is important to a dog. Work is a reward for a dog. Dog's need all the jobs we can create for them. Something our domesticated pals often lack. A dog of his size and good health could easily carry 2 16oz bottles of drinking water or more on each side with no problem. It would be wise to build up to this so Casey can acclimate to it slowly.

Ruble of thumb: the Structured Walk, in which your dog is at your side, drains the nervous energy that builds up every day. Play time is great and even necessary for a dog, but it excites, not drains, and will not be the solution to eradicating unwanted behaviors.

When we came back in, I instructed Jason and Michelle on how to make appropriate corrections for inappropriate behaviors, showed them the food event, and discussed the parallels of dog training and child rearing since they have a beautiful and very sweet 3 year old daughter. I noticed that at this point Casey was beautifully tired out and relaxed. Just the goal I want my clients to achieve with their dogs.

By the time the session was complete the Schulte's seemed to grasp the concepts that I had layed out for them one layer at a time. Very often the actual behavior that a dog is exhibiting is not the problem at all. It is simply bad fruit on the tree. If we go to the root of that tree, so to speak, and make the roots good, it is utlimately going to produce good fruit in time. Such is the case with Casey.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

A Teddy Bear named Grizzly

On May 27th'10, Michelle and I ventured just a few miles down the road to the home of Scott and Joan Korfhage for a Behavioral HELP for Dogs (BHD) Session with the family and their newly adopted Chow mix, Grizzly. (See "Welcome Grizzly" post). We had become acquainted with the Korfhage's in April when they hired us to come out as Grizzly's walkers for a few days in Joan's absence.


The Korfhage's had purchased Grizzly at a PetCo from Homeward Bound. One thing I want to point out here is that the family chose Grizzly primarily because of his even temperament and calm energy. A very wise thing to do. Energy is everything in making your choice for a new dog. He was not the dog they were initially attracted to, but when they noticed how calm he was amidst the chaos that day, he won hands down.


Grizzly is truly one of those prize catches that you don't find in every Shelter or Rescue. Michelle and I have adored being his walkers and find his pleasant and sweet disposition a real treat.


The Korfhage's displayed excellent dog ownership by caring about how to start Grizzly out right as a new member of their family. They called us in for just such a reason. He was jumping up on them and their guests, taking the children's toys from their rooms, as well as exhibiting some occasional confusion about where to eliminate. They particularly wanted us to help their 6 yr old son, Eric, to understand how to interact with Grizzly, and give them all a good foundation of "dog - speak".
I started out by showing the Korfhages how to use a dog pack pack on Grizzly to give him a job to do by carrying things for them as dogs need jobs. It also aids in draining the nervous energy that builds up in a dog causing them to try to eliminate it by acting out in various neurotic ways.

Our session started from the foundation and worked up. We mainly stressed the importance of interacting with Grizzly as an animal and dog to avoid humanizing him since treating dog's like they are a human baby is the main contributor to bringing out unwanted behavoiral issues. I always show some segments from the dvd "Living with Wolves" by Jim and Jamie Dutcher, to help our clients understand and see first hand how closely linked their dog is to the wolf and how dog owners need to create a family pack and act as the Pack Leader for their dogs. A dog's main need after food is direction.


We spent a fair amount of our session on the structured walk, with everybody taking turns and becoming comfortable with it. I also wanted to try several different slip collars and leashes, so the Korfhages would get the feel of what works best for them. Michelle roller bladed with Grizzly to give him a chance to move faster. Most dogs enjoy as much speed as they can get. Daughter Lauren was eager to engage and was a quick learner. They all did well and we appreciated the cooperation we found with this group.






When we returned to the house, we worked on obedience commands which Grizzly had a pretty good handle on. All except for the 'down' command. He surprised us, though, when I tried it for the first time with a treat in my hand and he followed it right down into a perfect down position. The family eagerly wanted to take a turn at it, and Scott even accomplished putting Griz into the down from a standing position vs a sit.


When we went back into the house I decided that it would be best for Grizzly to be required to stay completely out of the children's rooms since he had developed a ritual of taking their toys and depositing them right in a pile in front of the front door entry area. Bless his heart, he hadn't done damage to most of the toys. He just found pleasure in squirrelling them away there. :-) I showed Eric and Lauren how to create that boundary of no entrance for Griz and instructed them to keep it consistently. In time, he will simply find contentment in sitting outside the bedroom doorway's watching the children play. If he comes to understand that he has no entry to the rooms, it will reduce his temptation to "lift" the toys when no one is there.


