Doggy Details
Doggies and People
Cats
Horses
Posted on February 12, 2010
We have kind of been fostering with the goal to eventually adopt another dog. And I know we are, by far, not the only fosters who do that. And it really is a great way to get to know your dog before you decide to make him a permanent part of your family. With Maize for example, she is the third dog we picked as a foster. We all picked them by the same criteria (as we would pick one to adopt), and all of them were sweet and lovable, but only Maize has been the one that totally fits our family.
But of course not everyone can take such extensive measures to find the perfect dog for their family. That’s why every county or at least every state should have “Mutt Match”! Run by dog trainers Liz Maslow and Meg Boscov, the Philadelphia based organization helps families find the right dog for them.
Liz Maslow explains a little bit about what they do: “Since Mutt Match is such a novel idea, it is a work in progress. What we do is first, we meet with the family in their home (home visit), discuss what their wants and needs are in a dog. We ask lots of questions about their lifestyle and together we talk about what type of dog would do well in their family. We write up a bio about the family, describing their ideal dog and send it to the rescues we are affiliated with, currently we have over 15 rescues and shelters we work with. Our hope (and it seems to be working) is that the bio gets sent to the fosters and if a dog seems like a match we get an email or phone call. We find that the foster family really knows the dog and speaking with them helps us determine if the dog and family will be happy together.
Next, we schedule a time to visit the dog to do a behavioral assessment and if all goes well, we have the family meet the dog. We require the entire family, including any other dogs, meet the prospective adoptee, before a decision is made. When the family decides to adopt it is done through the rescue (they sign their adoption contract and pay their adoption fee). After the dog is happily in his or her new home Meg or I will visit and spend about an hour with the family discussing the adjustments for a new dog, housebreaking, crate training and basic good manners. We are available for phone consults for the lifetime of the dog and offer a discount on training.
We have written several articles to help make the process as easy as possible for the new dog owners, which we give to our families on our first visit. Mutt Match is a non-profit organization, funded by donations. Our goal is to make smart placements, help people who may be afraid to rescue a dog feel more comfortable doing so and try to keep dogs in their new homes. So many adopted dogs are returned due to “wrong dog in the wrong home”, by matching a family and dog we are hopefully keeping dogs in their homes.”
They totally make me want to go out to get some more training and start the same kind of organization! But since not all shelters have trainers available, please make sure you make your decision about a new family member carefully. I love the idea of adopting a foster dog, because the foster family can tell you so much more than the shelter staff ever could from seeing a dog in a kennel most of the day. Make sure you trust the advice of foster parents and rescue workers, even when they tell you this might not be the right dog for you.
Liz Maslow gave me a few tips on how to choose the right dog: “When looking to add a dog to the family, the first step is considering what type of dog will fit in most comfortably. For example, if you would like a couch potato of a dog, a greyhound or a basset would be a better fit than say a border collie. There are many dog breed books on the market that can help narrow down the look and characteristics you may want in a dog.
Most of the dogs you will find from a rescue or a shelter will be mixed breeds, consider all the breeds in a particular dog and think about the specific characteristics of those breeds. The dog could have any and all of those traits. When walking through a shelter, remember first impressions are important! The dog that is actively seeking out your attention is a social dog. We like to look for dogs that seem unfazed by the crazy surroundings. They are happy to see you, with a wagging body in addition to a wagging tail. Their body is loose and wiggly, they could look as though they are smiling.
If you see a dog like this kneel down and make friends press your hand up to the cage. The dog should either lick at your fingers or press his body to the other side of the fencing so that you can touch him. This tells you that he likes to be touched, another hint that it is a social dog. If you feel comfortable, ask to see the dog in a private room to get to know him better. Once in the room the dog should pay more attention to you than his surroundings. He should calm to your touch, not get more excited. You should not notice any fearful behavior or shyness towards anyone in your family.
