Weekly Awards

This was a fun week! The dogs were all very cooperative and photogenic this week, and it was a lot of fun to look back through and pick out the best shots. Hope you all enjoy!

Best Moment Captured - Miss Kitty

Cutest While Slacking Off - Olive (picture by Amy)

Best Double Take - Auzzy (back) & Sterling (front)

Class Couple - Sam & Annie (picture by Megan)

Best Smile - Teddy (picture by Megan)

Coolest Dog Selfie You Will Ever See - Sterling

Canine Body Language 101: The Submissive Smile

What is your first thought when you see this picture? 

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Now, stop and look at it for a minute. Notice how his ears are drooped and relaxed, eyes are round, and his posture is relaxed into his owners arms. This dog isn't being aggressive, he's showing the submissive smile!

It's easy to tell when a dog is happy: ears up, tail wagging, relaxed pose, and possibly lots of wet, slobbery kisses. You wouldn't think you could confuse a happy dog with an aggressive dog, right? However, one signal that most probably aren't familiar with is called the 'submissive smile'. The display could easily be mistaken for aggression, if you're not familiar with the signs.  I myself had never heard of this until just a few days ago!

The submissive smile is one way a dog will display that it means no harm, and that it is showing deference to a person, or more dominant dog. You could relate it to the E.T. movie line of "I come in peace."

Some tell-tale signs you can look for include:

• raised paw
• laid back ears
• lips pulled back loosely above the teeth
• eyes glancing off to the side
• relaxed posture

(The smile can also be done in an overly-exaggerated, excited motion.)

Watch this video of Denver, the guilty dog, and watch out at 1:18 to see his submissive smile!

Breed Profile - Bernese Mountain Dog

I know you all have been loving the pictures of Ziva on facebook. Isn't she a cutie?

She is a 5 month old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, although she definitely has an old soul.

The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of the four varieties of Swiss Mountain Dogs. Nicknamed Berners, they were originally bred as working farm dogs because of their strength and calm, even temperaments.

Berners require consistent obedience training, and need a decent amount of exercise. Because of their long hair and double coat, they require weekly brushing and will leave hair all over the house. Males can weight between 80 and 110 pounds, with females just slightly smaller.

They make wonderful family dogs and are great with children, but would be much happier in a house with a large backyard than in an apartment.

I can't speak for all Bernese Mountain Dog puppies, but Ziva at least is quite well-behaved. We joke around and say "Ziva, you're a puppy! Act like a puppy!" She loves to be crazy for a few minutes and then sits demurely by the side of the playgroup, watching the craziness unfold around her.

And of course, she LOVES to be outside. Even in this winter's unusual cold, we still have to grab her collar and lead her back inside.

Canine Body Language 101: Why Do We Bother?

A successful relationship between you and your canine is based on the promise of a mutual understanding. Your dog promises to love you unconditionally, and in return, you promise to protect him and give him a happy life.

So, how exactly do we follow through with our promise?

As a dog lover and owner, you know that dogs are very expressive animals. They can express happiness, fear, anxiety, dominance, playfulness, sadness and more, just with a flick of the tail or the position of their ears. Not knowing how to read those signals correctly can greatly affect the relationship between the two of you.  One of our focuses here at Pet U is to educate both our staff and our clients on canine body language.

Why do we bother?

It’s cold outside, but my dog is still panting. Why?

How do you distinguish an alert, playful dog from one who is about to attack?

What are the signs of a stressed, anxious dog?

What signals tell you that the puppy is about to poop inside?

How can you tell when safe play starts to escalate?

When is it okay to pet that stranger’s dog on the sidewalk?

All of our employees at Pet U learn to recognize signs like these quickly, so as to safely manage our playgroups. We teach them how to prevent conflicts before they start, when to break up play, and how to redirect excessive energy. Pet U employees are able to prevent any possible issues quickly and effectively. Our trainers have rehabilitated dozens of fearful, unsocialized dogs just by recognizing their body language and showing them how to overcome their anxiety.

Over the next few months on this blog, we’ll go over the many different body signals and cues that you can look for. Consider this a mini-course in talking dog. You’ve always wanted to know what they’re thinking right?

Stay tuned!

Weekly Awards are Back!

Weekly Awards are baaaaaack! I gotta say, I actually missed doing these while I was away on vacation. I hope you all enjoy this series as much as I do!

Best Nana-nana-na-na Face - Bella

Most In Need of a Pair of Sunglasses - Peanut

3 Peas in a Pod - Broc, Oz, Urshula

Best Surprised Face - Charlie

Best 'Pretty Please?' Face - Oz

Class Couple - Auzzy & Buddy

December's Dog of the Month: Sir

December's Dog of the Month award goes to Sir! He is a German Shepherd Dog, and although relatively new to the group, has made quite a home for himself at Pet U! We love him for his dorky personality, and good-natured attitude.

He gets a little skip in his step when gets excited, and it never fails to make us laugh!

He gets along great with both large dogs and small dogs, and even prefers the little dogs on days when he comes in a little grumpy.

We love you Sir!

Visit Pet U at the Great Lakes Pet Expo!

Looking for something unique and exciting to fill your Saturday?

Want the chance to cuddle with adorable puppies and learn a few training tips?

Or maybe your more interested

Then come visit us at the Great Lakes Pet Expo!

We will have a double booth right on a corner, and will be giving away free gift bags + sample bags of Fromm food. We will be having our own mini-demonstrations featuring our training techniques as well.

This year is their 10th anniversary, and will take place Saturday, February 1st from 10-5pm. The Great Lakes Pet Expo is a full day dedicated to everything dog, with main stage exhibitions featuring dog herding, agility trials, police dogs, dancing dogs, and more.  They also offer Speed Dating: Meet Your Soul Mutt, which lets you meet adoptable dogs in 5-minute sessions. There are hundreds of adoptable dogs just waiting for you!

If that's not enough for you, there's an interactive reptile exhibit with over 50 different species, as well as a Birds of Prey exhibition!

On the main exhibition stage you can catch acts that have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jay Leno and The Tonight Show, to name a few.

Intrigued yet?

Visit their website at http://www.petexpomilwaukee.com/ to see a list of vendors and watch a short video of highlights from the past years.

Children 12 and under are FREE, and regular admission is $6 per person, plus $5 for parking.

We'll see you there!

Weekly Awards

Weekly Award time is here! Sorry that it is a little bit lacking this week. What with us being closed for the holidays and then I had the good fortune of getting sick, I haven't been in to work as much as I would have liked this week.

I also need to apologize in advance for letting this blog go over the next 2 weeks. I will be on vacation, and don't have enough space in my bag to pack my computer...bad excuse, I know.

In the mean time though, I encourage you to look back over some of the older articles, pick your favorite, and share it with a friend! Our New Year's Resolution is to bring in every new customer possible, and many of them come from YOUR referrals! What better way to introduce them to Pet U than to send them over to our blog and website?

Now I'm done talking. On to the cute pictures!

Most Expressive - Archie (Photo by Amy)

Best "Come Cuddle With Me!" Face - Olivia

Best Smiles - Panda & Sir

Class Couple - Murphy & Bodie

December's New Students

We gained a lot of new students this month! 

They've had fun making new friends, and all already act like they've been coming here for years!

Chazz (tan) & Dee (black) - Puggles

Bodie - Coonhound Mix

Oliver - Shepherd/Collie Mix

Sir - German Shepherd Dog

Oz - German Shepherd Dog

Trigger - German Shorthaired Pointer

Ivy - Terrier/Shepherd Mix

Tigger - Doberman Pinscher/Shepherd Mix

Kara - Siberian Husky

Rosie - Terrier Mix