Love Your Dog Pooch Parade

I am very excited to announce Bark & Clark's first Pooch Parade of 2014, it has become my favorite of the whole year.  Please join us for the 4th annual Love Your Dog Pooch Parade on February 20th @ 7:30pm.  It will be a night on the town with your dog as we take a love-filled, yet educational stroll through our the heart of the city.  Then a decadent treat for your pooches at Pussy & Pooch and finally a chance to sit down and enjoy adult treats with wonderful conversation at the lovely and dog friendly patio of Artisan House.

Besides the obvious fun you will have, this is a great chance to learn about how to handle your dog downtown and in general with other dogs and humans.  This class focus is on using basic obedience to help your dog focus on you - not all the distractions. We'll also focus on showing your dog how loved they are, how to be a great socialized companion in our busy city, leash control and polite interactions with other dogs and people. Last but certainly not least, we address the ongoing battle of teaching owners the proper places to potty their dog and how to clean it up!

We teach uptown manners for Downtown dogs! This class is so fun, it's more like an outing... So let's take a stroll through the city and focus on doggy's ability to deal with the public, the lively city and all the other pooches out and about.

I am so excited about this Pooch Parade, I hope I will see you all there!  Be sure to RSVP by February 13th because space is limited.  $40/dog.

To sign up for our next Pooch Parade, give us a bark:  Bark!

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!

Yes!  It is back, Bark & Clark's Puppy Obedience Class is returning Wednesday nights @ 7:00pm at the DTLA Vets facility (333 S. Spring St)!  Sign up today, the first class is February 12th. 

The Puppy Obedience Class is one of my favorite classes to teach for the primary reason that I get the opportunity to help launch you and your pup into a healthy, productive and REWARDING relationship!

This is a 5 week class that will cover all the basics of obedience (sit, down, stay, come), work on walking on a leash and address all those puppy behaviors (play biting, chewing, potty training, etc.) that most puppy owners need help with.   

At the beginning of every class there is a play session for all the puppies to start training on socialization with other dogs.  I also dedicate a good amount of time to educating on how to socialize your puppy to the rest of the world, manners and how to keep them safe.

This class is always a great mix of fun and learning.  It is hard not to smile the whole time and laugh with all the silly pups running around during play time or just watching them learn.  It is sure to be rewarding to both you and your pup.

So don't delay, pups are already signing up and I take a limited number.  Give us a bark today and get your spot reserved! 

Class starts Wednesday, February 12th @ 7PM, this is a 5 week course  for $150 per pup.

For more information or to sign up today, give us a BARK!

A Special Goodbye to a Special Doggie Friend

In October I got the news that my dear friend Bailey had come to the end of his journey with his human companion.  News I knew one day I would hear, but certainly not ready for.  I have shed so many tears, both of joy and absolute sorrow.  Bailey was one of a kind.  But now that I have had a couple of months to process it, I wanted to pay tribute here to my amazing friend.

When I first meant Bailey, I was walking dogs as a part of my business and his owner was looking for a twice a day walk for his Pit Mix.  I had no idea what to expect when I first went to meet him.  We had a good 45 minutes together as his owner secured his apartment, got keys, etc.  Bailey and I walked the neighborhood and got to know each other.  Within that 45 minutes I got to know a dog that was amazingly sweet, loving and had a personality that was unforgettable.

Over the time I walked him, seeing him everyday twice a day, I got to know him quite well and he really got to know me.  So much so that at a time I had some sorrowful things happening, Bailey would great me with a gentle lick to my face and would push his head to my chest for a hug.  One of the many things that made him truly amazing.

He was somewhat of a celebrity around our walking route, so many people knew Bailey and always had to say hello.  I don't think there was a life he touched that didn't benefit from knowing him.  Myself and my dog included. 

I knew Bailey before I got Neville.  So when I was introducing Neville to Downtown, I often walked them together so Bailey could help Neville not be so scared.  I titled Bailey as Neville's Grandpa because that is the relationship that developed.  Bailey was the kind and wise old soul that showed Neville the way.  A beautiful thing to watch.

