From A Dog's Eye View

Susan Coleman
  • 3.7 (3)
  • PETS & ANIMALS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A space to embrace your dog and understand their behavior. Bi-weekly episodes exploring all things positive reinforcement training + effectively communicating with your dog. Because dogs are simple, when their owners have the right information. canineconcierge.substack.com

  1. 4H AGO

    Puppy Mills

    Nearly half of all households in the United States have at least one dog. Many have multiple dogs. All of those dogs were bred somehow and somewhere. This episode is to increase awareness of where your puppies and dogs may have come from. In particular, I will be focusing on commercial dog breeders known as puppy mills. Specifically, those located in the state of Ohio, even though they exist worldwide. Puppy mills are not the reputable breeders your friends or family may have recommended you get your puppy from. Commonly, they are unsanitary and have inadequate veterinary care. Their dogs are overbred and ill-bred, live in crowded undersized crates, and are provided insufficient socialization time, if any at all. There is no limit to how many dogs can be in one building. It can be hundreds. It is doubtful that there are enough people to properly care for the dogs housed in one location. Puppy mill owners typically use brokers who act as “middlemen” between the puppy mills and pet stores, breeders and online sales. However, they can also sell directly from their kennels to prospective customers like us. Many customers may not realize that they are dealing with a large-scale commercial breeder. The facilities, which can house hundreds of puppies, are often located at a distance from the point of sale and may not be visible to buyers. These breeders frequently transport animals across state lines. Puppies raised in such conditions may experience significant stress, potentially leading to behavioral challenges such as fearfulness or aggression. There are puppy mills who relinquish breeder dogs, and sometimes puppies to rescue groups and shelters. They also call rescue groups to let them know that they have a certain amount of puppies or dogs they need to move out of their facility within hours. Some of the reasons could be: * an upcoming inspection * not adhering to size requirements of crates per dog * dogs can no longer produce puppies for health reasons * shoddy veterinary procedures * cost of euthanasia For this episode, I introduce two women from Columbus who are passionate in their advocacy for dogs and decided to do something about it. Stefanie Mowrey, seated next to me in the studio, and Zaron Van Meter, have tirelessly volunteered their spare time for many years by fostering, rescuing, and adopting dogs. Stefanie is a registered nurse whose passion for animals has endured since childhood. She was heavily influenced by a “60 Minutes” episode decades ago which depicted the unsavory conditions of puppy mills. It captivated her attention to take action when she became an adult. She started fostering, adopting and then volunteering at the local Humane Society, and for the Ohio state chapter of Bailing Out Benji., where she met Zaron. Bailing Out Benji is a national non-profit organization which advocates for dogs in puppy mills and also provides research and education about them. While volunteering, Stefanie became more aware of the increasing number of dogs and puppies from mills and backyard breeders ending up in shelters and rescues. All too often, the shelters were already at capacity. Therefore, they have to rely heavily on fosters to take in dogs, especially puppies. Stefanie uses the example in our podcast of the shelter she volunteers for. This shelter will only adopt “puppy mill breeder dogs” out to a home that already has a resident dog in order to help the mill dog become less anxious and learn how to actually be a dog. Some puppy mill dogs do not know how to play. They don’t know how to socialize with people or other dogs. As a dog trainer, I know that the best teacher for dogs like this are other patient, gentle dogs. Dogs learn quickest and most effectively from other dogs, but it has to be the right type of dog. Dogs also want to know where they fit in their pack. A dominant and/or guard dog in this situation with a fearful newcomer can cause havoc. It is also up to the humans in the pack to ensure the safety of those involved. Zaron Van Meter is a business owner and has been an advocate for dogs for over 25 years. Through her involvement as the founder of SK9 Scottish Terrier Rescue, she organized presentations by well-known devoted companion animal advocates, such as Cesar Millan, Dr. Jean Dodds, Temple Grandin, and Dave Hunt(an expert on dog fighting). In 2012, Zaron was instrumental as an activist in getting an anti-puppy mill law passed included in Senate Bill 130 (Ohio Revised Code 956.20)1️⃣ which mandates better living spaces, regular vet exams, and health certificates for every dog that is sold to a vendor, like a retail pet store. Violations to this code is a misdemeanor. Zaron and Stefanie wanted to do even more to help out by reducing the amount of dogs coming from puppy mills, with the ultimate goal of eliminating them. They became involved in educating the public and informing Ohio legislators of the need to close loopholes in the current laws to protect dogs who come from all commercial breeders. In my opinion, there is not enough attention and priority given to puppy mills by the public and the government agencies that oversee them. More regulations need to be passed and current regulations need to be enforced more effectively. A light needs to be shined on these factories of sadness for the benefit of the dogs and the customers who unknowingly purchase them. There are laws and agencies to oversee and enforce existing regulations against the breeders. On a state level, there is the Ohio Department of Agriculture. On a federal level, it is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Existing laws preventing abuse are rarely enforced. If they are, often the penalty is simply a fine. Breeders who have received many violations have been known to change their name and operate under a different licensed name. Even the mission statement of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which oversees the high volume commercial dog breeder kennels, gives no mention to dogs. It reads: “To protect Ohio citizens by ensuring food supply safety, maintaining the health of plants and animals, and creating economic opportunities for the state’s farmers, food processors, and agribusinesses, all while preserving resources and supporting the state’s largest industry.”2️⃣ In Ohio, dogs are currently similarly classified as livestock. We all know and love our dogs as loving companions that share our homes and are members of our families. To think that dogs are also viewed as property and can be discarded at the whim of these commercial breeders is beyond sad. Their well-being is not at the forefront of their business plan. It all comes down to money. If a breeder dog can no longer have puppies for health reasons or overbreeding, they cease to be a moneymaker. They are discarded or euthanized. Their best chance for survival is to be transported to rescue groups or shelters and eventually adopted by a loving family. Laws in Ohio need to be passed to change the classification of our beloved dogs to be recognized as companion animals, not livestock. Examples of states that consider dogs’ welfare and best interest are New York, California, and New Hampshire. More states are updating their regulations and classification concerning dogs. Within the past two years, Pennsylvania joined suit. Ohio can too with your support! The Ohio Department of Agriculture(ODA) inspects high volume commercial dog breeders. However, there are only 5 inspectors in the entire state to cover the approximately 475 that exist.3️⃣ In 2025, Ohio was designated once again, the second worst state in the nation, with 16 commercial breeders committing major egregious violations. 4️⃣ This is according to the Humane Society of the United States’ (now known as The Humane World for Animals) list called “The Horrible Hundred”. These mills are sometimes documented repeat offenders that should be shut down. Currently, ODA inspections are announced. This is why puppy mills will dump numerous puppies/dogs at a time at a shelter or elsewhere before the inspection date. Mill breeders know they will be fined because of the health conditions of certain puppies or because they lack required paperwork. Legislation in Ohio needs to return to the original code stating inspections be unannounced. This way the proprietors would not be able to hide the true conditions of the living quarters for the puppies and dogs. More inspectors need to be hired, trained and protected from zoonotic diseases that can pass from puppies to humans. One disease that is becoming more prevalent in puppy mills is brucellosis. According to Dr. Felicia Nonnenmacher at Animal Clinic Northview, there is a simple blood test to screen for brucellosis. Most reputable breeders have their breeder dogs tested annually to make sure they do not expose positively tested dogs to people and other dogs. If a dog tests positive, antibiotics can be attempted, but unfortunately do not always lead to a cure. Euthanasia is recommended. Fortunately, Dr. Nonnenmacher has not seen a case of brucellosis in her practice. Zaron describes in our recording an experience a woman had in Canada with a dog she added to her existing pack that had brucellosis. It did not end well for her and her own dogs. Under the current Ohio law (code 956.20), when puppy mills sell to pet stores, the pet stores must provide paperwork to prospective buyers which include: * puppy’s date of birth * puppy’s breed including color, gender, and identifying marks * name and address of the breeder or kennel * health info, including vaccinations signed by a licensed vet * when the pet store took possession of the puppy * breeder’s USDA license number and inspection report (if applicable) Shady breeders hope that people won’t do their homework and research. Their website may look professi

