The Dog Blog
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE DOG PARK…
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Dog parks attended by well informed, responsible dog owners can certainly be a fun place for all. The reality is that not all dogs enjoy the dog park. Many dogs, once they have reached social maturity lose interest in interacting with...
Mat Training
Wouldn’t you just love to have a dog that settled on a mat, no matter where that mat was?
A dog’s state of mind
Dogs are constantly forming emotional associations that inform their decisions. Is it safe, unsafe, dangerous, good, bad or neutral ? This associative learning is also called classical conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning, named after Ivan Pavlov, the Russian scientist who accidentally discovered that dogs learn through association.
All animals learn through classical conditioning, all the time. Some associations can be quite helpful or simply benign. For example, if a dog enters the Ottawa Canine School for the first time and I offer him a fun toy to play with, the dog will likely associate the training school as a safe, good and fun place.
Board & Train
If you google "Board & Train", you'll find everything from compelling reasons why it's a brilliant idea to strong deterrents aimed at showing why it's a waste of your hard earned money. When you...
TRAUMA & PTSD
I'm sorting through binders and binders of notes taken at various conferences I attended in the last decade. Some of the information is now dated and some is still quite relevant. I stumble upon...
What does REACTIVE mean?
Reactivity is a behaviour and manifests itself as an overreaction to stimuli. That stimuli may be a person, another dog a specific breed or colour of dog, a noise, a movement (things with wheels!), men with beards or a combination of all of the above. This reactivity may be an inherited trait, a product of their environment or even a learned behaviour.
What did your dog get for Christmas?
Did you spoil your pets this Christmas? In our house, Santa generally leaves a little gift for Everest. Sometimes he doesn't even wrap it, but Everest doesn't mind. Each Christmas, I also go...
New Curricula ! One curriculum, two curricula
"Our Puppy Classes are built with you and your puppy in mind, using science-based methods and inspired by the latest research on puppy training." We are proud and excited to offer you a brand...
Losing a friend
It's something that I am dreading: losing my dog Everest. This picture of him running on the beach was taken this past summer. He is on the cusp of 13 and that number both makes me happy (wow! 13!...
Soundproofing
A year ago, between Christmas and New Year, the Ottawa Canine School moved into its new location. Our new location is still on St. Laurent blvd. 401 B St. Laurent, to be exact, and is literally just...
Keep your dogs safe during the howlidays
It's never too early to start thinking about preparing for a safe and happy holiday season, am I right? Especially with the beautiful blanket of snow covering the ground, some Christmas lights...
Why you should become a dog trainer
1. You love dogs. You are that person, no matter where you are: you seem to find dogs and they seem to find you. You’re an avid reader and of course have read a lot about your canine friends. But...
Trick or treat!
Treat [/trēt/ Noun: Something that gives great pleasure. An act of providing something for somebody else at one’s own expense] When you think of the word treat, what comes to mind? A nice Belgian...
BARKING BARISTA COFFEE COMPANY IS IN THE HOUSE!
At the Ottawa Canine School, WE LOVE DOGS and WE LOVE COFFEE! Not just any coffee, but freshly roasted coffee from beans that are organic and have been traded fairly. Barking Barista coffee is just...
Turn your dog into a CHEW-A-HOLIC
Dogs have a biological need to chew. Even though chewing is normal and healthy, it can still be a regular problem—for you and your furniture. Whether your dog is a puppy or a newly adopted grown...
Why I left my six-figure job
[heading title="Why I walked away from a six-figure job." heading_style="h1" ] by Chantal Mills In 2003 I was a High School Guidance Counsellor. It was what I'd aspired to become when I started my...
Happy Howlidays
From everyone at the Ottawa Canine School, We wish you and yours a very happy holidays! May you enjoy some extra cuddle time with your animals, extra long walks with your canine friend and a few...
We are moving!!
In 2010, when we were first setting up the current location of the Ottawa Canine School, my son was 7 months old. We’d set up the Jolly Jumper in the middle of the room while we worked away....
If you still believe in ALPHA, you should watch this…
Dr. David Mech says he is to blame for the term ALPHA being used incorrectly today. In 1970, he wrote a book in which he'd labelled the "top wolf" as Alpha. In the many years since then, all 47 of...
Lost dog! Now what?
My dog Everest is now 11 years old and has a few adventures under his belt. He has a history of escaping. Scratch that. Everest, like any warm blooded dog, has been known to take advantage of...
Nutrition or Marketing? Don’t be fooled
As I was perusing the "New Movies Added" section, I came across a movie called PET FOOleD. I have not watched it (yet), but based on the title & the trailer, I can safely assert that it is about...
Preparing for baby
CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are expecting. Your life is about the change, baby. And for your dog ? Well, a lot is going to change too! The toys won't all be his anymore. The noises will be odd and what...
The LINK between Domestic Violence & Animal Abuse
It will come as no surprise to you, I'm sure, that there is a link between animal abuse and domestic violence. According to the Alberta SPCA, decision-making regarding leaving an abusive situation...
Coprophagia… when poop is a delicacy
According to Wikipedia, Coprophagia is the consumption of feces. Coprophagy refers to many kinds of feces eating, including eating feces of other species (heterospecifics), of other individuals...
Barking Barista and the OCS
If you have been to the Ottawa Canine School (421 St. Laurent blvd), you may have seen Barking Barista Coffee on the shelves. Barking Barista is co-owned by Matthew Ellis and Chantal Mills, husband...
Giving cookies to dogs doesn’t work, right?
When I was a so-called traditional trainer, when I first started training dogs, I really did not understand how using food in training could be as effective as what I was doing. I'll be frank - I...
The Dog, The Gorilla, and the Gun
Here's a good article that has some interesting things to say about the recent incident involving a child at a zoo: https://thecognitivecanine.com/2016/06/01/the-dog-the-gorilla-and-the-gun/
What Does a “Force-Free” Trainer Do Anyway?
Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m a firm believer in humane and respectful training. You won’t see me giving the leash a good “pop” to get a dog’s attention, nor will you hear me tell folks that they...
What Every Pet Owner Needs To Know About Dog Trainers
Here's a great little list entitled 'What Every Pet Owner Needs to Know About Dog Trainers' I really like #10 - "Just because dog training is an unregulated industry doesn’t mean that some of us are...
Stop, look and listen!
Sharing a blog post that I found most interesting. What if your dog runs out into traffic? http://eileenanddogs.com/2013/05/06/what-if-your-dog-runs-out-into-traffic/
Why do dogs hump?
Our latest YouTube video, in case you missed it! Sign up and send us your questions - we would love to help. https://youtu.be/56bt52FQFJk