Fresh Air Dogs

Training Tip – “Selling” Your Cues*

Cynthia — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:42:01 +0000

When you are communicating with your dog what you want him to do, be a salesperson.

Put just enough excitement into your voice so the dog is interested in what you are teaching. This is especially important if you are working with a dog that has perhaps been trained harshly in the past or is a little shy.

Keep in mind that some dogs may lose focus if your tone is too excited, so be observant and adjust your approach accordingly.

A good salesperson sizes up the client, then closes the deal.

Good day, good dog!
Russell Scott

*CUE: A signal, such as a word or action, used to prompt another event; a reminder, prompting, hint or suggestion.

Fresh Air Dogs – Your dog’s favorite place to learn, play and stay!

Training Tip – Catch ‘em being GOOD!

Cynthia — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:18:38 +0000

Willow and Emma sitting politely in front of the gate between the kitchen and the living room.

Parenting, whether human children or furry four-legged pups, all boils down to keeping an eye and ear tuned in all the time and praising lots more than correcting them.

I remember when Russell and I took a parenting class back in the 80′s and the instructor asked the group if our focus was on catching kids being good, and making a big deal about that, or — are we more apt to stay away from them (so as not to interrupt them) and only rush in when something bad happens.

How many times per day do you catch your dog(s) doing something good and give them a treat for that?

I have a daycare dog here today, Miss Willow, and she likes to try to rush through any doorway before me — so — I’ve been treating her for sitting politely BY the door, whether it opens or not. It only took me doing this a couple times for her to understand that SITTING by the door is much better for her than CHARGING the door.

Bottom line: this kind of PAWSITIVE attention is really fun, for us and the dogs, and much more rewarding than negative attention. Kids and dogs alike will get attention from us any way they can; by giving them most of our attention when they are doing behaviors that we like, they are less likely to act out.

Please let us know if you found this information helpful, whether with your kids or your dogs. If there are other things you would like to learn more about, please send us a note and we’ll be happy to address it here! If there is something you need help with right NOW, give us a call at 207.564.2604.

Happy training!

Fresh Air Dogs – Your dog’s favorite place to learn, play and stay!

2010 – What an awesome year !!!

Cynthia — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:34:32 +0000

It’s been quite a year at Fresh Air Dogs!

We wish to thank all our doggie guests for helping to make our first year an awesome year!

We’ve had a lot of fun and enjoyed meeting all of you very much.

To those of you who told others about us, thank YOU, too!

Check out our 2010 – YEAR ONE STATS

- 360 days with doggie guests (only 5 days with no dogs!)
- 117 dogs that came to play (2009-12/17/2010) — names listed below
- 6,000 hours of group play/pack behavior supervision
- 7 states dogs came from – FL, GA, MA, ME, NH, NJ, PA
- 34 Maine towns dogs came from: Abbot, Bangor, Beaver Cove, Blanchard Township, Bradford, Brownville Junction, Corea, Corinna, Corinth, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Eustis, Falmouth, Greenville, Greenville Junction, Guilford, Hampden, Jay, Kennebunkport, Lagrange, Levant, Milo, Monson, Parkman, Readfield, Ripley, Rockwood, Sangerville, Sebago, Sebec, St Albans, Stetson, Union, Wiscasset

We have completed installation of our fences and gates; plans for 2011 include converting an area of our heated garage into a Dog Wash Station where you make an appointment to wash your dog. We’ve had numerous requests for grooming and have made arrangements for a Groomer to be here periodically as well.

I’ve been posting pictures, videos and all kinds of assorted doggie stuff on our Facebook page, and our YouTube Channel. Please “like” us on Facebook and check out our YouTube Channel, if you haven’t already. You may just find a picture or a video of your dog on those sites.

Fresh Air Dogs has a 2011 Calendar which features many of the dogs who visited us this past year; they are available for $20, if you would like one, let me know. We also have Fresh Air Dogs tee shirts for $10 and Fresh Air Dogs bandanas for $5. Let’s all spread the word about Fresh Air Dogs in the coming year!

I have kept a running list of the testimonials we have received to give prospective clients a glimpse of our client’s and their dog’s experiences. I have posted many of them on Facebook and our website. If you have something that you’d like to share about Fresh Air Dogs that you wouldn’t mind me posting or using in advertisements and press releases, please jot me a note, send an e-mail, Facebook message or give me a call. You can also post them on Facebook or in the ‘comment’ section on this site; feel free! It’s “word of mouth” (yours) that has really helped to grow this business as quickly as it did this past year and I appreciate it very much.

Mark your calendar! Our next 5-week Basic Dog Obedience Class starts Monday, March 7th at 6pm (the location will be posted on our website and Facebook soon).

Thank YOU all for helping us kick off a very successful year!

We have loved every minute of getting to know all the people and dogs who have visited us.

