Doggierobics Anyone?

Doggierobics Anyone?
By Michele Forto

Have the effects of the economy affected your decisions regarding your pets? Did you decide not to train the puppy or rescued dog you have because you feel you can’t afford it. Cut back on your pets care because you’ve lost your job, or even given that dog away or worse abandoned them because your home was foreclosed on.

In today’s economy understandably pets become disposable. This is a sad but true reality in our society. Pets enrich our lives in so many ways and our society has included dogs alone as our number one companions for thousands of years.

Too often in my line of work I see great dogs that have been taken to shelters and luckily get adopted by a person willing to invest in good veterinarian care, socialization, and training for their new dog. The dogs I see most are between the ages of 6 months and 2 years of age. The simple and most common reason is that the dog became more of a hassle than the people bargained for. That Christmas puppy is no longer cute and cuddly, he’s now untrained and still not house trained.

The cost to society outweighs the cost to individuals who decide that getting a pet also means paying for veterinarian care, socialization, and training. When you take your dog to a shelter and you are no longer responsible for their care it becomes society’s burden.

Training your dog is and can be affordable. Getting out and doing things with your dog helps you get exercise too. If you are experiencing economic problems try cutting back on that fitness club membership and trading in the treadmill for the sidewalk or the open space trail just behind your house. Grab your dog and get going on a brisk walk. Eventually you and your dog could be jogging and benefiting from the fresh air and tranquil scenery.

Of course, I am writing this article while it’s snowing in Denver. So how do I apply exercising and training my dog during inclement weather? At Denver Dog Works I offer a lifetime group class on Saturdays. This class gives my clients the opportunity to exercise and train their dogs at least once a week. This is better than no training and no exercise. The group class incorporates socialization as well.

Other training centers offer group classes in a variety of training goals. Talk with your trainer and see if they can design specific training group classes to address your needs and your dogs’ needs. In other words, you could potentially do aerobics with your dog! In fact, become a fan of Denver Dog Works on facebook and be on the lookout for upcoming special group classes like doggierobics.

Many trainers do not take payment plans for their services but several will and several trainers have affordable training options for all income levels. One of the best classes you can take and invest in for your dog is Canine Good Citizen developed and sponsored by the American Kennel Club. I offer these classes at Denver Dog Works for puppies as well as dogs 6 months and older.

The bottom line is your pet will be an asset to you and your family. By providing emotional support and exercise for you. Do not give up on your pet, adjust your way of thinking and breathe some fresh air with Fido and take in a new prospective.

Tags: Denver Dog Works, Dog Training Denver, Canine Training, Puppy Obedience Dog Training, Michele Forto, #dogs #dogtraining your brand plan
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Michele Forto is a certified canine trainer and the CEO (Chief Evaluator Officer) at Denver Dog Works. Michele can be reached through her website at Denver Dog Works (http://www.denverdogworks.com

Why Denver Dog Works?

Why Denver Dog Works
By Michele Forto

Lately I have been receiving many inquiries regarding what is Denver Dog Works all about. Dr. Forto has written blog article upon blog article about Denver Dog Works. I’d like to give you a different perspective on what Denver Dog Works is all about.
At Denver Dog Works we perform a detailed evaluation and then I design a training plan and a package to suit your goals and expectations. Because not every person is the same and because not every dog learns at the same pace we have developed a proven process to train you and your dog.

We pride ourselves on the value our training will bring to your dog and your family. The trainers here focus on training everyone involved with your dog not just your dog. We want you to develop a training relationship with your dog. We offer board and trains and can do all of the training for you but we always follow up the training we do with teaching you how to handle your dog as well.

During the evaluation process you will be interviewed and asked specific questions relating to your expectations and goals that you would like to achieve with your dog. Your dog’s behavior will be observed and analyzed. We use this information to analyze your dog for any behavior problems and to assess their strengths and weaknesses. A training plan will be developed and if you are in need of behavior modification a treatment plan will be developed and outlined. The goal of Denver Dog Works is to build your relationship and to strengthen your bond with your dog.

