News Archives - Page 12 of 62 - Smart Dog University

Early Spring Snow: Dogs Go Crazy!

March 25, 2013

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, there are two schools of thought about the snow (or lack thereof) this winter:

Yay!
Boo!

I’m not a fan of winter, except for the snow. For me to be happy, we need a blizzard. Or at least a few 8″+ storms.

This year’s been a bust for snow lovers. It’s now spring. S-P-R-I-N-G. As in daffodils blooming, birds chirping, and sun shining.

Except here. Here in the spring, we’re having the most snow of the entire year.

Well, it’s not all bad. The dogs enjoyed it. Immensely.

I love they way the dogs revert to their puppyhood when the ground turns white. This was Schooner’s first snow ever. He liked it quite a bit. This is the dog that won’t go out in the rain — yet his back is completely snow-covered and he’s thrilled about it. I can’t explain it, I can only take pictures and report about it.

Being a puppy, and an uncoordinated + clumsy Great Dane pup at that, he had some fun in the snow. Check out the bottom picture if you need a pick-me-up for your mood. Have I mentioned that Dane pups lack any coordination whatsoever?

Was your winter snowy or not-so-snowy? Do you have snow-loving dogs?

Do You Have a Favorite Dog?

March 22, 2013

Tango’s almost 10 years old. The elbow ailment that led to his release from the service dog program is finally becoming apparent.

Each month, I take my boy for acupuncture to help stave off the need for non-steroidal anti inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs).

I was an acupuncture skeptic. I’m all about research, empirical data — show me it works and I’ll believe that it works. We’re on our fourth session and I can confidently say that acupuncture is working for my boy.

I love our acupuncture days. It gives me 45 uninterrupted, quiet, by-ourselves minutes to enjoy Tango. No puppy interruptions. No “pet me, let me out, or feed me” disturbances from other dogs. I took this picture today at his acupuncture appointment.

It’s clear to everyone (and yes, every dog) that Tango’s my favorite boy. He gets the choice-iest leftovers, he gets the most attention, the best spot on the couch. You name it — he gets the best or the most. Or pretty much whatever he wants.

I’ve been thinking a lot about why he’s my favorite. We’ve got three other dogs in the house, why isn’t one of them my favorite, I wonder. I think it’s pretty simple: Tango loves me as much as I love him.

And that’s saying something.

I think he loves me more than my parents or my husband.

That’s not a slight to either my parents or my husband. It’s just the way it is. Tango depends on me. He enjoys me. He thinks I’m funny. He knows I’ll give him something extra.

And that’s ok with me. And so far, it seems to be ok with the other dogs, too. They are ALL loved (to excess, actually) and they have their favorites, too (it’s my husband, Dana). Go figure.

Which brings me to the question: Do YOU have a favorite dog? Why? Do you feel guilty even admitting that you have a favorite. (Clearly, I don’t.) Leave a comment and let me know!

Comfortable, Relaxed — My Go-Anywhere Dog

March 8, 2013

I’m at ClickerExpo (CE), a fantastic national animal training and behavior conference, with my dog, Tango. If you read this blog, you know he’s my favorite boy. He’s “the best dog ever,” a phrase my husband is sick of hearing, as I say it multiple times every single day.

But he really is — he’s the best dog ever. He’s my “go anywhere” dog. He started out as a service dog in-training. He would have made a fabulous service dog. His service career was cancelled when x-rays showed elbow trouble at a year old. He spent a year in public as a service dog trainee and his adjustment to pet dog status wasn’t smooth. He loved public access — he wanted to continue to go everywhere with me: he didn’t understand that his release from the service dog program ended his public access.

For that very reason, I got him involved in therapy work. There isn’t a happier therapy dog out there. He loves his weekly elementary school visits where he’s allowed access to areas forbidden to “regular dogs.” I know I’m anthropomorphizing, but the pep in his step, the way he holds his head high, and the way he leads ME to the classroom can’t be mistaken: he BELONGS in public (according to him).

So when it comes time for ClickerExpo, he’s my go-to boy, as they allow (no, encourage) attendance with well-behaved dogs. Tango considers this another “forbidden access” privilege (even though ALL dog- and people-friendly dogs are allowed at CE) and he absolutely delights in this kind of access.