    49 min

  2. 11/18/2025

    What it Takes to be a Dog Trainer

    Over the past 13 years, I have helped thousands of dogs and their pet parents learn how to communicate effectively so they can live in harmony together. Most clients just need to establish more structure, consistent boundaries and an exercise regimen for their dogs in order to lead a happy and fulfilled life. Others are presented with challenges by their canine companions, especially when fear or aggression are present. Dog training is not only about teaching obedience skills. It is also about making pet parents realize that what they are currently doing is not working. I help them solve the problem behaviors they are experiencing. Most clients are very receptive to this and some are not. I have only been told once to leave a client’s home. A young man’s girlfriend called me to help her golden doodle get along with her boyfriend’s Staffordshire Terrier. She said their first encounter did not go well. The man greeted me outside with his dog. At least he had the dog on a leash, but the dog was lunging and barking to get at me. The girlfriend stayed about 25’ away with her quiet and probably terrified doodle. The man was offended that I didn’t want to greet his dog. I told him repeatedly over the barking that I never say hello to dogs that are vocalizing, especially in an aggressive tone. I tried to coach him to put the dog in a sit by his side, but he refused for his own reasons. He was struggling to control his dog. I suggested we move to the back yard to see if a change of scenery would help. We did, but the dog never calmed down. The man even told me that his dog is very friendly and this was the worst he had acted out with a stranger. That’s when he said I could go home. I quietly slipped away and was glad when I got inside my car! You can only learn if you are open to it. It can be very difficult for people to admit they are part of their dog’s behavior problem. A lot of times, they don’t even know they are reinforcing bad behavior by giving the dog affection at the wrong time. Most clients end up telling me that they have to change even before I come right out and tell them. That’s when I know that I have gotten through to them. I had to learn how to communicate this to my clients so as not to come across too offensively. My training emphasized to keep everything positive with the dog and the client, but did not outline what to say to the clients when they disagreed with my philosophy and solutions. Customer service is crucial in dog training. You are being hired to fix issues and you better tend to their wishes in a professional manner. If you are the type of person who prefers dealing with dogs and not people, then this job is not for you. Dogs are the easy part, humans can be the difficult part. That being said, I have met some incredible people over the years whose friendships I treasure. They started out as clients, and turned into wonderful friendships. I am still a part of these friends’ lives, even after the dog we trained together has passed on. As a dog trainer, you bond with people in a unique way. When a pet parent brings a puppy home, they treasure this puppy because it IS a part of the family. I don’t think I have ever come across anyone who feels any differently. I am requested to help transition this precious puppy from where it came to their new home. That’s a pretty tall order! During this transition and multiple visits or classes, life happens. I have had several clients whose partner was the primary caretaker of the dog. Then, they either passed away or divorce split up the pack. One client’s son had adopted a dog from a shelter during the COVID shutdown. We conducted our trainings outdoors to stay safe. Then, he was struck with COVID and passed away due to complications with diabetes. His mother wanted desperately to keep the dog, but she knew she could not be there for it due to her demanding work schedule. Happily, she found a great home for the dog and the new pet parent has been very happy with the adoption. Sometimes, I become like a family therapist. The new addition can wreak havoc on relationships, especially when not everyone agreed to get the puppy in the first place. Let’s face it. Puppies are a lot of work. Rescue dogs can present challenges that could not be foreseen in the shelter. There can be disagreements between family members as to how to solve problem behaviors. This is when it is crucial for me to find the right words to explain why certain solutions work and others do not. I absolutely love what I do. I got into dog training all because of my former dog, Hank, the Corgi. Even with my experience and the standards I have today, Hank was a difficult dog. I had to figure him out and I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I had answers to why he acted the way he did. Little did I know that in learning how to figure him out, I would become a dog trainer. I thought at the time I was just really interested in dog behavior. I never intended to make a career out of it. After I made the decision to pursue a job as a dog trainer, I applied to Pet Smart and Petco. Pet Smart wasn’t looking for a trainer, but Petco was. It took me almost 7 months to get hired at Petco. I pursued management on a weekly basis to see if they had made a decision. Sometimes I would drive to the store to talk to the managers. Every time I would drive there, I would get emotional. I couldn’t explain it. The tears were happy tears even in spite of the obstacles I came up against. I felt so driven this was the job I should be doing and the tears confirmed that feeling. I still feel today that the universe was shouting to me not to give up on Petco because I needed to be a dog trainer. After 7 months of persevering, I was finally in the right place at the right time. I started studying the Petco curriculum on dog behavior and how to train dogs. The curriculum was written by a well known dog behaviorist named Patricia McConnell. I read all the books I could get my hands on. However, in my opinion, there was something monumental that was missing from what I was learning from a book. It’s what Cesar Millan, the star of “The Dog Whisperer” is all about - energy. While I was learning the Petco way of training, I was also watching Cesar Millan’s, “The Dog Whisperer” episodes on tv in my spare time. Studying dog behavior became a passion of mine. In every “Dog Whisperer” episode, Cesar repeated the fact that the dog is a mirror of their human’s energy, philosophy, and actions. He proved this concept with every client while handling their dog versus when the client handled the dog. It was not magic or trick photography. It really was all about the handler’s energy that influenced the dog’s behavior. The magic is mastering that type of energy. This resonated with me in some way. I understood the concept, but could not see how it applied to me. I was on a mission to figure this all out. This ‘magical’ type of energy involves mastering remaining calm but at the same time, being assertive. I typically am a calm person, but I wasn’t when I was communicating with Hank. It seemed like I was always frustrated and mad at him because he wouldn’t obey me. I thought that was somehow being assertive. I thought refraining from exploding and yelling at him was somehow remaining calm. Honestly, I didn’t know how to be any different. Hank was unpredictable and sometimes aggressive. Anyone who knows me would probably say that I am the exact opposite of that. However, when I dealt with Hank, I was usually agitated and frustrated because he would often ignore me. Cesar was right. I was the one who had to change and then Hank would follow suit. Dogs do not want to follow unstable energy. It’s so true! As soon as I started to change, Hank changed too. Cesar believes, and so do I, that every human in the household should be a calm and assertive leader. This is the kind of energy most dogs want to follow. I knew I had the calm part down but was fuzzy about what assertive energy looked like. Reading and watching Cesar on tv dealing with dogs using calm and assertive energy was not easy to imitate. It had to come from within and it had to be genuine. Dogs know when you are faking it and they will not respect you. I knew the exact moment that I had achieved calm and assertive energy. When I worked at Petco, I used to have a puppy play time. I had to teach puppies how to play nicely and to respect cautious puppies who needed some extra space. One puppy was picking on another and a third puppy was trying to intervene. The third puppy that was intervening was a sign to me that the energy in the pack of puppies was elevating. Dogs have an inherent desire to keep the pack in a calm state. So, as soon as I noticed this, I stood in front of the puppy that was bullying the other and said with my body language and energy only, no words, “Hey, leave that puppy alone!” The guilty puppy slowly laid down and surrendered to me. I felt like jumping for joy because I knew at that moment what calm and assertive energy felt like. I remembered exactly how I felt in that moment. I tell people that you say in your head “I must get this accomplished and I’m not giving up”. I use and teach this technique and energy on every appointment. See the end result in your head and get it done. I can relate to my clients when they are honest with me in describing how they are with their dogs. I was just like them. I explain to them that the calm part means barely talking to your dog. Instead, communicate using your body language and your energy. If you keep repeating “No!”, you are usually saying this in a frustrated and agitated manner. This typically makes the dog excited because your energy is excited in a negative way. On the contrary, if

