Many dogs do not respond well to negative reinforcement but prefer a more positive approach to behavior modification.

With this audio clip, I will teach you how to modify any bad behavior that your dog may have.

Enjoy this information, and as always, if you have more questions, you can always send me an e-mail about your particular dog.

They come in a 13 inch and a 15 inch height and many would love to argue which one makes the best hunter.

Beagles are great family dogs, but they do require some special handling. They are very stubborn and require an owner as stubborn as they are. They will work for you, but only if you can make it a game.

They were bred to track rabbits for their owners.  Their sense of smell is legendary and they make excellent scent detection dogs.  They can find a single mouse in a one acre field in less than a minute.   This is the main reason why they should always be on a leash or in a secure area.  They will quickly become distracted by a scent and in an instant, they will be following their nose.  Many a Beagle have ended up in shelters due to their nose!

They are actually very good at agility and other related sports; however, getting them to ignore their nose so they don’t get distracted is a difficult thing to do.  If you don’t plan on entertaining this breed, then be prepared for trouble.  They need to be stimulated or they will find something to occupy themselves, and it’s probably not what you want them to do!

They are very even tempered and are great with children.  They are not a good guard dog; however, they have a very distinctive howl that has the tendency to drive neighbor’s crazy.  This howl was very useful during a hunt, but tends to annoy those in a city setting.  The best way to keep them quiet, is to keep them well exercised.

Because they are bred to hunt in packs…Beagles usually like the company of other dogs.  So other dogs in the household are a good thing.

Be careful..they also tend to eat  a lot!  Watching the intake of your Beagle is very important so they don’t quickly get themselves into trouble.  Because of their appetite, give them plenty of exercise and you shouldn’t have any issues with weight.

Beagles are wonderful companions for the right family who is active, has a secure yard and won’t give up in when training.

If you have a high energy dog, then you know how difficult it is to keep your dog out of trouble.  Dogs that aren’t kept busy enough will usually find their own things to do…and it’s usually not what you wan them to do!

Activities such as digging, barking, tearing up the living room are all signs that you’re dog is bored.  Getting your dog into a sport will keep your dog happy and tired and it’s fun for you as well.  One of the best sports for a very high energy dog is flyball.

Flyball is an amazing sport…perfect for dogs that need lots of exercise…dogs that like to RUN!

I started working with Leon doing flyball when he was one years old because he LOVES to run up and down the hallway.  He also loves to jump.

If your dog is ball crazy…this is the sport for him!

The main premise of flyball is a relay race with four dogs on a team.  Each dog takes their turn running down the track, while jumping four jumps.  They grab a ball off of the platform while turning around.  They run back down the track and over the four jumps and hand off to the next dog.

This is a timed event and they usually race side-by-side with another team.

This is the perfect sport for Border Collies, Aussie’s, little Rat Terriers…any dog that is ball crazy and HYPER!
Flyball is perfect for dogs that need a mental workout as well as a physical workout.  And don’t think it’s just for large agile dogs.  The height of the jumps for your team are determined by the smallest member…so Leon was welcomed with open arms because his small size brought the jumps lower for the rest of his team….and that made them faster.

For instance: I got Leon when he was only eight weeks old and we were told he was a Chihuahua.  As he grew, I was confident that it was mostly true; however, some things about him didn’t quite fit the Chihuahua breed.

Although he had bonded very closely with me, he also enjoyed meeting new people-something the Chihuahua is not suppose to enjoy.  He is also very intelligent and loves to learn new things.  The Chihuahua is a very stubborn breed and doesn’t necessarily enjoy doing parlor tricks, unlike Leon.  One DNA test later and my suspicions were justified.  Although Leon is 3/4 Chihuahua, he is also 1/4 Poodle.

The fact that Leon is not a pure breed doesn’t bother me, but knowing where his genes came from help me to be able to understand him better.  Luckily, he got the best of the Poodle which has made him an easier companion for me.

Why does this matter?

Watch this video of the different breeds and learn how their original purpose can affect their behavior.

The importance of understanding the breed or breeds that make up your dog should be clear. These important genes determine ease of training, need for exercise and the desired activities for the dog.

Taking the time to understand you dog’s breed will help you in understanding the behavior of your dog and will also help you have a closer relationship with her.

If your dog is a mixed breed, and it’s genes are difficult to determine, you may consider gettting a DNA test kit that can tell you exactly what breeds make up your dog.  We got a DNA test kit on the Internet for about $50  and the test was very easy to perform by taking a cotton swab of Leon’s mouth.

Leon at a Therapy Gig with a New Friend

Many of you know that my little Chihuahua, Leon, is a registered therapy dog with the Delta Society and involved heavily with our local group LAPP.  Leon and I have been to many different facilities, meeting all different types of people, but the therapy facilities we like the best involve children.

We recently had the pleasure of visiting a behavioral health facility that houses teenagers ages 13-18.  The staff has recently begun to really take advantage of our visits by turning them into group sessions.  We were visiting that day with an Aussie and a Chocolate Lab.

The group session was about fear and how you relate to that fear; do you face it or run?  The Chocolate Lab faces her fears, but the Aussie avoids them….and Leon tends to run from his fears…well, when you’re only five pounds!

Each teenager evaluated themselves against the dogs and then we all had a healthy discussion about what we fear the most and how we handle it.  Leon didn’t like vacuum cleaners so I encouraged him to face his biggest fear (with lots of his favorite treats), so that he would learn that it wasn’t going to hurt him and that it’s alright to be in the same room with a loud piece of equipment.

One thing I did notice was how willing each teenager was to relay their fears to us and the dogs and how they all nodded in agreement with each other…and how we did as well.  No matter how old you are, or how old your dog is, we all still fear some things, but it’s how you learn to deal and face them that matter.

Dr. Pomerance talked with us about what you need to be thinking and what you should consider before adding a new canine member to your family.

It’s true that the amount and number of walks vary greatly, if you are thinking of getting a dog, you should understand that taking a walk is part of the deal.

Most people don’t understand that Chihuahua’s love to take walks.  They can actually walk up to a couple of miles and enjoy getting out in the sunshine.  Leon has always enjoyed his walks, as you can see on his video.  You can see that he is walking very easy and happily; he’s not pulling or being dragged.  This is the mark of a true nomadic walk.

There are alternatives to walking outside, although it is good for both you and the dog to get outside in the fresh air as much as possible.  But sometimes it’s too cold, or you don’t have the time; and in this times, a good jaunt on the treadmill is a good substitute.  When the snow is piling up outside, Leon does just fine on his treadmill; but look at how happy he is on the video…why NOT go outside and walk…

Her answers were very thoughtful and thorough and would be good reading for anyone needing to find a service dog.

I liked the fact that the reader was considering getting the dog from a foster situation since the foster home will know more about the dog than if the dog were in a shelter.  This is something to note if you are looking for a dog as well.

I also liked the fact that Ann noted which breeds would work best and why and also noted what the reader should look out for, such as protectiveness in a guard breed.

If any of you have any more suggestions or can help this woman find her perfect service dog, let me know.  She will be rescuing a deserving dog who will love to use their skills at working for her the rest of their life.