The beauty of a well-trained, friendly dog is that they really can go anywhere (that they’re allowed, of course). Here’s the thing: not every well-trained, friendly dog *should* go everywhere. Some dogs simply wouldn’t enjoy it: there is applause, tight quarters with other (tempting) dogs, public address systems (that sometimes malfunction and squeal loudly), and almost no nap-time. If you’ve spent any time with your dog, you know that they sleep a lot. Naps are an integral part of their day. At CE, there are limited napping opportunities, and often, the dogs are too keyed up to *really* sleep.

Tango is my only go-anywhere dog. I’m fortunate to have one — there aren’t a whole lot of that kind of dog out there. Nemo, our Dane/Hound mix (and K9 Nose Work star) wouldn’t be happy at a conference like this. Lily, the sweet Labrador matriarch of our household, would be so stressed.

Not every dog is conference-appropriate, but a little bit of training goes a long way. Every year, we take Nemo to our MLB farm team’s doggie day in the ballpark event. That event affords him the space he needs and it’s short enough that he enjoys his time there. Lily enjoys long nature hikes (where we’re unlikely to run into many dogs). If we hadn’t spent time teaching them good manners, they wouldn’t be afforded that access. Good manners allow them a lot more “freedom.”

The moral of this story: spend time to teach your dog good manners. It may take a few “good manners” classes (which means an investment of your time and your money). Also: know your dog. More importantly: HONOR your dog and his (or her) personality and preferences. This conference *just happens* to be right up Tango’s alley. He’s the best conference companion a girl could ask for. And he’ll be ten years old in a couple of months — we’re going to do as much as we can together while he still enjoys it.

Do you have a “go-anywwhere” dog? Where do you go together? Or, really, more importantly: do you NOT have a go-anywhere dog and if so, where do you go so the two of you can enjoy one another’s company? Please leave a comment and let everyone know!

Metro DC Pet Owners: Super Pet Expo is Coming

March 7, 2013

Cats, dogs, birds, whatever your pet, the Super Pet Expo’s a cool place to find cool toys, treats, and other products for your pet. It’s happening March 15 – 17 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA.

Obviously, I’m biased toward dogs (although we do have a kitty named Autumn who rules this roost), and my favorite part of Super Pet Expo is watching the DockDiving dogs. Having retrievers, I love anything that involves water and dogs. Be sure to head over to see them — it’s amazing to watch those dogs jump into the air and then land with a big splash in the water!Poolside for Dock Diving

There will be over 150 pet-related vendors (who doesn’t like to shop, especially for their dog!). I like to see all the cool training toys and treats available.

All the details:
The Expo hours are 4p – 9p on Friday; 10a – 7p on Saturday; and 10a – 5p on Sunday. It’ll cost $13 for adults, $8 for kids (age 4 – 12) and $0 for kids 3 and under. You can avoid long lines and buy your tickets online. Well behaved, friendly pets are welcome on leash — no retractable leashes!

Wanna win free tickets? There’s a Rafflecopter giveaway for this event! Just click on the link and enter to win your Expo passes. This will end on March 13 to allow time to get the Expo passes to the winner.

Traveling: With or Without the Dog?

February 22, 2013

We’re a travel-with-the-dogs family. We went to Europe a couple years ago and I missed my dogs so much it hurt. I remember being in the middle of the Black Forest and wishing my dogs could be there to enjoy the beautiful hike with us. Or…the Mediterranean was breathtaking, but all I could think of is “Wow, the Labradors would love this beach!” We made our lodging choices based on which ones had dogs!

Our annual vacation since forever has been Lake Anna in central Virginia. We go there for a lot of reasons, but mainly because (a) we can take the dogs and (b) the dogs have more fun on vacation than we do. We have Labradors — is there anything better than an entire lake just for the dogs?

For years, we’ve been toying with the idea of a “new” vacation. Maybe fly out west and find our inner cowboy. I’ll spend a month or two, deftly researching all our options, deciding which ranch has dogs (because, really, we wouldn’t even consider a ranch without dogs). Then, when it comes down to sending in a deposit and making a reservation, it always comes back to “Nah, I’d rather spend our vacation at the lake with the dogs.”

It’s cheaper yes, to stay at my parents’ place on Lake Anna. No airfare, no lodging costs.

More importantly, the dogs love it.

And, because they love it, we love it.

