March News & Tips
Hello! Welcome to our March Newsletter. I hope you enjoy it.
SF Dog Connector's Meetup!
Have you been to an SFDC Meetup yet? People are loving this easy and fun way to learn and practice training tips, meet other dog owners, and have a great time playing with their dogs. Our next Meetup with free training tips, treats and socialization practice is:
News!
Do dogs feel shame? In case you missed it... On Feb 26th, The Pooch Coach was once again called upon by the evening news for her dog expertise. Click on the image below to see her & Kompis in action!
More exciting news.... our Facebook page hit 500 members on March 2nd!!
Please join our growing Facebook community for ongoing tips and info.
March Training Tip
Does your dog Resource Guard?
 Most people have heard that you should mess with a puppy's food when he's young to ensure he doesn't growl or bite. But did you know that you need to keep doing this throughout your dog's life to ensure his and your safety? You never know when you'll need to grab something dangerous from your dog's mouth, or when someone might try to pet your dog while he's chewing on something. So, you need to make sure your dog knows that it's OK.
Make sure your dog doesn't react in any of the following situations:
- Put your hand in his food bowl and take the bowl away while he's eating
- Pet him while he's eating his food
- Pet him when he's chewing on a bone or other chewtoy
- Take away anything he's chewing on or playing with
- Once you're assured he's safe, ask other household members and friends to do the same actions
If you can easily do all these things, great! Just keep practicing occasionally to ensure your dogs stays in shape.
If you don't feel safe trying these things, then don't do it! But, do get help. We can help train your dog to feel comfortable - and even enjoy - having someone handle his food bowl. We can also teach your dog to drop any item in his mouth.... In fact, here's a video of The Pooch Coach teaching "drop it" live on TV to a shelter dog who was protective of her bone: View "drop it" being taught on live TV
The bottom line is, just as you should easily be able to take away your child's toy or food plate, you should be able to take away whatever your dog is eating.
Please read my short article on resource guarding to understand about the causes and how we can help.
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