Come and meet pauline & Darryl at the 10th Anniversary of the second chance Kennels

This is a very special year for us here at the kennels as, on 2nd May 2009, we will have been open for 10 years!!!! Where has the time gone?!We worked from home since 1995 to raise the money to build the kennels, my husband Frank has been my rock allowing me to fulfill a lifetime dream of working with and helping dogs who have needed us, some more than others.Yes there have been some very sad times when some wee souls we just couldn’t save have gone to Rainbow Bridge, we miss each and everyone.To our dedicated team of volunteers and everyone who has helped us along the way: we couldn’t have done it without you and count ourselves very lucky to have you on board.Look out for some charity nights where you can come along and help us celebrate.My New Year’s resolution is to get our ‘Staff and Volunteers’ section of the website complete so that everyone who visits can “meet” them and their own dogs (most of whom are Second Chancers I am proud to say!)

Welcome to our 3rd Greyhound Rescue Fife Dog Show that will take place indoors on Sunday the 2nd May at Caldwell’s farm near Collessie in Fife. The organiser’s hope that this family friendly event will help raise awareness of the plight of greyhounds in a relaxed atmosphere and allow people not only the opportunity to talk about their dogs but show them as well. Although the show will have a predominantly greyhound slant to it, some classes will be open to other breeds as well. If you do not have a dog then this is the ideal opportunity to come along and see these majestic dogs “strut” their stuff and learn more about them and expel many of the myths.
Prices
Entry to this whole day event costs only £3pp with accompanying kids going free (16 and under). Although people can pay on the day, buying an advanced ticket will give you entry to our free prize draw, which will take place at the half way stage. These tickets can be purchased at any of the Fife greyhound dog walks or from Jimmy/Celia and others in the Fife area (look out for the posters). This year to ensure that everybody entering the show hall has paid we will be issuing wristbands at the front door as you come in, so please wear at all times during the event otherwise you may be asked to pay again !! On the day entry to each class will cost £1 per dog (payable on entry to the ring) with the exception of “best family of dogs” which costs £1.50 for 2 or more dogs (any breed) and the final which is free.
Venue facilities
Caldwell’s farm, Collessie, By Ladybank, Fife, KY15 7UY. Click here for map. Show will take place indoors in a sandy horse-riding arena. There are car parking and toilet facilities. We also have the use of the adjacent field for anybody wanting to walk their dogs during the day. As it is a working farm owners are asked to be in control of their dogs at all times and clean up any mess they may make. We will also have hot/cold drinks, sandwiches, crisps and confectionery for sale. GRF Merchandise, home baking, book sale, kids lucky dip, tombola and Wii ski jumping competition will also be available on the day, along with several commercial companies who will have various dog treats for sale on the day. These commercial companies help sponsor our event and we would encourage as many of you as possible to visit these stands to find out what these companies have to offer.
Directions

From the M90 southbound, exit at junction 9 onto the A912 following signs for Cupar and Glenfarg. At the roundabout go straight on for Glenfarg. Follow the road alongside the river until you pass the quarry on your left, then turn left signed for Gateside. In Gateside turn left onto the A91.From the A91 eastbound pass through Gateside, and through Auchtermuchty. Approx. 2 miles from Auchtermuchty, you will see hedges beginning on your left and a line of mature trees leading up the hill. Turn left into the drive for Caldwell farm.From the M90 northbound, exit at junct.8 following signs for the A91, St Andrews and Falkland Palace.From the A91westbound. At the Melville Lodge roundabout and the junction with A92 to Ladybank and Dundee, take the A91 signed Auchtermuchty. Follow the A91 until a staggered crossroads, with the ‘Animal Park’ and Giffordtown on the left and Collessie and Newburgh on the right. Caldwell farm is the second entrance on the right after the junction.Watch out for the greyhound signs and balloons.Programme
Door open at 11:00 with the first class starting at 11:30. The winners of each class will go into the “Best of show” final. Your dogs can be entered into as many classes as you want. If you have several dogs at the show and you wish to enter a particular class we hope to have walkers available to take your dog round the ring.
Show order

