Here's a great article in my favorite magazine The BarK, by Andrea Arden. The article focuses on what you should be teaching your dog, what methods to use, and what can happen if you don't teach your dog (or teach him using non dog-friendly methods).
The BarK Article on Dog Training
I love the magazine The BarK. If you don't subscribe, you should really give it a whirl. It's the magazine I look forward to the most. (No, I don't make any money if you subscribe, I just really like the magazine!)
Read this terrific interview with Dr. Nicholas Dodman about the rapidly changing world of dog training and how you can keep up and do the right things with your dog.
Dr. Nicholas Dodman runs the renowned Tufts University Veterinary Center. He is an international expert in domestic-animal research as well as in
the veterinary practice of animal psychology.
When You Buy A Puppy From the Store, You’re Supporting…
puppy mills. Plain and simple, there's no way around it. I don't care if the salesperson tells you that the dogs' health is guaranteed (c'mon, are you really going to give the sick dog back after you've had it for six months?), that he was raised with love, that he came from a reputable kennel, the truth is that if you buy a dog from a store, you are supporting puppy mills.
Take a look at this story in the Washington Post today about dogs rescued from the deplorable conditions that puppy mills are, sadly, famous for.
Yes, the puppy is cute. Yes, he's adorable. But if you buy him, you're telling the puppy mills to breed his mom again as soon as those pups have been shipped off to the store. The mom that lives in a cage, with very little human contact, whose feet never touch the ground, who lives in feces and isolation from people.
Never, ever, buy a puppy from a store. Especially when so many dogs are being euthanized because there's no room in the shelter…
House Training an Older Dog
When my parents brought Copper home from the shelter, she was an unknown. Had she ever lived indoors? Was she housetrained? Did she guard her food or toys? What would she think of the other dogs? The cats?
Because we didn't know the answers to any of those questions, we assumed she hadn't lived indoors, wasn't housetrained, did guard food and toys, etc.
Instead of letting her run off and explore the indoors on her own, she was leashed inside the house and we accompanied her from room to room as she sniffed and investigated each corner. Instead of waiting for her to go to the bathroom inside, we took her out every hour. Even after she did her business outside, she was still kept on leash inside — there was no telling what she'd get into, what she'd chew, what she'd eat if left to her own devices.
We each took turns taking her outside every hour, and would make note of what she did (pee or poop) outside and when she did it. Thirty minutes after she had her breakfast and dinner, we took her outside, as well. Before long, not only was it easier for us to predict when she'd have to go, but she picked up on the schedule.
After having Copper for two weeks now, my parents have only had to clean up after her one time! And this from a stray dog who may have never been house trained in her life!
The key to successfully house training a dog, no matter their age, is schedule and supervision. My parents had the scheduling part down pat – every hour on the hour. The supervision part is two-fold: supervision while you're home and supervision (or containment) when you're not at home, or unable to supervise.
My parents don't have a crate, but they are able to safely confine Copper when they go away from the house. They've got a tile hallway that's perfect for keeping a dog safe (off the counters and furniture) and easy clean up if Copper goes to the bathroom indoors.
As Copper and my parents adjust to one another, my parents will start leaving her alone with more freedom for short periods of time.
It's not hard to house train an older dog, it just takes patience, attention, and diligence!
My Favorite Doggie Comic Strip
If you love dogs, you'll love Red + Rover. It's my favorite comic strip. I read it every day in the Washington Post.
I love it because Rover is a yellow Lab and because the love that Red has for Rover (and vice versa) captures very well the way I feel about my own yellow Lab, Tango. (And how I hope he feels about me.)
It's a great pick-me-up each day. If your paper doesn't carry Red + Rover, you can see it every day, and even subscribe to have it delivered every day to your email in-box.
Homemade Dog Toys – Go Green!
I've posted a few times about homemade dog toys and here's another one! It's really fun to try to create new ones and I think I'm officially hooked!
Today, instead of just giving the dogs their Kong's, I thought I'd challenge them a bit. [Even frozen peanut butter has become too easy for the dogs to get out.] So I rummaged through the recycle bin and the trash and came up with some cool "Kong holders."
I had an empty six-pack container that once held beer. I wedged Lily's Kong down into the bottom of one of the compartments.
For Nemo, who isn't very good at these puzzles, I put his Kong in an empty peanut butter jar. The jar still had some peanut butter residue, which I thought might make him more interested and help him figure out how to get the Kong out.
Tango's Kong went into an empty granola bar box (and I re-closed it).
I wrapped an old paper plate around Lucky's Kong and then put it in my trusty paper lunch sack and wrapped that up tightly too.
I wish I would have taken pictures — it was quite a sight. Lily was carrying the six-pack around trying to find a good spot to work. Nemo took his peanut butter jar to the crate for some privacy and a quiet place to do some thinking. Tango went to work on his right away, simply chewing the cardboard box until he could get to the Kong. Lucky loves to rip things apart, so he relished every second of his challenge.
It still didn't take them very long — looks like I need to make the containers a little bit more challenging. I'm eyeing an almost empty ice cream container…