Peterborough, CANADA

Well, Sanity and I are back from the cold and windy and snowy north. Here are a few pictures of everyone hard at work. Tomorrow I will try and write some of my thoughts about the trip and share some of the comments. For right now you will just have to make do with the pictures.

The Dragon Lady trying to figure out just when to shoot flames and when to only blow smoke.
The Dragon Lady calls the class to order on the first morning.

Friday morning and finding the right seat. This classroom setup is done to encourage good study habits.



Why are you fondling those dogs?


No fondling here.


Learning what it feels like on both ends of the longe line, before adding the dogs.


From longe line work comes the heel position and all that is left to be done is give the position a name.


Good example of leash handling skills and ready to start heeling.


"Whaaat?"


All work and no play, leaves Jill a dull girl. Since we don't want a dull Jill, playtime is a part of the work day.

An early off-shoot of the sit on the dog exercise is the ability to "stand on your dog" with great success.


Here's a very good right turn in the making.

Still learning how to handle that leash on a right turn, with practice all things get better.

No protruding dog on this left turn.


An almost perfect left turn in the making.


a good right turn in the making.
Breaks turned into calm, restful times that allowed everyone to recharge their batteries.
In order to teach the sit position and help the dog understand, for the first two days we adjust the collar so it is high and snug. Not too tight, not too loose, but just right.

Practicing "Left, right, sit your dogs"


Adding of the third row and everyone, "sit your dogs".


You want me to do what?


Now you want me to sit! Are you crazy? No way will this happen.

I can't believe I really fit and yet she really does manage a sit stay on that tiny one foot by one foot place board.

Everyone, stand your dogs.

A case of the handler losing heel position while the dog does an excellent job of holding a stand.

How to control helium filled thumbs when the threaten to drag hands up over head. After all the laughter, this turned into a really good demonstration of how helpful the figure eight exercise is at teaching heeling in a very small space even if your dog is the size of a small mac truck.

Hidden comments

I get to read all the comments before anyone else does. Call me a control freak, if you will, but that is just the way I want it. So anyway yesterday I get a notice that a comment has been posted. I read it and wonder why it was written since it is referring to a post written by a resident of the city in question. All I did was give that post a larger viewing audience.

Now comes the really strange part. The comment was attached to one of the reports I did on Cap Haggerity's memorial service and the food and memories time held after the service. Why there? Why not post the comment as an attachment to the blog entry it was referring to in the first place?

Anyway, I thought it would be a good time to encourage the rest of you to respond and you certainly can't respond if the thing you are responding to has been hidden from general view. So here it is in all its twisted illogic. Please read the Albuquerque NM:The Least Dog Friendly City in America entry to learn what they are complaining about and please take note of the fact that I did not author the piece. It was simply posted unedited in any manner by yours truly.

So with no more ado, there ya' go..................

At 6:09 PM, ABQDog said:

I think Sanity is a definite misnomer. Anyone from Maryland calling Albuquerque an unfriendly city to dogs because we've passed the HEART ordinance to protect them needs her head examined. Who will this ordinance hurt? Overzealous and irresponsible breeders, people who fight dogs, people who abuse dogs. Evidently Maryland has no animal overpopulation problem, so they have the time to criticize those of us working to save the thousands of purebred dogs that are killed right away. Unfortunately, we in Albuquerque don't have that luxury and are working tirelessly to educate people and push a spay/neuter campaign. People like you are clearly in it for yourselves and not for the animals. You make me sick. Just stay on your side of the Mississippi and we'll all be better off.

ABQDog.

My goodness, I had no idea that the citizens of Albuquerque were so stupid and cruel that they needed the type of heavy-handed control the HEART law imposess. What's more that law is cruel and in the long run will do far more painful damage than anything that may or may not have been going on before the law was passed.

