Dealing with Distractions

Some days I think, how can I get anything done will all these distractions?! What about our dogs? Think about the challenge it is for a dog's daily life. They are bombarded by sights, sounds, and smells. I would have to believe everything is intensified because of their amazing senses.

How does your dog deal with distractions? Some dogs don't seem bothered at all where others go ballistic. I feel those unruffled dogs were just born that way. You know the ones that are calm, cool and take everything in stride. Then there are the other dogs that are ultra alert and sensitive. They react to everything! Heaven forbid that the family cat comes out of hiding!

Early puppy socialization is critical in helping future, adult dogs adjust to the human world. Socialization has to be more than just meeting 300 people and dogs. The young puppy needs to be exposed to many different situations to help them live through it, recover and gain confidence.  With you being part of this, they will learn to listen and trust you, their benevolent leader.

It takes more time to fix a behavioral problem than to teach a skill such as sit, down or come. We can use those skills to our advantage in helping our dog. Working on focus, stability and reliability can help your dog get past those distracting moments.

Here is a huge example of obedience over distraction. He sees them, he takes off then he comes when called.

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Begin working with your dog on small distractions. Teach them to listen to you by doing obedient skills. Up the ante, little by little, and soon enough those desirable distractions will become less interesting.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian
440.286.9070

Pupcakes

 

Hey?! Is today your dog's birthday? I have been thinking about birthdays since mine was last week. Happy Birthday to all dogs.

Lots of folks recognize their dog's special day with some kind of treat. I thought it would be fun to share a dog birthday cake recipe. I started looking at recipes and most involved ingredients that I don't feed my dog or recommend changes when I do hear if wheat, sugar, or potatoes are included.

I know a little bit about baking and I also wanted to make this easy so I used what I had on hand. Three simple ingredients make up the list.

• 1/2 can of "Good " Dog food
• 1/4 cup of ground Flax meal
• 1 egg

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Instead of one enormous cake I used my muffin tin and got 3 perfect dog sized Pupcakes! They looked good enough to eat so I made sure everyone knew this was dog food: not for human consumption. Although you wouldn't die, it really is just doggie meatloaf!

We love our dogs and it is fun to give them a Special treat. You don't need to be a great chef so go ahead and bake some Pupcakes. They are perfect for any doggie celebration!

click to enlarge photo

 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

No is not a 4 letter word

I don't know about other parents, but I did not raise my 3 children on cookies and M&M's. Just ask them, we were strict parents. Our children needed to earn their freedoms. They probably heard the word No more than the word Yes. I also believe we, Matt and I, made many mistakes. Just ask my kids! But all in all, they survived and now we are the proud parents of three amazing adults who are making their own mark on the world.

Why is the standard today, that you should never say No to a dog?

I do not view my dog, Daisy, as a fur-kid. Or maybe I do, because like my kids, she has not been raised only on Cookies. Daisy has a clear understanding of the word NO.

In my opinion No is definitely needed in our vocabulary and is an essential part of the conversation when raising a puppy and  living with a dog. Without NO, how will the puppy know what is Right or Wrong?

Hearing No is their first clue that they need to make another choice. Hearing Yes or Good tells them they got it right. Because each word is significant, dogs learn what to expect from the choices they make. I certainly want my dog to make the best choice (mine) and will happily reward them for doing so. What happens if they don't listen? Consequence! First of all, they will not be getting a reward. Secondly, they will be doing what I ask regardless because commands are followed through till completion. After completion there can be praise for finishing the task. Yup! I want my dog to know that I am happy with their final choice.

In my training, I will help dogs understand what they are doing along with the expectation and outcome of their actions and choices. How do I do this? Classic Conditioning: Good old Pavlov. YUP! Yes, Good and No are very special words that can lead a dog into a World of Liberty and Freedom.

Make the most of your conversation with your dog. Make it a full conversation that includes Yes, Good and No. Remember, No is not a bad word.

Out of the DogHouse LLC www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Time well Spent

 

Daisy and Dru



When I was young and bored, my mother told me, life was going to speed up and you won't know where the time went. Well here I am with my (do I dare say?) 53rd birthday arriving next week and I am thinking "Wow, time did go by fast!" Now knowing how life passes by like the speed of light makes me want to take more time or make more of my time (when I can).

Our dogs are a special part of our lives and in reality, really just share a short portion in terms of years. So we need to make the most of our time together. We all have busy lives and many times we are racing out of our house with just a pat goodbye on our dog's head. Feeding time is usually just setting the food bowl down, maybe having the dog do a quick sit and stay, then walking away to get our own meal going.

As you may know, I am adding to my skill set along with Daisy's, how to do and teach dog tricks. One of the concepts I took away from my Certified Trick Dog Instructor course ( CTDI) with Kyra Sundance was about Enrichment Activities. These activities are daily opportunities to spend quality time with our dogs. No longer will you feel guilty for not doing something with your dog.

Three planned, daily, enrichment activities will keep your dog engaged with you, stimulate their busy minds and satisfy their craving for your attention. Described by Kyra, one enrichment activity should be Side by Side such as a walk or excursion. The second enrichment activity should be Eye to Eye in which you interact with your dog as you both look into the other's eyes. Training a trick or working on focus encourages eye contact. The third enrichment activity should be something Fun. Choose something both you and your dog enjoy such as a good game of tug, fetch or hide n seek.

Making a commitment to your dog is easier with three daily enrichment activities. Each day you can decide how you will spend time with your dog. Whether you have an hour or a few minutes, no matter how you spend your time with your dog, at the end of the day (or end of your dog's life because it will pass in the blink of an eye!) you will be happy because it was time well spent.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070