Connected Canine

Linda Watson is a Certified Dog Behaviourist offering dog walking services, socialization outings and dog & human training. Call Linda at 778.587.1387 or visit https://connectedcanine.ca/

This is my foster dog Marley. He’s cute as hell. His cuteness has been both his curse and his blessing in life. Marley bites. Bad. Marley was a cute puppy. He w...as treated like a stuffed toy by a young child who wasn’t supervised with him. When Marley got big enough he started to defend himself from this unintended abuse the only way a dog knows how. With his teeth. At ten months old Marley was surrendered, covered in mats because the family who bought him didn’t understand the needs of a hypoallergenic dog. By this time the damage was done. Imagine not washing your hair for months the whole time someone was dragging you around like you were a teddy bear. So what do you do with a dog that’s snappy and won’t let you get close to it? You lock it in a cage. You let your frustrations get to you and you shove him into the cage because he’s biting you while your trying to get him in there. So now he obviously has issues with the cage. Marley was sent to a training facility that deals with aggressive dogs. I have worked with some very aggressive dogs. Marley is not an aggressive dog. Marley has no trust in people because all they have ever done is wrong him. Marley is terrified to be touched the wrong way because all his life he has been shown that touch only leads to pain and hurt. They said he had no respect and that he was unfixable and unadoptable. When I first heard his story I laughed, I thought he was a poodle with an attitude. Now that I have known him a while I know better. I can see the pain and the suffering this dog has been through. The animals don’t have a voice but if you know what your looking at they will tell you their story. Marley now has a voice, mine, and I am telling his story. Marley is going to be with me quite a while so he can learn to trust people again, working at his own pace towards his recovery. Marley is well trained. He can sit, stay, come, lay down, roll over, Fetch (exceptionally good at Fetch), and high five. He is house trained. He follows the rules of the house. He walks well on a leash. Marley does not need training. Marley needs to recover. I’m writing this with Marley at my feet. A dog that was a gift to a small child. A dog that was supposed to be therapeutic. A dog that was made into a monster. So this holiday season please remember; a dog is NOT a gift. A dog is NOT the responsibility of children. A dog (any dog) is NOT to be left unattended with children. A puppy/new dog is NOT a therapy dog. A therapy dog is a therapy dog. It takes years of expensive training to turn a dog into a therapy dog. You don’t buy them from some donkey selling designer puppies out of their backyard. A dog is NOT an impulse. If you want a non shedding dog be prepared to take care of that hair. If you want a German Shepard be prepared for all the training required. If you want a Dalmatian be prepared to deal with a stubborn pain in the ass. At the beginning of this I said his cuteness was his curse and blessing in life. The curse is obvious after reading this. The blessing? If Marley looked like a Pit bull he would have been put down a long time ago. Update: I adopted this dog in March. He is now an obedience master working towards his intermediate agility, and he helps me train other broken dogs. You can follow him in his new life on Instagram @john.is.for.the.dogs

MEET THE PACK!!! This little bundle of cuteness is Penny! She came out on her first walk today. I seriously cannot get enough of this girl... And lucky for me I'll be seeing a lot of her!!! Welcome to the pack cutie!

There are lots of important tools that we use in our program but the Place command is definitely one of the most important foundational tools that we teach. #Tr...ainingTools . Teaching a place command can be a great tool for both the handler and the dog. For the dog it represents a calm, safe place to rest and relax. For the handler it’s a place to help teach the dog how to feel around certain distractions. #PlaceCommand . Here are 3 quick tips to help teach your dog a Place Command: 1. Choose something to use as your place (raised pet bed or crate pad pictured above), then start rewarding your dog each time he/she steps onto the Place. You can use whatever reward that motivates your dog most (food, toys, praise, etc.). Repeat until your dog starts automatically going onto the place just to get the reward. 2. Once your dog goes onto the place without direction, start marking the action of him/her going onto the bed with the word Place or whatever word you want, just be consistent. Repeat until you can use the command to get him/her on the bed. 3. After mastering steps 1 & 2, start proofing your Place with the 3 D’s of dog training (distance, duration, and distractions). First start with distance or duration (distractions last). Use the command to get your dog onto the Place, then start creating distance by stepping away from your dog on his/her place while they stay there. Only rewarding when you get back to the Place while your dog is still on his/her place. Proof duration by asking your dog to stay on the place for a longer period of time. Rewarding for him/her remaining there for a longer and longer period each time. Then start proofing your distance and duration together. Once your dog is really good at distance and duration together, start adding distractions such as door knock sounds. Reward your dog whenever he/she remains on the place no matter what the distraction is. . Always remember when working with your dog to slow down and set your dog up for success by doing what he/she can achieve in small increments working up to harder challenges, and if you’re needing further assistance consult a professional in your area. #SlowDown . #PawsitiveChange See more

