I don’t know of any specific schools, but I know of places that offer training.
Fur’st Choice DoggyDaycare & Boarding offers training. (next door to Great Neck Vet; their website isn’t up yet but I could provide you the number)
http://www.greatneckvet.com/
Petsmart offers training (I’m not sure if it’s just puppies, but I think they do obedience as well)
Thee Dog House (on VB. Blvd) is a great daycare/boarding facility that offers training, behavior modification and more.
I’ve taken my dogs there for daycare/boarding and have worked close with the owner.
http://www.theedoghouse.com/
Jul 18, 2010 | | obedience school
In most parts of the world, especially in the developed countries, the visual needs of the children are taken care of. Due to the vulnerable nature that comes with their ages, educative programmes are produced to develop the young minds, broaden their knowledge scope on a range of topics in various spheres, open their eyes to possibilities, and ultimately enhance their creativity base. Apart from the regular TV productions depicted through an array of cartoons, instructive programmes, and story books centred around numerous fairy tales and other themes produced by great novelists, comic characters via the Marvel and Dc comics, movies specially produced for childrens viewing delight have been produced time and time again in Hollywood and by other Movie bodies. The young at heart have also been caught in the movie web of this nature.
Parents usually fret a lot about the never ending streaming bills which habitually forces its way through the designated artificial courses into their lives. They must pay the bills if they want to remain as regular guests at lifes table, gladly partaking of what she offers (except the strong willed ones), without being subjected to any form of harassment, ridicule, intimidation by her waiting attendants in charge of electricity bills, water bills, kids school fees, transport, feeding, accommodation and other expenses. A defaulting parent can run but cant hide forever and moves about dejectedly clothed with the garment of shame. What parents do not know is that though unpaid bills are a regular source of embarrassment, they can be settled with a snap of the finger by the messenger called money when either fortune smiles on them, or some one comes to their aid. However, image redemption seems likely irredeemable when youre embarrassed by no one else than your children!
Imagine attending a get together party hosted by a Business mogul youve miraculously been linked to at his house in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. You feel out of place because youre not part of the elite class who have flocked there. The worst happens when your son locks horn with your hosts son in an innocent discussion but within earshot of the guests. He asks your son if hes watched movies such as Spiderman, X- Men, Fantastic Four, and your son replies in the negative. He reels out more movies and your sons silence negates any positive answer. Having run out of patience with the unfruitful discussion, he demands to know what movies hes watched and your son enthusiastically reels out local productions on TV such as The Adventures of kasali, Kasko Ni Mi, Okpekundun Crystal Ball, and you quickly interject telling him to shut his mouth ! The guests roar with laughter much to your embarrassment. The movie disparity originating from the educational/social background and your indifference to your child watching great movies slammed the title of The embarrassed dad of the Month on you !
Its no longer news that characters form the Marvel and DC Comics are being re-lived through a life cast as seen in the movies released, such as Spiderman, X- Men, Batman, Iron Man, Dare Devil, Cat Woman, Ghost Rider, Superman, Fantastic Four, and Incredible Hulk amongst others. Flicks are generally produced for the viewing pleasure of people. Children learn by example, often from what they see, hear, observe, which makes them susceptible to vice prone situations. Movies produced for children are used in Hollywood to stimulate their creativity, help them imbibe the undertone morals to be deciphered from the plot, have a broader perspective about life, get acquainted with its challenges, never giving up in the face of adversity, and not living with the mentality that the society wherein they live in is a haven.
Hollywood has produced a plethora of childrens movies (animation and life cast) which have made a great impact in Moviedom and the release of the under listed movies have overtime been keenly watched in Nigeria by children and adults. They include but not limited to:
Mary Poppins (1964), My Fair Lady (1964), The Sound of Music (1965), Star Wars (1977), Superman (1978), E.T : The Extra Terrestrial (1982), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Jurassic Park (1993), Mrs Doubt fire(1993), The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), Pocahontas (1995), Hunch Back of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997) , Mulan (1998), Pocahontas: Journey to a New World (1998), Tarzan (1999), The Atlantis; The Lost Empire (2001), Shrek (2001), Cinderella 11:Dreams Come True (2002), Brother Bear (2003), Shrek 2& 3(2004,2007), The Incredibles (2004), Brother Bear 2 (2006), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Ratatouille (2007), Persepolis (2007), Happy Feet (2007), Cinderella: A Twist in time (2007), Kungfu Panda (2008) , Ice age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), The Princess and The Frog (2009), Up (2009)
Flicks meant for children have long captivated the teeming adults who happily ease of the daily regimented stress and happily watch the flicks without making any sarcastic remarks or have the I mustnt be caught by my pals feeling. They watch not out of boredom, but in simple obedience to the natural child like desire hidden deep down in their hearts, for as Bill Cosby often declared in his closing remarks when he hosted the show kids say the darndest things , there is a child in every man.
