Braveheart Dog Training

Two spots left in Introduction to K9 Nose Work starting Sunday!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:37:00 +0000

I still have two spots left in the Introduction to K9 Nose Work class that is starting at Pride and Pedigree in Oakland this Sunday at 11am. If you are interested in registering for this class, please let me now ASAP and we will get you registered.

February Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:25:00 +0000

Happy February everyone! So far, this year has started out great with full classes and lots wonderful dogs to work with, new and old! I have added two new locations for Nose Work classes too!

K9 Nose Work
After spending over a year doing K9 Nose Work with my own dogs and realizing what a growing activity this is, I made the decision to pursue becoming a Certified Nose Work Instructor through the National Association of Canine Scent Work. My friend, assistant and co-trainer Yvonne Chohan made the decision to do the same. We started the process in June of last year. Over the past several months we have attended several training weekends, taught classes and practice groups, collected video of us teaching classes, turned in hours of training logs and student evaluation forms of our classes. Two weeks ago, we took our final exam and completed the process. We are still tying up loose ends and making sure all of our materials have gone through and awaiting official confirmation, but for the most part we have completed the process and excited to get the final approval to call ourselves Certified Nose Work Instructors (CNWI).

K9 Nose Work Classes in Oakland and Pleasanton
I have added two new locations for K9 Nose Work classes to the schedule.

We will start classes on Sunday, February 19 at 11am at Pride and Pedigree, a doggie daycare in Oakland, owned by my friend and colleague Kelli Danielson.

We will start classes on Monday, March 19 at 6pm at The Dog School, a dog training facility in Pleasanton, owned by my friends and colleagues Christine Salazar and Susi Hankins.

I am very excited to be not only branching out to these areas but also to be working with good friends that I respect as trainers and people! If you are interested in either of these classes, please contact me to register.

DOG OF THE MONTH

Cosita Palin

Cosita belongs to Gail Palin. Cosita has attended several classes with Braveheart and currently just finished our Winter Games class. She is the sweetest little dog and look how cute she is!

UPCOMING CLASSES
2/11, 11am-12:30pm, Introduction to K9 Nose Work, Pride and Pedigree, Oakland
3/8, 6pm, Marshmallows, Braveheart, San Leandro
3/17, 9am, Beginning Obedience/Manners, Dublin Creek Kennel, Dublin
3/17, 10am, Puppy Preschool, Dublin Creek Kennel, Dublin
3/17, 11am, Fun with Agility, Dublin Creek Kennel, Dublin

January Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:04:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! I can't believe it is 2012 already. I have a lot of new and exciting things planned for Braveheart Dog Training for this year. First, we will be starting Fun with Freestyle classes. I do Canine Freestyle with my own dog. Freestyle is basically heelwork, tricks and movement with your dog to music. It is designed to showcase your dogs natural movement and beauty and can be turned into fun and entertaining routines. Also, I will be offering K9 Nose Work in two new locations! Nose Work classes will start at Pride and Pedigree in Oakland in February and at The Dog School in Pleasanton in March! This is particularly exciting to me as I am good friends with the owners of both of these great establishments. Interest and excitement in K9 Nose Work has made it clear to me that I need to have these classes available and well spread out in terms of locations for my clients. If you haven't already, I hope you will check it out!

DOG OF THE MONTH

Jake, German Shepherd Dog is loved and owned by Cindy Resendes. Jake has been training with Braveheart for quite a while now. We think we have found Jake's calling in our K9 Nose Work classes where Jake excels! Here he is doing a vehicle search during one our practice sessions!

UPCOMING CLASSES
Small Dog Beginning Obedience/Manners, Monday, 1/23/12, Castro Valley, 6:30-7:30pm
Intermediate Obedience, Monday, 1/23/12, Castro Valley, 7:30-8:15pm

Beginning Obedience Manners, Saturday, 1/28/12, Castro Valley, 9-10:00am
Puppy Preschool, Saturday, 1/28/12, Castro Valley, 10-11am
Fun with Freestyle, Saturday, 1/28/12, Castro Valley, 11-11:50am

Introduction to K9 Nose Work, Sunday, 2/19/12, Pride and Pedigree (Oakland),11-12:30pm

Introduction to K9 Nose Work, Monday, 3/19/12, The Dog School (Pleasanton), 6-7:30pm

Most of our classes, particularly Beginning Obedience/Manners, Small Dog Beginning Obedience/Manners and K9 Nose Work all fill up fairly quickly, so if you are interested in registering, please do so as early as you can.