Try to engage the dog in play, ask yourself, is it too rough (jumping, biting at, pulling on clothes)? Is the dog exerting force (some dogs like to show you how strong they are)? If he is jumping up at you is it in play or is it a power play? Now stop playing, the dog should settle in a couple of minutes. Take the dog for a short walk outside. Dogs in rescue usually do not know how to walk politely on leash; they may pull, but the dog should not drag you and should pay attention to you. You want the dog to notice that you are at the other end of the leash. If you stop walking, the dog should also. Some shelters, but not all, do behavioral evaluations. Ask to see the evaluation on a particular dog. Pay particular attention to the body handling and the food aggression sections of the evaluation.”
Thanks to Liz and Meg for starting such a great organization! Keep it up and I hope that many more of these are going to follow all around the country.
Posted on February 10, 2010
One of my favorite doggy supply websites is SitStay.com! Hands down. Because before they sell anything, especially dog food and treats, they will talk to the manufacturers to make sure it is good for the dogs. They test and tri before they sell and whatever they wouldn’t give to their own dogs they won’t sell either. How about that for feeling good about what you buy?
But SitStay.com does not only sell great dog products. Besides their forum and newsletter, they’ve also got a great blog, written by Darcy Turner. She is the president of SitStay.com and has had her share of experience with dogs and dog products for many years. In fact, her blog was one of the influences that made me question the dog food I feed and after some more research I was led to change Mac’s food to the better. Yesterday she shared her opinion on the dog treat Pup-peroni. I personally am in love with baking my own treats, but if you don’t have the time to do so pay SitStay.com a visit to find plenty of great treats that your dog will love!
Here’s Darcys opinion:
“Dear Darcy, What do you think of Pup-Peroni? (name withheld by request)
Hi Everybody, In my opinion, it’s not a good thing to put into a dog’s body.
Clever and heart warmingly emotional advertising works, we all know that. But will people who love their dogs bet their dog’s life on it?
I’m glad to see that most online pet food makers and supply stores have recently started adding ingredient lists, even the biggest stores are doing it now. You know that they are hoping the majority of pet owners stay in the dark and uneducated about what’s in that stuff and what it will do to a dog or that they won’t care and they’ll keep buying it.
Not all food and treat makers are made of the same cloth. Some really do care about the health and quality of your dog’s life and use only the best ingredients that they can, those are the ones you’ll see at SitStay.com. Ingredient lists will tell you so much about character, ethics and morality.
If you feed your dogs junk, you will be giving your money to the vet to try to make them well again, even to trying to save their lives from infections, kidney disease, heart failure, aggressive behavior, obesity, tooth decay.
Google.com the words “Pup-Peroni ingredients” to see first, who sells it and promotes it, and second, what is being reported about it. I was shocked to find which websites are promoting Pup-Peroni, I didn’t think it of them. Some of the stores who are selling it have always sold this kind of stuff so no surprises there but really, some of those sites who I thought were really here for the dogs seem to have caved to the almighty dollar. It’s simply hard for some to turn down a lot of money no matter the outcome. I find it very sad.
Del Monte’s Pup-Peroni Ingredients: Beef, Meat by-Products, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (used as a preservative), Sodium Nitrite (for color retention), Red 40, BHA (used as a preservative), Onion Extract. Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 24%, Crude Fat 12%, Crude Fiber 2%, Moisture 24%
Del Monte spend $8 million dollars to get you to buy Pup-Peroni. Added sugar, Onion, Sodium Nitrite, flavors, colors, BHA. Ack. Don’t we all know by now that these things are not good for dogs? After Del Monte had to recall food in the 2007 recalls, I’d think they’d research and go the good direction, it was a perfect time to reinvent themselves as the good guys. You’ll have to write to Del Monte to ask if they use the 4D meats: dead, down, dying and diseased in their foods. I can’t find anything that will prove for or against that. Susan Thixton, in an article speaking of Pup-Peroni, wrote: “Meat by-Products. This is a rendered meat ingredient commonly used in ´grocery store´ type pet foods and treats. The FDA determined this ingredient to be a probable source of pentobarbital, a lethal drug used to euthanize animals. Thus, this pet food/pet treat ingredient more than likely contains rendered euthanized animals and the lethal drug used to kill them.”
