Leave It!

Challenging Distractions can be a daily event! What to do about it, right?! Do you find yourself repeatedly saying LEAVE IT! with no results? That could be from your dog, truly, not understanding the command.

Keep this thought in mind when with your dog.

"What your dog is looking at is What they are thinking about"

I made this video to demonstrate how you can start to teach your dog the Command "Leave It". Once your dog can ignore this challenge then then you can Up the Ante. You will be most successful if you start simple and work up to that kitty, rabbit, squirrel etc. Challenges should become more difficult as your dog learns Leave It = Ignore on command.

1. Set up the Challenge.
2. Keep your dog on leash.
3. As you approach the Challenging Distraction, Say Dog's Name; Leave It; Reward and walk by.

~Saying your dog's name will tell them to give you their attention.
~Saying Leave It tells them what to do = Ignore.

Remember, make it a Win/Win. Help your dog succeed by teaching them their name = attention and that looking at you is the Greatest Reward!





Thanks for being here!
My best,
Dru

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Any Questions? call me, Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

The Cookie Jar Puppy Party

Oh we are having fun here at Out of the DogHouse! We just had our first "Cookie Jar" Puppy Party; This is something brand new that is now being offered after puppies finish ODH Puppy Preschool and become "One Smart Cookie". Puppies get added to the Cookie Jar. This means they can attend an age appropriate puppy social group until they are ready to start Boot Camp.

First, you ask, what is "One Smart Cookie ODH Puppy Preschool"? This program is specifically designed for puppies that are 8 to 16 weeks old. And the closer to 8 weeks the better. Families and their puppy come to learn how to learn! House Training, Crate Training, Nutrition, Grooming and a beginning Foundation of Obedience will be taught over the course of four weeks.

Why earlier is Best?! Because that little puppy brain is a sponge and we want it to soak up as many positive experiences as possible because this time period (8 to 16 weeks) is call the Window of Socialization. That window actually begins to close down around 12 weeks of age and is shut by 16 weeks = 4 months old!! Teaching older puppies with less socialization opportunities becomes much more difficult.

How is that important, my puppy is just a baby, right? Well, yes and no. Mom Nature has created your little canine pal as a predator, a domesticated one, but a little carnivore that likes to hunt and eat meat! Yikes! No worries, that is why folks bring their puppies to ODH for puppy preschool and during the early phase of life we have the best chance to mold, shape and nurture our shy or feisty, little, shark tooth pups into well adjusted dogs.

Remember train your puppy right away, help your puppy become One Smart Cookie, then come to the Cookie Jar Puppy Party!

Thanks for being here!
My best,
Dru

 
 


Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Any Questions? Call me, Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Stop Counter Surfing

It seems that once you get a dog nothing is sacred! All your possessions becomes HIS or HERS! They certainly don't want to give them back or even share....it's MINE they say and if it is food, it is GONE.

Now, I know this isn't true for all dogs and I shouldn't make such generalizations but how come Counter Surfing is such a common problem? And don't think only big dogs do it because I have heard some very funny stories of very clever tiny dogs who scaled the kitchen cupboards to get what was forbidden!

Truly, it's the dog's nose that starts all the trouble. They just follow the scent and Voila; an instant reward is waiting...albeit.... out of their reach but triumphantly and with a bit if dexterity, they have wolfed down your dinner, a loaf of bread or whatever else might be set aside! I am not sure if I have heard about any dogs snatching fruit? Have you? Well anyways, how can we stop all this thievery when we can't catch 'em in the act?!

With this!

A Good Old Fashioned Victor Mouse Trap!








This unassuming, little contraption will be your best defense for stopping the Counter Surfer in your home.

No we will NOT be snapping dog noses or paws!  But we will carefully hide the mousetrap under something (such as in the photo) a ziplock bag or you could use a piece of copy paper and maybe the dish cloth could work?

The idea is for the dog to touch whatever is covering the trap while reaching for the "Bait" and that will spring the trap. Hopefully your dog will be startled enough to think stealing food off the counter is a BAD idea!!

So for a $2.49 you can get a 4 pack of these handy helpers and load up any spot that is under canine vigilance!

Oh and you know what else you can do? You can teach your dog to STAY on their dog bed so that he or she isn't even tempted to surf your counters in the first place.

Thanks for being here!
My best,
Dru

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Any Questions? Call me! Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Dru got Out of the DogHouse

Hi! I am back home from our Annual Family Vacation. Every summer we go to the same place that both my husband, Matt, and my mother in law have been going to since their childhoods!! I have been fortunate in going since I was seventeen when I was first dating Matt. Yup! It's that Great and has been the one, most, consistent thing in our life, especially for our children, while growing up and we all love going there. Going to Alpena (our slice of heaven) is a place we count on and look forward to doing every year.

Our days were filled with Family, Fun and Fishing! Not all the days are sunny but we don't care, we are just happy to be outdoors and on the lake.

Although, I was having down time away from dog training, I was still thinking about you and your dogs  Here was my reading list. I now know a bit more than I did before and hope to make more awesome videos and help you have healthy dogs!

I also got to do my other favorite activities which are to sketch and paint. 

So the campfires are over and we said Good Bye to the lake for this year. I am happy to be home and ready to train dogs but I can't wait to go again next year!

Thanks for being here!
My best,
Dru

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Any Questions? Call me, Dru Therrian 440.286.9070