It is sad to note that while the list of Hollywood movies for kids is increasing, Nollywood is yet to produce movies for the viewing pleasure of children. Nigerian children only get to technically watch Nollywood movies rated by the National Film and video censors board (NFVCB) to be generally suitable for their ages, where the parents adhere strictly to the classification codes. However, we live in an era where both parents have to work in other to pay the bills, and are hardly at home. Hence, children watch movies not approved for their ages and those shown on cable TV, without parental supervision. They practice what theyve seen and begin to exhibit worrisome bad habits their parents never bargained for. Most movie producers think of profit making and feel the ace lies within the palms of the adults which is a fallacy at least lets not forget the child star Shirley Temple who saved Fox Film Corporation back in the days from going bankrupt. Macaulay Caulkins outstanding performance made the first Home Alone prequel a hit, with a worldwide gross of $477,561,243.
Generally, movies have a way of shaping ones destiny. Remember that ace Hollywood director, Peter Jackson got baptized into the world of movie making as a Nine year old boy when he watched Merian C. Coopers 1933 classic of King Kong. He fell in love with it and grew with the dream of re-making it. John Guillermin beat him to it when he re-made the classic in 1976, but it was under valued by the public and was not a crowd puller. Peters childhood dream came true when he released in 2005 the best re-make (so far), of King Kong starring Naomi watts, Jack Black, Adrein Brody. He has grown to be an icon with quite a number of Oscars to his credit, and with his blockbuster movie The lord of the Rings trilogy hitting the $2 billion mark.
Nigerians own Steve Gucas wanted to make movies as a child. He refused to restrict himself to the local turf but spread his tentacles to the International front. Based on an Interview granted and published by Sound City Blast magazine, he is said to have produced the biggest African movie Nujoma as at 2008. Hes also one of the rare Nigerian film makers who had a Hollywood Top rated actor (Danny Glover) appear in one of the movies he was involved in.
Both testimonials point to the fact that the right flicks can influence a child into pursing a career in any sphere of movie making. How many children in Nigeria probably besides acting, want to be pursue a career in directing, filmmaking, scriptwriting, cinematography and other spots in the production process which would impact positively in Nollywood and Moviedom in general? PEFTI a private run Film/TV institute by Wale Adenuga (MFR) organized a holiday camp for children who were interested in learning the ABC?
Augusta okon
Jul 17, 2010 | | obedience school
What do I need to focus on at this point in the puppies life? I did all the research for all the training but now that I have him, I am completely confused on what I need to be doing.
Please do not follow the advice of King Les the Lofty. This is very old school. You are asking for a puppy that grows into an aggressive dogby using those methods (especially the scruff shake)! I suggest you read some reputable books to help you with getting started on the right paw with your puppy. Two of my favorites are The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson and Positive Perspectives by Pat Miller. I also recommend that you refer to the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) to find a reputable trainer. Their website is www.apdt.com.
Good luck!
Jul 07, 2010 | | obedience school
More and more therapist, doctors and mental health professionals are becoming aware of the wonderful therapeutic benefits of involving dogs in patient recovery. Dogs are used with brain injury patients, elderly, physically impaired as well as patients in hospitals and treatment centers. The very nature of a dog, its loyalty, unconditional love and its pure joy at seeing a friend really make them a wonderful asset to any therapy program.
Therapy that involves dogs, known as Animal-Assisted therapy, is used in many different settings in several different countries. The dogs can be involved in helping with fine motor control as the patients move their arms and fingers to pet and brush the dogs as part of their therapy process. Large muscle therapy is also completed when the patients take the dogs for walks or on outings to parks and recreational areas.
Dogs can also be used as a friend for many patients. Elderly, shut in and isolated patients come to see visits from their therapist and their dog as a chance to interact with another living thing. Dogs are very non-judgmental and are always happy to see the patient, which is very positive for the patient both emotionally and socially.
There is little hard scientific evidence as to how or why dog therapy works so well with many patients. Many therapists believe that the unconditional love of the dog helps patients gain self-confidence and self-esteem. There is another school of thought that caring for or spending time with a dog something that often brings patients back to their childhood or to a more positive time in their life. Regardless of exactly how or why dog therapy works so well with patients is not as important as the fact that it really does work.
Therapy dogs are not a specific breed or type of dog, nor do they have to a certain age or size. Usually therapy dogs are medium to large sized dogs but there are many small dogs that make excellent therapy dogs. Many organizations that use therapy dogs have volunteer owners and dogs come to the hospital or care facility and work in conjunction with the health care professionals and trained therapists on staff.
