Hoobie 11/23/2005-11/28/2013

I received the news yesterday that Hoobie's heart stopped during a routine examination.  Hoobie holds a special place in our hearts and memories here.   Luckily he was only 50 or so pounds, because he was the hardest dog that I ever had to train.   His size made it possible for me to handle and teach him safely.

Unfortunately, Hoobie was born with bad genetics that caused some very uncomfortable medical problems for him very early on.   When I have dealt with very human aggressive dogs, it has been very common that they have medical factors that are making them uncomfortable being handled AND they started very early on in their lives.

Why would his owners choose to spend so much time, money, and effort on Hoobie?   Well, there was a sweet guy in there that liked to have fun.   To Hoobie's owners, it was very important for them decrease not only the physical discomfort, but also the mental discomfort that grew from that as well.   They knew the sweet Hoobie, and wanted more time with that side of him now that they had identified his physical maladies.



The reward that Hoobie worked the best for was outdoors and fun.   Food or treats would get you bitten.   So that is what we used for this guy to bond and build trust during his stay here.   He really taught me a lot about identifying what a dog is going to work for.   It is not always going to be something readily available, and the dog is going to pick it (especially in a case like this) NOT the dog trainer.

He left to go back home in September 2009.   Hoobie and his owners lived a bit away in Canada so I have not seen him since, though I do get updates.   Hoobie gained a female canine companion, and lots time with his owners for these years.   I cried a bit last night when I found out.   His owners did such an incredible job of sticking with Hoobie, and continuing on the work to keep his aggression at bay by working with what Hoobie (and they) had learned here.

Hoobie is now medical issue free for once.   I hope he is running with his old friends Leon and Jackie (my dogs that knew him and went before him) at the rainbow bridge.   Hoobie, you were very loved and will be missed and remembered.

Harley, Mannerly Mutt's Canine of The Week

Harley came here for dog training in our board & train program as a six month old puppy in the winter of 2005.   To the left of this text is a picture of Harley at that time (and to the right a picture of Harley now).   As a puppy he was as big as my full grown Doberman Jackie!

Need puppy or dog training with a dog training professional?   We are happy to talk about it with you, just first fill out our client service form.   If you are not familiar with us, review our webpage and blog or just call us 207-809-6300!

Harley's original owners were ill equipped to have a puppy of any sort.   One owner worked as a nurse and was not often home, and the other owner was just not into spending time with a Great Dane puppy.   Harley's original name was Moose.   The original owners paid for training to house train and obedience train their dog, and at the last lesson the male owner expressed his feelings about the puppy.   I offered to purchase Harley at that time (plus the cost of his veterinarian fees to date and reimburse their training), but the male owner did not want to disappoint his wife.

So a year went by, my phone rang in the afternoon in March 2006, I think.   It was Harley's male owner, and they wanted to know if we still wanted Harley.   Harley had been being passed around to family member to family member, with no one wanting to commit the time and appropriate care to him.  Meantime, Jackie the Doberman, who had been a foster, had become our third dog.   Our budget did not allow for a fourth dog at that time, but I had a client who was looking for a companion for their dog.   Hence, Harley found his new home with owner's who walk him mornings and evenings on the ocean.   Not a bad life for a once unwanted puppy.

The best part?   Like most of our clients, Harley has remained in our lives all these years later.   We know that he is safe and loved.   I get to see him every week, and let him know that we still love him as well.   Harley has known all of my dogs except Neptune, who died before we moved to Maine.

Harley is an awesome dog, who truly deserved his awesome life and awesome owners.  Each week, I plan to blog about one of our client's dogs.   Most of the dogs that come here, we have known for years!




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Holiday season tips for your canine companion from Maine's Professional Dog Trainer

Leon and Boris at Petco.