Albuquerque NM:The Least Dog Friendly City in America

Brief background

About 3 years ago, a city councilwoman sponsored an animal ordinance in Albuquerque. Despite attempts by many individuals and groups within Albuquerque and surrounding areas to have the City simply enforce the existing ordinance, the Mayor finally signed HEART (Humane and Ethical Animal Rules and Treatment) into law June 6, 2006. The law was to go into effect August 22, 2006. An attempt to collect sufficient signatures on petitions to force a referendum vote on HEART was not successful. This was mainly due to the fact that the media (print, radio and TV) was solidly behind the City and there simply wasn't enough money available to purchase media coverage. In early August, the City Council entertained an "emergency" motion to postpone the date of the law being effective until October 10, 2006. The effect this had was (intentionally in my opinion) to shove the new Animal Ordinance to the back of everyone's mind . . .
perhaps it would be postponed again, etc. Efforts that were ongoing after the failure of the petition drive met with even more inertia from city residents after the postponement of the law. The AKC kennel club in Albuquerque, along with individual members who had business interests within the City or who lived outside the City but would be required to comply with aspects of the new law, filed a lawsuit against the City in early August. The City responded with several motions to dismiss claims contained within the lawsuit. The Court moved this case through the judicial system with all speed and the case was dismissed in September.
It has been appealed but the law went into effect October 10, 2006.

Current status

The Mayor has gone on record in several public venues as stating that the law would be "selectively" enforced. As it stands right now, HEART applies to every animal in the City limits. Animal is defined by the City as "non-human mammal, bird, amphibian and reptile" and includes all wild animals as well as domestic ones.

While the City states in the Findings section preceding the law that this law will not affect responsible animal owners, it is hard to imagine how it cannot unless one accepts the City's premise that ALL animal owners are irresponsible.

Some of the aspects of the law that will not affect responsible animal owners - it is an act of animal cruelty to withhold water at night while housetraining a puppy. It is an act of animal cruelty not to provide "constant access" to water to any animal. (By this definition it is an act of animal cruelty to walk your dog so anyone who walks their dog, by the City's definition is not a responsible animal owner.) It is an act of animal cruelty to crate your dog in a crate that is not greater than the minimum size required of a boarding kennel. It is an act of cruelty to violate the Leash Law. The definition of a secure enclosure is one where an animal cannot come into contact with another animal or human. So even though the City allows a resident to keep up to four dogs without a special permit, the City also makes it illegal to put more than one dog out in the yard at a time.

The multitude of inconsistencies in the law make it difficult to determine what actually is and isn't permitted. However, not to worry -- these provisions will only be "selectively" enforced. So unless you happen to live next to someone who doesn't like you and complains to ACC, or have the wrong breed, or live in the wrong neighborhood, or have the wrong surname, etc. you should be just fine in breaking the law and committing acts of animal cruelty without facing punishment.

The new law enables ACC to confiscate any animal on a citation - not a conviction - for animal cruelty. That includes having your dog walk from your front door to your vehicle off leash unless the front yard and driveway is completely fenced. The law specifically states that "verbal control" is not sufficient even on your own property.

Any business (other than veterinarians) dealing with animals must now purchase an Animal Services Provider Permit in addition to a business license. Any conviction for animal cruelty makes one unable to obtain such a permit and thus unable to maintain doing business in the City of Albuquerque.

My business is down even more than the normal pre-holiday slump. Somehow I get the feeling it is related to the fact that I'm now having to ask potential clients and students to sign a release exempting me from liability if they get cited for animal cruelty for following training advice that is illegal in the City.

Future Concern

The Mayor of Albuquerque has higher political aspirations. He is pushing for HEART or a similar statute to be passed at the state level in the January 2007 legislative session. He has already told the surrounding counties that the City will penalize any county that does not adopt a similar ordinance. At the current time, the unincorporated part of Bernalillo County is currently contemplating changing the existing animal ordinance and changes have been proposed to the ordinance in part of Sandoval County (where I live) and the Village of Los Ranchos.

Politics plays a huge role in the future of owning any kind of animal.
Animal rights organizations are currently funding many political campaigns for candidates at all levels of government (this is how HEART was sponsored in Albuquerque) so to say that discussing politics is bad form on a list devoted to professionals in animal related fields is not being realistic about what is currently occurring.

As Margot noted, Dog Fancy listed Albuquerque as one of the top ten dog friendly cities in the US. I'm not real optimistic about the future of any animals in the US anymore.


Jan Gribble NADOI #925
IACP #1016
CDBC, IAABC #076
ABC Dog Training LLC - Albuquerque, NM - (505) 410-5810 abcdogtraining@juno.com - www.newmexicodogtraining.com

Voting time

The time to vote is almost here. When you go to the polls, please know just who it is that you are casting your very important vote for.

The following information has been taken from http://saova.org/index.html. The Sportsman's and Animal Owners'Voting Alliance has been doing a wonderful job of gathering together all the information necessary for all of us to vote to protect our animals and our right to own them. Please take a few minutes and look at what they have to offer all of us in the way of information.

