When good crafts go to the DOGS...it's REGRETSY TIME.

Have you heard of Regretsy? It's a fantastic BLOG/SITE that highlights some of the MOST HORRID selections of crafty merchandise you might never otherwise run across from ETSY.COM, a very popular commercial site for artist, craftspeople and resellers. Etsy brings crafters and their wares to a unified marketplace where like-minded people can browse online and buy  them, like a MEGA renegade craft fair 24-7.

Before I move on to comment on my VERSION of Regretsy, First things first...

#1 I LOVE people making stuff, so KUDOS to anyone for making stuff.

#2 Finding hideous stuff on Etsy was harder than I thought. Maybe I'm just a happy optimist.

#3 If any of this is yours, please don't take it personal...I probably LOVED your other stuff for $ale, but you gotta ADMIT, it takes a special person to LIKE THESE items...I HOPE you sell them!

Here's some of the words i searched to try to get AWFUL regresty worthy dog stuff DOGS + FLEECE Dogs + COLORFUL DOGS + WOW DOGS + RAINBOWS DOGS + LITLLE +FLUFFY +CUTE I might as well have searched DOGS + JAPANESE...let me try that now.
NOPE! Japanese stuff is CUTE & GLITTERY!

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You could pretty much sell me ANYTHING with a chihuahua on it...but NO not this. This is like a Badgerhuahua. It reminds me of Caddyshack and also the toothbrush commercial in the movie Grease.
Creepy neo-natal chihuahua sketch for $ale. 2.50 GBP
New life ACEO Chihuahua Print by majestikart on Etsy

 via etsy.com

WOW! you say you did that on a COMPUTER, Really? I couldn't tell...
AT ALL.  Dog of All Colors Original Digital Drawing by CoolBlueDog ONLY $75.00
 

Apparently, that's FABRIC....I thought it was a melted bottle cap of some sort...ALSO the description tells me that's a GOLDEN RETRIEVER puppy in the center.  "Are you certain?' ---"of course-Look at the ears!"

hmmmm...once it's covered with hair [In case you HAVE NOT GUESSED-it's a hair clip] who can tell.
Bowwow by Nanniegoat

WOW...was "Crosseyed" and "Needs Grooming, but has had recent pedicure" searchable-Who knew?
Adorable Vintage Dog Planter Made in by 23burtonavenue $12.00

So THERE is a BLANKET in there?...and a LOOFA? LIke a SPONGE?  Oh a LOOFA toy? I think that's confusing for most people.
I thought it was going to be a Bonzai Kitten when I ordered it-Drat.
DOG Blanket w/FREE Loofa Toy medium by KingMtnTreasures $18.00
   

Well, I guess that depends on what you define as the "training"

Tonight on FOX, the show HOUSE will have Hugh Laurie, the gifted, curmudgeonly Dr. Gregory House try some clicker training of his own on his girlfriend’s toddler in an effort to give her an edge over her toddler competition in preschool. Knowing the House character, I can’t comment on the veracity of what will be put forth, but I’m just happy to see a representation of it in back in popular media, not a dog show, not a science broadcast or special interest piece in a nighttime televesion news magazine.

The episode called “the carrot or the stick” seems to be a reference to the ongoing debate about Punishment Vs. Reinforcement as a means to shape behavior.

The first time I was exposed to CLICKER TRAINING was in  a movie from the 80s called THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, you might remember Geena Davis played a dog trainer and [well before her time] she’s walking dogs and clicker training them. This was practically science fiction for dog training at the time-1988. Since then those of us familiar with Clicker Training have rarely seen it pop up outside of dog related shows.

Clickers on humans? We’re not Dogs! I hear this A LOT. Let’s say that this is not the same clicker training of yore. NO WAIT! Actually it is. It’s not re-invented, it’s repurposed, and beautifully so. For more than a decade markers/clicker training has been used to teach/train for precision and accuracy in pursuits from Gymnasts to Fighter Pilots to children with Autism and Attention Deficit.

TAG TEACHING

Perhaps the bit on HOUSE is a nod to a more recent education and learning movement called TAGteaching
From the Tag Teaching BLOG "TAGteach is a revolutionary science-based technology that enables educators and coaches to teach efficiently and helps students learn effectively. TAG is an acronym for Teaching with Acoustical Guidance. The focused, positive nature of this method yields immediate and stunning results that are clearly evident to teachers, students and parents."

