Blog
Kid / Dog Safety book: Don’t Lick the Dog!
Published on Mar 16, 2009 | Category: Tips & Safety
Ever wish you had just the right way to tell young children how to meet a dog? There are some good books out there already, but Seattle artist Wendy Wahman has a great new book out that can help! I have to admit, I haven’t read the book yet, but I’m trying to get a -> Read the full article…
New Research from Vets – Dog Whispering Likely to Cause Aggression
Published on Mar 11, 2009 | Category: Uncategorized
The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Science has released a pilot study that found that 1/4 of dogs trained with punishment/pinning/growling were likely to respond with aggression, versus almost no aggressive behavior that resulted from methods like the ones we use at Ahimsa. Yes, you read that correctly. Methods that have the goal of -> Read the full article…
Protected: Get SMART Seminar Carpooling Page
Published on Mar 3, 2009 | Category: Tips & Safety
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Kathy Sdao Reward-Training Seminar will Rock Your World
Published on Jan 15, 2009 | Category: Tips & Safety
(See the end of this post for a coupon!) Why are reward trainers so sure that their methods are the more humane way to train? Because reward-based training works, and it works well, without harming or intimidating the dog. But to get the best results with rewards, you need to know what you’re doing. The -> Read the full article…
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior Speaks out Against the Dominance Model
Published on Dec 31, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior would like to let you know that Dominance – the idea that we need to overcome our dogs by force, lest they try to take over our homes, is outdated and leads to inhumane training. Here’s some info from their Position Statement on Dominance issued in December, 2008: -> Read the full article…
How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
Published on Dec 23, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
81-year-old singer Patti Page is my new hero. You probably know her song, “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” Well…she’s decided to re-release the song, but has changed the lyrics to reflect the changing times and to promote her book, “This Is My Song.” She’s given the Humane Society of the US permission -> Read the full article…
Clicker Trained Dogs take over Christmas!
Published on Dec 23, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
This amazing video was made by a group of clicker trainers in Hungary. Just look at how happy and excited the dogs are. They are really enjoying themselves! They’re also doing complex tasks from a distance. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, if you love dogs, you’ll enjoy watching these well-trained dogs and appreciate -> Read the full article…
Marley & Me – Marley Needs Positive Dog Training!
Published on Dec 19, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
If you see the movie “Marley and Me,” you’ll note that Marley is unruly to say the least. In the Real World, Marley might not have had a happy ending. How could we make him a better fit for a regular family? Read the following press release from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers to -> Read the full article…
Snow is Dog Cocaine
Published on Dec 18, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
If you live in or near Seattle, you know that it snowed in the Puget Sound last night. We woke up to inches of blissful snow! Almost nobody is driving. I even saw two buses that are stuck on the road next to my house. If you have a puppy, you should be especially happy -> Read the full article…
Peanut’s Epulis Test – It’s Benign!
Published on Dec 11, 2008 | Category: Our Dogs
My soulmate dog, Peanut, went to the vet to have an epulis in his mouth removed last week. The good news? It’s not cancer! And it was small enough that they could remove it without taking out any teeth, thank dog. The bad news? He’s a wreck at the vet and it was a $500 experience. -> Read the full article…
Holiday Dog Photos – PAWS and Seattle Shelter
Published on Dec 1, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
Did you miss our last photo opportunity? Here’s another chance to support PAWS and get some fun photos of your dog, to boot! Last time, Ahimsa students raised a LOT of $$ for PAWs with Alyssa Rose Photography. The photo above is from that photo shoot.
Holiday/Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Dogs
Published on Nov 22, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season can be dangerous for dogs. Cooked bones, especially turkey & chicken, can splinter and cause choking or intestinal problems, even death. While most of us know not to feed it to the dog on purpose, your guests may not know this or your dog may get bones -> Read the full article…
Walking or Hiking Off Leash With Your Dog?
Published on Nov 3, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
Walking your dog off leash is like picking your nose, but more dangerous. Both are something that no one else should have to see you doing. Okay, it’s not quite the same – dogs LOVE to be off leash, and it’s a lot of fun. If you know the dog is safe, it’s enjoyable to -> Read the full article…
Cocoa Mulch – Toxic to Dogs
Published on Oct 28, 2008 | Category: Safety Warnings
Cocoa Mulch, which was sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ‘Theobromine’. It is poisonois for dogs and cats. Cocoa Mulch smells like chocolate and it attracts dogs. They may ingest Cocoa Mulch and if they eat a lot of it, they can die quickly. -> Read the full article…
Training Your Dog for Distractions (or Prepping Your VP)
Published on Oct 20, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
We want our dogs to respond to us in any kind of situation. When training their dogs to behave in the face of big distractions, people tend to make a few key errors and throw their dogs in over their heads. A solid understanding of the principles of positive dog training might also help Sarah Palin -> Read the full article…
Motion 2008-0347, Prohibiting Dog Chaining in King County
Published on Oct 13, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized
Imagine being chained to a tree year after year. You watch the door, hoping someone will come out to play. No one ever does. You long to run, but you can only pace. You shiver in winter and pant in summer. Loose dogs come to beat you up, and you can’t run away. Children taunt -> Read the full article…
Beverly Hills Chihuahua Movie
Published on Oct 6, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized
Beverly Hills Chihuahua opened in movie theaters this weekend. Chihuahua lovers everywhere have flocked to see it. People in the dog business have mixed feelings when we see dog movies. The dog-lover part of our personality is glad to see an oh-so-cute dog movie. The part of us that cares about the dogs cringes, because -> Read the full article…
Oct 4 – Help the Seattle Humane Society
Published on Sep 10, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
Mark your calendar! The Humane Society for Seattle/King County is hosting a Walk for the Animals event on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9:00 a.m. – Noon at University Village in Seattle. If you have a friendly dog that would enjoy this event, please support the animals. Click here for more info.
