Group Class Syllabus

Tailwaggers Country Inn
Communication in Training


Content – Three one hour handling sessions that will be followed by half hour to full hour discussion and Q and A. Clients will be handling own dog as well as others. Will cover basic low level aggression (growling, barking, etc.) and social anxiety issues.


Important - The classes are not structured with the clients dog understanding set commands, but is focused on the owner/handler understanding how to work with and handle different social and behavioral issues.


Class Schedule – Begins Sept. 20th (Thursday) at 7 p.m.
Second Class Sept. 27th (Thursday) at 7 p.m.
Third Class is flexible

Cost - $75.00 for three class session
$150.00 for full access to all flexible classes

Location - Tailwaggers Country Inn, Van Alstyne, TX


We, here at Tailwaggers Country Inn, truly believe that a socially active and relaxed dog is a happy dog. We all want our dogs to be confident and relaxed, regardless of the environment that surrounds us. These classes are structured to give owners and handlers experience that related directly to the behavioral issues they are tackling currently, as well as learn and understand how to effectively deal with future issues. Dogs will not be learning command such as “down”, or “stay”…..instead we will focus heavily on very few commands and provide the dog a healthy un-intimidating learning experience, as well as yourself.
Thanks,
Jason Godwin

Growl Classes Will Be Added!!

Do you know what it means when your dog growls at another dog? It can mean a world of things. Every reason is different, depending on your dogs environment and social attitude. We will hold a monthly "growl class" that will fill up at 7 people per class. The classes are geared toward understanding and handling dogs who have social issues regarding other dogs and people. I will post the dates for the "growl class" as well as the final dates, rates, and availability for the group classes that are forming in September at the completion of the holiday weekend. Look for those Wednesday or Thursday!!! Cant wait to get it started.

Remember too, the video blog will begin on Sept. 18th!!!

New Information

Our classroom series will begin on September 20th. The September 20th session is already full, but we are taking new dogs for the same series of classes that will continue through the end of October. The classes will generally be on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and depending on the package you select you can attend as many as you want. Also, I will begin a video blog on here on Tuesdays (beginning September 18th) that will coincide with the class.

I was also informed at the ARFhouse gala this week that I have been invited back to Good Morning Texas. They have not set a date, but they will be featuring me and my family dogs - especially focusing on my introduction of physically and socially challenged into the family environment.

I have been doing what I am doing now for years, and am so very grateful to have the opportunity to share my dogs and my work with other people. They are truly my greatest asset.

"The best part of a man, is his dog" - unknown

Sleeping En Masse

I sleep en masse with my dogs. In other words, my dogs and i share the same bedding on a nightly basis. All six of my dogs sleep in my bed, and honestly, it is probably the most vital part of my relationship with at least two of my dogs. Hooter is a blind and deaf (since birth) australian shepherd, that is just now 8 months old. Dobi is a two legged (birth defect) rat terrier who is 3 years old. Both share my bed, and have come to understand who I am in their world through this ritual more than any other. Dobi clearly recognized that sleeping positions in the bed held rank, and quickly recognized who dictated the positions. For Hooter, I quickly became the common stimulus whenever her most relaxing and vulnerable times were (sleep - especially for a deaf and blind dog)....thus quickly advancing her recognition of my scent and presence as a positive, and quickly became less apprehensive in handling her through new situations....such as water. As always, I use all of my other dogs in the process of teaching a new member of the family - they usually do more work than i do. Dogs are amazing creatures, and I completely understand the desire to NOT have your dog bed with you. Just remember, it doesn't always make them spoiled, or pampered.....sometimes it helps make them family.

Thanks

I would like to say thanks to everyone at Good Morning Texas, they were very receptive and thoughtful on Thursday. Mr. Cogill, especially, was very helpful in getting our message out in the way I like for it to be seen. I love dogs, and that is the principle value in all of my work.....I hope that translated well. (I feel it did). I have the best job in the world, and watching the idea grow is wonderful. I will post a full Tailwaggers update on Monday the 20th. See you guys at the Grand Opening!!

No Bad Dogs...(Case study)

Case 1- For this case I will use one of my own dogs as an example. He is a male, 3 year old American Bulldog mix, rescued directly from the streets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit. He lived on the streets for approximately 2 weeks, before being rescued and housed in a shelter. I was part of the rescue effort so I can assure you his past is a mystery. He had a fair amount of existing scarring under the neck and on the back legs. He is missing several teeth, including one of his canines. To this point I knew he had shown aggression over food, and for the most part his body language was very timid - almost sad. Now lets get to the aggression. Within days of bringing the newly named “Saemus” home, I realized his body language had become much more evident - he kept his head below his shoulders at all times, never made eye contact, and avoided close communication with other canines or humans. He would aggress at either if they became too inquisitive. I could enter his bed, but could not touch him. As long as no contact was made I could circle him, raise my arms, and if I moved too fast he would close his eyes and lower his head. At this point, I dismissed the food aggression as a “primal issue” - an issue that is relative to circumstance. In other words he hadn’t been fed a proper meal he didn’t have to fight for in quite some time. Once he was given a pattern of provided food without consequence his aggression was alleviated. Within two weeks I could put my face in his bowl while he ate, and reach my hands in as well. There were many other particular issues to address with Saemus, but the food aggression gives us a clear example of testing the dog and coming up with a diagnosis. In this particular case what we are actually doing is ruling out the behavior as a true aggressive behavior. Had he truly been food aggressive, it would not have been motivated by the level of hunger as much as it would be motivated by his general demeanor.
It is absolutely critical to understand the difference between aggressive actions that are in response to fear and physical circumstance and understanding a truly aggressive dog. In a case like this, aggressive action is taken as a final resort, or at least a secondary action. In a truly aggressive dog, we would have seen what would seem like unprovoked attacks, lunging, biting, and very confident posturing (at least during the aggression). Again, it is absolutely critical to understand the difference between aggressive responses, and a dog with a true aggression problem.

The Sad Truth About The Electronic Collar

Electronic collars........or "shock" collars, as they are more commonly referred to, are misused by most facilities and trainers these days. That's because they use them as an aversive for the dog - in other words, it is used to deter a dog from doing something that you find undesirable. The sad truth is that in most of these cases, the dog learns nothing and gets traumatised. If in fact you are an advocate of an electronic collar - which I am not (in fact i use no collaring for the most part and use NO restrictive collaring at all) - then you should know that the setting should never be high enough to cause the dog ANY pain. An electronic collar is used to create a break in the action - so that the trainer or handler can then step in and correct the problem humanely and properly. This is rarely performed in this manner, and more often it is used as punishment for poor behavior (i.e. barking)......the dog never is able to connect the issue to the correction, because there is no one there to guide them - just a jolting shock to one of the more sensitive areas of a dogs body. The same goes for a "no bark" collar......same principle. A trainer or facility should be willing to disclose all operating procedures with the dogs - and I would never leave my dog with someone who uses escalating collar techniques to control behavioral issues. I only say this because that tends to signal that the handler is less concerned about the education and progress of the dog as a living being, and is more concerned with immediate results - whether that be silence, or obeying obedience commands. Pinch collars, choke chains, and electronic collars all present an aversive to the dog, behaviorally speaking. The way I look at it, if I wouldn't want to wear it, why would they? I have been shocked with a typical no bark collar - it does not feel good, and I am a 6 foot 185 pound guy.....and I only administer it to my arm - just so clients can see that my entire arm will seize up on only the milder settings. Imagine that on your neck. Its time for owner education to turn a corner, and I am glad we can do it together.