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Dog Facts

dogs can be trianed to behaveWalking Your Dog
by Diane Anderson

Did you know that properly walking your dog every day is the quickest way to set yourself up as your dog's leader and have a happy, healthy, balanced canine member of your family?

Dogs are pack animals and when they live in packs with other dogs there is a hierarchy of leadership. Leadership is established by the animal that can assert the most authority through intimidation and, if necessary, physical confrontation. Once the pack has an established leader, then that is the animal that leads the daily morning and evening walks throughout the pack's territory. These walks are for hunting, watching for other predators who may have wandered into the pack's territory and knowing everything about that territory, mostly by smell.

If you walk your dog every day and make sure it is in a submissive position to you -- it's head at your knee or behind with a "J" in the leash -- then you are setting yourself up as the pack leader. This need to teach your dog the proper way to walk is a good reason to take an obedience course with your dog. It teaches you how to walk your dog without it pulling ahead, sniffing every tree and mouthing every interesting object thus becoming your pack leader.

Dogs also need the stimulation that comes from a walk. A dog's sense of smell is as important to the dog as our ability to see. If they never get to go anywhere other than the backyard or the dog park, they miss out on the highly beneficial stimulation that comes from a long walk in their own territory. It is like the difference between a fish bowl and a lake for a fish.

Small dogs need a bare minimum of 20 minutes of walking every day. Medium dogs need 30-40 minutes and large dogs need 40 - 60 minutes. This may be all at once or broken up into two or more intervals. Be sure to bring plenty of water for your dog if the weather is hot and/or humid. If your dog tends to overheat, take shorter walks more times per day and wet the dog down before starting off.

But, you say, "I don't have time to walk my dog every day." Make the time. Get up 20 minutes earlier. Walk after dinner. Give up a half hour of television. Walk before you go to bed. A dog is a responsibility and, as its owner, you must do this. If your dog were your child would you ignore its basic needs? Both you and your dog will be healthier if you make time to exercise together.

Another good reason to make the time is that your dog will not only be happier and healthier, but most often, bad habits such as chewing, barking and obsessive-compulsive behaviors are alleviated after several weeks of consistent, daily walking.




Dog-Gone Good Quotes
Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend.
-Corey Ford

Man is a dog's idea of what God should be.
-Holbrook Jackson

Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.
- Franklin P. Jones

Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.
-Max Eastman, Enjoyment of Laughter

If dogs could talk, it would take a lot of the fun out of owning one.
-Andy Rooney

A dog is not "almost human" and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such.
-John Holmes

If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around.
-Will Rogers

Obedience class photos
If you have been a participant in a Happy Dog! class and want your dog's photo included, please email us a photo along with your permission to use it on this site. Thanks!

Ethel “Britty” Albritton and Terri McBride with Spaz,
a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Boot Camp Class of 5/11/08

Gina McLeod and Granddaughter, Amanda, with Miles, a Maltese
Boot Camp Class of 5/11/08


Howard Troxler and Lynn Casey with Louie, a Labrador Retriever/Weimeraner Mix
Boot Camp class of 5/11/08

Justin Guarino with Pierre,
a Toy Poodle
Boot Camp Class of 5/11/08

Debbie Robinson with Jaime Black,
a Labrador Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 4/2/08


Jan Kuehnert with Eddie,
an Airedale Terrier
Boot Camp Class of 4/2/08


Linda Law with Thor, a Mastiff
Boot Camp Class of 2/21/08


Amanda Buck with Maddie, a Toy Poodle
Boot Camp Class of 2/21/08


Fusun Fowler with Lola, a Goldendoodle
Boot Camp Class of 2/21/08


Kathy Botero Frantz with Mojito, a Chihuahua
Boot Camp Class of 2/21/08


Kay Keeling with Zecca,
a Terrier/Affenpinscher mix
Boot Camp Class of 2/21/08

America Font with Coco,
a Toy Poodle/Bichon Frise Mix
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08

Marla Geraldo with Tattoo,
a Pit Bull
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08

Mike & Susie Griffin with Fizzi,
a Terrier/Schnauzer Mix
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08

Brian & Jason Kebler with Savanna,
a Yellow Labrador Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08


Stacey McKee with Wrigley,
a Yellow Labrador Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08

Dani Skrzypek & Deb Robinson with Maggie,
a Boxer/Labrador Retriever Mix
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08


Ted Switzer with Duncan, a Golden Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08

Jaime, Jackson & Laree with Skipper,
a Golden Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 1/6/08


Joe & Karen Romant with Shadow & Fifi, both Standard Poodles
Boot Camp Class of 9/9/07

Tomas Morabito & Michael Roush with Cosmo, a Toy Poodle/Silkie Mix
Boot Camp Class of 9/9/07

