DOGS BEHAVING BADLY

Last week we did the Perryfest Parade in Perry, Michigan. Since we were already shorthanded I thought it best to leave our little stinker "Baby Ruth" at home and just bring "Snickers" our Certified Pet Therapy Dog.

BUT Daddy (my hubby) said she could go. So I turned to Baby Ruth (our min pin, rat terrier, chihuahua mix) who was waiting impatiently by the door and said, "Guess what? Daddy said you can go?!" She started dancing in a circle all excitedly. Everyone laughed it was so cute.

So I grabbed both the dogs leashes. Then realized I didn't pack any waters or even a water dish for the dogs! OOOPS! After grabbing the waters last minute, we were out the door right at 10:30 a.m. like we had planned.

As we drove down our street I had a bright idea.

"We should let the dogs have a quick run before the half hour drive to get their energy out," I announced to my husband.

He pulled the van over at the soccer ball fields, and I let them both out, unleashed, not even thinking. Another OOPS!

We were laughing at first to see Baby Ruth running crazily around the whole open field along the creek, but then she stopped and started eating something.

I commanded her to "Leave It!" and every other dog command I could think of, which only encouraged her to eat faster. That was an even bigger OOPS!

I commanded her to come. Instead of coming to me, she stopped eating, dropped, and rolled in whatever it was, smearing her face entirely in it, and then since Snickers had ran back to the van, she did too. That's when we realized she was covered in poop and had a BIG CLUMP stuck to the side of her face! URG!

So back home we sped.

My son Jeremiah took her around back to put her on the chain, while I fled in the house to wash the leashes (she had even gotten poo on Snickers leash too!) The door was locked and none of the 5 million keys on the ring would work! REALLY?

Finally, I got the door opened, washed the leashes, and cleaned the sinks and counters, but I had no time to bathe Baby Ruth or we'd really be late. So I had no choice but to leave her on the chain until we got home.

Thankfully, despite the slew of mishaps that morning, the parade turned out fabulous! The parade director even told my husband, John, to drive slow through town because they were going to give us an extra long shout out about our Abuse Bites program and pay tribute to our son, Brian, who passed away last year.

I've been in a lot of parades, but their announcement, that morning, was so wonderful, it made me cry.

Later, I returned home and bathed the little stinker, which by this time, the poo was all hardened and stuck in her fur. Two shampoos later and she came out smelling like a dog I could cuddle and hold again.

But I'm learning that some dogs (like Baby Ruth) if given an inch, will take a mile, so they need more discipline and structure and probably shouldn't be unleashed for their own protection. I've also learned from experience that when she does eat something nasty, she always ends up sick.

We're actually a lot like dogs. We often go back to the same old garbage too, in our friendships, relationships, and other things that pull us down, which can make us physically and emotionally ill. So let's take care of those that we love, work on changing the bad behaviors, and staying away from the garbage in life.

I've had to work much harder with, Baby Ruth, than perhaps with Snickers, but I love her so much. Instead of hurting her when she's bad, I tell her NO, and focus on the times she's good and praise her for that!

Love and praise are the most powerful and effective tools for training dogs, but especially for dogs behaving badly.

Having Fun While Training Your Dog

Due to cold weather and rain a week ago Thursday I ended up teaching two Pet Therapy classes this week. Thankfully the weather cooperated both Monday and Thursday of this week and although everyone couldn't make it to the first class, they were all here on Thursday.

We had such a great mix of people and dogs, from young to old, teeny, tiny and fearful to Gigantic and fearless! What a variety of pooches: a Golden Doodle, Black Lab/Shepherd, Yellow Lab/Shepherd, Chihuahua, Scottish Terrier, Golden Retriever, and a Haveneze (spelling?)!

Man were the dogs hyper!

With Snickers, Baby, and Jax (our most recently trained Certified Pet Therapy Dog and his owner Stacey Wendling), we had a total of 10 dogs here! Thankfully we had lots of volunteers!

At first I was thinking I should have broken them up into two groups, but they (dogs & handlers) did awesome! The dogs settled down and took their turns for each section of the training--almost like they were at the testing. Wow! I was so pleased with all their progress!

Molly and Marna added a few laughs as usual. When we did the sit, stay, then come when called, Molly always went to someone else or another dog instead of Marna. Gotta love em! That just cracks me up :) But then we realized it's because Molly takes her eyes off Marna and loses focus immediately. I pointed out that one of our other ladies, Samantha was clapping to keep her dog, Dolly's attention. That seemed to work great. So I learn something new from my students too and love it!

Some of the dogs wouldn't sit and stay long or at all. But in our group, that's okay, we don't force. We work at the dog/handlers pace and give them tips and encouragement of how to work on those problem areas.

I believe each dog/handler is special and unique. No two dogs are alike, just the same as no two people are alike. And that's awesome, because some people like big dogs, where others like small dogs. But any dog, when trained properly can be a more obedient dog.

