Thing One: Use treats to train! Use a LOT! Life is short after all, and rewards go a long, long way in training dogs and making it fun! When working with animals, you need to find an effective motivator to get where you want to go. The science says that animals will repeat what’s reinforcing to them (like the behavior that earned them tasty treats) and they will avoid what is aversive to them as they define it. I always like to be “LIMA” in my training approach to communicating with a whole different species: “Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive.” You can either use the carrot or the stick to train as they say, and as a true animal lover, I prefer the positive side of the equation every time, that’s just how I roll!

Thing Two: Lie on the couch and skip the trip to the dog park. Many of us dog aficionados get a fair amount of guilt about not taking our dogs out to be social with other dogs. Truth be told, not every dog is a dog-park-dog. Some dogs prefer the company of their own pack to the unknown quantities at dog parks, while others do just fine at dog parks. Whatever you do, make it a priority to exercise and mentally stimulate your dog every single day. A pass to lie on the couch only comes after your dog’s exercise needs are met one way or another.

Thing Three: Have your dog wear a leash inside your house for effective management of unwanted behaviors. Many of us have a paradigm that leashes are only for going outside on walks but it turns out they are fantastic tools to prevent bad habits indoors, like jumping on people, counter surfing, door dashing and more! When under direct supervision only, of course.

Thing Four: Be their advocate. Your dog is unique and has his/her own set of views and experiences with the world. I’ll bet you have a pretty good list of what they like and dislike. If your dog is working on trust near strangers or is skittish with new people, use your words to protect the dog and politely say, “No, sorry but thank you so much for asking” to people who want to come over and pet or interact with them. We never want to be considered rude, but I won’t put social norms above my dog’s need for boundaries in any given situation. Not every dog is a fan of approaches and contact from strangers. Watch for signs of consent on your dog’s part. Are they backing away or are they calm, loose or eager around new people? Similarly don’t allow nose-to-nose greetings with unfamiliar dogs if your dog is not a fan. Not every dog is into that, and that’s OK. “Stranger Danger” and dog:dog reactivity can certainly be improved using educated, positive behavior modification practices, but you need to be careful to “train” before you “test.”

Thing Five: Be silly with your dog, embarrass yourself, laugh and play and do all the things that make you fun in their eyes. At the end of the day, dogs just want to have fun, and they could not care less about being “cool” or “obedient” or any of the things two-leggeds prioritize. There’s a time for obedience and a time for partying, make sure your scales are in balance!

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Since it’s not always possible to spend every waking moment with your dog, a little bit of advanced planning can go a long way to ease their anxiety or just make “alone time” enjoyable for them through the use of safe canine food puzzles.

Canine food puzzles are generally rubber or specially made plastic balls and toys of all shapes and sizes with cut outs and pockets to hide dog treats and snacks. They are called “food puzzles” because when properly “stuffed,” dogs can spend hours interacting with them while being mentally challenged and rewarded in the process! You can also feed your dogs their entire meal in food puzzles to keep them busy when you leave the house.

Here’s how to get started: In the beginning, remove all other toys from the area and interact with your dog and the food puzzle by putting a nice tasty treat in it which is easy for them to remove. Play together like this new object is THE BEST toy on earth. Once your dog is interested in it, put it up and out of reach to keep it “special.” After your dog has learned to love it, you can use it as a canine pacifier of sorts when you need to leave them alone. Over time, stuff the food puzzle so that the treats are hard to remove easily which will occupy your dog’s time as a fun positive challenge. Peanut butter, a bit of kibble, baby carrots and appropriately sized biscuits are great items to use but you can get as creative as you’d like with dog-appropriate treats.

Remember to keep the food puzzle novel by ONLY stuffing and putting it out for your dog at “alone time” Be careful not to let it sit around and be taken for granted when you are there so your dog knows it means you are gone, but the fun is ON, and you’ll be back soon!

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Greetings dog lovers, you are my people, my tribe, my pack! By chance, are you vigilant about the ingredients in your dog’s food and treats? Does the sound of a healthy, low-cost, easy to make dog treat perk up your ears? Do you like to cook and/or just make an unbelievable mess? Can you get over the smell of liver baking in your kitchen for the love of dog? If so, this little gem of a recipe might just take the cake! (The liver cake) that is!

