Pack Walking

For some training fun, get some dog friends together and practice walking your dogs in a group. Over the years we've practiced pack walks like this in the Sunday Our Pack classes just for fun and to help the dogs to relax. It's good to change directions to get the dogs used to staying calm while walking towards other dogs, while keeping a comfortable distance.

Here's a video from the Sunday Our Pack class:

Meet Bernie

He's a victim of cruelty. He came from a dogfighting raid out of state. We've worked with many victims that have come from similar places and one thing we see is that many times they don't know how to live in homes. They don't know what a couch is or toys. We know one thing, Bernie LOVES to be loved as you...'ll see here and he's getting lots of that! Welcome Bernie to Our Pack and stay tuned for his progress. Here he is in this clip checking out what a chair is.....

Former Vick dog Leo with staff after visiting patients

Leo the therapy dog soothes patients after visiting patients in the oncology center.

Groups coming together to help dogs

Nice article on groups working together to help dogs. Director of Oakland Animal Services told us she was misquoted in the last line in the article however. (Click on the Heading to read the full article)

Goes to show what groups can do when they work together.

Where it all begins......

Puppyhood.
There's a lot of talk about genetics influencing behavior and yes behavior has something to do with genetics but if a behavior is not reinforced by the environment to occur or occur again and again then behavior is really less dependent on genetics. An example is this pup shown here... - Ted. He was brought into the shelter with a foxtail stuck in his mouth that swelled up quite a bit. He was an only pup at least from what we can tell. He's with Our Pack, literally, working on being a social little guy. During the first 12 weeks it's so very important to heavily socialize your pup with dogs, people, kids, etc. Of course don't stop after that, continue with socialziing. I have seen genetics be the blame for undersocialized dogs. While it's true that some dogs may be too damaged to be helped, in most cases we see our dogs turn around nicely with good socialization and training. And yes, sometimes even with good socialization and training dogs may still have some issues. I would however like to see prevention of dogs coming into shelters because of behavior problems. If folks work with their dogs early on in life we may see less dogs being surrendered to shelters and that would be a good thing!

Dr. Dexter at Work Again

We took in this pup to see if Dr. Dexter Canine Counselor can help this little guy learn good doggie manners. He somehow missed the early lessons on how to bite softly while playing. Dex had to let him know a few times that his manners were not what we're looking for in this camp. Our guy changed his body language a little bit since then and seems to be doing a good job of obeying Dexter's instructions on how to play nicely and keep friends once made! Let us know what you think!

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.

Pit Bulls and Chihuahuas

There's usually a new dog fad about every decade or so, and it looks like the Chi dogs are in....well, in the shelters for sure.

We've always said that breed is not the issue, and in fact, dogs are not the issue. People are.

It's not always just irresponsibility and a no-care attitude. That is a factor, but we always hammer that one into the ground, right? It's often just an education point. As a dog trainer by trade and a Chi mix owner with a multi-dog Pit Bull home, I see how people can get tripped up, and it's not their fault. Fun and cute movies show movie stars (won't mention names) carrying the cute little chi goobers in their purses wearing the latest Coach doggie T. This can make it hard for some folks to resist going out and getting one of these little characters right away.

In the movies, things always look easy. Dog companionship is rewarding and wonderful, but it is also hard work. Vet visits, providing good food, and daily quality time spent with our loved ones are all essential to a well-balanced dog.

Chi dogs are not accessories. They are beings that feel and need care like any dog. They have their breed traits, but do need to be seen as individual dogs, as does any dog of any breed. We have faced this issue over and over (I'm getting old), with German Shepherds (well, when I was young - there were other "fad" breeds before that), then with Dobermans, which I remember quite well, and the Rotties, then Pit Bulls. Could it now be the Chihuahua's turn?

I'm already seeing the bad reputation that Chis are getting. Again, popular dog, lots of breeding - and often irresponsible breeding at that - and uneducated owners unprepared for what's involved in properly caring for a dog. And there is your recipe for lots of dogs ending up in shelters.

Chihuahuas are great, loving and loyal dogs. I've often made my own jokes about my Chi about how bitchy she is and how scared of her our Pit Bulls used to get. Am I facilitating the bad image that Chis might end up with? I hope not.

