dog training Archives - Page 2 of 15

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 Train When Your Dog Doesn’t Like His Food Or Treats – With Video

October 16, 2013

I like to use food to train dogs whenever we can for many reasons. First, food is what’s known as a primary reinforcer. That’s a fancy way of saying “the dog needs it to survive.” Think about it, dogs (or us, for that matter) can’t live without food. So it’s pretty important to a dog. Second, food is usually a really nice reward for a dog. It tastes good. It smells good. They like it and will work hard to earn another tasty tidbit.

However, some dogs are picky.

Like Schooner.

He refuses chicken. Won’t take a hot dog. Won’t even consider a dog treat. Which limits my options for using food as a reinforcer. I mean, if Schooner doesn’t like it, it’s not a reinforcer. Period.

I’ve found that he does like cheese. It’s relatively cheap when bought in the econo-saver blocks and it lasts over a week in the refrigerator. It’s easy for me to handle — not too sticky or goopy and easy to deliver one small piece at a time.

The problem: Schooner tires of cheese relatively quickly. Meaning that it’ll work great for 15 minutes, then he begins refusing it. He needs more than a 15 minute session. Sometimes we’re out running errands for a couple of hours — I needed to find a way to mix in a different, non-food reinforcer.

The solution: I happened upon a solution while I was in the yard working on his loose leash walking skills. He had worked nicely for about 15 minutes, as usual, then began turning his head away from the cheese. Ugh, what am I supposed to do?! He needs loose leash walking practice!

He’s huge, it’s easy to forget he’s still an adolescent dog. But I figured, what the heck, I’m going to try getting really silly with him after he walks nicely for a few steps (instead of clicking and giving him an unwanted piece of cheese).

I wish I had video of our original play session. He was as animated as a baby deer or foal — bucking and romping through the yard. I had to pause our training session briefly to get my giggling under control. This is a “re-enactment” of our play session and, while you can see he enjoys the opportunity to be goofy, I can assure you it’s not nearly as enthusiastic as that original session.

In the video, you’ll see me click and treat with the cheese. Notice how frequently I’m clicking and treating. Also notice his attention and enthusiasm. Both are pretty dull when I’m using the cheese. Then I switch to using play as the reward for loose leash walking. Look at the difference! He’s got more pep in his step, I’m getting a lot more steps between rewards, and he’s much more engaged with me.

The results: He liked it! He enjoys the opportunity to get a little silly (I dare say we all like that opportunity!) and it gets him interested in training again. He’s an eager participant with the opportunity to play, whereas with the food he’s more of a passive learner.

The takeaway: I’m not going to abandon food in training — there are places where play isn’t appropriate (restaurant, movie theater, doctor’s office to name a few) — but play definitely has a place in Schooner’s training plan.

Every dog is different. Most dogs I work with (Labradors) love food and will work long and hard for the tiniest piece. Other dogs don’t think food is as great and need a different reason to work. I’m flexible. I’m willing to find out what works.

Your turn: does your dog have a favorite treat, game, toy that he’ll work really hard for? Share some of your creative solutions!

What Leash is Best for Your Dog? (Video)

October 10, 2013

The choice in dog leashes is endless. How do you know which leash is the right leash for your dog?If you choose your dog’s leash on looks alone, you may be disappointed. Let’s take a look at the different types of leashes out there, what each is used for, and then you can decide which leash is the best choice for your dog.

A standard 6-foot leash is a great, all-purpose leash. Your dog can’t get too far away from you, but still has plenty of room to wander a little bit. This is a great length for taking your dog to the veterinary office, for a walk in a suburban neighborhood, and for obedience classes.

A short, 2- or 3-foot leash is perfect for busy city sidewalks, your kid’s soccer match, a dog festival, or somewhere where you don’t want or need your dog to be very far away from you. This leash allows you to keep your dog close to you, but also is long enough that the leash won’t always be tight on his neck (unless he’s pulling).

A long 20- or 30-foot leash is great for wandering through a wide-open field or anywhere else where you’re not likely to come across other people, dogs, or immovable objects like trees or poles. I love taking my dogs out on these long leashes. The dogs have almost the same freedom as being off-leash, but they’re much safer. My dogs can get up a full head of steam and run and frolic like puppies on these long lines.

A retractible leash (a.k.a. Flexi) is not recommended. I know this disappoints many people, but there aren’t many good uses for a retractible leash. The only use for a retractible leash would be for swimming your dog in an on-leash area. This leash gives you the security of being on leash, complies with a leash law, and is less likely to be caught on underwater objects. I don’t recommend retractible leashes for everyday use and never recommend them for tight quarters like veterinary offices, sidewalks, neighborhood walks, soccer fields, etc. The biggest drawback to the retractible leashes is that they actually encourage your dog to pull on a leash. So if you want your dog to walk politely, put away the retractible leash! These leashes also have a disturbing safety record — just search for “retractible leash injuries” for almost 10,000 hits on how dangerous these leashes are for both dogs and people.

