Blog Archives - Page 9 of 37 - Smart Dog University

Ryan and Matt Do Clicker Expo Reno

March 2, 2016

Clicker Expo Reno

What do Matt Damon and Ryan Gosling have in common (aside from being good looking celebrities, I mean)? They both showed up at ClickerExpo – Reno 2016. Matt Damon helped Susan Friedman drive home the point for one of her talks, while Ryan Gosling helped Hannah Branigan and I explain and motivate dog trainers to use Triple Planning to build better dog training classes.

Clicker Expo, Triple Planning, Laurie Luck, Hannah Branigan, dog trainer

Work, work, work.

There was much running around, rehearsing presentations [or as I like to call it finishing the damn presentation], meeting up with friends seen only once each year at Expo, and shopping. There was also lots of learning. It’s always been hard to choose between talks at Expo, but it seemed almost impossible to get to everything I wanted to see this year. I needed another two or three me’s if I really wanted to cover every talk that appealed to me.

Clicker Expo, Hannah Branigan, Laurie Luck

Speakers

Ken Ramirez kicked off Expo talking about training butterflies and spiders. I’ll stick to man’s best friend, thankyouverymuch. Although, if I could train the spiders to stay outside, I guess that might be a worthwhile effort. Hannah Branigan’s talk in which she painted dogs was fascinating. If anyone can examine something to the degree of a gnat’s eyebrow, it’s Hannah.

Susan Friedman talked about a million fascinating things. I would listen to that woman read the phone book, honestly. Her voice is calm and soothing, I feel like everything’s going to be alright when she’s talking. She covered the stuff that really makes you think, like Functional Analysis: The Sexy Side of ABC. And she included Matt Damon in her talk. Can anyone ask for more?

I talked about a lot of business-ey things because that’s what I love — making a living teaching dogs and their people. There was a quick session describing why niche marketing might be something to help R+ dog trainers get more clients who are (1) willing to use the clicker right out of the gate and (2) understand the value of your services.

Two seconds after that talk was over, I was on stage with Hannah Branigan (and Ryan Gosling, naturally) talking about Triple Planning. It was my first co-presenting gig. It could’ve been way worse, but thank goodness Ryan was there to make everything alright. We had a good turnout (but we know Ryan was the star, not us) and hopefully enough Ryan’s went home with the attendees that they’re already making a difference with their new Triple Plans.

triple planning, clicker expo, reno, hannah branigan, Laurie Luck

Family and fun. (A little R + R)

I brought my dad along with me to Reno. He spent most of the days playing the card tables while I was getting my geek on in the conference sessions. My dog training life overlapped with my family life a little when my dad declared he’d like to come hear one of my talks. It was a bit odd looking out from my percha as a dog trainer/speaker and seeing family there, but it was reassuring all at the same time. Apparently one talk was all he could handle, though, as he spirited off as soon as I finished my talk. He did give me a thumbs up, but hey, he’s my dad. He had to say that.

The west is beautiful country. Here’s the sunrise from the hotel one morning.

My dad and I took off on a day adventure to Virginia City. It was incredible! On the way up, we left this (that’s Reno in the valley)

And went through this on our way up the mountain.

We arrived in Virginia City and I immediately wanted to take this mule home with me.

All kinds of places to visit in an old mining town like Virginia City.

It’s an authentic (touristy) old west town complete with saloons and “front street.”

I didn’t find any spare gold or silver lying around.

Virginia City, Comstock Lode, ClickerExpo

A week away was a long, long time. I wrote this on the airplane en route to Baltimore, MD. It was another 36 hours before I made it home, but I’m thrilled to announce that we managed to outfox the Reno Plague (Noro virus) and were one of the few lucky escapees who made it out vomit-free.

In a few weeks, I’m headed out to Cincinnati for the second Clicker Expo. Will I see you there?

Walk Your Dog Day!

February 22, 2016

Today is Walk Your Dog Day!

Good thing I took our two Labradors out! I’d have feel like a heel missing Walk Your Dog Day, for heavens sake.

Walk Your Dog Day, labrador, yellow lab, black lab, old dog, dog training, dog walking, clicker, Smart Dog University, Frederick, Mt. Airy — She’s always in my way. – Tango

The old dogs love their walks.

Today, finally, we had enough sunshine, warmth, and snow melt that I could get these guys out where they could sniff to their heart’s delight. They seem to be especially interested in the smells where the ginormous mounds of snow were pushed. I’m guessing there’s a concentrated pool of scent there that was pushed and dropped into one single spot.