We will cover the food event, how to handle vet trips, a day in the life of a dog, kids & canines, helpful books and dvd's that pertain to their situation and avoiding aggressive behavior towards other dogs during our follow-up visit, besides some review.

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

First Puppy Seminar

Our "Start 'em out Right ~ Puppies!" Seminar debuted at East Ridge High School in Woodbury, MN last nght April 28th '10. It was a terrific success.

Well attended, I had a great group of people who were all in pre-pup stage and waiting to pick up there puppies soon. One couple. however, worked such long hours that I recommended they get an older dog from a shelter or rescue rather than a puppy. New puppies absolutely need someone with them for the majority of the time when they are young.

It turns out that this couple did not have a puppy chosen yet and had been considering an older dog, so this was just the encouragement they needed. I had put a copy of the Puppy Show dvd in every one's info packet, but I had brought some of the "Adopting a Dog from a Shelter or Rescue" shows as well. Matt, the husband, had picked one up on the break.

Having produced these television shows has been such a blessing for us and our clients and students. Watching a TV show is such an easy way to learn and it's free.

In regards to the preparation end of things, Michelle had just finished the power point presentation for the seminar one hour before we left to get there! No, she wasn't procrastinating. I had been doing some last minute tweaking on it for a few days prior, so she couldn't even start the power point until the day before the seminar! What a loyal assistant! She really is devoted and gifted. I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to her. Thanks, Michelle. It is a pleasure having you for a daughter, a friend, and a co-worker.

The presentation came out beautifully and we just had time to dash out of the house to go pick up our demo-dog, Oreo, and get to the school in time to set up.

We were met with some unexpected technical difficulty in our room, but Michelle finally found a way for it to work after patiently working on it for 1-1/4 hours with the occasional help of the room assistant and a custodian. East Ridge handled this very graciously with a call to me today expressing their apologies for the added stress to our teaching experience there. They are a very maticulously run Community Ed and I did appreciate the call to soothe the difficulty we had with their equipment. I enjoy working with this district and hope to continue to do so.

Next Fall, we will be offering a seminar called "Adopting a Dog through a Shelter or Rescue". It is my deepest concern that people become educated on how to properly chose a dog and raise it up correctly from the start, so as to avoid the problem behaviors that are inevitable without this awareness.

All of our DVD's are available at no charge to you upon request. http://www.walksandwags.biz/ info@WalksandWags.biz

~Candiss DelCastillo, Owner

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Welcome Grizzly

Today we welcome new Dog Walking Clients, Scott & Joan Korfhage and their dog Grizzly. Grizzly is a Chow/Sheltie mix and as sweet as a peach! They just adopted him from Homeward Bound Rescue about a week ago. We admire the excellent dog ownership that the Korfhage's are exhibiting by doing everything they can to start their relationship with Grizzly out right. This will have big payoff's in the long run for all of them.

Grizzly is great on leash on the walk and took to us right away. We look forward to our appointments with him and appreciate the Korfhage's for chosing Walks & Wags Pet Service!

The Clearest Rainy Day

Our follow up with Tom & Donna Winkler was last Tues April 6th. We were out for their BHD session 3 weeks prior to handle some challenges they were primarily having with daughter Heather's dog, Shaggy. Hether and Shaggy also reside at the Winkler's home now that they have moved back from Arizona. (Blog entitled 'South by Midwest').

I encourage you to read the original blog to note the contrast in our visits. When we returned last Tuesday, the atmosphere was clear and sunny in the Winkler home even though it was raining outside. A new Shaggy greeted us at the door in place of the old one who had lurked dubiously behind his owner when we first came. We were delighted to see that the primary problem of Shaggy not wanting to go to Tom, was for all practical purposes, non-existent. The Winkler's had all sorts of good things to report. In place of the creases of concern on their faces that we were met with the first time, they spoke with lifted countenances during our follow up.

