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Giveaway! How to Make a Warm Broth for Your Dog: “Steamy Pups”

March 13, 2014

It’s been one heck of a winter here in the mid-Atlantic.

We’ve had snow after snow, downright abysmal temperatures, and more sleet and freezing rain than you can shake a stick at. It’s the kind of cold that hurts. The dogs hate it, we hate it — everyone’s miserable.

When I come in from walking the dogs, shoveling the porch, or getting the mail, all I can think of is “get me warm” as I reach for the hot chocolate, teeth chattering all the while.

The instant that hot chocolate hits my belly, I’m instantly happier. I can feel myself warming from the inside out. It’s delectable. So I thought: “Hey, I bet the dogs would enjoy something like this, too!“

Lo and behold, enter The Honest Kitchen’s Steamy Pups broth!

It’s really easy to make, too.

Pour 1c of warm water into a cup or bowl, whisk in the Steamy Pups. Voila! You’re got a warm, delicious broth for your dog.

You can use this as a quick “warm ’em up” broth, or if you have a picky eater, just drizzle some of the Steamy Pups onto their kibble and let it soak in a bit before offering it to your dog.

I think Steamy Pups would also be great if your dog has a decreased appetite due to an illness or digestive upset. Many medications need to be taken with food, but it’s sometimes hard to get a sick dog to eat. With Steamy Pups, you’ll have less of a struggle to get your dog to eat his regular food, making medicating even easier.

The Honest Kitchen has kindly offered to send one of our lucky readers a package of Steamy Pups.

The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (sorry!) through March 16, 2014.

To enter, leave a comment below telling us one of your favorite springtime activities you do with your dog. Comments submitted before midnight (EDT) on March 23 will be eligible. Good luck!

Winners will be contacted via email.

When and How to Use “No” in Dog Training

March 6, 2014

How many times a day do you say “No” to your dog?

Oh no, the dog is digging at the carpet. “NO!”
Oh jeez, the dog is barking at the door. “NO!”
Good grief, the dog is chasing the cat. “NO!”
Drat, the dog is chewing on the coffee table. “NO!”
Holy moly, the dog is peeing on the rug. “NO!”
Oh my word, the dog is tugging on the drapes. “NO!”
Are you kidding me? The dog is playing chase with my shoe! “NO!”

I got tired (and frustrated) just typing all those things, I can’t even imagine living like that every day!

Would it surprise you to know that I rarely use the word “no,” when I’m training my dogs (and the service dogs and all the dogs that come through my classes)?

It’s true: the word “no” is never used by me to teach dogs anything. Ever.

How does “no” help a dog understand what to do? Sure, it may interrupt your dog from getting in trouble, but that’s a short-lived product — it stopped the behavior in the moment, but the dog will go back and do the same old thing again…until you say “no,” … again. And again, and again, and again.

That’s the trouble with “no.” It’s just an interrupter.

It doesn’t give the dog a clue as to the correct thing to do. Ultimately, you want the dog to know what to do. You don’t want to waste your day “putting out fires” with the word “no.”

Here’s my challenge to you.

Start noticing how many times you say no to your dog every day. Keep a little tally either on a scrap of paper, or just in the back of your mind.

Then, take a look at the things your saying “no” to. Write those things down.

Next to each item on your list, write down what you’d like your dog to do instead of what he’s really doing.

Finally, when he’s doing the wrong thing, that you would’ve said “no” to, ask him instead to do something you’d like him to do, then reward him for that. Here’s an in-depth article about exactly how to do that. It’s short, I promise, and it’ll really help you stop saying “no” so much.

Talk to me. Do you think you can eliminate at least some of the no’s from your vocabulary?

Give it a whirl for a month, then come back and let me know how it went!

How to Teach Your Dog to Settle

February 27, 2014

The doorbell rings, and chaos reigns.

The dog is barking at the door, you’re trying to pull him back so he doesn’t run out when the door opens — all the while your guests are waiting on the other side of the door, out in the cold. And once the guests are inside, now the dog is jumping on them!

There’s an easy solution: teach your dog to settle.

Wouldn’t it be nice if your dog could run to his bed, lay quietly and wait until your guests come in the door? Settle is the answer you’ve been looking for.

To teach this, start with some really good treats in a bowl, your clicker, and an appropriately sized mat. (A bath mat from your local big box store works perfectly for teaching this. Inexpensive, portable, and won’t slide around.)

Step 1: Drop the mat down in front of you and be ready to click the instant the dog steps a paw on the mat.

Step 2: When you click, deliver a treat off the mat. We need the dog to hop off the mat, so he can earn another click and treat when he wanders back on.