I have all of the leashes mentioned (even the retractible leash). I use each one depending on where I’ll be and just how close I need my dog to be to me. The leash I use most often is the standard 6-foot leash. When I’m in public with a service dog in-training, I usually use the 3-foot leash.

I’ve included a short video to show you how and where I use each type of leash.

Your turn: what’s your favorite leash?

Doggie Dummies: Making Car Travel Safer for Dogs

October 3, 2013

I’m one of the people who admits, a bit guiltily, that I don’t restrain my dogs in the car. My reasons are varied:

I don’t have enough room for four LARGE dog crates and groceries
I don’t think a Dane-sized crate would fit into the car at all
I’m too lazy to move four crates in and out of the car depending on the cargo I need to haul
I don’t think the crates would be secure in a crash. I think I’d rather have a dog coming at me than a dog in a crate coming at me.

I have a Honda Element. We’ve removed the rear seats so the entire cargo area is open. I haul dogs, flowers, groceries, furniture, and dog training supplies. There aren’t any seats the dogs can sit in, so we’re not able to use the doggie seats or even harnesses that attach to seatbelts. For us, it’s crates or nothing when it comes to restraining our dogs.

I don’t think a bungee cord would hold a dog crate steady in a car crash. So instead of a projectile dog, I’d have a projectile crate with a dog in it.

Which is why my dogs ride free in the car.

As you can see below (can you find all four?), our dogs like to lay squishy — all over one another. In the Element, they lay nicely on the cushy dog beds in the cargo area of the Element. They sleep soundly back there and don’t wander around the vehicle or try to get into the front seat with me.

I’ve always been in a quandary about securing my dogs in the car: I always want to do what’s best for my dogs. But with my setup, there doesn’t really seem to be a right answer. Which is why I’ve done nothing.

So when I saw an article in The Wall Street Journal about actual scientific testing of dog harnesses and restraints, it got my attention. Apparently there’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to pet safety (aptly named Center for Pet Safety) and they’ve teamed up with auto maker Subaru (a very dog-friendly company who considers dog owners a large and prime market) to test pet restraints. They hope to determine which restraints work well enough to earn approval ratings from pet-advocacy groups.

This type of testing — as it applies to dogs — is in it’s infancy. I don’t know of any group doing this — although the need is obvious (with almost 90% of pet owners traveling with their pets). The testers are using some crash-test dogs to test how well those harnesses hold up under simulated crash conditions.

The crash-test dummy dogs simulate a terrier (about 25 pounds), a border collie (about 45 pounds), and a golden retriever (about 75 pounds). What? No Great Danes? Schooner demands that giant breeds gain inclusion in these tests!

In any event, the tests were both disappointing and alarming. Of the seven harnesess tested, only one harness (Sleepypod’s Clickit three-point harness) consistently kept a dog safe in a crash. So, is there a right answer? I think we need a lot more testing and hopefully the pet manufacturer’s will put some muscle behind their products so we know that our pets will be safe when properly restrained.

Your turn: Do you restrain your dog in the car? How? If not, where does your dog ride?

How to Dress Your Dog in a Costume for Halloween

September 26, 2013

I see lots of dogs at Halloween dressed up in funny (and cute) costumes.

Costumes can be fun if you spend some time before Halloween to get your dog used to wearing the costume. If you want to dress your dog for Halloween, here are some ideas on how to do it so your dog doesn’t hate it.

Step 1: Get the costume early (like: today!).

The earlier you get the costume, the faster you can start acclimating your dog to wearing it.

Step 2: Have some really delicious food treats before you start dressing your dog.

When I say delicious, I mean delicious! Human-food delicious: pea-sized pieces of salmon, chicken, beef, etc. Really good stuff.

Step 3: Show the costume to your dog and let him smell it.

It’s going to be difficult to put the costume on your dog if he’s curious or afraid of it, so give him some “get acquainted time” with the costume. If he tries to nibble the costume, simply feed him a few treats to redirect his nibbling to the food instead.

Step 4: If you have to put the costume over your dog’s head, hold the treat in the middle of the “head hole” and let your pup reach through the opening to eat the treat.

Don’t shove the costume over his head at this point, just let him get comfortable with putting his head through the opening. Let him put his head through at least 5 times to eat the treat. Once he’s comfortably putting his head through the hole, you can then put the costume all the way on him.

Step 5: Let your dog get used to the feel of the costume on his body.

Feed him treats to keep him occupied and to prevent him from biting or chewing the costume.

Step 6: Take frequent breaks.

Set a timer and work with your dog and his costume for 10 minutes each day. That’s it — just 10 minutes. Stop earlier, of course, if your dog is hating (read: resisting) the process.

Step 7: Close all the snaps or buttons and add the leash.

Walk your dog around a few steps to let him get used to the noise, the feel, and the motion of the costume.

Step 8: Grab a camera and send us a picture of your dog in costume!

Add your dog’s picture to Smart Dog University’s Facebook Page.

Here are some really cute costume ideas (including the costumes pictured in this post) for you and your dog!

This post is sponsored by Pet360. I am being compensated for spreading the word about Pet360.com, but The Smart Dog U Blog only shares information we feel is relevant to you.

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.

Menu

dog training