Best junior handlerBest male greyhoundBest non-greyhoundHomeless hound parade (+ advanced ticket raffle)Best family of dogsBest loveable faceBest female greyhoundHomeless hound parade 2 (+ main raffle)Best in show final
Best junior handler: This class is open to all kids 16 and under allowing them the opportunity to show their dogs off (Open to all dog breeds).Best male greyhound: As the title suggests for male greyhounds only, a highly competitive field is expected to see who is crowned prince of the show !Best non-greyhound: open to all other breeds except greyhounds allowing the best of the rest an opportunity to reach the final !Best family of dogs: Open to owners with 2 or more dogs of any breed, the winners of this class will nominate one of their dogs to go into the final.Best loveable face: Open to all breeds with the judges paying particular attention to the dogs facial features, if your dog has a cute face with eyes to melt your heart then this is the class for you !Best female greyhound: The penultimate class and probably the most competitive of the show who will be crowned princess of the greyhounds (open to female greyhounds only).Best of show: The final which is open to all winners of the previous classes. — Who will be crowned King/Queen of the dog world ?Prizes
Rosettes and prizes will be awarded to the first 6 dogs in each class (more than any other dog show !!) with the first three also receiving a certificate. All winners will also have their photograph taken in front of our sponsors wall. Who will be crowned King or Queen of the show in 2010 ?
Previous winners.
2008: Duke (2 year old male greyhound – winner of Best Junior handler class)
2009: Blue (2 year old male greyhound – winner of Best male greyhound class)

This article is about the very first 7 days of training your dog. We are basically going to apply a few techniques created from a well respected dog trainer, Mr. William Koehler. Your dog’s first 7 fays should be praised when doing the long-line method. This is considered one of the best innovations in dog training.
Even if the first few days seem hectic, make sure you follow the methods to the “T”. This will help make your dog more obedient than ever before. He will learn much faster and easier. The first day of training. During your very first day of training, simply take your dog to the park, sidewalk or even your back yard where there is less distractions. Then place his training collar on and make sure it is well fitted. Simply tie one end of the long-line to the “free ring”. Then hold the opposite end of the long-line with a hand and choose a spot at around 30-45 feet away. This can be a hydrant, a can or even a section of grass. Try walking fast in a single line to that area.
Make sure you allow nothing to stand in your way — including your dog. Your dog may begin wailing, this is a sign that he would rather go in the opposite direction and you are not listening. Your dog may even roll over to his back and place his legs up in the air. This is a sign that he doesn’t want to walk along with you.
Your dog may even try resting right in front of you. This means you forgot to ask his permission to walk and he wants to stand still.
During dog training, you have to keep something in mind and that is you are training your dog, its not the other way around. Usually, during the very first 60 seconds of dog training (during the time you’re walking 45 feet) your dog may check your will. It is important that your pet develops assurance/
Your dog will eventually develop his own assurance, only if he is aware that you will go from one point to another. Once you have reached your chosen location, your dog’s learning process will have been imbedded within his mind. So, all you have to do is stand there for around 45 seconds to 60 seconds. Make sure you look around and monitor everything around except your dog. Avoid looking at him.
This may help entangle emotional struggle. When you are around 45- seconds away from your dog, choose another spot around the same distance or so without tugging on his lease. Just walk right to the spot. Make sure you don’t allow your dog to stand in the way. Even if you have to clear your throat to capture your pet’s attention. Never ask your pet’s permission — just walk on. Finally, when you have reached your destination, simply pause once again for around 45 seconds to watch your surrounds with the exception of your dog. When you pick your location, make sure you do it without warning.
You should try this process for around 15 minutes.Information written by Jenny Harris of ohmydogsupplies.com, where you can find a fantastic selection of interactive dog toys online.

