We hope you’ll extend your stay in Yarmouth and check out all the great things happening around town. The Chamber of Commerce is a great resource for things to do.

Attendees who show their wristband at the following businesses will receive a discount:

Sea Dog Brew Pub

• 15% discount for attendees who show wristband during Paw Palooza weekend

23 Whites Path
South Yarmouth, MA
508-694-6020
www.seadogcapecod.com

 

Just Picked Gifts

• 20% off total order  to event attendees who show their wristband on 7/14 and 7/15

13 Willow Street
Yarmouth
www.justpickedgifts.com

 

Edward Gorey House

• Half price admission to any humans wearing a Paw Palooza wristband July 14 & 15

8 Strawberry Lane
Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
www.edwardgoreyhouse.org

Paw Palooza 2018 returns on July 14 and 15 to Dennis Yarmouth High School.  Grab your dog loving friends and family, and your dog, and head to Yarmouth for two days of the most fun you’ll have all summer! Between the Dock Diving competition, show ring, vendor fair, and other activities, there’s more to do than ever this year!  Your event program will include all of the details, but here’s a sneak peek at 10 things you won’t want to miss, including several BRAND NEW activities:

The Pool
The “Main Event” and your chance to say “I saw dogs fly on Cape Cod”!  Competitions will be taking place throughout entire weekend as dogs compete for distance, height. You’ll see amazing leaps from veteran competitors and Dock Dogs record holders.  And you’ll see pups who are trying for the first time and need a little crowd encouragement to make the leap! Interested in trying it with YOUR dog? Register him or her here.

Stunt Dog Shows
The team of all rescue dogs from Canines in the Clouds performs agility, frisbee catching and jaw dropping tricks and stunts.  They’ve been featured on Animal Planet, Late Night with David Letterman, ESPN and more! They’ll perform multiple times on both Saturday and Sunday in the Paw Palooza Show Ring (check here for times)!

Lure Course
Let your dog chase lures around a professional course.  They’ll love using their natural instincts to chase prey, while working on agility, focus and sportsmanship.

K-9 Demos
Have you ever seen a working police dog take down a criminal and refuse to let go until commanded?  K-9 teams from the Yarmouth Police Department and Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department will offer demos that include a mock narcotics search, simulated criminal apprehension and Q&A.  Come show your support for these brave officers and their K-9 partners in the show ring at 11:30 AM both Saturday and Sunday.

Roving Singers
As a tribute to fallen Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon, performers from Hyannis Sound and Cape Harmony will be on hand both days providing mini concerts to raise money for the Sean Gannon Memorial Foundation.  The all-star a cappella groups will be roving the festival grounds and doing “pop up” performances while collecting donations.

Raffles…Your Chance to Win $1500 Cash!
Restaurant gift certificates, overnight stays at resorts, jewelry, rounds of golf, and more dog treats, toys and supplies than you can imagine…that’s just the start of the amazing prizes that will be up for grabs in the Raffle Tent. New this year, there will also be a cash raffle. One grand prize winner will take home $1500 and other winners could win $750, $500, $250 or $100!

Spa Zone
Doggie massages, blueberry facials, temporary tatoos and pawdicures are just a few of the treatments your pup can induge in! After the pampering, you and your dog can go relax together in the new Nauset Pet Services “VID” Lounge!

The “Other” Pools
Your dog might not be up for leaping off a dock into a 40-foot pool, but he can still take a dip.  Head over to the “Puppy Pool Pavillion” where he can cool off in one of the many kiddie pools. Next to the pool pavilion, humans (and pups) can beat the heat in the misting tents.

Doggie U
Going to school in July is a blast when it’s Doggie University!  Bring your questions to our guest professors who will be on hand to talk about training, behavior, health, ticks and much more. Check out the schedule here.

Radar Run
How fast is your dog? Let him chase a tennis ball down the run as his speed is clocked by an official Orleans Police Department radar gun.  The speed to beat is 26 miles per hour (last year’s fastest dog).

Dog lovers won’t want to miss this year’s festival because moving forward, Paw Palooza will be held every two years. That means that after this summer, the next chance opportunity to attend Paw Palooza won’t be until July 2020.  Visit www.pawpaloozacapecod.com for complete details on this year’s festival!

Guest post by Tom Shelby

What’s almost always the key to a dog’s reaction to other dogs it sees? Answer: socialization in combination with training. Training without socialization is not nearly as effective. Imagine yourself walking (no dog) down 5th Ave, NYC on the afternoon of Christmas Eve with the sidewalk literally crowded with hundreds of people. You would hardly take notice of the other pedestrians. Then you turn into a dark alley with nobody in sight.  All of a sudden a person appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and heads towards you. Boy, are you going to be focused on that person?! Well, that’s going to be your dog’s response after walking through the quiet suburban streets and then suddenly seeing another dog. “Holy cow!  Another dog!” Talk about focus.  He’ll see nothing else but that approaching dog. 

      How does your dog react when he sees another dog approaching with a leashed owner in tow? Probably one of four ways:

• Shows some interest but is polite and doesn’t pull, and will ignore if told to do so.
• Fearful, and as the other dog gets closer, panics and tries to get away.
• Barks and pulls like crazy to get to the other 4 legged to sniff the proverbials and play.
• Rears up, barks, growls and pulls like crazy with intent to maim, and rid the world of the interloper.

