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One Smart Dog of the month is Bailey.
Bailey is a 14 week old Australian Labradoodle who was very shy in puppy class. She has made enormous strides after just two weeks and is playing with the other puppies in class and is also out and about with her parents socializing! They even went to a local vineyard this weekend and met lots of people and dogs!
Congrats!!
Posted: March 13th, 2012 under One Smart Dog.
MILFORD — When it comes to exercising the family canine, the standard choices have been a brisk walk or a good game of fetch.
But Dawn Lowery has a better idea. The trainer will introduce Pilates for Pooches in November, offering the six-week class at Who’s Your Doggie? on Gulf Street.
Pilates is tough for people, especially those of us who are not particularly flexible, but Lowery said people have the easy part, while their canine companions balance on rubber balls or stretch their paws.
“The dog owners don’t have to do Pilates (a form of ballet-based exercise), or even to know how to,” the animal trainer said. “It’s good for the dog — it strengthens the hips of older dogs and it builds their confidence. It’s also another way to bond with your dog.”
Wearing a shirt reading “Don’t Worry, Be Friendly,” the owner of One Smart Dog put an intermediate obedience class through its paces one evening, and in that session, the people needed more training than the pets.
Consistency is the key to obedience training, Lowery said. Dogs need to see it; people need to show it.
“Dogs are like people. They all have their own personalities,” she said. “Every dog can be trained, but there are some breeds that are more stubborn than others.”
Lowery runs One Smart Dog out of her Ansonia home, giving private lessons, canine massage and agility training. She holds larger classes at Who’s Your Doggie?
Nadine Cohen, of Trumbull, and her German shepherd, Charlie, were in the class because Charlie has the temperament — and the sympatico eyes — to make a good therapy dog. And if he can do that, “I can bring him to work every day,” Cohen said happily.
Angel, a Portuguese water dog, brought an assignment home that owner Debra Sansone planned to help her with.
“Dawn always gives us homework,” Sansone said. “We have to work on it before the next class.”
By the end of the six weeks, Lowery said, the dogs will be able to ignore distractions and follow commands. “They should be able to sit perfectly still for two minutes,” the trainer said.
Cindy Alves, of Seymour, looked up from scratching Gigi, a border collie she rescued from a shelter.
“I don’t stay still for two minutes,” Alves said.
Lowery’s website is www.onesmartdogct.com.
Reach Frank Juliano at 203-520-6986 or fjuliano@ctpost.com.
Posted: September 30th, 2011 under One Smart Dog.
You can have a stronger, more fit dog! Get on the Ball!!
Tuesdays 7:45pm REGISTER NOW!
Course Fee: $175 plus tax 5 WEEKS
Whether your dog is an athletic performance dog or a healthy family pet, the enjoyable Pilates for Pooches class will help you create health and fitness goals for your dog. You and your best friend will enjoy this fun and innovative strengthening and conditioning program. You will learn how to perform different fitness maintenance and conditioning exercises, and do correct stretching and dynamic warm ups, as well as appropriate cool down exercises. Great for dogs with hip problems or rehabilitation after surgery! We also add basic agility into this class as well, a total body workout for your dog! This class will introduce you and your dog to agility obstacles in a safe and fun environment. You will also practice the obedience cues essential for a strong agility foundation. We recommend completion of Basic obedience (or equivalent) prior to enrolling in this class. Class size is limited to 6 dogs.
All shapes, sizes, levels, and breeds of dog are welcome.
Dogs gain:
Strength
Flexibility
Conditioning
Balance
Body Awareness
Confidence
You will:
Have fun with your dog
Learn skills you can use at home
Give your dog new confidence
Enhance your relationship with your dog
Enjoy a lifetime with a healthier dog.
Pilates for Pooches will teach your dog to move from its core while actively stretching and strengthening its muscles by using various balance training tools including balls and balance discs.
This class is only intended for healthy and sound dogs. Before beginning this class please consult your veterinarian. This class is not intended to replace medical advice or rehabilitation techniques. Always consult with your veterinarian for any health or medical advice regarding your dog.
Posted: September 30th, 2011 under One Smart Dog.
One Smart Dog had the pleasure of attending the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Conference in Rhode Island April 2, 2011.
Among the list of wonderful speakers was Victoria Stilwell, from the hit TV show It’s Me or The Dog on Animal Planet.
Posted: April 5th, 2011 under One Smart Dog.
This class is for dogs who are reactive (lunging, barking, growling) toward other dogs when on leash. Learn calming techniques, how to manage your dog when on-leash around other dogs, and how to teach your dog to react more appropriately when he sees another dog. This class uses positive reinforcement methods, including the use of food rewards and clicker training. The goal of this class is to have dogs be able to calmly see and pass another dog from a short distance. There will be no off-leash interaction in this level. NOTE: This class does NOT address aggression toward humans. This is for the leash reactive dog. Participants are expected to have knowledge of or experience with clicker training (or be open to learning). Dogs should have some basic training including attention to name, loose leash walking and sit-stay or down- stay in a low distraction environment.
Prerequisites: Participation in this class is by instructor permission only. You will need to fill out a questionnaire to be considered for class. You must plan to attend every session of the class with the same handler(s) and be prepared to spend 30 minutes to one hour daily practicing “homework” assignments. All class attendees must be 14 years of age or older. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Come work with your dog in a controlled, supportive environment with a small group of dog owners who understand your issues because they share them. In class, the dogs will be separated from each other by the use of visual barriers. Slowly, as you gain skills and your dog gains confidence and starts to shed fears, the individual dogs will begin to work together from a decreasing distance. The counter-conditioning and desensitization training and handling techniques are personalized for each dog’s emotional readiness and needs. Class is taught with two instructors.
Limited to 5 dogs.
TUESDAYS 8:00PM
$225 plus tax 6 WEEKS
Posted: February 7th, 2011 under One Smart Dog.
DERBY — A local resident has launched a business, One Smart Dog LLC, to help owners take a bite out of their dog’s bad behavior.
Dawn Lowery is a certified dog trainer and an assistant animal control officer in Wilton.
“I’ve always loved dogs,” Lowery said. She runs the business from her home, but her goal is to have her own facility to train canines.
Lowery teaches obedience classes and uses positive reinforcement training techniques to teach good behavior. She is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.
Lowery offers private lessons, in-home obedience training, group classes, socialization, consultations and clicker training.
Lowery said many clients are first-time puppy owners. “They want their dog to listen to them,” she said, and they call her for assistance. Lowery gets calls about canine behavior problems, such as puppy chewing, and house training. She said house training is often a major issue for pet owners to achieve.
Lowery said her idol is Victoria Stilwell, who is host of the cable TV show, “It’s Me or the Dog.”
Lowery also consults with families who are about to bring a baby into their home. “They want the dog to be trained,” she said. “I’m going to start working with an expectant mother this coming week. She wants to have the dog behave a little better before the baby comes.”
In what Lowery said is a first for the Valley, she will bring canine CPR and first-aid classes to the area.
Lowery will be teaching classes through the Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. The classes will be held at Valley Regional Adult Education, 415 Howe Ave., Shelton.
There is “a huge demand” for behavior-training classes in the Valley, said Cindy Socha, who works in animal rescue and co-owns H3 Pet Supply in Shelton. “I wish more people would go for training, because that would keep more dogs in homes.”
For information about One Smart Dog, visit http://onesmartdogct.com.
For a schedule of classes at Valley Regional Adult Education, visit www.vrae.org.
Patricia Villers can be reached at pvillers@nhregister.com.
Posted: December 30th, 2008 under One Smart Dog.