Step 3: Stay quiet (and patient) as your dog figures out that his foot on the mat earns him a click. Resist the urge to point to, pull your dog over to, or otherwise “help” your dog get to the mat. Let your clicker do all the talking.

Step 4: As your dog catches on, you’ll notice that he’s almost always getting at least one paw on the mat. Great! Now you’re ready to “raise the bar,” and reward only when there are two paws on the mat.

Step 5: Continue to click and treat every time your dog has two pas on the mat until he’s almost always getting at least two paws on the mat. Then raise the bar and click only when there are three paws on the mat. Then only when he has all four paws on the mat.

Step 6: When you’re willing to bet me $100 that your dog will come to the mat and put all four feet on the mat, you’re ready to wait for your dog to sit. The “wait” part is very important — resist the urge to ask your dog to sit. Remain silent. Let the clicker do all the communication. Click only when your dog volunteers a sit (on the mat). I promise you, the sit will happen if you’re patient.

Step 7: After the dog is reliably coming to the mat and sitting automatically, you’re going to wait for him to lie down. Again, no talking, just wait and then click and treat when it happens.

It’s that easy to teach your dog to go settle on a mat.

Things we need to add to make this useful in real life: a name (settle), distractions (doorbell ringing, for instance), distance (so you don’t have to go to the mat with the dog), duration (how long can he stay there?), and direction (so you don’t have to always face the mat in order for this to work).

Reunited with Schooner

February 26, 2014

“Service Dog Fridays” are long days for Levi and I, with six hours of driving, three hours of training, and they’re exhausting.

Last Friday, however, I was out of bed before the alarm. This long trek wasn’t really a trek at all — I was three hours from seeing Schooner, the big Great Dane I’d turned in a month earlier.

It had been a long month, full of mixed feelings and transitions.

I didn’t miss the trail of slime and slobber he left wherever he went. I didn’t miss his bed-hogging ways or his snoring. But man, did I miss his silly, sweet, goofy self. I missed his singing, his groaning, his laid-backness. I missed him a bunch.

Thankfully, I had a new service pup in-training, Levi, to occupy my time and to fill my days with ridiculously cute moments that lifted me out of the doldrums from missing Schoons.

It was all I could do to walk calmly into the training center, focusing on Levi and his people-greeting skills, and not running directly to Schooner. I could hear him singing his “woo-woos” and my insides felt like they were vibrating from the excitement of seeing him again.

The reunion was splendid.

Everything a girl could hope for. I may have cried. He was as excited as I was, as you can see from the video. I was so very happy to see him, but I was also a little sad because seeing him again reminded me of just how much I missed him…

I’m counting the days until I can see him again.

Talk to me: have you been reunited with a dog you fostered? What was the reunion like? Please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear your story.

How to Get Your Dog to Go to the Bathroom When You Ask

February 20, 2014

It’s raining, it’s cold. It’s time to walk the dog.

Don’t you wish you had a way to tell your dog “Hurry up! Let’s get this over with so we can get back inside where it’s dry and warm!”

Here’s a quick video to teach you how to do that! It’s fast, it’s easy, and all my dogs know how to go to the bathroom on cue.

What does it mean to go to the bathroom “on cue?” (And why am I using “cue” instead of “command?”)

When you can ask your dog to do something — and he does it! — you can call that behavior “on cue.” Old-fashioned trainers call it a command. I think it’s a little silly to command anyone, let alone a dog, to go to the bathroom. The thought of it makes me giggle. “I COMMAND YOU to take a tinkle.” Hahahahaha.

What word (or phrase) do you use to tell your dog to do his business? Leave a comment and let me know!

Our permanent three dogs know “Do your business.”
Levi and most of the dogs I raise know “Hurry up.”
Another service dog agency uses: “GitRDone!” (I’m not kidding.)

How to Medicate Your Dog’s Ears Quickly & Easily

February 13, 2014

Your dog has an ear infection and your veterinarian has sent you home with medicine for his ears, as well as ear cleaner.

Your instructions sound impossible: put the medicine in twice a day for two weeks (that’s 24 times!) and clean those ears well two times a week.

If you haven’t taught your dog to tolerate your handling of his ears or if he’s had a bad experience with ear meds in the past, you’re starting to sweat a little bit. How are you going to get those ear meds in, short of holding him down and forcing him to accept the meds? (Definitely not recommended!)

I have the temporary solution to medicating your dog’s ears.

This solution is to distract the dog with something fabulous just long enough to get the ear meds in.

This video shows you just how easy it is.

http://youtu.be/IMWPGE_cP-g

This will help you get through the critical medication protocol with as little stress and fewer protests so your dog can get well.

After the ear infection has been cleared up, you now need to go back and teach your dog that ear handling is a good thing, but that’s another article (and video) for another day.

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