Tess Huttenlocker with Otis, a Mixed Breed
Boot Camp Class of 9/9/07

Johanes Rodriques with Mustafa, a Boxer
Boot Camp Class of 4/12/07

Liz Armstrong with Max, a Miniature Schnauzer
Boot Camp Class of 4/12/07

Shirley Goie with Lucky, Maltese
Boot Camp Class of 4/12/07

John Robinson with Zenzi, a German Shepherd
Boot Camp Class of 2/28/07

Richard Pierro, Jr. with Davi, a Border Collie
Boot Camp Class of 2/28/07

Sue Riggins with Melmo, a French Bulldog
Boot Camp Class of 2/28/07

Jeff with Rusty, a Labrador Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 2/28/07

Jackie and Albert Williams with Jojo, an American Bull Dog
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Diane Costa with Bella, a Rottweiler
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Donna Ream with Millie and Mollie, both Shi Tsu/Cocker Spaniel Mixes
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Kelly Murray with Chewy, a Wheaton Terrier
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Don and Linda Kasprzyk with Dini, a Papillon
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Melissa Anderson-Large with Bella, a Wheaton Terrier
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Lynn, Danny and Samantha Morris and Shirley Razmas with Sophie, a Lhasa Apso/Toy Poodle Mix
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07

Ruth Simkin with Leia, a Cavalier King Charles/Bichon Frise Mix
Boot Camp Class of 1/7/07
Chihuahua at doggie boot camp
Geraldine "Jeri" and Robert "Bob" Bowie with Sam, a Chihuahua
Boot Camp Class of 10/4/06
Miniature Pinchers at doggie boot camp
Nicole "Nicci" Tomko with Lexi, a Miniature Pinscher, and Donna Welch-Buksar and Jerry Buksar with Duchess, a Miniature Pinscher
Boot Camp Class of 10/4/06
Labrador Retriever  at doggie boot camp
Cecelia Bradham with Emma, a Labrador Retriever
Boot Camp Class of 9/10/06
Chesapeake Bay Retriever at doggie boot camp
Kerry Cunningham with Stella, an Cheapeake Bay Retriever Boot Camp Class of 9/10/06
Weimeraner/Hound mix at doggie boot camp
Nema Runyan with Duke, Weimeraner/Hound mix Boot Camp Class of 9/10/06
May 2006 boot camp class
Left to right: Quincy, Sara, Treavor, Jaeden, Jackson, Gracie, Jane, Ruth, Apollo, Diane (Happy Dog! Coach), Ingmar and Zoey
Boot Camp Class of 5/3/06

Photo courtesy of Enchanted Forest Photography
Australian Shepherd at doggie boot camp
Jaeden and Ingmar Slomic with Zoey, an Australian Shepherd mix Boot Camp Class of 5/3/06
Photo courtesy of Enchanted Forest Photography
Labrador Retriever at doggie boot camp
Jane and Jackson Hamblin with Gracie, a Labrador Retriever. Boot Camp Class of 5/3/06
Photo courtesy of Enchanted Forest Photography
Akita at doggie boot camp

Ruth Simkin with Apollo, an Akita. Boot Camp Class of 5/3/06
Photo courtesy of Enchanted Forest Photography
Pit Bull Terrier at doggie boot camp
Treavor and Sara with Quincy, an American Pit Bull Terrier Boot Camp Class of 5/3/06
Photo courtesy of Enchanted Forest Photography
Terrier at doggie boot camp
Ed and Lonnie with Jenna, a Terrier Mix.
Boot Camp Class of 2/15/06
Bichon Frise at doggie boot camp
Jennie with Tripper, a Bichon Frise.
Boot Camp Class of 2/15/06
Golden Retiever at doggie boot camp
Mike with Piper, a Golden Retriever.
Boot Camp Class of 2/15/06
Bull dog at doggie boot camp.
Father and grandson, Hugh and Bryan with Tiger, a bulldog/boxer mix.
Boot Camp Class of 8/24/05.
Rat Terrier at doggie boot camp
Scott and Jen with their dog Maggie, a rat terrier.
Boot Camp Class of 9/17/05.
Chinese Crested at doggie boot camp
Daughter and mother, Nicole and Jeanne, with Scrump, a Chinese Crested.
Boot Camp Class of 10/12/05.
Chow mix at doggie boot camp
Retia and her dog Ice, a chow mix.
Boot Camp Class of 9/17/05.
A Boxer graduated doogie boot camp
Ryan with his dog Diesel, a Boxer.
Boot Camp Class of 11/05/05
Rufus graduated doggie boot camp
Alex with her dog Rufus, a Chihuahua.
Boot Camp Class of 11/05/05