For dog lovers, their dogs are their most precious asset. Thus, knowing and understanding how to properly handle them is vital. For dogs who misbehave, this is when Pawsitive Centre dog trainer Mikhael Kueh comes in. He helps to correct this behavioural issue and educate the owners on how to properly handle the situation.
Nurturing paw-sitive attitude in dogs
Dogs can be heard barking as soon as one enters the Pawsitive Centre in Bark Park Borneo, which is situated in Saradise, Kuching. These dogs are under the guidance of Mikhael Kueh to ensure they return home as family-friendly pets. Certain dogs at the centre are boarders, waiting for their owners to pick them up after their travels.
Manning the centre, dog trainer Mikhael is frequently in the company of man’s best friend. Wherever he goes, they follow. As their “teacher” Mikhael’s task at the dog school is to correct each dog’s bad behaviour and nurture good attitudes in them.
“First and foremost, I teach them not to bark excessively or show aggression towards others, not to jump at furniture, or lunge around.” While he trains dogs to behave well, he also coaches pet parents on how to provide a proper upbringing for their pets.
When he first established the avenue in 2017, Mikhael’s goal was to educate pet owners on how to handle their dogs, how to bring their dogs around, and how to nurture their dogs.
According to Mikhael, dogs are like children. Without letting them know the boundaries, they can become spoiled.
It’s not much to have a well-behaved dog. According to Mikhael, it’s simple things like being able to load a dog into the car without fuss, take them to the park without acting aggressive, behave well at the vet, and so on.
He also revealed that the dogs brought to him are usually those with behavioural issues. “The most serious case is biting their owners. I also received cases where the dogs were overly excited to the point of being out of control.”
Mikhael had also experienced breaking up dog fights at his centre. “And when this happens, I need to handle it by correcting the dogs and letting them know that this is not the correct thing to do.” To do so, the family dog expert will stay calm and stern, giving his full focus on the situation. “It can get chaotic and messy, but make sure things are done without panic.”
Natural-born dog lover
Since he was young, Mikhael always had a love for dogs; however, his family was against it. Nonetheless, this did not deter him from making friends among the little furries. “I would always mingle with the neighbourhood dogs. They were neither strays nor pets, as they were well taken care of by the community. But if we were to bring them to the vet or take them in for a bath, it is impossible.”
After his mother’s passing in 2010, Mikhael adopted a Telomian — a local dog breed — and named her Cookie. “But because my father didn’t allow me to have a dog at home, I put the dog at my then-girlfriend, Lilian Voon’s home. Her parents loved animals, so they didn’t mind. Every day, I would go to her house to take care of Cookie, bathe, feed and train her.”
Mikhael said Lilian and her parents were fond of dogs and cats, “It got to a point where they eventually began adopting and rescuing numerous dogs and cats. We have seven dogs and over 10 cats together.” From there on, the pair developed an understanding of their pets to maintain order among the mob.
Lilian, now Mikhael’s wife, now helps handle the dogs with love and care by his side. He attributes much of his passion for training dogs to his wife. He also believes that fur children need both a father figure and a mother figure. “Men are naturally stronger and can easily provide leadership and discipline within the pack. Women are naturally more caring and loving, which can provide the best care for the pack.”‘
Mikhael and Lilian bringing their pack of dogs on an excursion at the beach.
Tapping into the minds of dogs
The biggest barrier an owner and their dog can have is communication. One speaks and another barks, and this makes it hard for them to understand each other. As a result, it fosters bad behaviours within a dog. “In New Zealand, there is a law where owners are asked to go for a course and take an assessment test before they can have a pet. This makes sense to me. How would one know how to handle a dog otherwise?”
Mikhael shared that one of the biggest mistakes owners usually make is to adopt a dog without much thought. “Many are unsure of how to take care of a dog. And when there is a problem, only then will they seek the solution. This is one of the reasons why dogs are thrown away or rehomed.”
He further emphasised the need for owners to understand how to properly care for a dog or a cat before bringing them home. “All the decisions, from day one, will determine the future. How they handle it, how they deal with it, how to train, when to spend time with them, and the routines. These decisions may eliminate some of the pets’ bad behaviours.”
“With dogs, many treat them like they are babies or their best friends. When they are puppies, the owners usually play with them, pamper them, and take care of them. There are no established rules or boundaries. Some allow their puppies to do whatever they like,” said Mikhael.
Dogs can be spoiled in the same way that humans can. Sharing an example, Mikhael revealed that he has met owners who allow their puppies to nibble around. “And they dismiss this as nothing. But actually, this can lead to a bad habit in a dog. In the future, they may bite the owner, and this is the worst-case scenario. By then, it can be too late to handle.”
The trainer further explained that a dog under two years of age can often have its bad traits eliminated, albeit with some challenges. “For me, the best time I can train a dog is when they have received their first vaccination at the age of six months.” However, he said that the best time to train a dog to behave well is from day one — puppy days. “A good dog can be a better dog this way.”
“The thing about dogs is that when we can understand their language and their psychology, it isn’t a challenge. The challenge only comes when we don’t understand them. Thus, we need to understand how they think and then tap into their way of communicating.”
With the mission to help struggling pet owners, Mikhael and Lilian and their assistants at Pawsitive Centre want to help pets and their owners achieve a healthy relationship with one another. Regularly posting on Facebook and Instagram @pawsitivecentre, they strive each day to create a happy environment for the dogs.
