PRODUCT REVIEW - KUUK Vegetable Chopper (for cutting dog roll into training treats)

My first official product review!  I saw on Facebook someone was using an onion chopper/vegetable dicer to cut dog roll into training treats...brilliant!  For anyone who has trouble with their hands like me, or just wants a faster, easier and less messy way to cut the dog roll down - this is your answer!

USING GO TO MAT TO STOP DOOR DASHING AND TEACH APPROPRIATE GREETINGS

GO TO MAT / PLATFORM WORK is a skill I think every dog should have.

It stops so many issues in their tracks and literally saves dogs lives.  If your dog reliably knows how to go to their place (I recommend a raised bed of some sort) - you can change so many behaviors:

Gorgeous Giant Schnauzer pup - SIRIUS - practicing on his mini trampoline

* No more door dashing
* No more jumping on guests when they arrive
* No more going crazy at the sound of the doorbell / mailman / delivery drivers
* No more begging at the table
* No more chasing the cats
* Makes teaching Wait/Stay much easier
* Teaches impulse control and patience

Rocky rocking out his matwork!

Pups are never too young to learn and it is easy and fun to teach.  That gorgeous pup there is Rocky who is staying with me for my STAY & LEARN HEADSTART program.

Here is a look at his most recent training footage for his family (not a how to video).  It is all about choice - and having fun which you can see he is!



You can pair the behavior of going to the mat/bed/spot with a sound that may be triggering behaviors you don't want. Miss Luna did really well with her first attempts at learning to Go To Mat when she heard a knocking sound.

This is a great way to teach excited dogs an alternate behavior for when company comes over.  We are also using it to curtail her desire to rush out the door after the kitties when they are being fed.

I love these particular Pet Cots - easy to put together, washable covers and
durable as long as you don't leave them to be chewed on...LOL

Here is ONYX, a Lab pup working on learning to Stay while toys are being thrown around for distraction.  When they can master this - they really can master changing any of the above mentioned behaviors!


Not sure where to start - join me in my ONLINE CLASSROOM for a 4 wk FASTRAK FOCUS course on this or as part of many of the other classes offered there.

HOW TO STUFF and USE A KONG or KONG WOBBLER

As I was prepping KONG toys for the furkids,  I realized not everyone knows about these great options for Doggie Brain Games and Mental Stimulation exercises.

WHAT IS A KONG EXACTLY?

KONG itself is a company that makes a great range of toys for dogs but many people refer to other types of similar toys by the same name. Generally these are made of rubber or a similar polymer and you can fill them with kibble or treats for a dog to get out.

WHY WOULD YOU STUFF ONE?

Stuffable toys like KONGS can serve many purposes:

• Mental Stimulation - dogs that are easily bored, hyper or need daily challenges can really benefit from this type of enrichment.
• Slow Down - some dogs eat far too quickly and inhale their food and this is one of many great options to slow them down, reducing the chances of complications like choking or bloat.
• Confidence Building - winning at this game can provide dogs that are insecure or anxious with a well deserved confidence boost for interacting with their environment.
• Crate Destressor - some dogs are stressed by their handlers leaving for the day and giving them a puzzle like this is a great way to take their mind off of the act of the handler leaving and refocus it to a positive - dogs with anxiety disorders may not be able to redirect, but a dog that is simply fussy can often come to see this "prize" as a real highlight and begin to look forward to their daily crate time.
• Variety - This type of toy breaks up the day for any dog and gives you a chance to offer different types of food/reward in a controlled exercise.

SO HOW DO YOU USE IT? WHAT DO YOU USE TO STUFF IT?

There are lots of recipes that you can use,  and a lot of Kong type toys, but the most basic process is to use it to feed meals with basic kibble and a stopper of something like peanut butter, canned dog food, cream cheese or canned pumpkin. Having said that, I know people who use banana, mashed potato or even raw meat pieces to fill the end. It depends on what your dog finds rewarding!

You can also mix things into the kibble part itself like dry treats,  apple or carrot slices or cheese cubes (but I will say the cheese tends to clump the kibble together and if your dog isn't determined enough it can just frustrate them).

GETTING SETUP

• Toys to Fill 
• Kibble 
• Peanut Butter
• Cream Cheese
• Treats 
• Apple or Carrot 
• Cheese 

Putting down a section of cling film makes this much easier.   It stops anything falling out and creating a mess in your freezer. 

WHY FREEZE?  

A frozen Kong lasts longer, presents more of a challenge and can help teething puppies gums feel better. 

FILLING

If the toy has a small hole on one end,  like a standard Kong,  you will not need to do anything except fill it with kibble and a stopper of your choice. 

If you are using another type of toy like the Kong Dental or Dogzilla toys,  with a larger hole on both ends,  you want to cover one of the holes with your filler first. I am using peanut butter or cream cheese here. Once you fill that hole,  turn the toy upside down on the cling film and fill with kibble.   (If you are using apple or carrot,  put that in first then fill the kibble to the top around it. 

