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Bringing Up Baby…With A Dog In the House

November 2, 2013

I don’t remember what was going on in this picture, but I do remember the dog. That’s Penny, the first dog I ever had.

I don’t remember ever living without a dog. My earliest memories involve dogs. And a cat named Spyder Eyes who would hide and then LEAP onto me as I toddled by.

We don’t have kids, but most of the folks I work with do have children. The wise clients ask for advice on when to bring a dog into their family. The other clients call me after there’s a problem and they’re at wit’s end.

I think it’s wise to involve the children in the raising and training of the family dog as soon as they’re able. Supervision, obviously, is required. It’s not “nice to have” supervision, it’s “CRITICAL to have.”

Naturally, responsibility of dog care and training will increase as the children get older. I remember getting into the gigantic galvanized trash can to get our dogs’ their dinner. It seemed gigantic as a kid and I remember loving the smell of the dog food when the lid was opened. Our dogs lived outside back then and I had to carry water to their water bowls, too. I hated that job: the bucket was heavy and I always got soaked by the sloshing water. There was no getting out of it — the dogs needed their water, and it was one of my assigned duties.

If you have a dog and kids, why not let the kids participate in the care of your dog. Pet360 has some great tips on how to divvy out responsibility based on the age of your kids.

Your turn: Did you have a dog growing up? What were your dog-related chores. Do you have kids and a dog? Do your kids have responsibilities around the care, feeding, and training of the family dog? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.

This post is sponsored by Pet360. I have the chance to be compensated for spreading the word about Pet360.com, but Smart Dog Blog only shares stuff that WE like! [We don’t share just for money or bling, in other words.]

Service Dog Training: The Things A Dog Trainer Learns from Her Dogs

October 25, 2013

One of the reasons I love dogs is because they’re all different. We’re on service pup #15, Schooner, and oh, the things he’s teaching me!

One might think that dog training consists of the dog trainer teaching the dog. And yes, that’s true for the most part. My job is to help the dog learn. Opening up to learning from the dog, though, is when things get really cool. That’s where I am with Schooner in our training journey.

He’s teaching me. And he’s a pretty darn good teacher.

I’m learning:

to keep training sessions short
that training sessions better be fun
the dog can (and will) quit a training session if it isn’t fun
that not all dogs find chicken delightful and to keep searching and trying new treats until a I find one for which Schooner goes nutty
when I deliver a treat matters — slow is not acceptable (even when my click is perfectly timed)
dog brains develop on their own schedule and I need to modify my training schedule to match the dog’s schedule
keep training, even if it seems like the dog isn’t getting it
don’t be afraid to take a break from training for a few days, though if things feel like they’re not fun anymore
if you’re not smiling when you’re training, definitely take a break
some dogs are bottomless pits, while others walk away when they’re full — and that’s ok
clicker training conquers just about any training issue you throw at it AND the dog loves the solution

Schooner is 10-months old and he’s just now starting to really learn. I won’t lie: I was panicked for a couple of months because his progress was s o s l o w. The Labradors I’ve trained have always been ahead of me in the training game — I couldn’t teach them new things fast enough! Schooner, on the other hand, had a decidedly different path. He’s a “stop and smell the roses” kinda dog when it comes to learning.

His message in a nutshell: Don’t rush him, be patient, and his brains will eventually kick in. When I surrendered my need for progress, progress, progress, and let the dog dictate the pace, I was happily surprised with progress!

That, to me, is what dog training is all about. It’s a journey taken together with a little bit of give-and-take. It’s listening to one another, striving to create the opportunity for learning so that when the dog is ready to learn, I’m ready to teach.

Dog training is not about “making the dog” do anything. It’s not about shutting off behavior (jumping, barking, pulling etc.), it’s about getting lots more behavior and then rewarding only the good stuff that you want to see more of (sitting, chewing a toy, walking politely, etc.). If you hear someone say “just make him do it!” walk away. Quickly. That ain’t what dog training’s about. Not at all.

In the end, Schooner will have learned how to be a top-notch dog who can provide his human partner with the help she needs to get through life every single day. He’ll do it happily. He’ll do it eagerly. And together they’ll be a terrific working team, and — better still — a terrific team…period.

Your turn: What have you learned from your dog? Is your dog a good teacher? Are you a good learner? Let us know and leave a comment below!