Drop in K9 Nose Work class moves to Wednesdays!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:39:00 +0000

Beginning in January, our every other week drop in K9 Nose Work class will be held on Wednesdays at 7pm instead of Tuesdays. This change becomes effective on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. We will also now have a 6 class punch card so that you can purchase 6 classes at one time!

Update about January Nose Work classes

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:56:00 +0000

The January K9 Nose Work classes (Intro to Nose Work and Intro to Odor) will be held in San Leandro at Braveheart Dog Training NOT in San Lorenzo. You will need to register for this class with me directly.

December Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:47:00 +0000

I can't believe that 2011 is coming to an end and 2012 is just around the corner. Wow, time flies! I want to thank all of you for your continued support. Your trust and confidence in me means the world to me and to Braveheart Dog Training. One of the things that I am most happy about and most proud of about Braveheart is that I feel I have accomplished my goal of creating a sense of community. It really warms my heart to see students who know each other from class to class and to know that friendships (both dog and human) have been formed as a result of meeting in my classes. That is exactly what I wanted to create. I want my classes to be a fun, rewarding, relaxing place for dogs and their people to have fun and spend time together. I feel that we are there and I hope you all do too. Thank you for making this possible. I wish you all a wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year.

Point Isabel Dog Walk
As many of you know, each year several of us get together for our annual Christmas Eve Point Isabel Dog Walk. It is a great way to visit with friends, gear up for the holidays and spend time with your dogs burning off some of their energy before the celebrating begins. Please join us if you can. We will meet on Christmas Eve morning at 10am at Point Isabel in front of Mudpuppies.

DOG OF THE MONTH
Beau Ramos

Beau has been coming to Braveheart classes since he was a tiny puppy and yes, he was once a tiny puppy even though it is hard to believe by looking at him. Actually, he still is a puppy! He started in our Puppy Preschool class and then went on to our Beginning Obedience/Manners class and then Introduction to K9 Nose Work. He is currently rocking it out in our Introduction to Odor class. He is a natural at nose work and a total love bug. Sometimes as class is about to start and I begin to check to see who is here and who is on the way in from the parking lot I will

hear Beau bay from the parking lot and know he is on his way:) He is owned by Vicki Ramos.

Upcoming Classes
Introduction to K9 Nose Work, San Lorenzo, Thursday, January 12, 6:00-7:30pm
Introduction to Odor, San Lorenzo, Thursday, January 12, 7:30-9:00pm

Three's Company, San Leandro, Tuesday, January 17, 6:00-6:45pm

Small Dog Beginning Obedience/Manners, Castro Valley, Monday, January 23, 6:30-7:30pm
Intermediate Obedience, Castro Valley, Monday, January 23, 7:30-8:15pm

Beginning Obedience/Manners, Castro Valley, Saturday, January 28, 9:00-10:00am
Puppy Preschool, Castro Valley, Saturday, January 28, 10:00-10:45am
Fun with Canine Freestyle, Castro Valley, Saturday, January 28, 11:00am-12:00pm

Please let me know if you are interested in registering for any of these classes!

Drop In Conformation Class Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:30:00 +0000

There will be no more drop in conformation classes on Wednesdays for the rest of the year. Wednesday, 12:00pm conformation classes will start up again on January 11.

There will be no more drop in conformation classes on Tuesday nights after the class next Tuesday, December 6, 7:00pm. Tuesday, 7:00pm classes will start up again on January 17.

No Conformation Class on Wednesday, November 23

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:53:00 +0000

There will be no drop in conformation class on Wednesday, November 23. There will be class on Tuesday, November 22.

November Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:09:00 +0000

I love Fall!! I love the cool weather, the color of the trees and the leaves everywhere. I am so excited about this time of year and that Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday is right around the corner. Of course, classes will slow down a bit until after the first of the year, but then we will be taking off with a lot of fun, new cool stuff!

DOG OF THE MONTH

Sisters Maggie Mae and Winnie

Maggie Mae (the brown one) and Winnie (the white one) are sisters belonging to a family of dog lovers! The Whelans, Carl Smith and his niece Kathie are all involved in the love, care and attention of these girls! Both have attended our puppy classes, beginning class and are small dog play group regulars! We love these girls and are so happy to have them in the Braveheart family!

Upcoming Classes
Introduction to Odor
Fridays, San Leandro, 11/11/11, 6-7:30pm, $150 + $10 supply fee
This class is for dogs who have completed Introduction to K9 Nose Work and are doing well on their foundation box work. Dogs will be introduced to the first target odor which is birch in this class.

