Saturday, May 1, 2010

Our Pack Training Article Featured in Bay Woof Magazine

Pleased to Meet You

Managing Successful Dog Introductions

By Marthina McClay, CPDT

Our Pack has a training article featured in this month's Bay Woof magazine! This is the second time we've had an article featured in the magazine's "Good Dog!" training column. The article focuses on how to set up and manage polite dog-dog introductions. Here's an excerpt, click on the link below to read the full article:

Imagine you are out walking your dog around the neighborhood, when around the corner comes a neighbor with her dog. As the new dog spots you, its ears shoot forward, its gaze locks onto your dog, and it lunges to the end of the leash, pulling its owner across the street toward you. "It's okay, he's friendly!" she calls.

As the neighbor's dog rushes forward, your normally calm, laid-back dog freezes, emits a low growl, and maybe fires off a few warning barks. Your neighbor, looking shocked and slightly offended, drags her dog away.

What just happened?

Read the rest of the article here.

5 comments:

  1. Good job Marthina :) You deserve the recognition. Great picture, by the way.

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  2. Thanks Liz as always for your support!

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  3. This is a really good article, and I wish all dog owners knew this. We have two pitbulls and live in Chicago. Our dogs are dog-friendly, but we understand dog-selection and we don't have them meet dogs on walks. I'm always aware of the dogs around us and I'll cross the street if we're encountering someone head on. Some people still don't seem to understand this etiquette, and I actually had a bad interaction the other day. One of my dogs stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to go poo. As we were waiting, another dog further down the sidewalk was pulling his owner over. I asked him to please wait and not approach my dog's turned back, to which he replied "It's ok, my dog's friendly" and let his dog run up to my dog's turned back. I don't understand what person would continue to approach 2 dogs, one with a turned back, especially when I asked him not to. It's putting my dog in a bad position, and if anything had happened I know it would be my pitbull who is to blame. What is the best way to deal with the multitude of dogowners in the city who don't understand about introductions?

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  4. Wow, that doesn't sound like fun at all Schwang! I hate those situations.
    I think the only thing you can do is try and see them coming and if they seem like they're going to approach be very firm and clear that you don't want them approaching your dogs. You can also say you're dog's in training etc. That's the nice way of doing it.
    Good luck. It sounds like you live in a neighborhood like mine! ;)

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  5. What kind of containment system do you use for your dogs? I'm thinking about getting the new Radial-Shape Wireless Dog Fence from Havahart. The site says it's really easy to set up, doesn't require any digging, and works on two dogs.
    Here's the wireless fence I'm talking about:
    http://www.havahartwireless.com/store/wireless-dog-fence/5134g

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