How to Avoid Dog Behavior Problems

“We may have gotten a little carried away..”

Adding a new pet to your family is a big decision. Pets bring balance, love, and an escape of sorts from our everyday stresses. Pets also bring us together and manage to teach us an awful lot. All dogs were originally bred for certain behaviors, (herding dogs herd, sight hounds run fast, etc) so do your research and make sure the breed of dog you are interested in has an activity level that will fit into your lifestyle. Dogs are not predisposed to behavior problems. Most behavior problems are due to inconsistent or lack of training from the beginning, and behavior problems are the most common reason dogs are left at pounds.

Puppies (and dogs) are not really that hard to manage if you remind yourself that you are dealing with the mind of a 2 year old and that training is a logical, progressive process that anyone can master with a little patience, humor, some high value treats and a lot of love. Spend the time when your dog is new and you will soon have a loving, well behaved member of your family.

Here are seven basic rules to help you manage the toughest puppy training challenges and ways to incorporate them into your daily activities:

Rule #1 Crate Train your dog.

Dogs are not spiteful. Dogs live in the moment. Chewing up your shoes or shredding the garbage was not done in spite because you left him home alone. Remember that 2 year old? Well he has got one powerful nose and if the garbage is accessible and something good and smelly was left inside, he is going to want to investigate. If you leave your new dog loose in your house, there is no telling what sort of mischief he may get into. A large new place, like your home, can be a bit overwhelming and even scary for a new dog to be left unattended in. Crate Training does not mean that your dog should / or will live the rest of his life in a crate. What it does mean, if done correctly, (lots of high value treats) is your dog will have a place where he can be feel safe and secure until he is mature and confident enough to handle a larger space unattended. Giving your dog a place that he can call his own also can help suppress separation anxiety, and speed along house breaking. Click here to learn more on how to crate train your dog.

Rule #2 Practice Redirecting

So your new pup wants to play, but your schedule is keeping you busy and the pup at your feet is getting in your way. This is a good time to redirect your pups attention to something that will entertain him, but allow you to get your tasks done. The easiest thing to redirect to is a chew toy. I use nylabones for this purpose, as they are safe (they don’t cause guarding in my multi-dog household) clean and easy. You may need to spend a few minutes interacting with him with the bone.. maybe toss it a few times, let him know how excited you are about this bone and how good it is to chew. You could also get an interactive toy that involves putting dog cookies or peanut butter inside and let him play with that for a while. Nylabones do seem drab and unexciting to some dog owners compared to other chew toys that are now on the market, but, they are much safer and healthier then processed rawhide or animal parts, and will last a lot longer. Read more about the best chews for your pup here.

Rule #3 Draw Boundaries

Puppies are cute, But when your 10 pound puppy grows into that 70 pound dog, are you still going to want him sitting on your lap? It is a whole lot easier to train a puppy correct behaviors from the beginning then it is to try to re-train that half grown dog. Boundaries can and should be established with the beginning of training, besides, once training begins, and the “lightbulb” goes off in your little dogs head that you are communicating and he will get a cookie if he responds correctly, learning will begin in earnest. So decide from the onset where your boundaries are. Are you going to let your dog on the furniture, or on the bed? Are you going to let him chase the cat or the children? Don’t know how to stop behavior that you don’t want.. Go back and review rule #1 and #2

Rule #4 Socialize your Pup

Everyone wants the perfect dog. One that will be friendly with visitors, yet bark at danger. A dog that will hang with the kids, and be ready to go for a jog. Your perfect dog is within your reach, but it is up to you to mold that “2 year old” into the solid citizen that he needs to become. Socializing your new pup allows him to meet other humans and dogs in new and exciting places. But the biggest benefit to taking your dog out to new places is the “bonding effect”. Your new dog is going through a lot of new experiences, hopefully by this time, he has learned that YOU are “nice”. He knows you feed him, you let him out, give him cookies, love him and you talk nice to him. When you are at a new place, You are his comfort, his trust and his safety. By taking him out into the world you have given him a big adventure with his new best friend. The more adventures you have together, the more confidence he will gain in himself and the more trust he will gain in you.

Not sure where you can take him in your town? Look for farmers markets, dog friendly festivals, and outdoor supply stores. Make sure you are loaded with his favorite high value treats, and his favorite toy. And Please don’t forget to bring your common sense. Make sure your dog has a properly fitted collar (combo collars are good for new dogs) or harness, with proper ID on it, be prepared to clean up after your dog, and remember that not all dogs that you meet will be friendly, so ask the handler before you let your dog run up to any unknown dogs.

