Weekly Awards

We have a double feature this week! I missed posting last week's awards, but I wouldn't want you to miss out on your favorite weekly post :)

The Happiest Dog Ever - Hailey

Mirror Image - Ginger & Raider

Most Artistic Pose - Cooter

Best Dog Handlers Around!

Class Couple - Piper & Roscoe

Most Impressive - Lady and her enormous mouth

Most Unusual Eyes - Grizzley

Best Buddies - Bubba & Poochfessor Shayla

Most Artistic - Molly (Photo by Nate)

Cutest Close-up - Chloey

4th of July Parade

We have had a LOT of interest in our 4th of July float this year. We already have 13 dogs joining in the parade, and have room for many more. For the sake of organization, we ask that anyone wishing to participate signs up with your email address at the business. Early next week we will send out an email with the exact time and location.

For those of you who haven't signed up with us but are interested, here is how the day went last year. Everyone at the parade absolutely loved us and our dogs, and the dogs were in heaven with all the attention. We gave out candy and business cards, and lots of candy ourselves! After the parade was over we all grabbed our free ice cream and relaxed in the park.
Not only was it fun, but it was also a great training experience for the dogs!

We will be designing a float this year as well, to pull behind our Pet U van.

Don't miss out, stop in and sign up today!

Puppies at Work 4: The Finished Product

This post is the last in the Protection Work series, and we’ve covered all the basics from two month old puppies all the way to amateur protection dogs in-training. If you haven’t been following the series I recommend that you go back and read the first 3 articles HERE.

Now that you’re all caught up, it’s time for the fun part: watching people get bit.

Alline Globule, nicknamed Allie, was Dennis’s award-winning German Shepherd Dog. She was raised and trained in Germany, and is featured on several websites. The Trzcinski family bought her when she was several years old, and she quickly fit herself into their family. They described her as great with their kids and other dogs, cuddly, but always alert to any danger.  She raised multiple litters, with many of the puppies showing as much bitework potential as she had. Unfortunately, she became ill and passed away in early 2014, much to everyone's shock. We will always miss her, but she left behind a great legacy!

Those of us that worked at Pet U were lucky enough to catch Dennis training with Allie. It was incredible to see the amount of excitement she had for her work, along with her immediate response to Dennis’s commands. Her tail never stopped wagging, but she sounded truly vicious while she barked. Fully trained protection dogs like Allie are able to turn their work drive on and off in a split second. They are lovable, friendly, goofy and calm but if they sense a threat they wouldn't hesitate to give their life for their family.

While a protection dog's bite is important, more important than the attack aspect of training is the bond that is built and the obedience training that is done. The dog with the strongest, fiercest bite isn't worth a dime if their obedience work isn't up to par.

As with most working German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs), Allie was trained in German. She responded to 3 separate commands for heel: fuss (left heel), heel (in between the legs), and enohey (right heel, spelling is incorrect). She knew sitz (sit), platz (down), bleib (stay), hiere (come), aus (drop it) and more.

Upon Dennis’s command, Allie would sit and bark ferociously at an attacker, and then after a separate command, she would race and bite the attacker. After biting she only released her hold when Dennis told her to, even if the attacker fell down, and tried his hardest to throw her off. Protection dogs are trained to not release the attacker no matter what, until the release command is given by their trainer. The entire attack sequence is very carefully planned out, and designed to instill maximum fear.

Video: In the beginning Allie shows off her obedience training with heeling practice. Each time Dennis says fuss he is asking her to heel on his left side, and once he says 'heel' she is supposed to stay between his legs. At the end of the video Dennis releases her and gives her the bite command. The stick that the decoy uses is designed to make a lot of noise and movement, but it never actually touches Allie. Notice how her tail never stops wagging, and that she keeps up her energy and excitement the whole time!

Alline was the real deal; she was a lovable family pet, as well as a powerhouse protection dog, and we all miss her. Several of her puppies have shown great potential, and will be shown at this year's Service Dogs of America trials this July. Broc has been training since he was two months old, and will turn two years old this August. Pepper is 1 1/2 years old, and has been training for the last year. They were featured in the last post, focusing on their different stages in training.

If this type of training interests you at all, please stop out and visit us at the Service Dogs of America trials, held July 5, 2014 from 9am - 5pm.  The trials will take place just south of Milwaukee, at 3002 4 Mile Rd, Racine, WI 53404.

What to Expect While Your Dog is Boarding

All new boarding clients will get this print-out to take home with them, but for many of our long-time clients this can be a great refresher as well!

Boarding your dog can be an adventure in its own right, so here is a brief rundown of what to expect so you can keep yourself sane and your pup happy during his own mini-vacation.

