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 Tips From Ellen The Dog Trainer!

Dogs Read Our Bodies, Not Our Minds They Hear Our Voices, Not Our Thoughts

You’ve come home excited to see your puppy, him getting all wiggly and running over to you. You greet with a big smile, bright eyes, and open arms, exclaiming, “Hi, Puppy!” He’s giving you puppy kisses and is so excited to see you, too!
You have the most wonderful encounter only to then look up and discover he’s destroyed your favorite pair of sneakers! Angry, or at the very least super disappointed, you point your finger and frown, furrow your brow, and tell him, “Bad puppy!” In turn, he slinks away with his body low to the ground, head bowed, averting his eyes and looking every bit as guilty. You’re convinced he knows exactly what he’s done, I mean look at what he does when you look at him and point to your shoe; he cowers even more! He clearly knows what he did to make you so upset. 
Wrong. 

He has no idea why you’ve gone from the happiest and most loving human to suddenly an angry one displaying all sorts of reactivity in your facial expressions and tone of voice. Simply put, there’s no ability for him to figure out that you are pointing to the shoe at 5 PM means he’s in trouble for chewing on it at 2 PM. He’s just responding to your reactivity at that moment, scared and nervous about your behavior towards him.
Why? In a nutshell, dogs read our bodies, not our minds; they hear our voices, not our thoughts. 

Dog Responds To Your Body Language

Getting angry or disappointed with our dogs will happen. We are a human living with a dog – two very, very different species cohabiting with a heavy emphasis on meeting our human needs, as it needs to be in many ways (not by being alpha; that’s for another newsletter). We are a human society, and for us to function well in our communities, our dog’s life is mostly built around what works for us. But that does not make them less of a dog, so dog stuff will happen. Puppy behavior will most definitely happen!
When it comes to communicating with our dogs when our own reactivity happens well after the cause, our dogs are not connecting the dots; they are simply responding to our body language and tone of voice at that moment in time.
Those “I ate my mom’s flowers/shoes/tv remote” guilty signs that are all over the internet… they’re just dogs responding to their guardian’s body language, that’s all. They are NOT admitting guilt or remorse over the prior incident. Promise. 
So next time your puppy or even adult dog does something hours before your discovery, head to the nearest mirror and scold yourself for what you might have done to cause it. Did you forget that puppies love to use their mouths on everything? Did you leave your teenage dog in the backyard all by himself and expect him to leave the hose and sprinklers alone? If the answer is yes, point that finger and scowl in the mirror. 

When Communicating With Your Dog – Do This

If you want to communicate clearly with your dog, first check your body language and tone of voice to make sure they correlate to the timeline of events. Otherwise, you are confusing and maybe even scaring your dog. 

Speak Dog Clinic (FREE)

Join us for our exclusive one-day SPEAK DOG event on Saturday, October 12th, from 12 – 2 PM at the San Luis Obispo Farm Supply Company located at 224 Tank Farm Rd, San Luis Obispo. 

Speak Dog is a people-only event available to anyone who wants to understand their dog’s body language. 

Does a yawn mean your dog is tired? Is a wagging tail telling you the dog is happy? Become fluent in speaking dog! 

You’ll leave with more confidence in understanding what your dog is trying to communicate with the body and their voice. Knowing dog body language will help you create positive and safe experiences that will last a lifetime, reducing uncertainty and increasing trust. 

This event is for humans only, allowing you to learn without worry or distractions with your dog. Attend for a chance to win prizes!

Register today!

Tips From Ellen The Dog Trainer!

Socializing a dog of any age involves ensuring they feel safe and comfortable in the presence of other dogs, people, animals, and various environments. Here are five key points to consider when socializing your dog:

1. Safe and proper socialization should occur by 16 weeks or four months of age. According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, it’s crucial to expose your dog to various people, environments, and safe dogs rather than waiting until they are fully vaccinated. This can be achieved using strollers, handheld carriers, and selecting interactions and destinations carefully. As a professional, I prefer not to introduce puppies to unknown adult dogs.
   However, allowing your puppy to socialize with other puppies under constant supervision is perfectly acceptable. Our Puppy Class starting May 4th provides an ideal opportunity for this!
2. Initially, let your puppy interact with people and dogs you already know; avoid interactions with strangers or unfamiliar dogs. Include seniors and children during this period.
3. Gradually, add strangers. They do not need to pet your puppy, but instead just make sure your puppy has positive experiences with new people. Make sure they are seeing, hearing, smelling other dogs, too!
4. Equally important is exposing your puppy to different environments. This could include your neighborhood, favorite coffee shop, or one of the Farm Supply stores.
5. While prioritizing your puppy’s socialization, it’s equally vital to provide safe and enjoyable social experiences for your teenager, adult, or senior dog. This enriches the quality of your life together and preserves their social skills.

