Northeast Wirehaired Vizslas

Here is another example of a deadly plant available at Lowes this weekend. This is a Sago Palm. Ingestion of ANY part of this by dogs or cats is toxic and often... results in liver failure and death. The seeds are the most toxic part. If you have pets, do NOT buy this plant. I really wish there was signage by these warning pet owners of their toxicity. #sagopalm

This is the Resource Guarding site (The Dog's Friend.com) that will help with specifics. Resource Guarding guardingtoy Leave me and my ball alone....Continue reading

Hi there! While watching 7 adorable pups eating lunch today, I heard one growl at another pup while another pup was close to them. 20% of all dogs do this , regardless of breed, sex, or nature of the dog. This is called resource guarding. So someone may easily acquire a pup who resource guards. A pup easily be trained not to do that. Especially, when they are young and they are new to your household I am really requesting that you read the file to follow. It gives easy to... start ways to prevent this unwanted behavior in a kind, positive reinforcement way. There is also an easy to read book/booklet by Jean Donaldson called Mine!A Practical Guide to Resource in Dogs. This is easy to read and follow. See more

Why we never correct or stop our dog's from growling.... Really the growl is helpful! This is taken from Whole Dog Journal... What many people don’t realize is that aggression is caused by stress. The stressor may be related to pain, fear, intrusion, threats to resources, past association, or anticipation of any of these things. An assertive, aggressive dog attacks because he’s stressed by the intrusion of another dog or human into his territory. A fearful dog bites because he’s stressed by the approach of a human. An injured dog lacerates the hand of his rescuer because he’s stressed by pain. When you punish a growl or other early warning signs, you may succeed in suppressing the growl, snarl, snap, or other warning behavior but you don’t take away the stress that caused the growl in the first place. In fact, you increase the stress, because now you, the dog’s owner, have become unpredictable and violent as well. Worst of all, and most significantly, if you succeed in suppressing the warning signs, you end up with a dog who bites without warning. He has learned that it’s not safe to warn, so he doesn’t. If a dog is frightened of children, he may growl when a child approaches. You, conscientious and responsible owner, are well aware of the stigma and fate of dogs who bite children, so you punish your dog with a yank on the leash and a loud No! Bad dog! Every time your dog growls at a child you do this, and quickly your dog’s fear of children is confirmed children do make bad things happen! He likes children even less, but he learns not to growl at them to avoid making you turn mean. You think he’s learned that it’s not okay to be aggressive to children, because the next time one passes by, there’s no growl. Phew, you think to yourself. We dodged that bullet! Convinced that your dog now accepts children because he no longer growls at them, the next time one approaches and asks if he can pat your dog, you say yes. In fact, your dog has simply learned not to growl, but children still make him very uncomfortable. Your dog is now super-stressed, trying to control his growl as the child gets nearer and nearer so you don’t lose control and punish him, but when the scary child reaches out for him he can’t hold back any longer he lunges forward and snaps at the child’s face. Fortunately, you’re able to restrain him with the leash so he doesn’t connect. You, the dog, and the child are all quite shaken by the incident. It’s time to change your thinking. If you need help to create and implement a behavior modification protocol, contact a qualified behavior professional who is experienced and successful in modifying aggressive behavior with positive, dog-friendly techniques. Or, check out Whole Dog Journal’s ebook Growling - Understand Your Dog’s Language.

Brotherly/Sisterly love Purple Boy and Blue Girl