Before you board:

• For new clients, we recommend bringing your dog to daycare at least once before he starts boarding. Your dog gets a chance to meet the Poochfessors, sniff around the building, make some great friends, and is then reassured when you pick him up at the end of the day. Then, when he comes back to board he will feel right at home and ready to play!

When you drop him off:

• Pack an overnight bag for him - pre-bag enough food for his whole stay, and feel free to include bones, treats or toys as well. (A great treat for his first night can be a kong filled with peanut butter.) Include his bed, blanket or anything he sleeps with at home (but be warned that it might get peed on or ripped up, so don't send anything with sentimental value or that cost you a fortune.)
• Please label your dog's belongings - especially towels, blankets or food buckets.

• We will have you pay your balance up front when you drop your dog off. That way at the end of your trip the only thing you need to worry about is how many kisses your dog is going to give you.

• Like us on Facebook so you can see pictures of all the new friends he makes during his stay.

• Be mindful that your dog will be playing up a storm while he is here. Our playgroups allow full access to outside at all times, and we keep the dogs busy! During the summer we have pools and in the winter they love rolling in the snow, so they might be a little dirty by the end of their stay. Simply let us know if you would like to add on a bath, so that your dog will go home smelling fresh and clean and ready for a good cuddle session!

When you pick him up:

• Your dog will be playing up a storm with other dogs as well. Keep in mind that dogs do play with their teeth and nails, and while we are always on the look-out for inappropriate play styles, the occasional scratch can happen. It's just like when your toddler takes a tumble on the playground - it's nothing serious, sometimes they just have a little too much fun! We will always notify you of any scratches your dog received while boarding with us.

• Please don't be alarmed if your dog drinks more than normal or has a large appetite when he gets home. For many dogs, boarding can be a stressful experience, especially if it is their first time. Dogs can show stress by not eating or drinking, although there is always be plenty of food and water available.

Now that you know what to expect while your dog is with us, you can rest easy and enjoy vacation and know that your pup is doing the same! Feel free to give us a call to check in while you're gone as well!

Weekly Awards

Best Expressions - Cleopatra's sneeze (left) & Napoleon's cheesy smile (right)

The Fiercesome Foursome - Jake, Toeby, Luca & Auggie (front to back)

Best Bobblehead Impersonation - Tess

Least Sneaky Pickpocketer - June Bug

Cutest Cuddle Buddies - Nate & Chazz

Besties - Kal-el & Piper

The Right Way to Use Treats

We love incorporating treats into our day here at Pet U. They are effective training incentives both with our training clients as well as with our daycare dogs. We can quickly and easily calm down a large group of dogs just by waving the hot dog container around, and our dogs brought here for training actually look forward to working with us! We've answered questions about this technique ranging from "But won't my dog get fat?" to, "Will he learn to only work for food?" and even, "I want my dog to work because he respects me, not because he wants a treat."

If you are using treats correctly, there is no risk of weight gain, and your beloved pup will respond to commands quickly and happily (both because he loves and respects you and because he might get a treat.) If you are concerned about the weight factor, we recommend feeding your dog a little bit less dry food to balance it out. Even us humans need incentives to work once in a while as well; the boss offered to throw an office party if everyone meets their monthly quota? I'm on it! It's the same deal for dogs - knowing that they might get a reward at any point for their good behavior keeps them going strong!

So now that you understand why we use treats, here are a couple of pointers for how to use them to your maximum benefit:

You know that training your dog is a continuous process, right? That it's not just the few minutes that you decide to actively train with your dog, but that it's happening all day every day? Every action that your dog does, or doesn't do, can be used as teachable moment. Therefore, every response that we give to our dog's actions is enforcing their behavior, right OR wrong.

Take a second and think about how, and when, you give your dog treats. I've been guilty more than once of giving my dog a bone to gnaw on, just to calm him down. From my dog's perspective, that's me saying "Good boy! Great job racing around the house and jumping on furniture when I've got friends over. I'm going to reward you for that wonderful behavior!" Not quite what I was going for.

So, rather than calling them 'treats', try referring to them as 'rewards' instead. Then, the next time you want to give your dog his 'reward' make sure that he has earned it. The problem with handing out treats any old time is that it decreases the value of the treats in your dog's mind. Why should he work for it if he knows you will just give them away for free later on? Here are some behaviors that would earn a reward, and make sure to only reward the behavior that you want to keep.

1. Run your pup through several commands - sit, down, stay, shake, roll over, etc. The idea is to make him work for his reward.
2. Practice having him take treats nicely - have him sit and offer out a treat. If he lunches or snaps for it, pull your hand back. Choose a command such as 'gentle' or 'wait', and try again. Only give him the treat when he waits nicely for you to give it to him.
3. If you are talking with a friend, or have him out and about with you, reward him for sitting or laying quietly at your feet.
4. Have him sit and stay before you open a door. Make sure YOU exit through the door, and he follows you.
5. Use rewards to enforce being in a desired location, such as his bed or his crate. This can also be useful for keeping him off the couch, or teaching him to stay in one spot in the car instead of having free reign. For this, you will give all of his rewards only when he is in the desired location for a few days, until he is happily going there himself.
6. Work on confidence building. Use treats to lure him into a kiddie pool, up the stairs, or through a small opening.

