Dog Training Gift Certificates for the Holidays!

Dog Training Gift Certificates make a wonderful Holiday Gift for any fur kids, Mom or Dad.

One Hour Private Lesson $90

Three hour Private Lesson $210 ( One hour per week for three weeks)

Group Lessons are $150

Well trained dog equals a happy dog owner!

We also offer pet sitting for our clientele, contact us for a quote.

Citrus County Florida Call Pamela’s: Cell 970-640-2202

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Monday, November 8th, 2021
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Pet Sitting for the Holidays in Pennsylvania

Pet sitting for the Holidays in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dog Trainer, Megan Rodgers is accepting bookings now for the upcoming holidays. Reserve your spot soon because
availability is limited. Call 412-266-0441

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021
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Candy is meant to attract, and it does. Keep your dog safe this Halloween!

Keep the trick-or-treat candy away from your dog. Candy is meant to attract, and it does. Candy is not good for dogs, and some candies can actually be lethal. Many Halloween candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol that can be poisonous to dogs. Xylitol can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar as well as a subsequent loss of coordination and seizures.

Some common candy dangers for pets include:

Wrappers, string, and sticks that accompany candy may cause a blockage that requires medical attention.
Fatty chocolate and candies can also predispose dogs to pancreatitis.
Raisins can cause death in dogs, and many nuts are also dangerous if ingested.
Chocolate — especially baking or dark chocolate — can be dangerous and even lethal for dogs. Symptoms of chocolate pensioning may include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and seizures.

The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine. Humans easily metabolize theobromine, but dogs process it much more slowly allowing it to build up to toxic levels in their system. A large dog can consume more chocolate than a small dog before suffering ill effects. A small amount of chocolate will probably only give your dog an upset stomach with vomiting or diarrhea. With large amounts, theobromine can produce muscle tremors, seizures, an irregular heartbeat, internal bleeding or a heart attack. The onset of theobromine poisoning is usually marked by severe hyperactivity.

The usual treatment for theobromine poisoning is to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. If you are worried or suspect that your dog may have eaten a large quantity of chocolate and they are showing any of the signs listed above, call your veterinarian immediately. If you have a small dog that has eaten a box of chocolates, you need to call and go to your veterinarian right away. Do not wait. However, should your dog get ahold of a piece or two, it is most probably not cause for alarm.

Keep your fur kids on leash or in a kennel during your neighborhood Halloween festivities.

Halloween brings a flurry of activity with visitors arriving at the door, and too many strangers can often be scary and stressful for your pets. All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. While opening the door for guests, be sure that your dog doesn’t dart outside. Always make sure your pet is wearing proper identification—if for any reason he or she does escape, a collar with ID tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver for a lost pet. If your dog should escape and become lost, having the proper identification will increase the chances that they will be returned to you. Make sure the information is up-to-date, even if your pet has an embedded microchip.

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Friday, October 8th, 2021
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October is ADOPT A DOG Month

Once you adopt a dog please contact us to assist you with your new dog meeting other pets, like an older dog, maybe your cat.

Training your newly adopted dog can sometimes be a challenge, let us help you with making this new home environment an easy process.

Private lessons at your home, just might be the best possible solution. A well trained dog equals a happy dog owner.

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Friday, October 1st, 2021
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How to change your dog’s food.

How to Change Your Dog’s Food

Switching your dog’s food abruptly can cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea, and a decreased appetite. Any time you decide to change your dog’s food, you should transition to the new diet gradually in order to give your dog’s system time to adjust to the change. Ideally, these transitions should happen over 5-7 days. During this transition, you will gradually incorporate more and more of the new food by mixing it with your dog’s current diet. For most dogs, a good diet transition will look like this:

Day 1: 25% new diet and 75% old diet.

Day 3: 50% new diet and 50% old diet.

Day 5: 75% new diet and 25% old diet.

Day 7: 100% new diet.

Some dogs with sensitive stomachs, food allergies, or other gastrointestinal diseases may need an even longer transition period. The key to a good diet transition is monitoring your dog’s individual response. If, at any point during the diet transition, your dog displays concerning signs such as changes in appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should proceed more slowly. And if you have transitioned gradually and your dog is still experiencing stomach upset, it is best to consult with your veterinarian. In some cases, it may be necessary to choose a different diet.

The Proof is in the Poop!

The best way to monitor your dog’s digestive health is to pay attention to the quality of the stool. While minor variations in stool color and consistency are normal, any major changes can indicate a problem that needs to be addressed. A great way to evaluate your dog’s stool is to use a Fecal Scoring Chart. An ideal fecal score is 3–4. Lower numbers may indicate dehydration or constipation, while higher numbers are indicative of gastrointestinal upset, which can be due to a variety of factors. If your dog’s stool is consistently outside of the normal range, it is recommended that you consult your veterinarian regarding your dog’s digestive health.

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Monday, July 26th, 2021
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New Class Session for Puppies and Adult Dogs Both Locations FL and PA

AKC STAR Puppy – one hour class for six weeks Class covers all of the basic training commands, loose leash walking, teaching come when called, and more! For dogs under one year of age.