So I have tons of memories of Bailey.  How easy he was to take care of while his owner was out of town, even taking a pill with no problems, long talks in the park when he couldn't walk that far, endless hugs, snuggles, kisses and licks, watching his butt waddle up and down the stairs and my all time favorite was his tail wag.  Bailey could hear my voice, see me from a far or just smell me through the door and his tail would wag so hard his whole body would move.

Bailey, my friend, I love you endlessly.  You will be missed so much and your legend will continue to live on both in image on my website and in our memories for how amazing you were.  You truly were one of a kind and certainly a dog, a friend and a companion that will be so very missed.  Rest in peace.

Holiday Stroll Pooch Parade

The Holidays are just around the corner, what better time than now to celebrate your doggie?  Grab your pooch and lets stroll through the streets of Downtown, learn while having fun, and chill on a patio and socialize with other like-minded dog owners!

It brings me great pleasure to announce Bark & Clark's upcoming Pooch Parade! 

Please join us for the Holiday Stroll Pooch Parade on December 16th @ 7:30pm.

The evening will start with me, Certified Trainer, Tamara Clark, hosting a Holiday themed stroll through the streets of the Historical Core.  We will start our special evening with our pups by stopping in at Pussy & Pooch's Pawbar for a festive bite to eat.  Then the fun and learning will begin as we make our way through the bustling streets, spreading our holiday cheer.  After the work is done and the pups are tired, it is time to reward the humans with drinks and bites to eat of our own on a dog-friendly patio of a local favorite eatery.

Besides the obvious fun you will have, this is a great chance to learn about how to handle your dog downtown and in general with other dogs and humans.  The Holiday Stroll Pooch Parade workshop's primary focus will be on celebrating the relationship between you and your dog.  Secondary focus will be on the dogs socialization with congested city sidewalks (including dog on dog interactions), leash control, and focusing on you while dealing with distractions.  As well, we will have our usual education on the approved potty places and how to get your dog to go there. 
 
The benefit of working your dog in this environment is it helps reinforce their basic obedience and uses those skills to increase their focus on you - not all the distractions. We'll also work  on manners specific to the city, such as sitting at all intersections before crossing; sitting for introductions and the proper way to greet other dogs. 

We teach uptown manners for Downtown dogs! This class is so fun, it's more like an outing... So let's take a stroll through the city and focus on doggy's ability to deal with the public, the lively city and all the other pooches out and about.

I am so looking forward to this Pooch Parade, I hope I will see you all there and if you can't be there, I hope you will help spread the word!  

Be sure to RSVP by December 9th because space is limited.  The cost is $40/dog.

To sign up for this Pooch Parade, give us a bark:  BARK!

Puppy Drop In Class

Are you looking for a safe way to socialize your puppy?  Do you need a little help with training here and there, but can't do a 5-week class?  Looking for a way to entertain your pup for an hour on Sunday's?

I have your answer!

Puppy Drop In Class Starting TOMORROW @ 12:30pm at the DTLA Vets location (333 S Spring).

 

Puppy Drop In class is $20/session and you  choose as many or as little sessions you want to join.  It will be happening every Sunday at the DTLA Vets location.  It is your chance to socialize your pup with other pups by having supervised play sessions, ask training questions from Certified Trainer Tamara Clark, and work on recall and walking and whatever else comes up in class.  It is a good hour of play and learning for your pup.

Drop In Class starts tomorrow, hope to see you there!

New Puppy Obedience Class in DTLA!

Are you kicking yourself that you didn't join the Puppy Obedience Class?  Well, here is your chance, we have a new class starting on NOVEMBER 5TH!  Sign up today!

 

This class is appropriate for all puppies up to 7 months of age and that have had their first two rounds of DAPP vaccines.  You will learn all the basics to set your pup up for a lifetime of success.

