Why I Rescue instead of using a Breeder?

There are so many good reason why you should adopt and rescue a dog from an animal shelter. These dogs are just looking for someone to love them. If you adopt from a shelter pretty much all will have the dog spayed or neutered before putting up for adoption. This is a cost that is expensive, that you would have to fork out otherwise. The cost of adopting from a rescue is so much more cheaper than a breeder with the includes vaccinations up to date and spay/neuter procedure. I am not saying that overall owning a dog is cheap expense by any means. But why spend $500 or more on a dog just to get it when you can spend $100 and save that money to put toward there other bills. Once, you adopt you open up a space for another lucky dog to hopefully find their for forever home. I know a lot of people want pure breeds, but if you take time you can find them in shelters too. These dogs in the shelter are scared and most do not understand why? Depending on the shelter type too their is more risk of those dogs, never finding their forever home and they deserve a chance at life. My family has adopted our last 4 dogs and 2 cats and we will continue in the future. It's such a rewarding experience and they are just some of the sweetest animals we have cared for.

A Day in the Life of my Job

The most common response I get from people who knew I was a Dog Handler was "Oh, you get to play with dogs all day that sounds like so much fun." So Yes, I do get to be around dogs all day and it is great for the most part, but it is not all fun and games. Obviously, the occasional cuddles and TLC that I get to give the dogs is rewarding. But again with all animals, there are messes that come with it. That can come in many forms mopping up pee, picking up poop, cleaning up throw up. The best is when you get to clean dogs off (Bath wise) due to being peed on or rolling in poop. It happens more than you think. But, the biggest challenge of my job is keeping everyone happy and safe. When you go into each shift you are managing a minimum of 10 dogs at a time. Every dog is so unique in their behavior and play style. You have to learn each dog's personality and their threshold. There is so much planning and strategy that goes into making up our groups. I currently being a manager go in each day to a different group of dogs each day no 2 days are the same. Because, owners sometimes do not have the same schedule for their dogs and sometimes dogs cancel. So in better words it a puzzle on placement. I have to look at who we have each day and know who does and does not get along and place accordingly. There is also, usually an order of process at let out. There are some dogs that are crate or gate reactive that need to go into group last. So you usually start with the dogs that are easy-going and build on the energy level and then to those special cases. These dogs are great in group, but those little things can cause issues, so we do a lot of preventive to help keep everyone safe and having a great time out of the play group floor. But once, in group we are monitor does behavior and learn when dogs need breaks to calm themselves down and to not go above a certain threshold. Once, they do we bring them back into group and they go back to having a great time. But in the end, it is a rewarding job watching the dogs go home happy, tired, and rewarding day. Knowing those owners will have a nice tired pup tonight is there favorite part. Especially, watching when they make buddies at daycare, when they are there together will sometimes just hang with each other is super cool to see those bonds. But, also to see how excited some get when they get in or having owners saying they know when it's daycare day. It makes us feel good that we are making such a positive experience for them and how much they love it.

How many types of Dog Groups are there?

According to AKC, there are 7 distinguished groups. First, there is the Sporting Group these dog are used to assist with hunting, especially bird hunting. These common ones are Golden Retriever, Lab, and Spaniel. There are a few more but those are the main ones. Next, is the Hound Group this group is divided into sight and scent in which they use to hunt there prey. The sight has more speed to them. A few that are in this category of hounds is the Beagle, Dachshund, Bloodhound, and Coonhound. Next, is the Working Group that I talked about in my previous post, this group is the one that need a job or task. There are not content just laying around all day. Some breeds that fit into this category are the Husky example sled dog, Boxer, and Rottweiler. Terrier Group is made up of many different types of Terriers they like to hunt and prey on rodent due to their short-legs. Toy Group I think the name is the funniest of them all. These dogs are companionship dogs due to their small size. They are all lap size dogs and can be carried around like a Pug and Yorkie. They are all small but different in many ways. Next, we have the Non-Sporting Group this group is so diverse in the type of breeds that there is not a real distinct definition to cover them. Dogs such as Chow-Chow, French Bulldog, to a Poodle very different type dogs in one category. Finally, is the Herding Group which I think is the most common that people know about. They are a dog that works too, easy to train and are used to herd livestock. Border Collie, Collie, German Shepherd, and Sheltie.

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/did-you-know/what-are-breed-groups/

Why Exercising Your Dog is Important?

