Mia Semuta

I’m not an expert on body language but I’m pretty good at interpreting a dog’s feelings based on position. 

For example, in the picture above, the door is open allowing her the freedom to come and go as she pleases.  (It allows Pony and Gigi to pop their heads into her space, as well.)  Given all that, on this her third full day at Villa Mia, the fact that Phoenix is stretched out on her back and snoring suggests to me that she’s pretty content and secure. 

I’m not looking forward to her finishing her training and going off to her forever home.  Not that I don’t want her to find a home and a family to love for all time, I’m just not looking forward to the ugly cry I will have when it happens.  Oh, I do love her already.

She had a really big day.  One of my students has been struggling with a fear of heights.  It is our philosophy that no dog should live in fear so we do everything we can to help them conquer their fears and live with confidence.  We invited the pack to join us for his lesson at a local park.  10 of his friends stepped up to help and Phoenix tagged along.  She is heeling like a champ, sit is still so-so but her place is on point!  She even walked the plank and started to grasp stay.  What’s more, she is even more relaxed with the myriad of new people greeting her.  There was one tense moment when she was startled by an 8-year-old girl who ran past her but Zach had brought his A-game to the park today and mitigated any disaster before it could happen.  Now we know what to really work on to help her be comfortable in any situation.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words so allow me to wrap this up at just about 325 and offer these beauts instead.

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Please follow along on this blog as she completes the Good Dog Board and Train program.  Your kind financial support of Char-Wills in honor of this sweet girl is most appreciated.

Do you have a shopping strategy?  Here are the SBS specials from Mia Semuta Dog Training!

• The Good Dog Tuition is $150 off if paid in full.
• The multiple dog discount is increased to 30%!  They don’t have to be dogs in the same household, just sharing the same lesson times.  Are there four dogs in your neighborhood in need of help?  Coordinate and save.
• Gift Certificates are 20% off.  Spend $80, get a $100 GC.  It makes a great gift!  The GC may be used for the Spring Retreat.

On Cyber Monday I recommend Chewy.com; I wish I got a kick back from them but I sadly do not.  I just love their speed and customer service.

For Giving Tuesday, please consider a donation to Char-Wills in honor of my darling foster, Phoenix. <3

I had to scold her this morning. 

• She wouldn’t get out of the kitchen.
• She was pestering Pony.
• She was flipping her water bowl.
• She was systematically emptying the toy bin.
• She was playing in the leaves when she should have been going potty.
• She performed a profanity-laced soliloquy at the squirrels out back.
• She followed Zach upstairs.
• She was standing too close to Gigi’s benebone.

She was being a puppy.

What a beautiful annoyance it all was!  It’s not all sunshine and roses, we’ve discovered a little issue with resource guarding and she still doesn’t like to remain seated when told to do so but for 48 hours into her new life I’m taking it all as a win.

We did not give her a dedicated lesson today but she did go to two pack walks and playdates.  She is living the Mia Semuta Dog Training motto, “Always Be Training,” just by living in my pack.  Slowly, but surely, we are checking off items on her report card. 

I watched as Zach introduced “place” and beamed as she accomplished it.  She’s been fearless in jumping into the car and accepting of her new dog friends, big and small.  She sought out affection today from not just her trainers but the other pack parents at the playdates.  Seriously, she continues to be spectacular.

It’s Toothy Tuesday so she had her teeth brushed today for what I’m guessing was the first time.  She didn’t love it.  Like, at all.  But we got through it together and we will go back to it again and again and again until she just doesn’t care anymore.  I’m so crazy tempted to let her come sleep in the bed with us tonight but I’m going to stay strong and continue to do what is best for her so that she can live her best life; because more than I want her to snuggle I want her to thrive.

Please follow along on this blog as she completes the Good Dog Board and Train program.  Your kind financial support of Char-Wills in honor of this sweet girl is most appreciated.

When I brought Phoenix home last night I had about 30 minutes before my team for this weekend’s bake off came over to plan strategy. 