The commands we cover are sit, down, stay, recall (come when called),  and leave it.  We address all the basic issues of raising a puppy in the city like potty training, safety, how to play with people and other dogs, where to potty, how to walk on a leash and so much more.  

Each class will begin with a play session to help socialize your pup with other dogs and by the end of the 5 weeks you will have learned how to keep their attention on you and not all the distractions.

Sign up today, class starts on November 5th @ 7:30pm at the DTLA Vets office.  Only a limited number are permitted, so be sure to register by contacting me.  Just give us a bark!

Chronic Animal Abuser Meets Her Final End

I read the story below on Dogster and it made me think a lot about the mind of a hoarder/animal abuser.  Let's not sugar coat this, an animal hoarder is an abuser.  This is not about intention, this is about what consequences your actions are causing.  Here is the story, let's see what consequences were involved for this individual that has been chronically hoarding and abusing dogs for 25 years:

Warning: This one is not for the faint of heart.

A woman who was missing is now believed dead, possibly eaten by the "dozens of hybrid wolf-dogs" she kept in her backyard, according to NBC News. Authorities found a human skull and a jawbone on Patricia Ritz's property in Kentucky -- and as many as 50 dogs -- when they visited after neighbors reported not having seen her for days. 

The dog were hungry. Investigators believe Ritz died of an illness and the dogs consumed her remains to survive. 

 

"I think it was just one lady that really wanted to save them all," Tracey Ward, a county animal control official, told NBC News. "When you don't spay and neuter, they're going to breed. It's not going to be just one or two puppies ― it's going to be seven, nine, 12."

Fifty may seem like a lot of dogs, but to Ritz, it was nothing. She had a history of keeping far too many dogs to properly care for, with a string of animal cruelty charges and convictions extending back 25 years. 

In 1986, she ran into trouble with at least 50 dogs, and received a year's probation. Other convictions came in 1997, when she had 120 dogs, and in 2002, when she had 38 dogs. 

 

NBC reports that according to the Adopt-a-Husky rescue, in 1999, 159 of 184 dogs found on Ritz's property were euthanized, and 34 more were euthanized in 2003. 

Of the 50 dogs found this time around, many are puppies, and others are "extremely pregnant." Some were in cages and many were running free. Most were thin and hungry, while a few were dead.

 

"After the sadness, there was relief," Mary Beth Kolb of Adopt-a-Husky told WFIE. "There absolutely was relief that this will never happen again."

Animal control is still recovering the dogs and getting them the vet care they need. They're also looking for volunteers in the hope of getting the dogs to an animal sanctuary, according to WFIE.

Death is nothing to celebrate, no matter how much we may disagree with the actions of the person.  But I completely understand the comment above about being relieved at the news of this woman's death.

This is a case that I find very interesting and I think we get to understand the mind of this type of abuser.  Hoarders are unique abusers because they believe they are helping the animals.  That they are providing some sort of care and correct environment that no one else can provide.  Unfortunately for the animals, this is never the case.  The person is mentally ill and has no understanding of the hole they have dug themselves into.  Nor do they understand the poor condition of their animals.

The most unfortunate part is that a majority of these animals cannot be rehabilitated for one reason or the other.  Where at one time they had the chance for a new life, once in this hoarder environment for an extended amount of time, that chance is gone.   There are animals that defy the odds and make it through and are wonderful.  I have had the amazing experience to train some of these extraordinary dogs.  But that is the point, they are extraordinary, not the norm.

No matter the breed, all dogs, all animals deserve to have a second chance at life when the first one was ruined for them.  The story above makes me so sad for all these dogs that this one woman destroyed.  Now there are 50+ others whose fate is unknown, some of which are puppies.

If you see abuse of any sort, hoarding, hitting, starving, mistreatment in any way, please report this.  I don't care if this is family, friends, neighbors or a stranger on the street.  Animals can't speak, it is our job as humans to be their voice.