When it comes to adopting or picking out a dog for your family. It's important to understand the time commitment that comes with it. Dogs need exercise no matter what age, just like humans. Dogs need exercise to help with their health. Dogs can get different health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and arthritis. Sounds just like humans doesn't it? If we don't exercise and take care of ourselves eating wise we run across the same risks. But exercise is not just for health when it comes to dogs. A happy exercise dog will most likely not have behavioral issues as much. Dogs have a lot of energy especially younger ones. If they do not have an outlet for this energy, they become frustrated and will start to act out. Things you will notice is them getting into to things they should not be, example chewing is the common behavioral issue. Dogs need physical and mental stimulation. We actually have started a new enrichment area to our facility for dogs. There is more and more research saying how important mental is and the benefits to it. They compare 45 minutes of physical equals the same amount of 15 minutes of mental. It's smart if you can do it together in one activity. One way you can mental stimulate your dog if they are food motivated is doing Treat games. There are many different types of board puzzles out there that can keep your dog entertained. Playing Fetch is a very popular option, but going for walks is another one. Going for walks is a good bonding experience allowing your dog and yourself to get exercise together. Walks are also a good way to work on socialization with your dog. It allows them to work on being more open to new ideas and build confidence. Now, obviously the amount of exercise depends on the dog's breed, age, and health. It's important to understand your dog's stamina and to not push it. A German Short Hair Pointer is going to obviously need more time commitment in exercise department than a Pug.  

A game of Tug- War with a pal is another option :)

http://www.dog-obedience-training-review.com/exercising-your-dog.html

What breeds are considered the working group?

There are different types of groups dogs belong too. The working groups involves breeds such as Great Danes, Doberman Pinschers, Husky, Akita, Boxer and Rottweiler. These dogs have many strong traits such as intelligent and strong headed. They are considered to be very loyal to their owners and protective. It's important to have a strong understanding of these dogs before committing to taking one of these dogs in as their own pet. These dogs can be wonderful pets, but they just need to be trained well. I have observed these dogs in daycare. They definitely will look to push their limits. We have a Rottweiler who will get into trouble by pushing water bowls around or carrying things around in group. This usually will happen, when she becomes bored. We always say, "We need to give her a job or task to keep her happy".  Rottweiler are on the breeds that needs to be always doing something to entertain them. We have a Doberman that has been trained well, but she will push her limits. But you can tell she knows that she is doing wrong. But she still will push us to see what she can get away with. I have a Boxer at home who is very loyal to us, but she is very weird with strangers. It doesn't mean she a bad dog by any means, it's just understanding her limits and not pushing her into a situation that will make her feel vulnerable.

My First Experience Adopting a Dog

What an amazing journey it is to adopt a dog. I'm very lucky to have such a supportive and dog loving family that allowed me to help rescue a dog. At age 22, I adopted my first dog! It was an exciting time to take that step forward and own my first animal. But, the whole story of how this even became a reality goes farther back. From my previous, posts you guys have probably seen me mention, I work at a doggy daycare. The doggy daycare worked very closely with HAWS, in which we foster dogs to help with socialization or if does were just breaking down at the shelter we were an alternative. A few fosters that came through, obviously got close to my heart. My customer dogs are like my own too. But anyways, back to the story. We just had lost our older dog to cancer. So my parents dog, Zoe was left behind with no buddy at the house and it had been a few months since we lost him. There was a foster at the time, who was a absolute sweetie, but was very shy with humans. She was very friendly with other animals. So, one night the foster was going to be alone - so I offered to take her home for the night. They both absolutely loved each other right away playing and running around our big fenced in yard. She was shy with my parents, especially my Dad. She had hard time trusting men, still does. We know she had an abusive background before coming up from Alabama. So one night turned into the rest of the week. When it came time to have her go back to the humane society to be put on the floor. I took her back for her to find her forever home that weekend. My family and I didn't last more than a couple hours though and decided she had found her forever home with us. So I went back and adopted Maggie myself. Fast forward to 2.5 years later and here we are. I think the most memorable scene that plays over in my head, is when I went to pick her up for the final time after her last vet check up. She came out and saw me from the across the lobby and she was wagging her butt so hard she could hardly walk and ran into my arms. It such an rewarding experience to be able to adopt and give these animals a home!

(Last night as foster)

(Officially heading home forever)

What is Agility? How can it help your dog behavior?

Agility is a sport for your dog. It involves owner/handler and a dog to work together to complete an obstacle course. Your dog will do the obstacle course off-leash which requires good recall. It is very fun activity to watch as dogs try to complete this obstacle with not just accuracy but also quickest time. Agility is a great combo of mental and physical enrichment for your dog. There are many rules for the handler while going through the course with their dog. First, you are not allowed to use treats, toys or touch any of the equipment throughout the course. All the dog has to use from their handler is voice and body language. It requires the dog to understand "cues" given to them. It's important that the handler "cues" and directions given throughout are accurate. Dogs alone are not able to complete these course, because they are always different and too challenging. Agility can be done by dogs all breeds and sizes. But, during competition they are separated into different classes to make it far competition throughout. It's a good partnership to work with your dog on obedience and trust. It requires dogs to trust their owners. But, it also requires handlers/owners to spend so much time on "cues" and helping their dog succeed. It builds respect between the partnership which leads to better behaved dogs and happier owners. It's important when it comes to training to be consistent with "cue" words and what they mean. Otherwise, it becomes confusing and leads to frustration on the owner part, but confusion on the animal part on what's expected from them. As much as it's a fun activity to do with your dog, it does take a lot of training and time to get to achieve this activity with your dog. But in the end, it will be a fun, exciting and rewarding experience for both of you!

Source: https://thedogtrainingsecret.com/blog/dog-agility-dog-obedience/