We walked for almost 30 minutes (a record for Tango, who has arthritis in his feet, elbow, and shoulder [and possibly his spine, too]) and it took us just about as many minutes. We were walking a whopping 1 mile an hour! I had to chuckle — this was no exercise walk for me, that’s for sure, but the dogs devoured those scents and really spent some time getting their noses as deep into the mud as they could.

sniffing, walk your dog day, labrador, yellow lab, black lab, old dog, senior dog, clicker, dog training, Frederick, Mt. Airy, Smart Dog — Reading tree mail.

If you wish your dog would walk better on a leash, check out this article (and video).

Did you get your dog out for National Walk Your Dog Day? Add a picture to the comments!

Spent Grain Homemade Dog Treats

February 16, 2016

Spent grain? Huh? Homemade dog treats? Explain…

My husband is a hobby brewer (beer) and last weekend was a Brewing Weekend. I’m not going to pretend to understand it all (I’m only really interested in the final product), but during the brewing process (which looks a lot like the “double, double, toil and trouble” witches-around-a-cauldron scene from Shakespeare’s Macbeth), he winds up with some soggy “spent” grains. In the past, he’s thrown them in the yard (don’t get me started…) and we’ve noticed that the dogs love to eat the spent grain. Here’s what spent grain looks like:

dog treats, homemade, spent grain, dog treats, dog training, dog obedience, clicker, Frederick, Mt. Airy — Spent grain. Isn’t it pretty?

Because I was home and not working (for once) on a weekend, I got a bee in my bonnet and decided to make spent grain homemade dog treats.

I surfed around a bit (thanks, Google) and found a great recipe on Deschutes Brewing (great beer, btw). You gotta love a brewery who takes the time to add a dog treat recipe to their website. Anyway, it’s about as simple as it gets — four basic ingredients: peanut butter, eggs, spent grain, and flour.

You just mix it all together with your hands (always fun to roll up my sleeves and get right into the mix with my hands), roll it out, and then use whatever cookie cutters you have. I used hearts (it was just Valentines Day, y’know), dog bones, and of course a Labrador!

Those are the raw cookies. Wanna hear a secret? I tasted the dough. Raw. With eggs. And I didn’t get salmonella. I know, I know. It can happen. I live life on the edge. I’m a risk-taker like that.

That cookie dough wasn’t bad. If I was really going to dig in, I’d need some sugar, but the dogs don’t have the same sweet tooth we humans do so they’re just fine without it.

So those are the finished spent grain homemade dog treats! The dogs said they loved them. SOMEONE ate half a plate from the counter. There are only two dogs who can actually reach that high [::cough Nemo:: ::cough Schooner::], but there isn’t any incriminating evidence upon which to convict. So I guess they’re all innocent. Yeah, right.

Spent grain, by the way, can be acquired fairly easily if you live near a brewery or if you know some home brewers. Do not give the dogs hops in any form — that’s a big ol’ no-no.

Old Dogs + Young Dogs: Living (Together) Happily Ever After

February 3, 2016

It’s important that your older dog lives a full and happy life – especially if she’s living with younger, more rambunctious dogs.

In our household, we’ve got a 165 pound, three year old Great Dane living with our 55 pound, 14 year old Labrador. Size difference alone is enough to give any owner pause, but when the 55 pound dog is ancient in dog years, the concern escalates. This month’s newsletter focuses on what you should be looking for if you’ve got an significant age discrepancy in your household, as well as some easy changes you can make to ensure that both the older and younger dogs’ needs are being met.

Regardless of size differences, there are some big differences between young dogs and old dogs.

older dog, younger dog, dog training, dog obedience, clicker, Frederick, Mt. Airy, Smart Dog University — Schooner thinks this is fun. Nemo doesn’t.

Physical health

Older dogs, just like older people, frequently suffer from generalized aches and pains that their younger counterparts know nothing about. Sore backs, necks (I can identify with that), and hips mean that the older dogs might not be so fond of physically rough play such as body slamming, hip checking, and paws to the face and back. When the older dog snarls at the younger one, she’s not just being grumpy – she’s in pain and grumpy because of that pain.

Endurance + persistence

Young dogs wake up ready to go, go, go! And they can GO! all day. When we were raising service puppies, I could barely get up from my office chair before the young dog was up, tail wagging, ready for the next adventure – even if it meant we just went to the bathroom. Older dogs generally have less endurance than the younger ones – they often don’t like to play as hard or for as long. The fabulous game of “chase me, I have your favorite toy!” is fun for five minutes to the older dog, not the 45 minutes that it is to the younger dog.

