Mystic Chateau Acres Dog Training

06/07/2026

Congratulations to ANASTASIA and Mary!
They have completed their MCADT Essential Skill Program and become Canine Life Skills Experts. Nice job ANA and Mary!

05/29/2026

Important info!

Tonight I ended up trying to help a friend whose puppy ate a kid's vitamin containing xylitol. Simple accident: kid dropped vitamin, puppy scarfed it down. (Note: this household is knowledgeable and is xylitol free, but a relative bought the vitamins, unaware of the risk to the dogs.)

The puppy only ate *one* vitamin. Which turned out to contain 1500 mg of xylitol.

100 mg/kg is the threshold for hypoglycemia which can be fatal. At 500 mg/kg, hepatic necrosis occurs -- destruction of liver tissue.

So just ONE chewable vitamin ended up creating a serious problem for a 30 pound pup (which is not quite 14 kg).

The emergency vet induced vomiting. Thankfully, the puppy had had a meal and so there was food in her stomach. In the vomit was the orange tablet, identifiable though dissolved.

Quick thinking on the owner's part (including grabbing the bottle of vitamins) and fortunately a nearby 24/7 emergency vet hospital meant that this pup received prompt treatment, and should make a full recovery.

Check your medications, vitamins, gum, candy, toothpaste, mouthwash, peanut butter and more for xylitol, also known as birch sugar.

This is useful information to have on hand:
https://www.calculatorsfordogs.com/health-nutrition-calculators/xylitol-toxicity-calculator

ALWAYS contact vet and ASPCA Animal Poison Control center immediately!

As for everyone (the non-vets) recommending the use of hydrogen peroxide, please update your understanding:
https://www.gsvs.org/woodbridge-nj/blog/hydrogen-peroxide-for-dogs-emergency/

Pass this along. I hope you never have to use it.

05/24/2026

There’s a quiet grief many animal people carry when they begin seeing things differently.

Because once you realize how much of traditional animal handling was built around suppression instead of understanding…
you can’t fully unsee it.

You notice how often animals are praised for tolerating discomfort.
How often fear gets labeled as “respect.”
How often shutdown gets mistaken for calmness.

And for a while, it can feel heartbreaking.

But then something beautiful starts happening too.

You begin noticing the tiny signs of aliveness returning.

The horse who starts expressing opinions again.
The dog who becomes playful after years of hypervigilance.
The animal who finally realizes:
“I don’t have to disappear to be safe here.”

That moment changes both lives.

Because animals were never meant to be emotional machines built for human convenience.

They are nations unto themselves.
Full beings.
With inner worlds as rich and meaningful as our own.

And when we stop trying to dominate those worlds…
we get invited into them.

04/25/2026

Congratulations to LADY with Mary Anne!
They have completed their MCADT Concerned Dog Program.

04/21/2026

Nice resource on building trust with your dog.

Our newest blog post digs into signs your dog doesn't trust you — and more importantly, what to do about it.

Spoiler: building trust isn't just about being "nice." It's about creating an environment that's predictable, full of choice, and safe enough for your dog to feel genuinely secure.

Read it here: https://petharmonytraining.com/5-signs-your-dog-doesnt-trust-you/

04/18/2026

Nice graphic!

How often does this happen to you? Lovely walk invaded by a dog that doesn't have the training and understanding your dog does!

04/18/2026

Congratulations to ZOEY and Dorothy!

They have completed their MCADT Essential Skills Program!

04/11/2026

Love this...

I highly recommend reading Plenty In Life is Free by Kathy Sdao to find out more about how dog training is not about leadership, but is actually about partnership and the exchange of reinforcement. 📖🐕

Train your dog with connection, not correction. 🐾

02/20/2026

Congratulations to FELLOW and Joanne A. Labate! They have completed the Do More With Your Dog Canine Conditioning Fitness 4 Program. Proud of this team!

Do more with your dog Canine conditioning fitness level four

02/08/2026

Are you ready to help your dog become a well mannered member of your family?

Is it time to change your dog's bothersome behaviors like ...
• Jumping on guests
• Pulling and lunging on leash everytime you try to walk
• Surfing counters and table tops for snacks
• Ignoring you rather than coming when you call them
• Barking at anything and everything they see or hear

Mystic Chateau Acres Dog Training now offers flexible 'Essential Canine Life Skills Classes' designed to help you learn in a group setting the essential dog training skills needed to effectively transform your dog or pup into a well mannered canine. As a participant in this class you will learn to...
• Read your dog's 'body language' to understand his/her needs and motivations
• Use your 'body language' to cue the behaviors you need your dog to choose in certain situations.
• Use rewards and consequences to influence your dog's choice to respond to your cues everytime you ask
• Build on your dog's trust to encourage focus on you regardless of distractions/attractions!
• Give your dog a job to do instead of leaving it up to your dog to choose a job that often results in things like damage to items, or jumping on strangers, or chasing a squirrel away from you on a walk whether you come willingly or simply get dragged along or painfully left behind!
• Cue your dog to sit, down, stand, wait and watch, stay, walk politely on leash, leave it and recall while in a low to medium level distraction environments.

Essential Canine Life Skills Classes meet every Saturday at 1pm and are held at Mystic Chateau Acres Training Facility in Munnsville. Cost is $35 per class and can be purchased online after calling 315-663-4779 to reserve your seat! A cash discount is also offered.

There are only 4 seats available in each class and each seat is for one dog along with one or two handlers. You get to choose your starting date and you can start by purchasing one class date at a time or you can purchase a seat for as many class dates as you desire to identify. Each seat is for one dog along with one or two handlers.

Once your dog is able to demonstrate proficiency with the Essential Canine Life Skills you will receive a certificate marking your dog's achievement! Many dogs will accomplish this goal in 8 -12 weeks while others may need more classes to realize their goal.

Participants must submit a current vaccine record demonstrating your dog is current with Rabies, Distemper/Parvo, and Kennel Cough Vaccines. You are also encouraged to vaccinate your dog for Leptospirosis and Lyme Disease and to stay current with a flea and tick prevention program that works for your dog.

Call 315-663-4779 for more information or to reserve your seat in this flexible dog training class opportunity!