The Collared Scholar offers dog training and behavior modification services in San Diego County. Check back regularly to learn about upcoming events, read our clients' stories, learn about training tips and much more!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
It's time to get yourself and your pooch fit for summer!
The Collared Scholar is VERY proud to announce the start of an awesome new partnership! Our trainers will be partnering with Leash your Fitness, a company that offers fitness classes for dogs and their owners. Classes are taught by certified personal trainers and accommodate all fitness levels.
Next THURSDAY, APRIL 29th at 6pm, Leash your Fitness is bringing it's Bonding with BootCamp series to Poway! Each class starts with a warm-up and is followed by intervals that consist of two minutes of cardio and one minute of either balance, core, yoga or strength. There are approximately 16 intervals in each class. Your dog is your partner during the entire class, and dog obedience is incorporated in all the exercises. The Collared Scholar will have trainers on hand to help with any issues you are having!
The class will be held at Garden Road Park located at 14901 Garden Road, Poway 92064. Visit Leash your Fitness to Register!
We recently captured some great new photos of our canine clients. Check out our gallery at http://www.flickr.com/photos/collaredscholar . Remember to check back frequently as we post new pictures regularly. I am hoping to catch a few more of our new doggy houseguests that have yet to be featured today so check back tomorrow for Zorro, Larry, and Sophie's camios.
And last, now that summer is upon us, and the sun stays out much later, the trainers of The Collared Scholar are considering bringing back our seminar series. Seminars last about 1-2 hours and cover specific topics such as "Teaching a Reliable Recall" or "How to better communicate with your dog". Our summer seminar series will kick off in late May or early June so check back regularly for updates!
Our days here at the ranch have been jam packed so I apologize for the delay in getting this update out.
Over the past few months, we have met some amazing doggies. First, let me introduce Allegro and Symphony. Allegro is a ridiculously goofy bull terrier that likes to head butt and body slam other doggies (and people!) in play. He is hilarious to watch in action. His more refined sis, Symphony is a stunning Am Staff that spends most of her days napping or getting pets. This duo has moved in and become part of the family for the next 8 months while their mom attends culinary school in France!
We also had the pleasure of working with two adorable smaller dogs in our in kennel training program. Beau joined us for some fear aggression issues he was having. He is an adorable young cockapoo and he made amazing progress in our bootcamp, learning to accept people and dogs of all shapes and sizes. Sabina is a gorgeous Shi Tzu who joined us for help with some housebreaking issues. Both doggies were awesome students and you will see each of them hanging out at the ranch for daycare or at agility classes!
New to the in kennel program is Sophie, an airedale with a past who came to us for some aggression issues she had been having towards her owners. Sophie had a rough start at life and was rescued after her prior owner severely neglected her. She had internal bleeding from a bad whip worm infection that had gone untreated for quite sometime. But now Sophie is living it up with her awesome owners and she is here at The Collared Scholar to deal with some past life issues she is still left with.
Another new student we'd like to introduce is Zorro. Zorro is a stunningly handsome Great Pyrenees weighing in at a whopping 120lbs! Zorro is a sweet natured boy but he has some fear issues that have lead to some pretty serious aggression with strangers. But don't fear Zorro! The Collared Scholar is here to help! Zorro has already made great progress in less than a week and we expect a full recovery very soon!
And we can't forget Stella, the South African Boerboel puppy that joined us for some training to get her prepped to be a therapy dog. Stella is only 6 months old and she already weighs 80lbs! She is gorgeous, sweet and incredibly smart. She will make an EXCELLENT therapy dog as she grows up!
There is also some very exciting news we'd like to share with you! The kennel building out back is back under construction! The contractors have been working the last few weeks to get the building ready for some canine guests! We expect completion very soon and are excited for the expansion of our facility! We will be hosting a Summer Kickoff Barbeque within the next month or so to get the summer season started on the right paw and to celebrate the opening of our state of the art kennel facility!
And last, but not least, some sad news from The Collared Scholar. We'd like to wish Lando, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever a speedy journey over the Rainbow Bridge. Lando passed away from a terrible accident at the dog park. He picked up and proceeded to swallow a tennis ball whole. He choked and his owner was unable to dislodge the tennis ball. Lando didn't make it to the vet in time. This should serve as a grim warning to all of you who have dogs who like to play with tennis balls. Please be careful as these toys can be dangerous. Godspeed Lando. We love you. Your brilliant personality, goofy water obsession and overall sweet nature is already greatly missed. You will not be forgotten.
Amazing! Joey and Jameson come to BootCamp for Basic Obedience!
Joey, a 5 year old Chocolate lab who I have known since he was a baby puppy, just got a new little brother. Jameson is a rambunctious and GIANT yellow lab puppy. I'd guess him to weigh in at about 80lbs and he's still growing! He's a rescue and he had bounced between homes for a while, no doubt due to his puppy craziness coupled with his monstrous size. Together, the boys joined us for In Kennel training, to learn basic obedience and manners. They were a TON of fun to have around and the ranch is a much quieter place without them.
Check out their video after a few short weeks with our trainers. They are amazing!
Check out The Collared Scholar's New Photo Album on Flickr!
When we aren't training dogs, we have been busy taking pics of our daycare, training and boarding clients. Check out our new photo album on Flickr. Flickr users, register and add us as a contact so you can get updates when we post new pics (which should be regularly!)
