My 7 post challenge

I was tagged quite awhile ago in the 7 post challenge by: inu-baka blog: my seven posts 
Unfortunately I tend to over think these things hence my delay in getting it posted. I finally decided it wasnt cremation or casket, (my sons saying for when I am stuck on a decision) and therefore stopped thinking about it so much. So here are my 7 posts.
My most beautiful post: This is a tough one. I chose the one I thought had some good writing and that I want people to see because of the message it has in it. Judging a dog by its breed is killing dogs and it needs to stop. It also makes me cry every time I think about it. So here is a Dog Named Worf.
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Most Popular Post: I had to go look at my stats to figure this one out. Here is: How to make your own Rally O sign holders.
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My Most Controversial: OK it was hard to pick just one. I guess I would need to go with these two based on comments and e-mail conversation I had after posting. Debunking the dominance myth and Alpha rolling in Wolves and Dogs.
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My Helpful Post: Again I couldnt narrow it down to just one. So here are a few that I think are most useful:  A lesson in canine greetings, and Loose Leash Walking. And for anyone with a dog that needs help with stairs: My own project runway.
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Success surprised you: Again I went back to my stats to see what came up alot. For some reason it was this post: Frenchie as Frankendog. I can only assume it has something to do with words searches somehow, though I have to wonder just what exactly they were searching for.
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Didnt get the attention it deserved: This one was easy for me to choose. Reading Facial Expressions in Dogs. I still havent found any mention of "The Thinking Face" on other blogs or videos. I also think most info out there on reading facial expressions is geared to the non-flat faced breeds. I am unsure why that is.
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Most surprised you: This was a tough one. Im not sure what constitutes surprise exactly. I chose a post I thought should have gotten more oohs and ahhhs than it did. My Dog Tattoo Quest Fulfilled. I was also hoping for other dog people to share their dog related ink! (You can even post photos on my facebook page!)
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Now Im supposed to pass this on to 5 blogs I have been following but may have missed their more important posts. I chose these in no particular order:
Frogdog Blog
Retrievermans Weblog
Of Cows Tails and Chew Toys
Save the pitbull, save the world
The Spiritdance dog tracking and sheep herding blog

Im also going to tag a new blog to my blogroll as well so I can get to know them better:
Lessons from and for 4 legs

Participation is completely optional and I will not be offended if you to chose to ignore the tag. Thanks for the challenge Jen!! Blog on!!

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Blogger fail! The post where I catch up yet again

So my co-worker told me the other day I am a blogger failure. She is right. It has been over a month since I have posted! That is a long time between posts, even for me. Ooops! I have been busy working on some personal issues and just got side tracked. (It turns out I was concentrating more on what I feed my dogs than what I was eating. Now Im trying to make healthier choices which seems to mean more time cooking and such.) I also find it easier to post things to my facebook page when I am busy. So if you come here and I am quiet check things out there instead. http://www.facebook.com/K9SolutionsDogTraining If it makes you feel any better I am behind in my blog reading as well.

This cutie is Frankie. He is being fostered by a friend and will be available for adoption soon through ACDRA. It is believed he may be a Kelpie and not an Australian Cattle Dog however. He needs to learn some manners first. A home without cats may be a better fit for him too. He is about 2 years old and was saved from a kill shelter.

Zola is still doing very well on her meds and diet. She is a very normal puppy. We have even finally turned the corner and she is sleeping through the night now. This is a HUGE improvement for my life! She is also giving me cues when she needs to go outside to potty as well. Another big victory. I wasnt sure that would ever happen given that I dont limit her water intake due to her condition. I admit it got better once I stopped babying her and stopped sleeping on the couch after the middle of the night outings. See, I do know what to do, I was just being too emotional about it. Puppies are sometimes to cute for our own good.

Jenny is having a not so good time with her skin right now. I had to increase her Temeril-P which I hate to use. I swear one of the days we got some snow cover she seemed better. But I dont know if that was wishful thinking or not. It makes me wonder how much of her problem stems from an allergen outside. Of course maybe I am just grasping at straws.

Jack is doing wonderfully. I took him for a do it yourself bath/brush and blowout recently. Wow he sheds a lot! I know this but every so often he impresses even me with the amount of fur I comb out. I got an undercoat rake with slightly longer tines that works really well on him.

