Category Archives: Photo
Fall Camp #10 – Graduation and Pool Party!
Graduation Day is here – WOW! Time DOES fly when you are having fun!
At Dog Connection, we find ourselves as usual feeling conflicting emotions on this our last day of this Camp Series. We feel happy because the dogs had so much fun, proud that they have all learned so much and improved so notably, but we also feel a little sad because we know we’ll miss our outings and seeing them on a regular basis. It really is a lot of work planning and putting into practice each Camp session, but the rewards we get from each and every one far outweigh it. So this is not really a goodbye but a see you later, as we’re already starting plans for our next series – after a short break for the Holidays!
We would like to give a HUGE thank you to Rosemary and Pedro – Bella’s owners- for the DELICIOUS breakfast basket they sent us yesterday! It ended up being breakfast, lunch and takeout for all 5 of our Camp Counselors!!!! Also, thanks to Dana – Diva and Dude’s owner – for the wonderful treats – everyone enjoyed them. Again, THANK YOU, you really didn’t have to, but boy did we appreciate it 😉
Another HUGE thank you goes to Megan and the Webber Family – Bo and Sofia’s owners – for having us and all 17 campers for a fun filled day at their home and some swimming in their pool. We are really grateful for your hospitality and lucky to have such a wonderful place to celebrate our last Camp Session! We think the pictures speak for themselves, and the tired dogs we sent home yestersday will be further proof of how much fun was had. The Campers had a wonderful time romping loose in the fenced in yard, swimming in the pool and going through their obedience practice. We hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed spending the day with your dogs.
Finally, we would like to thank all of our Campers for joining us in this journey, for all the laughs and their antics, and of course to you, their families, for taking such good care of them and, of course, for trusting us with their care and training.
Please remember the Holidays can be a very dangerous and stressful time for your dog: lots of people coming in and out of the house raise the risk of escaping, and dogs can get a bit nervous with the unusual going ons. Gifts and decorations present new hazards for dogs who can become destructive or curious with the unexpected “surprises”. Holiday candy and food, as well as some of the more traditional plants can be poisonous to your dog, so make sure your pup isn’t chewing on your beautiful poinsetta as it can be very dangerous!
Remember to give your dogs a break from all the celebrating and enjoy this wonderful time with your family!!!!
See you soon for our next Camp!
Fall Camp #9 Tropical Park- Obedience- Fun!
After play time at the park, the Campers got some intensive training. Since we have had several weeks of camp, in fact we have many on their second Camp program, we figured it was time to challenge the dogs. After they got a chance for some one-on-one training with one of our Camp Counselors it was time for some Advanced exercises.
We decided to work Stays and use Recall exercises as a big distraction at the same time. We worked in groups of five; four trainer-camper teams were set up in stays making a hallway for the trainer-camper team practicing recalls on a long line. The dogs on the sidelines were working on Stays – nothing like a fellow camper running enthusiastically to their trainer in a recall to challenge the other dogs. At the same time it was a challenge for the recallers not to get sidetracked by visiting with their friends!
It was a very intensive and educational day, and all dogs performed remarkably well and have shown a lot of improvement. We hope you’re as happy with them as we are – we know they at least went home tired!
Fall Camp # 9 : Tropical Bark Park
For today’s camp session we took the dogs to the Bark Park at Tropical Park. It is a beautiful park with a gorgeous view of the pond and surrounding park grounds, nice shaded seating for owners to relax and agility equipment for the dogs to play on and around in both the big dog and little dog areas (which are separated). Fortunately for us it also offers water fountains and a hose since the dogs were VERY excited about the many mud puddles and happy to get into mud wrestling matches 😉
It was a very busy morning at the park, so the dogs all got to meet and interact with strange dogs and people. As usual, the exercise is a very nice side benefit. All in all, a very fun and exciting visit!
Adventure Camp #2 – Out in the Real World!
For today’s Camp Adventure we took the dogs to an off leash dog park, to burn some energy, socialize and romp with their fellow campers, and then do some much needed one-on-one training. Â We let all six campers roam free, and they quickly went into a fast paced game of chase and tag. Â It was great to see how some of our shier campers are starting to enjoy their play times and socializing with the pack. Â That’s what camp is all about! Â We worked with each dog on some of their basic behaviors like sits and downs, and some of our more advanced campers got to practice their stays, and go to mats. Â We also did some one-on-one work on their loose leash walking – rewarding them for walking on our left side, keeping a loose leash, and encouraging them to sit at our left when we stopped moving.
From there, we took the dogs to a playground so they could practice what they had worked last week with Liane out in the real world with kids who weren’t necessarily doggie-savvy. Â It went WONDERFULLY! Â The playground came to a complete stop as all the parents brought the toddlers to meet and socialized with the Campers. Â The dogs took it all in very well, and we were very happy to see their polite responses and how even those who had been a bit unsure or shy last week, were happy to take in all the attention. Â A great experience for both kids and dogs!!!
For lunch break, we took the dogs to Miami Squeeze Juice Bar, where they got to hang out at the terrace and experience the sounds of traffic and people nearby .  They did great and even took a potty break near the adjacent railroad tracks.  We are making sure the younger Campers, get lots of potty opportunities, and so far, everyone has been clean in the crates in the car, and have been happy to use the grass areas for their business.  We also try to consistently give them a group cue to “Go Potty” when we stop at a good spot, and reward and praise those that do their business, so they learn that will be their command to “use the facilities” 🙂
Our last stop of the day was out at the Hollywood strip mall. Â We walked around the shops and restaurants with the Campers, getting lots of compliments from the people there. Â We made a longer stop at a playground area for a final training session, so we could take some footage for your homework videos. Â We worked on the different stages of the “Sit” and “Down” according to the level each Camper could work at. Â Please take a look at these Homework Videos, and try and experiment with your dog and practice these two commands. Â Keep training sessions short, 5 minutes at the most, and always end in a positive note. Â And don’t forget to send us feedback on how your training is going and how the Campers are doing at home!
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