Beginning Obedience/Manners, Castro Valley, 1/14/12, 9-10am, $150
Our Beginning class.

Puppy Preschool, Castro Valley, 1/14/12, 10-10:50am, $150
Our puppy class.

Fun with Freestyle, Castro Valley, 1/14/12, 11-11:50am, $150
This class will introduce students and their dogs to the fun sport of canine freestyle. Canine Freestyle is heelwork, tricks and movements to music. Very fun for dogs and people!

Small Dog Beginning Obedience/Manners, Castro Valley, 1/16/12, 6:30-7:30pm, $150
Our beginning class just for dogs 30 pounds and under.

Intermediate Obedience, Castro Valley, 1/16/12, 7:30-8:15pm, $120
Next level basic obedience.

Introduction to K9 Nose Work, San Lorenzo, 1/12/12, 6:00-7:30pm, $150

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and a natural desire to hunt. This class focuses on teaching you how to encourage and develop your dog's natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of toys, food and exercise. It's a great class for your dog to have fun, build confidence and burn lots of mental and physical energy and to find out just how good is your dog's nose. High food or toy motivation is beneficial for this class. Dogs must be able to handle confinement in a crate away from handlers.

Note: Castro Valley January class schedule is tentative, but will be confirmed soon.

Another Successful Howl-o-Ween Party!

We had a great turnout for our annual Howl-o-Ween party! Thank you to all of you who made it out! Check out the pictures from the party here!

Howl-O-Ween Party

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:43:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who came to our Howl-o-Ween Party! Check out the pictures on our facebook page here

October Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Welcome Autumn! I love the fall, it is my favorite time of year. I love the weather, I love Halloween and knowing the holidays are just around the corner! Of course, around the holidays, the classes I offer slow down, but check out the schedule, I will be offering quite a bit this year, including a new Winter Games class that has been on my mind for a couple of years now. So, if you are looking for a great class with ideas for inside training and fun, check it out!

DOG OF THE MONTH

Kendall is a French Bulldog who belongs to Cindy Grant. Kendall, along with many of Cindy's other lovely Frenchheads has been coming to Braveheart comformation classes since she was a little puppy. She just recently finished our Skill Building for the Show Ring class and is a regular in our small dog playgroup. Kendall is a ball of fun and a there is a party whenever she enters the room (or class!) and we love having her in class!

Upcoming Classes
Puppy Preschool, Castro Valley, Saturday, October 22, 10am, 6 weeks
Beginning Obedience/Manners, Castro Valley, Saturday, October 22, 9am, 6 weeks
Three's Company, San Leandro, Tuesday, October 25, 6pm, 5 weeks
Intro to Odor, San Leandro, Friday, November 11, 6pm, 6 weeks
Winter Games, San Leandro, Monday, November 14, 6pm, 3 weeks

Halloween Safety!
Remember with Halloween coming up to keep your animals safe!

~Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Be sure to keep all candy, especially chocolate put away so your dog can't get to it.

~Xylitol, found in chewing gum and some candies is also toxic to dogs. Keep it out of reach so your dog can't ingest it.

~Keep your dog secured when trick or treaters come to the house. Dogs can get spooked (no pun intended) and run off by the costumes and high volume of visitors. Make sure your dog doesn't have access to the front door and be sure he is wearing his collar and tags on Halloween.

~Please keep your black cats safe. As awful as this is, some people are unkind to black cats around Halloween. If you have an outdoor black cat, please make sure he is safe and secure around Halloween.

Howl-o-Ween Party
Mark your calendars for Friday, October 21 at 6:30 for Braveheart Dog Training's annual Howl-o-Ween party. The party will be held at Braveheart Dog Training located at 2123 Marina Blvd. in San Leandro. There will be a costume contest, trick contest and more! Treats and prizes! Dog and people friendly dogs welcome to attend! Please remember to think of your dogs comfort when choosing a Halloween costume for them.

September Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Summer is already gone and it doesn't even feel like it ever really came! This weather is so strange but I have to say that I am not sorry that we had a fairly cool Summer since my dogs clearly prefer it that way. And, Fall is my favorite time of year, so Autumn, Welcome!

DOG OF THE MONTH
Dylan Duncan

Dylan is a Beagle who lives with longtime Braveheart student Tracy Duncan. Dylan started with Braveheart in puppy class and recently graduated his beginning class! He is already active in nose work and we will see if he follows in big brother Dax's footsteps in trying out agility as well!

