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.

A tribute to Gordy

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....

For our doggies in heaven:

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!

Hope to see you there!

New Working Dog Programs at The Collared Scholar!

We are proud to announce the launch of our newest dog training programs designed specifically for working dogs.

DOGS with DRIVE is a new "focus group" designed specifically for working dogs and dogs with drive who have foundation obedience but need some work on emotional control. In this class, we will teach drivey dogs to behave in high distraction settings and help build and focus their drive into more positive obedience behaviors. Class meets Sunday afternoons in Poway. Instructor approval required for participation.

PERSONAL PROTECTION TRAINING and PROTECTION SPORTS programs have also begun at The Collared Scholar! Do you want to see if your dog has what it takes for personal protection? Do you want to teach your dog to "act" tough to help keep you safe from intruders or other unwelcomed strangers? Or, are you interested in Schutzhund or Ringsport? We at The Collared Scholar have teamed up with some incredible training decoys and protection sport clubs that can help you achieve those goals. Call us at 619-916-8710 to schedule your evaluation to see if your pooch has what it takes!

Gaius and Attia learn to Speak!

We have two doggies joining us for some intensive training here at the ranch. We briefly talked about them in the blog previously but, since they are going to be around for quite some time and since their training program is pretty unique, we decided they needed a blog of their own.

Meet Gaius and Attia. Gaius (aka Gaius Julius Caesar) is a 4 month old weim puppy rescued from puppy mill conditions. He came to us with severe kennel cough (he had had it for 2 months!), an ear infection and some sores on his little feet. He had to be in quarantine for 10 days while he healed and then, he went right into training to learn to be a good puppy.

Attia is a 4 year old lovely lady who won the hearts of her trainers instantly by resting her head on their shoulders while she is riding in the car and by sticking to them like glue at the ranch. She is a sweet sweet girl and we at The Collared Scholar are faced with a challenging task! We are going to take some of that sweet away :-)

You see, Gaius and Attia are very loving dogs - in fact they might be a little too loving as they would happily greet any stranger with love and affection, even if they were holding their family at gunpoint.

This is where we come in. We are going to teach the two dogs to be a little more protective of their family. Don't fret - we aren't going to make them mean. We are just going to teach them to act tough to ward off potential intruders. We are also teaching the two to be hunting dogs so that they can accompany their Dad on exciting hunting and camping trips.

The two are loving their training so far. It's been all fun and games and we are capitalizing on their great prey drive to teach them some protection behaviors.

Check out this video of Gaius learning to bark on command, showing of his positions and his place and recall to the whistle. This was the first day we worked on the place and recall and he picked it up in no time!

Rainy Days at the Ranch....

So, as you have all experienced, Southern California has been hit hard these past few days with some severe weather (compared to So Cal's standards). Me and all the pooches have been cooped up for several days and the time stuck inside has forced me to get creative with training and excercise for the pups.

First, a quick intro to all of the new doggies spending these rainy days with me. First, we have Bella and Bailey, a pair of cute as can be maltipoos here to learn some basic manners. They are pretty overwhelmed by life at the ranch (much different than their condo downtown), but they are getting more and more comfortable each and every day. Next we have Reese and Buttons, an Ibizan Hound and a Dalmation who you may remember from our days at Metropawlitan. These lovely ladies belong to our Metro Groomer Keith, and are gracing us with their presence over the next few days. Last but certainly not least, we have Diesel - an adorable Jack Russell available for adoption through Russell Rescue, Inc. Diesel regularly entertains us with his antics - our favortie is when he falls asleep half on the couch and buries his face between the cushions....ridiculously adorable.

Now that the introductions are out of the way....here are some tips on keeping your pooch busy during this wet, rainy weather....

First and foremost - INTERACTIVE TOYS! These are my lifesaver when the dogs aren't getting their regular exercise. My favorties are the Tug A Jug, Kong Toy and Treat Stick. I fill these with plain kibble, mixed with a few Natural Balance Treats and sealed with a layer of cream cheese and let the dogs go to town. For those dogs who are OK with being in a crate, I give Raw Beef Neck Bones and Bully sticks. These options satisfy dog's desire to chew while also helping them to get rid of some of that excess energy.

In addition to the (HEAVY) use of interactive toys and bones while its raining, I have also been playing some fun, inside training games with the pooches staying here at the ranch. Here are a few you can play at home:

Hide and Seek - For those dogs learning the "COME" command. If the dog has a good foundation with the recall, I will hide in rooms around the house, call the dog to come, and force them to "FIND" me, rewarding heavily when they finally do. If your dog doesn't know the "COME", start by teaching that, and then move on to training games. Click HERE for an article on introducing the "COME" command.

Training Tricks - I have also been spending my days teaching my dogs "Stupid Tricks". There is a fun dog training book out their called 101 Dog Tricks. You can pick it up at Barnes and Noble or other local bookstores. This book is chalk full of fun, easy to teach tricks that are completely useless but tons of fun. Teaching your dog new tricks will help give them mental stimulation, build confidence and its just plain fun!

Search! - The last and possibly my favorite game is to teach your ball or food motivated dog to "SEARCH!". For toy motivated dogs, hide their favortie toy and have them "SEARCH!" until they find it. For food motivated dogs, put a piece of their favorite treat into a small, ventialted container that they must search for. Start by placing the toy in easy to find places and slowly increase the difficulty as your dog starts to pick up the idea....

Have some fun with your pooch while you are both stuck, cooped up inside. He will thank you for it!

Stay dry and stay safe out there!