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I have known Nancy since approximately 1997. I can definitely attest to the fact that Nancy knows her stuff!

I am the proud “slave” of two mixed breed dogs; Shelby, a 10 year old German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix and Mandy, a 6 year old Alaskan Malamute/Labrador mix.

I have grown up with dogs but until you actually own them yourself, you realize that there is a lot to learn and each day is a new learning experience. There have been many times that I have contacted Nancy for help in trying to figure out certain instances involving my dogs. My examples are as follows.

1. Approximately four years ago, my husband and I purchased a new house. Mandy at the time was still a young dog. Approximately two weeks before the move date, I began packing things unaware that Mandy was watching me carefully the entire time. The next day when I arrived home after work, I found that Mandy had had an accident in her crate. I thought maybe she was desperate to go so comforted her and cleaned everything up. I knew something was up when I arrived home the next day only to find the same thing! I immediately called up Nancy asking for advice on what could be wrong with her. Nancy knew we were going to be moving so right away she helped me discover that Mandy was stressed out and scared; she thought we were going to leave her. I quickly learned from Nancy what to do to cure Mandy’s fears. Over the next few weeks, and especially after moving, Mandy was still a bit scared but knowing what she was thinking definitely made life a little easier! Now, Mandy has claimed “her chair” within the house and her favourite spot outside by the tree in our backyard.

    

2. Quite a few years ago, Shelby decided she wanted to see what the taste of ant poison was like! I am not sure how much she actually ingested but we had two small traps set up and she chewed them to bits. Knowing that ant poison is lethal, I immediately called Nancy (as the vet’s office was not open just then) and Nancy helped me figure out what to do. In the end, the ant poison Shelby ate would not have harmed her but with Nancy’s help and eventually seeing the veterinarian, I was much calmer and Shelby was just fine – no after-effects, no illnesses.

    

3. I feed my dogs a natural diet – bones, raw chicken, raw vegetables. All of this was I learned through Nancy. I had been feeding the dogs a very high quality kibble diet. Shelby seemed to have a bit of a weight problem even though both dogs receive regular exercise. In a matter of months of being on the “barf” diet, Shelby lost approximately 28 pounds and is at a very ideal weight for her size and breeding. It is through Nancy that I learned how to make my own food for my dogs. Both dogs’s coats are extremely shiny and soft, making them look a lot younger than their years. As well, Nancy introduced me to bones for the dogs. Mandy would eat bones all day long while Shelby will eat them only if she is not with Mandy – the dominance and alpha dog issue is next! Both dogs’s teeth are immaculate and this is due to the bones that they gnaw on.

    

4. Having two female dogs with both wanting to be the top dog often leads to the alpha dog issue. I have witnessed dog fights between them both that would scare anyone. After consulting with Nancy on what to do, I have learned to just let them have it out and afterward, check to make sure that both are okay. While this sounds pretty violent, I have also learned that it is only noise and no actual biting involved in their disputes.

    

5. One of the most important things to me is proper socialization of any pet. I have done this with both my dogs. When we adopted Mandy, I immediately put her into puppy socialization at Nancy’s place. Later on both dogs were involved in agility. It is through Nancy and Perfect Pets that I now have two of the most well-behaved, well-socialized and happy dogs. I can easily and happily walk down a city street with my two dogs, one on each side of me, and our 21 month old daughter in her stroller. I often hear, “you’ve got your hands full!” but to me, I really don’t. The dogs are excellent on leash and they love meeting anyone that talks to them. For that, I can definitely thank Nancy for all her help!

Sincerely,

Bobbi Jo Beitz

 

 

Pull on the Leash

How many times have   you seen someone being dragged down the road by a dog that is straining at the collar or chain, and is totally out of control? The dog is pulling so hard that it seems to be in danger of choking to death, but of course, you know that the dog walks that way for the whole time, so it is impossible that the dog will ever choke to death. The owner is often worried that the dog is hurting himself, but in actual fact, the dog likes to pull, and the owner has unknowingly "trained" him to be very good at it. A dog that walks quietly beside you is a joy to take out, and this is very easy to train. In fact, it's the absolute basic command a dogs needs to know. A dog that is not beside you is not paying attention to you, and to what your wishes are. Getting and keeping a dog's attention is one of the keys to successful training.