We hope to see our 2010 guests back in 2011 and many newbies, too!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Russell & Cynthia Scott

Yappy Howlidays!
Franklin & Hannahbelle, Barkley & Emma

Many thanks to all our 2009/2010 Guests:

Addie
Adie
Anna
Artie
Bailey
Baldrick
Barkley
Barrett
Beckett
Ben
Bentley
Big
Blue
Boodah
Brady
Brady
Brody
Bubba
Buddy
Cali
Casper
Charlie
Cheeto
Chester
Chill
Chip
Chloe
Cleo
Cloud
Colby
Cookie
Crosby
Daphne
Dexter
Duncan
Elvis
Emma (aka Moxie)
Foxy
Georgie
Gibson
Gracie
Gracie
Grizzly
Guillermo
Gulliver
Harley
Holly
Ida
Jake
Jenny A
Jenny K
Koby
Kopper
Lacie
Lady H
Lady Q
Libby
Lilly
Linde
Logan
Lucky
Maddix
Maggie B
Maggie M
Mary Jane
Max D (l)
Max D(s)
Maya
Mika*
Mitzi
Molly B
Molly W
Moose
Moxie
Mya
Nala
Nellie
Nera
Noah
Nutmeg
Oreo
Oswald
Penny
Precious
Ralphie
Razz
Red
Remy
Ringo
Roscoe
Roxanne
Ruger A*
Ruger M
Sadie
Sam
Samson
Seamus
Shannon
Snukey
Socrates
Sophie
Spicey
Squash*
Susie
Tank
Tanna
Thunder
Toby
Tucker B
Tucker J
Tucker S
Wilbur
Woodie
Wrigley
Xena
Zoe
Zoey

*These pups crossed the Rainbow Bridge this past year … we’ll see y’all on the other side.

Fresh Air Dogs – Your dog’s favorite place to learn, play and stay!

To give or not to give, that is the question.

Cynthia — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:27:32 +0000

Don’t be tempted to give (or accept) a “free” dog (or any pet for that matter) as a gift. Even animals that are “given” away are far from free. There is 24/7/365 care for 10+ years, food, supplies, training, regular vet bills and more if the pet becomes sick or is injured. Deciding to add a four-legged friend to one’s family is a big decision that should not be made lightly. So many times after the “cuteness” of that sweet little puppy wears off around Valentine’s Day, Animal Shelters start filling up with the pups that are still peeing on the floor, barking, jumping, chewing, the kids aren’t feeding/watering them anymore, etc. All these things, and more, should be considered well in advance and discussed thoroughly before adding a pet to the family. We’ve gotten lots of dog-related calls over the years from people looking for a dog, trying to get rid of dog, wanting advice about their dog, etc. Here’s two of those calls:

I had a family call here earlier this year that had just gotten a “free” dog they found listed in Uncle Henry’s. While on the call, I could hear the dog barking very loudly the whole time while someone else was screaming, DOWN! DOWN!” in the background. They didn’t have transportation to get the dog to the Dog Obedience Classes we were getting ready to start and also had some physical limitations that made it impossible to get the large dog outside and exercised as much as it needed. They asked me what I thought and I told them that I thought they had chosen a dog that would be better suited with another family that had lots of room for the large dog to get out and about to play and run around. I advised them to call the previous owner to see if they would take the dog back and, if they were to get a dog, to get a very small, older, trained dog that would be happy to be inside most of the time and enjoy being a lap dog. They should also FIRST decide how much money they had available to set aside a budget for food, vet bills, etc.

My niece called me last year to see about getting her mother, my sister, a puppy for Christmas. I advised her NOT to get a living thing, but a book instead. My sister loves books, but most important, I thought my sister should read up on the hundreds of dog breeds available to determine, for herself, what breed would be best suited to her family and lifestyle and all that goes into the care and raising of a puppy into an awesome family pet. I don’t know if she got that book for Christmas or not, but I do know that she ended up adopting a stray kitty, Punkin, that she found on one of her hikes. Even though this little kitty was free, she had several health issues that needed to be attended to right away that were not free.

We so wish, for the humans and the pets, that people would put the same amount of thought and consideration into getting a pet as they would about having or adopting a baby, it would make it so much better for everyone involved. Do your research! There are thousands of websites out there to provide you with all kinds of things you should consider when giving/getting a pet. Click HERE for just one of them.

Fresh Air Dogs – Your dog’s favorite place to learn, play and stay!

Maine Fresh Air “Playcations”

Cynthia — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:08:04 +0000

Planning a vacation? Your travel agent can handle most of the details for you! Need accommodations for your pup while you’re away? Call Fresh Air Dogs and we’ll be sure your four-legged friend has a blast, too! There are lots of toys and furry friends for them to play with, we go on Pack Walks, field trips to the lakes and mountains, car rides, they are treated to homemade goodies, get to splash in the pool and have the best beds ever! We keep you up-to-date on your pups activities by posting lots of pix and videos on Facebook, YouTube and our website … you can even catch up with your pup on Skype during your trip! They get lots of cuddle time here, too. You’ll never have to feel guilty leaving your dog again … they’re in good hands at Fresh Air Dogs!

Fresh Air Dogs – Your dog’s favorite place to learn, play and stay!

[Photo by Russell Scott - taken at Roque Bluffs State Park 10/14/2010]

Welcome to Fresh Air Dogs !!!

Cynthia — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:44:11 +0000

Thanks for stopping by! Let us introduce ourselves; we are the two humans and trainers, who live in the Dog House with the pups and cater to their every whim — and love every minute of it !!! Please take a few minutes and look around, let us know what you think!

Would your pup like to get out and stretch his legs and make some new friends? Doggie Daycare may be just what you’re looking for. Going on a trip and want to send your dog on a Playcation with all the comforts of home? In-Home Overnight Lodging is nothing but the best for your dog! Just got a new dog and not sure where to begin? We have several training options to choose from!

Give us a call, we’d love to meet you and your furry friends! Please drop by again soon, we’re updating daily!

Russell & Cynthia Scott
Fresh Air Dogs – Your dog’s favorite place to learn, play and stay!

We purchased the domain, www.FreshAirDogs.com, in August 2009 and our website was born in August 2010. It is alive and well; four paws, all its toenails and a tail ta boot!

Many thanks to Designer, Lauren Myers, for our logo and website and Sean Dempsey, Owner of Loud Canvas Media, for programming and hosting our website … we love it … can you see our tails waggin? Woof Woof !!!