Bark For Life

Bark For Life
Bug Light Park, South Portland

May 19 2013

11:00 Registration Opens - Participants, Survivors & Caregivers check in.

11:45 – Noon Opening Ceremony
Noon - Walk Begins with the Survivor & Caregiver Lap around the park (both 4-legged and 2-legged) Participants will join in the 2nd lap

A variety of beautiful walks are available in the area. Maps are available
Noon – 1:00pm  Food & Refreshments available for a modest donation
Noon – 3:00pm Music, activities, silent auction, and demonstrations
3:30pm Closing Ceremony

 

Click here for more information and to register!

Here is a list of exciting demonstrations and activities that will be happening at Bark!

•   Poetic Gold will be doing a Rally-O demonstration
  
•   The American Red Cross – will have information for emergency planning for your family and your pets!
  
•   Bobby Silcott, head of the POM Project (Pet Oxygen Mask) will be in attendance to spread the word about this important project that could save the life of our “best friends”. He will also be representing Harvest Hills Animal Shelter
  
•   Judy Moore of Canine Behavior Counseling will be doing a behavior demonstration, and show us all tricks with her dog Pablo (he is a really cool dog)
  
•   Chris and Sully – dog therapy team!
  
•   Finish Forward Dogs will at the event to do a weight- pull and a mini-agility demonstration, and they will also be raffling off a gift certificate for a training class at their table!
   Gayle Hickok of Pawsitive Results K-9 Rehabilitation will be raffling two passes for her salt-water rehabilitation pool, two initial evaluations, and her famous doggie chicken jerky.
   DJ-Paul Robart will be keeping the energy high through the whole event.
    Roosevelt the Border Collie will be present. Roosevelt is in a wheelchair because he doesn't have use of his front paws
    My First School Preschool and Childcare will be doing face painting
    South Portland Police Department will be doing a K-9 demonstration
    Uptown Hound will be doing nail trimming.
    Kathy Young will have information about Reiki for pets and people
    Lori Sirois will also have a table representing Therapy Dogs Incorporated
    CCART – Cumberland County Animal Response Team will be in attendance
    Rescue Organizations that are participating: Lucky Pup Rescue, Almost Home Rescue, Fetching Hope Rescue, Border Collie Rescue, Tall Tail Beagle Rescue, CT Underhound Railroad Rescue, and Pug Rescue of New England.
    We are excited too that Guiding Eyes For the Blind – Maine Puppy Raising Region, and Maine Veterinary Referral Center will be attending!
    Silent Auction, games, and contests for dogs, adults and kids 

They're Watching You

Body language helps the dog
know what you want.

Are you in the process of training your dog?  Maybe conditioning new behaviors in a puppy or rescue dog, or maybe you are trying to correct an unwanted behavior.  I believe our dogs learn by watching us or simply being with us, more than listening to us.

With your dog on a retractable leash walking down the road, a new scent is caught by your dogs keen sense of smell. So, it pulls off the path to get more information, and you quickly push the button to extend the leash so he can explore just for fun.  This pattern continues for weeks or months until your dog is conditioned to pull hard to get to where he wants to go.  Not until one day when his pull creates a searing pain in your shoulder do you yell and yank hard on his neck.  Your dog is startled by this outburst of negative energy directed his way and turns away to avoid your hard face and scary sounds.  

Getting low and rewarding with a treat
 for recall is inviting and works.

How about when calling your dog?  Are your voice and body saying the same thing?  What do you do if your coworker says "the boss is in a bad mood!"  Might you stay away just to avoid conflict?  Dogs are masters of avoidance if it keeps them safe.  If your body is stiff and tense when your voice sounds sweet calling your dog, they may choose to sniff the ground as a way of avoiding conflict.  If then you shut the door and grumble to yourself about how stubborn your dog is,  your dog learns that avoidance works as the scary tension just went away.  Your dog may ground sniff in the future as it just learned that this behavior worked. And, we know dogs learn to repeat any behavior that has a positive consequence.  How many times has your pup jumped and then sat, in order to get your attention or a yummy treat?  The dog is simply learning that jumping earns him good things.

This chow is definitely keeping one eye on me as I flat
hand massage him under his harness.

Your dog is watching your body movements and listening to the sounds you make, as he did his mother, in order to obtain feedback on what works.   Although dogs do learn many verbal spoken words that are repeated to them, they were born with skills to read body language. 

This Chow is fearful of body handling, but the fact he is laying down shows he is somewhat comfortable with me. However, he is watching for me to do anything he finds threatening, as not all human hands have been nice to him.  I am careful that my pitch and body language are consistent to avoid pushing him over threshold.
I recommend your words are in sync with your body language.  Dog owners whose body language is the same as the pitch of their voice have much better success getting their dogs to comply, than owners whose body language says "you are in big trouble" but their voice says "come here sweetie."  If unsure, dogs will default to your body cues so make sure your body is conveying the correct message!