Oxford Pet Resort & Spa Newsletter

November 2011

 

The fact that The DogSmith force-free training methods are based on the science of learning theory means they can be used on all animals.  Force-free methods for training can be effectively used on species as diverse as dolphins, dogs, giraffes and even cats (and our children)! DogSmith Bethany Jordan is shown here ‘clicker’ training a horse in Treibball! 


HOOPER'S HOOPS

The North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) is promoting a fun new alternative to standard  agility called Hoopers.  Hoopers uses a sequence of ground-level obstacles called Hoops (think of croquet for dogs) and instead of emphasizing physical dexterity, Hoopers is designed to challenge the ability of the handler and dog working as a team to negotiate the course between hoops using skill and strategy. Hoopers is a great training aid because it can be used to train dogs of any age on basic directional cues.  Puppies can run Hoopers before they're old enough to jump and older, retired agility dogs can continue to enjoy Hoopers long after their hips will let them run an agility course.  This is the ultimate no-impact obstacle course for dogs. Read MORE

 

Why Don't We Use Shock Collars on Whales?

Anyone who has watched dolphins or whales perform have been amazed by their creative tricks. How are marine trainers able to get these magnificent mammals to perform these tricks when asked? They certainly do not use a choke chain or shock collar and physically manipulating them to jump through hoops would be impossible. Marine trainers use the same force-free methods DogSmith dog trainers use to train complicated behaviors. Both trainers involve the animal in the learning process by encouraging their ‘students’ to voluntarily exhibit small behaviors that the trainer reinforces. Reinforcing small approximations of a desired behavior in succession to achieve a more complicated behavior is called shaping. Examples in the dog obedience world are ‘drop on recall,’ ‘retrieve over a jump,’ distance handling such as a ‘sit’ or ‘down’ from a distance of 30 feet. A great ‘at home’ example would be to shape your dog’s behavior to go to the refrigerator and retrieve a can of soda for you.   Read MORE here

Pet Adotion Center

 

This month’s featured pet is Skunk - a 2 month old Border Collie mix. He was brought here because his owners could no longer take care of him. He is a sweet, smart and loving and would love to be part of your active family! Skunk is good with dogs, cats and kids and is up-to-date with vaccines.  Because Skunk is not housetrained The DogSmith of Ole Miss will provide free housetraining to the adopting family.  Skunk's adoption fee is $125 which will include his neuter, up to date on shots, microchip for permanent ID, Heartgard, Frontline and a great goody bag! Come out to meet him today! 

Please contact OLHS at 662-236-7631or info@oxfordpets.com, or come see us at 413 McElroy Drive in Oxford, MS between the Post Office and the Airport.  We are anxious and excited to place Skunk in a fur-ever home!  The Oxford Lafayette Humane Society always has special animals available for adoption.

DogSmiths Out and About

DogSmith of Ole Miss

Niki Tudge, founder of The DogSmith, has been appointed the Managing Editor of  ForwarD, the quarterly magazine of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI). 

 

DogSmith of North Tarrant County

You will find The DogSmith of North Tarrant County at the Bedford Fall Adopt-A-Thon on November 5th from 10 AM to 2 PM. Come out and join them at the Bedford Pet Fair, located at the Bedford Animal Shelter.  FREE hamburgers and hot dogs, drinks and popcorn.  There will also be local vendors, a balloon animal artist, face painter, and local veterinarians will be available to answer your questions. The local fire crew will even be demonstrating a service dog.  At this Pet Adopt-a-thon the Animal Control Department will be collecting pet food for Meals on Wheels and of course, many cats and dogs will be looking for a new loving family.

Contact the Bedford Animal Control Center, 1809 Reliance Parkway, Bedford, TX - 817-952-2191 

Join The DogSmith

Bring your love of dogs & cats, strong communication skills and desire to succeed in your own business with a flexible work schedule to a FREE DogSmith phone consultation or FREE DogSmith webinar. Learn more about how you can become a dog training professional.

Now, more than ever...The DogSmith® business opportunity, The DogSmith lifestyle! The pet industry keeps growing. Over 60% of American households have pets. That’s more than 70 Million pets! Americans own over 38 million cats and 45 million dogs. And the pet industry has proven to be resilient during economically tough times. Not only is pet ownership increasing but we are spending more on our pets.

All of these factors are encouraging more and more entrepreneurs to move into the Pet Industry. The converging trends of today’s economy combined with the “home-based” model afforded to dog training and pet care professionals makes it an unusually effective fit for those looking for a socially responsible, environmentally friendly business opportunity where you can truly love what you do for a living.

Join a FREE DogSmith® Franchise Webinar or Telephone Consultation!