Animal Training | Animal Careers | Animal Behavior

Diana L. Guerrero’s Ark Animal Tracks: January 2008

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Volume 6, Number 1
Publisher: Guerrero Ink
Online: http://www.guerreroink.com
Copyright © 2008 Diana L. Guerrero. All rights reserved.
Content may not be reproduced without permission.
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January News & Tips
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Tales from the Trips (Latest News)
2. Discussion for the Month
3. Critter Chronicles
4. Schedule of Upcoming Events & Appearances
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1. Tales from the Trips (Latest News)
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Should I say, Happy New Year? This year is off to a fast start and I am sure it is going to fly by just like 2007 did. I imagine many of you are looking at goals and hopes for 2008—many people are.

I really didn’t notice the change because I’ve been busy here in the office working on some new projects and still wondering if I am ever going to tackle the goal setting officially.

Granted, I have a ton of white boards scattered throughout the place with new notes going up as the old ones get erased, but I just haven’t done the traditional goal setting like one of my pals does.

She holds workshops on New Year’s Day and constructs these great vision boards for the year. I like that idea, nice pictures and images of what might be to come.

For me, the beginning of the year found me embroiled in interviews over the San Francisco tiger escape and attack. Some of you might have caught me on a few different shows or radio programs. Fortunately, it quieted down and I settled back into pounding the keys of the computer as I usually do in the winter.

We had a heck of a storm that dumped about a foot of snow last week. I loved it but hated the digging out!

Anyway, I hope you are warm and toasty out there—at the moment there is a chill in the night air and I need to light a fire and curl up with a good book.

In the meantime, keep up with my comments at the blog at arkanimals.com and some of my other websites…and stay tuned because exciting changes are in the air!

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2. Discussion for the Month
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At the moment I am pondering moving this newsletter onto the blog at Ark Animals. My focus on Web 2.0 is dominating most of my Internet interactions and it would make my life easier—what do you think about that?

I am excited about the new format that is coming up shortly for my main website. One thing is for sure, the web is not static and just when you think you are catching up—everything changes!

My agent is still waiting for my next book proposal. Honestly, the idea is still percolating and I am procrastinating because I am busy enough with my class and other projects related to my animal behavior and training practice.

Winter means business slows down for me because people do not want to work their animals in snow conditions or in the cold. So, it is a time when I sit down and mainly stay indoors to write.

Speaking of writing, a prominent newspaper is interested in having me blog for them and I am seriously considering it. I enjoy taking my message out to the public and sharing my knowledge about the animal kingdom with the world—after all that is what I trained for and is my mission in life.

But do I really need more work? My goal for 2008 is to have more balance…what is yours?

Drop me a line and let me know or drop by the blog and leave a comment…you can find it at http://www.arkanimals.com/ark_animal_answers.html
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3. Critter Chronicles
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Shadow is my neighbor’s dog and I’ve known her since the day she was born. From the small little pup that I held in my hand, she has grown into a stropping 88 pounds of magnificent mutt.

Her good nature is matched by her striking appearance and she is what I consider the perfect dog…well socialized to humans and animals, happy, healthy, and playful. But best of all, she is my hiking partner.

This is a good thing for me—and for her. My problem is that I tend to work too much. Her problem is her mom works too much. In the end, Shadow and I take a break to get out and have fun. The result is that we have a relationship based on mutual respect, trust, and enjoyment.

There might be some of you who don’t know that over the past few years I have lost my animal companions. They had good long lives with me but the sad thing for us humans is that animal lives are much shorter than ours.

That pretty much sucks.

So, for the moment, I am waiting a while before I acquire any more critter companions—and to fill the void, I am the auntie to many.

And the many includes dogs, cats, fish, and an iguana—plus some of the local wildlife. I have a Blue Jay that has a crush on me and who tries to locate me inside the house if he cannot see me at the computer.