Rural and suburban dogs invariably present the strongest reaction to other dogs having the audacity to be walking in their neighborhood. City dogs take it for granted that they will encounter any number of four leggeds, directly or indirectly, as they go about their daily business.  However, the countless suburban dogs with their doggy door, fenced backyard, and occasional neighborhood walk, are usually the most impacted at the sight of other dogs.

I can’t emphasize enough that training without socialization is not nearly as effective.  In terms of training, for a successful encounter with lots of other dogs and distractions, your dog should have the “Heel” and “Leave It” commands down pat.  These are two commands that, more often than not, are better learned with the help of a pro.  Socialization is accomplished by exposing your dog, on a positive basis, to everything you can think of and manage. Get out there with your dog and help him realize that the world doesn’t bite.

So what I’d suggest, from a practical standpoint, if your dog is skittish or simply not accustomed to meeting a lot of dogs, is to use either an Easy Walk Harness or a Gentle Leader as you enter the crowd of 4 leggeds. The Easy Walk attaches at the chest and will reduce 50 to 60% of the pulling. The Gentle Leader will reduce closer to 90% of the pulling, BUT, Bowser will likely need 20 minutes to be acclimated to it. When you put sunglasses on your face you want them there. When you put something on a dog’s face, the common reaction is “get this crap off my face.” Size it snugly behind the ears, but not tight around the snout. Have him stick his nose through it for a treat and as soon as it’s on, take Bowser for a walk offering people food every few steps as long as he’s not protesting it.  Tell him “Uh Uh” if he paws at it, but keep on walking. Once he’s acclimated you’ll really enjoy and appreciate the harmonious, slack leash walks with Bowser. And stay positive.  More likely than not, after the initial startlement of being immersed into a crowd of dogs, Bowser’s response is going to be more like yours on busy 5th Ave than an empty, dark alley. 

 

Tom Shelby is an expert dog trainer with a specialty in search and rescue dogs and is the author of Dog Training Diaries -Proven Expert Tips & Tricks to Live in Harmony with Your Dog.  Follow Tom on Instagram @DogTrainerDiaries and Twitter @DogTrainerDiary

 

© Tom Shelby 2018

Guest post from Tom Shelby

When I adopted my Standard Poodle Paula Jean at age 2, she was a bit “sketchy” and not well socialized. Over the summer, I took her to the Agricultural Fair on Martha’s Vineyard, a huge and very popular outdoor event. Just as we were passing a small stage, a band exploded into a Rock song. Paula Jean yelped, leaped 4 ft. in the air, and hit the ground in a dead run, giving me quite a jerk on the leash. Here’s where the “fine line” has to be walked.  I didn’t want to reward and nourish her fear and panic response with hugs, kisses and pity, nor ignore or dismiss her fear and discomfort.  What I needed to do in that moment is acknowledge her terror and give her the support she needed to help her overcome her distress. So I talked to her– not dripping with sympathy, but rather in positive tones. “That was a rather interesting experience.  We love music, yes we do Paula!” I said as we walked purposely slowly away from the music, with me giving her supportive pets while offering her treats, which she refused. When we were about 75 yards from the music, with me still talking, she finally started taking treats, which told me she felt ok at that distance. Then I did a couple of “sit-down-stays” to redirect her attention, getting her to feel good about earning the treats.  I kept playing obedience games with her, but started moving back towards the music. By the time the band was ready for the next break, we were in the front row with PJ not giving a hoot about the music. During their break, I asked each of the band members to give PJ a treat, which she gracefully accepted.

So what’s to do if your dog gets spooked by a sound, object or animal? The solution is as easy as nine words: “been there, done that, seen that, no big deal!” or in one word “socialization.”  I tell people on the Cape and on the Vineyard with new puppies that the “first thing I want you to do is rent a place in Boston and walk Bowser 5 times a day.”  I say it quite seriously, so it takes a minute before they realize I’m being facetious. But the point is made: introduce Bowser to as much of the world as you can so that nothing surprises him. If Bowser’s life is basically the backyard and the house, he’s more likely to have a hard time learning “works and plays well with others.”  He’s more likely to be freaked out by ambulance sirens, an umbrella opening, a truck backfiring, playful kids shrieking, a statue of a stone lion, walking on a dock, or any of the myriad things we take for granted. As you go about exposing Bowser to the vicissitudes of life, the key is to avoid the inadvertent rewarding of the fear response. 

The foundation of training a dog is letting him know you like the behavior or don’t, precisely as the behavior is happening. Timing is everything.  You have about 2 seconds to connect the dog to the response you want– “the teaching moment.”  And the key is understanding that dogs read two things and two things only: body language and voice intonation. So if you’re holding Bowser back at the door, telling him “It’s ok” as you’re petting him while he’s aggressing  or jumping at the visitor at the door, it’s classic “Inadvertent Rewarding of Unwanted Behavior.” Bowser’s a lunatic at the door and you want him to stop his presentation but you are making it worse by rewarding the behavior by petting him (body language) and telling him “It’s ok” (voice intonation). So, SOCIALIZE, and when scary stuff jumps out, redirect with positive support, not pity.  

 

Tom Shelby is an expert dog trainer with a specialty in search and rescue dogs and is the author of Dog Training Diaries -Proven Expert Tips & Tricks to Live in Harmony with Your Dog.  Follow Tom on Instagram @DogTrainerDiaries and Twitter @DogTrainerDiary

© Tom Shelby 2018