Micheal Humphreys is THE dog trainer of Cascade/Ada Michigan. He’s been training for over 40 years and has a magical way with canines. Watch him try to train Cocoa, the ordinance breaker of Cascade!!! In this short clip Mr. Humphreys is teaching Cocoa to sit in stay….just a few short classes until agility training…NOT. If you are interested in classes or training with Michael Humphreys please call Cascade Hospital for Animals at 616-949-0960 or visit their website www.chfa.net Please stay tuned for more helpful Vlogs from Michael Humphreys.

My dear sister, MD, has a fabulous Chihuahua named Lola. The family adores this dog. My dad likes Lola, but shall we say, doesn’t appreciate her as much as my sister. One day my dad told her that she talks too much about the dog. My sister and I got a big kick out of this and decided to form the Chihuahua Gold Platinum Club International so can people can have a greater understanding of the deep connection and love and to bug my dad. If you join the club you prove your love, by showing that you will learn about the breed and surrender to your Chihuahua love. My sister said I had only a TRIAL membership since I didn’t actually have a Chihuahua. For MD’s birthday I just couldn’t help getting her a Chihuahua tote bag that I had made off PawFun.com. I took a photo of Lola and was able to play around with it by cropping and adding fun simple graphics. I was even able to add a conversation bubble that said, “I come from a place of Bling” (people that are fans of Real Housewives of NYC, will understand this quote from Bethenny Frankel’s “She comes from a place of No” like my dad comes from a place of no). Hopefully this will upgrade my club membership to an actual member because the tote bag turned out (p)awesome! MD said it could fit 4 Chihuahuas (no she is not going to put 4 dogs in a bag! peeps come on, don’t call PETA!) You can always use bags, to go to the store, travel, gym etc. Go to Pawfun.com for a unique fun gift for your pet lover, it’s fun, easy no glue, no post office and completely unique.

Apparently that’s me. I received a letter from my township that Cocoa was breaking Cascade Charter Township Ordinance #4…. a.k.a. running loose as a goose. The funny thing is that I had earlier that week signed up for obedience classes and had asked an animal behaviorist to do a short series of pet training tips for this blog. Hahaha the irony! Talk about a day late and a biscuit short. Well neighbor, that I annoyed, I am sorry. No one should have to put up with a dog charging at them whether it’s a eleven pound fur ball or a 125 pound moose. How did I create such a monster? I found Cocoa on Petfinder.com and got him from a puppy mill rescue. He was 3.1 pound miniature poodle, scared of everything and he clung to me. Like an overprotective mom I wanted to wait until he was larger before entering him into any classes. MISTAKE. Soon he grew to be an 11 pounder and a little bit bolder. He tries valiantly to protect his yard, but he goes too far sometimes. I have caught dogs in my yard and my main worry is whether the owner is missing them, never called the coppers because dogs like people make mistakes. I’ve even been chased down with Cocoa by a big dog and reluctantly called the owners, but not the fuzz. Hopefully with proper training, and maybe an electric fence, this problem will be solved. Please accept my apology, I am working to correct my mistake.

One of the most unique exhibits at the Detroit Kennel Club show was Pattie Raymond’s Duck Herding Border Collies. People packed the stands to watch these skilled dogs gently herd ducks up a slide, into a pool and into a covered wagon. According to Ms. Raymond, the dogs “hypnotize the ducks” with their eyes. Which really looks like the “oh no you don’t” look mother’s give their children. The dogs were patient and vigilent and never barked or nipped at their feathered children. It was interesting to learn that this breed of dog needs to work and likes to herd, so very young children may not work well for this type of dog, no matter how adorable they look. Before buying a dog try to talk with a few different breeders to see how their breed would work with your family before making that big decision. If you are interested in Border Collies please see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bordercollie.html or you can look into many Border Collie rescue groups at http://www.gis.net/~shepdog/Other_BCR_Web_Sites.html