Then there is the delinquent squirrel (did you read the Squirrel Negotiations blog?) who has backed off a bit in his torment. The raccoons don’t come for the late night parties anymore due to the construction that destroyed the animal path across my property…I kind of miss them but I definitely don’t miss the 2am wake up antics.

They are all special—but Shadow has stolen my heart. She and I both look forward to our hikes up into the wilderness or just sometimes down the road. When we get off the beaten path, I can let her off lead and she explores the scents along side the road and has the sense to rejoin me if we hear a vehicle approaching from the distance.

Just this last week we hiked up after the fresh snow. I love being out when everyone else is in. Our trek took us down to the creek and up onto a trail that leads through a meadow where an old cabin sits empty.

Dogs instinctively know what to do in the snow—they romp and roll with joy. Two other dog pals joined us on the way home and they all made me smile and laugh.

I think that is a great gift to me from the canine clan.

If you are interested, you can find stories and pictures of my adventures with Shadow in the archives of the Fawnskin Flyer.

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4. Schedule of Upcoming Events & Appearances
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I’ll be offering teleseminars on Tuesdays on different animal behavior issues. We are still working on the details for February. I am supposed to be heading out of the country next month so things may change.

Please check my calendar directly to make sure you don’t miss anything in the future: http://dianalguerrero.com/events_book_tour.htm

If you would like an animal behavior or training appointment just call (800) 818-7387 or you can book an appointment online. Don’t forget that I also do phone consultations.

Thanks for your continued support and suggestions
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Have a great month and stay tuned!
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ARK ANIMAL TRACKS
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Copyright © 2008 by Diana L. Guerrero
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Blog Posted January 11, 2008 at 9:36 pm

Where is the newsletter and other ramblings…

By Ark Lady

If you are an avid fan and have subscribed to my newsletter, you will have noticed it is late. At the moment I am managing my own websites and blogs–so when we moved one to a new provider and format–well things went horribly wrong.

Maybe not horribly wrong, but certainly enough to tie me up in 10 hour days since January 1st. Lesson learned?

Couldn’t tell ya–other than I am learning a new platform pretty fast!

I have plans to overhaul http://www.arkanimals.com soon and that is going to be a task since the site has hundreds of pages. Be warned, we are probably going to move the blog into the main index page instead of inside the site. Still pondering this as there are many pros and cons to it.

Anyway, on the animal front I am sure you heard about another mountain lion attack on Laura Jirsa’s dog (Lady) in Evergreen, Colorado. The attack on the Queensland Heeler took place just a few days after I posted the cougar attack safety tips.

Wild animals are becoming more habituated to humans and pets are easy prey in their eyes. If you are going to go hiking in remote areas or wilderness corridors–take precautions and stack the cards in your favor. Hike with a friend and carry pepper spray or something similar. You can read an article with my mountain lion attack safety tips here.

Out in the blogging world, Sarah Netter brought up a question about who goes–the pet or the significant other…which made me curious–what is your opinion?

Blog Posted January 11, 2008 at 11:47 am

Dog Parks Gone Wild: Pet Safety Tips

By Ark Lady

Some dog parks are like a barking lot, where the bark is worst than the bite, but more and more pet owners are avoiding these settings because of beastly behavior.

Unfortunately, it seems that bad behavior is on the increase where dog owners congregate without supervision. For optimal safety, I prefer that animals attend play groups that are supervised.

Supervised play groups are usually run by private facilities and have a human attendant that moderates the dog group. They also screen animals to make sure that they are healthy and parasite free.

However, you may want to venture into public gathering areas, and to calm the savage beast and avoid altercations, here are a few tips:

*Select the right location.
Just like selecting a day care or play group for children, check the place out first. Take the time to visit without your dog and watch what goes on. Do the dogs play well? Are pet owners diligently watching their pets and managing the behavior, or are they too consumed with visiting with others?

*Look for rules and guidelines.
Make sure there are posted rules and an explanation about how the park works. If there is a person onsite that oversees the activities—jump for joy. Make sure your pet is up to date on vaccinations to avoid exposure to potential disease. Also make sure you have updated registration tags and IDs on your pet.