There is not a cookie-cutter approach at Denver Dog Works. We consider each client individually and build each program package to suit their needs and their dog’s abilities. Our style in training is based on operant conditioning, observation of behavior and adjusting the training schedule to meet the dog’s optimum learning levels.
Training with your dog should be fun. It should not feel like a chore. An asset of training with Denver Dog Works is participating in the lifetime group class offered once a week. This class gives you the opportunity to keep your training fresh which keeps your dog on his toes. This class is unique to Denver Dog Works. Having a training center gives us the ability to train you and your dog in a multi-faceted way.

Denver Dog Works is a family friendly training center. We encourage you to include your spouse and your children in the training. Few trainers will allow this. Why would we encourage this type of training? To strengthen the bond between the dog and all family members, not just the person doing the training, we believe the dog should see all humans in the household as its leaders not just one person. Michele works with children as young as two and develops training plans with toddlers and infants to teach the dog boundaries. Toddlers to school aged children learn dog rules and boundaries and a few basic obedience commands.

If you are interested in learning more about Denver Dog Works please visit our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com or give us a call at 303-578-9881.
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Michele Forto is a certified canine trainer and the business manager at Denver Dog Works. Michele can be reached through her website at http://wwww.denverdogworks.com

Holiday Pet Safety

Holiday Pet Safety
By Robert Forto, PhD

My name is Dr. Robert Forto and I am the training director of Denver Dog Works and The Ineka Project in Colorado. I am asked all the time about holiday do’s and don’ts from pet owners. While I always offer an article right around Christmas about training Christmas puppies I thought it would be wise to offer some tips to pet owners on holiday safety before the season’s festivities reaches a crescendo. While most of this is common sense, it is the little things that we overlook during this busy time of the year that can turn a joyous season into a nightmare for your pet if you do not take some steps to ensure their safety.

The holiday season can get pretty hectic, and with the decorations and extra goodies around the house, there is a lot your pet can find to get into. Here are a few safety tips to help keep your pets safe and happy during the festivities:

Christmas trees
Firmly secure the tree in its stand, and consider wire or twine ties attached to the wall to help secure the tree. You’ll want to make sure the tree doesn’t topple over if, or more likely when, kitty tries to climb the tree.

Dogs and cats will often try to drink water from the reservoir in the stand. The sap from the tree itself may irritate your pet's stomach, and preservatives added to the water may be toxic. Devise a cover to fit around the base of the tree—even a towel wrapped around the trunk covering the stand will do.

Research also shows that the chemicals used in producing artificial trees contain chemicals that can be harmful or even fatal if ingested by your pet. While there are many pro’s and con’s to having a natural versus an artificial Christmas tree, this fact alone should make the decision a little easier.

Ornamentation is very attractive, especially to kittens, cats and puppies, but may be deadly. The tinsel, ribbon and glitter can cause intestinal blockages. Protect your pet by placing these items high enough to be out of reach. Packages under the tree may offer the same threat—the ribbons are just too hard to resist, and your pet may end up chewing on them while playing.

Those wonderful goodies
Holidays are the time for lots of baking, and receiving of baked gifts. These items smell just wonderful to your pet. Your dog may help himself to the candy, cookies, or part of the holiday meal if you are not looking. Eating people food may lead to indigestion, diarrhea, or worse. Remember, items containing chocolate can poison a dog, even if it is a small amount.

Remains of the holiday meal left on countertops, tables, and even in the garbage will entice your pets. If there is a way to get to it, be assured your dog will certainly try. Bones from turkey, a roast, or ham may splinter if eaten. Older garbage may even contain enough bacteria to poison a pet. Be careful where the trash is held while waiting to be disposed of.

And of course I don’t need to remind you that begging at that table can cause major behavior problems in the future…

Other Decorations
Plants, especially poinsettias, are often used for decoration in November and December. Some of these plants contain toxins that can irritate your pet’s gastrointestinal tract if chewed on or eaten. Eating enough of some plants may poison your dog or cat. In some cases it may be the leaves, in others the stem, berries, or roots. Your veterinarian or behaviorist can help guide you, or you can do a bit of research at the library or online to see if any of your holiday plants may be harmful to your pets.

