A Betterdog Kennel
Our radio modification system works great … Howevernit is flawed in design. For training the system is great. Very good range as a whole and easy the dog to activate. However the system has an ear phone jack protruding out the bottom of the radio. As the dog walks down the hall and passes students the ear jack is getting a beating. The design is very fragile, I wanted to use a magnet reed switch to active the emergency signal ofnthe radio. However the connected requires the circuit to be connectednto active the system. A reed switch works by using using the removal of a magnet to break a connection. I have been able to use a transistor and a resister to reverse the action so that the reed switch will now work. This will remove the fragile ear jack. A little glue on the bottom of the radio and q metal washer, for the magnet to stick to … I will keep you posted.
We are hoping this new design will be more robust and stand up the the Daily activites of our dogs partner …
Seizure alert dog
Http://charlotte.dogtraininginyourhome.com
A Betterdog Kennel
I purchased the Intex Salt System for our daycare pool. Keep the water in top shape for the dogs to swim. However the system fittings were not set up for our pool. I found this guys video on making adapters and it worked great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ly4hpwVMeQ
Follow the directions to the letter and the adapter works like a champ. Thanks mark
A Betterdog Kennel
Ok I know I lost them in the first place…my bad. However getting the replacement set of directions is like pulling teeth. Leslie Pool is a great pool place, however I bought this test kit for our daycare pool. It works great, but I lost the directions. I called and asked if they could send them to me or maybe I could find them on the website. Not available, I was able to find a set so I have scanned them. Here is a copy for those how also need the directions …. http://www.abetterdogkennel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Deluxe-Pool-Care-DPD-test-kit-leslie-pool-directions1.pdf
Charlotte Dog Daycare – We do share links, let me know if you would like to exchange links
A Betterdog Kennel
Our epilepsy alert dog needs to be able to alert friends and family the a seizure is in progress. We searched for a ready made solution and was unable to find one. Several years back my wife Leslie and I attended a seminar on assistance dogs in Baltimore. We attended a seminar lecture on seizure alert dogs. The man teaching class explained how they had taught their alert dogs to pull an alert strap that set off a radio transmitter. I guessed how they set up this radio and this is my attempt to do the same.
First I needed a radio that was light wait and easy to use, with an alert button and locking controls. Our operational required range is only 1 mile or so. I picked the motorola 3500 family walkie talkie as they have the above listed requirements.
I was able to open the radio with a star stew driver, and found the emergency button.
The plan for the mod. Insert an ear phone jack into the bottom of the radio. A true ear phone jack reroutes the speaker to the ear phone and disconnecting the speaker. When the ear phone jack is removed, the speaker is the reconnected. My plan ia to have this jack activate the alert button on the radio when the ear phone jack is removed.
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A Betterdog Kennel
What does a lost dog, criminals and a sick child have in common? I know this seems like the opening of a really bad joke. However it is about a warm and fuzzy feeling that people get when they feel the world is not lost. We have a lost dog needing to find a home and a purpose for her life. Criminals in prison trying to redeem to society for there crimes, and a very sick child. Here is the long and short of it.
An employee of a police department has a very sick epileptic child. This young girl is 
for all intensive purposes and normal teenager. Except for the fact that she has violent seizures and can not be left alone at all. When she is taken by a seizure she is completely helpless and unable to call for help. Her life is tethered to a nurse or a friend or family member 24 hours per day. Absolutely no freedom or alone time, for a teenager this is very hard.
In comes the Seizure Alert Dog. What is a Seizure Alert Dog? Shelby here is an aussie mix that was a stray. Now she is getting very close to becoming a certified Seizure Alert Dog. Her job is very important and requires lots of training and very well thought out goals for her to learn. Shelby’s job will be to offer comfort to this child when and after a seizure occurs. Shelby is also being trained to activate a emergency transmitter that will signal family and friends of the child’s active seizure. Shelby is having to learn how recognize the symptoms of a seizure. When she sees her owner began a seizure she has to activate the radio and lay be the owners side alerting with barking to get help.
Example : A few short weeks ago our teenager simpley went to the bathroom at school, taken by a seizure she was along and unable to signal for help. In a few weeks this same situation well be much less dangerous. Shelby would be by her side at all times. In the example above this girl head was cut open and no one new she was in trouble. Shelby will be able to activate the transmitter signaling the school nurse and friends of the child that she is in trouble. With in seconds our child will have her whole support team rushing to assist.
Shelby is being trained by prisoners at Albermarle Correctional Facility. She is part of the New Leash On Life Prison dog training program.
