Top Five Things Your Dog Can Do to Earn Dinner

In my first class with clients, I always tell them that they need to take the dog food out of the bowl and make their dogs’ work for dinner. You paid for the dinner and now your dog should have to earn it with good behavior. What kind of fun tricks and activities can you come up with for your dog’s job for the week? Here are just a few suggestions:

1.    Look At Me Game

Take a piece of kibble and throw it on the floor close to your body. After he eats it and looks up at you, reward him with a YES and throw another piece on the floor. Play this for a few minutes each day and this simple game will teach your dog that looking at you earns him the next piece of dinner. You can start to add a Watch command just before he lifts his head to look at you.

2.    Name Game

Take a piece of kibble and toss it on the floor about 5 feet in front of you. Use the command “GO” and once he eats kibble, call his name. When he returns to you, reward with a piece of kibble from your hand. The game now starts over again with a kibble toss to the floor.  As he becomes better at responding to you, increase the distance of the throw.

3.    Puppy Ping-Pong

This is a simple way to improve your dog’s recall but you will need a helper. Each person will take a handful of kibble and put it in a pocket. Start out in a place with low distractions and stand at a distance of less than ten feet from each other. Practice calling your dog’s name and having him run to you. When he makes it to you, reward with a piece of kibble and then the other person calls the dog. As your dog’s speed increases, you can move to other parts of the house and increase your distance. We slowly increase the distractions and distance as the dog is finding success in responding to his name. The goal is to call the name only once each time and get a quick head turn and dash off to the next person. This game can easily create a tired puppy.

4.    Kong Wobbler

One great product that I highly recommend to clients is called a Kong Wobbler. You can fill this toy with kibble and your dog can to bat it around with a foot or nose to get the food out. This will keep your dog busy as you are trying to cook dinner, watch TV or engage in any non-dog focused activity.

5.    Sit for Attention

What it your dog had to earn his dinner by sitting for any attention? If you have friends over and your dog wants to jump to greet them with a slobbery kiss, it might be better to have them reward with a bit of dinner for a polite sit. If your dog wants to go out the back door then maybe a sit would open the door.  Think of how many pieces of kibble you could give your dog for offering the correct behavior. If we reward a sit, we will get more of them. The reward is simply something that was once free out of a bowl.

Please be sure keep training sessions short- five to ten minutes is plenty and be sure to stop before your dog becomes too tired and is no longer in the game. If your dog is not into his food, even if fed out of your hand, you might want to switch to a food that he enjoys a little more. Get creative and think of fun games that you can play with your dog so that dinners become a little more interesting than just kibble in a bowl.  It should all be about creating a relationship and also a well behaved, polite dog that never assumes that everything in life is free.

Variety Class Field Trip

This week the Variety Class took a field trip to Tuscan Lakes to test our skills walking around the lake with the distractions of birds, bikes, cars, barking dogs and other real life distractions. The dogs were amazing as we successfully did recalls and sit and down stays around the trail. Another great example of having fun with your dog and training good life and social skills.

So you think that you are ready for a puppy?

When do you start training a puppy?

I start puppies in training from the time they enter a home. Canine Connection Training offers clients a free 30 minute consultation so that we can get owners off to the best possible start. Puppies are learning from time they come home so I like to create good behavior and try to redirect the bad behavior so it does not develop into bad habits.  I like to think that my training philosophy is best summed up as: your puppy should not assume that anything good in their life is free. If your puppy wants a toy, he needs to sit and be polite and the toy will be tossed for a fun game of fetch. If your puppy wants to eat, he needs to be calm and quiet and the bowl will be placed on the floor. If she wants to come out of the crate, maybe a sit will open the door. Puppies are capable of learning a great deal at a very young age so start having some fun and build that strong relationship of trust and cooperation. Puppies need to work to get the good things in life.

What kind of learners are dogs?

Dogs are more visual learners rather than verbal. If you are teaching a sit, better to be completely silent, and give a hand signal for a sit (example: treat in hand raised over puppy’s nose and butt goes down on ground). Once your puppy is learning to sit with your visual cue after a few days, you can transition to using a verbal cue such as the word SIT. You would say SIT, just prior to giving hand signal. If you are saying sit multiple times to your puppy, you are just cluttering up the learning process.  Dogs are much better reading our body language than we are at reading theirs. How long does it take for your dog to realize that you are leaving the house?

How do you stop a puppy or dog from jumping?

Dogs learn that jumping up is rewarding from the time that they are little. Many owners tolerate a cute puppy jumping up to say hello. I always start puppies off with a polite sit for any attention. If they have to earn attention with a sit instead of jumping, it becomes an automatic learned behavior and not a bad jumping habit. All your family members and guests need to know the rules prior to entering the house so that they are not reinforcing jumping with attention… positive attention or negative is all the same. If your puppy can’t control her behavior, then she must be on a leash or in the crate until guests come in the door and settle. It is wonderful if we can create situations in which puppies can be successful in learning good behavior.  Invite some friends over to your house to help your puppy learn a polite sit for attention. Always better to be proactive in training your dogs, rather than being reactive. 