According to the FDA, the drug pentobarbital used to euthanize animals follows the animal all the way through the process of making dog food out of them and into your home and into your dog. Drugs.com states: “Pentobarbital is in a group of drugs called barbiturates (bar-BIT-chur-ates). Pentobarbital slows the activity of your brain and nervous system. Pentobarbital is used short-term to treat insomnia. Pentobarbital is also used as an emergency treatment for seizures, and to cause you to fall asleep for surgery. Pentobarbital may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.”
Here’s a survey and aside from all the disclaimers keeping the FDA out of trouble with manufacturing, it’s a lot of worrisome info: FDA Survey The FDA concluded at some point that your dog ingesting foods and treats that have pentobarbital in them are unlikely to cause adverse health effects. Hmm. I find that so interesting. Just how much would they have to eat and over how much time until there were adverse health effects? There is some research on the amounts but what about my individual dog? How much is okay for him? There’s no conclusive proof that I can find that tells me it’s safe and will help keep my dog well. Far from it.
Check out the makers making it and the stores selling it and see if you still want to do your business with them. Character of a company means so much. – Darcy
P.S. Del Monte also make Kibbles ‘n Bits and Milk bone. Here’s the OMG!
Kibbles ‘n Bits Ingredient list: corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, ground wheat flour, animal fat (bha used as preservative), corn syrup, wheat middlings, water sufficient for processing, animal digest (source of chicken flavor), propylene glycol, salt, hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, caramel color, sorbic acid (used as a preservative), sodium carbonate, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), calcium sulfate, titanium dioxide, yellow 5, yellow 6, red 40, BHA (used as a preservative), dl methionine.
Milk Bone: Ingredients: Wheat flour, wheat bran, beef meal and beef bone meal, wheat germ, beef fat (preserved with tocopherols), poultry-by-product meal, lamb meal, salt, chicken meal, dried beet pulp, dicalcium phosphate, bacon fat (preserved with BHT, propyl-gallate, and citric acid), brewers dried yeast, whey, artificial color (includes red 40, yellow 5, blue 1), vitamins (choline chloride, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate [vitamin e], vitamin a acetate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin b12 supplement, d-activated animal sterol [/source]), malted barley flour, iron oxide, casein, natural flavor (source of peanut butter flavor), sodium metabisulfite (dough conditioner), minerals (zinc sulfate, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide [source 1="iodine" language="of"]), soy lecithin.
As an added bit for people who will read the bad news, Google the words “FDA pentobarbital”. Apparently to this day, and it doesn’t surprise me or others in the know, some dog food companies are still adding animals who have been euthanized with pentobarbital to their foods. Pentobarbital follows from the live animal into death and into food, intact. Generally before an animal is enthanized, it was ill or diseased and full of drugs and antibiotics to try for a cure. Then the pentobarbital shot to end the suffering.”
To stay updated on Darcy’s blog, just became a friend of SitStay.com on facebook!
Posted on February 5, 2010
I have just recently come across a new blog that I just love. Because it inspires me.
So far I thought my dogs are doing pretty good, they got their basic obedience down, they are very managable and know one or two tricks just for fun. Well, it is probably needless to say that there is more than just “shake” and “roll over”. But most of the tricks I saw in books so far seemed rather silly and I kept forgetting that even working on a silly trick is another step towards that perfect bond I aspire.
Laura Waudby keeps a blog, The dogs are really in charge, to share her training experiences with her two dogs Lance and Vito and most importantly to keep track of them for herself. She shares her training goals and updates regurlarly how those plans are coming along. And lots of her “tricks” aren’t so silly after all. One that I found last week is actually super handy and I’m totally going to start teaching it to my dogs. It’s the boundary cue, which tells the dog that they cannot cross a certain boundary (into a room, out of the yard, etc.).
Here is how to teach it:
1. Start at a threshold or someplace where there is a very clear boundary that the dog can actually notice. Differences in flooring makes this much easier. The smaller the space the easier as you can easily guard a doorway but will have a harder time using the entire front yard vs. street. If your dog does not know how to patient while you open a door, then start at a threshold with no door or start with the door already open!