Rule #5 Be Consistent

As a perpetual 2 year old your dog is going to have a limited vocabulary, and even though dogs are champions at reading body language and tone, it is important to have consistent verbals when training. You do not have to use the words that everyone else uses, and you can certainly make your own words for communicating with your dog. For example, I use “This Way” while free walking my dogs on their daily walk, it keeps them with me without feeling that they have to be beside me.

One of the absolutely easiest things you can train your dog to do in your house, yard or out on an adventure, on lead or off, and quite possibly the most important thing he will ever learn is a recall. I carry dog treats with me 95% of the time. This allows me to call my dog and reward him whenever and wherever I can. For a new dog this may be 2 feet away and on a leash.. that is okay, if the dog looks at me and comes for a treat when I say “HERE” he gets a reward. Always practice this in a enclosed area at the beginning, eventually get someone to hold him while you increase your distance. Practice this often, ALWAYS, ALWAYS reward (eventually this reward will be just a “good dog”)

Rule #6 Create Motivation

Your dog should be exposed to different sorts of toys. Things to Chew, Things to fetch and Things to tug, shake and share. As he grows you will learn what toys are best for him and what toys he responds to. Eventually, you will notice that he may favor a certain toy, Maybe he really loves to fetch a ball, maybe its a frisbee, perhaps he Loves a game of tug with you. This favorite toy can also work for you as a motivational aid. This favorite toy may eventually be substituted instead of treats, and can be used as a reward for training tricks, dog sports, or any thing that you may need to teach your dog for his own safety. Be observant, and notice what toys really excite your dog. Take that toy with you on outings and use it when you need to get your dogs focus back on you or just to help him relax.

Rule #7 Enjoy

New dogs and puppies do not happen very often in our lives, and this new relationship should be looked upon as the special new beginning that it is. Have fun with your dog daily. Smile and laugh at the silly things that your dog does. He will love you with all his heart and You should love him back. Get help if you need it and if you really want to explore all that a new dog has to offer, take him to classes. There you will find others exploring relationships with their dogs, new friends and new dog friends.

I hope I have offered you some clues to make your new dog comfortable and your new position as caretaker enjoyable and full of positive fun. I Love talking dog and would love to hear about a special time in your relationship with your dog. Please leave me a comment.

December 2, 2016February 6, 2020

Antlers-Bones-or Rawhide: The Best chews for your dogs

Dogs love to chew, and chewing is a perfectly normal behavior.

Puppies chew when teething. Dogs chew for stimulation, to relieve anxiety and just for fun.

Left to their own devices, Dogs may choose to chew sticks, furniture or your favorite pair of shoes. Whether or not you like it, your dog would benefit from chewing on things that are safe and healthy.

Things to chew

There are Three main categories of dog chews that are marketed for your best friend.

Colt and Juno — Juno and Colt enjoy their new Moose Antlers

Organic un-treated bones and antlers
Hard rubber/plastic bones like Nylabones
Animal parts that are treated like rawhide and pigs ears.

Lets start with Bones and Antlers.

Face it, Dogs have been chewing on Raw bones since, well, since they were wolves. That being said, our breeding of dogs to suit our needs and purposes has given some dogs an advantage or disadvantage of chewing on bones. Bones that we offer our dogs have also changed and it would be unlikely that a wild dog would find a nice slice of a cattle leg bone to chew on.

Bones slices can be dangerous and one of the biggest mistakes dog owners can make when choosing any kind of chewing “toy” for their dog is that they provide bones / chews that are to small or become too small quickly. Hollow or marrow filled leg bones can also splinter and cause damage to your dogs mouth, throat and/ or intestinal track. If you are dead set on giving your dogs cattle leg bones you are best to use joint or “knuckle” bones as they are less likely to entrap your dogs jaw and are a little harder to splinter.

Antlers seem to be the new fad at this time and there are now a few choices :

Ram/water buffalo: of these choices, Ram horns are the newest on the market. Not really antlers as they do not naturally shed, Ram horns are more like bones, and are known to splinter.
Deer: As many deer are harvested yearly, deer antlers can be readily available. However, Deer Antlers are the softest and can be quickly and easily eaten by a heavy chewer
Elk: Elk antlers are a better choice, but are known to splinter
Moose: Moose Antlers are denser making them the hardest and the ones that I prefer to give my dogs. Like Deer and Elk, Moose antlers are naturally shed and consist of pure calcium. Moose antlers get worn down as the dog chews on them. I have never had one break or splinter.
If you want your pets new Antler to last longer, purchase large pieces and not the “splits”. All antlers that are split, are easier for the dogs to destroy.

chewing-on-a-nylabone — Nylabones are durable and safe for most dogs

Hard Rubber / Nylabones

There are quite a few different brands of these Hard Rubber bones. Some dogs will not have anything to do with them, others love them.