Refrigerator Lists?

Think of all the commands that your puppy should know and write them down as a list posted on the refrigerator. If you want your puppy to keep the paws OFF the counter, than the whole family should train that the paws are OFF the counter. If you want to use the word COME, all the family should use the same verbal or visual cue. If your dog knows that ALL doors mean that she needs to look at you to be released to go out, your dog will be happy to oblige.  Dogs love clear and consistent rules that don’t change each day with each person in their lives. If the family decides that the dog is not allowed on beds, then the entire family has to enforce the rule.  You will get an amazing dog if you create rules and boundaries and your dog will feel confident and secure. 

What do I know about dogs?

1. I think that dogs have a natural desire to be with us and create a trusting relationship. Dogs, anxious and nervous about leaving their owners, come to see me and I am always amazed at how quickly they look to establish a relationship with me. Dogs are honest.

2. Dogs have certain characteristics that have been established over decades of selective breeding. If you are looking for a puppy, do your research on the breed. Please do not get a puppy that is less than 8 weeks old. Puppies need to be with their littermates to learn social skills that will be important as they mature. If your energy level is a 3 out of 10, do not get a puppy with a level 9. Most trainers will help clients find a suitable puppy from a quality breeder. A puppy is a huge investment in time and money, so take your time.

3. It is never too early to start training a puppy. Bad habits are learned, so train your puppy not to jump and to work for good things in life. Puppies can learn polite sits for greeting, down and their names, as young as 8 weeks. If we can get this message out, maybe we can save dogs from being placed in shelters because they are wild and out of control and no longer cute little puppies. I highly recommend puppy classes, for training and socialization, prior to six months.

4. Create a list of things that your dog finds rewarding. Does he love to play ball, a belly rub or a favorite treat? Reward the good behavior and you will get more of it. Make your dog work for the things that he loves. I always say that your dog has to work for dinner. You paid for the food and now he needs to work for it!

5. Dogs are social animals so get out each day for some sort of activity. A walk or trip in the car to the bank will do wonders for your dog and help to build that important relationship. The experiences are worth the time and will make both owner and dog just a bit more happy.

6. Dogs love owners who are clear and consistent. Please set out the rules for the house on paper and, if needed, post on the refrigerator. Rules should be the same with all family members and expectations should be clear.

7. A tired dog is a good dog. Trainers rarely get calls from people complaining that their dogs are sleeping too much. A bored dog is a destructive dog, so keep your dog busy. If your dog has to be crated for a few hours, stuff a Kong toy with kibble sealed with cream cheese or peanut butter.

8. Dogs live in the moment. They like to do things that are fun for them. The garbage seemed like the right thing (smelled good and tasted even better) while you were in the shower. Remove all temptations for new dogs in your home until you can establish rules and train that the garbage and counters are off limits. You will need to set up situations and train...be proactive and not reactive.

9. Have fun with your dog and take a class in agility, obedience or training tricks.  There are so many fun things that you can do with your dogs today. Dogs are also needed in providing therapy to children and adults in hospitals, schools and nursing homes. If you are dealing with behavioral problems with your dog, call a trainer before it gets too serious.

10. Above all, I have learned that dogs are a gift to us. I think that this quote says it best. “A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” John Grogan, Marley and Me

Goal Setting

This is my dog, Em, in 2007, when my evenings and weekends were spent training and showing my own dogs. They were my hobby and my passion and we loved working on adding new skills and improving each week. I am posting this because Em will be 9 years old in December, and I have forgotten how much fun I had working my own dogs. I am setting a goal for this ninth year, and I am hoping that putting it into a blog will force me to keep working on my goal and not put other things ahead of this really important one. Em needs to finish her title in obedience competition...we have one leg and need two more to complete her CD and this will earn her a VCD1 (Versatile Companion Dog 1). She is a talented puppy with titles in tracking, agility, hunting and rally obedience but we have done little competition obedience in the last eight years. I know that if something were to happen to her, I would always regret not completing this goal with her.

Em was a wild looking puppy made every training session fun because she was so happy to work and figure out the game. She has been retired for the last four years as I have taken up training professionally and focused on growing a business. Em and my other dog, Hunter, welcome dogs into my home that are in need of training and structure. I say they are paid in kibble to do nothing but watch and occasionally participate in group sit-stays and come. I think that they like the system of "the new guy has to work" and they just get rewarded for watching and being still. Retired is the perfect word to describe their lives.

Diva Em, once retired, will now have to sing for her supper. I am unsure if she will love the idea of working again. I hope that she will be as committed to this goal as I am in the coming months. I guess this blog will help to keep me honest and chronicle our training journey.

