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Making You & Your Dog Happier

Teaching your dog to come back WITH FUN!

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Getting your pooch to come back to you quickly is something all dog owners dream of. Asking their dog to leave behind fox poo, other dogs, rabbits in the hedge, on a single word, takes some teaching. We make the mistake of causing it to be a horrible event. We call the dog to us, clip the lead on and head for home. The words ‘Come’ or ‘Here’ become miserable events for the poor dog.

Instead, let’s work on making the recall a great event!

These are a few training games that have been very successful in keeping the fun involved in calling your dog back. The first principle is to always call your dog back throughout your walk, throughout their play, and throughout the day. Don’t leave it to the one time their fun is going to be spoiled.

‘Chase me, catch me!’ is a great game that means the dog comes to you and chases you, catches you by arriving at your feet in a sit. Not the other way around. Chasing your dog is a really bad idea. Run the other way! Here’s how to play.

Call your dog to the front of you, then as they arrive, reward them with a treat and some happy praise. Then suddenly turn away 90 degrees and say ‘Come’ whilst moving a few steps away. Again, as they catch up at your feet and sit, say Yes! and reward again. Occasionally dash away as they get close to you, so that they can’t always predict what is about to happen. All of a sudden you are much more fun and rewarding to be with.

Repeat with the excited attitude of ‘Can’t catch me!’

Celebrate when your dog does as you ask. Gradually make this more fun and more difficult by turning and dodging away. Get them to chase you and try and follow you in an effort to get to the front finish point.

Remember the three key aims:
– Be exciting
– Use high value rewards (tasty food is always best and make sure you have a hungry dog!)
– Repeat quickly

If your dog becomes over-excited you must ask for a sit before you give them any reward. Enthusiasm is great, but not knocking you flying in their haste.

Stepping things up is easy. Occasionally, as soon as they arrive at your feet, toss the food away so that they have to move away.

Soon your dog will be looking for the next call, their eyes firmly fixed on you. Give it a try this week. Happy training!

Why not look at Karen’s new book, ‘Being a Dog’, to learn more about the world of dog behaviour from your dog’s point of view!

Dogs like Christmas decorations, too!

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dog training activitiesWhat on earth are us humans doing? Collecting boxes down from the loft and suddenly filling the house with flashing lights and tempting food. And none of it can be sniffed, touched, chewed or swallowed. What a pity for our dogs! They may like decorations, but for all the wrong reasons. It is time to be vigilant and check that your beloved pooch can’t reach the spiky holly or the pretty poinsettia.

A real tree might suddenly appear in the lounge, but it is out of bounds to leg-cocking, so be careful where you arrange those electric lights. Even an artificial one is a sudden and strange intrusion. All those dangling baubles and shiny tinsel and even chocolates hanging down. Make sure you put yours on only the highest boughs and never leave the tree unattended. You would be astounded at the reach of a determined dog. Use shatterproof ornaments, and think about putting the tree up on a coffee table or even behind a fire guard. It is simply not worth the life-threatening issues that might occur if your dog decides any of these things are a tasty snack.

As presents start to arrive, keep them well out of reach, because dogs don’t have handy calendars to tell them it is not Christmas yet. Ask givers if the gifts contain anything edible and again, don’t be afraid to put them up on a table to prevent any spoilers.

We had an interesting incident last year where an unwanted (coconut, much hated in our house) chocolate from an advent calendar rolled off the mantelpiece and into the happily waiting mouth of our little terrier Maisie. It was a traumatic moment for us as we retrieved it. Maisie adores chocolate and, unlike our other dogs, would do anything to earn it. Luckily this was the only incident and she is very small. If she were larger there would need to be no chocolates anywhere. This is not just a training issue (she is very good at being called away) but once they can access it, you have a serious problem. Chocolate is extremely poisonous to dogs, so don’t take the risk, not even once.

Do you really need to buy more dog toys?

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zippypaws-house-toy-brunoIt is impossible to miss that Christmas is well and truly underway, in our shops at least. I am always a little bothered by its early arrival but I soon get carried away with the twinkly lights and pretty decorations. I love any celebration where people are ‘officially’ supposed to be nice to one another.

In my new book, ‘Being a Dog’, as well as describing how your dog sees and responds to the world around him, I talk about our human behaviour, where we buy our dogs presents, have parties for them and generally spend a lot of money on things they may or may not need. Christmas shopping is one of those times where we can easily get carried away. What might your dog actually prefer, and does he really need more, or any, toys?

Sometimes I visit a client’s home and they have toy boxes filled with squeaky, furry, fluffy dog playthings but still they report that the dog is not interested in them, preferring shoes, dirty laundry, or the childrens’ toys. Why spend money on more things for the dog that they won’t play with?