Follow along for more tips from our friend Ellen and stay tuned for more educational classes to come this fall.

Raised Bed Product Guide

Spring is officially here!

Kick off the new season by starting your very own raised bed garden. Click the link and fill out the form below to receive an email with instructions to download our guide for expert tips and tricks, garden essentials, and more! Start cultivating your own raised bed garden today. Let’s grow together!

Click here now!

Your Ultimate Guide to Raised Bed Gardening

Happy National 4-H Week!

4-H is the largest youth development organization dedicated to empowering nearly six million young individuals with lifelong leadership skills. These skills include effective communication, and public speaking as well as encouraging members to take on new activities, such as exhibiting animals at fairs, mastering woodworking, gardening, and much more. 4-H teaches young leaders the tools to contribute meaningfully to their school and community while preparing them for a successful future.

My parents signed me up for Valley of the Bears 4-H in Los Osos before the Morro Bay 4-H chapter was established. Right out of the gate, I showed my grandfather’s cattle with my first Hereford heifer, Ginger. It truly felt like a family affair, as my Uncle served as the beef leader, and my Mom was the sewing leader.

I competed in many different events, but I can confidently say the speaking group was the most impactful in my life. Looking back, the success in my professional career started with that nine-year-old girl who joined 4-H. Many other members, leaders, parents, and employers also appreciate the impact this organization has on the youth in agriculture.

Today, I have the privilege of serving as the Group Leader for The Edna 4-H Chapter in San Luis Obispo. It is my favorite way to give back to our community. As their leader, my goal is to encourage my members to gain a new skill that will last them a lifetime. As I reflect on my role, I can honestly say that I am learning just as much from them as they are learning from me.

If you are unfamiliar with 4-H, I highly recommend you talk to someone who has experienced firsthand the benefits of this program. You can visit California 4-H Youth Development Program – University of California 4-H Youth Development Program (ucanr.edu).

Or you can contact me personally since I love talking about all things 4-H. Feel free to reach out by sending me an email at cwright@farmsupplycompany.com or giving me a call at 805.540.6109.

Finally, if you’re seeking meaningful ways to support the next generation of leaders, I urge you to consider getting involved with your local 4-H organizations. Your contributions, whether in terms of financial support or volunteering your time, will be one of the most impactful investments you can make.

With gratitude & appreciation,

Cara M. Wright

CEO

Farm Supply Company

FSC Celebrates National FFA Week!

Happy National FFA Week!

Future Farmers of America (FFA) is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education at the junior high and high school levels.

I know firsthand the benefits that FFA provides its members. During my teen years at Morro Bay High School, I was fortunate to lead the organization at the local, regional, and state levels. The relationship building, leadership growth, and industry exposure are invaluable to me still today as the leader of our cooperative. I consider it a privilege and honor to give back to this organization.

One of Farm Supply’s core values is that we are rooted in our community. We build relationships with our community because we care about those we serve. Supporting our local FFA members in their leadership journey is one of our favorite ways to give back. Our team serves on advisory boards for our local agriculture departments, volunteers to judge contests, donates to fundraisers, and participates in educational events. We sponsor the State FFA Finals at Cal Poly every May. We provide a supplies booth, organize Quiz Jam, and purchase animals at the auctions at both the Santa Barbara County and Mid-State Fairs.

If you are not familiar with FFA I encourage you to go to https://www.calaged.org/ to learn more. Better yet, do you know an FFA member? Ask them about their experience. Or reach out to me, I LOVE talking FFA.

With gratitude & appreciation,

Cara M. Wright

President/CEO

Farm Supply Company

cwright@farmsupplycompany.com

(805)540-6109

Vicki Federico – Strathmore FFA

Tom Thompson – Santa Maria FFA

Cara Wright – Morro Bay FFA

Tyler Arebalo – Templeton FFA

Vinny Flores – Righetti FFA

Samantha Farao – Nipomo FFA

Kaylee Brooks – Exeter FFA

Sydney Cusick – San Luis Obispo FFA

Sam Cusick – San Luis Obispo FFA

Mia Jess – San Luis Obispo FFA

Erin Garnsey – San Luis Obispo FFA

Allison Wahlig- Nipomo FFA

17th Annual Great Pumpkin Contest

Entry Forms Now Available. Deadline to enter is Tuesday, October 18th at 5pm. Please fill out entry form and return by email to kbrooks@farmsupplycompany.com

2022 Quiz Jam Champions!

Santa Barbara County Fair:

Mid State Fair:

A Message of Gratitude from our CEO!

