Intro to Odor Work: the next urban sport for dogs

The next group class Miss Chloe will be attending this Fall is Intro to Odor Work, beginning Sunday, October 11.  It's the next class in the K9 Nosework class series.  All dogs are taught to identify the first target odor, an essential oil, and we continue to build a better dog/handler team.  We can't wait to find out what the oil is!  Stay tuned...

K9 Nose Work Class - Week 4

The environment changed again and Chloe continued to excel.  Today we moved the scent work exercises to the outdoors with wind and other nature scents making it more difficult.  We signed up for the next level, Intro to Odor, coming soon in October 2010.

K9 Nose Work Class - Week 3

Another exciting day of the hide and seek game, placing the scent in high and low spots, as well as down & under objects.  Chloe is still moving along and doing well finding.

K9 Nose Work Class - Week 2

Chloe has developed a positive association with the building where the class is being held.  In week 2, the instructor is making the scent game more difficult by changing the scene of the environment.  Chloe's nose did not fail her and she was again successful.  Week 3 of the class is scheduled for Sunday, August 1st.

K9 Nose Work Class

We started the K9 Nose Work class on Sunday afternoon and it was purely entertaining to watch Chloe sniff and find the bait. Finally, a game Mom doesn't have to work so hard physically to participate in like the Agility For Fun class we took a few years ago. I had to sprint from one obstacle to another! I felt like I was in boot camp! In the K9 Nose Work class, Chloe does all the work, mainly, her lovely-dudley canine nose and it's 200 million receptors. Her high energy, motivation to find and speed is working to her advantage. We can't wait to see her progress at the next class.

Finding a Labrador Retriever Puppy Breeder

Are you looking for the perfect canine companion?  Like Poodles (of course!) Labrador Retrievers are highly intelligent, excel in retrieving and matched with the right person/family he/she can become a great family dog.  We came across an article titled Labrador Retriever Revelation (excerpt posted below) and thought we would share it.  We thought the most important point by the author is understanding how to choose the right breeder.  Please check the American Kennel Club website to learn how to select a reputable breeder and the Breeder directory to locate a reputable breeder near you.  Are you in the San Francisco Bay Area?  You may also consider contacting the Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue organization to adopt a Labrador Retriever. 

If you want a Labrador puppy, you need to choose the breeder rather than the puppy. Without the right care in this choice, you are quite likely to join the huge numbers of people who adopt a Labrador and get rid of the dog before the age of two years.
There are so many Labradors in need of rescue that many of them have to die for lack of available homes. These are not bad dogs. They are dogs whose owners did not do the proper homework to choose a dog they could handle.
If you have the ability to manage and train a boisterous but friendly dog, have a good home to offer, and will spay or neuter, please consider a rescue Labrador as your choice. Get expert help to find the right Lab for your needs. The second-hand dogs are in many cases absolutely first-rate.

Want more information?  Read the full article on the Veterinary Partner website.

Thank you!

Many thanks to our designer, Monica at Sniff Design Studio, for working so hard to get our lovely new wallpaper and fancy lace decor on our blogger site.

Canine Noses Stop to Smell the Roses

The bark around town among the doggy elite is to attend an Introduction to K9 Nose Work class.  At Diva Dogs we always like to investigate new trends, especially something we can put our canine noses up to.  So we searched high and low, and found this unique and fun sport for people too at Downtown Dogs in San Jose.  We will keep you posted on our nose work activities.  The class starts on Sunday, July 11.  Visit their website for more information.

What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage

One of our business mottos is Divas Never Stop Learning so when I came across this article published by the New York Times about learning and teaching new behaviors, I couldn't resist sharing it with friends and family.  Below is an excerpt from the article...

I was using what trainers call "approximations," rewarding the small steps toward learning a whole new behavior. You can't expect a baboon to learn to flip on command in one session, just as you can't expect an American husband to begin regularly picking up his dirty socks by praising him once for picking up a single sock. With the baboon you first reward a hop, then a bigger hop, then an even bigger hop. 

Diva Dogs Feature on Groupon

Diva Dogs is honored to be featured on Groupon San Jose June 17-20, 2010.  Groupon subscribers who purchase the special offer choose one of four luxurious mobile dog care services and have until June 21, 2011 to redeem the Groupon voucher.  You can view the lovely advertisement and Today's Deal of the Day by clicking here.  If you missed it, no worries, we will keep you informed of the next special offer.  You can also subscribe to Groupon's daily notice to hear about other fantastic savings in the SF Bay Area.