Ingredients:

18 0z liver (Chicken or Beef)

2 eggs
1 & 3/4 Cups Self-Rising Flour (sifted)
4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch Dried Parsley

Method:

1.  Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
2. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with Pam (or cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray the foil with Pam)
3. Place liver into food processor and pulse a few times
4. Add eggs and garlic and blend until smooth
5. Place liver mixture into mixing bowl
6. Add sifted self-rising flour and parsley to mixing bowl.*
7. Place the cake dough onto greased tray or baking dish spread to about 2 cm thick
8. Bake for about 45 minutes.  Insert a toothpick into the center to check for doneness.   
9. Cool and then cut into little squares, appropriate for the size of your dog.
10. Portion into baggies and freeze unused cake treats for future training sessions.  Refrigerate the bag you are currently using.

*Hint: don’t try to add the flour to the food processor it will be really hard to clean!  Trust me on this one. Just do the final mixing of the liver and the flour in a mixing bowl by hand.

Notes: It’s messy but it’s FUN!

You can sometimes find liver at a discount in your local grocery store. The top two in this photo were less than $2.00! Plus I didn’t use it all and froze the raw liver for the next batch.

I usually double the batch since I’m making a mess anyway and I like to share the “bounty” with clients and doggie friends!

By the way, just about every dog I’ve ever met on the planet considers this treat to be what we trainers refer to as, “High Value”. They are also great to work with because they tend not to crumble, yet you can still make the already cut pieces smaller as you work with your dog. Try these treats and let me know what you think!

Bon (Bone) ahem, “LIVER” APPETITE!

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Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that matter. I’ve long been a fan of the good ‘ol carabiner, or spring clip, for many applications here and there, and I’m not even a mountain climber nor do I know how to rappel off the couch, let alone while climbing Everest (note to self: bucket list item #472).

Today was one of those days in Southern California when the “devil winds,” or Santa Ana winds, were blowing with gusts in excess of 50 mph. It was the first big wind of the year, and actually quite miserable–hot, dry and dusty. The neighbor’s wind chimes were clanging (sadly not in a Zen-like way) tree branches were down and I knew it would be “one of those days” outside on my early morning walk with the dogs. True to form, as I looked at the house directly across the street I saw both of their backyard gates were flung wide open. That didn’t worry me too much as I know they don’t have any dogs. The neighbor next to them had a tree blown down in their front yard.  The dogs and I hadn’t ventured very far at all when we were approached by someone in a car asking if I’d seen their Australian Shepherd, “She got out of the yard somehow,” she said, but unfortunately I had not seen her. A few houses down two well-behaved German Shepherds were out on their front lawn with the gate to their yard wide open, too.

During all of this I was reminded of how a simple carabiner placed through the hole in a typical gate latch can keep a gate from blowing open in strong winds and prevent your dog from escaping, getting hit by a car, seriously injured or even stolen. Not everyone takes found animals to the animal shelter where it is logical for owners to look for them. Some people keep animals they find, making it nearly impossible for owners to ever find them, sort of like the odds of finding a needle in a haystack. I bet it was a busy day at the local animal shelter too.

Carabiners are a simple and easy way to keep your gate secure, yet still allow access for gardeners, pool cleaners, etc…in other words, for people who do not want to use actual padlocks. They can be found at any hardware store and come in lots of fun colors too. My tip of the day is get your gate groove goin’ immediately and keep your dogs safe and well.  Always be sure your gate is secure!

Peace, Secure Gates and Moisturizer

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We watch others zoom past us with their spry young dogs, jogging, rushing, checking their boxes. That used to be us in another season of life. We’ve come to realize our gratitude for this season with our senior dog—we will enjoy all we can get of him while we can. A majestic retired racing greyhound who used to burn up the track in hot pursuit of the lure, is now fulfilled by walking just a few houses down. And he’s always joyful to process that bush, that one fascinating bush, unlocking the secrets of what has transpired since his last review.

Thank you special bush for giving Niki a place to be enriched, to participate in the world and feel the joy of using his strongest sense, the sense of smell, to connect and be connected. Here’s hoping for many, many more opportunities to stand out front and do what we do together.