As we enter the holiday season there is a universal sentiment of gratitude that reveals itself year after year. On behalf of Farm Supply, I want to express our gratitude for your continued support.
As your local farmer-owned cooperative for over 70 years, we are grateful for our members, customers, and community, 365 days of the year, not just during the holidays.
Expressing gratitude has never been more important than during the past year and a half as we have navigated a pandemic together. Gratitude has shown up in so many ways, big and small. From seeing family that you have not seen in months or a year, to kids going back to school or the ball field, to waking up each morning and not taking good health for granted.
At Farm Supply, we continue to be grateful that our mission to provide exceptional customer service and quality products has been sustainable throughout the pandemic. Our doors have remained open to assist you with your home, farm, and ranch projects.
Like many other businesses, we continue to face challenges like supply shortages, staffing, and freight rates and delays. Although we cannot control these challenges, we focus on what we can control.
We open our doors every day to meet you with a friendly face and welcoming smile. We are excited to see you, your family, your dog, friends, and neighbors. We do our best to provide you with the product and service you are looking for. We stay committed to supporting this community we love so much, specifically supporting our young leaders in agriculture in 4-H, FFA, Allan Hancock, Cuesta College, and Cal Poly. Most importantly, we remain grateful for working and living on the Central Coast, a place we are all so proud to call home!
We are thankful that you choose to shop with us. You are not just our members and customers: you are our friends. As a 25-year employee of Farm Supply, so many of you are family and I am personally so grateful for that gift. I look forward to seeing you in one of our stores soon.

Happy Holidays!

With gratitude & appreciation,
Cara M. CryePresident

CEO Farm Supply Company

ccrye@farmsupplycompany.com

(805)540-6109

Support Your Local Ag Co-op

Farm Supply is an ag co-op, owned by over 2,300 members of our local agricultural community. Are you interested in becoming a member or want to learn more about how to support your local ag co-op? October is National Co-op Month, so now is a great time!

To be eligible for membership in our cooperative, you must be an agricultural producer—more specifically, you must have income derived from an ag product or commodity. Membership applications are available at all Farm Supply locations. If your application is approved by the Farm Supply Board of Directors, you’ll become a lifelong member of our cooperative as long as you retain your agricultural production status and continue to purchase products at any of our five locations.

Farm Supply is deeply rooted in the communities that we serve, and that includes educational clinics, community events, and donations to youth and agricultural programs. And as an ag co-op, we have a unique opportunity to give back to our local agricultural community through patronage dividends. Based on Farm Supply profits, dividends are declared annually for members with annual purchases of $1,000 or more. For 2020, the member return rate was 5.81%—the highest in Farm Supply’s history! We invested a record $350,000 back into our agricultural community. After a particularly challenging year, we were honored to be able to support our members.

You don’t have to be a member or ag producer to shop at Farm Supply. From irrigation equipment to pet supplies to clothing and home décor, Farm Supply has something for the farmer in everyone! And every dollar spent at Farm Supply is an investment back into our local agricultural community. By shopping at Farm Supply, you are supporting your local farmers, ranchers, and ag producers.  

Interested in learning more? Stop by one of our stores or give us a call!

Happy National Cooperative Month!

October is National Co-op Month! Farm Supply is proud to be a local agricultural cooperative with over 2,300 members.

For the past 70 years, Farm Supply has been driven by the passion and commitment of the Central Coast agricultural community, and that continues all the way through to our business model. Being an ag cooperative means that Farm Supply is owned by its members—our family of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers primarily located within San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.

Customers can apply for membership and, if eligible and approved by the Farm Supply Board of Directors, can become a member of Farm Supply. It’s a lifetime membership and connection to our stores, as long as the member remains in agricultural production and continues to shop at any of our five locations.

One of the most unique and beneficial aspects of a co-op is that members share in the company’s profits through patronage dividends. For Farm Supply, that means every dollar spent is an investment back into our local agricultural community. Support from our members and customers is what powers us to give back. In 2021, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, we were proudly able to return more than $350,000 in dividends to our local ag community.

Farm Supply is one of more than 40,000 cooperatives of all types throughout America, supporting jobs that provide more than $25 billion in wages. Farming cooperatives, in particular, are making huge waves in the agricultural industry, as they directly employ 187,000 Americans in more than 8,000 locations, with a record $44.4 billion in farmer-member equity. That equity is why the cooperative model is so important to us—it means our farming community, which inspires our Farm Supply team every day, plays a crucial part in driving our business forward.

From irrigation equipment to pet supplies to clothing and home décor, Farm Supply has something for the farmer in everyone! So, whether you need to pick up farm, ranch, or home supplies, stop by Farm Supply this October and celebrate National Co-op Month with us.