February 2024 - February is all about having fun! No dog shows this month, we are getting ready for the next one which is in March. This month I have been paying close attention to what my dogs like, what makes his tail wag and what gives her bounce. We all want to feel loved and appreciated, our fur friends want that too. In an earlier video I talked about the R-A-T test. In that video I talk about Mutual Respect, Admiration and Trust and how it must come from both the dog and the handler to be 100%. Both need to invest and serve each other. Making my dog do what I want isn't mutual. I need to find ways to serve and please my dog if I expect my dog to serve and please me. If chasing the ball is fun, do it. If rolling around on the floor is fun to my pup, I'll do it. I need to know what my dog likes to do and serve that up to my dog if I want to pass that R-A-T Test! This month I am finding the things, activities, sounds, body language, words, treats and toys that makes my dog happy. Since the R-A-T test is mutual, I I need to figure out what my dog likes. My dog knows what I want, we are working in the training studio on the things I want. But are we working on the things that my dog wants? If you have ever read Gary Chapman's "Five Love Languages", then you know what I am talking about. Learning how to read someone's love language is a bridge to knowing what they want. Since my dog doesn't speak in my language, I have to figure out his language. In the book the author identifies 5 different love languages: 1. Words of Affirmation 2. Acts of Service 3. Gifts 4. Quality Time 5. Physical Touch Each dog has their own thing that makes them tick. For us to have mutual Respect, Admiration and Trust, I need to know their love language, they need to know mine, and we both need to invest in each others love language. So what are my dog's favorite activities and what gives them the most joy? The first thing to do is refer to the AKC Breed Standard. My pure bred dog has a long line of purpose and reason for his being. Water dogs probably love water activities, hunting dogs probably love hunting. I have Italian Greyhounds whos purpose is to sit on a warm lap and hunt varmints. That is what my pure bred dog was used for for 4,000 years ago and still good at today. The Italian Greyhound Club of America and AKC both publish on their website a definition of the characteristics and correct structure of an Italian Greyhound. When I show my dog in an AKC Conformation show, my dog is being judged on that published definition of his character, structure and movement. So when I win at the show, I am proving I have the quality to breed a really good lap dog who chases varmints! So what can I do to serve my dog in her love language? More than anything, Boerne wants to spend the whole day with me. On my lap. That love language is "Quality Time". Her love language is Quality Time above anything else. This breed of dog is very co-dependent. She also likes empty water bottles, she goes nuts when I crunch and toss her an empty water bottle. That love language would be "Gifts". She is also motivated by snacks when we are in the training studio and the show ring. Bait would be "Gifts" and when I toss the Bait for her to catch it, (another love language here) that would be "Acts of Service". I constantly talk to her, and I can get a little bit of a tail-wag when I praise her, that love language would be "Words of Affirmation". Petting her isn't her thing, but she will press in when I am kissing her head, and that would be, "Physical Touch". Well I hope this has helped you, we will be working on all this in the Dainty Acres Training Studio.
By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas
January 2024- January dog show goals are going to be really simple this month. I want to get my dog's Attention, Connection and Focus.
If I don't have my dog's attention, I don't have a dog. If I don't have connection, I don't have a dog. And if I don't have my dog's focus, I don't have a dog. My dogs were distracted at the Belton show, and didn't seem to be enjoying their job. After the show, we went back into the training studio. If I have a problem, I go back to the basics. The HEAD-STRAIGHT is my cure for all dog problems. So this month we work on the HEAD-STRAIGHT and add some other basics. if it looks familiar, yes, we've been working on this since November! worked on the Head-straight for the last 2 months.
I am a mentee of Eric Salas, and he has 3 positions of the head straight.
Stages of the Head-straight:
Position 1: the pistol grip
Position 2: the side ring pinch
Position 3: pistol grip and left hand collar hold
(For a deep dive into that, I refer to my Eric Salas video on the 3 positions of the HEAD-STRAIGHT.
https://youtu.be/V0BOaM_SKE8?si=OumBFB4SyQIp1OWa
It starts at 13:00).
The head-straight is very useful when the dog is not moving. so we are working on the parts of the show ring that involve the dog not moving. Today we have the:
● STAY - Because my dog understands the Headstraight, he is knows what postiion I want him to stand in. The stay is the dog not moving, but it is also the dog standing in the position that I want. An experienced dog will do that for me without me having to pick up a foot.
