Cute Dog Trick; Roll Over

Tricks training is a great bonding activity to do with your dog.  It's so much fun! One of the easiest tricks you can teach your dog is to Roll Over.  It mimics one of a dog's most natural behaviors, rolling over!

Begin by putting your dog in a SIT position.  Give her a treat as soon as she sits.

Start with your dog is the SIT position

Next get your dog to lie DOWN.  Give her a treat as soon as she goes into the Down position.

Put your dog in a Down position before teching the Roll Over sequence

That should be easy enough, right?  Now we begin to teach the roll over movement by luring the dog to roll over.  

> Starting with your dog in the DOWN position, place a treat near her nose so she can smell it.  Slowly begin to lure your dog to roll over by moving the treat to her side, staying very close to the body.

With a treat close to your dog's nose and body, begin teaching the Roll Over sequence

> Continue luring your dog with the treat close to her nose and body.  Work towards getting her to roll onto her back.  

Keep the treat close to your dog's nose so she can smell it and "follow" the treat through the Roll Over movement

> Continue the lure, still keeping the treat close to her nose and body, until she rolls all the way over onto the opposite side.  As soon as she completes the movement, "Mark" the behavior and praise her enthusiastically!  You can Mark behavior by either using a training Clicker or with a word you use to mark training behavior.  I use the word "Yes!" in my training sessions.

Continue luring your dog through the Roll Over trick using a treat close to the dog's nose

> Once you've done this entire sequence several times and your dog is picking up on it, add the verbal cue "Roll Over", putting a name to the trick.

When you put it all together in one motion you have the completed Roll Over trick!  You may need to reinforce the ROLLING OVER movement several times.  If your dog appears confused, go back to luring her through the motion using a treat close to her nose and body. 

Phoebe learned to Roll Over very quickly.  Here's what the Roll Over trick will look like:

Once your dog masters roll over, you can perfect the trick by creating distance.  The ultimate goal is for you to be able to give the "Roll Over" command from 3 to 6 feet away.  
You dog will probably slip up a bit when you first try to give the Roll Over command from a distance, but that is totally normal.  Just move back in closer and try again until you can achieve distance when doing the trick.

Not every trick is right for every dog.  Although my dog Icy loves rolling over on her back in the grass, she did not like doing the Roll Over trick at all.  I think it might be because she has a very long back and it may not be comfortable for her to roll over on command so I just focus on other tricks with her.  Tricks should be fun for both you and your dog!  You don't want it to become an unpleasant chore.

If you discover that your dog isn't comfortable with a trick, no matter how easy it may seem to  you, move on to another trick.

*** REMEMBER ***

> Always use 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 isn't getting the trick, take a break.

> Keep training sessions short, about 15 - 20 minutes 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 both you and your dog.  It's also a great way to strengthen the bond you have with your dog.

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If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also like:

Where's My Dog, a show stopping dog trick!
The adorable Play Dead dog trick
Dog Training Doesn't End with Puppyhood, it's a lifelong endeavor.
More Dog Training and Behavior tips

Do you enjoy tricks training with your dog?  What's your favorite dog trick?  Leave us a comment & share, we LOVE hearing from you!

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My Adopted Dog Has Fear Issues, Now What?!

Walking through the shelter aisles to see what adoptable dogs were there was part of my routine.  As an Adoption Counselor at the county shelter, the first thing I did after signing in for the day was to see which dogs were still in the shelter from my prior shift, and who had been adopted.  I was elated when animals from the prior day had been adopted, but my heart would sink when I'd see the same ones week after week.

This is one of my favorite photos of Phoebe, my once fearful dog

I was checking the cages to see what new dogs had arrived.  That's when I first saw Phoebe.  As I walked the aisles I spotted a cage with two small dogs I hadn't seen before.  They were so adorable!  The female, whom I later named Phoebe, was white and fluffy.  The male looked similar but had some black on his ears and feet.  The kennel card said they were found together "in the field".  In the field didn't mean they were found running through a meadow of flowers somewhere, it's the term used to mean the animal was found in the streets, in the desert, or perhaps in a parking lot.  They were approximately 3-5 years old.  Like most animals that come into the shelter neither were spayed or neutered.  They had no ID tags and no microchip.   

