canine

Diesel is a beast of a dog, a three year-old mountain of silky black fur and solid muscle. His head measures nearly 25 inches around, and he is well on his way to the one hundred pound mark. He is also one of the biggest goofballs you will ever meet. He shares a house with a family of seven humans and two cats. One of his best buddies is a tiny kitten named Lionel, who shows no fear of his gargantuan companion, and will play alongside of him without batting an eye. Diesel loves to frolic outside, and has a habit of bringing back a big stick and plopping down on the porch to chew on it. He knows how to sit, lie down, and offer up each paw when commanded. He’s a lovable bundle of energy and affection. He is also a pit bull.
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It’s summer time, which (hopefully) means vacations and lazy days at the beach or in the hammock. Here’s DogWatch’s list of some dog-related summer reading to help you pass the time!
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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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Summer may not officially start until Monday, but the weather isn’t waiting.  The hot days are already here, and no doubt you’ve already made steps to beat the heat.  As you pull down your summer clothes, turn on the AC and stock up on water, don’t forget to take care of your dog during these dog days.

DogWatch Hidden Fences has compiled a checklist to help keep your dog healthy in the summer heat.

1)      Keep your home cool

We know that keeping the AC on at home while you are at work can be expensive.  At the same time, it is important to maintain a healthy temperature if you leave your dogs in the house on really hot days.  If you have an air conditioner, setting it to a higher temperature, such as 80 or even 85 degrees, will be a little easier on your wallet while helping to keep the house from getting too hot when the outside temperature reaches 90 or above.

Hydration is also important.  Make sure your dogs have plenty of water during the summer.  Plan to bring along water during long walks and any trips out of the house.

For dogs that stay outdoors during the day, make sure that they have plenty of readily accessible shade and water.  DogWatch Hidden Fence users will want to make sure that there is enough shade in the fence area for their dogs, and that they leave plenty of water for their dog within that area.

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