● TABLE STAY- I want to also see my pup STAY on the table. The HEAD-STRAIGHT is the tool I am using for this. I need his focus, and HEAD-STRAIGHT does that.
● PRESENTATION FREE-STACK - From the Down-N-Back we will walk into a Presentation frame for the Judge to evaluate us. This is just a simple FREE-STACK, but I need to get my body out of the way for the Judge to see my dog and not me. At home I will practice by standing in front of my dog, which would be my back to the Judge. But since we are at home I can practice that way until we nail that presentation.
By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas
December 2023 - "Dog Show Distractions" Last month we got back to the basics with the HEAD-STRAIGHT. This month we are going to continue with the HEAD-STRAIGHT, well, because it is working!!!
How about we list some of these distractions:
I will address all these distractions, and I have some hacks for these. But if I have my dogs attention, guess what? Distractions won't matter. None of these. My secret weapon is the HEAD-STRAIGHT!
Let's go through these distractions:
Energy from the other dogs: My dogs get exposed to other dogs as soon as we are through with the last of the Parvo shots and older than 16 weeks. They come with us to the dog show in the safety of their show crate. We also attend class with a great group of dogs and humans. Which leads me to the next distraction, handlers, judges and the stewards.
Handlers, Judges and the stewards: Handlers are the humans on the other end of the leashes of the dogs there at the dog show. Everyone is focused on their dog, getting to the ring, practicing and managing their dogs. Judges are in the ring watching and examining dogs. The examination can be scary if a pup has not been conditioned for it. Tammi White's class includes the judges exam and has helped me put gentle hands on my pups. I also bring my pup to Tractor Supply and Home Depot and let my favorite humans love on them too. I like these stores because I can always find a safe flat surface to table stack my pup and get some attention which is what I want, I want those distractions!
Smells & Noises: Again, Tractor Supply and Home Depot are good places to get my pups used to smells & noises. They have really nice employees who are friendly to my pups. I also have my DogShowNoise soundtrack. I made a soundtrack from a video I took at the last dog show, and it is loud and distracting!
Flapping things, fans, wind, ventilation systems and flying garbage: And this is a real thing! Grooming blow dryers, crate fans and event center HVAC noises . There are some distractions that you can not control or prepare for. This is why I depend on the HEAD-STRAIGHT for control and gaining my dog's attention in an emergency.
I can put 2 minutes 3 times a day into the HEAD-STRAIGHT, and have a dog totally focused on me. The best way to get a dog's attention is with the HEAD-STRAIGHT. Give customers a reason to do business with you.
By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas
November 2023 - This month it is back to the basics and the HEAD-STRAIGHT. The last dog show didn't go as well as I expected, and the reason was that my dogs were disconnected and distracted. Neither pup was listening to me. So we are going back to our dog training roots. The HEAD-STRAIGHT is the tool for the job and lots of small doses of it through the day. Both pups, 3 times a day just for a couple minutes on the table for a HEAD-STRAIGHT and a Table-Stack. The nice thing about the HEAD-STRAIGHT, is that it not only helps with attention, but it also helps with the connection and the focus. I can use the verbal sign in the ring when I need my pups attention. I can use the hand sign when I have my pup on the table too. In this video I will demonstrate how I do the HEAD-STRAIGHT on an Italian Greyhound, and the collar that I use that is small enough and still get the effects of the flat link chain.
The Ring Entry and the Stacks
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Secret to long life, is clean toes and teeth
Start them young, and they think it is fun!
The pups have been so good about going potty outside. The last 2 days have been really nice, and the pups wanted to do their business outside away from their bed. SUPER SUCCESS: They all get little gold stars!!! So to reward them I brought them into the training studio to watch how the big dogs do it. They were thrilled, and if the weather cooperates, I we will start working on standing still and eventually turning it into a "Stack".
Dana Taylor here with Dainty Acres Italian Greyhounds. I want to share with you a puppy poopy clean up hack. I want to raise prissy, clean freaks who take their potty business as far away from their sleeping area as possible. So I create that environment for them. I keep their bed really clean. I have a pee pad down when the weather is cold or wet. I have a dog door to their outdoor potty area. As you can see in this video, I have an X-Pen surrounding an area the size of a pee pad. Their crate door is always open so they can roll out of bed and head to their potty area.
Dainty Acres Italian Greyhounds
PO Box 505, Spring Branch, Texas 78070
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