ADOPTING A FEARFUL SHELTER DOG

After the required Hold Period, the shelter spayed and neutered both dogs and placed them for adoption.  As I looked through the cage and made little squeeky noises to get their attention, the male came over to me and I pet him.  Phoebe however, was out like a light, still groggy from her spay anesthesia.   

A couple of days later I was back at the shelter volunteering.  As I did my "rounds" I came upon their cage and noticed the male dog was gone.  I had a momentary flutter - he's been adopted!!  But the moment didn't last, the kennel card said there was a problem with his neuter surgery site and he had to be sent back to the clinic.  Phoebe was alone in the cage.  I tried to interact with her but she just lay in her bed, not responding.  I think she was depressed at losing her home and her friend. 

Throughout the day I'd walk by her cage and softly talk to her, trying to coax her out of her bed and over to the door of the cage.  I opened it a few times and pet her.  After a couple of hours she started to stand up and come to the cage door when I walked over and wag her tail.  This was progress!

Long story short, I fell in love with her and ended up adopting Phoebe that day.  I had no idea she would soon exhibit extreme fear issues!   I brought her home and introduced her to my Husky, Icy and my cat, Maggie.  No problem, that went just fine.  I put her in the guest room in a crate, giving her time to adjust to her new home and having her own space.  I used the crate to help her feel safe and to potty train her if needed.

MY ADORABLE ADOPTED DOG HAS FEAR ISSUES

Later that evening, my husband John returned from work and it was time to introduce him to little Phoebe.  John and I sat on the bed and I picked her up for him to pet her.  She seemed to stiffen and didn't interact with him at all.  I put her on the floor and John got down on the floor as well, not far from her.  Suddenly she LEAPED into the air - I swear she jumped 2 feet in the air - and immediately bolted into her crate, cowering in the corner!  My husband and I looked at each other, stunned.  What just happened??  We couldn't imagine what frightened her so much.

Over the following days and weeks we came to the realization that the dog we adopted was terrified of men.  She was even terrified of young boys!   Every time John went near her she would cower and try to hide.  If he was in the same room, she would not even eat her food!  If he walked across the room she would circle away and avoid contact with him.  She looked so wary, as though she expected him to kick her at any given moment.  The consensus among the trainers and behaviorists I talked to was that Phoebe was likely mistreated by a male in her home before she came to the shelter.  

I know many dogs have fear and anxiety issues.  I had seen fearful dogs at the shelter.  Fear issues in dogs can prevent them from being adopted, or cause people to return a fearful dog to the shelter.  If fearful dogs don't get the training and behavior modification they need, it can prevent the dog and his owner from living a full and happy life together.

HOW WE HELPED OUR ADOPTED FEARFUL DOG  

After the initial shock of learning that the dog we just adopted had fear issues, I knew we had to do something to address her extreme fear of men.  I searched for articles on training fearful dogs.  I re-watched some of Victoria Stilwell's positive reinforcement dog training videos I had seen on Animal Planet.  I knew that dogs with fear issues would benefit from training geared toward creating positive associations with the object of the dog's fear.  We needed to create positive associations for Phoebe with John and get her to love him, so we got to work!

Some of the things that worked well for us to address Phoebe's fear:

> When Phoebe was in her crate, we had John walk by and toss a treat into the crate without making any eye contact with her.

> Throughout the day, John would walk by her, but not too close, and toss a treat her way.  Again without making any eye contact.

> Over time we had John get closer and closer to Phoebe as he tossed treats her way.  Slowly decreasing the distance between them was important.

Treats played a big part in helping Phoebe overcome her fear

These actions helped her see that when John was near, good things happened - treats!  Over many weeks, John progressed to the point of being able to give her a treat when he was seated in a chair with her only inches away.  Eventually, she learned to actually come over to him and get the treat.  That was great progress!

> We had John feed her all her meals, touching her dry food to put his scent on it.  He'd put the bowl down and walk away so she would not feel intimidated by him towering over her.  