*Begin visits during off peak times.
If you can begin integration into a dog park during the weekdays it will be less overwhelming to you and your pet. Weekday evenings, weekends, and holidays are going to be peak times. Keep it short and sweet on your first visit and work up into longer visits.

*Sit, Stay, Obey, and Play!
Your dog should be obedient to your commands so that you can call your dog back to you if needed. Is your pet friendly to other animals? Your answer should be yes, if not, hire a dog behaviorist for help before you go to the dog park.

*Follow the leader and follow the rules.
By default dogs follow the leader, but as an owner you should follow the rules of the realm. Get to know the rules and follow them and make sure your dog follows your guidance. Most areas require that your dog must be on leash upon entering and exiting the play area. Local laws exist regarding public areas and pet conduct so you should know what they are.

*Show concern for others.
Take your dog on a walk before you head to the dog park. You might think this sounds silly but exercise will help calm your critter before playtime with others—and can help him or her be better behaved. Always clean up and dispose of your pet’s feces and be sure to keep females in heat and pups under four months of age at home.

*Show concern for your dog.
Have a travel kit for your dog! Include a towel, poop bags, sun screen, dog sun glasses or booties (if appropriate), a water bowl, and water for your adventures out.

*One dog, one handler.
For optimal safety, there should be one handler per dog.

*Dog parks are not necessarily for kids.
Not all dogs who attend dog parks are child friendly so it is best to leave kids at home. If a child does accompany you, make sure he or she can follow the rules: Stick close, no running, no screaming, and no snacks.

*Be a mutt matcher.
Sometimes dog park animals will rush to the fence to investigate new dogs. Watch the body language and let dogs sniff through the fence. Often, you can spot any potential trouble before it starts.

*Stack the cards in your favor.
Many problems start when leashed and unleashed dogs are combined. When in the play area, make sure all dogs are all off-leash or all on leash and remember, breaking up problems before they escalate is the key. Use distraction devices such as audio, water, or dog stop spray, to diffuse situations.

*Safety first.
Recognize neutral territory and avoid altercations over water bowls or toys by eliminating them. For health reasons, it would be best to have your dog get drinks from his or her own bowl–outside of the park. Don’t take food or drink into the dog park to avoid food guarding and similar behavior. Keep moving, or distract animals into something different, to avoid problems.

*Mind those mutt manners.
If your pet is shows protective aggression when it comes to you, get professional help to reduce the problem before you enter into a strange play group.

*Learn pet social styles and play patterns.
Make sure to be a good student of animal behavior—and be attentive to human concerns. Respect the concerns of others and move to a new area if the dogs are getting too crazy. If your pet is behaving badly, go home and try again another day.

*Be a supervisor.
Supervise your dog to avoid conflicts and be astute enough to recognize the warning signs of other canines. Stay off your cell phone once in the park and refrain from chatting too much with other owners—you should be concentrating on your dog.

*Prevent problems.
Prevention is a whole lot better than getting treatment after a dog fight. Use distraction and appropriate devices to thwart altercations–and learn how to safely intervene if your dog gets into a fight.

*What to do in times of trouble.
Check the laws in your state but in most cases, a dog owner is liable for injuries and damage inflicted by their dog. If your dog injures a person or a dog, exchange names and phone numbers with the injured party. If there are pet owners who are not adhering to the rules, endangering the safety of others, or who refuse to take responsibility for damages or injuries, report them to law enforcement such as the sheriff or animal control. If necessary, jot down their license plate number.

Have any additional tips? Please comment below.

Want to learn about animal behavior and pet social styles? Drop by http://www.arkanimals.com and enter your name and email address. You will be sent information and be able to access a free class called, Introduction to Animal Behavior with animal expert Diana L Guerrero (53 minutes long).

Blog Posted January 9, 2008 at 10:17 am