Upcoming Classes
Introduction to K9 Nose Work, Thursdays, 6-7:30pm, 9/27/11, 6 weeks, $150, San Lorenzo
K9 Nose Work is a new dog sport where dogs are trained to detect target odors much like professional detection dog work. This sport is fun for dogs and people. Dogs are worked individually so this class is great for fearful or reactive dogs.

Introduction to Odor, Thursdays, 7:30-9pm, 9/27/11, 6 weeks, $150, San Lorenzo
This class is the next level of K9 Nose Work where dogs are introduced to the target odors. Dogs must have completed an Introduction to K9 Nose Work class and must have instructor approval to take this class.

Howl-O-Ween Pawty!
This years annual Howl-O-Ween Pawty will be held on Friday, October 21 from 6:30-8pm. Join us for a canine costume contest, trick contest, prizes and treats! Dog and people friendly dogs welcome!
Only comfortable, safe, dog friendly dog costumes please.

Drop In Conformation Class Canceled Tonight and Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:24:00 +0000

My co owned/co bred puppies are coming early, one is already born, so I am leaving to go help with the deliver of the other puppies. Sorry for the short notice, but drop in conformation classes are canceled for tonight and tomorrow.

August Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 01:43:00 +0000

Summer is practically over and seems like it just started! I guess we should be grateful for the weather not being too hot, but a happy medium would have been nice. I hope everyone is having a nice Summer. I have been enjoying my Summer but very busy raising a new puppy! Venom, our 14 week old standard Dachshund puppy is doing GREAT! We are having a blast with him. If you are interested in following his blog please visit www.teachingvenom.blogspot.com. Please take a look at the schedule as we have a lot of classes coming up that I think you will all enjoy!

DOG OF THE MONTH
Lily Morse

Lily has been taking classes with Braveheart for a while now. After completing our Beginning Obedience/Manners class her mom Barbara decided to give agility a try. I am so glad that they did because Lily is a natural! You never saw a more eager and happy agility beginner! She loves it and we love her!

Upcoming Classes
Rally On!, Wednesday, 8/10, San Leandro, 7:30pm, 6 weeks, $150
Rally is a fun, relatively new dog sport that emphasizes teamwork and communication as dogs and handlers navigate a course of varied and interesting obedience exercises. This class will teach you and your dog how to perform a wide variety of Rally exercises, how to read the Rally signs, and how to string the signs together into full Rally courses. You will learn Rally exercises from both APDT and AKC, as well as the similarities and differences in rules and scoring between these two venues. Rally is great fun whether you are interested in competing or just looking for a new and challenging activity to try with your dog. Dogs must have completed at least a Beginning Obedience/Manners class or have the fundamentals of sit, down, stay, and loose-leash walking. Due to space constraints, dogs must be dog and people friendly and able to handle confinement in a crate or car away from handlers.

Confidence Building for Marshmallows, Monday, 8/15, Dublin, 6pm, 3 weeks, $75
This class is designed specifically to help shy, fearful or insecure dogs gain more confidence and to help owners of these dogs learn how to read and help their dogs.

Skills for the Show Ring, Thursday, 8/25, Dublin, 7:30pm, 5 weeks, $120
This class will combine show ring run throughs with skill building exercises to help owners learn to better present their show dogs.

Puppy Preschool, Saturday, 8/27, Dublin, 11am, 6 weeks, $150
This class is the first step in getting your puppy headed in the right direction! We work on socializing to people and other puppies, puppy raising issues and getting started on training some basic behaviors such as sit, down, come here and more.

Beginning Obedience/Manners, Saturday, 8/27, Dublin, 10am 6 weeks, $150
This class is designed to teach owners how dogs learn. Students will be taught how to train their dogs to heel, sit, come, lie down, stand, stay as well as others.

Fun with Agility, Saturday, 8/27, Dublin, 9am, 6 weeks, $150
This class allows clients and their dogs to experience agility. Dogs will learn how to complete several different obstacles including jumps, tire, weave poles and tunnels.

Introduction to K9 Nose Work, Thursday, 9/29, San Lorenzo, 6pm, 6 weeks, $150
Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and a natural desire to hunt. This class focuses on teaching you how to encourage and develop your dog's natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of toys, food and exercise. It's a great class for your dog to have fun, build confidence and burn lots of mental and physical energy and to find out just how good is your dog's nose. High food or toy motivation is beneficial for this class.
Dogs must be able to handle confinement in a crate away from handlers.
Introduction to Odor, Thursday, 9/29, San Lorenzo, 7:30pm, 6 weeks, $150
This class advances the dog's scent discrimination skills taught in the Introduction to Nose Work Class. All dogs are taught to identify the first target odor, a natural essential oil. Additionally, we introduce techniques and tactics for building better dog/handler teamwork.
Dogs must be able to handle confinement in a crate away from handlers.