3 Tools for A Dog Who Gulps His Food – Video

October 17, 2013

Having raised 15 puppies for service work, we’ve had lots of experience with food gulpers. You know the ones: the food bowl is down for 10 seconds and the food is gone. The dog doesn’t stop to enjoy or even chew his food, it’s basically inhaled. Sometimes the food will come back up — the whole meal — in a foamy lump on your floor. (And if you have Labradors, they’ll re-eat it. Ewww, gross!)

There are several reasons to slow your dog down when he’s eating his food. First, digestively, it’s not good to eat that quickly. The result is often the aforementioned pile on the floor. The dog inhales lots of air as he’s gulping and the stomach says “Get out!” With that air comes all the food. Ick. Another reason to slow your dog down is to get more out of meal time. Meal time doesn’t have to be just about getting your dog the required nutrition and calories. Your dog’s meal can do double-duty — it can entertain, it can teach, it can tire your dog out (mentally and physically). Here’s how to get more out of your dog’s meal.

Scatter
Ease: Super Easy
Cost: Free
How: Scatter your dog’s food across the lawn. Your dog can look for each individual kibble and work to free those kibbles from the grass. Don’t do this if your lawn is chemically treated, obviously. If your dog has never found food in the lawn, take a moment to show him how to do it. With your dog close by, toss some food into the lawn very close to your dog. Point out the individual kibbles to him so he understands there’s food to be found. As he gets better at this, you can scatter the kibble farther and wider.
Cautions: Be sure your dog isn’t eating sticks or plants while he’s finding kibble. Also, don’t use this method if you chemically treat your lawn.

Obstacles
Ease: Super Easy
Cost: Free if you have toys or tennis balls on hand. Otherwise, the cost is minimal.
How: Put enough tennis balls (or other dog toys) in your dog’s bowl on top of the food. I like tennis balls because they fit nicely in a dog bowl and are harder to pick out of the bowl than other dog toys. The dog needs to eat around the tennis balls, which takes longer and slows the dog down.
Cautions: Use appropriate sized objects. Be sure the tennis balls or objects are too large for the dog to swallow.

Specialty Bowls
Ease: Super Easy
Cost: Pricey
How: Simply put the food into the specially made bowl. There are many different versions of bowls made to slow down eating. They each look a little different, but they all work similarly: there are built-in obstacles requiring the dog to work to get the food out, thereby slowing the dog down.
Cautions: These bowls are made of plastic and are generally safe.

Other Ideas
You can also put your dog’s food into a food dispensing toy such as a Kong. These ideas require substantially more effort on your part, as you have to fill the toys before each meal. There is some cost involved, although Kong’s are usually less expensive than the specialty bowls.

Your Turn: Have you ever had a food gulper? What solutions have worked for you and your dog? Please share!

How to Teach Your Dog to Drop It [Video]

September 19, 2013

Dogs have a way of stealing things, then running off with them. They especially enjoy your pursuit of them through the house, while they almost let you catch them before sprinting off again. Or even more dastardly, they wind up under the sofa or bed, holding your item hostage.

We raise a lot of puppies here — usually one a year. I’ve gotten really good at teaching the dogs to happily give up their latest treasure. The video below will give you the first steps to teaching a rock-solid “drop it” to your dog.

First, you’ve got to get good at feigning indifference when you’re forgetful and leave something valuable within the dog’s reach. If it’s available to them, then in their minds, it’s theirs. So set your dog up for success and keep your good stuff way up high or in a cabinet or closet.

Then, teach your dog how good it is that they play with their own stuff. How? Simple: everytime you see them playing with one of their own toys, go play with them! Praise them! Make a big deal about it!

At the same time, you’re also going to teach them how to give stuff up. The video covers all that ground. This is the first of a series of Drop It videos, and it’ll get you started on the road of No More Stolen Stuff.

Your Turn: What’s the most valuable thing (or the most dangerous thing) you’ve gotten back from your dog? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Nanny Cam for Your Dogs

September 6, 2013

I found the coolest little techie gadget when I attended BlogHer last month. It’s a little camera called Dropcam and it’s the perfect tool for you if you want to keep an eye on your dog while your away from the house.

First, this is not a sponsored post. I won a Dropcam (can’t say now that I’ve never won anything!) from the BlogHer conference and have used it every day since it arrived.

What Is It?
The Dropcam consists of a small camera (4.5″ × 3.15″ × 3.15″) that you plug into a wall socket. As soon as you plug it in and tell it what wi-fi network to connect to, you’re up and running. Well, after you create an account (painless).

What Does It Do?
There are lots of different uses for a Dropcam, but I’m limiting this post to what interests dog people.

Peace of Mind. Know that your dogs are safe and secure by checking in on them while you’re at work or out running errands. It’s a relief for me to know my guys are snoozing while I’m out earning money to put food in their bowls.

