A few months ago, Daisy and I started a series of one-on-one lessons with Lisa, and now I never want to stop! Daisy is a therapy dog, and the “problem” I was noticing is that she loves her job too much. She was way too eager and excited, and didn't understand that not every member of the human race needs therapy!
By working closely with Lisa, I have now learned a much better approach to “thinking dog” and it has all been in a completely 100% positive manner. That was very important to me. I firmly believe that dogs (any animal really) should never be treated negatively, and unfortunately so many trainers use disciplinary (and sometimes downright cruel) methods of training. With Lisa, we became a team - not leader and follower. And that is so wonderful!
Daisy and I now communicate better than we ever have in the past, and I definitely see this improving as time goes by.Florence Peters
Daisey CGC, TDI
Dory and I started training with Lisa In 2008.My concern with Dory was that she was very nervous and uncomfortable around other people and dogs, especially small children. We took one private lesson with Lisa, in which I learned an incredible ammount of information about dog behavior, and the reasons for Dory's behavior. Lisa told me that Dory had fear aggression, meaning that, when she gets scared, her first reaction is to show aggression. The best thing for Dory would be to expose her to as many things as possible (in a very specific way) to desensitize her to the many things that make her nervous. Another goal was to make her "think" instead of "react". Shortly thereafter, we started obedience class, first with beginner, then intermediate. To my surprise Dory immediately showed much improvement. Being exposed to different dogs and people (in a controlled environment) has really helped her alot. I also learned alot ablout the way I act, and how that affects her mood or behavior in different situations. Most of dog training is actually more about training the human than the dog!
Dory and I have been involved in weight pulling since September, and she has really excelled at it! It is great exercise which lets out a lot of energy. Dory weighs about 65 pounds and has already pulled a total of 1200 pounds, and she can still pull more than that! Weight pulling is really a dog sport that Dory and I have really
had alot of fun with. It has really helped build her confidence and trust in me. We even participate in the weight pull competitions this past March, and I am really proud of how well she did! We have also taken agility classes. This is another dog sport that we are really enjoying!
All of these experiences have been amazing for Dory's progress. She is a much better behaved dog and is much less reactive than she used to be. She has learned to ignore situations that used to make her nervous. Lisa nas tought me to "think dog" and understand dog behavior much more than I heve in the past! And I still continue to learn more with each class I take. Dory and I communicate much better now and have a much closer relationship! I like Lisa's methods of training because it's based on positive reinforcement, not punishment. You can tell a dog not to do something, but if you dont tell them what you want them to do instead, they will continue the behavior that you dont want. Dogs do what works! I would highly recommend Canine Culture to anyone considering any kind of dog training!
Heather Horton
I'd always figured that I was fairly savvy when it came to dogs. I grew up around animals and I've always had horses, dogs, cats, and other small pets. Then along came Billy.
Billy was ten months old when he came to live with us. Upon his arrival he tore through our house like a wild maniac, flying through the air, jumping over furniture, and knocking over lamps. To make matters worse he was afraid of everything! He was terrified and terrorizing all at the same time. What had I gotten myself into? I quickly realized that those 4-H dog obedience classes I had taken a few decades earlier weren't going to cut it with this guy. I was going to need professional help. Luckily fate intervened and I met Lisa at our first visit to the vet.
It is hard to express in words my gratitude to Lisa and Steve at Canine Culture for all of the help and guidance they've given me to help Billy enjoy life and showing me what a world of fun there is to be had with this very special, super energetic dog. It's hard to believe everything that we've accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
We started with obedience classes and mastered a few basic skills like come, sit, and stay. This has really helped to overcome his fear issues. It is reassuring to Billy when he knows what he is expected to do in certain situations. The training methods used at Canine Culture are all positive and involve marking the wanted behavior with a word and using treats as a way to reinforce that communication with your dog. I'd always thought it was taboo to train a dog with food, but have since discovered that it’s a terrific way to help your dog focus and let him know that he's done what you've asked him to do. Lisa and Steve are fantastic (and very patient) teachers and are always able offer a variety of options for dealing with each training situation until you find what works for you.
I attended one of the learning seminars at Canine Culture. The class was super-informative and a real eye-opener (and fun). I recommend the seminars for anyone who loves dogs.
Billy and I try to attend as many of the Sunday weight pull classes and fun pulls as we can. I'll admit that at first I was skeptical; I had a notion that weight pulling was reserved for draught horses and tractors. But the calming effect it has on Billy is amazing. It turns out that certain dogs really need some sort of outlet for thexcess energy, and weightpulling does the trick in a
relatively short period of time without a lot of excitement and running around, and its fun. Now Billy has his own harness and he happily helps me with barn chores and hauling things around the yard; it's important to keep him busy.
Billy loves agility class. His acrobatic-furniture-hopping antics are now directed into a fun, acceptable activity. I can remember watching agility competitions on TV and thinking how exciting it looked. I never dreamed that one day I would be involved as a team with my dog learning to navigate an agility course. Thanks to Canine Culture I'm actually doing it and we're having a blast!
We've just started meeting for herding classes. If I hadn't come to Canine Culture I'm not sure I would have ever known that herding is an actual sport that dogs can participate in. I look forward to finding out more about it and am glad to have discovered yet another enjoyable activity to do with Billy.