"Candidates identified with the legend " Animal Rightist Endorsed " are the problem. They consistently vote for legislation to strip us of our rights to hunt, fish, and own pets and livestock. Incumbents with a record of voting to protect our rights, and open-seat candidates with favorable responses to SAOVA's candidate questionnaire are SAOVA ENDORSED." saova.org site

For those of you who live in Maryland here is what you need to take to the polls with you as an aid to your decision making. Remember the more AR backed candidates elected the more likely it is going to be that downright anti-animal, not just dog, but all domenstic animals, bills will be proposed and then voted into law. Breed specific bans will morph into all dogs and the bans will themselves morph into forced spaying and neutering, forced microchipping(the better to enforce the spay/neuter laws. Spay and neuter until there are none, means just that. Until there are none. Please don't vote for someone who has taken AR money, is AR supported or an AR supporter. (AR = animal right political movement)

The Maryland list:

Maryland's November 7, 2006 General Election

Governor Incumbent Bob Ehrlich (R) -- SAOVA ENDORSED
Martin O'Malley (D) - Animal Rightist Endorsed
U.S. Senate OPEN SEAT Ben Cardin (D) -- Animal Rightist Endorsed and Funded
1st District Incumbent Wayne Gilchrest (R) - Animal Rightist Flirtations
2nd District Incumbent "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D) - Animal Rightist Endorsed
3rd District OPEN SEAT John Sarbanes (D) - Animal Rightist Endorsed vs.
John White (R)
4th District Incumbent Al Wynn (D - Animal Rightist Endorsed
5th District Incumbent Steny Hoyer (D) - Animal Rightist Flirtations
6th District Incumbent Roscoe Bartlett (R) - Animal Rightist Endorsed and Funded Bill Sponsor
7th District Incumbent Elijah Cummings (D) - Animal Rightist Endorsed
8th District Incumbent Chris VanHollen (D) - Animal Rightist Endorsed and Funded
Animal Rightist endorsed and/or funded state legislators
Senate
Candy O.Greenway (3-D)*
Norman R. Stone (6-D)
Patricia A. Foerster (7-D)*
Katherine Klausmeier (8-D)
Rich Corkran (9-D)*
Delores G. Kelley (10-D)
Bobby A Zirkin (11-D)*
Edward J. Kasemeyer (12-D)
Sandra B Schrader (13-R)
Bill Askinazi (15-R)*
Brian E. Frosh (16-D)
Jennie M. Forehand (17-D)
Richard S. Madaleno (18-D)*
Jamie Raskin (20-D)*
Paul G. Pinsky (22-D)
Nathaniel Exum (24-D)
Ulysses Currie (25-D)
Thomas McLain Middleton (28-D)
Herb McMillan (30-R)*
James Ed DeGrange (32-D)
Scott Hymes (33-D)
Lisa Gladden (41-D)
Jim Brochin (42-D)
Joan Carter Conway (43-D)
Verna Jones (44-D)
Nathaniel J. McFadden (45-D)
George W Della (46-D)
Gwendolyn Britt (47-D)

