Friends, Family and Fido - Holiday Celebrations

We all love holidays, especially if we have friends and family joining the celebrations. Unfortunately, in the excitement, we can quickly forget about Fido and his safety. Here are some tips that might come in handy.

1. Keep track of your pets. Guests may leave a door or gate open allowing for accidental escapes or that unattended food on the counter could quickly become Fido's dinner These situations can usually be avoided by assigning one family member to be responsible for Fido. This way family members don't incorrectly assume someone else is watching the dog.
2. Keep your dog on leash if he has not yet learned to remain calm in exciting situations.
3. Plan in advance. Have food stuffed toys or chew bones ready to entertain your pet on a moment's notice. Also, have a safe quiet guest free area prepared for your dog - this way you aren't lugging crates around at the last minute.
4. Not all pets are comfortable with a houseful of people. If your dog seems stressed or nervous do not hesitate to crate them in a safe place with a good chew toy. (Dog Blog: Talking without saying a word - Shy and Anxious dogs.)
5. Do not allow children to hug, kiss, or overwhelm your pet. If you cannot supervise children/dog interactions, crate your dog for every one's safety.
6. Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise before, during and after the party.  The more energy he uses up playing fetch in the backyard the more likely he is to remain calm during the celebration.
7. Let your guest help you train.  Ask them not to reward jumping and remind them that your dog should earn (by sitting) treats, petting, and any other interactions.
8. For younger dogs, remember that activity will kick start their metabolism so be sure to work in a couple of extra potty breaks. 
9. If your dog is a chewer be sure to keep shoes, purses and other items safe and out of his reach. 

These are just a few tips to keep you on track. Remember that preplanning is the best way to avoid accidents/conflicts. So, while you are making that shopping list make a keep Fido safe list and all should go well.
Have any safety tips of your own to share? Feel free to let us know.

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/personablepetsdogtraining

Earlier this month we completed the Walk This Way series on our Facebook Page.  A tip a day for seven days to help make your walks with your dogs more enjoyable.  If you missed the series, the tips, including friend comments are listed below.

Tip 1: Your walk starts before you leave the house. If your dog is a bundle of uncontrolled excitement as you walk out the door, don't expect him to magically calm down before you hit the sidewalk. If you have been gone all day, play a quick game of pre-walk fetch in the backyard to take the edge off all that energy. Don't be predictable. If he gets excited when you put his leash on because he knows a walk is next - put the leash on 5 minutes before the walk. This should give him time to calm down a bit before you hit the streets. In summary, be creative, break up your patterns and try to help your dog use up a little bit of his energy before you head out for your walk.

Tip 2: In order for your dog to understand how to behave on leash we have to reward them for not pulling. This can be easier said than done if your dog doesn't stop pulling long enough for us to reward the desired behavior. So, if your dog constantly pulls on the leash you should consider getting a no pull harness, like a Sporn or Walmart no pull harness, to slow them down long enough to reward appropriate behavior. If your dog is also a jumper, you might want to consider a Gentle Leader or a Halti. Keep in mind, this equipment will not teach your dog not to pull but it should slow them down long enough so that you can start rewarding appropriate walking behavior. Avoid regular harnesses and flexi leads, at least during the training stage, since both can sometimes assist your dog in the pulling process. 
Friend Comment; We've had wonderful luck with a front-clip harness. Nothing for the dog to pull against!   

Tip 3: This is the most important step to walking without pulling and it has nothing to do with the dog. We humans have to start paying attention to leash tension. We have got to STOP rewarding pulling behavior. I know this sounds silly but imagine this. Your dog wants access to a great smell that is just 2 foot out of his reach. He goes to the end of the leash and starts stretching forward. What do we do? We stretch out our hand or step forward to give him access. In that instance we taught our dog that when they hit the end of the leash they should pull harder and we will accomdate (reward) their behavior. Here is how you should handle the situation. The moment your dog hits the end of the leash, back up a step as you call your dog to you. When he comes to you, ask for a sit and then you can step closer to the smell so he can access it without pulling. Now your dog is learning, if I want something out of my reach, sit and then my human may help me access it.

