Carta's K-9s

https://canidae.com/blog/what-are-dewclaws

What Are Dewclaws and Why Do Dogs Have Them? What are dewclaws? Why does my dog have them? Can I remove them? Canidae digs deep on the dewclaw.

How do you fix an unwanted behavior? Don’t let it happen in the first place

This is a concept that, admittedly, was utterly mind blowing when I was first introduced to it. Prior to seeing it in action, I had been working in pretty combative ways with a horse. I didn’t realize that at the time, of course, as I was just focusing on training - a horse does something you don’t want, you fix it, correct it, etc.

I didn’t understand at the time that this is a pretty demoralizing experience from anyone’s standpoint, to only hear feedback when you’re wrong, to run into a lot of no’s when you simply were doing what seemed like the best idea.

When I met Brent Graef Horsemanship years ago, my first clinic experience was with a very upside down, bolting and upset horse. “Set it up so he can win,” Brent kept saying. I really didn’t understand just how deep that meaning could go, but in that weekend my horse softened and relaxed tremendously through asking him for things he could do instead of fighting with him- if he was prone to speeding up somewhere, Brent asked me to get ahead of it and lengthen his stride there before he sped up. If he was prone to freezing somewhere, that was where a halt was added, but done with softness. These little things sprinkled throughout the day softened his defenses and I suddenly had a horse who no longer wanted to bolt.

Before this I had been asking for advice on how to curb the bolting - what do I do when? Brent really drove home that you don’t wait for the when - you set it up so it doesn’t happen in the first place.

There’s no experience that really drives this point home than learning halter starting from Brent. Every single second in these young horses training is set up to create the best outcome, and to prevent unwanted outcomes. You don’t wait for things to go wrong, but you get ahead of them: support, use your environment creatively, think a little, observe a lot, and most of all, stay flexible.

How do you fix a behavior? Don’t let it happen in the first place.

This is something with enough depth to keep me busy for a lifetime understanding.

Each post about Oreo gets harder and harder to make as she is quickly approaching 2.5 years in foster care. We've begged, pleaded, you've shared & commented but still, she remains without a loving forever home 💔

Oreo was saved off of death row when she found herself in danger of being euthanized. She was in rough shape when she arrived to her foster home in Florida; she had entropion and had to get surgery on her eyelids right away. Oreo has healed beautifully and is on daily eyedrops to manage her previous condition. She is spayed, HW negative, and UTD on vaccinations. Oreo gets along with most other dogs and also with cats. While Oreo does not have any Pointer in her DNA, she impersonates well. Oreo is around 50lbs and is a mix between rat terrier, Catahoula Leopard dog and several other breeds. She has been overlooked at our rescue as a breed specific Pointer rescue so we could really use your help by sharing this post far and wide. Oreo deserves a forever home and we will keep sharing her sweet face until we find the perfect place for her.

You can read Oreo's full bio or apply to adopt her on our website at https://www.pointerrescue.org/dogs/211194-P-B-FL.htm.

The looks of this dog.