    26 min

  3. 10/29/2025

    Top 15 Grooming Tools and Products

    Dog groomers are an integral part in maintaining optimal health for your dog. They are not just limited to bathing and trimming a dog’s coat. They are also checking for ear infections, trimming nails, and noticing lumps and any other superficial health issues. It is important to find a groomer who will point out possible concerns they may have about the appearance and behavior of your dog. They may suggest a follow up visit with your veterinarian. Finding a groomer you can trust and keeping the recommended frequency of grooming appointments are two key ways to help your dog get acclimated to the salon and the entire experience, which can be somewhat stressful. The more often your dog goes to the groomer, the more they will become familiar with them and the surroundings. Communication between the groomer and pet parent must be open and honest. All pet parents want to know how their dog behaved at the salon and if there are any concerns they need to know about. Sharyn Ugan is a retired dog and cat groomer from Petco. She still grooms dogs for friends and family on her own. In this episode,Sharyn shares with me all of the tools she uses. When she worked at the Petco grooming salon, the company provided a lot of the equipment. However, if she needed or preferred certain tools, she would purchase them herself. Typically, a lot of the equipment is purchased by the groomer. Sharyn likes to have backups for every tool. In the pictures below, you will discover which scissors, clippers, and products she prefers. Over the years, she has built up an extensive array of grooming tools for her “toolbox”. Brushes Sharyn predominantly uses three different types of brushes. Depending on the job, there are metal slicker brushes, a rake, a fine toothed flea comb, and a FURminator. Brushes are integral in maintaining a healthy coat by preventing and detangling mats. They also help distribute natural oils throughout the body to prevent hair follicles from clogging. Daily brushing keeps matting in check. It also removes loose fur and dirt which helps reduce shedding. * Slicker brushes Sharyn likes to use metal slicker brushes with a blue plastic handle. The teeth are made of metal and come in different lengths and textures. The wider brush with shorter teeth are used on shih tzus and smaller dogs. The brush with longer bristles are used more on longer coats like poodles, doodles and German Shepherds. The slicker brush pictured below has an ‘S’ on the back which means that the bristles are soft. They come in soft, medium and hard. Sharyn uses this type of brush on 95% of the dogs she grooms because they are very durable and get the job done. * The Rake The Rake is a type of brush to manage matting. They are recommended particularly on dogs with an undercoat. I use a rake on my dog, Ebi, every day. She has feathers, long, wispy fur, by her rear end and behind her legs. I use a slicker brush for her body. One month, I tried using a slicker brush on her whole body and thought I was doing a good job. However, when it was time for Ebi’s grooming appointment with Sharyn, she found the most mats ever. The slicker brush didn’t cut through the feathers. Sharyn calls feathers, pantaloons. Rakes can be found in the detangling brush section on the internet. Many companies make them. Just make sure you get a sturdy handle and appropriate size for your dog. * Flea comb Sharyn uses a flea comb that also has a small comb on the other side. She likes to use this on small dog’s faces, ears, and paws. Sometimes little knots form on the fur on and around the ears. Breeds like Westies and terriers have beards that need to be brushed out. The small comb is perfect for that purpose. I have seen her use it on my dog’s fur that grows in between her toes. She may even find fleas since these are the areas where fleas tend to reside. FURminator FURminators were invented in the early 2000s as a deshedding tool. The purpose was to develop a safe and efficient way to remove loose undercoat fur without damaging the top coat. However, Sharyn says that you have to be careful because of this. They can take a bulk of the fur out, but you can possibly strip away too much of the topcoat. She liked to use them when they first came out, but now she doesn’t care for them. Shampoo Shampooing a dog is the first step in the grooming process. There are many different shampoos to choose from. Sharyn likes Johnson&Johnson Baby Shampoo. It is tearless and mild. There are other shampoos available for different skin issues. For example, there is a shampoo with oatmeal in it that soothes irritated skin. No matter what shampoo she uses, she always dilutes it. She finds that rinsing the shampoo out is a lot easier. A little bit of shampoo produces a lot of suds to really scrub into the fur. An added benefit is if the dog should have allergies to the shampoo, it will be less concentrated, producing a milder reaction to it. I personally prefer all natural products for my dog. I showcase a shampoo made by a company called Doggy Style. It is a shampoo and conditioner in one and only requires a little bit. I love the way it smells and how my dog’s fur feels when it’s all dried. For more information, check out: Doggy Style Dog Care. This is a local Cleveland company that sells varied products for grooming your dog. I love the bath scrubber for short haired dogs too! Nail trims Even if you don’t take your dog to a groomer, you still need to trim the nails or get someone to do it for you. The anatomy of a dog’s foot is similar from breed to breed, but the shape and length of the nails can be different. For example, I used to walk my Corgi so much that the concrete would naturally file down his nails. In fact, sometimes the nails would be worn down so low to the quick, they would start bleeding (Please see below the definition of the quick) I walk my Leonberger just as much, but her nails stick straight out and don’t touch the sidewalk unless they start getting too long. When I can hear clicking on the pavement, that’s when I know it’s time for a nail trim. If dog’s nails get too long, the dog will compensate by walking differently. This will put undue strain on the joints. The nails can also get caught on rugs and become injured, causing even more pain and a visit to the vet. Overgrown nails can be painful if walking on pavement. It alters their natural gait and will cause the dog to shift their weight to avoid the pain. When nails are left long on a consistent basis, the quick will grow out with the nail, which makes it difficult to trim them without bleeding. If neglected for a long period of time, the nails can curl under and grow into the paw pad. Ouch! The quick The quick is located on the inner part of a dog’s nail. It will appear as a small pink dot on the inside of a dog’s nail or as a small dark circle on the nail’s tip on the inside of a black nail. It contains blood vessels, so if it is nicked with clippers, it will start to bleed. Before beginning to trim your own dog’s nails, make sure you have some styptic powder to dunk the nail in. The bleeding should stop immediately. * Small Nail Clippers These clippers are shown on the far right of the picture below. Small nail clippers are great for cat nails and small animals like ferrets and guinea pigs. They are used for very small dogs like Bugsy, who is laying on his bed in the video of this podcast. Although, Bugsy likes his nails done with a Dremel. 5. The Dremel Some animals prefer the Dremel over clipping, as mentioned above. Some dogs are afraid of the sound of it as it grinds away the nail. There are some models that are quieter than others. In general, the Dremel is safer since it reduces the chance of nicking the quick. It leaves a smoother finish and is great for thick nails. I have seen Sharyn cut Ebi’s nails with a clipper and then Dremel them to smooth out rough edges. Big Nail Clippers * Large Nail Clippers For larger dogs like Ebi, Sharyn uses a larger, sturdier clipper. Ebi’s nails are thick and more suitable for a Dremel. However, Ebi never has liked the sound of it. The sound and the feel of the Dremel can be off-putting for a dog. On breeds whose nails are long and curved under, clipping away bit by bit is the only way to get the job done. If using a Dremel on these types of nails, the Dremel will come too close to the toe pad, causing possible injuries. The guillotine Sharyn knows how to use the guillotine for nails but does not like them. She finds that they crush and splinter the nail too much. The nail can get stuck upon releasing the grip. Dew claws Some dog breeds have dew claws which need to be trimmed by a clipper. These are long curved nails located on the side of each front paw, by the ankle. Since they are located so close to the leg, it is awkward to Dremel on the side of the nail closest to the leg. Therefore, it is easier to clip them. Sometimes dew claws are removed at birth so that they don’t present problems down the road. They can get caught on things and ripped off. Some breeds have front and back dew claws. Leonbergers, Great Pyrenees and some Sheepdogs have both. Typically, the dogs that were bred to climb mountains to protect their livestock, will have both front and back dew claws. They help grip the rough terrain as they climb. I have seen Ebi’s back dew claws do this. Scissors Sharyn uses three types of scissors for trimming fur. It is difficult to distinguish the size of the scissors and if the blades are straight or curved in the picture below. Just as a hair stylist has their favorite sheers, so do groomers. * Thinning shears Sharyn uses thinning shears to thin out bulky sections of a dog’s coat. These shears are pictured below on the far left. She will also use them on poofy ears first and