Also, we will be putting out a "Dogs of The Collared Scholar" calendar featuring all of YOUR doggies. Calendars will be available for purchase from your favorite Collared Scholar trainer and proceeds will go to benefit a local rescue group.
Check out our pics below OR Click HERE to be taken directly to our Flickr page.
For those of you who attend group classes at the ranch, you have surely met our awesome, old lady basset hound Gordy (aka G. Marie....aka Gordita Juanita the Latin Temptress). Gordy was a 14 year old spunky basset hound who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Unfortunately, her little life was cut short this morning, as she passed away in her daddy's arms from the cancer she had so valiantly fought for the past 3 years.
Gordy came in our lives in 2006, when we pulled her from the shelter at 10 years old. She was abandoned their by her "owner" after he had used her repeatedly to produce basset hound puppies that he no doubtedly sold to make a quick buck. She was overweight, stinky and her nails curled all the way around and punctured the pads of her feet. She an open sore on her back end and severe arthritis. The shelter told us that given her medical condition, they had deemed her unadoptable and had planned to euthanize her. We weren't about to let that happen. We immediately pulled her from the shelter and although we already had a house full, I decided to take her home.
When we got her home and got her cleaned up, it quickly became apparent that she suffered from a terrible case of pneumonia. She was hospitalized for quite some time and for a while, we weren't sure she was going to make it. But, after knowing her for the past 3.5 years, it became increasinlgy apparent that she was a stubborn fighter who wouldn't let something like pneumonia slow her down!
She beat the odds and recovered from her pneumonia. It was now time for her spay. When we went into the vet for the eval, he let us know that she had several mammary tumors he was concerned about. We had them biopsied and the news was grim - it was cancer - and not just any cancer, but an extremely aggressive form that they believed would cut her life short. We were devastated - it was amazing how attached we had become in a few short months. We opted for a radical mastectomy to remove the cancer she currently had and hopefully buy her some time. The surgeon was not optimistic. Although she was able to get clean margins on the tumors, given the type of cancer she had, they believed she'd relapse in 6-8 months and they recommended a second surgery and chemotherapy to buy her some extra time. We respectfully declined. Her recovery from her first surgery, where they practically removed her entire stomach, was rough and we couldn't see putting her through that kind of pain again. We switched her to a holistic diet and decided to enjoy what time we had left.
Her surgery was just over 3 years ago. Since then, we learned just what a fighter little Gordy was. She was pushy, demanding and knew how to get her way - and we loved her because of it (not despite it). She could regularly be found ripping treats out of your pocket or growling to get you to pet her. At times, she would growl so loud, it would make her sneeze and ultimately, send us into fits of laughter. She was never trained and got her way by barking, growling, biting and forcing her way through doorways when you weren't looking. Just what you'd expect from a dog trainer's dog! But she was old and fiesty and we loved that about her.
This past weekend, we could tell the cancer came back. She began rapid, shallow breathing and seemed a bit reluctant to get up and trot around the yard. She wasn't breaking into the training field to steal the treats we were using for training as often as she had used to so we knew something was up. Yesterday, our worst fears were confirmed as Gordy, our half pig half basset hound declined her dinner and wouldn't take treats. This was unheard of for her. I took her in bed with me last night and we tucked her under the electric blanket for warmth. Her breathing was labored and her heart rate had sky rocketed. We knew it wasn't long but wanted to give her the peace of dying in her own home - a home she no doubt longed for most of her life. This morning, we let her outisde and she layed in the sun. Things were looking grim. She stuck around long enough for her Auntie Christine to say a tearful goodbye. After what seemed like an eternity of her laying in the sun, panting and barely able to lift her little head, we decided it was time to intervene with humane euthanasia. Rob went to the yard, scooped her up to carry her inside so we could make that dreaded final vet visit and within a few quick seconds, her little body went limp and she peacefully slipped out of this world to join her brother Koby in heaven.
Gordy passed away this morning in her daddy's arms. Although she only graced our lives for a short time, looking back I can't imagine life without her. She was one of the best friends I have ever had and we will miss her every day. It's amazing to me how someone could just throw away a little soul like Gordy's. But her prior owner's carelessness was ultimately our gift and we will always be grateful for the time we had with her. Give 'em hell up their Gordy. And give your brother a big sloppy kiss from his mama and daddy....
Join The Collared Scholar at the 1st Annual Mermaid Run 2/13/2010
The trainers of The Collared Scholar have been asked to appear at the upcoming Mermaid Run, 2/13/2010 at Fiesta Island. Our trainers will be on hand answering dog training and dog related questions while promoting awareness for heart disease and the Heart Truth. Here's some info on the event:
"Join us at Mission Bay in San Diego for a fun 5/10k run. February is Heart Health month and you can join hundreds of women as we raise awareness for heart disease an The Heart Truth campaign. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Heart Truth and participants can make an additional donation via the Mermaid website. Run participants receive a stylish race t-shirt and finisher necklace." Click HERE to visit their website and register!
For those of you who attend group classes at the ranch, you have surely met our awesome, old lady basset hound Gordy (aka G. Marie....aka Gordita Juanita the Latin Temptress). Gordy was a 14 year old spunky basset hound who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Unfortunately, her little life was cut short this morning, as she passed away in her daddy's arms from the cancer she had so valiantly fought for the past 3 years.
