If you want to learn more about aggression or play, you have a dog yourself that needs help, or you are a dog trainer, behaviorist, or dog walker, you will be so glad if you take the time to attend this weekend of workshops.

• Download the Black and White version
• Download the Color version

p.s. We have people coming from all over the country for this big event. Whether you’re driving in from Oregon and BC or flying from California, it’s going to be worth it!

p.p.s. We have donated 90 delicious Westin-made boxed lunches to Homeward Pet Rescue, and they will be taking donations for the lunches at the seminars.

One of our students is Poppyseed, a deaf Dalmation, pictured on the left in her Puppy Jr. High class a while back. She is going to be in the book. A veterinarian and another dog training school told Poppyseed’s human to put her down when she was just a puppy, advising that deaf dogs were just too dangerous. Fortunately, her human didn’t listen to that advice and Poppyseed joined our puppy class. She excelled with her training at Ahimsa and we are glad she’s still walking the Earth with all four happy feet!

So please join us at the party! Stop by with or without your dog for fun, games, puppy play, and light snacks for people and dogs. Friday, April 30th, 5-8 pm at 902 NW 49th Street in Seattle. p.s. Pass it on!

* Party! Don’t forget that you are invited to our Grand Expansion Party next Friday.

Our party is next Friday, April 30th, 5-8 pm. All of our staff will be there to have fun! Come by any time throughout the party, with or without your dog – remember, not all dogs want to be at parties, even fun ones like ours. We will have free puppy play time during the whole party (20 minute limit if another dog is waiting to play), plus demos, games, door prizes, some displays by rescue groups, and more! This expansion just about coincides with our 7th anniversary. Wow!

Please forward this message on to your dog-loving friends! If you are part of a non-profit and want to display your group’s info, just let me know. Dog walkers, vets, stores, groomers, etc.: we do have a bulletin board now and can display your materials, too, if we feel confident referring to your business.

Want to stop by the new store with less hullabaloo? Our regular store hours are below:

Monday – 10 am – 9 pm
Tuesday – Thursday 5-9 pm
Saturday 9-7:30 pm
Sunday 9:30-7:30 pm
The store is at the same location as the training center, but on the south side of the building, on 9th itself. Thanks for all of the food suggestions. We have decided to not offer dog food or products that a lot of the great local stores already offer, but rather to concentrate on dog training supplies. That means we have training books, DVDs, harnesses, treats, food puzzles, life-sized stuffed dogs, and fun training gear like a remote control treat dispenser. We do sell some smaller bags of Evo to use as treats.

* Dog Aggression & Fear seminar May 28th, 6:30-8:30 pm

I just added this to the schedule yesterday, and 5 people have already registered! Sign up for this seminar if you are a trainer (or want to be), a dog walker, vet, a regular person that’s interested in dog behavior, or a student that attended Growly Dog class before we started doing BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training). This is a fairly high-level seminar, but it should be helpful for all who attend. BAT is a technique I developed to help dogs gain confidence and social skills. I will be showing video, discussing the technique, and demonstrating it live with a reactive dog. Sign up for this workshop or our other ones with Kathy Sdao and Patricia McConnell at http://doggiezen.com/workshop

* Backyard Sports & Games

This class is designed to be mostly for fun, but it also helps you and your dog become a team, using a combination of backyard agility, dog dancing, nose work/tracking, tricks, and games. This is a great way to see if your dog would enjoy one of these sports. It’s not meant for hard-core search and rescue folks or world-class agility & competitors. It’s meant as a way to expand your dog’s mind and a chance for you to have some more fun training.

Our Sunday classes are full, so we added Wednesday nights at 8 and we will probably add a daytime class start in mid-May, most likely Mondays at 1 pm. The schedule/info is at http://doggiezen.com/dreamdog/sports.php or if you’re already signed up for Dream Dog, you can log in to swap in for some of those sessions. The fun and games classes are pretty popular, so dropping in can be difficult.

* Take a fun break – watch us training puppies on King 5

If you haven’t seen us train puppies on TV yet, watch it on the home page at http://doggiezen.com In the video, I demonstrate how to teach Touch, use touch as a recall cue (come), and how to start work on heeling.

p.s. Puppy folks – I just added some more Puppy Jr. High classes, at http://ahimsadogtraining.com/class/puppy-junior-high.php Just a warning – these are popular classes and they fill quickly, so sign up when you get a chance.