Please visit the website to see our complete schedule!

Tomorrows Lecture on the Lawn has been canceled.

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:34:00 +0000

No Play Group on July 13

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:45:00 +0000

There will be no play group next Wednesday, July 13.

July Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 05:40:00 +0000

I hope that everyone had a nice 4th of July. Generally, I stay home on the 4th to make sure the dogs are okay with the fireworks that always go on. Fireworks are illegal in my area but people still set bombs off all through the night. With this being Jenny's first 4th with us and with this being Venom's first one, I wanted to be here with them. As soon as the fireworks started I would give them treats after every crack or boom. Pretty soon they were running to me every time they heard a noise. Venom played and slept through everything and couldn't have cared less. Jenny got more and more worried as the night went on, even not wanting to go outside to potty before bed, which I, of course, didn't make her do. The biggest surprise was Winnie, my 11 year old Dachshund who has never been firework sensitive or noise sensitive in general. She actually seemed stressed and I was up several times through the night sitting with her and petting her. Eventually, she settled down and went to sleep.

Summer Heat

I can't stress enough how important it is for us to take the heat seriously when it comes to our dogs. Please do not walk your dogs during the hottest times of the day, instead walk early in the morning or in the evening when it is cooled down. Keep in mind that the pavement gets hot, I actually see dogs lifting up their feet because of the hot pavement and their owners not even noticing! Make sure your dog always has plenty of cool water. Most importantly, please do not leave your dog in the car even on warm days. Dogs can overheat quickly and die even when it doesn't seem like it's that hot out. These things are important to keep in mind for all dogs but particularly important for brachycephalic (flat faced) dogs like French Bulldogs, Boxers, Bostons, Shih Tzus, etc. I know of a dog that overheated recently and unfortunately didn't survive. It's serious stuff which is why I keep trying to hammer the importance into everyone.

DOG OF THE MONTH

DEXTER DEGUARA

Dexter has been coming to Braveheart since he was a tiny puppy. He and his mom Robin have gone through several of our classes from Puppy Preschool through Fun with Agility. Dexter is a super fun and friendly dog. We love having him in class!

More K9 Nose Work Classes Added

As many of you know, Yvonne and myself are currently going through the K9 Nose Work Instructor Certification course. We are now offering a variety of Nose Work classes including Intro to Nose Work, Intro to Odor, Ridiculous Boxes and a drop in Nose Work class for those who have completed either Intro to Nose Work or Fun with Scentwork class. Nose Work is a great sport in that it is fun and easy to do and the dogs really love it. We hope you will give Nose Work a shot!

Upcoming Classes

Ridiculous Boxes!, San Leandro, Fridays, 7/22, 6-7 and 7-8pm, 5 weeks, $120 - Yvonne Chohan

This class is being offered to clients who have taken either Intro to Nose Work class or our Fun with Scentwork class. We will be continue with our box work which is the foundation of nose work by being very creative with boxes.

Rally On!, San Leandro, Wednesdays, 8/10,7:30-8:45pm, 6 weeks, $150 - Dawn Bushong

Rally is a fun, relatively new dog sport that emphasizes teamwork and communication as dogs and handlers navigate a course of varied and interesting obedience exercises. This class will teach you and your dog how to perform a wide variety of Rally exercises, how to read the Rally signs, and how to string the signs together into full Rally courses. You will learn Rally exercises from both APDT and AKC, as well as the similarities and differences in rules and scoring between these two venues. Rally is great fun whether you are interested in competing or just looking for a new and challenging activity to try with your dog.Dogs must have completed at least a Beginning Obedience/Manners class or have the fundamentals of sit, down, stay, and loose-leash walking. Due to space constraints, dogs must be dog and people friendly and able to handle confinement in a crate or car away from handlers.

Skill Building for the Show Ring, Dublin, 8/25, 7-7:45pm, 5 weeks, $120 - Vicki Ronchette

This brand new class will include practice run throughs as in our drop in classes but will also include group class drills and skill building exercises to give students more practice on the individual show ring behaviors. It should be a lot of fun!

Fun with Agility, Dublin, 8/27, 9-9:50am, 6 weeks, $150 - Vicki Ronchette

This class allows clients and their dogs to experience agility. Dogs will learn how to complete several different obstacles including jumps, tire, weave poles and tunnels.