Because I live in a multi dog family, I find that these can be left around and are unlikely to cause any conflicts among the pack. I have also found that the brand Nylabones are the ones preferred by my dogs over any generic brands.

It is likely that my dogs like to chew on these because when new dogs are first introduced to my house and the pack, I encourage the chewing on these by replacing any inappropriate thing the new dog is chewing on with a nylabone. Nylabones hold up under heavy chewing, wear down, and do not splinter. Stick with types that are molded into one piece and avoid ones that are attached in halves, as they can be chewed apart leaving small attachment pieces that can be swallowed.

Rawhide, pigs ears, bully sticks

dog-bone — Rawhides can be eaten and should be considered as part of your dogs diet if he is eating them.

Of all the things that you can give your dogs, this category can be the most dangerous. Due to the amount and type of preservatives that some manufacturers choose to use in the making of these products, pet owners should look carefully at labels. Often these products are bought by bulk in stores and sold with out labels. Formaldehyde is one of the key preservatives used and when fed to dogs continuously can cause some serious health problems. Because these things are almost always completely eaten, they should be considered part of the dogs daily caloric intake / diet. Please only purchase rawhide, pigs ears and bully sticks in packaging that allows you to see the ingredients including preservatives used.

Rawhide, Pigs ears and Bully sticks are made from dry, dehydrated animal parts. During the chewing process, it is common for large pieces to be chewed off and be swallowed, and due to the preservatives, the digestibility of these products are poor, therefore these products should only be fed in moderation and under supervision.

Things to Remember

Purchase the largest size that you can for your dog. Never give your dog a chew that can cause damage to your dogs mouth, throat, teeth or digestive system.
Always remember to monitor any toy that is given to your dog to chew and when it gets small enough to be a hazard, TAKE IT AWAY and replace it.
If you have more then one dog, Always monitor them when given any new toys.
Read reviews and packages. Know what you are feeding your dogs.
Some manufactures of antlers use naturally shed antlers that do no harm to the donor. ( these are my favorite!)

Watching your dog enjoy a good chew, knowing that it is a natural behavior, that allows him to clean his teeth while releasing energy, should be a healthy and enjoyable time.

If you have a favorite chew that your dog loves, I would love to hear about it! Or if you have questions, please leave me a note and I’ll get back you as soon as possible.

May All Your Dogs Be Healthy!

Shelley

August 18, 2016March 31, 2017

Best Dog Beds on a Budget…

There are a lot of advantages to living with pets in our homes, as well as the physical, emotional and social benefits, scientific studies have proven that children who live with pets at a young age are less likely to develop asthma and allergies.

Bailey and Dixie — large dog rug Sometimes all you need is a rug and a good buddy!

And living with multiple pets creates a lot of fun interactions among them, but keeping your multiple pets beds clean can be a major challenge. In our small house, Dog beds are part of the furniture and line the floor from TV to couch,
one or two of the dogs will have favorite spots, but generally any bed will do. As long as there are enough beds for all, then all is good.

The Secret to Keeping the Beds Clean..

For years I went through lots of pet beds.. one would get soiled and would soak through into the padding of the bed, which resulted in lots of hosing, scrubbing and product application.. Eventually, I ended up with a lot of covers and no interior padding..

Then, my children returned from college with their foam mattress pads and no need for them.

I quickly learned that once cut to size, ( you can double the foam for old or heavy dogs) placed in a large trash bag, and inserted in one of the empty covers, I had a very comfortable, easy to maintain and clean bed that was better and more durable then most high dollar dog beds.

Bandit two beds — Can’t decide? Sleep on both of them!

The cover can easily be washed and the trash bags can be wiped off or replaced.

And If you are lucky enough to live near a college when the students are moving out, you can get mattress pads before they go into the dumpster, making them super affordable!

So now, when ever I buy a new dog bed, one of the most important things I look at is the quality of the Zipper and the stitching, as the cover is the part of the bed that is now going to last the longest.

Where do the Cats Sleep…?

