Fundraising for The American Brittany Rescue

Every year Best Friends Pet Care puts up their Angel Tree...this is a great way to fundraise money, food, bedding, etc for local rescues. Throughout the months of November and December, pet lovers can stop by their local Best Friends and make a much needed donations.

This year we have adopted the American Brittany Rescue . They are a foster based rescue and are in need of loving homes for their list of available dogs. If you cannot adopt a Brittany, than maybe you can donate a financial gift to them.


Lance is in need of a forever home


 Last year, more than $20,000 worth of food, toys, treats and pet care products were donated to 60 shelters and rescue organizations in 18 states by the Best Friends Pet Care organization.


Buddy needs a forever home





Training for the Holiday Season

Best Friends Pet Care offers several training options for your new puppy. Many families consider bringing home a new puppy and while it's true that Christmas only comes once a year, puppies are here for a lifetime. A well behaved puppy becomes a well behaved dog and a true member of your family.



Dalmation



Great Dane





Jack Russel



Once you've done your homework on which breed is the right fit for your family and have picked out the cutest of the bunch and the excitement of having your new addition home is over, now comes time to train your puppy.

We offer a 6 week class setting training where you attend with your puppy and learn while he's learning. We also offer an in-house training program where you board your puppy and we do the training. We follow up with you after the specified period of time. Both programs are successful, it boils down to what works for you and your family!

Give us a call at 586-792-3000 to inquire which training program would work best for you and your new puppy!

And of course, all of the above applies to adult dogs too...it's never too late to train a dog! And yes an old dog CAN learn new tricks

Belg Sheepdog Lakenos

Back to school is the perfect time for dog obedience!

When school starts and the kids are back on a schedule and working hard at their studies, it is the perfect time to get your dog on a schedule and work on their studies (obedience) too!

Obedience training will offer your dog mental stimulation while providing some one-on-one bonding time for you and your dog. This can go a long way in getting a dog adjusted to a new routine.

Best Friends offers several options in dog training: Puppy Manners and Basic Obedience are taught in a class setting. You and your dog will be instructed throughtout the 6-week program on sit, stay, heel, down, come, leave it and more. Your dog will also have the opportunity for becoming social (which is especially important if this is the issue that brings you to class). We also offer private classes and our board and train program.

Our training classes are starting at the end of September so give us a call to reserve your spot now. 586-792-3000

Puppy Socialization Classes

Best Friends offers a FREE puppy socialization hour every Wednesday at 1pm. You come with your new puppy to watch and enjoy the puppies play. This is open to any puppy under the age of 6 months old and is current on their vaccinations.

What is socialization?

Introducing and familiarizing a canine to new experiences - including people, places, objects, other animals - in ways that help the dog learn how to respond to and interact with these experiences appropriately and without fear.

Why is it important?

From 8 to 12 weeks of age, puppies go through a fear imprinting stage. During this time, it is crucial to carefully introduce a pup to a variety of stimuli every day, and to ensure that the experiences are positive. This is also a good time to start training the pup in basic behaviors.

These socialization efforts make the difference in the dog's outlook on life. Instead of reacting fearfully to new experiences, the dog is comfortable when encountering new things, animals and people. This helps the dog and everyone else, since the most common cause of unprovoked dog aggression is lack of proper socialization.

Socialization does not end at puppyhood. While the foundation for good behavior is laid during the first few months, good owners encourage and reinforce social skills and responsiveness to commands throughout the dog's life.

So once your puppy is over the age of 6 months and is spayed/neutered bring him/her back for daycamp.

Canine Good Citizen Testing

Best Friends Pet Care offers the AKC Canine Good Citizen Testing. The AKC designed the CGC to reward responsible dog owners who train their dogs to have good manners at home and in the community. The CGC test requirements are a good foundation to other dog related sports and some apartments/condos are requiring CGC training and testing for their canine residents. Most therapy dog organizations require this test before official therapy dog testing begins.

The testing has be done by an official AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator. Barb at Best Friends Pet Care became an official evaluator in 2009 and offers testing by appointment and at special event days. If interested give us a call at 586-792-3000.

AKC CGC Responsible Dog Owner's Pledge
I will be responsible for my dog's health needs.
I will be responsible for my dog's safety.
I will not allow my dog to infringe on the rights of others.
I will be responsible for my dog's quality of life.