AKC CGC – Canine Good Citizen Class, provides all of the instruction you will need for your dog to be a good neighbor dog, obedient, and life long companion. For dogs who have passed their AKC STAR Puppy or One year of age.

AKC – Trick Dog Beginners to Advance – one hour class for 4 weeks prepares your team for their next level of AKC Trick D0g.

Classes start soon please to check our calendar tab at the top of our website for location, times, and pricing.

“All you need is love and a dog.”

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Monday, July 5th, 2021
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The value of eye contact with a dog.

Take a good look at your dog.

Eye contact is often the first things learned in basic obedience classes because it helps dogs focus. In the world at large, eye contact can be seen as a challenge, but in loving relationships, it’s a sign of trust and love. Think about your own eye contact habits; if you’re nervous or intimidated by another person, you might have trouble looking them in the eye, but if you trust them and want to show respect, you’ll meet their gaze.

It’s very similar for dogs.

Look command is a request for a dog to make eye contact with you.

Eye contact isn’t just a sign of a strong bond between a dog and her person, it’s also a way to create and improve that bond. According to Japanese researchers, dogs who gaze at their owners show elevated levels of oxytocin (aka the love hormone), and the owners experience raised oxytocin levels, as well (source). In other words, gazing at each other starts a feedback cycle of love and attachment. That’s right: you can increase your bond and your happiness levels by gazing into each other’s eyes.

Eye contact isn’t just a sign of a strong bond between a dog and her person, it’s also a way to create and improve that bond.

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Saturday, March 20th, 2021
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Breeding Season For Wildlife ( Coyotes)

It’s breeding season coyotes are more active.

Coyote breeding typically peaks in late February and early March, the gestation period averages 58 to 63 days. Male coyotes can become more aggressive during this time of year, the long and short of it all is that coyotes always pose a risk to your dog (and other small pets).

Coyotes are generally monogamous and maintain pair bonds that can last for several years. The breeding season runs from late December through March, and pups are born in the early spring. … The den is abandoned after the pups are weaned but may be used from year to year.

Unneutered male dogs can be lured away by the scent of a female coyote in her ovulation cycle. Keep a vigilant watch over your male dogs intact.

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Wednesday, March 17th, 2021
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“Come! COME!!! Come! Come! Come! Please come!”

A dog refusing to come to you can be very scary!

This is a two week class that can save your dog’s life. Thursday at our Hernando location at 2 pm.

The first class we teach the commands. We provide you 3 different commands to call your dog to you.

We also review a “leave it” command, which assist in getting your dog to move away from a distraction.

This class is a life saver!

“Come! COME!!! Come! Come! Come! Please come!”

If this sounds like your dog’s current recall, you may have a “poisoned cue.” This generally happens unintentionally and occurs when the cue either has an unclear meaning or takes on a negative association for the dog, so they ignore it. The easiest way to poison a cue is to overuse it by repeating the word over and over without your dog responding.
Come join our Recall Class and improve your dog’s recall performance.

Filed under: News & Events by Pamela Wiltgen Tuesday, February 9th, 2021
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New Airline Laws on Service and Emotional Support Animals

ACAA is now requiring documentation of training

Helpful air travel reminders

Service animals must be properly harnessed or leashed and remain under the direct control of you or the dog handler at all times.
The animal must behave properly in public and should follow directions from its owner.
Dog must be a minimum age of 4 months for acceptance on United.
The animal is required to be seated in the floor space directly in front of your seat.
The animal should not extend into the aisles.
If you’re traveling with an animal in cabin to any international destination (or some domestic locations, such as but not limited to Guam or Hawaii, where local regulations may require it), United may require you to bring an up-to-date copy of your animal’s vaccination certificate with you on your trip. We recommend that you have a copy on hand during travel.
You will not be able travel within 30 days of your animal’s rabies vaccination.

Rule on ESA Traveling by Air with Service Animals

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is revising its Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals by air to ensure a safe and accessible air transportation system.

The Department received more than 15,000 comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking. The final rule announced today addresses concerns raised by individuals with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the public, regarding service animals on aircraft.

The final rule:

Defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability;
No longer considers an emotional support animal to be a service animal;
Requires airlines to treat psychiatric service animals the same as other service animals;
Allows airlines to require forms developed by DOT attesting to a service animal’s health, behavior and training, and if taking a long flight attesting that the service animal can either not relieve itself, or can relieve itself in a sanitary manner;
Allows airlines to require individuals traveling with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) up to 48 hours in advance of the date of travel if the passenger’s reservation was made prior to that time;
Prohibits airlines from requiring passengers with a disability who are traveling with a service animal to physically check-in at the airport instead of using the online check-in process;
Allows airlines to require a person with a disability seeking to travel with a service animal to provide the DOT service animal form(s) at the passenger’s departure gate on the date of travel;
Allows airlines to limit the number of service animals traveling with a single passenger with a disability to two service animals;
Allows airlines to require a service animal to fit within its handler’s foot space on the aircraft;
Allows airlines to require that service animals be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times in the airport and on the aircraft;
Continues to allow airlines to refuse transportation to service animals that exhibit aggressive behavior and that pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others; and
Continues to prohibit airlines from refusing to transport a service animal solely based on breed.