    42 min

  4. 10/14/2025

    Grooming with Sharyn

    Depending on your dog’s breed, you may be well acquainted with your favorite grooming salon. You might even have a preferred groomer who knows your dog and have established a trusting, reliable relationship with them. My guest, Sharyn Ugan, retired from Petco after 14 years of grooming cats and dogs. I met Sharyn over 10 years ago while working at Petco and also got to know some of the other groomers in the store. My dog training arena was right next to the salon. I would watch in awe how they would work tirelessly on various breeds. I was frequently amazed at the transformation from how the dog looked upon entering the salon and then leaving as a work of art with their pet parents. Dog grooming isn’t only about brushing and cutting a dog’s coat. Most professional groomers check the ears, eyes, the mouth, and even the rear end! Grooming is also about the dog’s health and well being. Sometimes groomers find lumps and bumps that go unnoticed by their owners. They may be located in areas that the owner doesn’t pet on a daily basis. If the fur is overgrown, skin infections cannot be seen. The owner may think their dog is just itching a lot, and doesn’t realize there is a skin infection developing. Regular appointments with professional groomers and veterinarians keep the dog’s health in check. Over the years, Sharyn has found numerous health issues while grooming. Before Sharyn became a full time groomer, she was a vet tech. She saw and treated a variety of health conditions that came into the vet office. This helped her recognize the signs of common ailments when she became a groomer, like ear infections, broken nails, and growths in hidden places. She even identified a swollen s*****m on a non-neutered male dog who ended up having testicular cancer! The owners had the dog neutered right away which extended his senior life by another 3 years. Sharyn became interested in grooming when her best friend bought a kennel that came with a grooming salon. Sharyn learned from the woman who was the groomer in that salon and came to really enjoy it. Sharyn learned a lot from her but she really taught herself. Back then, groomers didn’t need to be certified. She used a workbook for groomers as a guide which showed pictures and described details of the standard cuts for all the different breeds. “It’s just a matter of the more you do it, the easier it gets. You learn by trial and error”. Sharyn Ugan For 24 years. Sharyn worked two jobs: a groomer and a vet tech, until she decided to just stick to grooming. She loved it and actually made more money than being a vet tech. Grooming is a lucrative business for the salon and the individual groomers. The popularity of all the doodles out there will keep them in business for a long time! As Sharyn experienced, an unexpected benefit of the job was that she developed relationships with a lot of her repeat clients. It was these relationships that added a little something special to just being a groomer. I remember Sharyn showing me the gifts she would get at Christmas time. Her human clients loved her and her dog clients loved her even more! When Sharyn worked at Petco, there were strict protocols in place. For example, it was required that puppies and dogs be up to date on all vaccines. Typically, puppies don’t get their rabies shot until at least 6 months old. It is essential to get them used to the salon as soon as they are fully vaccinated, so they don’t develop fear issues later. Sharyn’s advice to pet parents who rescue adult dogs is to take them to the salon about 3 to 4 weeks after they become accustomed to their new home. It is possible the rescue dog already had a bad experience with a groomer/grooming salon. Therefore, you don’t want to stress the dog out too much right after bringing them home. Petco also changed their policy on using muzzles on dogs that showed signs of aggression. Groomers used to be able to muzzle these types of dogs who were getting something as basic as a nail trim. However, the company changed their policy on muzzles. They were no longer allowed. Instead, groomers were directed to start referring aggressive cases to their local veterinarian to avoid their employees getting bit. Vet offices will muzzle dogs and even sedate them if necessary. When seeking out a grooming salon or individual groomer, it is worthwhile to find out what their policies are with dogs who have a hard time being manipulated. Get a tour of the salon so you can see where dogs are placed while they are being bathed, dried, and waiting to be picked up. Go at a busy time so you can hear the noise that your dog will hear. If your dog has fear issues, you may not want to expose your dog to such a hectic environment. Always have your dog’s best interest in mind. At Petco and other corporate pet stores, there is usually a training program that involves being mentored by another groomer. When groomers first begin their apprenticeship, they get to know the dog by handling them on leash and leading them to the bathing area, shampooing and drying them, and learning how to get the dog up on the table to be worked on. Many dogs are fearful of the entire experience, so it is important to learn how to handle and manage a dog in this state of mind. It requires a lot of patience with calm and assertive energy. Sharyn mentored plenty of apprentices who weren’t cut out for the job. They discovered they were more fearful of dogs than they thought they were. It can be a very stressful environment when dogs are barking while grooming a fearful dog, and being afraid of getting bit. Groomers should know they will get nipped and sometimes bit. It comes with the job! Part of being a groomer is building a relationship not just with the dog but also with the client. When the client drops their dog off, Petco had a list of questions to ask them which included if there were any changes in the dog’s health. Groomers were instructed to have the dog walk into the salon instead of being carried. This way they could confirm that the dog didn’t have mobility issues. Sharyn would always do a quick check up before the client left for fleas, sore spots, and anything that might affect her grooming. Sharyn found the best approach with clients was to be honest and upfront. If she found fleas or ticks, she would put them in a baggie to show the client, in case they were in disbelief. If she found any health issues, she would bring it to the client’s attention. If the dog was having an “off” day, or the dog was so stressed out from the noises in the salon, she would call the client to have the dog picked up as soon as possible. One time, Sharyn was only able to groom half of the dog because it was so stressed out. She had the client bring the dog back after a week to finish the rest. Sometimes, the dog wouldn’t exhibit any aggression or fear until they were put up on the grooming table. If the dog was wiggling and thrashing about so much that it impeded working on the dog, the client would be contacted to pick up their dog. It was a matter of the dog and the groomer possibly getting hurt. Whatever needed to be done that was best for the well being of the dog, Sharyn would act accordingly. She was always her client’s best advocate. Sharyn not only groomed dogs, but also cats. It had to be a special cat to tolerate a noisy salon and be surrounded by dogs. Some cat clients would shave their long haired cats because it was easier to maintain a short coat and it would also keep hairballs in check. One thing to keep in mind when shaving a cat or a dog is that it can damage the follicles, making it difficult for the coat to grow back in. The fur will grow back in different places and not in others. Sometimes, it doesn’t grow back at all. Sharyn had a longhaired Scottish Fold named Marshall who she would use as a teaching tool for apprentices to learn how to shave and work with cats. Marshall lived a nice long life and died at the age of 22! Almost unheard of for a cat!! One common issue that groomers deal with is when the fur gets tangled and forms knots, called matting. This is a painful condition especially when the mats are close to the skin. It actually starts pulling on the skin. Sometimes mats can be brushed out, but more often than not, they have to be cut or shaved out with clippers. Breeds like Poodles, Doodles with tight curls, and Shih Tzus, are more apt to get mats. Daily brushing can keep long coats in check to avoid matting. In reality, any breed of dog can get mats. They can be formed by: * lack of regular brushing * not using the correct type of brush * loose fur that hasn’t been blown out periodically (like Samoyeds and Huskies) * moisture and dirt * friction due to harnesses, sweaters and even petting behind the ears * areas that are frequently overlooked when brushing (under carriage, private parts) * excessive itching due to skin infections or parasites Sharyn says a misconception about matting with most people is that if they give the dog a bath first, then it will be easier to brush out the mats. The moisture actually makes it worse. What should happen instead is that the dog gets blown out with a high powered dryer and then brushed. Then, mats that can be cut or teased out with scissors are worked on first. The mats that are located in hard to reach spots or close to the skin get shaved off with clippers. If the dog is covered with mats, the whole body will be shaved. In rare cases, mats are so severe that amputation is the only option, I have seen this happen when people have rescued a dog that has been neglected for a long time. Clippers are a gentler way of tackling mats than trying to tease them out with a comb. Dogs may have an aversion to the noise of the clippers but they do not hurt the dog. There is such a thing as razor b