We discovered that she was more fearful with him in a standing position.  When he was in a seated position he was a lot less scary to her.  Having his scent on her food helped her see that he was the source of her food, a very positive thing!

> John and I took lots of walks with both dogs together so she would know that she was now part of our family of four.   

This helped her get comfortable with our walking routine.  Having Icy on the walks seemed to give her a lot of comfort.  Walking together as a family probably felt like a natural "pack" behavior for her.  Walks were challenging at first, she wouldn't let John walk her and she tried to stay as close to Icy as she could.  I think she felt safer with Icy close by because in her mind Icy offered some form of protection.  

> After she was comfortable with our family "pack" walks, I wanted to get her to a point where John could walk her by himself.  If I became sick, injured, or had to go on a business trip he would need to walk her without me.  One way we dealt with that was for John and I to take her on some walks with just the 3 of us.  She wasn't as comfortable with those walks at first but we kept at it.  After awhile, I started by walking Phoebe for a few minutes, and once she had her walking groove on I'd gently pass the leash to John.  

She didn't even notice the leash transition!  Phoebe soon realized that is was ok for John to be holding the leash and she enjoyed all our walks together, whether Icy was with us or not.

Phoebe is now fear free, a happy, well adjusted member of our family!

Phoebe ultimately learned that good things happened when John was around.  Purely by chance, he discovered that she had a secret love of popcorn!  Discovering that popcorn was an irresistible treat for her was very helpful.  For a long time, John was the ONLY source of popcorn for her.  Needless to say, that helped our training progress quite a bit! 

The same could probably be done with a favorite toy or a new toy, making the object of the dogs fear, be it a person, other dogs, a scary thing, place, or noise, the only opportunity the dog has to get that high value toy.  Good things come to the dog during the dog's perceived "scary" person or thing.

Fortunately, my husband was really wonderful throughout Phoebe's training.  He worked with me for months to help Phoebe get over her Man Terror.  I'd be lying if I said it was a quick & easy process.  It wasn't.  It took time and effort but it definitely paid off.  Phoebe finally came around and realized that John was her Daddy, not something to be feared!   In the morning, she loves to trot over to his side of the bed for the special neck rubs that only Daddy can give!  When he has his morning egg sandwiches, she rushes to his side knowing she will get a nice chunk of egg!

Phoebe is no longer a scared dog. Now she's a super confident, friendly dog who loves meeting new people - including those of the male gender!  She is such a joy.  I'm so glad we took the time to work on her fear issues allowing our sweet, adopted dog to become a wonderful addition to our family.

Working through her fear issues showed Phoebe that not all men are mean.  In fact, some of them will give you delicious popcorn!

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a professional dog trainer, nor do I play one online!  I share my own experiences and learnings, and what has worked for me.  Phoebe was fearful but never aggressive.  If your dog is fearful and Aggressive, I recommend working with a professional dog trainer who is trained to handle aggression in dogs.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

Want to adopting a pet?  8 Important Questions To Ask Before Adopting A Dog
Does your dog think he's a "Landscaper"? How to control your dog's digging in the yard
Moving house?  Tips for a Successful Move With Pets


Have you ever had a fearful dog?  How did you handle it?  Please leave us a comment and share, we LOVE hearing from you!

My Dog Is A Canine Good Citizen!

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!

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Thanks to Dachshund Nola and Sugar the Golden Retriever for sponsoring the Sunday Black and White blog hop!

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training with Vita Bone treats

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 and Wheat, 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!

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ABOUT VITA BONE:

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!

Cute Dog Trick: Play Dead

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.

If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also like:

The Where's My Dog trick, another show stopping dog trick!

Dog Training Doesn't End with Puppyhood, it's a lifelong endeavor.

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The Cutest Dog Trick

Trick Training Is FUN Dog Training !

Not long ago I wrote a blog post about how dog training should be a lifelong activity for your dog, because training isn't just for puppies!  I included links to blog posts with tips on how to address some common behavior issues through training, like leash pulling and jumping up on people.