2. With your dog’s attention on you and good treats in hand, step across that boundary and immediately pivot in front of your dog so that your dog is on one side and you on the other. This should have been easy, so immediately click and toss a treat behind your dog so he has to run away from you to go get it. Click again while he is still in the other room and hasn’t yet raced back to you and throw that treat someplace else. Throwing the treats encourages your dog to move around and shows him that you are not wanting a formal stay. Repeat this a few times just to give your dog the idea that the good stuff happens in the other room. You should still be right across the boundary so your dog should have zero interest in trying to squeeze by you.
3. Now start moving away from that boundary line, just a few steps, but keep clicking and throwing treats before your dog gets to the boundary. You simply want to introduce your movement into the picture but are making this extremely easy for your dog to do.
4. Start delaying the click. You are still very close to the line, less then 5ft, but you aren’t going to be constantly chucking treats into the other room. This is where your dog is going to start to experiment and will likely cross the threshold. I simply body block the dog back across the line. If you want to you can use your no reward marker, but remember you can’t get upset since your dog doesn’t yet know what you want. Just think of yourself as a hockey goalie and your job is to prevent the dog from going forward. As SOON as your dog starts to think of moving forward, lean your body in to counter act. Still click and toss the treat behind him for not crossing across the boundary.
5. If this is a boundary you eventually want your dog to be invited in, release your dog with an “ok!” (or whatever word you use) and invite him in with your body language. I usually don’t give a treat at this point since I want to be rewarding the actual waiting on the other side rather then the freedom from it.
6. Once your dog is doing pretty well at this short distance and easy boundary, you can start to add a cue. I say “wait” and then my hand signal is my index finger held straight up at the heavens. Since this is a duration behavior you can occasionally repeat it, but I try to avoid that since eventually my dogs do 20 minutes plus waits and I want the responsibility to lie on them without the added reminders.
7. Make it harder! Work on the 3 D’s: distance, duration, and distractions. Remember to only work on one thing at a time so if you are starting to drop treats across the boundary, remain very close and reward often. At any time the dog goes across the boundary, body block him back over. But if the dog is screws up twice in a row then you need to make things easier.
Here are distractions I work on: food dropping, playing with another dog, training another dog, dogs walking by, people walking by, and the door bell. And of course I slowly add in distance to being out of sight and time until about 20 minutes.
8. Generalize. If you have only been practicing from the kitchen to the living room, then take this cue on the road! Work it in different rooms, at the pet store, outside on walks, your front yard (use a long rope for safety) etc. Also try to do it randomly without any of the normal context. Can you get your dog to suddenly wait while you are carrying up laundry from the basement?
Are you as excited about this new cue as I am? If so, make sure to check her post on the topic to get a little additional advice from her personal experience.
Thanks, Laura!
Posted on January 29, 2010
Yesterday, Mac, Maize and I met a couple of friends and their dogs at the local dog park. Usually it is a pretty nice playtime between our dogs, since they know each other and this cold weather does not draw too many other dog owners out there. This time, though, I had Maize, who is new to our pack and stirred up the group a little bit. Then there was a lady with a 3-months-old puppy getting everyone riled up and getting himself tossed on the ground whining every few seconds. Another friend of mine is very considerate by keeping her young dog out of the dog park, because she knows very well how much he harrasses other dogs and gets in trouble for it.
So I was thinking about dog park manners and when not to take your dogs there and remembered a nice little write up the association of pet dog trainers (APDT) did on their website. Here are a few important ones:
DO NOT:
- ever bring a dog that is under 4 months of age
- bring or use treats when other dogs are nearby (tough one for myself)
- allow a dog to bully another
- bring intact males or females in estrus to the park
- spend your time talking on a cell phone – supervise your dog!
DO:
- make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations
- supervise your dog when they are playing and interrupt any rough play
- be willing to leave a dog park if you feel that your dog is either being a bully, the play is getting too rough or your dog is just not having fun
- make sure your young dog is not being bullied or learning bad manners from the other dogs
And I love this last one: Be cautious about taking advice from other park patrons who are not dog professionals! 
Do your own research!
Read the whole article here.
And a book on the topic that has been highly recommended to me is Off-Leash Dog Play: A Complete Guide to Safety & Fun by Robin Bennett. I bought it once as a gift and only got to flip through it once, but I think now is the time that I need to get a copy for myself!