Yes, dogs do need their own safe things to enjoy so that they will be less likely to chew up unsafe items. We have great pet shops locally for you to source these. Dogs like novelty, so the new toy you buy will be enjoyable for a while until your dog gets to explore it, but after a while it could be relegated to the toy box graveyard along with all the others. The solution? Take some of the toys away and put them out of reach for a while. You can swap them over after a few weeks and hey presto! A whole set of ‘new’ toys to delight your dog.

The biggest attraction for dog goodies is the scent the item holds, followed by the texture. Dogs generally prefer softer items compared to solid or metal, possibly because they enjoy this texture in their mouths (rabbit-like, perhaps). These items retain any scent more readily, so your shoes, gloves, socks and underwear may be particularly tempting.

To deter them from playing with things you own, you might use a pet-safe bitter-tasting spray on the item, but preferably choose a series of safe-to-chew dog toys that can contain food. This maintains novelty, gives the dog something tasty and interesting to explore.

They could even replace the boring old dog dinner bowl as a fun activity in the gloomy winter months to come.

 

 

Does my dog need a coat?

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walk in snow fresh start Every time the autumn arrives, I notice the temperature changes quite rapidly. Not for us the late summer in autumn that we have enjoyed in the past! This year we are straight down to business, with colder and damper weather leading us into wintertime.

Coats are on sale everywhere, and not just for humans. After the dressing up costumes of Hallowe’en, we now have the winter jumpers and Christmas gear, but also plenty of dog coats available.

‘They already have coats’ I hear you cry. Yes indeed, our dogs are covered in fur. If you compare a Pinscher or Weimaraner to a Border Collie, however, you can see that those coats vary hugely. A light covering of fur is not going to insulate your pooch as much as the heaviest of Golden Retriever fluffiness.

If you decide your dog might be feeling the cold, aim for a rain-protective and padded coat. Ensure that your dog can still move freely in it, as it can be a little overwhelming for them at first. Fleeces are available, with leg ‘sleeves’ that are brilliant for Greyhounds and others that simply do not have nature’s furry coating.

It is only fair that a very young dog gets additional help in keeping warm especially on damp, rainy days. A puppy’s coat is naturally lighter and fluffier, even if their future fur is going to be thick and warm.

In addition we all know that getting older brings aches and pains in colder weather, so your elderly dog, who may have survived happily through all the preceding years, might start to appreciate another layer.

Dog coats can be bought on a budget, or can be very costly. My advice is to start with a slightly less pricey, or second-hand coat or jumper. They are not great quality but I would not want you to spend a lot of money if your dog dislikes it. Once you have spent time accustoming your dog to the new sensation, they will appreciate it, and you can then purchase something a little more high quality, perhaps.

Waterproof coats can be treated fabric rather than noisy, sweaty, crinkly plastic versions, so shop around!

You may currently be complaining as many dogs appear to moult at this time of year, possibly due to the central heating coming on. Nonetheless, keeping their coat in good condition means that whatever fur they do have will help protect them from the cold. Judging by the amount of coat my little dog Pickles is currently shedding, I could probably knit us both a new one.

Pet Portrait Competition!

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puppyCOMPETITION TIME!

To celebrate the launch of my book, Being a Dog, we have teamed up with talented artist Karen Green, for an exciting opportunity to win a Pet Portrait of your dog!

As you can see, her skills are incredible. It would make a superb memory of your beautiful pooch, so do enter!

ellieHow to enter:

As this is to celebrate the launch of my book, ‘Being a Dog’ we would like you to say below what ‘Being a Dog’ really means to your pet. Please add your comment below (in 30 words or less) in the format: “My dog loves Being a Dog because…”

We will choose the most appealing answer as our winner by the 5th November and the winner will be announced here on this page, so keep checking back!

About Karen Green, Fine Artist

After graduating from De Montfort University with a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts Degree I became a Fine Artist, painting portraits alongside sea/landscape art.
I love getting lost in the moment when painting and the creative release it gives me. 
I use washes of watercolour when painting pet portraits, capturing the character and personality of the subject. 
My pet portraits are a best described as a “unique gift that last a lifetime at a price you can afford”
Please visit http://www.karenjanegreen.com/portraits-commissions,  telephone 07525251426 or 
email karen35green@yahoo.co.uk for further information
being-a-dog-cover-lo-res

Help celebrate Karen’s new book!

(Competition rules: Use 30 words or less. Longer entries will not be considered. One entry per household. Judges decision is final. Closing date and last entries accepted on 4/11/16. Winner announced on this page on 5/11/16. Winner will be contacted directly by artist Karen Green so please leave a valid email address. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose by this website. Prizes unclaimed by 31/12/16 will be considered invalid.)

Please add your comment below (in 30 words or less) in the format: “My dog loves Being a Dog because…”