Beginning Obedience/Manners, Dublin, 8/27, 10-11am, 6 weeks, $150 - Vicki Ronchette

Beginning Obedience is recommended for dogs 5 months of age and older. This class is designed to teach owners how dogs learn. Students will be taught how to train their dogs to heel, sit, come, lie down, stand, stay as well as others.

Puppy Preschool, Dublin, 8/27, 11-11:50am, 6 weeks, $150 - Vicki Ronchette

Puppy socialization class is for puppies between the ages of 2 and 5 months old. This class is designed to socialize puppies with other puppies as well as new people and to help owners deal with puppy issues such as potty training, biting, jumping up and more. We also get the puppies started on learning the fundamental obedience behaviors such as sit, down, come and loose leash walking.

Intro to K9 Nose Work, San Lorenzo, 9/29, 6-7:30pm, 6 weeks, $150 - Vicki Ronchette

This class will introduce you to the sport of K9 Nose Work. You will learn how to teach your dog the fundamentals of searching for odor. Dogs must be able to handle being crated away from owners. Owners must bring their own crates to class.

Intro to Odor, San Lorenzo, 9/29, 7:30-9pm, 6 weeks, $150 - Vicki Ronchette

This is the next level of Nose Work where odor is added. Students interested in this class must have completed at least one session Intro to Nose Work or Fun with Scentwork and must have instructor approval to register for this class. Dogs must be able to handle being crated away from owners. Owners must bring their own crates to class.

The New Tuesday Nights!

Effective August 2 we will be alternating our 7pm time slot each week between Drop In Conformation class and Drop in K9 Nose Work class. August 2 will be Conformation, August 9 will be Nose Work, August 16 will be Conformation, and so on. This is listed on our Google calendar on the website too so people can always check what class will be held on a particular day.

No drop in conformation class on Tuesday, July 5 OR Wednesday, July 6!

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Change of plans, there will be no drop in conformation class next Tuesday OR Wednesday!

Fostering a Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:16:00 +0000

I foster dogs. Over the years I have fostered a slew of different dogs, mostly Dachshunds and Pekingese but also several mixed breeds, some Chihuahuas, a few Rottweilers and even a Boxer, a Doberman and a Belgian Sheepdog along the way. I find my rescue work to be among the most rewarding in my life. I have stepped back several times and taken breaks, but I always find my way back to it.

People sometimes ask me, "How do you do it? I could never do that". The truth is, they could do it! Rescue work can be difficult, but believe it or not, it's not the fostering that is difficult, it is the having to say "no" that is so hard. The reason most groups have to say "no" is because there are simply not enough foster homes. I know that for every dog that I foster a second chance at life is offered to a homeless dog. This is a huge deal to me and more important than almost anything else I can offer to someone. Saving a life, that's a biggie.

People often feel that they wouldn't be able to handle giving the dog up. The truth is that several of my dogs are "foster failures" which means that they came here to be fostered and I ended up adopting them myself. Part of the beauty of fostering dogs is that you generally have the option of adopting your foster dog yourself! Of course, it is great if you can continue fostering, but if you can't, you have still saved a dog. For me, I have mostly ended up adopting dogs that for whatever reason were not highly adoptable. Of course, the plan is that your foster dog is coming to you so that you can care for him or her while an appropriate home is found. When the perfect home is found, the dog will move on with his or her life and go into their new, permanent, loving, forever home. This isn't sad, it's wonderful! Are there ever tears? Yes, sometimes there are, but they are generally tears of joy because you get the satisfaction of knowing that you helped that dog and that family to find one another. You have made it possible for this dog to live. Until you have done it, you have no idea how rewarding this feeling is.

There is a big misconception that all rescue dogs have either health or behavioral problems, but this just isn't the case. Many of the dogs are misplaced because their owners lost their home, or their elderly caretakers passed away. The majority of dogs that I have fostered have been well adjusted, social dogs that had no issues. Most of them came into my home and lived side by side with my own group of dogs easily and without issue. Sometimes we do get rescue dogs that require some veterinary care and those dogs need foster homes too, it's just a matter of finding the right dog for your situation.

I work with multiple rescue groups and generally the rescue group pays for all the dogs veterinary care and anything else you would need to care for the dog. Typically you work with a Foster Coordinator or some other person within the group who will match you with the appropriate dog for your family and lifestyle. In my experience, there is a lot of support offered to the fosters so you don't have to feel on your own. With some groups you may be asked and in some cases required to bring your foster dog to events or "showcases" where foster dogs go to meet the public and potential adopters.