Tip 4: Now that we have a calm dog (or at least calmer) before we leave the house, the correct collar and we have taught our dog not to pull on the leash while we are standing still - it is time to take it on the road. But before you leave the house load up with plenty of good treats! There are 3 parts to walking. First, every time your dog rushes to the end of the leash, stop, back-up as you call him to you. When he gets to you ask for Sit. Once he is sitting and calmer, say Let's Go and try it again. Your timing has to be very good with this step. You need to start backing up and calling him to you the moment he starts to pull so he can make the connection - everytime I pull the walk stops. No need to yell or pop the leash. The fact that the walk is stopping is punishment enough. Of course, stopping the walk when he is pulling is only one part - the second part is rewarding him for not pulling. Whenever he is calmly walking on the leash without pulling, click (or say good boy) and offer him a treat. When I offer a treat during a walk I hold it at the left side near my thigh. If he wants it, he can come get it. And the more I reward him for being close to my left leg the more often we will hang out there. Also, keep moving as you offer the treat so the walk doesn't stop. The third part of walking is turning your walks into a training session. Stop occasionally and practice your sits or stays or downs. This will help your dog learn that walks are a team sport so paying attention to you is as important as checking out the great smells.

Tip 5: The most important part of training is practice, practice, practice. The more your dog gets to practice something the more fluent with that behavior/action they will become. This is very true with walking on the leash. If they only get to practice walking without pulling one time a day, it may take them a little longer to grasp the no pull concept. So, if you usually take one long walk a day with your dog why not break that up into 3 shorter walks. Instead of playing fetch in the backward why not practice some loose leash walking? Commercial on TV? Get up and practice some walking around the living room. You get the idea. The more you practice walking without pulling the better you and your dog will become as a mean lean walking machine.

Tip 6: What are your rules of the road? Mine are pretty simple. Walk without pulling. Wait at intersections. When a biker, runner, stroller or other people are coming down the path we get 5-10 feet off the path and sit/stay until they pass. If these people want to pet my dog they will ask but usually they just thank me for giving them the right of way and keep going. If my dog... finds a random spot to sniff he needs to keep moving when I ask him to Leave it. Of course, sniffing is important on walks so when I find a spot I think he will find interesting I ask for a Sit and then let him sniff to his hearts content. In this scenario, he earned the right to sniff by sitting instead of just stopping whenever he wants. The point here is that if you just ignore your dog on walks you are passing up wonderful training opportunities and giving him absolutely no reason to pay attention to you. Start treating your walks like a team sport. Communicate with your dog. Reward him for good behavior. Come up with your own rules of the road and then consistently follow them. Before you know it your walks will be like organized field trips and enjoyable for both you and your dog.
Friend Comment:  I am loving these tips. Do you have any for walking 2 dogs? I've got an adult, that for the most part is good on the walk, and I've got a puppy that's getting the hang of it. All my older guys training goes out the window when I've got them both, I wish I had time to walk them separately. Any advice for making better for everyone?

Personable Pets Dog Training For the next couple of walks try concentrating mainly on your older guys behavior. It's all about him. When he starts to pull, stop back up and ask for a sit. If he is trying to play with the other dog stop and ask for a quick sit stay and reward him heavily for getting it right. I think you will find that he quickly relearns the rules of the road and your younger dog will start following his actions since your are handing out treats. Does this make sense?
Friend Comment: Yes, I'm going to give it a try.. Thanks!
Personable Pets Dog Training ‎A couple more tips. One, let the dogs have a play session with each other right before the walk. This might take the edge off your olders dog energy. Two, if the dogs start trying to play during the walk and you ask your older guy to sit stay. The moment he does, start rewarding him. Even if the younger guy is still jumping around acting stupid. If you wait to reward him until the younger guy is under control then you are sort of punishing him for the other dogs behavior.
Friend Comment: Another good idea. My little one is probably a lot of the reason my big guy isn't following the rules...
Friend Comment:Sharon, your walking the dog tip was really good! One of the things I have noticed is all the people who talk on their phone as they walk their dog. To me, that is like driving and talking. Do one or the other, and give it all your attention....
Personable Pets Dog Training So glad you enjoyed the tips. Excellent point you bring up about walking and talking on the phone. I think a good rule would be, if you have to take a call while walking your dog move 5-10 foot off the path and reward your dog as you chat on the phone. You could also find an off the path sniff place and let them explore while you chat. Regardless, you should get off the path (since you wont really be paying attention to what is coming) but stay aware of your surroundings so a child or another dog doesn't sneak up and startle you or your dog.