We met a much more confident Heather and a Shaggy who actually played with Tom and came to him frequently to say hello. This family was operating as a unit now and the relationships all the way around were benefitting. (Dog's included). Donna had hosted a jewelry party a couple of weeks after our first visit and Shaggy actually came around to say hello to each of her guests. Something heretofore unheard of. Shaggy is learning the simple yet not so easy task of just being a dog and reconnecting with his innate instincts.

The Winkler's had taken my advice to have Tom be the only one who carries out the food event for Shaggy in order to get the two of them together. It only took a total of 3 missed meals for Shaggy to realize that coming to Tom wasn't so bad after all. A huge victory for Tom!

Since Shaggy has chewing tendancies, I suggested that they re-introduce Shaggy to a crate using the same technique with the food. His first experience with a crate was not met with wide joyous sweeps on the tail section. I told Tom to place the food dish near, then eventually inside the crate in order for Shaggy to eat. The crate will in time become a diner. When you don't want your dog to chew your furniture you keep him well drained of his phsical and mental energy, set the rules and keep them, and when necessary put him in a crate to assure that your valuables remain safe until you return home. We also introduced Shaggy to a dog back pack which he was very good about wearing for about a 1 minute. We only placed it on his back and did not buckle it. Once he adapts to it, this tool will accomplish a further mental and physical draining for Shaggy than walking him without one.

During our follow-up, we encouraged Heather to take her canine friend out for his structured walk with her immediately after she arrives home from work every day. When she mentioned that she would like to see Shaggy make more use of her parent's 3 acre yard, I got the idea to take Heather and Co. out for thier structured walk in the yard to help establish the boundaries for Shaggy in a way that he would connect it with a pleasant experience. Michelle put a dog treat approximately every 2o feet just inside the parimeter of the invisible fencing so Shaggy could have some tracking experience, which was another area that needed to be awakened in him. Just as I had hoped, he followed the treat studded trail and gleaned it's rewards. I told Heather to reduce the amounts of treats she puts out around the yard by half for each future walk. Eventually Shaggy will only need one treat per side until it becomes routine and the treats on the ground will not be needed at all. Just one at the end for a reward if she wants to.

In regards to Tom's dog, Clarence, Tom stated that he is no longer worried that Shaggy will become aggressive towards Clarence. In fact, Tom now see's the two dog's bringing out the best in each other. They are getting along quite well.

I never tire of the rewards of my career. It is a pleasure to work with such a dedicated family as this. Michelle and I exuded great joy as we drove home that day. This will be an unending saga for the Winkler's as they grow in their relationships with each other and their dogs, but we have seen the majority of the problem overcome, which will enable them to make future adjustments. By the effort they put forth now, This trio and their 2 canines will rapidly settle into a lifetime of harmony that will fit like a hand in glove.

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Crossing paths with The Bridges'.

For 7 days this month, Michelle and I had the pleasure of caring for the pets in the home of Lance and Danielle Bridges. Their 7 acre hobby farm in River Falls, WI became our 'home away from home' as we made our trek 2 times each day, except Sunday, in which a neighbor came in and took over.
In our care were a menagerie of delightful animals: Bella the lab, Jimmy the Collie, as well as Little Mamma, Nick and Magellie, the 3 cats. There was also a pasture of 3 beautiful yard ornaments that looked very much like horses who came to the fence during each visit to be loved on, brushed and receive an alfalfa cube.
Our hour long visits consisted of letting the dogs out, who formed a very enthusiastic welcoming committe, and then taking them for a long structured walk. We played in the yard upon return and found that Jimmy, who has seems to have some Australian Shepherd and Border Collie in him, was a tremendous retreiver of the various balls we threw for him. He was so good about dropping the ball for us that a couple of times he tossed it up in the air and it fell right in my lap! A real joy.
Then it was time for the horses. They jealously vied for our individual attention as we brushed what we could reach of them across the fence and fed them their alfalfa cube. Since they had plenty of food, we hadn't been asked to do anything with or for them except fill their water which was only needed once. In essence, the time we spent with them was for them to have a little company more than anything.
When we went inside it was time for the food event for each dog. The cats would gather at this point as well and we would hear them crunching from their limitless supply dish of food. It took them some time to warm up to us, but in a day or two their curiosity won over.
After dinner we would record a log sheet that we left for the Bridges to keep them abreast of the happenings while they were gone. And then...Affection Time! The dogs loved it! Belly rubs and all sorts of fun.
We usually miss our clients when we are done with assignments like these. This case is no different. I hope it won't be long before we are called back again. :-)

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/

Bella ~ A Miricle from the Mill

I would like to insert a belated blog on a session that we actually did last July 4th, '09 for my sister Lisa's, husband Mike's, sister Kathy and her husband, Dave Biedron (whew! in other words, my In-Laws) at the Biedron's home with their newly adopted Chihuahua, Bella.