Idea of “what’s fun”

Older dogs can often be happy with strolls around the neighborhood, whereas young dogs often find even 3+ walks a day just absolutely boring! The younger dogs may need 3-hour adventures through the woods, or a 3 mile cross country run. Some older dogs still like to engage in play, but it’s often a different version of play than that of a younger dog. Older dogs sometimes enjoy a low-key version of the “chase and be chased” games, while some younger dogs like a more physical game like “run and jump on heads.”

What to look for

If you’ve got older and younger dogs living together, it’s important to keep your eyes open for the signs that indicate your older dog isn’t happy. Here are some of the more common signs of discomfort or stress:

Avoidance – the older dog gets up and moves when the younger dog comes into the room. Another sign that your senior dog is avoiding the younger is the subtle head turn. This looks very similar to what people do when they are ignoring another person. The head turns away, the eyes are averted, and there isn’t any acknowledgement that the other is there.
Withdrawal – the older dog lets go of a toy as soon as the younger dog shows even a slight interest.
Pain – the older dog yips or whines if the younger dog plays too roughly.
Snarling, growling – sometimes if the younger dog isn’t getting the message that the older dog wants some space, the older dog must resort to stronger language. That’s usually when we hear the snarling, barking, or growling.

What to do

Provide relief — If your younger dog just won’t leave the older dog alone, set up a baby gate to separate the two dogs. Your older dog needs rest and deserves an undisturbed place to sleep comfortably. A crate works well, too, to contain the younger dog (or the older dog if she’s comfortable in a crate). Another alternative is to keep the younger dog on a leash so you can control his access to the senior. If he can’t reach the senior, he can’t cause her any worry or distress. Do give the younger dogs something to do – a food stuffed toy, playing fetch or tug with you, or even some good manners training will do!
Protect the older dog — If your senior has any vision or hearing loss, it will be important for you to keep her safe from the younger dog that is growling or showing his teeth. Old dogs can often miss those signals due to hearing or vision loss. I have to gate Schooner in another room when we’re feeding the dogs because Lily likes to check everyone’s bowls after she’s done her dinner. She can’t hear Schooner’s polite, but serious warning growl because she’s losing her hearing.
No bullying — It’s unfair to the older dog to expect them to “put the younger dog in his place.” Many dogs will suffer in silence instead of correcting the younger, out-of-line dog. Would you expect your great-grandmother to put your grandkids “in their place” or would you instead speak to the kids and modify their behavior so they didn’t bug poor great-grandma? Hopefully, you’d get a handle on the kids fairly quickly so great-grandma could enjoy her time with them instead of counting the minutes until they were gone. If your older dog won’t stand up for herself, the responsibility is on your shoulders to curtail the younger dog’s actions and access to the older dog.

I think having multiple dogs is the greatest thing about living with dogs. I cherish every minute I have with my oldsters and I love the levity and laughter that the young dog brings to the household. I am always aware, though, of the happiness quotient over the old guys and girls. They’ve lived long, good lives – the old dogs deserve to spend their senior lives comfortable and happy.

Bed Bliss

January 11, 2016

Our dogs are allowed on the furniture.

With a Great Dane, whose 160 pound frame needs lots of cushion, and Labradors, the snuggliest dogs ever, it’s sort of a necessity that the dogs have furniture privileges.

Which is great. It really is.

But it’s also why I love to travel for work.

I’m away from home for work a lot. This month, for instance, I’m out of town 13 out of 31 days.

Working out of town means I stay in hotels a lot.

This month I’m in a hotel bed almost as much as I’m in my own bed.

Why do I love to travel so much? I mean, I’m away from the dogs, from Smart Dog University, from my husband! All true. And I do miss them when I’m gone.

What I don’t miss, however, is dog hair everywhere.

Dog drool everywhere. On the walls.

On the fridge.

Dogs taking up every available piece of furniture so the only seat left for me is the coffee table.

Dogs kicking me out of my very own bed.

This, my friends, is bliss. An entire bed. To myself.

I can lay across the bed, I can lay sideways, I can have the entire bed to myself. Not a piece of drool anywhere. The only mess is the one I make. And believe me, I’m no where near as messy as a 3 year old Great Dane.

I can’t live the hotel life for long, mind you. But for a night or two? Bliss.

