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Back in 2001 a small group of co-workers decided to start buying a group lottery ticket on a regular basis.  Eventually, the group grew to 33 members.  The most unusual part of their lottery ticket buying habit included using the same set of numbers every time.  Their numbers were 11-16-33-40-41 and they had been playing them for 13 years.

The group is employed by The University of Utah in Salt Lake City where they work on heating and cooling maintenance of the university’s buildings.  Unfortunately for them Utah does not have a lottery so on January 6th Steve Hughes and Stella had a date with destiny at a Gas Station in Lava Springs, Idaho.

Steve decided to leave his truck running, in order to keep his best friend Stella, the Min-Pin, warm on the cold and frosty winter’s day. After purchasing gas he returned to his truck only to find that Stella had inadvertently stepped on the electric door look button and locked Steve out.  She was only being a typical, bouncy, excited Min-Pin and she didn’t understand why Steve was standing out there in the cold yelling intelligible words at her through the window.

Steve had planned on their regular purchase elsewhere but due to these unforeseen circumstances he decided to ask his girlfriend to go inside to warm up and get the ticket while he tried to slim-jim the lock. Eventually he was able to encourage Stella’s “bouncy” personality and got her jumping up and down and sure enough, she stepped on the electric lock button!

Steve turned in the ticket and when it was announced that they were winners he found it difficult to believe that Stella and her bouncy personality had helped them win 2nd prize in the Idaho Powerball. Needless to say Steve and Stella are the heroes of the lucky group.

The average winnings are not a fortune but many are paying off bills, buying new cars and boats and taking long dreamed of vacations. Stella enjoyed her reward of an 18-inch rawhide bone which dwarfed her but made her very happy.

Mr. Tison, the group’s supervisor has assured everyone that life goes on as normal and they will still be playing the same numbers in the future. “There is no need to change them,” Tison said. “It worked once, why wouldn’t it work again?”

We love a positive attitude, good fortune and bouncy little Min-Pins like Stella.  Had Stella learned to “come” on command at dog obedience class, opening the door might not have taken as long and that ticket might never have been purchased.  But it would have helped them avoid freezing in the cold trying to get Stella to “open” the door.

These stories remind us about why our dogs are our best friends and constant companions.  If you know of any fun dog stories, please contact us so that we can share!

Posted in Board and Train, Classes, Private Lessons

TYDTW Day was created as a fun event to celebrate dogs and promote their adoption.

The checklist below is designed to help you determine if your dog is ready for the  workplace and provides tips on how to work with your dog toward the goal of “workplace readiness.”

1. Does your dog enjoy meeting new people and visiting new places?

At a minimum, your dog should find meeting strangers to be a pleasant activity. If your dog shows any shyness with new people, you will need to work on developing positive associations with strangers. Consider using the help of a qualified professional dog trainer or such as Acme Canine.

2. Does your dog get along with other dogs and pets that may be at the office?

Your dog may meet other dogs and possibly even other types of pets when they are visiting your workplace. Has your dog had experience with other dogs and pets and have those been positive? If your dog has shown any aggression or fear around other animals, consult with a trained professional to learn how to work with these issues. Dogs with aggression issues should not be brought to work and a dog that displays aggressive behaviors once at work should be taken home.

3. Does your dog walk well on leash?

Your dog will most likely be required to walk through small spaces, along hallways and around furniture and equipment; so it’s important that your dog walk well on leash. If your dog pulls and tends to go in the opposite direction from you, it’s time to work on your leash-walking behaviors before going to the office!

4. Can your dog handle walking up and down stairs and entering and exiting elevators?

If your workplace has elevators and stairs, can your dog master these obstacles? Some dogs can be wary of elevators due to the noise. Stairs may also be difficult for dogs based on their physical requirements.

5. Can your dog sit and wait politely to enter and exit doorways?

Sitting and waiting to enter and exit areas of an office, building or store is an important skill – particularly if the area is crowded with people. You’ll want to practice “sits” and the wait and/or stay behaviors with your dog in various types of entrances and exits to be sure the behavior is solid.

6. Is your dog comfortable riding in the car?

While many dogs love riding around in the car, some can be very stressed out by this activity. If your dog does not enjoy car rides, consider creating a positive association by taking him on short trips around the neighborhood.

7. Will your dog sit politely and greet new people without jumping up?

A dog that jumps up on people will likely not be a welcome addition to a busy workplace, particularly if your dog jumps up on an office mate and muddies their fancy office dress or three-piece suit. Your dog should be able to sit politely and wait to be petted and greeted by strangers and keep all four paws on the ground.

8. Does your dog know how to settle?

If your dog will be with you throughout the work day, you will probably need him to settle down at some point while you work. If your dog is comfortable in a crate, you can bring a fold-up travel crate with you to place your dog in while you are busy. Or you can lay a bed or mat down and have your dog lie down and stay on the mat. If your dog has trouble settling down and staying, you can work on this behavior at home and outdoors with increasing distractions. Providing your dog with items to chew or play with can assist as well.

9. Can your dog leave things alone when asked?

Offices can contain a lot of tasty and tempting objects for a dog’s mouth such as waste  baskets full of snacks and the remains of a co-worker’s lunch. Does your dog know a “leave it” cue to stay away from forbidden objects, and if your dog takes something in his mouth, can you get him to easily release it? These are important behaviors for your dog to know and can keep him from ingesting things that are potentially hazardous.