IYKYK

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Until recently, the last place an animal lover like me looked forward to visiting was an animal shelter. The fear of overwhelming sadness or becoming emotionally drained by the sheer number of animals who need homes was enough to keep me away. Well that was then and this is now. “Welcome to Ventura County Animal Services Camarillo location!”

The first thing that struck me when I entered the animal shelter is how incredibly clean, and yes, even cheerful it is. Far from the scary, dark or dirty “pound” experience I had imagined, both kindness and cleanliness are top priorities. Love is the language spoken here, thanks to the concerted efforts of the shelter team to create a more positive and proactive environment that is conducive to placement.

It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes an army to save a dog. Luckily, the Camarillo Animal Shelter has one. In addition to shelter staff, more than 450 volunteers support the adoption efforts in a myriad of ways. Dogs are given names and heartfelt, handwritten descriptions of each dog’s personality are posted on their cages. Visitors can scan a barcode with a smart phone to view a recent video about a particular dog. Clean towels and bedding are stacked neatly in the cage areas. The exercise areas are filled with dog toys, and requests from potential adopters to view dogs move freely in these play stations are happily accommodated. In addition, proactive social media campaigns, foster, “Pet of the Week” programs and community fundraisers are operated year-round.

But no one tries harder than the dogs themselves to find their new forever families. “Please give me a chance!” “Pick me!” “I’ll be good!” Through the desperate cacophony, these messages come through loud and clear, while noses and paws wiggle under and through the cage bars trying to get my attention. Every tail was wagging like a motorized toy, and everyone was talking all at once, trying to tell me their stories. Trying so hard to be all the adjectives I could ever want: cute, smart, gentle, playful – completely dependent on the kindness of strangers like me.

The committed and compassionate crew at the Camarillo Animal Shelter works tirelessly every day to place animals in caring homes. Your furry new BFF may need a little training, but he or she is ready and waiting for you at the Camarillo Animal Shelter.

Can you find room in your heart and home to adopt, foster, or volunteer? It’s such a small price to pay for the absolute unconditional love you will receive in return.

To join the team call: 1-888-223-PETS or 805-388-4341

The Camarillo Animal Shelter is located at:  600 Aviation Dr, Camarillo, CA

The post Saving A Life One Dog At A Time – Let’s Do This! appeared first on Dog Genie.

American Independence Day, the 4^th of July, conjures up visions of good times with family and friends, time off, picnics and summer fun – as it should!

What may not immediately come to mind is the fear and anxiety this holiday creates for many of our pets. Large gatherings, unfamiliar dogs, people and surroundings, and loud noises from fireworks and parties can terrify even the most stable dog. One of these triggers alone is hard enough on them but add them all together and you get the powerful impact of “trigger stacking” which, sadly, can be fatal.

Everyone knows that dogs depend on us for pretty much everything in their daily lives, including safety and security. Being in a safe location is as important as feeling secure. These are two important concepts that work together to help pets cope in stressful times. There are plenty of common-sense approaches to helping your dog have a safe and secure “Dependence Day.”

Let’s look at it from the perspective of before, during and after the 4^th of July.

BEFORE the Holiday:  PRIORITIZE YOUR PETS.  It’s that simple. The time to start protecting your pets for the 4^th of July festivities begins well before the day itself.

Here’s an Easy Check List:

• Have a properly fitting collar or harness on your dog.
• Keep an ID tag on your dog at all times.
• Be sure the ID tag includes your up-to-date contact information.
• Micro-chip your dog in case their collar comes off so you can be reunited.
• Plan Ahead- Where will you be for the fireworks? Where will your dog be? How can you make it safe?
• Create a safe haven for your dog and habituate them to that area well ahead of time.
• Have a clear recent photo of your pet on hand in case you need to make “Missing Pet” flyers in a hurry.
• Desensitize your dog to the sound of fireworks. Work with a qualified trainer or behaviorist to desensitize your dog to the sound of fireworks using low volume exposure to the recorded sound of fireworks followed by high value treats, gradually increasing volume over time as your dog progresses and always use treats.

Day Of Considerations:

• Stay home with your dog.
• Watch the festivities on TV.
• Secure doors, windows, gates and all other exit points.
• Taking your dog to a fireworks show is not recommended – it’s loud and potentially scary for them.
• If you leave the house, be sure your dog is safely contained in his safe and secure area with soothing music playing.
• Better living through chemistry – Does your vet think your dog needs pharmaceutical help for this day?
• If the party is at your house – Keep your dog on leash and have one family member assigned to his or her safety from guests coming and going and open doors/gates/windows.
• Crate your dog safely in another room and check on them regularly. Use safe high-value chews or food puzzles.