As with any dog, Chi dogs need lots of socialization with lots of people early on, lots of dog play and good training. When this happens, things usually turn out great. But when the movies tell us that it's just so easy to get a cute dog, and you don't have to do much and all will be well, owners can be lulled into a false idea that you don't have to do much work at all to care for these dogs. After all, they're really small, right? Then, of course, there are lots of them to choose from, because many breeders will take advantage of the popularity opportunity.

Many dogs can have issues. Chi dogs can sometimes enjoy barking. There are ways to manage and work with this, but Paris Hilton (oops) hasn't sent any instruction on how to do this, so there goes our Chi to the shelter. Then, the dog gets blamed...

Hmmm, where have I heard this story before?

Above is a cute video with a Chi and a Pit Bull playing. This shows how any breed that has been well-socialized with good management and leadership at home, with effective and fun training classes, can set all dogs up for the best chance at success. We do know that genetics play a role, but that's another article.

- Marthina

Training and Socializing, Food for the Canine Soul

A student sent a video of the social we have sometimes after after the Sunday Leash Manners class.

We think it's a great combo to have 2-3 days a week of good, positive interactions with other appropriate dogs that have been introduced properly, along with a good training class to help teach your dog control around other dogs while leashed. This has been a very successful recipe.

Some dogs don't like other dogs, even with heavy and positive socialization throughout their lives. Usually this is very manageable with a good training class to teach your dog to focus on you and not other dogs while on leash. Some dogs like some dogs and not others. Many dogs don't like dogs of the same sex - some are ok with if the chemistry is right. Again, manageable.

All canines need slow intros, as they can sometimes be offended by rushed-up, face-to-face meetings, so first impressions are everything when two dogs meet. A good start can help send off a good relationship. Again, even with proper intros it's a no go for some and they just want to be with their people folk.

Here's a video of the class sent by Alzbeta and Nigel of their dog Abby playing with Posie, Hanna, Bella, Texas and Dexter. Hope I didn't leave anyone out. Thanks guys for sending this. Abby did great on her first date!

Dog Safety Tips

Our Pack training class

Sunday morning we had our usual training class. Then we had a play date with a couple of dogs that have played together many times. All were having fun.

Then one dog stopped playing, vomited and collapsed. After vomiting she laid down and literally would not get up. It was warmer than normal and in fact I was sweating a bit, so we thought she was overheated. There was a little wading pool so we splashed her with some water which seemed to help. We noticed her gums were extremely pale.

She started to come around a bit after splashing her with water. She was rushed to an emergency vet and was kept for several hours for observation. By the time she got to the vet she had come out of her collapse quite a bit. She's doing fine now and all back to normal. It turned out that it was most likely a bee sting or spider bite. So watch out for those buggers. Dogs don't tolerate bee stings and some bug bites very well.

The reason for this blog is the vet told us all something that we didn't know. If a dog is overheated, his gums are bright red. If he's in shock, as was this case, then the gums are pale.

Either way we were told that splashing the water on her saved the day as the water would get adrenaline going to aid in circulation for shock and if she had had heat stroke this would have cooled her off. However, I found this info empowering so immediate first aid may be more effective.

Marthina McClay, CPDT Animal Behavior College Mentor Trainer
Certified Tester/Observer for Therapy Dogs Inc.
AKC Certified CGC Evaluator

Professor Dexter on Good Manners

Dexter's Corner

"Will he ever play with other dogs?"

That's a question I get asked many times as a canine behavior counselor. Sometimes dogs just don't like other dogs. This can happen with any dog of any breed.

Some people may want their dogs to love all other dogs, but their dog may not want that. Usually this is something that can be very easily managed, unless it's really inappropriate and over-the-top aggression that is not Pit Bull or other breed-temperament correct.

Good leash manners classes really help, as do daily walks in environments on-leash that help desensitize the dog to other dogs while on leash. The dog can at least learn to have good manners around other dogs while on leash and do very well.

It is normal for dogs to vary greatly in their reactions, good or bad, to other dogs. If a dog doesn't like other dogs, this doesn't make him a bad dog at all. Usually these guys are really, really super with people.

Here at Our Pack, we see dogs as individuals, not lumped into a category. Some dogs really like other dogs. Some of these come from fight busts. Others that don't like other dogs may come from a shelter or be someone's pet. OR, dogs from fight busts can be very sensitive to other dogs. Whether from a bust or a shelter or a home, this varies. So making an assessment first is key.