Only good things,
Grisha

April 30, 5:00pm-8:00 pm, 902 NW 49th Street in Seattle. (free on-street parking available)

Bring your dog or come by yourself to check out our hand-picked items for training your dogs. We only stock gear that we personally love, and that means they are useful, entertaining, tough, and generally good for the planet whenever possible.

We will have many essential products, but you’ll still get to shop at your favorite independent pet stores for food and other non-training items. Our niche is to provide excellent dog training products, including great books, treats, leashes, etc.. We won’t replace your regular store, but we’re still worth the visit!

During the party, puppies under 5 months that play well with others can enjoy a free play time refereed by one of Ahimsa’s certified dog trainers. Depending on the dogs in attendance, there *might* also be a chance for off leash play for adult dogs, too.

Trainers will be available to give problem solving and training tips, and there are some fun activities planned, too!

We’ll be adding more details to this page as we get closer. No RSVP necessary, but the play groups are limited to 8 puppies/dogs at a time, so when you arrive to the party, put your puppy on the play list!

See you there!

Here’s their info, from http://www.furry5k.com:

The Seattle Animal Shelter is pleased to present the 11th Annual Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk! The race, which will take place in Seattle’s Seward Park on Sunday, June 20th, 2010, raises money for the Help the Animals Fund.

Join the fun as thousands of people run and walk, with their friends, families, kids and of course their dogs, in order to raise money for injured and abused orphaned animals.

We will definitely have a booth and we *might* have a walking team. Let me know if you are interested in walking as an Ahimsa team!

• Kathy Sdao is a behaviorist and a scientist with decades of experience, but you wouldn’t know it by the energy she puts into all of her talks.  She has a great way of explaining difficult concepts so that we all understand.  Kathy is doing a relatively new kind of workshop in Seattle this summer, which we’re calling “Kathy Sdao Unplugged” – it’s a place for trainers and advanced folks to bring their dogs, get practice, and solve those tricky challenges with your own dogs. We have working and auditing spots.  You can get more info or register now for the July 15-16 workshop.
• In September, we have a whole weekend devoted to fear, aggression, and play in dogs. I’ll be starting out the weekend with a 1-day presentation on Behavior Adjustment Training, or BAT.  It’s a technique I developed that has had some really fabulous results with client dogs and my own dogs, too.  People around the world are trying it and giving great feedback on their dog’s new-found ability to function like a regular dog!  On the second day, Patricia McConnell will fly into Seattle and rock our world with her great info on dog play and aggression. I’m absolutely thrilled to have Dr. McConnell, author of countless dog books, come to Seattle. She’s one of my all-time favorite dog behavior heroes. Can you tell?  You can get more info or register now for the September 11-12 workshop.

I’ve been busy adding more classes for you to our schedule this week. We have new Puppy Jr. High, Growly Dog classes, Puppy Kindergarten, play times, and Advanced Manners classes. Because of the 2nd training room, you can take classes at even more convenient times, including weekend mornings. Those have been reserved for puppies for the last several years, because we want the room to be pristine. Now the adult dogs can use their own room in the morning. Yay!

We also added 5 new weekly Puppy Kindergarten classes, for a total of 15, including a third class for baby puppies (under 12 weeks). Puppy class sizes will now be limited to 8 instead of 10.

We are also pondering a Backyard Sports class with Freestyle and Agility and a Problem Solving class in which you have time to ask a trainer for help with particular problems you are having. Let me know if you are interested in either of those.

We’ll have a North and South classrooms. The North entrance is the one we’ve already been using and the South entrance will be the door on the south side of the building (on NW 49th St) that many people already thought was our door. That will be the entrance to the little store, and students will just walk through that to get to the South classroom.

Yes, that’s right – we’ll have a little store, with some high quality food, toys, treats, and other products. Store hours will match the training classes, plus a few choice other times. That means more speedy shipping for our online friends and the ability to get great stuff from Ahimsa if you are in Seattle. The store should open up in April.

If you have a minute to fill out a quick survey, it would be very helpful to us! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZBQRXG2

Click here to join FunctionalRewards, a discussion group and creative space for people interested in BAT and related methods for aggression, fear, and other dog issues.

@doggiezen is the more official one with tips and updates about Ahimsa.

@peanutseattle is life from my dog’s perspective.

