Top Recreation Stores in White Plains, NY 10601
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The Cultured Canine, LLC
By Mette S. at Judy's Book August 01, 2012
When I was looking for the best dog trainer in Westchester County, I found The Cultured Canine. I was right. Diane came into our New Rochelle home and within an hour our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy responded to his name, Oliver, and... ...read more
The Cultured Canine, LLC
By Guest G. at Judy's Book March 27, 2009
Diane is a conscientious and professional dog trainer... She exhausts all efforts in understanding specific situations and produces a cohesive environment between dog owner and their pet. She has a special talent with small toy breed dogs a... ...read more
The Cultured Canine, LLC
By Tony S. at Judy's Book March 11, 2009
I was looking for any kind of help I could get with my young, energetic Shih-Tzu. I never thought a twelve-pound dog could consistently take me for a "drag" around the neighborhood. Luckily I found The Cultured Canine! Diane, a Certified... ...read more
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Storm fear in dogs: what you can do.
Imagine that it's a summer evening and a huge thunderstorm is headed for the region surrounding your home. If your dog is scared of storms and you do not have a plan in place (pre-training or a prescription from your vet) the best you can do is: Take your dog to a finished basement with as few windows as possible to insulate him or her from seeing / hearing the storm. If you do not have a basement, close and cover windows. Turn on the A/C. Some dogs seem to be afraid of the smell of storms. Try lighting some candles or otherwise changing the scent of your home. Boiling some chicken might do the trick! Play fun dog games, offer a Kong or other stuffed chew toy filled with super delicious food to keep your dog busy and distracted. Offer this BEFORE the storm starts if possible to prevent your dog from noticing when it starts. Put music or the TV on. Try to behave as normally as possible. True confession: I watch a lot of TV (documentary addict.) My dog appears to find it soothing when we're in the living room with the windows closed, A/C on and the TV on with us watching it. Don't ask me to explain why. If your dog has a routine that s/he likes, give it a try! When you are not in the path of an approaching storm and your dog is afraid of thunderstorms, your first stop is the vet's office. Your vet can decide whether it is appropriate and safe to write a prescription to help your dog right away, since desensitization exercises (training) cannot be done until storm season is over. The decision that medication is appropriate and writing a prescription for it is the job of a licensed veteriniarian, not dog trainers or other pet professionals. Do NOT give your dog over the counter medications or other "remedies" without checking with your vet first! Each dog is an individual, just like people, and not every "natural" remedy is safe or effective for every dog.When storm season is over, consider engaging the services of awell qualified dog trainerto perform desensitization and counter conditioning exercises to help your dog change his/her mind about flashing lights and thunder sounds. Instead of being perceived as scary, these stimuli can come to predict great things (turkey! hot dogs! games! attention!) for your dog. The reason you have to wait until storm season ends is that your dog must not be exposed to scary storm things (flashing lights, thunder sounds, sound of rain) except during the training sessions. That is just not possible during storm season. If you figure out a way to do this, email me! :)When dogs have a severe fear of storms, training alone may not work and your vet and/or aveterinary behavioristmay discuss a plan with you which includes anti-anxiety medication for use during storms as well as managing your home environment as best you can to block your dog's perception of the storm. The decision to include medication is one that you and your vet decide together, just as you would consult with your own doctor.What you do NOT want to do is ignore your dog's fears. Whatever other people may think, it is not funny or cute when a dog hides under the bed or seeks attention during a storm. Being afraid of something you cannot control or understand is not a laughing matter. Neither is the cumulative effect of stress on a dog's health. So be a responsible pet parent and, despite any social pressure you may feel, get help for your dog if storms are a problem. You'll be glad that you did.Questions? Email me at info@theculturedcanine.com or visithttp://www.theculturedcanine.com. ...read more
By The Cultured Canine, LLC July 27, 2012
Diane Podolsky, CPDT is now the NY Small Dog Examiner
Diane Podolsky, CPDT-KA, CTC of The Cultured Canine, is a certified professional dog trainer providing dog training services to clients in Westchester, Manhattan and Greenwich, CT. A valedictorian graduate of The San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers, she is committed to applying learning theory to dog-friendly training. Her specialty is toy breed dogs. Read her articles about small dogs on Examiner.com. ...read more
By The Cultured Canine, LLC September 15, 2009
Fall 2009 Edition of PawPrints now available online
Click here to read the Fall, 2009 edition of PawPrints, The Cultured Canine's free quarterly dog training newsletter. ...read more
By The Cultured Canine, LLC September 15, 2009