Many times we see a gray area where the dog is not aggressive but not particularly skilled, either. This is true of many dogs that have come from abuse or neglect cases. They didn't get a chance to go to puppy-to-puppy "social school", and so they never learned to greet, play, interact and interpret communication signals from other dogs. This is where their environment has sort of created a malnourished soul, if you will. Genetics may influence behavior as well.

Many dogs are great at teaching these dogs the right way to communicate, in fact we're often better at it than people. It's in them to do the right thing, and a nice balanced dog is the perfect one to bring it out.

Here's Hailey after working with Jakob for a while...well, I think he did pretty well after some instruction. At first, he didn't know what the heck to do.



Hailey and Jakob were slowly introduced and set up for success. They got to know each other gradually, and we guided their interactions so the dogs were encouraged to play with each other appropriately and reinforced for that. (Click here to learn more about dog-to-dog intros.)

Note: All play sessions should be supervised with all dogs of all breeds. Remember to separate animals when you leave as well. Call a professional if you are having problems.

Professor Dexter
Expert in Dog Behavior Challenges
Shelter Volunteer
Well Loved Family Member

It's Not You, It's Me

Those of you who read this blog regularly are familiar with my efforts to help my leash reactive dog, Bear, stay calmer on walks, especially when he spots other dogs. Bear has made so much progress that I thought I would give an update in the hopes that my experience might be helpful to others who are struggling with this challenge.

Our Pack leash reactive class.

Earlier this summer, I was taking Bear to Our Pack’s Sunday leash reactivity class. I have three young dogs, and walking them all together is a challenge, especially when one or more of them is leash reactive. Bear was doing well in class, but on walks around our neighborhood he was still getting pretty spun up. He makes this funny squeal when he gets excited or nervous, which would turn to barking and lunging whenever a strange dog got too close.

So I took Bear to see Marthina for a private consultation with her Pit Bull ambassadors, Hailey and Professor Dexter. He did great there too - making me look like an overwrought, anxious owner who was blowing this all WAY out of proportion. He laughed at me all the way home.

Marthina kindly advised me to just walk Bear alone for a while, without my other dogs, to continue building his confidence.

Well, a couple of months ago, I had knee surgery and couldn’t walk my dogs at all anymore, so I hired someone to come in the mornings to exercise them. Once my knee got a little better, I took Marthina’s advice and started taking Bear out for a second, short walk around the block in the afternoons, just the two of us. Well, it’s funny, the knee surgery meant that I had to walk REALLY slowly at first, which actually helped us both to relax a lot more. I think that before, I had been prone at times to taking those grim, “Grab the leashes, stare straight ahead, you are all going to behave!” death march walks with my dogs. You know the kind, where you keep walking a little faster and a little faster, just to “technically” stay out in front of your dog? You know who you are!

Now, with my bum knee, Bear and I would just sort of amble (limp) along, stopping often to rest and sniff the rose bushes. But I also took the opportunity to continue to work on his leash skills, giving him lots of treats and positive rewards for coming back to my side. I did this every time a dog barked inside a house or behind a fence we were passing, or when a squirrel ran across the road, a cyclist went by and, of course, when we saw other dogs. I went through a LOT of treats. But in the space of a few short weeks, our walks, and Bear’s leash skills, have vastly improved. We have gotten to the point where he will walk on a very loose leash without pulling, even as we pass by other dogs. Even excited, barking dogs.

I hadn’t realized, though, how much progress we’d really made until a recent afternoon. We were walking around the block and I was daydreaming a bit, not really paying attention, when a dog in a neighbor’s yard suddenly rushed the fence and erupted in furious barking. I nearly jumped out of my skin, then

Bear in Our Pack's class.

quickly recovered, only to see Bear, standing calmly at my side, looking up at me as if to say, “Well, where’s my treat??” He reacted better than I did! Amazing. I think the combination of me relaxing and providing TRUE consistency (we go every single day, even for just ten minutes) did wonders.

Bear still has his moments, but it is just awesome to see his progress. Our little daily walks have really helped us bond. I can see his trust in me growing every day, and more importantly, I’ve learned to trust him, too.

Sometimes Training is About Doing Nothing

Sometimes the impression is made that dog training is all about getting your dog to jump through a hoop, offer a paw shake or perform an instant "sit" on command. It's easy to get caught up in the idea that, in order for it to be "training", the dog must be constantly moving around and doing something.


Of course, it is very important to train your dog to be able to live happily with you, and these behaviors can help replace behaviors you don't like. They can also be used to help your dog cope in certain situations. But sometimes, it's good training or conditioning to just do nothing.



