Hello, Fellow Dog Lovers!

I don't know about where you live, but it's starting to feel like summer here in Georgia! I'm heading to England later this week with my family for our annual summer trip over there. I'm looking forward to seeing friends and family, enjoying some downtime, and speaking at my UK Dog Bite Prevention & Behaviour Conference on June 11-12. I hope to see many you there! 

In this edition of the Positively Newsletter, you'll find behind-the-scenes info on my Dog Trainer Course, tips on swimming with your dog, and more.  

As always, throughout this newsletter you'll find exclusive content and training tips that you won't find anywhere else. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my blog for more articles from me! 

With the amount of fear mongering that exists currently regarding pit bull-type dogs, I feel it's important to publish the truth about these dogs. Although most dogs labeled as pit bulls are actually a mix of different breeds with similar physical characteristics, anything that has the appearance of an American Pitbull Terrier is incorrectly labeled as a pit bull, even when there is no relation to the APT at all. For the purpose of this article, therefore, I will call dogs with similar physical characteristics pit bull types, unless I am referencing the American Pitbull Terrier specifically.

Do All Pit Bull Types Have Similar Behavioral Traits?
No. Some have a tendency towards certain behaviors, but not all. Their range of behavior defies any singular label and is as complex and variable as any other breed type, crossing the spectrum from the gentle and even-tempered therapy dog used to help children read more fluently in school programs, to the dog labeled a liability for biting or even causing a human fatality.

Our first class of students are past the halfway point in their Dog Trainer Course, registration is underway for VSA’s next US-based class this fall, and spaces are quickly filling up in our first UK-based class this September.

Stay on the lookout for more big announcements from VSA, but for now, check out the newly enhanced VSA website to see more detailed descriptions of the student experience and learn more about how VSA can help you achieve your goals!

Sadly, we humans don’t often allow dogs to have a say in how much they can choose to interact with other sentient beings. We force interactions onto them on a sometimes multiple times daily basis and then we are surprised when they object to this interaction.

Positively Contributor and VSPDT Bobbie Bhambree of DogCentric Training gives tips for child and dog safety. 

Whether or not you have children of your own, nieces or nephews, or kids of friends that are in your life, it is important to know how to best support your dog while around children. A wonderful relationship between kids and dogs can be facilitated by knowing what your dog is saying when interacting with kids, while teaching kids how to respectfully and safely interact with your dog.

The first thing I do with my puppy clients with kids is teach them to respect their new puppies are beings with their own thoughts and feelings and not to treat them like a stuffed toy, picking them up whenever they feel like.