Two of my smallest dogs sleep on my bed, but generally my dogs are not allowed on the furniture. Cats on the other hand, well, try to tell them where they are not allowed…

With the exception of the kitchen counter, where I have employed a “scat mat” and a spray bottle, the cats sleep where ever they want. There are plenty of cat beds in places where the dogs can’t get to, but it was always aggravating to have a cat soil a perfectly good dog bed. Be it a hair ball or a sign of defiance against the new kitten… the cats took a lot of blame.

Trash Bag to the Rescue…

Once I started bagging my own dog beds a surprising thing happened… The cats seem to dislike the initial noise that the trash bags make and started staying off of the dog beds. Win Win Win!

So here are some final tips to help you with the now simple task of keeping your dogs beds clean and comfortable;

Use heavy duty trash bags or better yet, Leaf bags, you may even want to double them, and tie them closed well.
Try to work the air out of the trash bag before putting on the cover .
If the foam/bag fits tightly into the cover, the beds are easier to shake out and/or vacuum.
Enjoy the cash your not spending on new dog beds, buy your dogs some new toys instead!

April 6, 2016July 18, 2016

Eddie Thunder’s review of low light laser therapy

My Name is Eddie Thunder

Well Actually that is my stage name.. imagine Ed McMann saying it.. that’s how I like it.. I am a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, yes I have a beautiful Tail , and, I have a beautiful tale. I am 6 years old and live on a small farm with my sister, Dixie, and the rest of the gang, which includes a lot of cats, a horse, two goats, some chickens.. well you get the picture, it is a hard job to keep them all in line. Any way, I want to tell you about how low light laser therapy has helped me feel so much better that now I can fly again. Being a Cardigan Welsh Corgi isn’t easy.. I’ve got some big dog shoes to fill, and don’t call me little, I might be short, but I can run circles around most other dogs, and I practice doing it every day. I have to keep the other boys in line, protect the chickens, keep the goats in, and make sure mom has a tennis ball all the time.

The Trouble with little legs

Eddie Flys! — Look at me Fly! Check out that Tail!

There are not a lot of corgis doing agility. Although my kind were bred to herd cattle, most of us don’t get that opportunity very often (although I did chase some sheep once.. ahh, but that is a different story) and many of my kin turn into couch potatoes. Me, well I like to be outside. I got some great ears and I can hear things before anyone else, so I am kinda on high alert all of the time. Thing is sometimes it is hard for me to settle down and rest, unless I am really tired. Before I moved in with my mom, she used to do agility with my sister, Dixie, but Dixie was just not suited for Agility and mom was hoping that I would like it, Boy, did she ever get her wish. By the time I got my mom trained on how to do Agility, I was addicted to red kong frisbees. Mom was a bit worried about my addiction. If she didn’t watch me close I would destroy a Frisbee every day, so she started using my favorite toy only when we did Agility, (this is when I got addicted to tennis balls, but again, another story). Funny thing is Mom is a really bad Frisbee thrower, or maybe she is so impressed with my flying ability that she likes to keep me on the ground, anyway I catch a lot of ground throws. I am really good at it too. Just as I am within grasping distance, I spread my back wings and slide, like a pro baseball player, into the prey, oops.. I mean Frisbee, grab it with my teeth and shake it, of course I return it to her, so she can throw it again. One day I was helping mom move my jumps and things around and she was throwing my Frisbee for me.. I am pretty persistent.. I think maybe she threw it a little to much, because later that day I was unable to get up as my back wings were just worn out (mom said I strained the muscles on the inside of my thighs from sliding).

A Few of my Favorite Things

Like the song, I like to think of my favorite things when I am hurting, and one of my most favorite things in the whole world is when mom lets me sit on her lap, especially when she get the flashie flashie thing she calls the Laser. I don’t know how she does it, but when she holds the Laser on my skin I just relax and my muscles relax and before long I feel so much better. Before mom got the laser thing I was pretty stiff and tried my hardest, just like always, but sometimes I knocked down the bars when I would try to fly over them, and I know that I should not knock them down. Now, I get to be the athlete I want to be, and I can Fly again. I can do with out all the fan fair and ribbons, actually the ribbons kinda bore me, but I sure am glad that I can run and play Agility with mom again because it sure is a lot of fun going to different places just so I can get a chance to get that red Frisbee again.

Love Ya All, Well, except for strangers… so don’t be one

Click here to find out more about Multi Radiance Medical lasers and how you can get one for your best friends.