In my work, I often encounter dogs that may be obedient, but that are not well-adjusted, balanced or happy dogs. There's a big difference to me in a dog that has been taught to sit on cue, but doesn't like being around other dogs, or even people, because they make him nervous. Other dogs are very well-adjusted, confident and love to greet people by jumping up, and simply lack training.



For example, a client came to see me about her dog, which reacts around other dogs on leashed walks. Her dog is okay with other dogs after a slow introduction (I think it is normal for dogs to go slow getting to know each other, see our article on dog intros here.), but while walking on leash, he exhibits an intense reactivity to other dogs. (For more information on leash reactivity, click here.) Her dog has been to our classes, and she has worked on distraction techniques and has made a lot of progress. But sometimes, it's best to just do nothing.


If your dog isn't even listening to your cues because he's too worked up, then it's best to just let him get comfortable IN that scenario, i.e. on leash, in the street, or on a walk with another dog. You can take the pressure OFF of your dog by letting him know he doesn't have to meet the other dog, react the "right" way around the dog, or perform some command. Just let him get used to the idea that there is a dog somewhere around and it's okay. There is NO pressure, no "you have to say hi to this other nice dog," or "you have to sit and look at me, and you can't do anything else." Many dogs, in fact, "do something else," such as sniffing the grass, in order to cope with this sort of experience.


When the pressure is off to meet and greet, or to do something else, the dog will generally relax, especially if she's a comfortable distance from the other dog. It's important to make sure that you don't push your dog too far, too fast. If your dog is comfortable a block away from another dog, let her have that. Then work in baby steps until she can comfortably be closer to the other dog. Don't push it to the point where she becomes very uncomfortable. Of course, you would still provide leadership to let her know that she doesn't have to worry, and that you have everything under control.



We work with dogs that come from abuse cases, and sometimes it's helpful to just let the dog know that, wherever he is, he's safe and all is okay. This is not so much "training" as it is "conditioning", and sometimes one is more helpful than the other, depending on the dog and the situation. In our work, we do a lot of conditioning or counter-conditioning, and letting the dog know that all is well.


-- Marthina McClay, CPDT

Our Pack Featured in New Issue of Bay Woof

The new October issue of Bay Woof includes a training article from Our Pack in the Good Dog column! The photos are from our Sunday Pit Bull training class.

Of Love and Leadership

By Marthina McClay, CPDT

There is no question that love is a wonderful thing to give our dogs, and giving it is great therapy for us humans, too. In fact, in our organization's work with rescued Pit Bulls, we have seen that, despite their false fearsome reputation, they often make excellent therapy dogs. Why? Temperamentally correct Pit Bulls have a strong love of humans; they love being touched by people, even people they don't know. They can easily tolerate the unsteady touch of a patient who has had a stroke, an elderly person using a cane or walker, or a child learning how to pet and interact with animals for the first time. In a temperamentally correct Pit Bull, the people-loving nature is already present, and the dog mostly needs to be trained in basic good manners such as sitting instead of jumping, waiting to go through doorways, and greeting people calmly.

Read the full article here.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Many dog training web sites, books and trainers seem to take a “one size fits all” approach to training and behavior counseling. In my experience, focusing on a single method or approach is limiting because the same approach doesn’t always work for all dogs. It would certainly be easier to say, “I always do this,” or “I always do that,” when it comes to training, but the reality is often more complex.

For example, I might talk in a different tone to a sassy, willful dog than I would to a dog that’s shy or fearful. If a dog lacks confidence, I might start by putting the dog in different settings using slow, baby steps, before he becomes fearful of that setting, while giving lots of positive rewards for being calm and relaxed.

For more confident dogs that tend to be “full of themselves,” more structure and leadership is often needed. For example, you dog might like to jump up on you as soon as you sit down on the couch or a chair. Instead of just letting her fly up in your face and then punishing with a verbal correction, you can ask your dog to sit first. Be sure to time the command BEFORE she jumps. Keep her at a distance from the couch or chair, wait for a bit, then invite her to come up. This adds structure in a positive way, without punishment or much correction.