So, be safe and have a fun weekend with your pups!
Posted on January 22, 2010
Your dog only does what you tell him to do the third or fourth time you ask? Or does he, on some days, decide to forget what “come” means, altogether? You might say he’s stubborn, but I really like what agility trainer Silvia Trkman says: “If something goes wrong, always remember it’s your fault, caused either by your training or handling.”
Laurie Luck, from the Smart Dog University, kindly allowed me to use some of her tips and tricks for this blog. In a past newsletter of hers she outlined five solutions to solving the “stubborn dog” problem. Because in most, if not al, cases your dog is not stubborn!
Solution 1: Your dog doesn’t really know the behavior!
Give your dog the cue while you:
Wear sunglasses.
Sit on the floor.
Whisper the word.
Shout the word.
Stand sideways.
Bounce a ball.
Say the word in a “character voice.”
Exchange your normal cue for a word that sounds similar. (Say Pit instead of Sit).
If your dog can’t get the behavior right, guess what. He doesn’t really know the behavior! Go back to basics and start teaching the behavior again, from the beginning, working those variables in the list above into your training.
Solution 2: Your dog wasn’t taught in the location you are asking him now!
Dogs are contextual learners. If you teach them in the kitchen, they know the behavior in the kitchen. But they don’t necessarily transfer that knowledge to the living room. Teach your dog to do behaviors everywhere you need him to do those behaviors.
Solution 3: Your dog doesn’t know how to deal with distractions!
A dog who sits beautifully at the door is nice. A dog who sits beautifully at the door after the doorbell rings is a gem! Distractions are anything the dog notices. Distractions can be visual (the dog across the street), auditory (the doorbell ringing), olfactory (another dog’s scent), or any combination of the above.
The key to working with distractions is to introduce them at a level that the dog can perceive, but that isn’t overwhelming for the dog. For instance, if I wereintroducing the doorbell into my sit training, I might have a neighbor ring the doorbell at 30?second intervals while I’m upstairs with my dog in the bathroom.
I’m far enough away from the distraction (the ringing doorbell) that hopefully the dog can work through it and will be able to sit. Once my dog has mastered sitting at a distance from the distracting doorbell, I’ll move him closer to the distraction; maybe into the hallway upstairs. Systematically, I’ll be able to move closer and closer to the ringing doorbell, and my dog will be able to sit despite the distraction.
Solution 4: The behavior doesn’t pay off!
Dogs know what works. They do what works. They know what doesn’t work. They don’t do what doesn’t work. Your job is to make sure that doing what you want the dog to do works for your dog. What this means is that you need to look at every situation from the dog’s perspective.
For instance: the dog is outside guarding the yard against the neighborhood squirrels. He’s got them all treed and is now on sentry duty, making sure none of those squirrels touch the ground. You need to run some errands so you call your dog inside to put him in his crate. What’s the dog’s perspective? He sees the car keys in your hand, he knows that means you’re leaving. His choices are: (1) come inside and get put into the crate for who?knows?how?long or (2) remain on sentry duty and patrol the yard. Which choice wins, in your dog’s mind? It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out! So what’s an owner to do? Make it worthwhile for your dog to come indoors, of course! When he comes inside, give him some prime treats – leftover chicken from last night’s dinner maybe. Play his favorite game for two minutes. Give him a fantastic stuffed food toy in his crate as you leave. Those three things far outweigh squirrel sentry duty in most dog’s minds.
Solution 5: Overwhelmed Syndrome
Too many dogs are labeled stubborn when in reality they are shut down. The situation or the circumstances overwhelm the dog and they cannot think. They cannot comply. What exactly does “shut down” look like? The dog doesn’t respond to your requests. He may not even respond to his name.
Want to see if your dog is overwhelmed? Completely remove him from the situation. Give him a few minutes to adjust and then give a simple request. Can he do it? If so, he was most likely overwhelmed in the situation you just removed him from. What this means is your dog needs more practice and less pressure in situations like that one. Next time, either let him observe the situation from farther away or don’t expect anything from him if you must place him in that overwhelming situation.