    37 min

  5. 09/30/2025

    Best in Show

    There are so many fun activities to do with your dog that speak to the instincts of specific breeds, such as agility for Jack Russell Terriers, hunting for Beagles, and herding for Border Collies. However, there is a whole other venue that is all about the preservation of over 200 purebreds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). That is the world of the show dogs. Breeders dedicate their lives to ensure their dogs are born healthy and structurally sound according to the standards set by the AKC. Judges at dog shows are an integral part of preserving the legacy of purebreds by choosing which dogs (males) and b*****s(females) meet these standards. My guest, Dr. Jennifer Smith, has been involved with competitive dog performance sports for decades. That was her comfort zone. However, she was always interested in the show arena, but never gave it a try until about 5 years ago. Watching the handlers and dogs on the Westminster Dog Show every year looked easy. Little did Jennifer know that there was a lot more than just prancing around the ring with your best buddy. As with everything that Jennifer decides to take on, she went all in! At this point in her life, poodles are her favorite breed. Please refer to our previous episode entitled “Oodles and Oodles of Poodles” where Jennifer elaborates on the temperament, intelligence, and instincts of this magnificent breed. Jennifer studied for years how to groom poodles to standard. Her goal was to learn how to groom her own poodle, Scarlet, so she would become show quality. She would go to shows and just observe what the pros did. Poodles have a continuous coat which keeps on growing. Jennifer used this to her advantage while learning because the coat happens to be very forgiving. If you make a mistake, you can cut it out, and it will grow back fairly quickly. If hunters never trimmed poodles’ fur, it would weigh them down in the water so much that they could drown! Styling the poodle has changed a bit over the years, but the shape of the cuts around the body serve the same function. The “rosettes” (the two round mounds of fur on their back) were trimmed to keep the poodle’s hips warm. The poof balls on the ankles are intended to keep them from getting too cold. The “jacket” around the body keeps their internal organs warm. The function of the poof ball on the tip of the tail is to make the dog visible while swimming to retrieve fowl from the water. Jennifer also had to go through a series of conformation classes. Conformation classes teach handlers how to present their dogs in the show ring. They teach handlers how to position their dogs in a standing position called stacking. They also teach them how to move around the ring to highlight the dog’s gait. Lastly, they learn proper etiquette when communicating with the judges and how to prepare for the judge’s exam. Jennifer also spent countless hours watching and practicing handling dogs. Part of Jennifer’s dream was to not only have a show worthy poodle, but also to handle her poodles in the ring. Jennifer succeeded because Scarlet now has her Championship and is a finished dog. She performed beautifully, but she really wasn’t thrilled about being in the show ring. Therefore, Jennifer didn’t pursue getting Scarlet her “specials”, which is the highest level of competition in a dog show. The anatomical structure of the poodle is unique. Poodles are squarely built, which means their length is equal to their height. They also have a specific angulation to their structure which allows for a very elegant and effortless prancing gait. It looks like they are floating. There really is no other breed that compares to it. Every feature about them evolved that way to facilitate retrieving fowl in the water swiftly and powerfully. This becomes integral to assessing the poodle in the show ring. **“Not all family dogs are show dog quality, but all show dogs are family dogs”. - Jennifer Smith When interested in getting involved in the dog show arena, one of the first places to start is searching for reputable breeders who have experience showing that breed. Jennifer recommends for people to go to dog shows and actually talk to any of the breeders of the type of dog you are interested in. They have a lot of pride in what they do. They will give you unique insight into the breed that online research cannot. The most responsible breeders will divulge information about how they breed out certain health issues. Good breeders are all about sharing information about the breed they love and live with. They want others to love their dogs as much as they do. These are the owners who will make sure their dogs will live on for generations to come. Just as with any profession, there is plenty of fraud, so make sure you do your homework. After selecting a favorite breed, do extensive research on the breed. Make sure this is a breed that is suitable for your lifestyle. Border Collies are a lot of fun and they are highly intelligent, but that comes at a cost. You better be prepared to provide an active lifestyle for them and challenge them intellectually or else behavioral issues can arise. Jennifer talks about the pages and pages of standards set by the AKC for every recognized breed in the United States. When you show your dog, the judges are looking for the one that best conforms to those standards. “Dogs aren’t competing with each other. They are competing against the standards.” - Jennifer Smith Jennifer reads and then rereads the pages of standards for the poodle breed. Each time she reads them, something jumps out at her that she didn’t notice the last time she read them. The more experience you have, the more you understand on a deeper level what the standard means. Jennifer has 4 poodles as pets. She has studied their behavior, learned how to properly groom them, and how to handle them in the arena for several years now. Showing a poodle is different than showing a dachshund, like her husband Tom does. They are a different breed with a different temperament and require a skillset unique to each one. It is imperative to know the breed you are handling in the show arena inside and out. One important aspect of owning and showing dogs is they have to remain intact. This means that dogs cannot be neutered and b*****s cannot be spayed. This presents a challenge for Jennifer and her husband Tom twice a year when the b*****s go in to heat. She says that the intact males will claw through anything to get to the female! The instinct to reproduce is that strong. They get triggered by the smell of the urine. The entire heat cycle can last for a couple of months. However, when the b*****s are ready to mate, the males can no longer just be separated by fences in the backyard. They have to go live with other show dog friends until the b***h’s hormones subside. Jennifer’s latest addition to her poodle pack is Chapel, shown below. Chapel finished her championship on September 13 and won again to earn points towards her grand championship. Jennifer decided to have Chapel live with and be handled by a professional handler. She likes to play with her dogs and let them be dogs in her vast backyard, which isn’t conducive to maintaining the type of coat required for the show ring. When dogs play, they like to take bites at each other’s tails. It’s cute and fun to watch but it is too challenging to keep them from doing this. It prolongs the growing out process needed to properly groom them for show quality. Therefore, Chapel’s handler makes sure her coat pristine. As Jennifer explains in our podcast together, showing your dog starts as early as 6 months old. There are many categories to pass through, all while earning points. The more shows you compete in, the more chances you have of earning enough points and winning to progress to the next category. This is why you will find show dog people who have motor homes. They can transport their dogs and set up camp at nearby camp grounds for the weekend events. Days in the show arena are long days, sometimes 12 hours. It can be grueling, but very rewarding when all of your efforts pay off with a win. For those of you who are interested in finding out more about the show dog life, please contact the AKC at akc.org. There is also the UKC (United Kennel Club) which has different standards and events that may be more appealing. They can be reached at ukcdogs.com. Thanks for reading From A Dog’s Eye View! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit canineconcierge.substack.com