This technique may or may not be effective with your particular dog. Sometimes you have to try a few different approaches before you find one that works for your particular dog. At Our Pack, we often work with shelter dogs and dogs that come from abuse cases, and sometimes we have to think outside the box or we may not be able to help them. We may need to be firmer and stricter with one dog, while another might require a more lenient approach. Whatever approach you use, it’s always better to set the dog up to behave appropriately and reward that behavior than it is to wait for the dog to do it wrong and then try to correct it.

A particular technique should be used as long as it works, increases confidence and continues to build a bond, not after it stops working or breaks the bond between the dog and his person. For example, we had a fight bust dog who came to Our Pack very shut down and worried about everything around her—people, sounds, objects, you name it. We were able to bring her around using confidence-building techniques, including a soft, reassuring voice and gradual introductions to the stimuli that made her nervous. Within a short time, she became very confident and even somewhat sassy! At that point, she needed firmer direction and more structure.

Leo, the dog who came to us from the Michael Vick case, presented a different challenge. He was initially like a bull in a china shop when it came to manners. “A couch? What’s that? You mean I can't just land in your lap at anytime? Huh?” He didn’t have a confidence problem, he had a manners problem. “Give me a kiss!” Splam!

Leo sharing his toys.

There are so many dogs out there to save and they all have different circumstances, backgrounds and experiences that have shaped their behavior. To expect each one of them to respond alike to a single training approach just doesn’t work. (Of course, we would never condone using physical pain, force or any method that creates fear in a dog, as that is just abuse.) I like to solicit the willingness of the dog to work with me.

Each of these dogs are individuals, and each has taught me so much, especially about resiliency. Dogs are truly amazing creatures, and one of the wonderful traits I see in Pit Bulls is how resilient and forgiving these dogs can be. They have given me what amounts to a college education, not only in training but in the way I look at life. If you treat your dog as an individual, and adjust your training to his or her behavior, you will both get more out of it and you’ll have a lot more fun learning from each other!

Marthina McClay, CPDT

Sometimes You Gotta Have Balls

Of course, I mean that in the proverbial sense!

Here's Rachael. She was leash reactive when she came into our program three years ago. Her fate sort of hung in a gray area.

Rachael with her balls.

We brought her into our program and she was fostered by Cynthia, who did an awesome job with her. Cynthia later adopted Rachael, and the two moved to L.A. a year and a half ago. We've missed them both so much. Cynthia has done wonderful work for Our Pack, and has helped many dogs! I can't say how much we all appreciate her for that. Here's Cynthia with Gino on the beach, making sure to socialize him with all kinds of people, children and other animals.

Cynthia with Gino on the beach.

Cynthia and Rachael decided to visit and come by the Our Pack Pit Bull Manners class. Rachael was fabulous. She was attentive to Cynthia, nicely and politely ignored the other dogs, and was confident and happy to work for her person. She was also friendly with everyone there, happy to see people and just an all-around wonderful, well-adjusted girl. I was so proud of them both, and happy for Rachael and the many of our other dogs whose lives hang in the wobbly balance of a not so black and white area. Cynthia, thank you for your work! Lovely job!

I guess you could say they both have balls!

I thought I would write this blog to count our blessings and the many reasons we do the work we do.....sometimes it's easy to forget about this part of it with all that goes on.

-- Marthina

Coming Home to a Calm Dog

When you come home to your dog is she jumping on you with excitement? Does it take a while for her to calm down?

This is not an uncommon problem. As a trainer I don’t believe, as some do, that dogs that do this in this setting are acting dominant. I actually think they are trying to give appeasement gestures such as licking your face, hence, the jumping up. They really aren’t trying to take over your life or your bank account or anything. They simply haven'nt seen you in a while and want to connect with you.

We as Pit Bull lovers know how much our dogs love human folk and want to connect as well. We are so happy to see our dogs when we get home that we tend to show a lot of excitement toward them. We greet them in a very happy and high-pitched voice. This is fine, except that it also tends to overexcite your dog. Therefore, your dog has learned to get excited about your arrival from YOU.

Dogs don’t’ react to each other the way we do after being apart for a time. We teach our dogs to be excited when we come home because we are excited. Your dog learns that this is the way she’s supposed to be when you come in the door. The remedy is to come in the door and completely ignore your dog. Don’t give attention to your dog when she is jumping and being excited. Go put your keys down. Look at your mail. Don’t give any eye contact. Don’t talk to your dog yet. Don’t stand still in front of your dog. Walk through the house somewhat briskly. If your dog jumps on you, turn and walk away in the opposite direction.