If you want more tips, make sure to sign up for Lauries monthly newsletter “Your Smart Dog”!
Posted on January 15, 2010
Just recently I have shared some info on how to assess your local dog park. This information was provided by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. I like them a lot, because they try to move away from the “alpha role” and “pack leader” mentality in dog training and use positive methods to teach just about anything. Their website is a great resource for information on dog training, behavior and more. And they also provide a worldwide dog trainer search among their members.
So another great resource that I found are the six phone numbers every dog owner should have. Here are the ones I find most important. You can read the full article here.
1-800-555-6517 Legal Hotline that you can call if you think someone is abusing a pet.
1-888-426-4435 National Animal Poison Control Center. For a $45 fee you can consult a veterinarian right away.
1-800-248-SPAY Spay USA. For every new pet owner, they will provide with free or low cost spay/neutering or can refer you to local services.
additionally I would suggest:
1 800 Humane-1 (486-2631) the national hotline for reporting lost pets (and finding them in local animal shelters).
Also don’t forget to add the phonenumber of the company you have your pet and its Microchip ID registered with. If you have not registered your pet, yet, I highly recommend to do so with e.g. HomeAgain or 24PetWatch. And keep the number of your local vet clinic handy. In the Manhattan area you can call (785) 532-5700 or take your pet directly to the Emergency Vet Clinic at KSU.
Posted on January 8, 2010
Isn’t that some weather out there!? Yesterday morning our walk lasted two minutes, exactly the time until I could not take the dog’s limping and my fingers freezing, anymore. If you love to take your dogs out at least once a day I’m sure you have also been looking for solutions to beat the cold, the snow and the salt on the streets.
So, as with all dog clothing I have not been fond of the idea of dog boots. But watching my pup limp come the first snow (and salt) changed my mind a little. So we tried the first pair we could find (I don’t think it’s called a pair when it’s for four legs, is it?) and I wasn’t happy. And Mac sure wasn’t. I wish I would have had a camera. I didn’t know if I should laugh or feel bad for him. Anyway, I know it’ll take time to get any dog used to any kind of boot, but those just didn’t seem right. They were all stiff and weird.
Now while I will continue my search for other boots I still need to get my dogs out of the house, even though it is 6 degrees out there. That’s what I signed up for when I got a dog.
Here are some other ideas I found to protect your pooches paws without having to go out on a shopping spree first:
1. Trim the fur between your dogs toes! That’s especially important with long haired dogs. The hair that reaches beyond the level of the pads will accumulate snow and ice which will make it difficult for your dog to walk.
2. Keep you dogs nails trimmed! Nails that are too long will cause the toes to spread while walking. That way, more snow and ice can accumulate in between your dogs toes, making it cold, wet and uncomfortable for him.
3. Wash your dogs feet in warm water when you get home! Either with a bowl or cloth clean his feet and make sure there is no salt, ice or grit stuck between the toes.
4. Use vaselineor other soothing balm (like the ones from happy tails or musher’s secret)! After you cleaned your dogs feet treat the pads with vaseline to help heal cracks and chaps. Then, before you go out again, apply vaseline again to protect them from the moisture and other irritating things on the streets. (And if you ski you probably know to apply some vaseline to your face to protect it from the chilly winds we got going on right now, too)
5. Check your dogs feet regularly for cracks and injuries! That should be a no-brainer if you do the steps mentioned before.
6. Eventually, if all doesn’t help, consider the booties again. I’m sure there are great ones out there, I just haven’t found them, yet. (Leave a comment if you got a tip on good booties, I might feature them on the blog next Tuesday)
7. Play indoors on those REALLY cold days! Read my last post on indoor games here.
I hope you are all getting good through the icy weather. Feel free to share your tips on winter paw care in the comment s below!
*EDIT: A lovely friend just gave me a great idea. You got a puppy with already cracked paws, but the vaseline or balm you put on the pads comes right off when they start running around? The solution: Socks! Kids socks, baby socks, whatever fits your puppies paws. Put them on before they go to sleep. They will probably come off at some point, but for the time they stay on… well, they stay on *
Posted on January 1, 2010
This is the first post of 2010. I hope everyone had a fun celebration to welcome this new year with lots of resolutions that no one keeps. Except the puppy related ones. I’m going to try to make an effort every day to make time with me more fun for the doggies in my life. What are you dog related resolutions? Leave your comment on my facebook site to share with everyone!
