I'm so proud of my girl Phoebe, she graduated from her Advanced training class at PetSmart!
Phoebe worked hard in class, she's such a little smarty-pants! Oops, we had a bit of trouble getting her graduation hat to stay on straight, LOL!
The best part is that following the class, she also passed her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluation! We've sent off the paperwork to the AKC (American Kennel Club) and her AKC CGC certificate should arrive in a few weeks.
Getting her CGC means a lot to me. When we first adopted Phoebe, she had some serious fear issues. She was utterly terrified of men! I didn't find that out until I brought her home from the shelter.
My husband and I worked with her for many months to help her get over those fears. She's come such a long way since then.
I always hoped Phoebe might be able to become a Pet Partners THERAPY DOG like her sister Icy. Getting her CGC is the first step in preparing to be a therapy dog. She's got some additional training to do before being evaluated for therapy dog work, but I think she can do it!
Dogs work hard for us during training, don't they deserve a reward? Treats are like a big fat paycheck for doing their best during training sessions!
Phoebe's licking her lips in anticipation of delicious Vita Bone treats!
Vita Bone® Dog Biscuits and Chewy sticks are made with natural ingredients, so they're “Deliciously Balanced”, striking the perfect balance between great taste and nutrition. My dogs absolutely love them!
We first found out about Vita Bone dog treats at the amazing BlogPaws Conference in Nashville in 2015. We had so much fun meeting the Vita Bone guy at the conference. At first Phoebe was perplexed by this giant "dog biscuit", but after tasting her first Vita Bone biscuit she was hooked!
At first, Phoebe was a bit dazed & confused by this giant dog biscuit!
Both my dogs love Vita Bone Biscuits and Chewy sticks. I use them as treat rewards during training and as a fun treat just to show them how much I love and appreciate them!
Vita Bone biscuits are both delicious and nutritious. They're made with natural ingredients and contain:
**Natural Whole Grains,and 23 essential vitamins & minerals for IMMUNE SYSTEM SUPPORT
**Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids for HEALTHY SKIN and a BEAUTIFUL, SHINY COAT **Glucosamine from natural sources like chicken & salmon oil to promote JOINT HEALTH ** A crunchy texture that promotes CLEAN TEETH & FRESH BREATH
I'm being compensated by Vita Bone to help spread the word about Vita Bone dog biscuits and Chewy sticks, but Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is beneficial to our readers. Our product reviews are based on our own experiences with the product.
Vita Bone dog biscuits Come in Small, Medium, & Large sizes andWheat, Chicken, Vegetables, Cheese, Beef and Liver flavors.
Vita Bone biscuits come in Small, Medium, & Large sizes and 6 delicious flavors!
I use yummy Vita Bone biscuits while practicing our training with Icy & Phoebe.
Icy and Phoebe SIT/STAY, anticipating delicious Vita Bone biscuits!
Icy and Phoebe in a DOWN/STAY awaiting their Vita Bone reward!
Reward Time! They've earned their Vita Bone biscuits!
Boy was that Delish! Wonder if we could score some more Vita Bone biscuits!
At the end of our training sessions, I like to give my dogs what I call a "Jackpot Treat". They've worked hard and given me their all. A Jackpot Treat should be something that's not only delicious but something they can really savor.
A tasty chew stick is the perfect Jackpot Treat. Vita Bone Chewy sticks are just the thing to end our training sessions on a super positive note!
Tasty Vita Bone Chewy sticks are easy to break apart for training sessions or a great snack!
Vita Bone Chewy sticks are made
with real beef, chicken, pork, and lamb.
They come in beef, chicken, lamb and bacon flavors. YUM!!
Give Vita Bone Biscuits and Chewy sticks a try, I know your dog will love them as much as mine do! Click here for **Valuable Coupons**
Check out Vita Bone's series of positive, reward based Training Videos! You'll find great advice & tips from expert trainers, including Certified Animal Behavior Consultant Steve Dale!
Vita Bone, a family owned company, has been dedicated to providing delicious and nutritious dog treats for over 40 years! They are a company that knows how important it is to give back to the community and that pets have the power to change lives! That’s why they support PET PARTNERS, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and providing therapy animals to people in need.
Therapy animals bring smiles, affection and comfort to people in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, disaster areas, and more.Pet Partners teams help veterans with PTSD, seniors living with Alzheimer’s, students with literacy challenges, patients in recovery, people with intellectual disabilities and more.
Their support of Pet Partners is especially near and dear to my heart because my Siberian Husky Icy and I are a Pet Partners Therapy Dog team!You can read about the volunteer work we do through Pet Partners in the Therapy Dogs tab on my blog’s Home page. Thanks to Vita Bone for supporting Pet Partners!
Today I'm sharing one of my favorite dog tricks, Play Dead. This is one of the first tricks I taught my Siberian Husky, Icy. It's kind of a show stopper!
Like many dog tricks, this one builds on basic obedience commands or easy tricks that many dogs already know. This trick takes Stay/Wait, Down and Roll over and expands them into a fun trick!
Here's how to teach your dog Bang! Play Dead:
* Put your dog into a Stay or Wait * Then give the command to lie Down * Once in a Down position use a treat lure to get your dog to roll, but not completely over, just onto their back.
Once your dog gets Down and Rolling onto his back together, start adding verbal cues. Start by saying "Down, and Roll". Once your dog can do both Down and Roll in one movement, change the verbal cue to "Bang, Down and Roll".
Once your dog gets the movement with "Bang, Down, and Roll" drop the "Down and Roll" and just say "Bang".
Upon giving the "Bang" verbal cue you want your dog to Down, and then immediately Roll onto his back.
It may take a bunch of tries. Revert back to using a treat lure and the "Down" and "Roll" verbal cues if needed to get your dog to perform the motions with only the "Bang" verbal command.
*** REMEMBER ***
> Always use only Positive Reinforcement methods when training, never yell at or hit your dog! If you're getting frustrated that your dog isn't paying attention or getting the trick, take a break.
> Keep training sessions short, about 15 - 20 minutes or so at a time, if you do much more than that your dog may get bored or frustrated.
> Be Patient, training takes time. If you feel your dog just isn't getting it after awhile, the trick may not be a good fit for your dog! Just like people, every dog is an individual, don't push him into something he's not comfortable with or that is too difficult for him - try a different trick!
> And most of all, Have FUN! Tricks training should feel like play for your dog. It's also a great way to strengthen the bond you have with your dog.