Experienced folks, can you follow and and let me know if I make any technical or etiquette mistakes?

Most area shelters and rescue organizations have a foster program.  One such program is Ginger’s Pet Rescue.  Ginger’s “specializes in Death Row Dogs” and is about to have 80 dogs from a puppy mill bust in the next few weeks.  It seems like every time I hear about Ginger, she’s getting another huge batch of dogs. She needs to mobilize all the foster homes that she can get!

Find out more about Ginger’s a www.GingersPetRescue.org.

[click here for another Breed Ban article, written Sept 10, 2008, with suggestions for what to do to reduce dog bites in Seattle].

First off, it doesn’t solve anything and second of all, it’s going to kill a lot of dogs in the process. Banning a breed doesn’t make does just disappear. Someone has to kill them.

I designed a shirt for FABB with the slogan, “Will Your Breed Be Next?” I didn’t really realize, at the time, just how accurate that was, given that there are so many banned/restricted dog breeds.

There’s a fascinating list of 75 Banned or Restricted Breeds in the US & Canada that I thought I’d share the highlights of. Here goes:

1. Airedale Terrier
2. Akbash
3. Akita
4. Alaskan Malamute (often what’s really used for Husky Mascots)
5. American Bulldog
6. American Husky (yup, Huskies, too)
7. American Pit Bull Terrier
8. American Staffordshire Terrier
9. Australian Cattle Dog
10. Australian Shepherd (yes, even Aussies)
11. Belgian Malinois
12. Belgian Sheepdog
13. Belgian Turvuren
14. Boerboel
15. Borzoi
16. Boston Terrier (can you believe it?)
17. Bouviet Des Flandres
18. Boxer
19. Bulldog
20. Bull Terrier
21. Bull Mastiff
22. Chinese Shar Pei
23. Chow-Chow
24. Doberman Pinscher
25. English Mastiff
26. English Springer Spaniel
27. Eskimo Dog (I think that’s American Eskimo Dog)
28. Fox Terrier
29. French Bulldog (you know they’re like 18 pounds, right?)
30. German Shepherd Dog
31. Golden Retriever (wow, them too?)
32. Great Dane
33. Great Pyrenees
34. Keeshond
35. Komondor
36. Labrador Retriever
37. Leonberger
38. Neopolitan Mastiff
39. Newfoundland
40. Pug
41. Rottweiler
42. Saint Bernard
43. Samoyed
44. Staffordshire Bull Terrier

You can join a vigil against Breed Bans on Sunday, August 24th, 2008. The address is 3000 Rockefeller Ave in Everett, at the NE corner of the courthouse campus, kitty-corner from the Events Center. I don’t think you bring dogs, but I’m not certain. Info on the vigils in general (but not this, one, as far as I can tell) is at http://www.lightacandlesavealife.com/.

Photo Credit: Alyssa Rose Photography

The I-Cue workshop is on June 26 & 27th, which is a Thursday & Friday. I figured professional dog trainers might appreciate a workshop that didn’t involve sacrificing a weekend of work. Space is limited, and registrations are already coming in!

The play times are odd this Saturday, February 2nd:

* Puppy Play 12:20-1 p.m.
* Mini Dog Play (under 15 pounds) 1:05 – 1:45 p.m.
* Small Dog Play (under 30 pounds) 1:45 -2:25 p.m.

This Saturday’s 10 a.m. and 11:15 classes are as is. Starting NEXT Saturday, February 9th, the classes and play times are changing permanently. The first class will be at 9:30-10:30 and the second class is 10:40-11:40.

Play Times starting Saturday, February 9th:

* 11:50-12:30 puppy play
* 12:40-1:20 Mini Dog Play (under 15 pounds)
* 1:30-2:10 Small Dog Play (under 30 pounds)

Note that the bigger “small dog play” is new. Play times are $10 cash or check. Dogs must have their adult shots to come to the Mini & Small Dog play times. For more info on play times, visit http://ahimsadogtraining.com/seattle-dog-play-socialization.html

WORKSHOPS THIS WEEK:

We have three workshops this week!

Coming when called is a workshop for sprucing up your dog’s recall. Fraidy Dog is a workshop for teaching your dog to get over her fears of strangers, loud noises, other dogs, etc. In the Baby-Proofing workshop, you’ll get useful tips on getting your dog used to babies. If you’re expecting or think your dog might be around children during the holidays, I highly recommend this workshop. Click for dog workshop Info.