Needless to say, we’ll be headed back to Lake Anna this year for vacation. And we’ll love it — dogs included.

Do you travel with your dog?

If dogs could travel on their own, I often think it’d be like this. This happens to be one of my favorite commercials on tv right now. I really identify with what that last dog is driving. Makes me laugh every time I see it.

So, think about it: What IF your dog could travel on his own. What would his doggie driver’s license look like? Subaru’s Facebook Page is pretty tricked out right now and it’s gonna make dog lover’s pretty darn happy. One of the cool things you can do there is create your dog’s very own driver’s license! I did it for my favorite traveling companion, Tango — that’s his DL at the beginning of this post! [Note: don’t use your real address, as that information will go on your dog’s drivers license and will be posted!]

Subaru must be pretty dog-friendly. What with the commercials, the Facebook page, and the cool apps — I think the CEO (or at least the marketing chief) must have several dogs. Their Facebook page has lots of cool doggie options. I mentioned the doggie driver’s license earlier, they also have a Doggie Matchmaker (it’ll tell you what Subaru is the right set of wheels based on your dog’s age, breed, and favorite activity. They said Tango would look great in a Subaru Forester.

Forester gives you the versatility to go from forest reserve to kennel club and back with the balance of right-sized utility and fuel efficiency.

Wanna win a Rafflecopter giveaway? What the heck’s a Rafflecopter giveaway, I guess is what you’re asking. It’s an easy way to enter a contest. This contest is offering a couple of cool prizes:

The 1st place winner gets a $350 gift card (not too shabby!);
The 2nd place winner gets $150 gift card.

You’ll need to like Subaru’s Facebook page to enter, but the other 4 entries are optional and can be done once each day. The rafflecopter opens at 12:00 am ET on Monday, February 18th and closes at 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, February 24th. You can enter once every day as long as the raffle is open. Just click the link above and enter! Good luck!

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post is sponsored by Subaru. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Dog Tested. Dog Approved.™ campaign.

Dogs: Pets or Family?

February 8, 2013

I am an only-child. Growing up, I thought our dogs were my siblings. I’m not kidding. They were fantastic brothers and sisters though. We were as thick as thieves — we’d set out on a new adventure everyday. Sometimes I would lead the way, other times they were the trail boss. We always found good stuff to get into, no matter what. We’d all come back filthy, hair rife with hitch hikers and briers, much to my mother’s dismay. But, ooooh, was it fun!

I was never lonely and I never wished for a “real” brother or sister. Eeew. No way! Life was good back then. I’ve had a dog (or dogS) my entire life. And will have them for the rest of my life, I’m sure.

Because dogs are important family members in this house, I pay close attention to the advertisers that use dogs in their campaigns. Being a positive reinforcement trainer, I pay special attention to the dogs (and the equipment they’re wearing, and their body language, and, and, and…) in the commercials and how they’re used. Are they being exploited? Made fun of? Used just for their cuteness? For their badness?

Check out this teaser ad, I think the ad agency knows how to connect to dog people!

Look at those happy dogs! And how well they’re trained. Being a dog trainer, I look for stuff like that. I don’t just want a dog in my commercials — I want a happy dog in my commercials!

For a full look at the commercial that contains the scene above, check this out. It’s one of my favorite commercials. I especially like the last scene — that’s totally a dog I’d have. I won’t ruin it, watch it for yourself. “I have no questions!”

I’m really liking the folks at Subaru — they really get us dog people. They’re making commercials with dogs in them, for goodness sake! How good does it get? They’re to dog people what Budweiser is to Clydesdale people. They really get us.

I found this on the Subaru Facebook page: you can get your dog a driver’s license. It’s not real, of course. As much as I’d like to think that Tango could take the wheel on one of our cross country road trips, just because Subaru gave him a doggie driver’s license doesn’t make it so. Either way, it’s pretty cute. There’s other stuff there that will interest you if you have dogs in your family (matchmaker, dog route mapping system, doggie drivers license, and ask an expert).

Are your dogs considered family members? Or pets? There’s no right answer — no judgement here!

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post is sponsored by Subaru. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Dog Tested. Dog Approved.™ campaign. Regardless, I’m a Subaru fan and love that they (1) know that dog people are a viable audience and (2) have happy dogs in their commercials without yucky “training” equipment.

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