KENNEL CLUB USA

At Kennel Club USA we are pleased to see an increase in young dogs and puppies attending daycamp, puppy kindergartens, and training. As you sit at home with your puppies, you might notice that when a book gets knocked off the shelf, or a broom falls your dog goes running for the hills. Maybe instead of crashing items, its thunderstorms, or neighbors setting off firecrackers that frighten your dog. IT is important that we consider two things when we see this behavior beginning: DESENSITIZING AND NOT COMFORTING.
The best thing we can do for our dog in regards to its reactions to sounds is to introduce them early on in a positive manner. We may get CD’s of thunderstorms and play them at a barely audible level while feeding our dogs or playing with them. When the dog seems to no longer notice the sounds, it is time to turn the volume up. The smaller the increments the better, and the less chance we take of scaring our puppy. We may also choose to go to a large field or park. Play with or feed your puppy (on-leash, or within a fence suggested) while a friend begins using pots and pans or other noise makers at the other end of the park. Only have your friend get as close as the dog can handle without showing signs of stress and fear. If your dog reacts with fear, pay it no mind, and continue the positive and fun activity (with the friend beginning at the other end of the field again.) By showing concern over fear, or by comforting, we really are telling the dog, “Yes, it is good to be afraid of such things.” By acting confidently and moving on, we show them that as a pack leader, such sounds don’t worry us. This is true with any fearful reaction whether it be sounds or not.
The sounds you may want to consider desensitizing your dogs may include stomping, clapping, popping noises (like those that children throw during July 4th), doorbells, knocks at the door or on the window, construction equipment noises, dog’s barking, motorcycles, vacuums, lawn equipment, hunting equipment (like starter pistols and increasing to actual guns) etc. We can save ourselves a lot of problems by introducing our dogs to things in this fun manner. While most dogs aren’t frightened by the doorbell, they often do become very nervous, anxious, or excited. By desensitizing to such noises we may reduce unwanted excited greetings at the door, territorial barking, or guarding. We wish you the best of luck in your puppy ownership and hope to help in providing helpful information to promote happy, healthy dogs.And remember, if you have any questions, please pull us aside and ask away…

Jonathan Brinkley

Happy Spring to everyone! Spring has officially arrived and so has our exciting new service of pet nail polishing. We are now offering nail polishing for your pampered pooch. Prices are posted at the front desk and we have many colors to choose from. This is a great add-on service or a way to celebrate holidays and special occasions. This is also a great time to have your pet’s nails trimmed. We offer nail trims on a walk-in basis and appointments. I do suggest calling ahead to make sure we can accommodate you upon your arriving here. Grooming appointments are also available Monday thru Friday and fill fast so be sure to call now! I look forward to seeing you and your pampered pooch!

I have 8 dogs in total with 2 being foster dogs and the other 6 are my own dogs. My first dog is Brock who is a 5 yr old shepherd who loves to play with female dogs especially Nella! Giesela was my second dog and she is four and loves to swim and play with everyone in daycamp she is a Panda Shepherd which is basically a pretty colored german shepherd. Kaizer is my third shepherd who is a high drive working dog that loves to swim and play fetch all day long. Sadie is my oldest she is a 10 yr old long haired dachshund that I adopted 3 yrs ago she loves just hanging on the couch but does enjoy running around with all the little dogs in daycamp and she also likes to swim! Minnie is around 1 1/2 yrs old she is very timid around new people but loves her sister Flippie and hanging out with the other dogs in daycamp. Flippie is a 10month old min pin/chi mix that I adopted because she was deemed unadoptable due to a genetic deformity in her front two legs. She is full of spunk and loves everyone she meets! Her favorite dogs in daycamp are Ditto and Ellie!

Brandy

Each year most dogs take a special visit to the vet to insure there is no presence of heartworm in their dog. Then they chose a preventative medication to insure their dog will not get this silent killer. Unfortunately, many owners are unaware that not all heartworm medications are equal. For example, Heartgard covers not only heartworm, but also roundworms and hookworms. Interceptor covers heartworm, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Iverhart Max treats heartworm, hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms. When selecting a medication that is right for your dog, consult your vet about the kinds of environments your dog will be frequenting. If that includes daycares, dog parks, and heavy dog populated areas, it would be best to choose a medication that treats and prevents more types of parasites. This becomes even more important if your dog exhibits behaviors like eating stool. Be smart, research and prevent.

Jonathan Brinkley

Selecting a breed and personality of dog can often be a daunting task. We all tend to find ourselves saying, “Oooo, that one is cute, maybe he’s the one.” Unfortunately, many people, in their lack of research, choose a dog who may not be a good match for their lifestyle and personality. Statistically speaking, over half the basic behavioral problems owners seek professional help for are due to a poor match. So how do we go about choosing the right dog for us?
It is always wise to begin our puppy or older dog pursuit with education. Luckily, most libraries and book stores have books that are extremely helpful in becoming familiar with the different breeds, their care requirements, their general breed traits, and what kind of environments each breed does best in. For example, if you tend to be a couch potato, own a small yard, and don’t get out much for socialization, a German shepherd or a sporting breed is a very poor choice, while a Toy breed may be a much better option for such a lifestyle. It may be wise to even make a list of what your goals, activities, and expectations are for the dog that you would like to have. Do you want a Frisbee dog, a lap dog, a jogging partner, a protector, etc? It also is wise to consider the environmental factors like neighborhood, farm, population of dogs in the area, zoning guidelines for fencing, etc. By doing this, we set ourselves up for realistic expectations versus a dog that really just isn’t right for us.
After educating ourselves on breeds, we must then examine the basic personalities. I break these into a few general groups: Happy-go-lucky, Shy, Fear Reactionary, Dominant minded/ aggressive, Basket Case, and Hyperactive. It may even be wise to contact a professional for advice on temperament testing. This may help give you a general picture of your dog’s natural drives, tendencies, and natural placement in a pack pecking order. A clear view of these basic traits can greatly help in deciding whether the dog would make a good match. Obviously, pushovers should avoid dominant minded dogs, and nervous people should avoid shy, reactionary, protective, or basket case mentality dogs. A fast paced dog will need a very patient, involved, and motivated owner. Temperament testing also allows us to see where the dog will need the most development and where we will need to take an active role in shaping our dog’s perspective to assist in forming a happy, healthy, friendly, well rounded, and enjoyable pet. For example, a low confidence, shy dog will need a lot of positive experiences with people, a large amount of desensitizing to loud and awkward noises, and activities that will boost their confidence. Just by doing a little research, we can avoid frustration, problems, and stress, and find the right dog for our lifestyles and needs.

Jonathan Brinkley