Tip 7: The last walking tip is about managing Environmental Challenges. You know what I am talking about - that yard full of dogs who all start barking and jumping on the fence when you are about a block away. Or that dog that rushes the invisible fence line acting like he wants to take you and your dog out. Here are some ideas. If the yard full of barking/jumping on the fence d...ogs seems to distract or panic your dog, let's teach him those dogs = treats. As you approach the area, but before you are close enough for your dog to get over stimulated, ask for a sit and give your dog a treat. Take a couple steps forward and repeat. With this he is learning to ignore the dogs and pay attention to you. Now, get a handful of treats and just quickly walk through the area giving your dog a treat with every step. Hopefully he will concentrate on the treats and not the other dogs. As long as your dog is taking treats you are good. With each walk your dog should become less and less concerned about that particular yard so you can get closer to the area before you ask for sits and you can deliver fewer and fewer treats as you walk through the area If he stops taking treats he is too overwhelmed and no longer learning. If this happens, just get out of the area, let him calm down and then try it again with your next walk. If you walk by an invisible fence rusher I suggest you change your path and avoid that yard all together (because invisible fences do NOT offer 100% protection). If you have to walk that way, cross the street, get as far away from that yard as possible and use treats, etc, to keep your dogs attention on you. Most important, don't take the same path everyday, day after day after day. Dogs need new sniffs, sights and sounds for complete mental stimulation. So sometimes take that left instead of the right, walk your path in reverse, or change the side of the street you walk on. You get the idea, mix it up so it is always NEW for your dog.

 So, what do you think?  Did you pick up any good tips?  If so, we would love to here which ones work for you.

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/personablepetsdogtraining

Our Dog's New Years Resolutions

Okay, so I am not going to act like my dog wrote this list or even that dogs have resolutions.  This is simply my take on things you can expect from your dog in the coming year.

Resolution 1:  He will respect your privacy and NOT read your mind.  If you don't ask him to wait or stay at doorways, then expect him to almost take you out as he squeezes through that six inch gap between the open door and your knees.  If you don't ask him to leave-it, then expect him to root through that shopping bag you put on the floor.  If you don't ask him to come and then take him in the house, expect him to continue to stand there and bark at that squirrel in the tree.  That's right.  Your dog will respect your privacy and will NOT read your mind.   So. if you don't ask him to do what you want, then he will do the next best thing - what he wants!

Resolution 2:  He will follow your rules.  That's right.  If your dog is allowed to, for example, get on whatever piece of furniture he wants whenever he wants, then expect him to jump up on the couch with muddy feet to greet Aunt Marie.  Rules are rules after all - even when we have company.  Of course, if the rule is to ask for permission BEFORE getting on furniture then your dog and Aunt Marie will probably get along much better.

Resolution 3:  He will help you reap what you reward.  So if you reward (even inadvertently) jumping or barking, then he will be obligated to repeat those behaviors.  If pulling hard on the leash helps get  you and him across the street to check out that fantastic smell, well, he will help 'get you there' by pulling everyday.  You get the idea.  Your dog will help you reap what you reward so you better pay attention and only reward the behaviors you want repeated.

So, now that we know our dog's resolutions maybe it is time to come up with some of our own.  Here are a few that you might want to consider:

1.  Reward the behavior you want repeated.  Example, acknowledge or reward your dog when he approaches you and sits or stands (aka not jumping!)
2.  Establish some 'house rules'.  Dog is not allowed on furniture without an invitation.  Dog is allowed in the bedroom.  Dog is not to be rewarded when offering begging behavior.  Whatever works in your household.  Just come up with your top 5 and post them on the fridge for all family members to see and follow.
3.  Communicate with your dog.  Don't expect him to read your mind.  If he is jumping around like a goofball and you would rather he sit, then say so!

However you and your dog work it, here's wishing you both a fantastic 2012!

Happy New Year and happy training!

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/personablepetsdogtraining

It's Christmas Time to TRAIN!

It is that time of year again.  We are hustling and bustling to get ready for our holiday celebrations, but this doesn't mean training our dog should fall to the wayside.  In fact, just the opposite.  Now is the perfect time to get in a little extra training.  Better to be proactive and teach our dog what to do as the decorations come out and the tree goes up , rather than waiting for him to dive bomb the pretty shiny paper as you are trying to wrap gifts.

I Got a Puppy - Now What?

It is that time of year again.  The holidays are approaching and many families will find a new puppy under the tree on Christmas morning.  Everyone knows what you need to do with a new puppy - give him attention, house train him, feed him, exercise him, and keep an eye on him so he doesn't chew up your new shoes. But the one thing most people overlook, or aren't aware of, is the need to socialize their new puppy.  Socialize, socialize, socialize.