    29 min

  6. 09/11/2025

    Search and Rescue Dogs at Ground Zero

    **This episode is dedicated to Gary Flynn, all of the Task Forces deployed with their search and rescue canines, including Ohio Task Force 1, and those who perished on September 11, 2001. This is also dedicated to the dog handlers and emergency crews who continue to suffer from the trauma experienced during that time, and to their family members supporting the mental and health issues of their loved ones who continue to suffer. September 11 was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. People were stunned and frightened as they watched the events unfold on their television screens. After the plot to destroy human lives and weaken American leadership had concluded on that horrific day, the largest call-up of emergency services occurred and FEMA task forces were deployed. One of the 26 FEMA task forces summoned was Gary Flynn and Ohio Task Force 1. I highly recommend listening to this podcast where Gary describes, in detail at times, how the events impacted him and his 5 year old Belgian Malinois, Tascha. To say that this was an emotional podcast is an understatement. In fact, words cannot describe adequately the plethora of information that Gary was willing to share. Therefore, I am only going to write about details in the best way possible to help break down the magnitude of that day, and the months and years to follow. This is also the platform where I can share photos that Gary took during his time there. Never did I think that I would meet and get to know someone who I could call my mentor and my friend, and someone who tirelessly worked at finding survivors with his personally trained professional dog. This was a war zone, no doubt about that. The way that Gary describes how he got the call while working his day job at BIOPLASTICS CO. in North Ridgeville, Ohio, is already uniquely different than the majority of us who watched the news that day in our homes. He was called up and ready to go like any soldier summoned to war. We all remember exactly where we were when we found out about the first plane slamming into the World Trade Center. None of us dreamt this was part of a much bigger plot to wreak devastation on a such a grand scale. We were able to watch the events on tv in the security of our homes. However, the first responders and those called up to search for survivors had to risk their lives and the lives of their beloved and highly trained canines. Out of the 72 people in Ohio deployed by FEMA, only 4 dog handlers and their canines were chosen to go. Three of the four handlers were from OSDA (Gary’s search and rescue dog agency). The fourth handler, Terry Trepanier was a veteran firefighter and paramedic from Washington Township, shown in the picture below with his dog Woody. There were many more qualified people ready and willing to go serve, but were not chosen by the federal government to assist. FEMA plans for disasters similar to this and whatever they decide is not to be debated or contested. Gary talks about how much the love and support from those not selected to go was an immeasurable support system while being there. FEMA requested that the canines to be deployed be live human finds only. Gary had a cadaver dog, Felix, fully trained and ready to go, but that was not what was needed from Ohio Task Force 1. There were Task Forces from other states who received the order for trained cadaver dogs. However, Gary’s dog Tascha, exhibited an aversive behavior whenever she would come across cadaver parts. She would shrug her body in such a way that it was almost an actual alert signal. Gary had specifically trained her to go past any cadavers and only focus on the live human scent. Gary and Tascha worked 12 hour shifts, but it never ended at the 12th hour. If they were commanded to search a specific area of “the pile” (which was approximately 40 stories high) and they kept finding more openings within that pile to investigate, they did not quit just because their shift was up. They continued until there was no more area left to search . If it required to rappel blindly into a dark hole, then that’s what they did. Sending his dog in first with no leash and no collar to find survivors caused fear and anxiety that cannot be verbally described. “I can tell you what it was like, but I have no way to tell you how it feels” Gary Flynn Gary and Tasha weren’t always working the pile. Sometimes they were commanded to search the surrounding buildings. A badly damaged structure assigned to Gary and Tascha was the Merrill Lynch Financial Center, pictured below. They had to climb 51 flights of stairs with no lights to guide them and search every inch for survivors. What they found was mostly plane pieces, cadavers, luggage and clothes. Gary says that the job always starts from the top on down, instead of the other way around. That way, when you are all done with the search, you can just exit the building. One of my questions to Gary was about using protective gear for himself and his dog. Gary had all the protective gear needed for a toxic environment like the one at Ground Zero. He knew what he could be exposed to because he was a certified environmental hazard specialist. However, the protective gear got in the way when navigating through narrow passages with sharp objects all around. He wished he could have worn the gear all the time, but it wasn’t feasible. Tasha did not wear any boots for her paws. She managed okay without them. She did endure a large burned area on her chest, not from direct fire, but from abrasions caused by squeezing in between and crawling through so much rubble. The wound healed up, but the fur never grew back. She lived until the ripe old age of 17. She was a cancer survivor on top of all that. It was too difficult to say that the cancer was due to her exposure to chemicals at Ground Zero, but living 13 years after the event is pretty astonishing! Gary is beyond grateful to the Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams dispatched by FEMA to Ground Zero to provide medical care to the hundreds of search and rescue dogs on site. Tascha became dehydrated to the point where she needed to have intravenous fluids pumped into her. The VMAT teams provided the prompt assistance required to get Tascha back on her paws again. Another question I asked Gary was if dogs experience PTSD. He believes they do but it is because those dogs were not properly trained or they were not the type of dog that could handle the stress from search and rescue work. Just like not all dogs make good service dogs, not all dogs are cut out to make effective search and rescue dogs. The stamina and prolonged self motivation required for this kind of work is not present in all dogs. The dogs who have been correctly trained succeed and love what they do. Their handlers reward them with play time whenever they can sneak in a few minutes of downtime. Sometimes, due to the tasks at hand, the only reward was their handler’s voice praising them. Other times, down time meant rest time. Catching a few Z’s had to be squeezed in there too! Another amazing feature of the search and rescue dog is their ability to provide loving and caring support to their handlers and emergency staff members. Gary said there were plenty of them crying into their beloved dog’s fur. Dogs provide comfort that humans cannot. It’s just different. Gary is eternally grateful to so many people, but most importantly, his wife and young daughter. Returning from any search and rescue mission is difficult to resume a normal routine, but coming back home from Ground Zero was especially challenging. The trauma of seeing so much death and destruction can make it hard to carry on. Gary encourages anyone experiencing trauma to seek help. PTSD manifests itself in so many disguising ways. Seeking professional help is crucial to learning how to resume mundane chores and a “normal” lifestyle. You want things to be the way they were, but it’s impossible when you have changed because of this traumatic event in your life. I want to extend my humble and sincere gratitude to Gary for giving me the opportunity to talk about such an emotional subject. I feel deeply that our paths crossed at Petco because as fate would have it, one day I would have the platform for him to share his experience with all of you. So many people suffered, and sadly still suffer, from that sunny fall day 24 years ago that suddenly turned dark. Please be kind to all people. You don’t know what their story is. Thanks for reading From A Dog’s Eye View! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit canineconcierge.substack.com