The above checklist is provided as suggested guidelines for assessing your dog’s readiness to visit your workplace. For successful TYDTW Day participation, at a minimum, your dog should know the following cues/behaviors:

• Walking politely on leash
• Giving up items when asked
• Leave it
• Down
• Sit
• Coming when called
• Wait or settle

Remember, you know your dog best. If, after reviewing this checklist, you feel your dog could benefit from additional assistance with these behaviors, consider working with a qualified dog consultant specifically designed to help teach dogs the life skills they need to have greater access to our lives outside our homes such as Acme Canine.

Acme Canine1385 Franklin Street, Lewis Center, OH 43035

(740) 548-1717  www.acmecanine.com.

Posted in Board and Train, Client Services, Private Lessons, Puppy

Not all companies are created equal when it comes to the acceptance of dogs in the workplace. Some readily welcome your best friend while others have not yet realized the benefits of allowing dogs. The majority of companies that allow dogs are small start-up companies who realize the need for a flexible work environment or large high tech firms that allow dogs in order to capture the interest of a prospective employee or to retain their current employees.

Half of all American households have at least one dog or cat – pets they treat as family members. A pet-friendly policy is a logical component of a comprehensive program to help employees maintain work-life balance. Allowing pets in the workplace helps reduce stress and anxiety. Employees don’t have to worry or feel guilty about leaving their pet home alone. They aren’t under pressure to rush home and walk their dog at the end of the day.

The benefits of welcoming pets at work aren’t limited to dog owners. Businesses that have a pet-friendly policy say it improves the atmosphere for all employees, especially at companies where people work long hours or sit at a computer all day. With pets on the premises, employees are encouraged to take a break once in awhile to play with one of the office dogs. It’s a stress reliever and morale-booster for everyone.

A pet-friendly workplace is also an effective recruitment and retention tool.

An American Pet Products Manufacturers Association survey of businesses allowing pets in the workplace confirmed the benefits:

•           73 percent of the companies surveyed said pets create a more productive work    environment.

•           27 percent reported a decrease in employee absenteeism.

•           73 percent indicated pets led to a more productive work environment.

•           96 percent said pets created positive work relations.

•           58 percent of employees stayed late with pets in the office.

Read what your dog needs to successfully be in the workplace: http://www.acmecanine.com/blog/?p=979

Posted in Not Just Training

Aren’t puppies great? Some of my best friends are puppies.

There’s nothing better than watching a little fur ball rolling around the floor, unless of course, you have two. Eventually though, they all reach the “Chew Stage”, a dog’s version of the “terrible two’s”. This is when the little ones are going to test the extreme limits of your patience. They’re going to be chewing on everything in sight.

There is a solution. When I was a puppy, my humans checked with Acme Canine and got a list of approved chew toys. This is important for some toys on the market are actually dangerous to dogs. Next, they kept everything of value out of my reach. They showed me the toys, put it gently in my mouth and petted me while they held it and best of all, played with me with the new toys.

It’s important to stay vigilant, because sooner or later a puppy will get hold of something he’s not supposed to have. Don’t panic, don’t overreact, simply take the object away from them, give them a firm “NO”, then hand them a chew toy and say “TAKE”.  If you stay consistent, most dogs will learn the difference between their toys and others rather quickly.

Now don’t forget that as puppy grows he/she’ll need lots of training and with all the experience my pals at Acme Canine have, they’re the best in the business. They can give you more tips on getting through the “chew stage”, housebreaking, day to day behavior issues, etc. So don’t delay contact us and start a plan that’ll help keep your little one out of mischief.

Posted in Private Lessons, Puppy, Workshops

If you are like most of the dog owners we talk to, you have already gone through training programs with your dog and still need assistance with getting your dog to listen, or to stop some unwanted behaviors.

It is extremely rare to find a dog training company who has such a high success rate with training dogs.   So why can we do this and other training companies can’t?

We are not just dog trainers.  We understand the way dogs think, and we teach your dog to be well mannered in a way that works according to how dogs understand the world around them.  We also teach you everything you need to know about why your dogs do certain things, and how you can effectively make sure they understand what you want from them.

Doing this helps us not only teach commands, but also resolve behavior problems at the root causes.

Training methods.  Most methods of teaching commands have huge limitations in achieving reliability.  For example, training a dog with food or treats is a great way of teaching a dog what command WORDS mean.  But getting reliability around distractions, or when you don’t have a treat handy, or when there are things going on that are more interesting than a treat, or resolving behaviors like jumping and pulling on the leash… Training with food isn’t practical for those situations.  Most training methods have the same limitations – inability to resolve unwanted behaviors quickly, teach commands quickly and get reliability around distractions, and when your dog is not on a leash (in the house, or outside).

We teach your dog AND YOU.  You need to know how to maintain the training, so we teach you everything you need to know during your lessons and ongoing support.

There is no such thing as a dog who can’t be trained.  We had worked with thousands of families when we realized that our training methods WORKED every time, with every dog, no matter their breed, age, or behavior problem.

Our experience.  In addition to knowing that all dogs can be trained (even yours!), we have been training dogs for many years.  We have used every training method out there, and we know what works and what doesn’t work reliably.  We are also certified as dog trainers.

We like people too!  We are family friendly, fun, flexible, and easy to get along with!  We also have extensive human-teaching experience (including a former school teacher).  But most of all, we enjoy helping people have happier lives.

This is all we do.  We are not part-time dog trainers.  This part of our everyday life, all day every day.  In addition to that, many dog training facilities do training as an “additional service”.  Their primary business might be boarding or grooming, but they have a training program or class in addition.  In that situation, it is very difficult to give a training program the attention it needs to make sure it works properly for every family.

Call today for an assessment and see for yourself why Acme Canine is Central Ohio’s premier training center.

Posted in Board and Train, Classes, Client Services, Private Lessons, Puppy, Workshops