Stanley county Humane Society, North Carolina Prison System and volunteers run this program.
If you would be interested in helping the cause with
A Betterdog Kennel
Here are some pictures of the dogs at play.
A Betterdog Kennel
About 3 Year ago, I was asked to volunteer at a prison training inmates to train dogs. I thought of the irony as I was being asked to do this to help rehabilitate dogs and inmates. Being a former policeman, if you would have come to me and told me in twenty years you are going to work very hard trying to rehabilitate inmates and using dogs to do it. Well I guess you could guess what my reaction would have been.
none the less here I am, doing that very thing. I can clearly remember the first training session in the prison with 6 inmates in a class room explaining the ins and out of dog training. I looked very closely at the requirements set forth by the state program ” New Leash On Life “. I guess I surprised some of the inmates by telling them that I thought the goals of the program was way to easy. Goals set to be easily attained do not motivate anyone or any thing. I told them that most people would think the goals outlined by the state were not reachable, not by inmates.
The next few weeks seemed to fly, as we got to work teaching three dogs and six inmates how to get along. My class felt pretty bonded to their teacher. I could tell that most of the inmates got very few visits and that the more I taught the more thrust full they became. Then it happened, the moment I new would someday arise. One of the inmates asked me if I had ever been inside a prison before. I looked him square in the eyes and replied, of course. I used to be a policeman. Most of the inmates actually took a small step backwards, breaking eye contact. Body language was very tense.
Over the next few weeks I was an outsider. They found our situation confusing, as I am here to help them and the dogs. I stood strong on my initial assessment, that the program was geared for inmates. Why do I refuse to use their prison names? I need them to think like citizens not inmates. Several inmates were so conditioned, I called them by their give name they did not even realize I was talking to them. Using the dogs is a great edge. I could explain to these guys how the dogs behavior was what landed them on the list in the first place. Behavior that had to change or the dog was heading back to animal control.
You see these dogs are plucked from animal control the very day are scheduled to be put to sleep. If we fail then they will not keep a home and most likely find them selves in trouble again. Their new behaviors are critical for there life after prison. Then I paused…after about 3 seconds of silence they all smiled, “Hey man we talking bout the dogs?” My reply “Are we”?
Fast forward three years, ACI (Albemarle Correctional Institute) has expanded their program and now has six dogs every eight weeks. 2 years past I was asked to take over another program in Cabarrus County at Cabarrus Correctional Center.
I have been drving to two prisons about 1 1/2 hours from Charlotte Ever since then. We are getting dogs placed after each run, dogs that would otherwise not have a chance at all.
Our Latest : We have started to train a dog for a young girl that has epilepsy, this dog will be a companion as well as an alert dog. She the dog will get help if the girl has a seizure and attempt to comfort her during the ordeal. Please see my continued blogs for updates.
A Betterdog Kennel
Our services are all about serving the community well. We strive to make each visit to the daycare center, dog boarding kennel an excellent adventure for your dog. We know dogs better then most. Owners Leslie and Mark are a husband and wife team, their back grounds are literally swamped with year and years of dog behavior and training.
Mark Thompson has been in the dog training industry since 1982. Yes that is over 28 years of being a professional dog trainer and dog behavior specialist. Marks career in dog training started when he was a police officer for several years in Southern Florida. Realizing that community service is important, helping our fellow citizens should be a part of our lives. No one is more surprised than Mark, the former cop, volunteering at two local prisons. Teaching inmates to rehabilitate dogs that are not excepted by our community, due to their poor behaviors. Finding them selves locked up, with no adopted families to take them home. Funny how life has parallels … inmates poor behaviors, strong need for behavior modification and to find their place in this world. The inmates are aware of the irony of their work.
Leslie Thompson was brought on board by Mark after an interview for a dog training position in December of 1997. The joke around here is that she changed the meeting to an interview of Marks methods of training dogs. Leslie was not willing to work for just any Dog Trainer she wanted someone that was effective and humane. Well she started working for him back in 97. Years later he works for her and the kids now. Leslie s career started in Charleston South Carolina were she learn to teach obedience commands for a retriever trainer. Shortly thereafter she was appling for the position in Charlotte as a Dog Trainer.
Leslie then went on to manage the Columbia Dog Training In Your Home location. Later she purchased the franchise , built a strong customer service oriented business. Well Mark and Leslie hit it off from day one. With Lots of begging on his part she agreed to marry him. Leslie, Mark and their two daughters live in Matthews, NC.
Training and caring for clients dogs , having their furry kids is a big responsibility. Mark and Leslie know that a happy dog is a happy client. A happy client is a successful business.