Toys
On Christmas morning when all of those toys are being played with (and soon forgotten, I might add) they contain many hazards for pets. Small toys, balls, marbles, board game pieces, BB’s from the Red Rider BB gun with the compass in the stock that your son just had to have!, and electric cords are all dangerous to your cat or dog.

Taking a few minutes to set some family guidelines and spot potential safety hazards could keep this holiday season from having serious consequences for your four-footed family member.

In the coming weeks Dr. Forto will be publishing and article on training Christmas puppies. His position is that you should never give a puppy for a Christmas present but thousands are given as gifts each year. In this article Dr. Forto will discuss when to train your dog, how to properly care for him and who should be in charge. Just remember that shelters are full of dogs that were once bundles of Christmas morning joy that grew up too fast and were not trained. Dr. Forto and his certified trainers at Denver Dog Works are here to help.

This article is provided as a general overview of the topic. Always consult your veterinarian or behaviorist for specific information related to diseases or medical care for pets.
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Dr. Robert Forto is a canine behaviorist and the training director of Denver Dog Works in Colorado. He can be reached through his website at www.denverdogworks.com

Competition between Dogs

Competition between Dogs
By Robert Forto, PhD

When animals live together in close social groups such as a sled dog kennel, they often compete for limited resources and dominance of the dog pack. These situations create the need for social communication systems. If the dogs in the kennel do not communicate with each other, the competition is unregulated and uncontrolled. If there is no control over the competition the dogs waste time in pointless fighting and the risk of injury is greater for those dogs competing for those resources. One of Robert Forto’s dogs, Muffassa, would constantly be getting into fights over the daily food ration. It came to the point where human intervention was required to save this dog’s life. Communication systems have been developed for regulating such a conflict. Techniques such as threat and submissive displays make fighting less frequent, less disruptive, and less severe. If fighting is a problem in a sled dog kennel, then it will be the musher’s number one priority to find a solution to this problem. If the dogs fight at home, then they will surely fight at a race, which can cause severe consequences to both the musher and the team.

When dogs live in large social groups, such as a sled dog kennel, they can present significant problems to their environment. To prevent such problems, groups develop a territory for themselves and organize their groups with a definite hierarchy. The groups are maintained by a variety of auditory, visual, and olfactory signals.

Establishing a Territory

Wolves in the wild look as if to establish a territory and define an area through urine marking and vocalization. Sled dogs appear do the same thing. As males mature they begin to mark their kennel areas and their places on the dog truck to define their space.

If the wolves detect other wolves intruding on their territory they will threaten or attack the intruder if necessary. Establishing and defending a territory helps wolves to spread themselves over a wider geographical area, thereby preventing over-hunting, which results in a reduction in the number of prey animals.

Competition between individuals in the same group is regulated through the use of threat and submissive displays. The most easily recognized social communication displays are those associated with threat and submission. With sled dogs, threat displays may involve alpha takedowns, growling or snapping, and urinating in the water bowls and other the more subordinate dog’s faces.

Establishing a Dominance Hierarchy

Establishing a territory in the wild puts some distance between groups, which in turn helps to regulate excessive competition and conflict over environmental resources. Establishing a dominance hierarchy within a sled dog kennel will put distance between the individual members in terms of social rank or status. Social harmony between animals living in groups depends on a fine balance between competition and cooperation. Excessive conflict and strife between members of a social group will gradually cause the group to dissolve. Communicating through highly ritualized threat and submissive displays allows competitive animals to interact and cooperate with one another in relative harmony.


Forto, R., Interview by James Myers 16 May 2005. Interview 1.
Forto, R., Interview by James Myers 16 May 2005. Interview 1.

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Dr. Robert Forto is the training director for Dog Works Training Centers and is the host of a weekly radio program, The Dog Doctor Radio Show, every Saturday. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com