When dogs get scared they can bolt out of doors or windows and over fences. Each year shelters across the country fill up with pets, and those pets could be considered the lucky ones, to be honest. The unlucky pets are those who get hit by unsuspecting car drivers and never make it home. All of this is preventable with just a little forethought.

After the 4^th of July:

• If the unthinkable happens and your dog goes missing, check with your local shelter first. Most have websites with photos and descriptions of impounded animals. Keep checking back.
• If your pet goes missing in Ventura County, CA you can visit www.vcas.us/lostandfound for tips to help find your missing pet.
• Review local social media and missing pet pages.
• Make flyers to post around the area where he/she went missing.
• If you find a lost dog, take it to your local shelter immediately. The shelter is where people will go to look for their lost pet.

If you prioritize your pet and plan for their safety, the 5^th of July can be even happier than the 4^th!

The post The 4th of July – Dog Dependence Day – A Survival Guide appeared first on Dog Genie.

We’ve all been there and if you’re anything like me, when you see a dog obviously lost or out of place, you get involved and try to help. The “decision” to get involved is more of a reflex than a conscious choice for dog-lovers like us, so if you’re going to do it, the following tips are good to keep in mind.

1. Evaluate the situation – Does the dog look dangerous, aggressive or sickly? If so, the best help you can provide is to use your smart phone to find the local authorities who can safely get the dog the help he needs. You don’t have to personally, “save them all.”

2. If the dog looks approachable but perhaps skittish or shy and freaked out from being lost, hungry and alone use calming signals to communicate to the dog in “dog speak” that you mean him no harm. Calming signals* are ways of moving your body in nonthreatening ways that will help you get close enough to the dog to check for tags, ID and other information.

3. Calming signals that humans can use with dogs are as follows:

• Approach the dog very slowly via an arc pattern. Do not march in a straight line to him.
• When you get fairly close, crouch down, turn sideways to the dog, turn your face away from him and toss a treat gently his way without making direct eye contact.
• Yawn
• Talk sweet to him
• Continue to toss treats his way and see if he’s calm enough to eat them
• Continue use of calming signals as dog relaxes or moves toward you
• If/when the dog approaches you (not you approaching him at this point) if it’s safe to make contact, gently pat him on the back or shoulder, not on the head/face

4. Things you should never do when approaching a strange dog include:

            Run toward it in a straight line

            Stare directly into his eyes

            Reach out and try to grab him

            Loom over him and pat him on the head

            Make loud, boisterous noises

            Disrespect or disregard his communication of fear to you such as growls, hacklesup, barking, etc…

            Remember – he may have been on his own for awhile and he’s not necessarily going to act like he might later on when he’s more comfortable.

            Do not allow your own dog to interact with the stray dog until you’ve had a chance to evaluate the situation. The stray may be diseased or contagious.

5. Things to have on hand in your car to accomplish unplanned rescues include a cell phone, spare leash, doggie treats and water.

6. What to do now? If the dog has ID tags you can try to contact the owner and if not, the best bet for the dog is to contact local animal control or to take it to a local animal shelter where they can check for a microchip and help market the dog so he can be reunited with his owner. If you are worried about what might happen to the dog at the shelter once his time has “run out,” you can always place a hold on him and come back for him if he’s not claimed. That’s the best of both worlds. It’s important to fairly give the owner a logical place to search for him where stray dogs are supposed to be taken. Then by putting a safety net of sorts in place with you as the “net” you can help find him a home (if not with you!)

* Calming Signals or “On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals” by Turid Rugaas is a wonderful book I highly recommend for everyone who interacts with dogs.

The post Use of Canine Calming Signals Can Save Lives appeared first on Dog Genie.