Please don’t be concerned that your dog’s feelings will be hurt. They won’t. Your dog will not think that you don’t love her. She’s not going to be thinking, “How come he’s not saying hi to me, doesn’t he love me anymore?”

When you first start to ignore this behavior in your dog, she might act more excited and jump even more. This is called an extinction burst. A behavior goes extinct or stops if it’s not reinforced. Before it goes extinct, there is a burst of that behavior. You see the catsup bottle is almost empty and you shake it to get some catsup out. Nothing comes out. So you shake it even harder and faster to see if something happens. Nothing does, and you stop. Similarly, your dog may jump more when you first begin to ignore her. If none of these things work to get your attention, she will soon calm down. When your dog has quieted down, then you can say hello. Pet her in a calm fashion so as not to get her excited again. If she does get excited when you start to pet her, just ignore her again until she’s quiet. When she’s calm, give her attention. It’s as simple as that. You may have to do this many times before this become routine for your dog. Especially if this behavior has previous been reinforced even unintentionally.

Marthina McClay, CPDT

Can my dog be a therapy dog?

By now, you are all familiar with the story of Leo, the former Michael Vick dog, as well as the other lovable Pit Bulls we’ve trained to do therapy work. We've gotten a lot of people asking us, just what does it take for a dog to become a therapy dog? Here are the answers to some of the most common questions:

What are the key traits you look for in a therapy dog?

We look for dogs that exhibit people-friendly traits. Therapy dogs like to be connected to humans, even humans with canes, wheelchairs or humans who limp walk funny and pet them in an awkward fashion. Their love of people overrides any natural reticence they may have toward all kinds of people in situations they may not have encountered before.

How did you know Leo was cut out for therapy work?
I knew Leo would be good for this for all of the above reasons. When I first saw Leo, I could see that he had been in a kennel for a while. He had no manners and he wanted to just bounce around and be a big untrained goofball. However, although he was a goof, he was also very people-connected and affectionate. He was just rude about it. So if your dog is from a shelter, or like Leo who lived in a kennel and is from an abusive past, your dog might still be a good candidate for therapy work. All dogs are individuals, so assessment of the dog, rather than their past, is key.

What are some of the things a dog has to do to pass the therapy certification test?
Key tests are designed to reveal whether or not your dog is happy to be touched by people, all kinds of people. Then he or she must tolerate – or be socialized to if needed – wheelchairs, canes, people walking around with equipment like IVs, elevators, stairs, slippery type floors, etc.

What kind of training should I focus on to start?

One of the most important things is to train your dog never to jump up on people. For instance, Leo goes to a can cer treatment facility, where patients have IVs inserted in their arms. Leo knows never to jump up or put his paw up on the patient's arm. Even if your dog is a jumper, this can be taught! If you'd seen our little caveman, Leo, when we first got him, you’d believe it. He hadn’t been taught any manners whatsoever! The Canine Good Citizen course and test is a good way to train your dog to learn basic manners.

Who certifies therapy dogs?

Therapy Dogs Incorporated. They have fair but tough testing. In the first part of the testing, there is an exam that's very similar to the Canine Good Citizen test. Then, your dog must be tested three different times, on different days, and two of those evaluations MUST be done in a medical facility.

So take your goofy love bug Pit Bull on the road and share his love of humans with people who could use a pick me up. For more information on how to train your Pit Bull to be a therapy dog, email us at info@ourpack.org.

New Training Article: Love & Leadership

There is no question that love is a wonderful thing to give our dogs, and giving it is great therapy for us humans as well. But dogs need more than love from us. In order to be balanced, healthy and happy, they need leadership.

Read about some of the key differences between Love & Leadership, and learn how you can provide a healthy balance of both to your dog.

Read the rest of the article here.

Is Your Dog Leash Reactive?

Leash reactivity is a common issue with all dogs, and is often confused with aggression. (Not sure if your dog is leash reactive? Check out our Leash Reactivity page). Leash reactivity can be reduced using positive training and socialization techniques. Check out these recent photos from our Sunday training class:

Many of these dogs came into class with no leash skills, and look at them now! You’ll see pit bulls (and other breeds, the class is becoming very popular!) learning to walk together calmly, focus on their owners and relax around other dogs. The class is run by Our Pack's certified trainers and is held outside every Sunday, where we can simulate real-world situations. Best of all, it's free for Our Pack adopters, foster families and volunteers. For more information, email info@ourpack.org.