    1h 21m

  7. 09/02/2025

    Search and Rescue

    Search and Rescue dogs are highly trained canines used to locate missing people and their personal items at disaster sites either natural or man-made, crime scenes, and terrorist attacks. Dogs possess the ability to pick up different scents that humans and technology cannot. They travel faster than humans when navigating through rough terrain, which speeds up the process of finding missing individuals. Time is of the essence when working a search and rescue mission. Every minute counts when dealing with life and death. Human emotions can be highly charged during these missions. Therefore, professional search and rescue organizations must maintain a sense of calm and control while adhering to local, state and federal standards.   Gary Flynn, owner and head handler for The Dog Advocate in Vermilion, Ohio, has been passionate about working with dogs since his time in the military. His training as an infantryman taught him how to navigate in the wilderness. This highly refined skill became very useful when he started working with Georgia Canine Search and Rescue while stationed at Fort Benning. Land navigation skills are extremely useful while working on a mission that may last days, even weeks. Sometimes these search and rescue missions will take crews into the woods or disaster sites where there are no well defined exits. The crews have to figure out how to navigate through it without getting lost. Before cell phone and GPS technology, search and rescue missions were even more challenging. Gary used his land navigation skills and applied them to become an extremely qualified and well sought after search and rescue handler. Upon Gary’s discharge from the military, he moved back to familiar territory in Vermilion, Ohio. He knew he wanted to become a professional search and rescue canine handler. He contacted Benji McPeak who owned and operated Firelands Kennels. Benji was a police dog trainer who also trained wannabe professional handlers like Gary. Benji had contracts to train dogs for the Ohio State Police, numerous sheriff departments, and even police departments that had their own canine programs. Gary started training dogs in junkyards searching for various items and conducting car searches for drugs. However, what really sparked his interest was training cadaver dogs - placing cadaver parts in different areas for training purposes for the dog to find. One of the most important lessons that Gary learned was how to shape dogs into performing desired behaviors. It takes a skillful eye to piece together the deliberate behavior conditioning by the handler with what the dog does naturally. Reading the dog accurately was key to developing the most effective and reliable professional dog. Taking this skillset and applying it to searching for humans, dead or alive, became one of Gary’s specialties. He trained his dog to be a cadaver dog. He used this skill many times when doing area searches of collapsed buildings, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters. Gary discovered that how he trained dogs to alert him to dead or live finds was different than a fellow canine handler for the Ohio State Patrol. Gary trained his imported German Shepherd, Iren, to alert him to a deceased body by running back to him, bark 4-5 times, and then run back and forth between him and the deceased. If the body was alive, she was trained to run to Gary, run back to the person, and stay there and bark. This was vital later on when Gary had his own search and rescue agency and he got a call from a homicide detective for the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) who was trying to solve a missing persons case. Sometimes Gary was called to help solve cold cases. There was a possibility that by using one of his dog’s keen sense of smell and method of alerting, some of the SBI’s cold cases would result in closure. One of those cases was a deathbed confession. The murderer told his wife where the body was. Then, the wife was dying and told their daughter. So many years had passed, so the credibility of this confession was suspect. However, the daughter did the right thing and contacted the police. The police made contact with the new owners of her parent’s house. Then, Gary and his cadaver dog, two forensic anthropologists and a coroner showed up. Bingo! The remains were there and the identity of the deceased was verified. Another pertinent lesson that Gary learned while working for Benji was how to keep a dog engaged with their handler and remain focused with the task at hand for a prolonged period of time. This is the foundation for building the motivation and drive which is required in professional dogs. A tremendous amount of time is spent teaching the dog not to give up. Providing the appropriate rewards and the timing of it is also extremely important to achieve this. As a professional handler, Gary believes everything he does is intentional. The dogs must be worked in every type of situation imaginable so they ignore the bunny that runs in front of them and continue to search for people or articles of clothing. They have to ignore the juicy cheeseburger on the ground and be motivated enough to stay on course. Many times the dogs are out of the handler’s sight, so it is crucial to work with them in all scenarios in order to ensure they stay on task. I believe this lesson can be applied on a much smaller scale to every dog owner who wants to train their dogs to do a certain behavior. You have to make it exciting and fun for the dog with plenty of rewards to keep your dog engaged. Otherwise, the dog will wander off mentally and physically because you are not providing enough excitement to keep them interested. I had the privilege to work with one of Gary’s professional dogs named Abby. First, Gary demonstrated how he worked Abby through the different stages of escalating her drives. Once he got her to where she needed to be, he had me copy him. I put the bite sleeve on my arm and shouted out the German commands for her to run towards me, no leash, no collar, and bite my sleeve. I was not scared because I trusted Gary and knew previously how well controlled Abby was. Since it was my first time wearing a bite sleeve, I was hesitant and not confident enough. I couldn’t get Abby to respond in the same way that Gary could. Gary told me that I wasn’t all in. I needed to be 100% committed in order for Abby not to be confused with what I was trying to achieve and then stop working for me. I tried again and did better, but I definitely needed practice! This is exactly what Benji taught Gary and Gary taught other handlers. The easy part is shaping the dog’s behavior. The hard part is teaching the handler to trust their dog and maintain prolonged engagement with them. Benji introduced Gary to North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWADA) and North American Search Dog Network (NASDN). These organizations established a working standard for all police work dog handlers and trainers through an accreditation program. There are standards for tracking article search, area search and human remains detection. Any evidence that could be presented in court had to adhere to strict standards so as not to corrupt a crime scene. Gary even brought his dog into court to prove the reliability of their results. As far as search and rescue missions were concerned, Gary started noticing the lack of standards in place that was prohibiting the expediency and efficiency of conducting and completing a mission. The issue of liability was emerging and the last thing Gary wanted was for him or his co-workers to be sued by individuals because the integrity of the mission was compromised. This was the motivation for Gary to form his own search and rescue agency, Ohio Search Dog Agency, which still exists today. The impetus to follow through with Gary’s desire to form his own search and rescue agency was when he received 3 calls to find missing searchers in the same county. Gary realized that not all search and rescue handlers had the same land navigation skillset he did. There was no requirement to be trained in that and no guidelines to be certified in wilderness first aid. Being a paramedic is a great foundation for what may be expected of a handler while being deployed on a mission, but it is not the same as wilderness first aid. Injuries from a tornado are different than injuries from a flood or a terrorist attack such as Ground Zero on 9/11. Search and rescue is not just about the dog sniffing out and finding missing humans. It’s also about getting the proper education required, knowing the standards and most importantly, knowing your dog. Lack of resources, lack of egress, and the undefined time spent searching, are all factors that weed out the professionally trained handlers from the volunteer handlers. Gary understands that people want to volunteer their dog during times of disasters. Their hearts are in the right place, but due to their lack of professional training, they get in the way and can become a liability. Gary suggests to people who want to become handlers of search and rescue dogs to contact their local Emergency Management Agency and inquire about trainers with credentials and experience in search and rescue in their area. Start your way down the chain of command instead of the other way around. There are too many organizations who claim they are search and rescue experts but they are not. Make sure you weed them out from the real professionals. Some of the individuals Gary was introduced to when he worked for Benji would become invaluable assets to him when he formed his own search and rescue agency in the 90s called Ohio Search Dog Association, He decided to contact three people he thought would work well together in this new venture. One of them was John Macioce, who had a lot of experience working with professional dogs wi