Thanksgiving, Hanukkah,   Christmas, and New Years are all just around the corner!  So what does this mean for your beloved dog?  Here are the things you should be aware of:

1. Everyone loves a Christmas tree.  Unfortunately the tinsel, lights, ornaments, hooks, packages with wrappings underneath, and potential for the tree to fall over can all pose a threat to your dog.  Glass ornaments can not only be unhealthy to digest but can cut your canines' feet.  Also it's wise not to use edible ornaments on your Christmas tree.
2. In some homes there will be major food preparation for celebrating the holidays.   This means an increase in foods that are not toxic to humans but possibly foods toxic to dogs.
3. Not all dogs like the increase of visitors to their home.   If you have not prepared your dog for this in the past, think of strategies that will make them comfortable and so they are not put in situations they will not be prepared for.
4. There are holiday plants that can be toxic to your dogs.   
5. Hard candy such as candy canes may not only be choking hazards and unhealthy, but they may actually contain ingredients poisonous to your dogs!
6. If you are opening the doors a lot, you need to be sure that you have made any dogs liable to bolt safe during these holiday visits.
7. Bones can also be choking hazards or even carry dangerous bacteria.
8. Holiday candles are always in danger of being knocked over by a pet.   Or even a pet just burning their nose.

Holidays are a fun and busy time for humans.   Just don't forget to be on the lookout for our other companions during this time!

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Looking for puppy training or dog training help over the holidays?   Whether you live in Maine or outside Maine, we have a professional dog training program that can help you.   Sign up soon, and your dog may be trained or had behavioral modification help before the holidays!

Our Maine residency dog training program, what is it?

Mannerly Mutts Dog Training is located in Maine.   Many different programs are offered at the Maine dog training facility.   Many people have not heard of a residency dog training program, also known as a board & train program.
What it is:  A Board & Train or Residency Training Package is one where your dog stays with us.  A dog in training receives two hours of training per day in addition to exposure to a home environment while training.  Residency or Board & Train is a great way to get up front work done by professionals for getting a start on puppy training, getting a start on house breaking, and getting professional help with behavioral problems (aggression, fear, or reactivate behaviors).   Dogs in training train here, and go into public distracting areas to train when ready.   This way your dog gets complete exposure to every day life situations that go beyond their home and yard.


Benefits:   All the up front work (including traveling to different locations when your dog is ready) is done by a professional dog trainer.   This saves the owner a lot of time and effort in the beginning of training.   The training can also go faster, because the dog is not being trained by the owner, who has a learning curve to scale, but by a professional trainer who has handled many different dogs of varying breeds and temperaments.   If the owner has been having long term problems with a behavioral challenge, a professional dog trainer is not going to be intimidated by the dog, and will know how to guide the dog through various scenarios safely (for the trainer, the dog, the public at large).    In this way, you will be better prepared to maintain your dog once their behaviors have improved to being socially acceptable.  Taking a dog or puppy into a structured environment used to training and handling dogs, also gives the dog a strong foundation for their future behavior as a well trained family member.


Included in the Board & Train Package:  1)  Two hours a day individualized training attention and work for your dog 2) Training blog that you can follow including video of the work done with your dog 3)  play, exercise and rest time provided for your dog 4) excellent boarding care while your dog is here and 4) follow up lessons to train the owner on how to interact with their dog and maintain their dog's training.   The leashes and collars we use are also for sale at Mannerly Mutts.   If you want to purchase these from us, they are available for an additional fee.


Price:  This price is based on two hours a day of training (70.00) plus the boarding expense (30.00) to total 100.00 per day.   However, the minimum board and train package we sell consists of a three weeks.   There is not much we can make a dent in with less than three weeks to work.   Therefore, the board & train or residency program starts at $2,100.00 with each day thereafter being 100.00 per day (or 700.00 for each additional week).  
This program is for a variety of purposes:

1. The owner does not have the time for the up front work.   We can bring the dog through all the basic obedience training through to distractions, and then provide a maintenance schedule and lessons.
2. The owner has a dog with behavioral challenges.   Often times an owner will find themselves in a situation where they are afraid of or intimidated by their dog.   This program can take the dog out of the environment, work with him, and then have the owner come back for follow up.   By this time a language has been created (IE commands and behaviors that have been taught) that make the process for the owner and dog much easier.  We can bring both the dog and owner back to a place where both eventually feel comfortable with the other.
3. An owner wants a really well trained dog:)   So they want the bulk of the up front work done by a professional dog trainer.
4. An owner lives far away, but wants our services for training their dog.
5. To begin the training process before a puppy or rescue dog enters their home.