AKC Canine Good Citizen Test
1. Accepting a Friendly Stranger
2. Sitting politely for petting
3. Appearance and Grooming
4. Out for a walk (walking loose lead)
5. Walking through a crowd
6. Sit and down on command and Staying in place
7. Coming when called
8. Reaction to another dog
9. Reaction to distraction
10. Supervised separation

Equipment
For the CGC test you will need to bring your dog's brush or comb, a buckle or slip collar.

Rally Obedience

Rally Obedience is a relatively new sport for dogs combining obedience exercises on a course like agility. It was originally devised by Charles L. "Bud" Kramer from the obedience practice of "doodling" - doing a variety of interesting warm up and freestyle exercises. Rally stresses the importance of team work between the handler and dog over precision. The course is a series of stations with a sign explaining the next exercise to be performed. After the judge gives the forward command the team must briskly navigate the course in the correct sequence.


On the course handlers are allowed unlimited communication including hand signals and the handler's hands do not have to be in any particular position. The handler may not give harsh verbal commands or touch their dog on the course. The dog does not have to be in perfect heel position and scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience.


Rally may not burn as much energy as agility but it provides non-impact exercise as well as great mental simulation. Some handlers don't ever plan to compete but use Rally as a way to practice basic obedience in a less formal class setting. There are a four venues that offer Rally obedience in the United States. They are American Kennel Club (AKC), Association of Pet Dog Trainers (ADPT), United Kennel Club (UKC), and the newly formed Canine Work and Games (C-Wags).

Best Friends offers two options for those wishing to take Rally classes. The first option is a six week class for those who have no prior rally experience. The first two weeks we cover the stations for AKC rally including practicing proper performance and introduction to simple courses. The following weeks we will increase the length and difficulty of each course with the final class set up as a mock trial. The second option is for those who have some prior knowledge of rally, even non-AKC venues, and consists of a drop-in class. While AKC obedience is covered the other venues will be added in as some of their stations differ. In order to join either class basic obedience is a minimum and advanced obedience is preferred.

For more information please give us a call at 586-792-3000.

New Drop In Agility Classes Start at Best Friends

Today we began Best Friends new drop in agility classes. We began with six dogs of different ages and breeds that have never been to an agility class before. It was a real family affair with children and parents cheering on the family dogs over a-frames and through tunnels. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and soon everyone was laughing and celebrating with each new obstacle learned.

This class option is a great way for busy people who want to train their dogs in agility for fun without the multiple week commitment. Dogs complete the obstacles they are comfortable with so they can learn at their own pace. Give us a call at 586-792-3000 for more information!

Training Tips: Visitors For The Holiday

This time of year is busy, fun, and full of family and friends. If you have a canine at home who likes to jump, the stress of having company come over can ruin the fun. Here are several tips to help you make the holidays a little less stressful for you and your guests.

Never push your pet off of you after they have jumped on you. Your dog jumps because they want affection from the fun, new people who came to visit them! So pushing, pulling with your hands, or any kind of physical touching will actually encourage the behavior, after all they are getting what they want...petting! Simply turn your back to your dog. By turning your body quickly to the side your dog’s paws will slide off of you and your guests. This may not stop your dog from jumping but it does get them down without sending mixed signals.

Often time owners will also use the word down. However we also use the command down to tell our dogs to “lie down.” Dogs have a good vocabulary but using the same word for two different actions can confuse even the smartest of breeds. We like to use the word off. Re-training ourselves is the hardest thing to remember. Think of the off command as meaning “get your paws off” and down as meaning “lie down.”

Once clear communication between you and your dog is established you can move on to the next phase of training. When you know you have guests coming over (you can also have practice guests come over before hand) put your dog on their leash. This allows you to control behavior before it gets out of control. Have a bag of treats outside the door for your guests to give your dog. The rule is the dog can only get the treat if they are sitting calmly. You will be amazed how fast dogs pick up on the rules! If you do use the leash to get paws off a guest, pull downward towards their tail to prevent the dog from falling on their sides.

These are just a few tips to get you started in the right direction. If you and your dog need some extra help come in for a Basic Obedience class with our trainers. Obedience gives your dog something physically and mentally engaging to do when they encounter new or exciting situations.