National Pet Month in a NutshellWhen?From 3 April – 3 May 2010, you are invited to be a part of National Pet Month, sponsored by Argos. Thousands of people up and down the UK will be celebrating life with their pets, spreading the word on responsible pet ownership or raising money for their favourite charity in fun-filled events. Why not be a part of this?Why?National Pet Month’s aims are toPromote responsible pet ownershipMake people aware of the mutual benefits of living with petsIncrease public awareness of the role of pet care specialistsRaise awareness of the value of working and assistance companion animalsWhat?Each year the responsible pet ownership message is conveyed by running the events under a central theme. Our 2010 theme is ‘Healthy pets make happy pets’ – perfect to promote responsible pet ownership.Who?National Pet Month is a registered charity, unique in bringing together animal welfare charities, professional bodies, pet businesses, schools, youth groups and pet lovers, with the common goal of improving the welfare of pets. The trustees are National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) and Pet Care Trust (PCT).How?Anyone interested in running events for National Pet Month should check out the details on putting on an event.

Two Key factors to take into consideration.

Many dog owners have years of experience and are successful in training their dogs without outside help, But there is always a chance that the new addition to the family pack just doesn’t seem to understand where your coming from, and look at you like der!

There are also those who are new to dog ownership and don’t know how to deal with a dog that is jumping-up on people or dogs, barking, not coming back when called. This is where a dog trainer will benefit you significantly.  A professional dog trainer can help train your dog while also providing you with invaluable guidance and support.

For instance a very problematic dog who seem aggressive, hypoactive, disrespectful, and unruly, often create training problems that exceed the ability of even well-informed dog owner and finding a good dog trainer becomes essential.

Dog trainers do not require specific licensing.  Any person with a desire to do so can simply proclaim himself or herself as a dog trainer, do a 2 or 4 day course, and then put an ad in the paper, and begin seeking customers.

When choosing a dog trainer

How are you supposed to decide who you should trust with your beloved dog’s best interests at heart? Providing you with the right kind of training programs for your dog/s?  Choosing a dog trainer can be a very difficult task but separating the amateurish and non-professional from the truly capable is essential to your dog’s well being.  Making a mistake in hiring a dog trainer will not only fail to help your dog, it could make matters worse with his/her behaviour and make it harder to correct later. Let’s not forget the cost.

There is no magic formula for choosing the right trainer.  There are any numbers of factors you may want to consider in finding someone with whom you can successfully work and someone that is truly reliable.  However, there are at least two considerations that should guide you to a selecting a dog trainer:

Experience and reputation.

Experience

You need to look for a dog trainer, or behaviour consultant with significant experience.  Experienced dog trainers are more able to successfully deal with all behaviour types based on their knowledge with other dogs.

In addition, experience really communicates at least a reasonable probability of ability.  Someone is not likely to have stayed in business as a dog trainer for any significant period of time if they lacked ability and failed to produce desired results.  Experience, in essence, and is also proof of at least some ability.

Reputation

Experience is a sign of ability, but it is not a fail-safe way of assessing a trainer’s ability.  It is possible for a deceitful trainer to stay in business a long time, regardless of the quality of their work.  As such, it is appropriate to find out about the reputation of the dog trainers you are considering.  Ask for opinions and references from a variety of sources in order to find the right trainer for you. Ask around, friends, family, work colleges you can find out which trainers are most highly regarded.

Ask the trainer himself or herself, too.  See if they will provide some references you may contact, preferably past clients.  Any trainer who is unwilling to do this should be viewed with some degree of suspicion.  Most qualified and talented trainers will be happy to give you references to contact.  Be sure to follow through.  Talk to the references and find out all you can about the trainer and the quality of training the former customers and their dogs experienced.

There are a variety of factors that one may want to consider when seeking out a trainer for your dog.  The importance of a dog trainer is to a dog’s life is significant and great care should be taken during the selection process.  Two things that must be kept in mind when seeking a trainer are the trainer’s experience and reputation.

K9 Harmony.

We are thrilled that Yogi won crufts as Pauline is training one of his pups, and she looks just like her daddy.

