The Puppy Buddies Bark Blog

Separation Anxiety

2018-01-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Comfort Cuddler

You're getting ready to drop off your furbaby for a stay while you travel. One of your main concerns will be separation anxiety (probably for both of you).

Dogs become very attached to their people and if they're not used to staying with other people it can be stressful for the first day or two. For that reason we have always asked our first time visitors to bring something from home that has their scent. It's really easy, just wear an old T-shirt for a day or bring along a pillow case you've slept on. Your familiar scent will decrease your dog's anxiety at being away from you.

Recently, one of the charities we support promoted a really cute "toy" that accomplishes this.

Now you can reduce your dog’s anxiety in an extremely cute, very simple way. The Project Play™ Comfort Cuddler™ helps relax your pet during a stressful situation, like car rides, taking your pup to the dog sitter, crate training, or whenever he or she experiences separation anxiety.

How it works: Your dog LOVES your scent. The canine sense of smell is very strong and helps inform dogs of the world around them. Your smell is one of the most comforting things to your pup. The Comfort Cuddler features a pouch with a mesh window into which you can insert something that smells like you. The Comfort Cuddler becomes a pillow for your pup to relax with and feel soothed by your scent.

Is this not the cutest thing? And purchasing from iHeartdogs.com helps shelter pets!

Hawaiian Girl

2018-01-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

Gracie is all ready for her trip!

We really do go out of our way to help our loyal customers. A case in point is our customer, Michelle who moved to Hawaii a few months ago.

Hawaii has very strict rules for relocating domestic animals. I won't go into them all here but suffice it to say Michelle's dog, Gracie, had the choice of spending a few months in a fairly inhospitable kennel with only weekly visits from her mom or spending a few months with us while she was medically cleared to travel. Well, since we love Gracie the choice was obvious.

We worked with Michelle to provide boarding and care for Gracie until she was cleared to travel. Now that time has come. Gracie will be relocating next week to Hawaii to rejoin her mom.

We've really come to love her over the past few months. She's become my buddy and we spend lots of time together because she loves to sit on my lap while watching TV and loves to cuddle under the covers with me at night.

We're going to miss her but are so glad she'll be back with her mom and enjoying the island life! Aloha! Gracie, catch a tasty wave for me!

Mind stimulation for your dog

2018-01-07T04:57:00.002-07:00

By: Brigitte Synesael

Do you come home from work and find your garbage strewn all over the house? Are there holes dug all over the yard? Do you find chew marks on your furniture? Has the stuffing been pulled out of your couch? Are all of these and other naughty things being done by your lovable pet pooch? The cause is simple. Your pet is bored!

Now a more challenging question; what do you do about it? All dogs need to do more than eat, sleep and love you. All dogs need exercise to start with. A walk isn't just about having a pee or a poop. A walk is a fabulous way to build a strong bond between you and your dog, and an opportunity to demonstrate to your pet that YOU are the leader. As Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer, would say, "YOU need to be the Pack Leader". Remember that when you walk your dog, you should be the first one out of the house, the first one back into the house, and your dog should walk beside you or slightly behind you.

I know that we all love our dogs and often think of them as our children... our babies. Truth be told, in order to provide your pet with what he/she truly needs it is important that you think of your dog first as a dog, and then consider the characteristics of the breed. Then you need to remember that your pet is also an individual.

Some breeds need more physical exercise than others. Some need more exercise than others. Herding dogs, as an example, were bred to herd or move livestock. This "job" requires intelligence and an enormous amount of running and endurance. There are dozens of breeds belonging to the "herding" family of dogs including the various types of Sheep dogs and Shepherd dogs, Collies, and Giant Schnauzers to name a few. Other breeds like Jack Russell Terriers, Shelties, and sporting dogs, although not herding breeds, are high energy breeds; requiring more exercise than some lower energy breeds. Think in terms of a 5 mile RUN (not walk) each day as a guide. Also, you can ride a bike or roller blade while your pet keeps up beside you.

On the other side of the spectrum; Poodles, Terriers, Shih Tzus, Schnauzers, Bull Dogs, and Pugs, for example have a much lower demand for exercise. Understand that these dogs still need to be walked, at least once each day for at least one hour.

You'll know if your dog is getting enough exercise based on its' behaviour and weight. If your dog is gaining weight you're either feeding him way too much, offering too many treats, or not giving him enough exercise. If your dogs' weight is fine and he's behaving, then the exercise that you're giving him is likely sufficient. Remember, too, that older dogs will need less exercise than puppies. If there is any question or concern, get advice from your Vet.

One thing to note about walks is that you do NOT want the walk to be about your dogs' bathroom duties. Dogs absolutely LOVE their walks. If the walk is over immediately after the dog does his "business", he will try to hold it so the walk will last longer. In fact he may wait until you give up and go home, then do his business in the house. It will work better for you if you wait for the dog to "potty", and then reward that behaviour with a one hour walk.

If you have some reason that you're not able to provide your dog with the kind of walks he requires, there are a couple of things you can do. For high energy dogs you can put a back pack on them filled with water bottles. The extra weight will add more of a challenge on their walk and tire them out quicker. You can also consider purchasing a treadmill. There are treadmills designed specifically for dogs that can also accommodate the speed that your canine companion needs. When using this type of device please do NOT leave your pet unattended. Any number of accidents can occur if no one is watching. Besides, you can still use the "pack leader" attitude and strengthen your bond while your dog is on the treadmill.

Now that covers the dog walking part of this segment. Here's another newsflash. Dogs also need to be mentally stimulated. Again, the amount of stimulation necessary is dependent on the breed and the individual dog. If there's any question or concern, remember your Vet is an excellent resource and can guide you appropriately.