RESOURCES [Learn More about Clickers & TAGteaching]

Karen Pryor

In her new book, Reaching the Animal Mind, Karen Pryor provides a detail and compelling retrospective of how animals learn through positive outcomes as well as uses for clicker training and many avant-garde uses that even some seasoned animal trainers might be unfamiliar with.

A section on DO-IT-YOURSELF suggests teaching your cat to hi-five and your gymnastics coach to TAG you for better form and performance. Basically T.A.G [teaching with acoustic guidance] is teaching humans, adults and children alike with a “marker” whether it be a clicker, a touch, or a phrase [ not completely dissimilar to pneumonic device-but not really the same either.

TAG TEACHING

Just check out this video of

Teaching Skipping with TAGteach

Just a few new dog things I discovered poking around on ETSY this morning. I think for next week, we'll do a DOG "regretsy" version. Remember if you get picked..THERE is NO SUCH thing as BAD "PRESS".

YOU DIRTY DOG!
Bar soap for Rover $5.00 Doc Emma's Dog Shampoo by CleanGetawaySoap

The DESIGN style of this is pretty IMPECCABLE... Blue Puppy Pillow by BabyMochaSu $24.99

A LITTLE CONFUSED ITALIAN GREYHOUND DOG PRINT by ElleJW

wiener dog shirt with buttons by Waou $54.00

Curly Mustache Silver Custom Pet ID Tag by sofacitysweethearts $9.99
*for some reason this seems VERY VERY WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn to me...

OH YES..it's REAL...it sucks GOATS
Chupacabra Print by SeeChangeDesign

AND IN CASE YOU REALLY want to get serious about this snow!

Be a handler during personal mushing lessons. Learn how to get started with your own dogs and kennel. Lessons available on how to train your dog and begin to develop your own mushing team. Group lessons are hands on and fully instructed. All equipment is supplied, though students are welcome to use their own.

"Can I use my own dog?".........."Yes!"

 

Arrangements can be made to teach your dog to pull. Keep in mind that patience is the key. Your dog may take more time to catch on for not all dogs are cut out for this type of activity. We can find a dog sport that both you and your dog can enjoy. Of course, seasoned dogs are available whose favorite part of the day is getting to run (mealtime follows closely behind). No matter how your lesson goes we are sure it will be lots of fun! Programs range in price depending on time spent, number of students involved, and the location of the lesson. Please contact us with any questions or requests.

The video here shows a very unusual presentation of the PANTING stress signal. WIggles does a very particular TONGUE roll when she pants. I've never noticed another dog do quite this thing-though I'm sure it exists. Wiggles was a bit stressed on this occasion simply from some time outs we performed for scavening. She hadn't previously had to problem solve this type of conundrum and it caused her a little mental anxiety to be removed from us each time she nose-dived at the treats on the countertop.

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Click here to download:

IMG_1643.MOV (906 KB)

In many of my dog consults where I'm dealing with fear, aggression or anxiety, I make a point of thoroughly explaining about "stress signals". Stress signals, sometimes called "calming" signals, are more subtle signs that a dog is feeling stressed in a particular moment or situation.

As humans and 'laypeople', we may often miss signs of impending aggression because we often only notice stress in a dog when the stress escalates to the point of growling, baring teeth or fleeing. 

Below are a list of some typical signs of stress that are often missed or overlooked. Once these are identified and you know what to look for, it's much easier to diagnose stress in your dog before it reaches a critical tipping point that may result in biting and snapping or fleeing in terror.

TYPICAL SIGNS OF STRESS IN DOGS

1. YAWNING  [in the absence of waking or resting] I often see this one in conjunction with petting or handling by strangers or children. The dog may not turn and leave, but it will potential do an ill-placed yawn that seems out of place given that it isn't resting or getting up from rest. Also can happen during nail clipping, thunderstorms and other noise related stressers.

2. PANTING [in the absence of exercise] Often seen in similar situations as above and also pre-vomiting in car sickness.

3. EYE FLARING A flash of the eyes opening widely for a brief moment so that you see the whites on the sides. Again this one is often noticed during a "touch" style trigger.

4. TONGUE FLICKING/CHOP LICKING  Repetitive licking of the "lips" so to speak, often a precursor or in conjunction with panting [and in the case of motion sickness, ultimately vomiting. The "lizard" tongue is also a short forward poking out of the tongue accompanying some specific stresser, usually physical like a touch or pet.

4. ANOREXIA [refusal to take treats]