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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" Com 12/0) HAN I DILIES I I VV Ls Pooch a problem?... then maybe school will help By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star I your dog a disppointment? Does Fido come when you call him, or just give a quick glance over his shoulder before loping off? Has Spot knocked any old aunties off their feet lately? If so, it might be time to teach the old dog a few manners. And Nancy and Reid Bongard of Scugog Point can help you do it. The Reids offer a six-week pr course for dog owners and 1 their pals, aimed at fostering a better relationship between person and beast. They began a session last week at the community hall in Caesarea. Its a simple series that will help you handle your dog, and make him happy to obey the basic commands |, that make life with him easier. } "That's really * what we _are gearing our school 1 to: Pet obedience," said Nancy. "We realize that's the majority, pet people." "What we really do is teach you how to train your dog." The emphasis is on rewarding the pooches when they do well as opposed to chastising them when they're out of line. The Bongards say positive reinforcement is the way to make sure the dog.gets the message, and learns it well. "We use a lot of motivational stuff," said Nancy. "fun, happy training. We don't use a lot of force." "If you praise a dog with positive reinforcemnt, he'll do it, because he wants to please you." It's best, of course, to train your dog when he's a puop, say the Bongards; otherwise you're trying to correct inappropriate behavior. But even if you're dealing with a dog who's pursued his own path for some time, there are ways to steer him in the direction you want him to go. Once again, positive reinforcement is the key; Reid said the trick is to encourage the dog to behave in an appropriate manner, and reward him when he does. The Reids have been teaching dogs and their owners for about a dozen years, and are constantly going to seminars, reading books, and talking to other trainers to upgrade their knowlege. They have set methods for training dogs and their owners, but adjust the cirriculum to fit the circumstance. It's most important for the owner to have an idea of how he or she wants a dog to behave, and learn the ways in which to do so, said Nancy. "You train your puppy and it only acts well," she said. "He knows the house rules." "Our training is, whatever your house rules are, teach your dog and he will know. It's just a atter of teaching the dog, this is acceptable, and L this isn't." The couple moved tk to Scugog last i November and tk Nancy, home with her two young kids, was soon talking with F neighbors about dogs and training. When they found out she and her husband are trainers, they encouraged her to start up a clinic. So regular sessions were held on the family's front lawn, and went well. A % second course io began in the "Caesarea hall last Thursday night, and 18 showed up, exceeding their expectations. It looks now as though another six-week course will be launched in November. "With the encouragement and positive response we got with it, we've carried on," said 'Nancy. During the course, pet owners will get a handle on the basics, and some ideas to carry on from there. It's important, said Reid, to learn to do it right; poor training can make for bad dogs. "There are so many problems in the urban environment today with dog bites and aggressive animals," he said. "Almost every dog has that whole range of emotional ability built in." If training is handled badly, "you can bring out all the wrong things in a dog." He said it's best to encourage people, after they've learned a bit about handling their pets, to come up with new methods of training their own dogs. In many cases, "the animal has the ability and the handler has the ability," Reid said. "They just haven't put it together yet." 100 local residents protested firearms legislation in Ottawa Almost 100 people loaded themselves onto buses early Thursday morning and rode to Ottawa, where they joined thou- sands in protest against pro- posed firearms legislation. "We had to turn some people away" and give them informa- tion on other caravans to the capitol, John Williams, a Port Perry gun shop owner and advo- cate for gun owners' rights, said Friday. An estimated 10,000 protesters converged on Parliament Hill for the rally, called to protest what they see as a crackdown on legitimate gun owners by a government inexpertly attempting to fight a growing national crime epi- demic. "We want them to do some- thing about crime for a change; leave us alone," said Mr. Williams, who accompanied 94 people from the area Thursday. He and other firearms enthu- siasts are alarmed by Justice Minister Alan Rock's pledge to introduce tougher gun legisla- tion later this year. He has said he will consider all firearms to be registered, including hunting rifles and shotguns. The minis- ter has also mused about intro- Co ducing a ban on handguns. The huge crowd was well- mannered and direct in their message to the government, said Mr. Williams. "It was probably the most orderly mass of people they've ever had there," he said. "they had some speakers there who told the truth, which was nice for a change." Now that the protest is over, he plans to keep in touch with government officials and con- tinue sending letters to officials. "It's not over yet," said Mr. Wilhams. | JEFF MITCHELL 1 PORT PERRY STAR Getting comfy Kent Farndale (right) chair of the board of Community Me- morial Hospital cozies up under a beaver fur blanket that's being given away as a prize at the hospital's masquerade gala evening Oct. 15. Donated by Paula Lishman (left), the blanket is valued at $4,000. £ Pg fam SIASQUERADE YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN One pair of tickets to the Grand Masquerade Gala to be held on October 15, 1994 at Goreski's Lakeside Resort, Port Perry Proceeds to benefit Community Memorial Hospital, Port Perry Stephen B. Roman Wing Expansion How to enter: 1. Mail or drop off your completed ballot form along with your $10.00 donation to: Community Memorial Hospital Foundation 451 Paxton Street, Box 960, Port Perry Ontario LIL 1A8 Attention: Grand Masquerade All ballots with donations received by 4 p.m. Thursday, October 6, 1994 are eligible to be entered into the draw. The winner of the pair of tickets will be contacted by telephone on Friday, October 7, 1994. Cheques may be made payable to Community Memorial Hospital Foundation. -- ewm-- eee eee esses eee. cesses esses ewes oeses ewsees esses ess-- Name: Address: Telephone: Home: Bus. See you at the GALA!