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    • Pit Bulls

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    Uh oh!!  I am treading on sacred waters here!  A few months ago, I wrote an article about Fake Service Dogs, and in it I mentioned that a guide dog had been attacked by a pit bull in a grocery store and now had to be retired because she became defensively reactive to other dogs.  It went viral on Facebook with over 10,000 shares. It wasn’t how many shares it got, but how many chastised me for having mentioned it was a pit bull that attacked the German Shepherd.  My response was, “I am honest and that is what happened.”  

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    Pit Bull Responsibilty

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    Uh oh!!  I am treading on sacred waters here!  A few months ago, I wrote an article about Fake Service Dogs, and in it I mentioned that a guide dog had been attacked by a pit bull in a grocery store and now had to be retired because she became defensively reactive to other dogs.  It went viral on Facebook with over 10,000 shares. It wasn’t how many shares it got, but how many chastised me for having mentioned it was a pit bull that attacked the German Shepherd.  My response was, “I am honest and that is what happened.”  

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    The Perfect Dog

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    In our little valley, we expound about how dog friendly this community is.  In reality, in the past 2 days I have had more people tell me that they feel such extreme pressure to have the “perfect dog” from other community members.  While the valley may be “dog friendly” it is not always friendly to the owners of other dogs.  A recent incident drove this home for me, personally, and it has brought so many thoughts to consider.

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    Party, Party, PARTY!

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    It’s that time of year again when the 4th of July celebrations are right around the corner.  We look forward to the cookouts and parties with friends.  We look forward to traveling and fireworks. While we are having fun, it can be incredibly stressful for our dogs.  We know that the noise of fireworks can be horribly traumatic for them.  But, we forget about how taking them to big parties at strange places with people they don’t know, or other dogs that might not be friendly can affect them.

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    Pain Insane

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    Pain? What does that have to do with dog training?  Plenty.  First, dogs are by nature very stoic. They will not tell you when they are in pain so many of us miss this critical element in dog behavior.  Why? Because when a dog shows pain it makes them weaker to other dogs and it risks potential attack by another dog seeking higher status. 

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    Pack Hierarchy and Social Rank

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    I can remember in 7th grade learning about the Caste system in India and being appalled at the social rank people accepted. I grew up in a household where my sisters and I were encouraged to follow our dreams and we treated all races and genders equally.  Now as a Certified Behavior Consultant, I spend every day, all day observing and living with dog behavior.  But, of course I watch bird behavior and any other animal I can get a glimpse of because animals are my passion.

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    Our Dogs, Ourselves

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    Last week, I shared an article describing how a dog feels going to the dog park with the hopes of helping dog owners to understand the dog’s point of view. What I did not focus on is how what happens to our dogs, which we love enormously, affects our relationships and us as human beings.  As a dog behavior consultant, this topic brings up too many, many issues far beyond obedience.

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    When Opportunity Knocks!

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    Opportunism is a big word with big consequences, both good and bad!  How many times have you called your dog to come to you, he then looks at you and runs off to play with other dogs?  At that very moment, your dog thought to himself, “I can either go back to my owner, OR go play with the other dogs!  What is the better deal? No brainer!  Go play!”  Or how about, “No one is watching and there is cheese on the counter! FREE TREAT!”

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    Canine Opportunism

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    Opportunism is a big word with big consequences, both good and bad!  How many times have you called your dog to come to you, he then looks at you and runs off to play with other dogs?  At that very moment, your dog thought to himself, “I can either go back to my owner, OR go play with the other dogs!  What is the better deal? No brainer!  Go play!”  Or how about, “No one is watching and there is cheese on the counter! FREE TREAT!”

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    DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!  The Gateway to TROUBLE!

    Fran Jewell
    Weekly Sun Mentor-Z

    There are so many open doors we allow our dogs to walk through that will eventually create enormous problems for us ahead such as separation anxiety, aggression, and resource guarding and a plethora of others behavior abnormalities.  If you want to enjoy your life with your dog and for your dog to enjoy HIS life, it is imperative to focus on PREVENTION.

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