    1h 3m

  8. 08/26/2025

    Meet Koogle, Jim Turner's Service Dog

    Canine Companions is one of the premier service dog organizations in the United States. They provide dogs to people with disabilities free of charge. One of the clients who applied for a Canine Companions service dog is Jim Turner. Jim has a hearing dog named Koogle, who helps him navigate his daily life with confidence and independence. I had the privilege of talking to Jim with Koogle by his side, and saw first hand how Koogle assists Jim as his link to the world of sound. Jim was diagnosed with bilateral neurosensory hearing loss during a company physical exam when he was in his forties. His wife, Kathleen, thought he had selective hearing and was sometimes ignoring her. It is a hereditary condition which worsens over time. Since then, he has been wearing hearing aids. Jim’s hearing challenges are defined by the limitations of not being able to hear the upper half of the frequency range that humans normally hear. Smoke detectors, doorbells, microwave alarms are all very challenging for Jim because even his hearing aids do not pick up that frequency. Also, when Jim is in a crowd of people, it is difficult to hear, especially when his name is being called amongst all that background noise. Jim and Kathleen were familiar with Canine Companions because they were already puppy raisers for the organization. Volunteers like Jim and his wife, agree to raise the puppies provided to them by selected breeders from 8 weeks to 16-18 months old until they go on to professional training. (Please refer to my previous post with Staicey Sholtz dated 8/5/25 for more details about puppy raisers). Jim was being encouraged by his close friends in the Canine Companions community to get a service dog. He didn’t feel that his hearing loss was that bad to warrant one. He wanted the service dogs to be reserved for people who were deaf. An event in his life changed his mind. One day, his wife was working in the kitchen and hurt herself. She was bleeding and calling Jim for help. Jim was only 10 feet away in another room and had no clue he was being called. He didn’t hear her pleas for help. That day he applied for a service dog. Jim filled out an application online at Canine Companions’ website: canine.org. Applicants are prompted to describe their disability and how they could benefit from a service dog. The organization then reaches out to them for an initial interview. There is a space to write about your lifestyle - what your interests are, if you are an active or sedentary person. In Jim’s case, he had to provide a medical recommendation from his audiologist about hearing limitations. Canine Companions wants to ensure that the request is not only warranted, but also to match up the right dog with each applicant. This entire process can take up to two years. Jim is a retired geologist. He had an illustrious career in the oil and gas industry and was part of a team who located oil and gas under ground. The first day of Jim’s retirement, at age 63, was the day he started his team training with Koogle. It was meant to be! Part of the process of getting a service dog from Canine Companions is to go to one of their training facilities to be matched up with your personal service dog. At the time, Jim and Kathleen were living in Houston, Texas. The closest training facility was located in Oceanside, California. This is where he completed his two week team training, referred to as “rotations”. There were 7 applicants and 8 dogs. All of the applicants practiced handling each one of the dogs. The professional trainers who spend 6 months with these dogs make their observations and match up the best dog for each applicant. The “extra” dog remains at the training facility and is the first one in the next rotation to be matched up with the next group of applicants. After several days, Jim was matched with Koogle. Jim said it was like magic how accurately the teams were put together so perfectly. Koogle is a six year old Labrador Retriever Cross. His mother is 50% Lab/50% Golden Retriever and his father is 100% Lab. Canine Companions select breeders who must meet certain standards. Koogle’s breeder was the caretaker of Koogle’s mother and had the privilege of naming one of the puppies in the litter. Canine Companions have restrictions for naming the puppies so that the names are appropriate and not repetitive. Koogle’s breeder/caretaker’s maiden name was Koogle. What a great way to honor her late father. During Jim’s two week stay at the training facility, he learned many cues that were taught to Koogle. The trainers tailored certain cues according to Jim’s hearing loss needs. He learned protocols for socializing Koogle such as making sure Koogle wears his Canine Companions vest and what he should do when approached by people who want to greet Koogle. The first six months, Jim was to be the only person to give Koogle food. He was instructed to notify close friends and relatives about how important the first six months were and to abide by Jim’s rules so as to not disrupt any training Koogle had received up to this point. Canine Companions wants to assure that the bonding between their client and the dog remains intact. The Americans With Disabilities Act does not require any labeling or vests for service dogs. Canine Companions require their dogs to wear a vest which you will see in some of the pictures below. Wearing a vest helps Jim notify the public that Koogle is a service dog. He found it useful to have “Please Ask To Pet” sewn on to it. Like most dogs, Koogle loves people and would love to greet everybody he meets. However, every time he says hello to people, he is no longer working for Jim during that interaction. It is out of respect for the handler of any dog, let alone a service dog, that they be asked first to greet their dog. Koogle was trained to perform many different tasks to assist Jim in his everyday life. When he hears an alarm, a doorbell, or Jim’s name being called, he is to find Jim, nudge him with his nose, Jim tells him, “Good, Koogle what?”and Koogle takes him to where the sound is. However, if it is a smoke alarm, Koogle will still nudge Jim, but instead of taking him to the noise, he lays down. So, whenever Jim sees Koogle lay down after being nudged, he knows to get out of the building they are in. Koogle was also trained to do standard service dog tasks such as turning on and off lights and opening and closing drawers. He can even jump up and push the accessibility button to open doors in public places. One intangible benefit that Jim did not expect to experience with a hearing dog was the acceptance of having a hearing disability. For example, Koogle gives Jim the confidence he needs when trying to have a conversation with someone in a crowded environment. Background noise impedes the ability to hear well. He is more apt to tell a stranger to repeat themselves because he has a hearing disability when Koogle is by his side. Jim’s wife was very excited to have a hearing dog in the house so she didn’t feel she always had to be Jim’s ears. Koogle relieves her of knowing that when she is not with Jim, the dog can alert him, if needed. Even something as simple as dropping his keys and not hearing that sound, Koogle can stop Jim by nudging him and taking him to where he heard the keys drop. This gives his wife a lot of reassurance that he will manage well when going out of the house. Jim believes there are two aspects to being a service dog. One is the ability to perform the tasks they were trained to do as demonstrated in the video above. That’s the easy part! The other part is that the dogs need to be calm and manageable in public. This is attributed to the puppy raisers who properly socialize them while they are in their care. The other part of being calm is the temperament of the dog. This speaks to the breeding of these dogs. For example, if a dog is too hyper or has a high prey drive, Canine Companions breeders will not breed that dog. In both podcast videos of Staicey Sholtz and Jim Turner, their dogs remained laying down until they were called to do a task. Although the dogs look like they are sleeping, they always have an ear out for noises that change in their environment or that could possibly harm them. This auditory instinct allows them to differentiate between familiar voices and changes in the intensity of those voices which will wake them up in case they need to act on them. Their dogs are trained to be ready for action as soon as they hear their name being called. Jim meets people out in public who either have service dogs they paid a lot of money for, or who tried to train their own dog only to find out that it didn’t work out for numerous reasons. Sadly, there is plenty of fraud in the service dog field. Organizations will claim they can train your dog to become a service dog, but are not qualified to do so. They also do not have the standards required to be an effective service dog. Canine Companions is a well known and trusted service dog organization yielding qualified dogs and plenty of satisfied clients. There is so much that goes into training service dogs above and beyond just training the standard tasks. If a dog is fearful or even mildly aggressive with certain triggers, this can present problems. Professional trainers can work on these issues with the dogs, but it can slow down the timeline required to place these dogs with applicants. My dog, Ebi, could make a great service dog, but she is too big and too hairy! Also, I have come across some people who are afraid to meet her because of her size, or they are cautious because they don’t know what breed she is. Labs are a great size and can fit under tables at restaurants or places of business. They don’t drool, and have a very inviting look. They are famous for being friendly d

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3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A space to embrace your dog and understand their behavior. Bi-weekly episodes exploring all things positive reinforcement training + effectively communicating with your dog. Because dogs are simple, when their owners have the right information. canineconcierge.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Susan Coleman
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Susan Coleman
  • Show Website
    From A Dog's Eye View

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