The reason I refer to Bella as a miricle in the title of this blog, is that she was rescued from a Puppy Mill. Bella had been bred for multiple litters and for 2 years lived in the atrocity of the facility she was in. I encourage you to look online for what actually goes on in these houses of horror and you will be aghast. The Biedron's purchased her at a PetCo on the day the Homeward Bound Dog Rescue who had her was there re-homing these dogs to good and caring owners.

The 4th of July wasn't an official BHD session. Dave & Kathy had initially called to ask me some questions about how to bring Bella into their home in as smooth a transition as possible, but since we were coming over for a celebration with the relatives anyway the week after they brought Bella home, we decided to use it as a casual training session. Before we arrived, I told Dave & Kathy that we would be meeting Bella with the 'No talk, No touch, No eye contact' approach.

If they had asked me about it before they went out to PetCo that day, I would have encouraged them not to adopt a Puppy Mill dog under any conditions, and was expecting to meet a dog that had overt behavioral problems due to the way she had lived prior to being rescued. But in this case, it's a good thing they didn't ask...

***Now, this is where the miricle part comes in.*** Bella was one of the sweetest and friendliest dogs I have met in a very long time. She was just as happy as could be to see all the guests arrive and her little tail was wagging like a metronome! Once she had a bit of time to get used to us being there, I sat down on the floor and slowly started to engage with her. She came over to me and didn't mind being handled at all. It was beyond astounding. We all enjoyed her so much. I would never have believed a dog from a Puppy Mill could be this 'normal'! I have to say that as a dog professional, I'm stumped, but very glad for them, and for all of us who get to enjoy her from time to time.

Disclaimer:

I want to take this opportunity to discourage the readers of this blog from purchasing a dog that is known to be from a Puppy Mill. Although I am a firm believer in miricles, you may not get off as easy as The Biedron's did. The problem's these dogs come with can be unrectifiable and detrimental. If they are mated, it only perpetuates what was defective in the first place. Although it may sound cruel, (not my intent), I cannot stress this enough.

I was so proud of Dave & Kathy for deeply caring about how to be good owners to this new arrival. They also gave me the freedom to make any corrections necessary in the way they interacted with Bella throughout the day. By the time we were done, we had covered all the bases and even watched one of the cable TV shows that Michelle and I had produced the year before called, "Dogs Issues and Their Appropriate Corrections". Very timely. I felt very good about the visit. They have only had to call or email me a couple of times with follow-up questions.

The Biedron's have had Bella for almost 9 months now and have settled into a routine with her that fits their lifestyle and has created a new and healthy one for her. They have not experienced anything out of the ordinary with Bella's behavior as they have worked through the transition. She knows some obedience commands and tricks. Dave even set up a tunnel for her to go through to her potty place outside in the winter that she took to readily.

Bella did act out in jealous aggression with a girlfriend of Kathy's once, but no one was hurt. I coached Kathy on how to handle that and as far as I know that type of episode hasn't been repeated.

Dave's mom, Helen and his sister, Donna occasionally pet sit when Dave & Kathy are away and Bella experiences little or no separation anxiety. Sometimes Helen's Yorkie comes over for a visit. Bella enjoys the company and the play time with her furry little friend.

My husband, Ruben and Michelle and I have so much enjoyed getting to know Dave & Kathy as family friends, but in this instance, I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to work with them as clients as well. It made a positive difference in their dog ownership in the long run. I'm glad I was not able to coach Dave & Kathy before they adopted Bella or we might not have her in the family right now. Things have a way of working out... and I'm so glad they did. :-)

~Candiss DelCastillo

Walks & Wags Pet Service

http://www.walksandwags.biz/