Traveling with Dogs

Traveling with pets can be a stressful time. Insure your vacation stays stress-free and fun with these helpful tips.

Travel by Car:

1.  Bring a collapsible exercise pen with you if you are traveling by car. This will ensure your puppy has a safe and comfortable place to stay, without the worry of him/her getting into the unknown while on the road or in a pet friendly hotel room.  
2.  Make stops every four hours or so for potty and drink breaks. A portable water dish or bottle makes this a breeze. 
3.  Most important—have familiar smells to keep your baby calm. Whether it is an old shirt, shoe or his/her favorite blanket, the smell of home will make any puppy on vacation happy and secure.   

Hotel Stays:

1.  Check online to ensure your hotel destination is pet friendly.
2.  Book on the phone when possible to ensure booking a pet friendly room and getting a person-to-person confirmation. First floor rooms are always best and make for easier potty breaks. 
3. After making sure the hotel allows dogs, make sure it is truly pet friendly. Is there green space near by for potty breaks? How many floors is the hotel—and is there a balcony?

Airline Travel

Your pet’s travel crate should be sturdy and breathable. There are many on the market—but beware! Each airline has their specific pet carrier specifications, so check each airlines web site, and when in doubt call customer service.

There are also companies who take care of the travel for you. Starwood Animal Transport and Animal Transportation are companies that give door-to-door service. Whether your destination is Florida, California, England or India, these companies will take care of vaccinations, immigration papers, cargo tickets and more.

House Rentals

Want a more leisurely vacation—rent a house. Dogs can discover a new home with pet friendly rentals. Sometimes a vacation home can be a more calming environment for you dog instead of the hustle and bustle of a busy hotel. With more room to roam, and less noise to distract your vacation becomes your pet’s vacation!
Helpful links: www.petravel.com, www.dogfriendly.com, www.starwoodanimaltransport.com, www.vrbo.com

10 reasons not to buy a Flexi leash

Flexi leashes are those flimsy, retractable leashes (like a tape measure) that allow a dog to pull ahead 20 feet or so. I don’t know who is encouraging people to buy Flexi leashes, but they are a big problem. If you are considering buying a Flexi leash, it is a bad idea. Here’s why:

1. Flexi leashes are not for big dogs.

I would never buy a Flexi for any dog, especially a dog over 20 pounds. Every day I see people in my neighborhood walking german shepherds, labs and even huskies on Flexis.

2. You can’t control your dog on a Flexi leash.

You just can’t. I had a situation about 15 years ago with my well behaved lab mix, Jack. We were walking on a quiet country road and he was out about 10 feet from me. A car came speeding by and I barely had enough time to reel him into safety. They are a nightmare on narrow pathways as the owner has so little control while bikers and other walkers are passing.  

3. Flexi leashes teach your dog to pull.

The more the dog pulls, the more leash it is given. This is not a great training situation.

4. Flexi leashes cause accidents.

We were out yesterday at the Clear Lake Farmer’s Market and I witnessed three dogs become so entangled on meeting nose-to-nose that the owners had to remove leashes to release dogs. The owners were quite lucky that the dogs were friendly because entangled dogs can sometimes become aggressive and dog fights are common given the situation. What about the biker passing a dog on a Flexi? It is an accident waiting to happen.

5. Flexi leashes put the dog in control.

When the leash is tight, the only way to shorten it is to walk toward the dog. This teaches the dog she doesn’t have to come to you. You will instead come to her.

6. Flexi leashes are unsafe for outside tethering to you or a post.

These “leashes” allow you to stand there while your dog runs around you. If you need to exercise your dog, please find a fenced area where your dog can run and play.  

7. Flexi leashes are awkward to hold.

I’d rather walk, run or bike with my dog without holding onto a big hunk of plastic (that’s what the leash retracts into). The handle part offers little control when your dog is pulling.

8. The dog can easily get away on a Flexi leash.

It doesn’t take much for a dog to pull the leash out of her owner’s hands when she has a 20-foot head start.

9. Flexi leashes are the worst tool to walk your dog with.

In a proper heeling position, a dog should be at her owner’s side on a loose lead. Flexis are always tight and the dog is almost always several feet in front of the owner.

10. Dogs aren’t safe on a Flexi leash.

With that much slack in the leash, they can get hit by a car or bike, bit by another dog or just plain get away. They are a danger to themselves, their owners and others. A safe way to use a Flexi is to exercise their dogs in an area where the dogs will be safe and under control, like out in a quiet field in the country. The safer alternative to a Flexi is to teach your dog to walk on a 4 or 6 ft. leash with a no-pull harness or gentle leader. We have classes at Bayside that deal specifically on walking/heeling, so take some time and have some fun learning some new skills.