Congratulations Yogi

A Hungarian Vizsla has taken the coveted title of Best in Show at the world famous Crufts dog show.

The seven-year-old, whose pet name is Yogi, beat off competition from six other prize dogs in Sunday night’s culmination of the four-day show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

Taking second place was a Scottish Terrier from Russia, whose pet name is Rico.

As wild applause from thousands of spectators greeted the dog, who is from Carlisle, Cumbria, his handler John Thirlwell said: “He is just such a wonderful dog, I am just pleased that he stood up to it.”

Yogi, who won the Gundog group earlier in the evening, is the first Hungarian Vizsla to win Best in Show at Crufts and Mr Thirlwell said he is likely to retire now.

The Kennel Club said almost 22,000 dogs across 187 breeds were entered into this year’s Best in Show competition.

They had been whittled down in their individual categories during the four-day contest to just seven competitors – one from each group – who battled it out on Sunday night. The Best in Show prize has been awarded for the past 79 years, with 40 breeds winning the coveted title over the years.

Thousands of dog-lovers packed the arena to cheer on the finalists. They refused to be distracted by a protester, who was escorted from the crowd as she held up a banner and started shouting during the tense moment of judging, and instead masked it with a round of applause.

At the start of this year’s event protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) claimed breeders were “creating a Frankenstein’s monster of a dog”.

The canine showcase was broadcast on More4 this year after the BBC – which began screening Crufts in 1966 – announced it was dropping its coverage in December 2008. The decision followed a BBC documentary claiming Crufts allowed damaging breeding practices that caused disease and deformities.

The British public voted assistance dog Josie and his 8-year-old owner, Sam Daly, as the champions of ultimate dog heroes competition at DFS Crufts, Friends for Life. Sam is a wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy who says that “things were rubbish before she came to love me”. The proud winners, from Eton in Berkshire, were presented with their trophy in the main arena of the Birmingham NEC on Sunday (March 11).  Josie helps Sam with everyday tasks including undoing zips, opening doors, and even passing notes between Sam and his parents. Since having Josie Sam’s confidence has improved and she sleeps by Sam’s bedside where her intuitive and caring nature has brought peace of mind to the whole family. She has previously awoken Sam’s parents to alert them that he was about to be sick, which could have resulted in Sam choking because he is unable to turn in his sleep. Josie’s quick reactions undoubtedly ensures that Sam never comes to any harm.  Josie’s training and placement with Sam was made possible with an investment from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, granting nearly £103,000 to Dogs for the Disabled since 1991, and over £4.5m in total for dog-related causes.  Sam said: “It’s fantastic to have won especially because everyone deserves to win. Josie is my best friend and I am super proud of her. She will get a very big bone for her tea.” Sam’s mum, Sara Daly, added: “It means so much to us to win this award. We would like to thank everyone who voted for Sam and Josie. Also a huge thank you to Dogs for the Disabled and the Kennel Club for making it all possible.” Remembering life before Josie, Sara explained the challenges they regularly faced. She said: “Sam’s frustration and anger at his condition boiled over in to every part of his life. He was desperate to join in with all the things that other children did, but his condition limited so many things that he could do. He would watch his little sister be able to play and start to do things that Sam has either never been able to master or even worse that he was no longer able to manage. While he still delights in his sister’s new found abilities each milestone she achieves is bittersweet.” Kennel Club spokesman Caroline Kisko said: “We give our warmest congratulations to Sam and Josie, they are a truly lovely and deserving pair. They show just how much dogs can enrich our lives and the profound difference that they can make. Josie is not only a special dog herself but she represents all of the great work that is done every day by assistance dogs. ”All five finalists were truly deserving of their place in this year’s competition, which celebrates and rewards those dogs who quietly go about changing people’s lives in their own unique and special way.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBaZDWIs3fs

If you can’t train your dog using kindness and patience perhaps a dog is wrong for you.

If you are struggling with your dogs behavior, training give pauline at k9 harmony and I will help.