Pit Bull Breed Ban versus Dog Safety Legislation
Published on Sep 10, 2008 | Category: Puppies, Tips & Safety
Is there a middle ground between banning pit bulls in Seattle and ignoring the fact that attacks like the recent awful, terrible, scary mauling of a 71-year-old woman keep happening, by dogs reported to be pit bulls? I think so. It’s not enough to target pit bulls. We need to prevent aggression from all breeds. -> Read the full article…
KOMO 4 TV Interview – Service Dog Racism
Published on Jul 31, 2008 | Category: Our Dogs
My wife’s dog, Sagan, was featured in an interview of Ellen Taft, a woman who wants to ban pit bulls and many other breeds as service dogs. My wife’s dog has a big head and looks like a pit bull, though she’s actually a Boxer mix, possibly with Greyhound. Ellen Taft definitely has it out -> Read the full article…
How to Become a Dog Trainer in Seattle (and elsewhere)
Published on Jul 21, 2008 | Category: Uncategorized
I get contacted a lot by people who have fallen in love with dog training and want to learn how to become a professional dog trainer. I decided to write this blog post so that I can quickly give a helpful answer.
Q13 News & Seattle Metropolitan Magazine – “Best of the Best!”
Published on Jul 9, 2008 | Category: Our Dogs
Seattle Metropolitan Magazine has an annual Best of the City issue. As the founder of Ahimsa Dog Training, I was featured as the “Trailblazer” in Seattle Met. Fox chose three of the Trailblazers to feature on their morning show and interviewed me with my dogs at the training center in Seattle. (The dogs are Sagan -> Read the full article…
List of Banned Breeds: Will Your Dog Be Next?
Published on Jul 1, 2008 | Category: What's New?
A group called Families Against Breed Bans that works to block Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) in the Seattle area and elsewhere. There has been talk of creating a breed ban in Seattle for pit bulls or “fighting breeds” and I know that this is *not* the answer.
April 2008 Newsletter
Published on Apr 17, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
Hi folks! In May, I’m going to redesign several of the classes, including Puppy & the Basic and Better Manners classes. If you have taken any of those classes and are interested in helping us teach more effectively, I’d love your feedback. I need ideas on what you liked as well as what you didn’t. -> Read the full article…
It’s 2 a.m. Do you know where Fido is? Dog Theft on the Rise
Published on Apr 17, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
The AKC reported 30 dog thefts for January-March 2008, compared to 10 in the entire year for 2007. I don’t know the rest of the trend (maybe 2007 was a really low year?) but the AKC is worried and so am I.
What to Do When a Dog Refuses to Walk
Published on Apr 8, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
Is your dog a stubborn Donkey Dog? A lot of dogs pull forward on leash, but some dogs and many puppies pull *backward* or refuse to walk. This happens to French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs all the time! Pulling harder or luring with a treat only makes the problem worse, so what should you do -> Read the full article…
Is My Dog Fat? How to Tell Your Dog is Overweight
Published on Mar 6, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
From StopCanineObesity.com: “The numbers are startling. Recent studies show that while veterinarians estimate 47% of their canine clients are overweight, only 17% of dog owners believe their dogs fit that description.”
Kathy Sdao Dog Trainer Workshop in Seattle 2008
Published on Feb 21, 2008 | Category: What's New?
I’m very happy to announce that the details have finally been hammered out and Ahimsa is going to host a dog trainer workshop by Kathy Sdao in Seattle this summer. The I-Cue seminar is open to professional dog trainers and regular dog owners who have interest in taking their training a big step further. Click -> Read the full article…
Clicker Training – Reliability in Action
Published on Feb 20, 2008 | Category: Our Dogs, Tips & Safety
I just made a quick video of my dog, Peanut, at Magnuson Off Leash Park in Seattle. I have him do the same chain of ten behaviors twice in a row: wait, spin, jump, heel, left turn, right turn, wait, come, sit, and carwash. There are a few dogs that Peanut just met at the -> Read the full article…
Dog Fences: Invisible vs. Visible
Published on Feb 10, 2008 | Category: Tips & Safety
I’ve been asked by dog training clients several times about my opinion on the Invisible Fence. The short answer is that I really, really don’t like shock fencing; I think it’s inhumane. Watch the video below, which shows several humans wearing a shock collar, for an indication of what it might be like for a -> Read the full article…