Click to register for a workshop

We also have a Jump Into Agility workshop on November 30th. Register Here.

ONLINE FORUM – FREE DOG ADVICE

Join other Ahimsa students (and some others) on this Seattle forum about dogs. Get training tips, help with socialization, and more!

FEATURED PRODUCT

The KeepSafe Breakaway safety collar is a very important bit of equipment. Dogs can strangle when their collars or harnesses catch on crates, bushes, or other obstacles. When not attached to a leash, the KeepSafe collar pops open under pressure and helps keep your dog safe and sound. Current sizes are for bigger dogs, but I’ve just ordered a batch for the little guys. Order a Keepsafe Breakaway Collar online or get one in class.

TRAINING PRACTICE CHANGING TO MONDAYS

The Free Training Practice sessions are open to all clients that have registered for a 6-week class at Ahimsa (current, past, or future). Just bring your shot records to the first session. The session is switching from Thursday to Mondays. This Thursday, there’s a session from 6:30-7:30 and next week at 7:15, we’re on Mondays.

Click for Practice Class info or check out the schedule for times and skip dates.

TIP: TEACHING FETCH

If your dog picks up a toy and runs around with it, try walking away and clicking right before she gets to you. She’s likely to drop the toy. Toss her a treat while you pick up the toy to throw again. For complete details, go to the Teaching Your Dog to Fetch article in the blog.

For the most up-to-date news and training tips, please check or subscribe to our blog.

Only good things,
Grisha

_________________________________
Grisha Stewart, M.A., CPDT
Ahimsa Dog Training
902 NW 49th Street
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 364-4072 (New number!)

http://DoggieZen.com

Now available at our online store: The Comfort Trainer head collar. Power-steering for your dog that’s easier to get used to than the Halti or Gentle Leader head collar. Available in the training center or at our online dog store. We can ship to you or you can save shipping by picking your purchases up in class.

To UNSUBSCRIBE, please reply to info@doggiezen.com with your last name and email address.

We will continue offering the Jump Into Agility workshop, taught by Pritamo Kentala, who taught our agility classes before. She is a great instructor and we wish her the best with her company, FunQuest Dog Sports.

• New class: Intermediate Puppy, a.k.a. Puppy Jr. High
• Baby-Proofing Your Dog workshop – this Saturday
• Rally Obedience starts on Oct 18.
• Wallflower Shy Dog class starts Nov 17.
• More Agility Classes on the Schedule
• CityDog’s TopDog votes are in!

PUPPY JR. HIGH

Our off-leash Advanced Puppy classes were popular, but they’ve always been a challenge for the dogs coming right out of puppy class. Most owners put in a Herculean effort and got their dogs through the class, and loved it. But I’ve decided (with the help of feedback from the people who took Advanced Puppy) to add a class between the play-play-play of puppy class and the work-work-work of Advanced Puppy. Intermediate Puppy (a.k.a. Puppy Jr. High) is just that class. It’s for dogs 4-9 months old who have taken a puppy class at Ahimsa or elsewhere and have a good, but not perfect understanding of sit, down, stay, come, leave it, and leash walking. Read more about the Intermediate Puppy Training Class.

Advanced Puppy Training is now open to dogs that are 5-12 months who are ready for an off leash class. Students are welcome to retake Intermediate Puppy to prepare for this class or can skip Puppy Jr. High if they want a big challenge. Both classes are limited to 6 dogs.

The content for Advanced Puppy will be changing, now that we have Intermediate Puppy to prepare the students a bit more. So if you took Advanced Puppy before, and your dog is still under a year old, you can take the new Advanced Puppy. Sign up for either class at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

WALLFLOWER SHY DOG CLASS

Teach your dog to be brave! This class is for dogs who are shy or fearful around other dogs or people, but not aggressive (some barking and mild warning growls are okay). The next round of this calm, confidence-boosting class begins on Saturday, October 13th at 5 p.m. Sign up at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

RALLY OBEDIENCE

Rally Obedience (also called Rally-O or just Rally) is an exciting new dog sport, where dog and handler teams navigate a course made up of between 10 and 20 different stations. This is a good class to take after Better Manners. https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

BABY-PROOFING YOUR DOG WORKSHOP

This one-hour workshop is your chance to start getting your dog used to babies and their equipment (swings, strollers, etc.). Mireille will give you ways to prepare your dog for bringing home a baby, or to prepare for visits with the grandkids. Cost is $50. The next one is November 17, 5-6 p.m. Sign up at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

DOG AGILITY

This is a great team sport. You don’t have to compete, you just have to want to play with your dog. Check out the schedule for the new agility classes and Jump Into Agility workshops. Schedule and sign-up page is at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php.