Therapy dogs must be very calm and well behaved. They should have no history of any kind of aggression or lack of obedience in new or unfamiliar settings. The dogs should be very well socialized and should not be prone to barking or whining as this can be disturbing to the clients as well as other patients in the facility.
Most therapists require that the therapy dogs do through special obedience and possibly other training. The dogs are taken in and out of the facility many times before they actually start working with the patients and clients. In addition both the owner and the facility will need to carry special insurance on the therapy dog to cover any possible events.
If you have a dog that loves people, is very calm and relaxed even in new situations, has lots of patience and is very obedient you may want to volunteer with a dog therapy service. The internet is a great place to start your search for agencies, or contact your local hospital or long-term care facility to find if dog therapy is being used in your area.
Kelly Marshall
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/all-about-therapy-dogs-83370.html
Jun 07, 2010 | | obedience school
At 3 months, I would recommend a puppy socialization class. After 6 months, you can do regular obedience. The place I went put us in regular obedience because my dog was 6 months and 3 days old – over the 6 month puppy socialization class limit. Well, for the first 4 sessions, she wouldn’t concentrate on the training because she just wanted to play with the other dogs. I would certainly get your puppy used to being around other dogs before you try to train it in room with other dogs – too distracting.
May 30, 2010 | | obedience school
I don’t want him to be peeing or pooing in the house and I would really love it if he could be less uncontrollable and more obedient
Well, my best advise is to look in your local pet/dog magazine and your newspaper, ask people with trained dogs where they got them trained, also, ask your vet, they should know
May 19, 2010 | | obedience school
Having a dog as a pet is a wonderful experience, no matter what the breed. Pit bulls are not an exception to this rule. Although they are misrepresented as aggressive and violent dogs in the daily news, they are for the most part playful and active, and make great companion dogs.
Before purchasing, or acquiring your American Pit Bull Terrier, you must make sure that your city or town is not affected by breed restricted legislation. Certain cities or countries have restrained this breed of dog from being kept as pets or as guard dogs. It may be necessary to get insurance as well before you can keep one as a pet, and you may be required to muzzle it and maintain a short leash when in public areas.
Whether you have children or not, it’s extremely important that your dog receive obedience training by a professional trainer or training school. There, your dog will learn to obey commands, and stay on his best behavior. In the long run, as an owner, it guarantees your sanity and the intactness of your own home.
This also gives the owner some peace of mind when you factor in neighbors and visitors with small children. Remember NEVER to leave any breed of dog unattended with children.
Though they are animals, dogs require a good healthy diet and demand that they maintain a high level of hygiene. Mix and match wet dog food with dry, and read the labels of dog food ingredients carefully. Fiber, carbohydrates and vegetables are vital parts of a dogs’ diet, insuring healthy coats, active lifestyles, and longevity.
Make sure your Pit Bull gets plenty of exercise. This particular breed of dog can become quite unruly and downright problematic if she isn’t walked daily for an extended period of time. They like to play for extended periods outside of the daily walk. These things are vital in maintaining your dogs’ obedience to you, since its absence will bring out the wild and unruly side of your dog. Make sure you set rules and boundaries for your dogs and stick to them. Love and structure go hand in hand in raising a well bred dog. However this is not an endorsement for abusive behavior towards animals. If you live in warm climates make sure that your Pit Bull does not over exert herself in the sun. Dogs are equally susceptible to heat exhaustion. Although dogs sweat by panting and letting their tongues hang out, excessive panting and disorientation are signs that it’s too hot for your pooch.
Should your Pit Bull get overheated, cool him down quickly. Place him in front of your car or home air conditioner, or wet his underside with water and fan him cool with a t-shirt or a pedestal fan.
During hot summer days you should try exercising your Pit Bull earlier in the day, or later towards the evenings when it’s bound to be cooler and the sun isn’t beating down on the two of you.
Remember, your dog needs you. For love, learning and life you are the one that is going to be integral to the dogs’ ability to integrate itself well in your life. The more care and attention you administer, the better the relationship will be between man and Pit Bull.
Jason Swanson
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/do-you-want-to-own-a-pit-bull-671287.html
May 17, 2010 | | obedience school
I live in Northern California and I want somewhere relitivly cheap.
Sorry to say I would NOT recommend PetsMart or Petco. I’ve worked with several trainers who are training at these large stores and none of them knew much and no one I’ve ever talked with about the classes say their dogs got much out of them. Of course there are always exceptions and I’m not trying to bash anyone.
I would go to a dog club- AKC or look in the phone book under "dog trainers" and you should find some. Look at their websites and check them out. You will most likely get better instruction at a place that is just for dog training.
May 11, 2010 | | obedience school