Due to an overwhelming response we are opening up two more slots for our upcoming 8-week Take The Lead program. These two slots are open effective right now and will be booked on a first come first served basis. Don't forget we are also hosting our next free community pack walk next Sunday November 29th. Here it is folks! Welcome to Take The Lead! An 8 week course design to teach you how to be the best pack leader you can be for your dog. Let's be honest every dog wants to pl...ease. There is not a dog out there that doesn't love to hear the words good boy or good girl. Most often it is we as humans that are not clear in our direction or really understanding how to ask our dogs for what we want. Classes will run three times per week for eight weeks. That is 24 fully guided classes. During these eight weeks we will be working on creating a bond of trust and respect between you and your dog. You will learn proper leash handling skills, how to keep your dogs full attention in both calm and distracting environments, socialization, recall, and so much more. Classes will run rain or shine and space is very limited to ensure maximum safety and enjoyment for all participants. PM for more details. Classes will start Wednesday December 2, 2020. We look forward to helping you achieve balance and harmony with your four-legged best friend!

EVEREST IS HOME SAFE THIS IS EVEREST. Chris. just called. We have a call into Dan who has her safe SOOKE FOUND AT 12:30 PM ON 11/17/2020... Location found: Henlyn Drive, Sooke, BC Other sightings: Collar? No Tags?: Tag details: Breed, colours, description: Malamute/ HuskyBlack/white Distinctive harness Gender: Unsure Spayed / Neutered? Unsure General Health: Good Tattoo? No Tattoo details: General temperament: Good Contact ROAM: 778-977-6260 or 778-977-6265 [email protected]

We just had a cancellation for December! if you're planning on traveling over the holidays please make sure you have booked your time with us well in advance as we do fill up very quickly! Need a pet sitter? Lol Seriously though, do you ever wonder what your pets are doing while you’re at work? Wish you had more time to exercise and socialize them?... Or maybe you just need someone to stop by and let them out for bathroom breaks? Guess what? We do ALL of those things! Call or PM today and let us help! 778-587-1387 See more

Here it is folks! Welcome to Take The Lead! An 8 week course design to teach you how to be the best pack leader you can be for your dog. Let's be honest every dog wants to please. There is not a dog out there that doesn't love to hear the words good boy or good girl. Most often it is we as humans that are not clear in our direction or really understanding how to ask our dogs for what we want. Classes will run three times per week for eight weeks. That is 24 fully guided class...es. During these eight weeks we will be working on creating a bond of trust and respect between you and your dog. You will learn proper leash handling skills, how to keep your dogs full attention in both calm and distracting environments, socialization, recall, and so much more. Classes will run rain or shine and space is very limited to ensure maximum safety and enjoyment for all participants. PM for more details. Classes will start Wednesday December 2, 2020. We look forward to helping you achieve balance and harmony with your four-legged best friend!

"You haven't earned my affection yet, human."

Guys one of our pack members needs your help!!! Alabama was rushed into waves veterinary hospital at 3:00 a.m. with a blockage in her tummy. If you can make a small donation through this GoFundMe page or call the clinic directly we would be ever so grateful. She's still just a puppy and she really needs our help to get through this. thanking you all in advance for your continued kindness generosity and support. ... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10164520519770096&id=780470095