Contrary to popular belief, you can foster just a certain breed of dog. There are many purebred rescue dog groups that rescue specific breeds of dogs, so if you already have a breed you love, you may want to work with a breed rescue group. Or, do you feel like you would like to foster but you need a less active or dog that is set in his or her ways? There are rescue groups that rescue only senior dogs. If you like puppies, there are rescue groups that only work with puppies. There are also rescue groups that work with only small dogs or only giant dogs. Whatever type of dog you want to help, there is a rescue group out there for you.

Hospice care is also an option. Offering hospice care to a terminally ill animal can be emotionally challenging, but I have done it and still consider it one of the most rewarding fostering experiences I have had. To be able to offer a home to a sweet, friendly, outgoing terminally ill senior dog and allowing her to live out the end of her life treated like a princess instead of dying in a shelter was extremely rewarding to me. And, my short time with her in no way minimized the experience for me. She needed us and we were there and we would do it again in a heartbeat. However, admittedly, hospice care is certainly not for everyone.

So, are you cut out for this work? Check below to see if you you meet some of the criteria below:

You you love dogs

You own a home or rent where you can have dogs

You have no dogs of your own or you have one or multiple of your own dog friendly dogs

You have the time to care for a dog

You are thinking about adopting a dog, but not sure if you are ready for a long term commitment

You want to save a life

Fostering a dog is a commitment, but it is easier than you may think. Please consider fostering a dog. Most of my foster dogs stay with me for an average of two weeks. The seniors can be slightly longer, but generally under a month.

Finally, if you want to help, but really feel like fostering is not for you, please know that most rescue groups have many other volunteer positions available. I took on the position of a Foster Coordinator for a rescue group so that I could still be involved but not with fostering. There is always a need for people to transport dogs, come to events, walk rescue dogs, work on fundraisers, work on the website, work on mailings, take pictures of dogs and so much more. There is a job out there! Please consider helping out.

Classes Scheduled to Start June 4 Postponed

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 22:23:00 +0000

Due to the weather and high likelihood of rain the classes scheduled to start tomorrow; Fun with Agility, Beginning Obedience/Manners and Puppy Preschool will be postponed to start next Saturday, June 11.

June Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:52:00 +0000

Well, this doesn't feel like June! Having to worry about possibly postponing the start of class due to rain, doesn't seem like something I should have to worry about in June, but it's a reality right now! I can't figure out this weather. Classes may start late, but they will go on!

I also wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your patience and understanding this past month with cancelled classes, etc. I lost my mother in law, and just three days later my Sensei, my Pekingese Fooey. Both were sudden, unexpected and horrible losses for which I am still feeling a huge amount of sadness and pain. Again, I thank you all for understanding when I couldn't be there or when I wasn't quite myself.

Fooey

DOG OF THE MONTH

The Jensen Dogs

The Jensens have been attending classes with Braveheart since last year and have had their wonderful crew of dogs in a variety of classes including Puppy Preschool, Beginning Obedience/Manners, Fun with Scentwork, Intermediate Obedience, Rally and Canine Good Citizen! Mac (Bulldog) and Damian (Golden Retriever) are pictured above at our Easter egg hunt, but their clan also includes Scooby (mixed breed), Snookie (Bulldog) and Martini (French Bulldog). I hope I am not forgetting anyone! Mac and Snookie are competing in Rally. Damian has his CGC and is a Paws to Read dog! We love these guys!

Upcoming Classes

Please contact me if you are interested in joining any of these classes!

Rally On!, San Leandro, Wednesdays, 7:30-8:45pm, June 15, $150

Fun with Scentwork, Dublin, Thursdays, 7:00-8:30pm, June 16, $150

Confidence Building for Marshmallows, Dublin, Thursdays, 6-7pm, June 16, $150

Three's Company, San Leandro, Tuesdays, 6:00-6:50pm, June 21, $200

Fundraiser for Military Dogs

Dublin Creek Kennel is doing a fundraiser to raise money for http://www.supportmilitaryworkingdogs.org/. This wonderful organization raises money to purchase cooling vests for the military dogs. Some of these dogs work in 100+ degree weather. Cooling vests and doggles make their jobs safer and easier for them. Braveheart will have a booth as well as many other dog businesses. The fundraiser will be held on July 2 from 11:30 to 4:00pm. Please come by and check it out!

Positive Training for Show Dogs Seminar

I will be doing a seminar on Positive Training for Show Dogs in Chico, California at the Canine Connection.