Now to the first doggy wisdom post of this year. I realize that not every town has their own dog park, I know that Manhattan doesn’t, which is very unfortunate. And for those who do not have access to a dog park I am in the process of putting together a post of all kinds of places you can enjoy on- and off-leash walks with your dog in Riley County and its surroundings. But for all of you who do have access to a dog park, like the one on Fort Riley, the association of pet dog trainers (APDT) has put together a sheet that can assist you in assessing your dog park.
Some of the things your dog park should have to be of good quality (and fun for you and your dog) are:
1. Bags and trash cans to clean up after your dog (and avoid the risk of parasites and bacteria crawling all over you and your furballs)
2. Water and shade
3. Enough space to avoid crowding (and that bully to finally snap)
Those are the absolute basics.
But I love some of the features they mention that very exceptional parks have:
1. No 90° corners in the fence (so no dog can be cornered)
2. Special enclosed areas for smaller dogs (under 20lbs.)
3. Agility equipment
Oh, how I would love to have a park like that near by, wouldn’t you? But as long as I am living here I will just have to built my own in our backyard…
You can find the complete list by the APDT here. For more information go to the APDT website at www.apdt.com
Posted on December 25, 2009
* I’m still in Germany, so this doggy wisdom post might have to last you for this and next friday. Get the book and you won’t need a post from me next week *
What was your reason for getting a dog?
Deep down I think I always wanted that loyal companion who sticks by my side everywhere I go. The one who listens to all my commands and looks cute when he sleeps.
Now Mac looks plenty cute when he sleeps. Listening to every command? Well, I’m not sure if there is such a dog. Although I was really lucky with him (had no clue what I was getting the when I found him at a pound in Texas) and I must have done some things right, because he listens quite well for his age, we still have a long way ahead of us.
We take obedience and agility classes, I read books on dog training and watched all the dog whisperer shows you can find on TV nowadays and then learned that the dog whisperer is not the way to go. But nothing has caught my eye like this book, when I saw a review flipping through a magazine at the vet.
Trainers of all sorts of schools can help you train your dog to sit, stay and come. In Victoria Schade’s eyes, however, 
there is not one but two factors responsible for a truly loyal dog. Obedience training is one. But how many dog owners have problems despite of that class they took back when they brought their puppy home? The second factor is a strong bond. That invisible string keeping you and your dog together, the bond that becomes very well visible when your dog reacts to your recall instead of running of with all the other dogs in the dog park.
I very much enjoyed her not so common ways of dealing with problems and the games she suggests. And although she covers some basic obedience subjects I was not bored in the least, every chapter seemed to contain something that I found inspiring, worth trying or simply something I have not heard, yet. I say it is very worth a read, no matter what stage you are at with your dog!
What are your favorite dog books, dvd’s or tv shows? Who inspires you to never give up on training your best friend?
Posted on December 18, 2009
My (not so young) pup likes to chew up stuff while I’m gone. I can try to not let anything laying around, he will still find something to chew on, even if it is his own bed. Now, I’m no dog trainer, but after researching separation anxiety and talking to people who have dogs with separation anxiety I’m pretty certain that is not the case. So my solution for now is to restrain the dogs to one room (without much to chew on except their toys) for when I’m gone.
But, this whole thing has led me to a question. I’m from Germany and know that very few dogs are ever kennel trained over there. Being as “PETA” as we are you even hear lots of people condemning your for “imprisoning” your dog. Now I don’t necessarily agree with that, I hear lots of dog trainers with plausible reasons, but being from a country where kenneling is not the norm I am a little more sensitive to these kind of issues. I also cringe when I see one-horse-trailers on american roads, which are extremely narrow compared to their european equivalent.
So all personal opinions aside, I am just curious how many of you have their dogs kennel trained? Feel free to also leave your personal opinions in the comment box below. My mind is wide open to what you have to say!