Taking too long or making a mess with the kibble?  If it is small enough kibble,  use a funnel... 

Don't have a funnel?  Take a sheet of paper and roll into a funnel-like shape... 

Don't have a piece of paper?  Ummmmm... That is probably beyond the purview of this article. 

So you have the Kong full - now just cap the remaining hole with your choice of filling, pull the cling film up/around it and freeze overnight. 

You don't need to let them thaw first - the whole point is to have the dogs work for it so give it to them straight from the freezer. Check the specifics of each toy, but in general, hot soapy water is enough to clean them or a occasional run through the dishwasher is fine for most of them. 

KONG WOBBLERS

Wobblers are like giant Weeble Wobbles - they weeble and they wobble and they throw food around...but that's half the fun!  Unlike the other KONG type toys, these are a hard plastic with a weighted bottom, not rubber. 

All you need to do for this is twist off the bottom and fill the toy with kibble. They do come in a few sizes (the pink and blue are Puppy ones).  Make sure your kibble is small enough to come out of the hole otherwise you get a frustrated doggie slamming the toy into your walls! 

Normally you wouldn't add anything over the hole in these but some dogs struggle with how to get started. When I first gave this to a recent boarding pup, he looked at me like - "What am I supposed to do with that"?  LOL   I added some peanut butter to give him a headstart and after the first session, he didn't need any filler - just his kibble.

Then there are other dogs, like Barrow here that get it straight away.

Either of these options can be a great way to help your dog learn some problem solving skills, keep them entertained for awhile and offer a novel approach to feeding time. They'll thank you for it!

HIGH VALUE TREAT MIX

Tired of buying expensive treats only to find your dog doesn't really like them?  Just want to make sure you know exactly what is in what you're giving them?

Training utilizes many rewards - toys, play, praise, access to resources - and of course food.  And just like you probably wouldn't wash someones car for 25¢ but might for $25 - dogs have a PAY SCALE as well.  I love Lili Chin's Boogie Pay Scale graphic - it explains it well!

I started making my guys high value mixes when I saw one of our local supermarkets had chicken quarters on sale for 49¢ / lb.  This is a great mix for them.

Don't want all the work?  My guys also love the NATURAL BALANCE and PURE BALANCE dog rolls cut into cubes!  At PETCO classes we called it our Puppy Crack!

TEACHING A DOG A SUSTAINED HAND TARGET

This are great follow ups to your TOUCH cue.

Why would I want to use a sustained hand target?  

Anything that helps you keep your dog still can be made useful with a sustained touch.  It can make grooming like ear and eye cleaning easier, medical treatment including vaccinations and the ever dreaded rectal temperature taking easier (your vet will LOVE you) and it teaches IMPULSE CONTROL which is important for so many behaviors...

Great!  So how do I start to getting them to extend the length of time they are touching my hand?

It just so happens we have 2 brilliant guest videos to share with you - have a look!

WHY MY DOGS DON'T KNOW "NO!"

Article Source: Four Feet & Food

A friend and I were recently walking out my front door while my dog, Kona, was close at our heels. She turned around and told him “no”. I told her that word means nothing to him and asked him to “back up” instead (a behavior he knows well). This sparked the conversation of “you’re a dog trainer, how does your dog not understand the word ‘no’?” My simple answer is “because he’s never been taught what that means”.

Dogs are not born with an inherent knowledge of the human language or culture. Can they learn a word by the context in which it is delivered? You bet! But it’s up to us to attach some useful information to that word to help them navigate our world where we expect them to live within our expectations. If I yelled “no!” at Kona in a stern tone would he immediately stop what he was doing? He might stop in that instant but what is he supposed to do after that? It’s not really fair for me to tell him to stop doing something without providing any follow up information.

How many of us have had this conversation with our significant other:

You: What do you want for dinner? 
SO: I don’t know. What do you want? 

You: How about Chinese food? 
SO: No. 

You: Ok, how about Mexican? 
SO: No. 
You: Then why don’t YOU pick something! 

It’s frustrating when someone tells you “no” without providing an alternative isn’t it? Without any additional information you don’t know what to do next. Is he/she saying “no” to Chinese food because they aren’t hungry or because they don’t like Chinese? Did they just eat Mexican for lunch and don’t want it again for dinner? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?? Without any additional information you have no idea what to do next! It’s the same for our dogs. “No” doesn’t hold any weight unless you’ve associated a meaning to it for a specific behavior.

It is very common for us humans to think “no” can be just a blanket term for “stop what you’re doing this instant” (and don’t do it again) but in reality, most dogs have no idea what that means and are just responding to the tone of our voices. I have taught my dogs many useful behaviors that are all on cue, meaning they have a word or signal attached to them. I have taught them to problem solve and to respond to my cues. I taught them all of this through positive reinforcement training based on mutual trust and respect.

I have never had the need to teach my dogs “no” because it has no use in our relationship. Do my dogs do things on occasion that I might not like? Of course! But that’s where the other behaviors they know come into play. I will discuss some alternate behaviors you can teach to prevent unwanted behaviors in a follow up post. In the meantime, if anyone has a solution to the ongoing “what do you want for dinner?” debate with your SO, please share in the comments!