CITYDOG MAGAZINE’S TOPDOG VOTES ARE IN

Well, first the bad news. We weren’t TopDog. Not exactly. But we did get more TopDog votes than any other trainer in Seattle. How can this be? Is this some kind of repeat of the 2000 election? No…it’s just that CityDog is now a NW magazine, representing more than just the city of Seattle. The other place is in Woodinville. Ahimsa Dog Training of Seattle was a “close second.” Do you suppose we could say we won TopDog honors for Seattle? Anybody else have another way to spin that? Let me know!

In this newsletter:

• CityDog TopDog voting ends today! (maybe tomorrow)
• Free Practice Class for past and current students
• Join the Humane Society’s fight to end Dog-Fighting!
• New Round of Dog Agility
• Wallflower Shy Dog class returns!
• Baby-Proofing Your Dog – workshop
• Burien classes: Terrier & Puppy

CityDog Magazine TopDog VOTING ENDS TODAY!

If you are willing and able, I’d love your vote of confidence.  Last year, our clients picked Ahimsa as the TopDog and we’d like to have that honor again!  Please vote!    You’ll also have a chance to pick your favorite treats, dog park, groomer, and more.  Thanks in advance! And thanks to those who already voted for Ahimsa!

FREE TRAINING PRACTICE CLASS

I’m excited to be able to offer this class to current and former Ahimsa students. It’s totally free, no strings, and you just show up and bring your shot records. (Records needed the first time only). Every Wednesday, starting August 8th, 6-7 p.m. (see the schedule for skip dates). You can practice whatever you want, and Rachel, who is studying to be a trainer and took her first puppy class at Ahimsa a very long time ago, will be there to answer your questions.  I’m hoping to take advantage of it myself, with Peanut.  I’m looking forward to the chance to practice his training around other dogs.  If you’re taking the Canine Good Citizen Test, this would be a great way to prepare! (Next CGC test is on Labor Day, 9/3, 7:30 p.m. – sign up at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

HUMANE SOCIETY IS FIGHTING DOG FIGHTING!

Finally, somebody’s doing something about this terribly violent "sport."  Brenda Barnette, Chief Executive Officer for the Seattle Humane Society (in Bellevue) will be holding a press conference / community meeting to announce their plan to help end dog fighting in King County. “We have a responsibility to our children and the animals to hold criminals accountable for their decisions,” says Ms. Barnette. “The Seattle Humane Society will take a big step towards helping to end this cycle of abuse.” Meeting is today (July 31) at 11 a.m. in their auditorium at 13212 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue.

NEW ROUND OF DOG AGILITY

We’ve got new Puppy Pre-Agility, Agility One, and Agility Two classes. Thursday daytime classes and Sunday afternoon/early evening available. Sign up at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

WALLFLOWER SHY DOG CLASS

If you have a dog that’s shy around people or dogs, this class is for you!  Learn how to boost your dog’s confidence.  If you’ve taken the Fraidy Dog workshop, some of the material will be familiar, but you’ll get to see it in action in this 4 session class.  No dogs in the first session.  The remaining 3 sessions are working sessions for you and your dog.  Next class starts August 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Read the class description for the Shy/Fearful Dog Class

BABY-PROOFING YOUR DOG

Expecting a new baby? Or have a puppy and think you may want a baby someday?  Now is the time to get your dog comfortable with the various baby equipment and get information on how to make a smooth transition.  Workshop by Mireille, who will be bringing in some of her own baby gear.  August 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m.  Bring your dog.  Sign up at https://ahimsadogtraining.com/newregistration/AhimsaOverhaul/class-registration-1.php

BURIEN CLASSES

Jennifer will be teaching her popular Terrier-rific Basic Manners class, for Terriers under 30 pounds, in Burien starting on August 11th, 5-6 p.m. We’ve also added another puppy class in Burien, because the other one filled up so quickly.  This rolling admission puppy class will be on Saturdays at 3:45 p.m., starting August 11.

Thanks!