Looking for something new and different to do with your dog? Try the relatively new sport of K9 Nose Work—your dog will thank you for it. A logical progression for many dogs after taking basic or intermediate obedience classes is to move on to Agility, Fly Ball or Freestyle, but not every dog is cut out for those sports. Nose Work, or scent searching, is a wonderful enriching activity for all. K9 Nose Work includes container searches, car searches, interiors and exteriors. The process used to train companion dogs to find a target scent is exactly the same as it is for professional working dogs. In the sport of companion Nose Work the first odor that dogs are taught to find is birch, followed by anise and finally clove. In the beginning dogs sniff out a fragrant treat, which is later paired with the target odor, classical conditioning style. Then they are ready to find the odor on its own and are rewarded with a tasty treat! In formal competition many rules apply and the fastest dog to alert the handler about the odor is the winner.

When you think of scent work and the types of dogs that sniff out drugs, bombs and cancer, images of impressive German Shepherds or efficient Beagles come to mind. One of the things I love most about Nose Work is that all types of dogs can participate, and they all seem to love playing the game of sniffing out the target odor. It is enriching for them to really learn to use their sense of smell and get rewarded for it, and it is also very enriching for owners to witness and participate in that reawakening. Older or impaired dogs can participate since there isn’t much athletic ability required, and so can shy dogs and outgoing dogs, too.

The first official K9 Nose Work Trial was conducted by the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) in 2009, and since then the sport has grown in popularity with dog-lovers everywhere. The NACSW is the only official sanctioning and organizing body for the sport.

Dogs who don’t much care for other dogs and don’t normally get taken to classes or activities because of that are welcome in Nose Work, too. During Nose Work classes and competitions the dogs are never allowed to go nose-to-nose with each other in order to keep them focused on the “work” of sniffing out the target. Dogs are crated when it’s not their turn to work, and only one dog works the scent field at a time. Some of the best Nose Work dogs are untrained, lively puppies because they do not have a history of dog training or looking to their owners for direction—they just get right to it! Tails wag when the sniffing starts and your dog shows YOU how it’s done for a change 

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Can you ever really learn too much? How much “subject matter expert” status is too much? While it may be impossible to know everything about your hobbies or interests, there’s certainly no harm in trying. When passion, drive and enthusiasm intersect with a person’s chosen career path, quenching the thirst for knowledge is nearly impossible. One of the many things I love about the path I’ve chosen in the field of professional dog training is that it demands practitioners to stay current and be educated. No relying on outdated forceful techniques that were used to work with dogs in decades past. Hello learning theory and science, good-bye cave man.

The field of dog training is an unregulated industry, which means that anyone can print up business cards and claim to be a “dog trainer.” Maybe they’ve taken a dog training class with their own dog, read a book or two or watched a “reality” TV program. Or maybe they have even less education than that. What a dangerous set of circumstances for poor dependent, unsuspecting dogs and their well-meaning owners everywhere.

Thankfully, in 1993 Ian Dunbar, DVM, Ph.D. founded the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, APDT as a professional organization of individual trainers committed to becoming better trainers through education, while promoting dog-friendly training techniques and encouraging their use. In an effort to apply standards to the field of professional dog training and legitimize humane dog training practices based on science and learning theory, the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers, CCPDT was formed in 2001. Leaders in the field of progressive positive dog training got together and developed the first independently offered credentialing process in the field of dog training. The first credential available was the CPDT, or Certified Professional Dog Trainer designation. Applicants must prove that they have trained hundreds of dogs prior to applying for the test in addition to providing veterinary, client and colleague references.

Unlike many dog training “credentials” offered by companies with a vested interest in applicants passing via unmonitored take home tests, the CPDT credential is applied for and tested completely independent of any dog training company or business. CPDT application, testing and continuing education processes are rigorous and meaningful. The testing process itself is administered and monitored by the Professional Testing Corporation, PTC. Applicants are tested at Universities or other academic locations with a test proctor under very strict timed conditions. Believe me, it’s not something I want to do again anytime soon! Once you achieve the CPDT title, you must continue to evolve and learn and attend classes to earn continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain the designation within specified time periods. With such a prestigious title available, why wouldn’t someone interested in a career as a professional dog trainer earn it?

Now back to the thirst for knowledge. I earned one of the early CPDT designations back in 2003 and I’m just getting ready to renew it for the third time. Over the past 3 years I needed to earn 36 CEUs for my CPDT-KA renewal. I must be dehydrated or something because as of this writing, I have 85 CEUs for this three year renewal alone and I’m thirsty for MORE!

Here’s the full list: Dog Genie Continuing Education Classes

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