House
Kevin Kelly (1B-D)
LeRoy Myers (1C-R)
Patrick N. Hogan (3A-R)
Sue Hecht (3A-D)*
Donald B. Elliott (4B-R)
Tanya Thornton Shewell (5A-R)
Nancy R. Stocksdale (5A-R)
Wade Kach (5B-R)
J.B. Jennings (7-R)
Susan Krebs (9B-R)
Emmett C. Burns (10-D)
Adrienne A. Jones (10-D)
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam (10-D)
Jon S. Cardin (11-D)
Dan K. Morhaim (11-D)
James E Malone (12A-D)
Elizabeth Bobo (12B-D)
Guy Guzzone (13-D)*
Shane Pendergrass (13-D)
Frank S. Turner (13-D)
Anne R. Kaiser (14-D)
Karen S. Montgomery (14-D)
Herman Taylor (14-D)
Jean B. Cryor (15-R)
Kathleen Dumais (15-D)
Brian J. Feldman (15-D)
William A. Bronrott (16-D)
Marilyn R. Goldwater (16-D)
Susan C. Lee (16-D)
House-cont.
Kumar P. Barve (17-D)
Luiz Simmons (17-D)
Ana Sol Gutierrez (18-D)
Jane Lawton (18-D)
Henry B. "Hank" Heller (19-D)
Sheila Ellis Hixson (20-D)
Tom Hucker (20-D)*
Barbara A. Frush (21-D)
Tawanna P. Gaines (22-D)
Anne Healey (22-D)
Justin David Ross (22-D)
James W. Hubbard (23A-D)
Marvin E. Holmes (23B-D)
Joanne C. Benson (24-D)
Carolyn J.B. Howard (24-D)
Michael L. Vaughn (24-D)
Dereck E. Davis (25-D)
Melony Ghee Griffith (25-D)
Veronica Turner (26-D)
James E. Proctor (27A-D)
Joseph F. Vallario (27A-D)
Sue Kullen (27B-D)
William Daniel Mayer (28-R)
Sally Y. Jameson (28-D)
Murray Levy (28-D)
John Bohanan (29B-D)
Michael E. Busch (30-D)
Virginia P. Clagett (30-D)
Don Dwyer (31-R)
Joan Cadden (31-D)
Terry R. Gilleland (32-R)
Mary Ann Love (32-D)
Theodore Sophocleus (32-D)
Bob Costa (33B-R)
Mary-Dulany James (34A-D)
David D. Rudolph (34B-D)
Barry Glassman (35A-R)
Susan K. McComas (35B-R)
Michael D. Smigiel (36-R)
Mary Roe Walkup (36-R)
Rudolph C. Cane (37A-D)
D. Page Elmore (38A-R)
Norman H. Conway (38B-D)
Charles Barkley (39-D)
Nancy J. King (39-D)
Jill P. Carter (41-D)
Nathaniel T. Oaks (41-D)
S.I. "Sandy" Rosenberg (41-D)
Curt Anderson (43-D)
Ann Marie Doory (43-D)
Maggie McIntosh (43-D)
Keith E. Haynes (44-D)
Talmadge Branch (45-D)
Hattie N. Harrison (45-D)
Peter A. Hammen (46-D)
Carolyn Krysiak (46-D)
Brian K. McHale (46-D)
Doyle Niemann (47-D)
Victor Ramirez (47-D)


* non-incumbent



Go to SAOVA's 2006 endorsements page to find your own state, if you don't live in Maryland. Please vote and please let your votes support our animals.

Carting 101

Halloween Party 06

Bedrock Training Method Schools

Bedrock Essentials Three-Day Training School Featuring the Bedrock Training Method with Margot Woods

The Bedrock Training Method by Margot Woods is based on the belief that all dogs – family pets, obedience champions, search-and-rescue teams, assistance and therapy dogs, and every other canine – can benefit from comprehensive basic training. Bedrock Training, or the BT Method, is a fundamental approach to dog training that, in six weeks, can lay a solid foundation in obedience and responsibility that lasts and grows for the lifetime of your dog. Join us for an intensive three-day program that will change, improve and perfect the way you work with your dog.

What: Margot Woods' "Bedrock Essentials" three day training school
When: February 16, 17 and 18, 2007
Where: Douro Community Centre, Douro, Ontario (near Peterborough)

Who should attend: The Bedrock Training Method is a comprehensive program designed to build a firm base of obedience training for all dogs. The course will benefit dog trainers, obedience competitors, groomers, kennel owners or other canine professionals. Also open to dog owners who are serious about building a lifelong relationship with their dogs based on trust, responsibility, and a firm understanding of canine psychology.

What you'll learn:

· Controlling the most difficult dog in 15 minutes or less · How to see your dog for the first time · Training the Perfect Dog · The truth about how dogs learn · The proper use of praise · Teaching your dog responsibility · Earning a voluntary heel through the foundation of longe line work · Instructions, Corrections and Punishments · Building trust and protecting your dog from legislative hassles · Harnessing your God-given talents to become a better trainer · The Tao of Koehler · The proper order for introducing fundamental commands · The command with 101 uses · Teaching a formal recall · Uses for every tool in the tool box · Training Problems and Challenges · Plus more!

Cost: $375 Cdn plus GST for three days of training, including refreshments

SPACE IS LIMITED

For more information, contact Jill Skorochod at info@timeandpatience.com

Pictures from the Fallston Maryland BT School

Here lies Smudge, the Texas Pug.

Here is a proper grovel if I ever saw one. The mistake that triggered this was totally forgiven.