Kids and Dogs

Just common sense.  The biggest one I tell my customers with kids is the crate one.  That is their safe place, always!  Small children usually need help in keeping feet 'quiet' and using their 'inside voice'.

Children should always be supervised when around any dog.

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19th Annual Lakeside Winter Garden Party

Another year of Fun! at the 19th Annual Ron Kolbus Lakeside Community Centre's Winter Garden Party. This is the Community Centre where I've taught dog obedience since 1994. There are various booths representing the classes offered, games for the kids, face painting, scavenger hunt, demonstrations, music, outside activities and prizes to be won.

It was a beautiful sunny day for it - windy to start & cold but that let up and the temperature improved. We'd had little snow up until the weekend, but with the snow storm the outdoor activities were able to go on. The horse drawn sleigh rides were there, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows, and a taffy pull area. The event was very well attended, keeping us busy. I realized when I went through my pictures I'd taken very few this year.

Mary Lou, Mary-Anne & Andrea (student work volunteer experience) were there with me. We took Harley (Mary Lou's boy), Chinook, Moxi, our 4+month old girl Gem, and 10 wk old boy Journey.

Our booth with Andrea & Mary-Anne with Chinook on the table

The stuffed sheltie, Chinook & Moxi on the table greeting visitors. Which ones are real kids?
Andrea is holding Journey who by this time was tiring out.
Chinook with the Mascot this yr.Chinook as a puppy with the Mascot in 2009!
Journey's turn with the Mascot

The Ottawa City Councillor was in attendance, Mark Taylor - a little cuddle time with Journey

We put on a short obedience demonstration with Harley keeping in mind our goal with dogs are to have them be good canine citizens. It was then the kids turn to learn how to properly greet a dog with its owner.

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Teaching Brownies Responsible Dog Ownership

I am a bit behind in updating our Blog ... time has just gotten away on us these past few weeks with various events.

On Feb 8/12 we took several adults, 14 wk old girls & 2 8 wk old puppies to visit a Brownie group to give a talk on dogs, their care & how to properly approach them. Hopefully they will all be able to get their Pet Badge.

The two Trixie pups, Journey (l) & Disco (r) were immediately scooped up by two of the leaders.

The Brownies were taught how to properly approach puppies. Here's one girl with our Mocha.

Our two adults, Harley & Chinook giving the girls experience greeting older dogs.

Time for the pups to join a circle. We taught especially quite feet, quiet voices and to allow pups to come to them. Journey eventually took it into his paws to work at pulling on shoe laces!At the end Gem & Mocha spent more time socializing. All the girls left with a gift of a Proplan picture booklet. Something to remember their evening.

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Dogs and Kids ~ Learning As They Go

These pictures came via a client of ours who owns one of our dogs that is 1.5 yrs old now. The fun to be had by all after Xmas presents are opened.

Now you tell me, who's teaching who?

You spin 1st ... ah, ha, the blue, wouldn't you say!
and we do it how?

by george I think we've got it ... we'll both start on the blue

Is this how we do it? I hit it 1st, does that mean I won?!

Oh, so the Twister game is over? Now on to skate boarding? Isn't that a summer sport?

I think I can figure this one out ... easy does it!

Now how cute is that?! Thanks Karen, these are priceless pictures.

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Puppies & Kids At Summer Camp

Kodak & Taphee @ Summer Camp for Kids

Besides the 2 pups tearing up the toilet paper :) Marylou has also taken them to various Summer Camps for Kids around the Ottawa area. Part of these summer camps is to teach kids how to be, and not to be around dogs, and how to properly approach them.

Good for the kids to learn early in life & good socializing for the pups too.

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Our Community Center's Winter Garden Party

The community center where I teach dog obedience held its 17th Annual Winter Garden Party. We had a lovely sunny, above freezing temperature day, all held before everyone rushed home to watch the final Olympic Hockey Game.

Our dog obedience table was constantly busy! Between the 5 shelties we brought and my students that came with big and small dogs, we had all sizes for the kids to learn how to interact properly.

Our table, with a bunch of our shelties x-penned in the corner. We took "Rocky", Mary-Anne brought "Casino" (our blue-eye beauty), "Ruby", MaryLou brought "Rush" and our newest hopeful "Tootsi" went along for socialization.

Our demo began with teaching the kids how to properly approach dogs, the do's and dont's, with many of them getting to practise what they were just taught.We went on to demonstrate to the audience the skills the students have learnt over the last 6 weeks.

There we many other demo tables that gave the community an idea of what classes they can take.

Kids could get Cheek Art done, go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride, toast marshmallows by a fire and take part in a scavenger quiz. There were many great prize draws also.

We also had a small band with guitars, violins & an organ. Requests were encouraged and this young one had a few in mind. I was so impressed with all the dogs on how they handled the band music that was so close, in the same room.Here are the 2 sisters moving to the beat. You had to be there to see the youngest, bobbing in her snowsuit to the tunes.

And then there was "Her Royal Ruby-ness" ....
who spent much of the time on the table getting a birds eye view.
the day was over .... "Rocky" was ready for a snooze while we watched our Olympic Hockey team win GOLD, and the closing ceremonies.

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Kids And Puppies

Saturday was puppy visit time for one of my clients. Tyme was more than willing to show off her two boys. The kids learned quiet feet, quiet voices & touche doucement.

Tyme checks in and ensures she gets some of the googling.

A child's first puppy 'kiss'!

Puppies are getting more mobile and exploratory.

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