Upcoming Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:22:00 +0000

I have a few classes starting soon that still have some openings:

Three's Company, Tuesdays, 6-6:45pm, San Leandro, 5/31
Puppy Preschool, Saturdays, 11-11:50am, Dublin, 6/4
Beginning Obedience/Manners, Saturdays, 10-11am, Dublin, 6/4
Fun with Scentwork (An introduction into scent detection for fun), Thursdays, 7-8:30pm, Dublin, 6/16
Confidence Building for Marshmallows, Thursdays, 6-7pm, Dublin, 6/16

Drop in conformation class canceled for tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Tomorrow nights 7pm drop in conformation class is canceled. Wednesdays 12 and 12:30 class is on!

No Conformation Classes this week

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Sun, 08 May 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Due to a family emergency there will be no drop in conformation class this Tuesday night or Wednesday at noon.

May Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Vicki Ronchette) — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:23:00 +0000

At last the weather is getting nicer! I am so happy for that, but do want to remind everyone that as the weather gets warmer and then hotter that it is critical to take care to keep your dogs safe in the heat. Cars can get hot very quickly so don't leave your dog in your car even on a warm day. As the days get hotter make sure that your dogs have access inside the house where it is generally cooler.

DOG OF THE MONTH
Schnuffi Zocher

Schnuffi is a one year old, Basset Hound/American Eskimo mix who belongs to Vendy and Marcel Zocher. He was adopted from Golden Gate Basset Rescue (a group I volunteer with) and is the littermate to my Jenny. I began working with Vendy and Marcel to help them with Schnuffi's shyness and he has continued through our Beginning class, Confidence Building and is now in our Canine Good Citizen class. He is a wonderfully sweet and loveable dog who was so lucky to fall into the hands of devoted owners.

Suzanne Clothier
I spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Suzanne Clothier seminar. For those of you who may not know, Suzanne Clothier is a world famous dog trainer and author. Her book Bones Would Rain from the Sky, on dog/human relationships was a life changing read for me and helped me to look at my relationships with my dogs and other people's dogs on a much deeper level. This presentation in particular was on CARAT (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Test) which is Suzanne's method of assessing dogs. Since it has been being used with the guide group she works with their success rate has shot up to over 87% which is basically unheard of. What this means is that when they make their decisions on which dogs to accept based on this protocol, they have a 87% chance of choosing the right dogs. It was a great seminar and has given me so much to think about in terms of how we access and choose dogs.

Suzanne is so incredibly knowledgeable and skilled. If you haven't read Bones, I highly recommend you do. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Nosework Certification
I recently made the decision to pursue Nosework Instructor Certification which I am really excited about. The process takes about a year but I am excited to begin teaching Nosework and pursuing this new goal. Yvonne Chohan, who runs the small dog playgroups and assists me in classes is also pursuing certification so it's fun to be taking this on together. I have been doing nosework with my own dog for over a year and decided that I definitely enjoy not only the sport, but the spirit in which is was created as well. The goal of nosework truly is to have fun and build a cooperative, working relationship with your dog. While you can compete it should still be done with the dog's well being and enjoyment in mind. Yvonne and I have started offering a Fun with Scentwork class and in July we will officially be able to start offering K9 Nosework classes, so keep your eye open for those!

Easter Egg Hunt
Our first ever Easter Egg Hunt was a huge success! I was so happy with how many of you showed up to have fun with your dogs and support the One Pup at a Time rescue that is run by Dublin Creek Kennel. They always have a few dogs being fostered and this egg hunt helped us raise some money and awareness for them which is excellent! Please see the picture below of Lilith Anne who was adopted at the Easter Egg Hunt!

Lectures on the Lawn
The Lectures on the Lawn are one hour, informal lectures on different dog related topics that are offered monthly at Dublin Creek Kennel. This month's lecture will be offered on Friday, May 6, 6:30-7:30 pm and will be an Introduction to Canine Body Language. Please join us for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and snacks and a great discussion on body language. Cost $20. No dogs, people only please.
Upcoming Classes
Three's Company, San Leandro, Tuesday, May 17, 6-6:45pm

Fun with Agility, Dublin, Saturday, June 4, 9-9:50am

Beginning Obedience/Manners, Dublin, Saturday, June 4, 10-11am

Puppy Preschool, Dublin, Saturday, June 4, 11-11:50am

Fun with Scentwork, Dublin, Thursdays, June 16, 6-7:30pm

Confidence Building for Marshmallows, Dublin, Thursdays, 7:30-8:30pm