Funny I should say that. A little boy who came to the group was holding Snickers leash a ways away from where I was teaching and he started barking loud and annoying at a kid passing by on a bike. I commanded, "Snickers, No Bark!" Everyone laughed because he hung his head like he'd gotten busted when he thought I was too busy to be paying attention. But he'll even be outside on the chain and bark to come in and I'll command, "NO BARK!" to let him know I hear him and he will stop. Then when he stops barking I say, "Good No Bark," to praise him.

That's the thing with dogs, they are just like kids, so if you really want them to mind, you have to keep right on them, praise them when they are good, but don't give them an inch when they're not!

Our Dogs that Heel & Heal Classes are offered privately as well as in group sessions. Please see our website for more details AbuseBites.com

Happy Training!

 

Stopping Bullying & Abuse In Saginaw Michigan

Doors are opening to STOP BULLYING in Saginaw, Michigan.

For five years I've tried to do work in my own community here in Owosso. And I've done some awesome things. And I do hope to do some more awesome things in the future.

But lately I've been noticing how God is leading us to Saginaw. Earlier in the week I was invited to attend an awesome Conference in Saginaw today by a sweet lady, May Watson, who works with Drug Education, Prevention & Youth Services with the United Way. They go into the public schools to raise awareness, prevention, and education to help kids make better choices. She said they've been praying about an anti-bullying program!

I just met May Saturday at the Saginaw Worship in the Park celebration on Ojibuway Island. Talk about divine appointments! Her and her husband are like angels, fluttering around to connect organizations together so we can work together, change hearts, save lives, and Stop Abuse! Awesome!

Not only did I have a blast meeting, talking with, and having a booth in the park next to May, but today she introduced me to some wonderful people at the Conference.

Already the YMCA has contacted us and has asked us to come and share our message/program with their staff. How awesome!

If you'd like us to share the scoop on bullying, prevention, safety, education, awareness, or a healing workshop, please let us know! We'd be so happy to serve your school, church, work place, or community.

Our workshops are FREE, we just ask that our gas be compensated.

AbuseBites.com

7 Ways To Stop Abuse & Bullying!

We get letters, phone calls, emails, face book messages from desperate children, teens, parents, and workers every day! People are being bullied and they want it to stop! Believe me, we want it to stop too!

My son, Brian, had Asperger's Syndrome and a rare heart disease and was bullied all through life. But more than anything he wanted to go all the USA to educate others, raise awareness, share his story & and offering healing to all, even though he'd been on the heart transplant list for 5 years.

Brian knew what it was like to hurt, but he also knew what it was like to heal. He loved everyone (even the bullies!) and had a passion to give that gift of love and forgiveness to others.

Sadly, last year as we were planning our trip around the USA, he passed away from a blood clot.  He always said, "Mom, you can't go without me!"

On Brian's 23rd birthday we launched 23 balloons with the message "How Far Will You Go To Stop Abuse?" in his memory, to see how far they'd go. Some of them were reported being found 90 miles away! That was cool! But that wasn't enough...

This summer we raised our own funding and went on a Walk n Talk Across Michigan, over 1,000 miles (of driving--then we walked around each major city--15 total) talking to people, offering FREE HEALING WORKSHOPS in schools, churches, work places and communities. But that still wasn't enough...

We know we are called to complete the mission in Brian's memory, to go all over the USA and even the WORLD to STOP ABUSE and with your help we can do just that! IF we can get this healing message to the entire world, then that will be enough!

How                       Far                     Will                   You                      Go  

To    Stop  Abuse? 

The great news is, you can stay right where you are and still stop abuse.

There are 7 ways to Stop Abuse & Bullying right from where you are:

1#  By not standing by when others are abused--do something, say something, go get help! REPORT ALL BULLYING!

 2# By not allowing others to physically, verbally, emotionally or spiritually abuse you! Stand up for yourself!

 3# By treating others the way you yourself would like to be treated! Do unto others

4# By telling all your friends, family, coworkers, church family, schools, community about our program Abuse Bites

5# By volunteering in our program, right from your desktop, computer, office, home, etc

6# By praying for us diligently as we take on this huge mission God has called us to (for funding, open doors in schools/communities, health, safety, and God's divine will and direction)

7# By donating or sponsoring us so we can have the funding (for gas and food) to travel abroad to share these healing workshops FREE to all :)   See ChangeForBrian.com

Donate Online @ Abuse Bites.com

Sponsorship Opportunities Online @ Sponsor US


Via Mail: Abuse Bites, Change for Brian, PO Box 1582, Owosso, MI  48867 (Make Checks Payable to Abuse Bites)

*All donations/sponsorships are 100% tax deductible and will be used to Stop Abuse & Bullying!

Thank you and may God bless you richly for your generous prayers, help, and gifts!