In my opinion, the most fun type of dog training is Tricks Training!  Here's a short video of my favorite dog trick with my Siberian Husky, Icy.  It's called WHERE'S MY DOG?? 

This trick always gets a lot of laughs.  I hope it makes you smile too!

This fun dog trick is taught using 2 treats, one in each hand:

* From a sit/stay and with your back to your dog a couple of feet away from her,

* Lure your dog towards the back of your legs with 1 hand, holding 1 of the treats in your hand behind your legs, (your back remains to the dog)

*As she approaches your legs switch hands to continue the lure with your other hand & treat, luring her all the way through your legs.  Mark the behavior (you continually face forward).  If she tries to go around you instead of going through your legs, do not treat but start again & continue the treat lure all the way through your legs.

* Once she has the entire movement down, add the verbal cue "Where's My Dog?" at the beginning of the trick while she's in the Sit/Stay position.  Phase out the two treat lure, treating only after she completes the entire sequence of the trick.  Have Fun!!

Please visit  My YouTube Channel!

What's YOUR favorite dog or cat trick?  Let us know in the comments, we love hearing from you!

Send The Dog Back To School Too

It’s that time of year again, time for leaves to fall and kids to head back to school.  Where did the Summer go!?  When the kids go back to school it creates lots of change and a bit of chaos in the household.  We humans aren’t the only ones who feel the change, our dogs feel it too!

 
So much is happening around the house leading up to that crazy time of year known as Back To School.  Pets can feel stressed and left out during this time, and once school starts the house can feel empty.  Your dog may get bored and lonely, which can lead to unwanted behaviors in an otherwise well behaved dog. So why not send your dog Back To School along with the kids? 

A Pet Owner's Best Friend Prevents Inappropriate Chewing

There are many tools pet parents use to avoid unwanted behaviors in their dogs or cats.  One of my favorite and most effective tools is Bitter Spray.  It has so many uses!  There are several brands and kinds of bitter spray available.

I go through a good amount of bitter spray and I always have some on hand.  It's not that my dogs are so badly behaved that I need a truck-load of the stuff, but I like to spray new items in and around the house that I want them to stay away from.  I also frequently have foster dogs in my home so I use bitter spray to pro-actively deter them from chewing or getting into things they shouldn't.

I like that many bitter sprays are made with all or nearly all, natural bitter principles and extracts so I'm not using harsh chemicals around my home and yard.  Here are some ways bitter spray can keep your belongings and your pets safer!

Embrace Your Dog's Digging

Stop ripping your hair out every time your dog digs up the yard!  Dogs like to dig, it's what they do.  Some breeds are more prone to digging than others.  Terriers, for example, are champion diggers.   The name Terrier comes from the word Terra, meaning earth so it's no surprise they love to dig!

Icy used to scour the yard, digging holes everywhere!

Rather than lose your sanity over Fido ripping out every flower and shrub you've ever planted, embrace it!  Am I crazy?  Maybe, but that's beside the point.  When Icy was just a puppy she began digging all over the yard.  It looked like an army of Moles had invaded our yard.  I tried all the recommendations; 

• Bury her poop in the places she usually digs; it just made a giant mess and didn't even work.
• Bury large rocks where she likes to dig;  She started digging up & playing with the rocks!
• Bury wire mesh a few inches into the dirt; her nails got caught in the mesh and it frightened her.

Stop your dog's digging up the yard by letting them dig to their hearts content... in a place you designate!

Finally, some solid advice came my way - Let Her Dig!  Huh?  Yes, let her dig  to her heart's content, but only in a place you designate.  A sandbox or designated patch of earth to call her own.  So I looked around the yard for a good place to make a Dig Pit for Icy.  I decided that behind my husband's prized shed made the perfect spot!  She could dig to her heart's content there behind the shed, out of site.  Once I had chosen the perfect spot for a Dig Pit, here's what I did:

# I sectioned off the Dig Pit area behind the shed, about 6' x 4'. 

# I started digging it up, just to loosen the dirt and make it nice and inviting.  Dogs seem to love freshly dug up soil, which is probably why they love to dig up our plants moments after we've planted them!

