This is a fun product from Premier that promotes mental stimulation for your dog. I found mine at Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor. Not only do they have the most friendly staff, they also have great prices. Stop by and visit them if you are in Bangor!

Peaceful Pack Dog Training in pleased to announce the start of our next session of dog training classes. Classes include Manners 101; for dogs and puppies new to training and Manners 201 & 301 for dogs and puppies who have had some previous training. Classes will take place in Sommesville and Ellsworth  beginning on March 28^th and registrations are now being taken. Please contact Tracy at 664-2994 or tracy@peacefulpack.com if you would like more information or to register for class. 

Hello Everyone, I received a phone call from a woman named Kathy Pratt. She has lost her two nine month old dogs when they got away from their home. One of the dogs was dragging her leash when she left and both are wearing collars with their vet’s info. attached. The dogs are both lab/hound mixes, black in color (one with a white stripe on her), both are females and their names are Thelma and Louise (Kathy hopes they are not trying to live up to their names!) They have been missing for about a week and were last seen this past Wednesday near Northern Neck. They initially disappeared near the Cape Road end of the Pretty Marsh Road. Kathy has contacted all the authorities and vets and is now asking that other folks keep their eyes out for the girls. If you see them please call Kathy as soon as possible at 244-0558. Thanks, Tracy

Start the new year off with fun for you and your dog in Peaceful Pack’s next session of dog training classes. They will be held in Ellsworth, Me at the VFW Hall. Pre-registration is required, so contact Tracy by e-mail or phone soon as each class will be limited to 5 dogs.

I am very excited to announce that Peaceful Pack will begin offering intermittent group classes this month!! The first class is full and I am not sure when the next will be scheduled, but if you are interested please send me an e-mail and I’ll put you on my “to notify” list.  Woofs!Tracy  

I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Linda Clavette Quigley who paints wonderful Pet Portraits right here on our own Mount Desert Island!! I encourage you to check out her website at  lindaspetportraitsandmore.com Enjoy!Tracy  

When Simon and I headed out to walk yesterday morning the temperature was clinging to the ten degree mark - one certainly does not think it a good day for swimming. Simon, on the other hand, thought it a marvelous day for a plunge into the refreshing waters of the stream we were passing. Thinking he was going down to have a sniff, I let him continue down the bank to the sides of the stream. On his return I noted a dampness about him, ah, yes my little fella had gone for the Labrador plunge, and then a zesty slither through the snow! What could be better if you happen to be a dog that was bred to plunge into the icy waters off Canada.  It was a wonderful morning for a walk and today was as well. Keeping a brisk pace kept me warm and so I was delighted to watch Simon explore smells, hop about and practice our off-leash recalls. We also like to play hide-n-seek and he finds me every time! I actually must be quite sneaky if I am to successfully hide at all, which is great as it shows me that the time we have spent on developing focus is paying off. I love having a dog that, when walking off leash, likes to keep tabs on where I am and frequently checks in with me - critical skills to have if we are to one day compete in agility trials. 

An absolute glorious morning walk along the ocean this morning. The sun shining, the waves breaking and lots of great smells for Simon. He was going wild smelling like mad - we passed a nice fresh batch of coyote scat, lots of tracks and then Simon discovered a coyote carcass underneath some low conifer branches. I had noticed the raised hair along Simon’s back, so went over to see what had triggered this, and there lying on the ground was the body of a coyote. Interestingly, as we looped back past the carcass, Simon did not even glance in its direction. Which started me thinking about how our dog’s percieve death- too much to write about this evening. I also wondered what Simon learned from that carcass, suspecting that he knew a great deal more about that animal than I did. I suspect some of these thoughts have grown out of the wonderful book I have been reading - Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotions and Heart by Marc Bekoff. I highly recommend it. Read the rest of this entry »

We had a beautiful new layer of snow fell over the evening and it was absolutely stunning on our walk this morning. Simon headed out to one of our favorite places to walk - a place where it is ok for him to be off leash and to run and roll in the snow to his heart’s delight. Yet, soon after heading out I spotted a coyote crossing the pond below us. I decided to clip Simon’s leash on, pretty sure that when he caught the scent of the coyote he might want to investigate a bit closer than I was comfortable with! The coyote crossed the pond, and started up the slope opposite of where Simon and I were walking. She/he looked back at us and paused a number of times. We, in turn, did the same. The coyote spent a bit of time with her/his snout in the snow and then she/he settled down in a sitting position facing back across the pond towards us. I’m not sure if the coyote was waiting for another to join her/him, checking out Simon and I a bit longer, waiting for a small mammal to betray itself under the fresh layer of snow or just enjoying the day. I decided to keep Simon on his leash and we continued on our way. As I predicted, when we got to the place where the coyote had crossed our path, Simon caught the scent and went wild with interest. Meanwhile the coyote sat and observed. When we looped back, the coyote was no longer sitting in the field. I am so grateful to live in a place where I see wild animals and today’s sighting was enhanced by the mist rising off the ice covered pond, the fresh snow cover, the trees laden with snow, the quiet, the sun just starting to shine and being with Simon.  Read the rest of this entry »

Our time out this morning was beautific! Simon’s Nonni came with us making it an extra special day. There was a nice fresh cover of snow, and some new smells for Simon. He got to romp about off lead and did a great job at returning when asked. A few games of hide-n-seek are always a good compliment to the walk, and a great way to reinforce ‘focus’.  We played ‘go get Nonni’ and ‘go get mommy’ and boy oh, boy did Simon spin with glee when he got to us. It is such fun when we humans remember that all of training can be a game for our dogs and usually we all benefit from the levity that comes with the game approach. Think of how you currently ask for a ‘come’ and notice the qualities of your voice and your body posture. Now, try to re-imagine it as if ‘come’ is the most fun game on the planet and notice how different your voice and body posture are. Have fun with your dogs today and give them an extra cuddle for allowing you to experience the lighter side of life!