The two most current prison puppies are doing great. Rosie, the cattle dog/pit mix has been adopted already. I ran into her new owner today at the Loyal Biscuit during an outing. He was there buying a second crate for his car. It seems she likes to teeth on his interior. Ahhh the joy of puppies! He reports she is doing great. The the other pup Daisy, the red nose pitbull, is going to the shelter daily so potential adopters can meet her. She can be a handful so we are trying to find just the right match for her. You can see them both about 10 minutes into this video: http://vimeo.com/37466423 Or check them out on our official facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/K9Corrections

I am hoping to get some t-shirts with my logo on them ordered soon. I would like to be able to offer them for public sale too but Im not quite sure if I can manage that. I am pretty small time as a business so I need to look into it more. I am also going to need to get new logos on my car this year. Not only has my logo changed slightly, they are peeling off after having them a few years. Maine winters are not kind to window stickers long term.

Before I go need to answer a readers question that I found in my comments when I (finally) approved them. I cannot give you a comparison between the Freedom No Pull harness and the Sensation harness because I have not used a Sensation harness yet. Sorry I cant be more help with that.

Again, I will try to blog more but no promises. Sometimes you just gotta make time for yourself first  :-)

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My longest overdue post ever

Yes I know this is a very overdue update. Keeping up with my facebook page is so much easier than the blog so it has fallen by the wayside. Sorry about that. https://www.facebook.com/K9SolutionsDogTraining

Zola has beaten all odds and is still with us. She is doing very well! She is a robust 13 pounds now and full of hell. (Compared to the 10 pounds she came to us at.) Clearly she has no idea she is "sickly". Her jaw can open a bit further now as well. She is still a messy eater and blending her food is still necessary. She doesnt care though as long as she gets fed. Jenny and Jack are still excellent as well.

The prison program, K-9 Corrections, has begun again. This time we are at the supermax of the Maine State Prison instead of the Bolduc farm minimum facility. It is quite the change, at least for me. Many more rules to abide by as you can imagine. Including not being able to carry my camera so I have fewer photos to post. (Im working on that!) But the handlers are all still very motivated and happy to have the dogs to train. They work hard and are doing very well. We are still on the first two pups to see if this will work out there or not. Here is our fb page:  https://www.facebook.com/K9Corrections  Fingers crossed it keeps going well.

On another note if you tried to reach me by phone a few weeks ago and didnt get through I apologize. We were having technical difficulties. I was even thinking of changing to my cell phone number for the business. We had the cable company come out and fix it so it is back up to speed. I can be reached at on my home phone at 354-6488. I am more sporadic by e-mail so be patient if you e-mail me. I am reachable through my facebook page as well.

So yes I AM still here and training dogs. Give me a call or shout out if you need my help. Tail wags!

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A post in which Jack goes to work

Jack got to join me at the prison the other day to help socialize the puppies. As shy as they can be with people, though they are MUCH improved on that count, they are not shy with other dogs. Mason liked to bark when anyone was having fun without him.

There are some very cute videos of them over on the K-9 Corrections facebook site. Go check out Myahs play bows.

We learned that Myahs play style is all about chase games. By the end of the session you could tell she was quite smitten with Jack.

Mason was a little pushy at first but was quick to figure it out when Jack told him off. Jack is a fabulous "uncle" to puppies. Everyone had a great time. Sometimes I forget this is supposed to be work!

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A post in which I share a few great links

First an update for a reader. The photo above is Liam, one of our K-9 Corrections puppies. He and Levi are doing very well and are getting neutered next week. This means they will be available for adoption soon. FMI contact the Humane Society of Knox County at 207-594-2200. Note: I am NOT in charge of the adoption process.

Now here are some interesting or informative links: This is why you should learn to read pet food labels: EPA Document proves euthanised pets may be in pet food. Yes this is pretty awful. Arent our pets worth a few extra dollars to buy food that is at least free of contaminants? At the very least dont we respect our passed on pets more than using them as dog food? I could see it if we had no choice but we do. It is shades of Soylent Green for sure. (I may be dating myself with this reference.) FMI on this subject check out the book "Food pets die for" by Ann Martin. While I disagree with that authors thoughts on raw diets, the info on how to read pet food labels is excellent. And this is not new info, it has been discussed in the past on other blogs as well.

Then a fabulous article by fellow trainer and friend about how we communicate to our dogs through unintentional cues.

Here is a story about a wildlife attack on 2 people. This is exactly why we need to be careful of all wildlife acting strangely. (and get our pets vaccinated for rabies to keep them safe)

A shout out and congrats to Heidi and Joel on opening their SECOND LOCATION of the Loyal Biscuit in Belfast. (Squeeee!!) And thanks to Prudence for blogging about it for me to be able to share here.

And for something completely different, for fun I give you this: http://youtu.be/i9iq9gdeIE4

Enjoy!!

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Pet365s nice post on Dog Development

Dog Development graphic created by Pet365 - a UK stockist of stunning dog beds and brands like Hamish McBeth. Click here to view the full post.

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