Are your dogs allowed on the furniture? Do you have a guilty pleasure revolving around your dogs (or the lack thereof)? Do share in the comments!

Aging Gracefully (Your Dog. Not You.)

January 6, 2016

Aging dogs

We have a house of aging dogs. At 14, 12 ½, and 10 years old – and a 3 year old, the whippersnapper – our house is beginning to revolve around the oldsters. Having an older dog changes the way you budget, live, and well, love.

Dogs are living longer

Dogs are living longer now, thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, accessible veterinary care, and dog health insurance. Like people, as dogs age, they typically need more care. Young dogs are healthy for the most part and need to be seen by a veterinarian usually only for their yearly veterinary exam; generally they’re not suffering from anything other than excess energy and boundless enthusiasm (that you sometimes wish your veterinarian could prescribe a pill for!). Until their senior years, dogs don’t need the veterinarian until they start to develop age-related issues such as lumps and bumps, arthritis, back and neck pain, cancer, heart disease, liver and kidney disease, diabetes, weakness, and yes, even senility and dementia. Two of our older dogs are also starting to show some losses in both hearing and vision.

Because of those health changes, we, the caretaker, need to make some changes to help our dogs remain comfortable and happy for as long as possible. Some of the changes we’ve been making in our household over the past couple of years include budgeting more money for veterinary care. Two of our three seniors are on daily medication now (and will be for the rest of their life). That’s extra money out of our wallet each month, even though the costs of most of the medications are fairly low (so far). In addition to medications, we’re finding that we’re making trips to the veterinarian more frequently now, too. Thanks to advances in the field, we now have available to us tools such as supplements, acupuncture, laser treatment, and massage. These treatments can often improve your dog’s quality of life, range of motion, and activity level. These treatments, of course, come at an additional cost.

Comfort

Another area we’ve noticed that we’ve made significant changes in is our dog’s comfort. When they were younger, they were happiest lying on the floor. They’d bypass a bed to flop out, frogleg style, on the hardwood floor. It’s not a matter of want any longer, now they need a bed. And not just any bed – the cushier the better for their old, sore bones. We’ve been replacing the thinner “crate pad” style beds with the more comfortable orthopedic style beds. There are still a few thinner beds lying around here and there, but more often than not, you’ll find our seniors snuggled down into a 8” thick bed snoozing happily away.

In addition to getting thicker beds, we’ve also gotten some ramps and stairs so the dogs can get into the car without pain or injury. Our dogs are too big to lift into and out of the car or the furniture, and because it’s difficult for them to jump into/onto and out of/off our cars and furniture, we’re always on the lookout for things that will help them get around more easily.

Thankfully we live in a one-story rancher so the dogs don’t have to navigate steps every day. For dogs with arthritis, vision problems, or back/neck issues, stairs can be nearly impossible as they age. If you have a multi-level house and an aging dog, consider building them a comfy, safe spot to sleep on the main floor (and help them gradually acclimate to it).

Exercise

Exercise needs can change as your dog gets older, as well. There was a time when it took five full days of vacation (swimming 9a – 6p) before our dogs would take a break to catch a nap. Now, they’re sleeping more than they’re swimming. Instead of taking them on every hike and jaunt, we consider the activity level and plan to take (or leave) them accordingly. Most dogs don’t get enough exercise, whether they’re young dogs or seniors. Exercise is vital to your aging dog – check with your veterinarian to find out just how much and what kind of exercise is right for your dog. One of our seniors can handle about ½ mile walk, while another can go for 3.5 miles and still be ready for more. Adjust the exercise you give your pet to suit their particular needs – and health.

Cognitive and behavior changes

Dogs are living longer now and we’re starting to see dogs with dementia. Our most senior dog, Lily, is beginning to show signs of cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive dysfunction can look like disobedience: pooping or peeing inside, not listening, unwillingness to sit or lie down, and stubbornness. Your older dog probably isn’t being stubborn or spiteful, she’s aging plain and simple. Lily will occasionally poop without being aware that she’s going to the bathroom. She’s not being bad or spiteful, she’s getting old. We don’t even blink now when it happens: we clean it up and move on without a word.

Resources

There are some great resources for caretakers of aging dogs. Two that I love are The Gift of a Gray Muzzle by Kathy Sdao and Lori Stevens (available at ClickerTraining.com) and Remember Me?: Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction by Eileen Anderson.

What changes are you noticing with your senior dog? Leave a comment and let us know (and if you’ve got any tips or hints to help improve our seniors’ lives).

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