Curiosity. What exactly do the dogs do while I’m gone? They sleep. A lot. They also sniff around to see what trouble they can get into. They trade sleeping spots. They bark sometimes if I leave the windows open and they hear the neighbor dogs. They get really excited when they hear me walk down the hallway when I get home!

Information gathering. Exactly how long does it take them to settle in after I leave? Are there any “discussions” between the dogs? Is anyone bossing anyone else around? When do they start to get restless? If there’s an <ahem> pile or puddle, just who left it? Who stole the stuff off the counter?

Accountability. Do you wonder if your dog walker really does come and spend time with your dogs? Now you’ll know.

Safety. Heaven forbid any tragedies, but hey, if you saw smoke in your house, you could call 911 and tell them to get to your address ASAP. There are documented positive burglar identifications and arrests thanks to the hi-def Dropcam cameras. Pretty worth it.

Pros of the Dropcam: In addition to all the above, I love that the Dropcam is so ridiculously easy to use. You need 2 things: (1) wifi and (2) electricity. If you’ve got those two things, you’ll be up and running in about 2 minutes (honestly). And I’m not a technology whiz.

I also LOVE that it has built-in night vision. And it’s really good night vision. I’m impressed at just how clear and sharp the “at night” video is. Warning: when you review the video taken at night, the night vision makes you think ghosts or something supernatural will appear. If you’ve ever watched any ghost hunting shows, you know what I mean. It looks creepy even when you’re just watching your dogs sleep.

You can watch your dogs from almost any tablet, phone, or computer. You also have the ability to talk to your dogs through the Dropcam. I haven’t used that feature, though, for fear that my dogs will think I’m home and get a little ballistic. But, still, it’s an option that might be attractive to some dog owners.

You get an alert anytime motion is detected. Handy so you don’t have to manually scroll through the video to look for movement if you’re archiving footage (which I highly recommend).

You have the option to turn the cameras on and off at scheduled intervals. Also, if you desire, you can share the Dropcam feed. Everything’s password protected, so no one else can drop in on what’s going on unless you’re sloppy with your password.

You can pay a nominal fee ($100/year) to have 7 days of video feed available. If you want more video archived, you can pay more money, but I don’t think any dog owner will need 30 days of footage. But it’s available if you want it.

The cost is ridiculous considering all the features. It’s $149. That’s it. Crazy inexpensive, isn’t it?

Cons: There aren’t a whole lot of cons. I guess the $100 for archiving a week’s worth of video might be a con. It’s not really, I mean $100/year for continually keeping 7 days worth of activity is pretty darn cheap, I think. But hey, it is money afterall.

You are limited to placing the camera where you have (1) wifi and (2) electricity. Again, not a huge con, but I think it’s worth mentioning.

I’ll be using Dropcam for business purposes when I work with clients who have destructive dogs or dogs with separation anxiety. The camera will give us an honest, accurate look at what’s going on in the house after the owners leave: when does the anxioius behavior start, how long does it last, how severe is it?

Those are my thoughts on the Dropcam. Again, I don’t have any relationship with the company except that (1) I won a camera and (2) I’m a big fan. If you have questions, feel free to ask me — I will tell you all I know.

Your turn: what would you use the Dropcam for in your house with your dogs? Please leave a comment below and let me know!

Friday Fun: Dogs Gettin’ Dirty in the Mud

June 7, 2013

I’ve seen the pictures of the dogs who like to bathe in the mud. I didn’t really believe those pictures, I thought they were set up. I know dogs who don’t mind getting wet and muddy, but I’ve never met a dog who would actually wallow in the mud.

I guess when you’re around enough dogs, you’re bound to see everything.

Take this dog for instance:

Anyone recognize that crazy Labrador? That’s the one and only…Monti! She’s now back at tue service dog organization and her new caretaker took this video to show me all the mischief she’s getting into.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise, I guess. Look at this picture when I first brought her home. If you look closely at her nose, you’ll see that even as a wee pup, she was into all things dirty.

Here’s another dog enjoying the mud. Schooner got a late start compared to Monti, but he’s thoroughly enjoying himself in the rain.

Do your dogs like to get down and dirty in the mud? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Your turn: Did you have a dog growing up? What were your dog-related chores. Do you have kids and a dog? Do your kids have responsibilities around the care, feeding, and training of the family dog? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.

Your turn: What have you learned from your dog? Is your dog a good teacher? Are you a good learner? Let us know and leave a comment below!

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