Dog Behaviors

When Ron Pace, the DogWatch Dealer in Washington state and a renowned dog trainer with 35 years of experience, shared his story with Dog Tails, he mentioned how strange it was that the dog that brought him worldwide attention just happened to be named Sugar. You see, at his Canyon Crest K-9 Training Center in Tacoma, WA, Ron currently trains service dogs for people who have diabetes. These dogs use their unique abilities to detect and alert their owners to potentially dangerous blood sugar levels. So it seems appropriate that the boxer who collapsed and was resuscitated by Ron during an obedience training session should be named Sugar! What a sweet coincidence.

In this installment of DogWatch Dealer Chat, we speak with Ron about his years of dog training, his diabetic service animal organization, and of course, Sugar’s dramatic rescue, which was captured on video.

(You may have seen this video of Ron’s heroic efforts on our Facebook page, or on CNN, Fox News, “Today” or any of the many media channels which showed the footage and covered the amazing story.  If not, we’ve embedded the video below. Don’t miss it!)

A Dog-Centric Career

Ron Pace has been a DogWatch dealer for 20 years and a dog trainer for 35 years, but his love for animals goes back even further. His love of dogs began in high school, when he took a neighbors’ Doberman pinscher for a walk and stayed with the dog for hours. Not long after, Ron brought home a dog of his own, a German shepherd puppy he named Jake. To learn more about Jake, read Ron’s tribute to the dog who “changed his life” here. Like all puppies, Jake was a bit “unruly” at first, so Ron took him to obedience classes. There, Ron discovered that he and Jake were quite “good students” and at 19, he won a $1,000 scholarship to pursue dog training as as career.

Ron and Jake proved to be a strong team. The talented dog even helped Ron secure his first bank loan to start his dog training and boarding business, Canyon Crest K-9 Training Center in Tacoma, WA. Jake accompanied Ron to the bank, showed off his obedience training and proved that his dog trainer “meant business.”

At Canyon Crest, Ron offers a variety of training courses, from puppy preschool to advanced training in tracking and personal protection. He works alongside his wife, Patti, and their two dogs, a 16-year old Norwich terrier named Mattie and a 2-and-1/2 year old German shepherd named Jude.

Service Dog Training

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So, you’ve decided to add a new puppy to your household. Congratulations! You’ve made a choice that will bring you years of happiness, laughter, and companionship and we here at DogWatch Hidden Fences couldn’t be happier for you! Now that you’ve made that initial decision, it’s time to make the even bigger decision: what puppy is right for you?

There’s a lot to consider when selecting the right puppy for your household. First and foremost is what breed (or breeds) would fit best with your household’s lifestyle. Every breed has its own unique traits and temperaments. It is important to consider that when choosing your puppy. It’s easy to fall in love with appearances, but if you select a puppy solely based on how it looks, you may bring it home and find that it just doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle, space, time and grooming commitments. For example, you may think a Sheltie puppy is adorable, but then you bring it home and discover that its innate energy level and need to herd things leaves you with a frustrated pup and a disaster of a house, or that you are just not able to keep up with its long, thick coat! Or, you could bring home a totally cute Pug puppy and quickly realize that its breathing difficulties and moderately low energy level and short legs means it’s not quite the jogging companion you had hoped for.

Here are some important things to consider when selecting a breed: Read post »

The tragedy of last month’s Japanese tsunami reminded us yet again that disasters can strike at any time. After all of the devastating footage, we were relieved to see any good news. This video of an owner reunited with her beloved dog affected all of us.

This story also made us think about our own pets. Is there anything we as pet owners can do to prepare for extreme weather or other unexpected events? We’ve researched this important issue, and compiled some key steps that you can take to keep your pets safe.

ID Your Pet
ID tags are always a good idea, even in everyday situations. Should your pet become separated from you, an ID tag with the pet’s name, your name and your contact information will help rescuers find you as soon as possible. If your pet has any urgent medical needs or conditions, it should also be explained on the pet’s tags.

Microchips offer a more permanent tagging solution for pet owners. These chips, implanted under the animals skin, contain registration numbers that can be obtained via a handheld scanner. Shelters and animals hospitals across the country can then contact a registry, and uncover owner contact information and pet medical information. Microchipping is increasingly popular among pet owners, and the process of inserting the chip is quick and does not even require anesthesia. If you are interested in learning more about microchips, contact your veterinarian.

Pet Alert Sticker
In addition to tagging your pet, you can also tag your home. Pet stores, as well as the ASPCA, offer Rescue Alert Stickers (like the one shown at the right) that you can place on your window to alert rescue workers to the animals in the house and the contact information for your vet. To order a sticker from the ASPCA, fill out the form found here.

Pet Emergency Kit
Another important preparedness tip is to create an pet emergency kit that you can quickly grab in the event of an evacuation or other emergency. The website Pet and Animal World has put together a detailed list of items to be included. The entire list can be found here. The ASPCA has a similar list found here. Some of the key items to include, according to these and other experts, are:

Bottled water
A week’s worth of food (canned and/or dry)
Portable food and water dishes
Travel crate or carrier, or sturdy leash for bigger pets
Litter and disposable litter boxes – aluminium roast pans will work (cats only)
Current photos of your pet(s)
Toys and blankets, to help keep the pet calm in new environments
Medical records
Extra supply of any medications

We encourage you to visit the ASCPA’s website to learn more about disaster preparedness tips, especially for those of you with birds or smaller animals (gerbils, hamsters, etc.) who want additional information about those pets. We also value your feedback on this issue. Have you been through an evacuation or other extreme situation? What steps did you take to protect your pets? Do you have any advice for your fellow pet owners? Tell us in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.

We’re approaching the end of January. How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Need an extra boost to keep it up during the rest of 2011? Why not include your dog in the action?

The DogWatch Hidden Fences team thinks that dogs make everything more fun – and we’ve come up with some ideas to energize your resolutions with the help of man’s (and woman’s) best friend!

Exercise With A Smile

Starting an exercise routine is a perennially popular resolution. Dog owners who take on this task can not only improve their own health but also the health of their pet. Bring your dog along on your walks and runs.  Your dog will get some much needed extra exercise, and their happy faces will encourage you to fight through those tough hills and that painful last mile.

If you prefer to exercise indoors, incorporate some fetching games into your warms up and cool downs. It will help you start and end your workout on a happy note. Furthermore, by including your dog in your routine, it will give you one more reason to stick with it. You don’t want to disappoint Max or Bella, right?

Flex Your Mind Muscles

If you’re anything like us, you love curling up on the couch next to your sleeping pup. While we all love these precious moments of relaxation, sometimes we also crave some fun activities that challenge us to think in new ways. These activities range from reading that new novel your co-worker raved about, mastering the New York Times crossword puzzle, or building that bookshelf that is still in pieces in the basement.

How do you find the time for these tasks? Get the whole family involved, including the family pet. Establish “puzzle hour” or “reading night,” and ask that everyone disconnect from their phones and computers and TVs during this brief period of relaxing “brain time.” As for the dog, give her her own learning activity. Stuff a KONG toy with her favorite snack, or place treats inside a “puzzle” toy (read about some examples here). She’ll be occupied and energized – just like the rest of the family.

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