# Now I  needed to let her know there was a Dig Pit just for her.  I took 2 or 3 chew sticks and placed them into the ground, with about 2 inches sticking out of the dirt so she could easily find them.

# I walked her over to the Dig Pit and showed her the first chew stick.  It was so exciting for her, she had found buried treasure!  She found and scarfed down all the chew sticks in minutes. 

# I continued to bury treats, rubber toys, and chew sticks in her Dig Pit once or twice a day.  She quickly learned that good stuff awaited her in the Dig Pit!  Before long, her preferred spot to dig was the Dig Pit, and eventually she almost never bothered to dig anywhere else in the yard!



Icy, enjoying her special Dig Pit behind the shed!

Finally, I had conquered my dog's annoying digging habit..... by embracing it!

Is your dog a DIGety Dog?  Have you solved the problem of your dog's digging in another way?  Please leave us a comment, we love to hear from you!!

HOW TO PREVENT YOUR DOG FROM DOOR DASHING

Has this ever happened to you?  You step outside your front door just to get the mail but your dog goes tearing past you, bounding out of the house and into the street.  

How about this?  Someone comes to your house for a visit and as soon as the door is opened, your dog sneaks by and next thing you know he's roaming the entire neighborhood like he owns it. 



Icy and Phoebe know to wait calmly for us to put their leashes on or to go through any doors.

Door dashing, as I like to call it, isn't cute or funny.  Your dog isn't just "being a dog" when he barrels past you through a door at lightening speed to get to the outside world.  It's a dangerous habit.  Many dogs get lost or hit by cars because they've door dashed.  How can you stop this behavior? 

The most effective way for us to ensure our two dogs don't door dash has been to teach them the "Wait" command.  Every time my dogs go through any doorway, they know to wait for our command before they proceed. 



We do this for our front door, the back door that leads into our secure backyard, the backyard gate, the car, and even the doors at our local PetSmart.  If there's a door involved, they have to look at me or my husband before they go through it.  I don't mean to be a drill Sargent, but I know how important it is for their safety.  The more the Wait command is a part of their everyday life the safer I know they'll be.

Phoebe knows to Wait before going through any door

On the advice of a professional dog trainer we started putting their leashes on away from the front and garage doors.  It helps curtail the excitement they associate with doors and going outside.

If you've never taught your dogs the Wait command, try this:

• Start inside the house.  Put your dog's leash on just outside a CLOSED bedroom or other inside door your dog uses often.  Tell him to Sit and Stay at the door.

• Staying in front of your dog, put your hand on the door to open it. Your dog may stand up or try to get ahead of you in anticipation of the door opening. Give a firm "Ah! Ah!, Wait!" and make him sit back down.  Keep your hand on the door until he settles and looks at you for direction.

• Slowly begin to open the door.  As he tries to move forward, as he likely will, give him another firm "Ah! Ah!, Wait!" and close the door again.  Keep doing this until he gets the idea that unless he remains in a sit position and waits for you to lead him through the door, you will continue to close it. 

• You'll probably need to do this a bunch of times before your dog gets it.  It may seem confusing to him.  How come suddenly Mom or Dad isn't letting me go in that room??  Eventually, he should get it.   

Once your dog get's it, perform the exercises on other doors over the next couple of days.  The garage door, the car doors, the backyard door, and so on.  He'll eventually learn that he needs to check in with you before he's allowed to go through any door.  However, if you can't seem to teach the Wait command successfully, get some hands on help from a professional dog trainer.

Has your dog ever door dashed?  How do you prevent your dog from dashing out into the street or other dangerous situation?  We love to hear from you, please leave us a comment and share your thoughts with us!

Have You Seen This Video of a Little Girl Controlling 6 Dogs?

I don't normally post on my blog on Saturdays, but I just saw this amazing video on the news today and had to share.  This little girl is so competent and capable, she's definitely got a bright future as a Dog Trainer!

It's no surprise that the video has gone viral, but the sad part is that, no surprise, a lot of misinformed people have been vehemently criticized the family for putting the girl in what they deem an unsafe condition simply because her family dogs are Pit Bulls.  We should all be so lucky to have a pack that is this well trained and well behaved!

