ATB: Dog Talk / Dog Parks / Yellow Ribbons

These articles I would like to suggest are worth the time it takes to read them for each and every dog owner.  This first one addresses common problems and misconceptions about going to the local dog park.  The second one addresses similar concerns and situations regarding the popular use (misuse?) of dogs who have a yellow ribbon tied to their lead or collar.  Please, I encourage you to read both of these brief blog posts and consider what is being said here.  I just cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning to recognize what your dog is communicating by their body language. As breeders, we put a lot of time into early socialization before any puppy ever leaves. Contrary to popular belief, to socialize a puppy is MORE than having lots of people and children handle them at an early age. ALL of that is important of course and should be part of any early puppy development.  But there is a language which can ONLY be taught to a puppy by other dogs - beginning with that all important period of time spent with momma dog.  Far too many breeders separate their young puppies from their momma at an early age and then wonder why the pup does either gets picked on around multiple dogs or worse, tends to be aggressive towards them. The common denominator in both of these articles written by different people is the need to understand what a dog is saying.  Momma dog, when given the opportunity and with ongoing supervision of course, is the absolute BEST teacher in most circumstances to teach a puppy how to be a dog. The purpose behind socializing a purebred puppy dog is to set them up for a 100% success rate in regards to interaction with not only humans but with other dogs.  Part of our education as training our pups to grow up to be adult dogs with sound minds and excellent temperament stems from the accountability of a responsible breeder. Our puppies not only interact with their mother (within reason) right up until the day they go home but also with other juvenile and adult dogs here. This interaction goes a long way into their future with their new families continuing the socialization process by enrolling in a basic puppy kindergarten class. (We talk about this in our puppy reservation policies.) Understanding the most basic of body language of your dog is so important and it's a never ending, fascinating undertaking. One of my favorite books, courtesy of "Aunt Julie" who makes crochet puppy blankets to make the transition of breeder to hunting family home easier, is On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas. 
In the meantime please consider adding the following information to your (hopefully) never ending quest for learning more about your dog.  I know I am NEVER satisfied to accept that I know all there is to know and will forever be open to considering new studies. These two articles just make sense.

DOG PARKS:
WELL SOCIALIZED?  NO.  WELL TRAUMATIZED
"...If you took the average dog and had them stay in a poisoned environment like that for any length of time for weeks or months, I would be surprised if that dog did not develop an aggression problem. All that happens is dogs get bullied, these dogs learn that other dogs can be dangerous or threatening, my owners don’t help me at all, and the only way to get relief is to fight for it..." READ MORE AT http://www.whenhoundsfly.com/well-socialized-well-traumatized/


YELLOW RIBBON REDUX
"...My main issue with the yellow ribbon project, however, is that it supposes that every dog owner is educated to the ribbon’s meaning.  Until educational flyers appear in training classes, Petsmart, dog parks, veterinarian offices, adoption drives and shelters, and until it’s certain that every person with a dog knows the significance of a yellow ribbon tied to a leash, I, for one, am unwilling to trust the well-being of my dog to other people’s level of awareness.  Many people agreed with me, and interestingly, they come from the dog fancy, performance disciplines, or were dog trainers. The majority of people who favor the idea, however, do not come from that background, and it was that 175^th comment that tipped me over the edge enough to write about this again. I don’t intend to revisit the value of the yellow ribbon campaign. There are only so many ways I can state my opinion and I shared it in the article and in my responses to comments made to the article..."SEE MORE AT: http://dogknobit.com/2013/11/19/yellow-ribbon-redux/#sthash.mzZzUau5.dpuf

Remember dear ones, it is always ALL for the love of the dog, both given and received. Arm yourselves with knowledge, be open to new ideas, and NEVER, EVER set your dog up to fail - intentionally or otherwise. There is never going to be one sure fire, never fail, 100 % success rate with any particular training method. But please understand the importance of early puppy development, correct socialization techniques that include puppy kindergarten classes, and most importantly - learn to communicate with your dog on THEIR level.  Love them madly but also respect them for the ANIMAL they are with the understanding their language and method of interpretation is not the same as ours. Take care and God bless. As always thanks so much for your interest in All Things Brittanys.  27 days and counting for ALL THINGS HOPED FOR - puppies cometh!!!! John, Ann, and our canine crew