I kept her safely in her crate and didn’t allow them to invade her space.  She needed a little time to decompress and acclimate to her new reality.  They are animal lovers, too, and they respected my request but wanted so badly to love and snuggle her.  I get that, I really do.  A prevailing theory is that frightened and timid dogs simply need to be loved enough to get past it.  This is actually the exact opposite of what they need.

Simply loving a human child who is frightened is a perfect strategy.  Comforting hugs and maybe a little treat helps a human child to feel safe and loved thus removing the fear.  But dogs are not human.

Once more for the cheap seats:  Dogs are not human.

A dog who is frightened craves order, structure, routine.  A nervous dog longs for a strong leader so she can let her guard down knowing someone else is in charge and has her back.  Confidence is the key to relieving stress.  When we coddle and avoid stressors we only reinforce their fears.  It feels cruel but the best thing I can do for Phoenix is to establish and maintain a structured environment and be 100% her leader.  She has no need to worry about making the right choice because I am making the choices.  She only needs to worry about following orders.

Some rescues recommend allowing dogs to decompress and not leave their new home for 30 days.  I cannot disagree more.  Today, just over 12 hours after I picked her up, Zach and I conducted her first formal lesson.  After that, she went on a pack walk with some new friends and her housemates and participated in a couple of skill drills.  She got to watch playtime but didn’t get to play because, well, we’re not stupid.  Less than 24 hours in training?  Yeah, she doesn’t have a solid recall yet!  She did get to go for yet another walk with another German Shepherd puppy later that same day.

Today we introduced door manners, heel and sit.  She is smart.  Really smart.  She’s as smart as she is scared but watching her begin to understand what we are asking of her brings a happy tear to the eye.  Door manners matter because we must establish a polite order.  Dogs can’t dash through boundaries and still be safe.  They can either knock you down or run into danger far too easily not to mention the fact that it’s just plain rude.  Sit is important because it’s the default relaxed position.  Insisting that a dog sit on command is also helping them center their thoughts and calm their minds.

Heel.  Heel is so much more than just walking nicely on a leash.  Heel sets the foundation and creates a team instead of a competition.  Just like a pair of dance partners must move as if they are one body, a dog and handler must do the same.  The human leads, the dog follows.  This is not up for debate.  On leash time is work time.  A walk is for the person, the dog is lucky to be invited to come along.  Off-leash time is playtime.  It must be earned and when it is the dog is then free to sniff and pee and roll in stinky stuff to his heart’s delight. 

Don’t get caught up in the ridiculous argument that your dogs needs to be able to make her own choices and have free will.  This is not a democracy.  This is a benevolent dictatorship.  Your dog is not a person but she is dependent on you.  It is your responsibility to make healthy choices on her behalf and keep her safe.

A dog in a proper heel will find his shoulder at his handler’s heel.  That’s where we get the term!  The handler should be able to hold a short leash with just a finger; if that’s not possible then the dog is doing something wrong.  Both bodies should be relaxed and in sync.  When the person stops, the dog sits.  When the person moves, the dog follows.  When enforcing a proper heel you’re not oppressing your dog you are reassuring him that you are in charge.  You are aware of your surroundings and YOU’VE got his back.  You are capable of making the decisions, dog only needs to follow.  This allows your dog to relax and enjoy his time with you unencumbered by the world on his shoulders.  This frees the dog from the anxiety of worry that the only thing between them and danger is their red-hot alert skills.

We gave Phoenix that freedom today.  We taught her to heel and in the process she found her smile and the courage to leap into the car on her own.  She couldn’t do that yesterday.  What a beautiful day.

Please follow along on this blog as she completes the Good Dog Board and Train program.  Your kind financial support of Char-Wills in honor of this sweet girl is most appreciated. 

Six years ago I adopted my German Shepherd, PonyBoy, from Char-Wills.  Since then I have followed them on social media and remained friendly with their president, Diane Buhl.  Yesterday, she reached out about a nearly 8-month-old female GSD in need of a stable, experienced foster home. 