Of course, some news channels were just chomping at the bit to make a sensation out of this and criticize the family.  One ignorant news anchor actually pointed out that the girl got "injured" because one of the dogs stepped on her foot - Really?!  My Husky steps on my foot every day!  Has that guy ever even had a dog?  If the dogs were Standard Poodles, Saint Bernards, Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas, or any other breed, I would be having this conversation.

These dogs are beautiful and so is this incredible little girl!  The only thing I have to say to the people who have criticized this family is this:

STOP BULL-BASHING, PEOPLE!!!!!

What do you think of this video?  Would you applaud or criticize this girl's parents?  Please leave us a comment, we want to know what you think!

I decided, a little late, to join the Monday Mischief BLOG HOP!!

Happy New Year; My Dogs' Resollutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We've said goodbye to 2014 and it's officially a brand new year, a fresh start filled with possibilities! I've been thinking about my New Years resolutions, which usually extend to my dogs as well.  One of the things I'd like to do with my dogs in 2015 is teach them at least 3 new tricks.  Here's a short video of one of my favorite tricks, which I do with Isis, "Where's My Dog?"  I learned this cute trick in a Tricks training class I took at PetSmart.  I hope it makes you smile, maybe even laugh!

One of my 2015 New Years resolutions is to learn some new tricks and spend more time doing tricks with both my dogs because:

What Pet Expert Or Celebrity Would Be At Your Holiday Table?

This time of year, people often ask "What famous person, still living or deceased, would you want at your holiday table and why?"  I've been thinking about what Pet Expert or Pet Celebrity I would want to have at my holiday table.  I have the gift (curse?) of gab, so one person isn't enough for me.  I would invite 2 of my favorite pet gurus, Cesar Milan and Dr. Marty Becker.   Why did I pick Cesar and Dr. Becker?  They are each extremely accomplished in their field and have a special area of knowledge and expertise about pets that I'd love to pummel them with questions chat with them about.  Who would be at your holiday table?

If I had a nickel for every un-neutered male Chihuahua that came into the shelter. I'd be rich!

Cesar Milan:  Cesar started his career as a dog groomer, where he was often asked to handle the most difficult dogs.  As he became more knowledgeable and experienced in dog behavior he became known as The Dog Whisperer.  The thing I want to discuss with Cesar is how we can get our society to a state where Spaying and Neutering our dogs is second nature for everyone.  He grew up in Mexico, where they have an even bigger spay/neuter problem than we do in the U.S.  I'd like to know what he thinks should be done to achieve this and how we can get there.  I want to know his thoughts on why so many people still avoid spay/neuter and how we can reach all segments of our communities to create change. I'd ask what he thinks he can do personally as a celebrity to help support that effort.  I'd love to see him draft a strategy on a dessert napkin!




One of far too many dogs that arrive at the shelter un-neuter, without updated tags, and not micro-chipped!  Grrr!

Dr. Marty Becker:  I found one of Dr. Becker's books, The Healing Power of Pets; Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy for $5 in a used book store.  I was so inspired by the heartwarming stories in his book!  Dr. Becker is also co-author of Chicken Soup For the Pet Lover’s Soul.  He's been a contributor to ABC’s Good Morning America TV show and the Dr. Oz show.  I'd love to discuss the power of the Human-Animal bond with Dr. Becker.  I'd ask him where the latest research on the Human-Animal bond is going and how we can harness even more of the power of the Human-Animal bond to help people.

Therapy Dogs are just one aspect of the power of the Human-Animal bond. 

If one of these two couldn't make it, I would invite another of my favorite pet guru's, Victoria Stilwell, author and star of the Animal Planet show It's Me Or The Dog.  Victoria and Cesar don't exactly see eye to eye on dog methodology.  If I had the honor of sharing a meal with these two incredible dog experts, I'd cross my fingers and hope they didn't end up throwing sweet potato pie at each other! I would have lots and lots of napkins on hand just in case - LOL!

 

Which pet guru would you love to have at your holiday table?  Please leave us a comment and tell us who your guest pet guru would be!