Ready, Set, Go! Are You Prepared To Evacuate the Whole Family

The events unfolding in Japan are tragic and I cannot even begin to fathom what those poor people must be going through.  As I watch the dramatic footage on TV my heart just breaks, but I also hear this little voice in back of my mind - am I ready to evacuate at a moments notice with my household pets?  Sadly, the answer is no.

Dining with Dogs. It's No Big Deal, Honest!.

Recently, some good friends of mine spent the day helping me out with some yard work.  Part of the deal was allowing their 3 dogs to roam the property while we worked.  This was no big deal and my two dogs enjoyed the company.

At the end of the day I was too tired to cook so I suggested that we head into town to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant.  This put my friends in a bit of a panic trying to figure out what to do with their dogs while we ate.  I told them to relax, it was a dog friendly restaurant.  This seemed to panic them even more.  Their dogs had never been 'out to eat' and they were sure it would lead to mass chaos.  I assured them that we would be fine.  We had 3 dogs and 3 people so we would each be responsible for one dog and I would show them exactly what to do.  

Well, needless to say, dinner went off without a hitch.  The dogs were all very polite and my friends were amazed at just how easy it was.  So, for anyone that wants to dine with their dog but are afraid of mass chaos, simply follow the tips below:

Casper settles in.  Not bad for his
first time at a restaurant

1.  For Dining with Dogs rookies - people should ALWAYS out number the dogs!
2.  Remember a tired dog is a good dog.  Be sure your canine partner gets plenty of exercise BEFORE you head out for dinner.
3.  Think of your first 3 to 4 outings as training sessions and not dinner.  That means, don't invite a long lost friend and expect to spend the evening chatting away.  Until you and your dog have this down to an art you will need to pay more attention to your dog than your guest.

4.  Don't go at rush hour.  Visit at a slow time (usually early afternoon) so that you and your dog will have plenty of space and not too many distractions.

5.  Pick a table that is off to the side and out of the foot traffic path.  Picking a table that backs up to the patio edge is even better - this way you don't have to worry about people walking around all sides.

6.  If possible, keep your dog on the opposite side of the table as wait staff.  Your waiters are busy enough so they should NOT have to fight your dog for access to the table.  This will also minimize the chances of your dog jumping up and knocking over a tray full of food. 

7.  For the first couple of visits, keep the leash in your hand.  If you tie your dog to the chair you may forget you have a dinner partner until he wraps the leash around the table and knocks it over.

8.  Keep the leash short (and NO flexi's) for the first couple of visits.  If your dog keeps wrapping himself around the chair he has too much leash.

9.  Reward, reward, reward!!  It is your job to teach your dog how to act.  Take treats with you and put them on the table.  Then reward your dog 2-3 times a minute (yes, every 20 seconds) for sitting or laying down until they settle.  At first, if you wait too long between rewards your dog will become bored and start to entertain himself.

10.  The wait staff is approaching, do you know where your dog is?  Make sure they haven't slipped under the table or around a chair just hoping to meet the waitress.  It is also a great idea to reward your dog for sitting while the waiter is at the table.  Teach him that good things come from you, not the waiter.

Junior patiently waiting
for his reward

11.  While you are eating do not zone out on your dog.  The moment your dog gets bored he will start to entertain himself by trying to get to that crumb the people at the next table dropped or chasing that bird that just landed in the grass.  A good rule of thumb for Dining with Dogs rookies is for every 2 bites of food you take your dog should get 1 reward treat for appropriate behavior.

12.  Remember that Dining with Dogs is a privilege - not a right.  A couple of bad experiences or complaints from other diners and your favorite dog friendly restaurant could quickly become not so dog friendly.  So, don't let your dog eat from the restaurants plates or utensils.  Do not let them relieve themselves near the restaurant.  Don't assume that other patrons are dog friendly.  Keep you dog with you and under control at all times.  Do not allow your dog to approach other people or disrupt their dinner.  If they want to meet your dog they will ask.  If they don't then steer clear.  Never take aggressive or overly anxious dogs.

So, Dining with Dogs is not that hard.  Just plan ahead, pay attention to your dog, and reward, reward, reward.  Before you know it, Dining with Dogs will be a non-event for both you and your canine partner.

Happy Training!

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/personablepetsdogtraining