Winter blues

Remember during the winter your dog still needs some stimulation to keep from getting on your nerves. These should be both exercise and mental actives to do with your dog during the cold season. If you still walk your dog outside, make sure to rinse their feet off when you come home, between the pads can collect ice or chemical salt and the pads can become dry too. If it’s cold for you it might be too cold to them, watch for winter warnings before long periods outside.

Mekos loves to shove his whole head in the snow to sniff.

If you don’t like walking outside and your dog likes fetch try playing up and down stairs in your home, this way the dog has to work harder to get that ball or toy and back to you. My dogs will also do tricks or obedience between each throw, so making your dog do something to get what they want is never a bad idea. Although they might be a little excited at first you can get them to think while they are excited that’s even better.

Play hide and seek with your dog by putting them on a stay and calling them once you’ve hidden in a different room, or if you have many people tell them to ‘find mommy’ or ‘find daddy’ and see if they can make it to the correct people. Remember to play or treat them once they found you so that they will be reinforced for the behavior.

Mekos's first winter, he loved to find anything buried in the snow.

I also like to train a hard trick that can be done inside. This can be something useful as ‘Put away your toys’ or as cute as ‘break dance’. Find a trick online and think of a way to break it down and make many simple steps that you can work on bit by bit before adding them all together. Remember though only try tricks that your dog is capable of doing; you can’t teach a cow to climb a tree nor can you expect your dog to open or pick up something they can’t lift.

Holiday Stress

Holidays are a wonderful time, but can be stressful for animals. Keeping your pet safe and calm will make for a better holiday for all.

·       Secure tree/ornaments; it’s easy for things get knocked down by a tail or a climbing pet. Add a heavy base, secure to the wall, or place a fence around it. All decorations should be pet safe (glass or food is a bad idea) and placed out of reach of pets.

·       It’s exciting when guests arrive, but often dangerous for the guests who might get knocked over or tripped, or the pets escaping. Set up a room just for your pet to keep him safe. Have water, beds and toys inside to make it fun, and they won't miss the party mess. Training your dog to stay in place back from the door is another great option if you only have a few guests.

·       Pets can bite into holiday light cords and often pets are attracted to candles. Burns or fires could result. Always watch a burning candle, use fake candles instead when possible, and place cords in pet safe conduit.

·       Make sure guests know your house rules for feeding your pets, and don’t let pets get into personal items such as medications or clothing.

·       Getting a new pet for the holiday is cute but stressful for pet and owners. Avoid the holiday stress and get an adoption kit for the holiday gift instead (toys, bowls, etc). Bring your new pet home when regular routines resume.

Sharing Treats with Your Dog

As we all love a little treat for ourselves often we pass it along to our pets to enjoy too. Some people cringe at a pet getting ‘human’ food, but really some can be a great and healthy treat, often better then the sugar filled store bought treats. Not that every dog will like all of the types that I will mention but why not give it a try.

This guy shares an apple and banana daily with his brother

Veggies- Many veggies can be very healthy for dogs, fresh, canned, cooked and dehydrated. Carrots, pumpkin (cooked), potatoes (cooked), broccoli, and green beans to name a few that dogs often like to eat. Avoid corn, onions, garlic and mushrooms as these can be dangerous or cause allergies.

Fruit- Lots of fruits can also bring nutrients to the table, both in raw, cooked or dehydrated. Apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, oranges are some fun fruits to share. Never let your pet eat the seeds or pits of the fruits and grapes are poisonous to dogs and cats.

 Dairy- often too much can lead to stomach problems so only use small amounts, but my dogs love a little cube of cheese. These can also be high in fat  and salt so only as a special treats.

Meats- Dogs love meat, but make sure you find low fat cuts and use small amounts so that they don’t gain weight. Check for sodium (or salt) and try to keep it to a minim. Raw meat can be great but make sure the dogs can handle it and cooked chicken and pork bones should never be given because they splinter. Eggs raw are harmful but cooked can be good, just watch for allergies.

Nuts- Peanut butter is a fun treat to add to many toys to get the dog to play, be careful of allergies both in humans around the dog as well as the dog. Almonds and peanut butter can also be high calorie so give small amounts or check for low fat and salt free. Never give macadamia nuts, as they are toxic to dogs.

Lastly never give your dog chocolate or coffee, it’s the caffeine that affects your pets and they can get sick for days. No xylitol (a sweetener) or fluoride as both can be toxic, otherwise have fun with sharing food, but make them work for it and away from your snacking areas unless you like an audience when you eat.

Groom Easy

Do you often hear from your groomer that your dog is matted and when you try to comb your dog at home they fight, bite or run. Read on and it will help not only you, but your dog and groomer as well.  This also works for shedding dogs that don’t like to get brushed but instead of a comb use an appropriate brush for their coat.

Duncan in need of a grooming.

Start with a freshly groomed dog with no mats, often this means that you’ll have a dog that was just shaved down, remember that it grows back quickly enough. Get a metal tooth comb and some great treat that they never had before (think dehydrated fish). Now you need to gauge at what point your dog is slightly worried about the comb but not fearful, this might be just showing the comb while restrained slightly.

Mekos getting groomed, notice he's slightly uneasy but not in a panic.

Once you have your start point do the motion (showing the comb), then give a treat and release the dog. What you want to happen is to pair the comb with happy thoughts of food, so when you do get to comb the hair the dog will enjoy the experience. When you start seeing happy responses when the dog sees the comb then work your way to the next worry point, such as putting the comb on the back hair. Repeat each step remembering to do the movement then the treat, never at the same time or the treat before the combing as this doesn’t lead to long-term training.

This lovely was so good for brushing with just a little work at home!

As you get your dog more and more used to the comb at the same time you are combing the dog out daily in small areas so that no mats arise. This is the big secret to keeping your dog mat free. Spend a little time combing them at least weekly if not more often while you are even watching TV. This will help you bond, get the oils from the skin to the coat for less smell and help achieve the look you want for your pet’s haircut with a mat free coat.

For more information or for help achieving your goals please contact Dog Obedience & Guidance Training or D-O-G-Training.net.

Halloween Pet Safety

There are four basic ideas to keep your pets safe this Halloween:

1. Keep the treats away from your tricksters’! Chocolate and artificial sweeteners can both be toxic to pets, please keep candy in a covered, high place before and during Halloween. If you think your pet has gotten into the sash please call your vet.

Duncan thinking that it's no fair to have just human treats!

2. After the pumpkins are carved light with caution! Pets are often excited by the smell of the pumpkin (when cooked is great for upset tummies) but if you light a candle you might get a singed pet or they can knock it over and cause a big fire. Use battery-operated lighting when possible.

Blinking lights are safe and look like candles.

3. Costumes can be fun, but pets might not think the same! On pets costumes are cute but your pet might stress out, chew or get caught up on things in costumes. Always think of the safety of your pet first and never leave them unattended if they have anything on, take off if you notice they are uncomfortable. Also costumes on humans can be scary to pets, don’t take them out with you as they might stress or be aggressive towards children in dress.

My dogs only wear costumes for pictures then they are free and naked.

4. Watch the door! Pets can easily slip out of the door when opening for so many trick’r’treaters and they also stress with all the company they see but can’t get too. Keep your pets in a different room or floor while the kids are still coming around, this will lessen the stress and keep them safe. If you take them outside for potties, keep close eyes on them, many people walking around might set them off too.

Most of all have fun and be safe, if you have any more questions please contact Dog Obedience and Guidance Training for more information.