She was coming from a dumpster fire of a situation.  The product of a backyard breeder, she was sold to a family and kept isolated outside the home.  She had become fearful and untrusting of humans.  She was becoming dangerous and snapping at the children.  They tried to return her to the “breeder” who had disappeared and would not return calls.  Nothing in her environment or education changed and she continued to worsen.  Finally, she made it into the Char-Wills family.

She spent a week in another foster home, with a trainer, but was unable to remain and was sent to the rescue.  That’s when I stepped in.  I drove up to Schuykill County last evening to pick her up.  In her not-quite eight months of life she had gone from a sketchy breeding operation to an ill-equipped family to a foster home to a rescue and now to me.  I promise, this is her final transitional home!  When she leaves here it will be to her forever home.

I picked her up understanding that she has generalized anxiety, is fear aggressive, lunges and snaps when cornered, has no leash manners, was riddled with worms, is malnourished and frightfully underweight.  Oh, and currently battling a nasty case of diarrhea.  I was so eager to put her in my car for an hour and a half ride home…

Here’s what I’ve learned so far.  She is terrified.  That’s an absolute.  She has little trust of humans and zero confidence.  She was not very interested in affection but did consent to being collared and leashed; she even let me lift her into the car.  The ride home was completely uneventful.  I had set up a crate for her before I left and did a soft, safe greeting with my two dogs before allowing her to decompress in her crate.  I’m not sure exactly what the conversation was that happened between the three dogs but she immediately seemed to understand that she was safe here.  She ate her dinner with gusto and took her meds with no drama.  Not long afterward she surrendered to sweet, deep slumber.

Safe at last, ready to rise from the ashes of her rough start.  Welcome to the pack, Phoenix.

Please follow along on this blog as she completes the Good Dog Board and Train program.  Your kind financial support of Char-Wills in honor of this sweet girl is most appreciated. 

In recent years there has been a huge increase in the understanding of the challenges of living with autism.  It is such a good thing.  This understanding has led to a deeper sensitivity and willingness to adapt to make family gatherings and social situations accessible to all. 

I found this graphic on Facebook, shared by Autism in Classrooms.  When you have a moment, please check out their website and help support their mission “to make a difference by celebrating the brilliance of children with ASD by providing literature in classrooms throughout the United States.”

With respect, I viewed that graphic through the eyes of a dog trainer.  The similarities are overwhelming.  As we have deepened our embrace of people on the spectrum I am hopeful that it will follow that we can apply the same to dogs.  Let’s break it down.

Dogs ears are incredibly sensitive, too.  Unfortunately, headphones are not really an option.  A crate-trained pup will happily relax in an isolated bedroom with some soothing music playing rather than being forced into the mix.  Having trained your dog to embrace the crate will go a lot farther than just potty training or avoiding destructive messes.  Put in the time and effort now to reap the rewards forever.

It’s well known that a dog’s sniffer is powerful.  Think about how your mouth waters and your belly growls when you smell bacon cooking.  Can you imagine how much more intensive it is for a dog?  Once again, an isolated room or a crate filled with blankets or bedding that have familiar scents will be a Godsend.  Quite simply, why torture your dog with all of those heavenly aromas of food that are not good for him?  This is a great time for a rare treat that is appropriate for dogs away from the madness.

Dogs don’t often wear clothes but they can be very sensitive to textures.  Be aware of surfaces and fabrics that are favorites and try to make them available in stressful situations. 

Maybe your dog can tolerate the sounds and smells well enough to remain in the room but still doesn’t want to be petted and loved on by every visitor.  Please help him by respecting this and asking your guests to leave him alone.  If he can lie quietly in a corner give him the dignity to be ignored.

Yes, it’s a holiday but keeping mealtimes and exercise routines standard will help mitigate bad behaviors before they begin.  My pack and I will be participating in a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  The proceeds benefit a wonderful, local non-profit; the dogs and the people will get a good cardio workout so that we can earn our carb-laden Thanksgiving and they can get a good nap.  A tired dog is a good dog!

As we, as a society, trend toward a better understanding and treatment of humans with challenges I am hopeful we also apply that critical eye to our canine companions.  We’ve made them part of our families, we should love them for the incredible, unique individuals that they are.