JUST NO! - IMPORTANT WARNING FOR DOG/CHILD INTERACTIONS

PARENTS - SERIOUSLY - THIS IS HOW YOUR CHILD GETS BIT - THIS IS NOT FUNNY, CUTE, OR ACCEPTABLE IN ANY WAY!!!

Please do not let your child hit, pull, ride, bounce on or otherwise annoy the dog and then get mad when the dog reacts!  This is so very damaging to dogs hips and backs especially in dogs whose growth plates have not yet closed.



Lip licking, yawning, squinting eyes, closing their mouth when panting - they are all signs that the dog is stressed...and just because the dog has allowed it before doesn't mean it is okay...

SIMPLE RULE OF THUMB - If you wouldn't want someone to do it to you or your child - don't let your child do it to a pet!

BREAK THOSE WINTER BOREDOM BLUES WITH 33 GREAT GAMES FOR DOGS

With winter upon soon - it is time to start thinking about how best to entertain your furry friends out of the mud and slush. Here is a great article to give you plenty of ideas to get started!

33 Simple Ways to Keep Your Dog Busy Indoors

THIS IS WHY I DON'T ALLOW FLEXI LEADS IN CLASS!

Why I Don’t Recommend Retractable Leashes

By Dr. Becker  (article source)

A retractable leash is not so much a leash as it is a length of thin cord wound around a spring-loaded device housed inside a plastic handle. The handles of most retractable leashes are designed to fit comfortably in a human hand. A button on the handle controls how much of the cord is extended.

Retractable leashes are popular primarily because they aren't as confining as regular leashes, allowing dogs more freedom to sniff and poke around on walks. But unfortunately, there are many downsides to this type of leash.

10 Reasons Not to Use a Retractable Leash

1. The length of retractable leashes, some of which can extend up to 26 feet, allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash is often able to run into the middle of the street, for example, or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people.

2. In the above scenario, or one in which your pet is being approached by an aggressive dog, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It's much easier to regain control of – or protect -- a dog at the end of a six-foot standard flat leash than it is if he's 20 or so feet away at the end of what amounts to a thin string.

3. The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. If a strong, good-sized dog takes off at full speed, the cord can snap. Not only can that put the dog and whatever he may be chasing in danger, but also the cord can snap back and injure the human at the other end.

4. If a dog walker gets tangled up in the cord of a retractable leash, or grabs it in an attempt to reel in their dog, it can result in burns, cuts, and even amputation. In addition, many people have been pulled right off their feet by a dog that reaches the end of the leash and keeps going. This can result in bruises, "road rash," broken bones, and worse.

5. Dogs have also received terrible injuries as a result of the sudden jerk on their neck that occurs when they run out the leash, including neck wounds, lacerated tracheas, and injuries to the spine.

6. Retractable leashes allow dogs more freedom to pull at the end of them, which can look like aggression to another dog who may decide to "fight back."

7. The handles of retractable leashes are bulky and can be easily pulled out of human hands, resulting in a runaway dog.

8. Along those same lines, many dogs – especially fearful ones – are terrorized by the sound of a dropped retractable leash handle and may take off running, which is dangerous enough. To make matters worse, the object of the poor dog's fear is then "chasing" her, and if the leash is retracting as she runs, the handle is gaining ground on her – she can't escape it. Even if this scenario ultimately ends without physical harm to the dog (or anyone else), it can create lingering fear in the dog not only of leashes, but also of being walked.

9. Retractable leashes, like most retractable devices, have a tendency to malfunction over time, either refusing to extend, refusing to retract, or unspooling at will.

10. Retractable leashes are an especially bad idea for dogs that haven't been trained to walk politely on a regular leash. By their very nature, retractables train dogs to pull while on leash, because they learn that pulling extends the lead.

If your dog is well trained, gentle mannered and smart enough to master a regular leash and a retractable leash without being confused, you could be one of the rare guardians that can walk your pooch on any kind of leash without increasing risks to either one of you.

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO STOP A DOG RUNNING AWAY FROM YOU?

In an emergency situation - this could save your pet's life - as crazy as it may look - DO NOT CHASE - drop to the ground and squeal/squeak/yelp - make whatever noise is super high pitched and they have not heard before - NO WORDS...it works!

PROBLEM SOLVING WITH KONG Classic TOYS

KONG Classic TOYS remain one of my absolute favorite toys - they make other shapes and sizes but the simple Classic design is the best.

It is one of those things that I think every house should have at least 2-3 of.  If I could only have one toy forever more - this would be it.

So what is it about this rubber snowman shaped toy that is so special? It isn't so much the toy itself (which I love for its' durability, washability and variety of uses) as it is what you can do with it and how it can be used to solve a huge number of training issues.

SIMPAWTICO Dog Training released a great video about using KONGs last year - have a look!  (Some people have said they didn't like the presentation but there is a ton of helpful information there!)