But remember, not every good action needs or deserves a food reward. Head pats, belly rubs, and toys are all great rewards as well! Intermingle the tasty treats in with lots of good, old-fashioned attention to keep his excitement level up; otherwise he might get full too quickly, or get tired of the treats.

Weekly Awards

Best Selfia - Mia

"Just a little big wider....!" - Oscar

Best Close-up - Jake

Most Intense Game of Tug-o'-war - Finn, Oscar, Luca & Ruby

Opposites Attract! - Marley getting a tan (left) & Roscoe staying cool

Best Action Shot - Bear & Sydney

The Pair Who Would Make the Cutest Puppies - Coach & Ruby

Pet U Summer Events

So you already know that Pet U is having it's 2nd birthday coming up in just a few weeks, on June 25th. We couldn't be more excited, and we have lots of festivities planned for the big day. We will be staffed to the nines, and are hoping that all of our favorite pups and their owners will join us for our big day! Just give us a call and let us know you'd like to add Wednesday June 25th to their schedule, and make some room in your own schedule for a slice of cake! :)

We'll be passing out doggie cake to all of the dogs during lunch, and will also be offering a bath special to give your pup the full birthday experience. Stay tuned for more details!

As for the rest of the summer, we have events almost every weekend until mid-July.

Sunday June 8th - Join us at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in South Milwaukee for Barks at St. Mark's Dog Blessing. Mass will be held outside starting at 9am. Any social, friendly and well-mannered dog who likes people and other dogs are welcome! After Mass there will be a free picnic, silent auction, and pet-friendly organizations available with information. We will have several staff members there as well with free goodie bags! Click HERE for more information.

Saturday June 21st - We will be running a booth at "An Affair for Animals", a Pet Expo put on by Lakeland Animal Shelter. It will be held at the Walworth County Fair Grounds at 411 East Court St. in Elkhorn. The expo runs from 10am - 4pm, and includes free parking and admission. There will be games, face painting and bouncy houses set up to entertain the little ones, as well as swimming pools and agility, lure and obstacle courses for the dog. Click HERE for more information.

Wednesday June 25h - Awesome, gigantic birthday bash held at Pet U.

Friday July 4th - We will have a float in the Oak Creek 4th of July parade! Exact time and meeting location are TBA, but it will be around 8:30am the morning of the 4th near the Oak Creek High School. We will have a truck and a trailer all decked out with Pet U decorations, and are looking for some awesome volunteers to walk with us and promote our business. We have a sign up sheet at the front desk, so stop in and sign up today!

Friday July 4th - Saturday July 5th - Pet U is excited and proud to host this year's Service Dogs of America trials. Due to space requirements the event will not be held at Pet U, instead drive on down to 3002 4 Mile Dr, Racine, WI 53404, just 20 minutes south of Milwaukee. There will be people coming from as far away as California, Texas and Florida to come to the trials, so make sure you don't miss out either! Click here to visit the Service Dogs of America website, and watch the video below to see a small part of the day's events. (If you look closely, you can see Dennis as a judge in the background!)

If you are new to the world of protection and police dog training (as most of us are!) this video can look a bit scary. You can tell just by seeing the dog's tail wag how much they enjoy their work! Click HERE to learn how these incredible dogs are trained, and then come out to join us at the SDA Trials!

Feel free to call us at 414-766-1100 if you have any questions about the events listed, and make sure to stay tuned for upcoming events later in the summer.

May's Dog of the Month - Auggie

This guy has only been coming to us for two months, and he has done a night and day transformation. He was shy and nervous when he first started; his mom had to drag him through the door and he only reluctantly let us take him in back to the playgroup. 

By the third time they came, his mom happily remarked that his tail had wagged when he walked through the door. By the second week he was happily exploring and making small attempts to play. Now, by the second month, he drags his mom through the door and impatiently waits for us to let him into the group. He is one of the "popular kids", plays with everyone, and never has a bad day here. He is famous for his "antennae ears" and happy-go-lucky attitude. Keep it up, Auggie!

Oak Creek 4th of July Parade

For those of you who have been with us for a while, you might remember seeing us at last year's Oak Creek 4th of July parade.

 

We are excited to announce that we are doing it again! We will have a sign up sheet at the front desk soon, and would love to see any and all of us you come walk with us! The dogs have a blast, and the public absolutely loves seeing us out and about. We will have more information available soon, so stay tuned.