If you find yourself in need of this service, please fill out our client interview form.  
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Our Chihuahua Ziggy and the Pros and Cons of Small Dogs

Dobermans have been our breed since 1997 or so. They have ranged in weight from 80#s to 110#s.  Ziggy weighs 5#s plus a little something.  He is our first dog of any other breed (besides our cats, Clyde and Mustache, who were well over 15#s).   Luckily, I am a dog trainer, so I am very familiar with the special problems of smaller breed dogs.

Small dogs are awesome and need training just like large dogs to reach their potential.   However, there are special considerations that go into owning and caring for a small dog.

First of all, they can be hurt by any number of things if you are not careful.   They just do not have the bulk or strength to withstand things many other dogs can.   On the other hand, you don't want them lacking in confidence, adventure, or socialization.   Small dogs, like Ziggy, can also easily be carried away by predators (birds of prey, coyotes, other dogs, a cat could even get Ziggy!).  We are sure that playmates are trained, and that they are supervised in order to play with him carefully.  The rule here with large dogs is that the smaller dog is always right, and if they are not, I will intervene and they do not need to.   It is very important that the large dogs here know that it is never okay to go after the small dogs.  (also not okay to go after the large dogs here, but there is an additional level of protection needed for toy breeds)

Non social behaviors that can reduce the patience level of the pack are not allowed from the small dogs either.   A bad behavior exhibited towards another has the potential to erode the relationship until something tragic or unfortunate happens.   Therefore, even though small dogs are usually less than 20#s, it is also important that they are trained and supervised.  While toy breeds can not do much damage to a medium to large dog, their behavior can incite a reaction from them that could have serious if not fatal consequences.  However, when rules exist, this keeps that possibility at a minimum.

Another thing we need to be careful, is that there is water that Ziggy can get to.   Our large dogs drink from pails of water.   Ziggy can get up there, but if the water is not high enough, he can not reach it.   So we are sure to bring him aside several times a day for his own water time, unless we have seen that he has reached the larger pail and gotten his water (and same for any toy breed guests that come here).

Going to a dog park or the beach means looking out for my little guy.   I don't coddle him, but I am on the lookout for potential problems to avoid.   To some dogs that have not been socialized with small dogs, Ziggy is fair game to chase like prey.  Being a dog owner means always being aware of my surroundings anyway (as I don't want my large breed dogs to be attacked either), but it is especially important to be aware of what is going on around Ziggy.

Extreme weather especially the cold is a problem for most toy breeds.   They just do not have the insulation to keep themselves very warm.   Even when you have a coat on them, sometimes it is just too cold for them to spend any real time outdoors in the winter.

Tooth decay happens in toy breeds, and it can happen when they are fairly young!  This is a lot different than larger breed dogs.   It is thought this happens as they do not chew enough on bones.   Be sure to consider a solid dental routine for your small breed dog, and get their teeth checked out at each health check veterinarian appointment.

Toy breeds also have their advantages of course.   Picking them up is very easy when they are injured, to take out of a situation, and to walk around in stores that let you do that.  Travelling with small breed dogs is much easier on just about any level.   Feeding smaller breed dogs is obviously cheaper.   The vaccination and other such health expenses (besides surgery as toy breeds actually need specialists sometimes) are cheaper.   Exercising a smaller breed dog is easier.  They live longer, and are easier to take care of during their old age.   Also if they make an accident in the house, it is only so big .   Toy breeds are much easier to pick up after.

Just be aware of these other items:)

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