There are so many exciting things I've been exposed to since I've been coming to Canine Culture: like finding out about all the cool new 'educational' dog toys that are available to occupy your dog's time and make them think; and what to do and what not to do when your dog is nervous and afraid and how to deal with lots of other behavior issues; to discovering all kinds of great activities you can do with your dog. Plus I've met lots of wonderful, responsible dog owners and their dogs. It seems that the more I learn at Canine Culture the more I find there is to know.
Karen K. Nagurney, Paralegal
I would like you to meet my Bulldog, Loo Loo the Choo Choo. She is 2 years old and this is her story..........We got Loo from Missouri. My husband and I have always wanted a “bullie” and after a lot of research we found a small breeder that had what we were looking for. She arrived on a Delta flight, and so our journey began. Everything was great for about 1 1/2 years Loo found her place in our home and our heart. She latched on to my other dog a black lab named Marty. They were inseparable, best of pals.
After a while Loo started showing signs of being “bossy” . Then bossy turned to controlling, and that snowballed straight into aggression. She would attack her “brother” for no apparent reason. Right out of the blue no warning that we could see at the time. For instance she wasn't chewing a bone or they weren't playing and someone got a little rough. I am talking she could be sleeping on the couch and just of a sudden bolt off it and attack him. Or he could be laying on the floor and she would enter a room and just “BAM!!” it would happen. This started out gradually over time. It would happen once in a while then it became more frequent and very intense. Every time she would attack she would go straight for his legs. This is a Bulldog trait. She gets him off his feet then goes for his neck. Once she would have a hold of him it was nearly impossible to get her to let go. I started becoming very scared of her, this dog I waited for for so long. My husband and I were beside ourselves.
What went wrong?? What had we done or not done. Why was she behaving this way. My Lab had gotten to the point that his best friend had turned on him. if she came into the room he would cower and hide behind me. Or he would immediately leave the room. No more best of friends here. The final straw was in Feb of 2009. It happened again. She went after him. Grabbing him by his front leg and “chewing “on it. Nothing I did got her to let go. I am not proud of the things I have done in attempt to get her to let go. I screamed, yelled, pushed, pulled, hit, punched and even kicked at her. In a desperate attempt to get her off my Lab I grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. BIG MISTAKE. She whirled around and in her FRENZY she bit me. Then went right back after my other dog. I finally managed to get her off him and it took several minutes to get her to calm. Like 45 to 50 minutes!!
I took one look at mt Lab's mangled front leg and knew we were in way over our heads. She had tore his front leg wide open. Leaving part of his bone exposed. Tore one of the tendons and left 12 puncture wounds, 2 of which required staples to close . The swelling was incredible. After a heart wrenching discussion with my husband,he and I came to the conclusion that we had to do something, I was loosing the trust I had in my dog. I shuddered when she came int o the room for fear of an attack. I also feared for my other dog, let alone a small child in the neighborhood. What if this happened to someone's child? My husband couldn't bare the thought of someone else having her and I couldn't live with myself if we gave our “problem” to someone else and something horrific happened. We honost and truly contemplated having her put down. As much as it would break my heart I couldn't see any other way.
After speaking to our vet about our decision he urged us to not act hastily.To talk to a woman he knew before we acted out of desparation. He said she had had very good success with dogs with a variety of behavioral issues and she might be able to help us, or at the very least give a clue as to what the problem was. Her name was Lisa Mawson of Canine Culture CNY. I thank my lucky stars every day that we listened to our vet. Lisa came into our home and was able to show us what some of the problems were. She could see what we couldn't, the triggers. Even thought we couldn't see them they were right there in front of us. You just had to know what to look for. Once Lisa showed us what to look for, she also gave us the tools we needed to head of the attacks. She showed us what WE had
to do for our dog to make her happier and healthier. She gave us some powerful advice and best of all she gave us hope. hope that we could fix this, that it was manageable. Hope that we could reign in Loo's aggression and make her a part of our family once again. Trust her again.
Loo's major problem was redirected aggression. She could keep it in check for a while, but when it came out.......watch out. Lisa worked with us as a team in a way we could understand. She advised us to get her excersising, walking to get some of that pent up energy out of her. Lisa told us about a sport called weight pulling, for dogs. Where your dog is harnessed to a cart and pulls it loaded with various wieghts.She suggested we give it a try. Let me tell you!! If you ever told me that my 65 pound Bulldog would be pulling a cart loaded with 1150 pounds of concrete blocks I would have told you to get your head examined, but every other Sunday at Lisa's Canine Culture Center, that is exactly what she does!!
Loo has found a job!! A good job. One that allows her to spend that energy in a positive manner. Weight pulling and all the other tools that Lisa had given us has done wonders with our dog. She is better mannered, less excitable, more controllable, walks like a dream on a loose leash, relaxed and layed back.
And above all, HER AGGRESSION is in check. We have had no other incidents since we have started working with her on a daily basis. Make no mistake, it is not a miracle cure. It is hard work, and she does “test” and “push buttons” now and again. But no attacks to date. She is our Lab's best friend again, my husband's princess, and she has earned my trust. She is happy, healthy and at peace. Not only has she found her place in our hearts and our home, but she KNOWS her place. There is a difference. I urge you if you are having trouble with your dog To talk to your vet. There is help out there if you are willing to look for it. More importantly, to work for it.
On a final note, Lisa~~ thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, for giving us what we needed, and what we needed to do. And to my dog~~~~~~~~~
WELCOME BACK SWEET BABY LOO!
Darlene and Chuck Browell & family
Florence and Daisy.
Heather and Dory
Karen and Billy
Darlene and Loo Loo