Mental stimulation can take numerous forms. Rough housing with your pet can help to stimulate them mentally; as does training. Once they're completely "behaviour" trained, you can work on fun tricks. Playing catch or fetch is also helpful. These activities can be fun for both of you, enhance the bond between you, and keep your pets mind active. You can also consider agility training for all the same reasons. NOTE that before you begin any serious, intense regimen you should consult your pets' Veterinarian. Some agility drills can be harmful for your dog under certain conditions; like dogs suffering from arthritis, hip or joint problems, or young pups. Agility drills involving a lot of jumping can be too stressful for young developing joints. Intense weaves are another obstacle you'll want to be careful of when training your puppy.

Swimming is a great activity for your dog. Most dogs enjoy it; it's good exercise and builds strength. You can have a lot of fun with your dog while swimming. It can also be easier on the joints of an older dog. Again, please check with your best resource, your Vet to make sure this is a good activity for your specific dog. There may be a health issue that would be aggravated by a particular activity. I know, like any good parent, you want what's best for your pet.

Remember to hug your dog today.

About The Author

BJS Emporium is offers quality dog and pet supplies. We offer you safe toys, training solutions, beds, fences and collars, exercise equipment, treats, flea treatments and vitamins, and LOTS of free contacts and information. It's all about the pet! Visit often at http://www.FabulousPetSupplies.com.

The author invites you to visit:
http://www.fabulouspetsupplies.com

Teaching the "Drop" command

2012-10-22T23:11:00.002-07:00

Why should I teach a ''give'' or ''drop'' command?

Some dogs may not readily give up objects, especially those that are novel or particularly motivating. This makes it difficult to play games such as fetch and may be counterproductive in games of tug-of-war where the dog consistently "wins" the game, and will not give up control of the object. In fact, some dogs are possessive to the point of aggression with some objects. Therefore in order to play with your dogs constructively and positively and as a means of retrieving objects that your pet should not have in its possession, the give or drop command can be extremely useful.

How do I teach the ''give'' or ''drop'' command?

It is very useful if you can teach your puppy how to give up items with a command, but this is not always easy to train. For some dogs, it might first be helpful to teach the dog to take something that you have offered in its mouth. Remember that the goal of "give" or "drop" training is to achieve the desirable behavior so that if you initially give the dog something too desirable, you may have a difficult time motivating your dog to give it up. A rubber toy or wooden stick may work well. Keep your hand on the object at first and once the puppy has grasped the toy, say 'give', take it away and offer a special food treat. The purpose of this exercise is to get the puppy to open its mouth and release the item. At the same time you need to say, 'give it' so that the action becomes associated with the phrase. By repeated pairing of the words "give it" with the release of objects, the dog will learn the meaning of the words.

Continue to practice until the puppy expects to give up the toy for the food treat and then gradually allow the puppy to have the object a little longer before using the 'give' command and offering the treat. Over time you can progress to more difficult items and allow the puppy to hold onto them a little longer before giving the command and offering the treat. At the end of the session you can even give the puppy a special toy such as a food filled Kong® rather than a treat as a substitute for the one you are taking away. The process is the same with older dogs
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How can play be used to teach the ''drop'' or ''give'' command?

Some dogs that enjoy fetch, retrieving and tug games may voluntarily give up the toy through the course of play and retrieving. These should be encouraged by having the dog sit, giving a favored treat and then returning to the game. Once the dog is regularly dropping the toy so that it can get its treat and continue the game, you can begin to add the give or drop word each time the dog is about to give up the toy.

If the dog will not drop the toy readily, using two toys or balls may be useful. When the dog returns with the first toy, hold up and show the dog the second toy while saying "drop" or "give" (always use the same word). Most dogs will drop the toy they have to get the new one in your hand. When they do drop the toy, ask for a "sit" and then throw the toy in your hand. As they run to get the new toy, pick up the other one and repeat the sequence again. Many dogs will then learn to drop the toy as soon as they return.

What if my dog does not readily give up the toy?

If you are having difficulties getting the toy away begin the training with toys of lesser value such as a rubber or nylon play toy. Allow your dog to grasp onto the toy and then give the command and begin to take it away almost immediately. You can also prompt your dog to give up the toy by using a sit command and offering a favored treat. Then while your dog is sitting pick up the toy and give the treat. On subsequent sessions use a hand cue or the word to drop but do not show the treat. Another option is to wait as long as it takes until your dog tires of the toy and then when it is dropped call your dog over and give a favored treat. Clicker training can also be very helpful for immediately reinforcing the drop. In future sessions try to anticipate when your dog is about to drop the toy, say the word drop or give and then give a favored treat after your dog gives up the toy. In fact, if your dog is beginning to learn that dropping earns treats, you can give back the toy and repeat the process as long as the drops are occurring more quickly and regularly. Another option is to use head halter and leash for controlling the head and mouth during training.

If at first you don't succeed then you are likely starting with an object of too high a value for the dog or you may have to use a favorite tasty food treat to lure the dog away from the object. However, as soon as the dog learns that a treat will be given for giving up the object, progress immediately to a closed hand lure (also called a target fist) where you no longer show the dog the treat. The goal is for the command or at least the hand signal to initiate the give or drop and reward sequence.

There is also a particular toy that can be useful for drop training. The tug-a-jug toy is a toy that has a rope attached to a bottle in which food treats can be placed. Each time the dog pulls on the rope, some treats will be pulled out of the toy. As the dog lets' go of the toy to pick up the treats, say drop. After the treats are eaten, have the dog sit and repeat the game.

Whenever you train a new command, repetition and patience are extremely important. It is not enough to try and teach 'give it' for 1-2 minutes one day and expect your dog to know it the next day. It is only through repetition and practice that the behavior will become solidified.

Article by: Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB & Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM
Shared by Speedway Veterinary Hospital