Big Dogs:Mighty Challenge

Yup! You did all the research and you understood how big your puppy was going to get but she got bigger before you knew it! Then you realized you had a problem. You tell me....."I can't get my dog into the car." 

And you want to know what that problem was? Not that your puppy grew up to be as enormous as a continent but that You never taught your puppy how to climb! You now have this extremely large dog that weighs a ton, takes up a huge amount of space but doesn't know how to lift her back legs because from puppyhood you did the lifting for her. Every time you wanted to go into the car, you picked your puppy up to put her in. So now you have......

It's important to go back to the drawing board and teach your 100 to 200lb dog how to climb. Maybe your dog can climb the stairs but that is different than climbing on the seat or getting into an SUV. It just isn't high enough for your dog to learn how to lift her legs. You may have to get creative and find large sturdy items for your dog to practice climbing. The whole process will be built on trust so help your dog not be afraid and use encouragement to motivate her. Food and praise will help but also not letting your dog quit; Backing out will be the biggest obstacle. 

If you have just gotten a large breed puppy get climbing now. If you missed that opportunity, it's not too late. Start helping your dog learn to step up and that they can do it themselves.

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

Does the Crate = Jail?

Now a days, it goes without saying that most dog owners are using crates to train their dogs. The crate is highly instrumental for all house training purposes and keeps both the puppy and your possessions safe from harm and destruction.

But one problem a lot of folks have is the thought that the crate means punishment. I hear this often " I don't want to put my puppy in the crate after being bad because I don't want my puppy to think they are being punished".  Well, help your puppy not be Bad, by You, being vigilant in watching your puppy and helping your puppy be Good.

Want a dog that loves their crate in the future? Then follow instructions: Crate your puppy at least 3 times a day while you are home. This way you can witness and address their behavior and help them be good in their crate.

Sure the puppy will moan and groan and I know you feel guilty; You just took away their playtime and freedom. But it is most critical for your puppy to learn to calm themselves so You can have peace of mind knowing all is safe and well; especially while you are away from home. Busy toys such as hard bones, and treat stuffed kongs may help but after the novelty wears off your puppy may still be discontent until they learn to accept their time in the crate.

So it comes down to how You really feel about the crate. Perspective is key here. If You think the crate means putting your puppy behind bars then Yes your puppy may not like going in. If you see the crate as part of managing your puppy's behavior then the crate is not mean or bad nor is it jail.

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

Car Sick or Something Else?

I always feel bad for both my dog owners and their pups when their dog arrives with a drool dripping or the people have to ask for a plastic bag and paper towel to clean up dog vomit. This is not fun for anyone! Some of you know the feeling of dread even when thinking about taking your dog in the car. You also find you are sad that you don't take your dog with you because the experience is so awful!

Maybe accompanied with drool or vomit is shaking and panting? Or let's back this up...Does your dog run and hide from you when you say "Wanna go for a Car ride?" Could this be something else? What if your dog doesn't have motion sickness but a fear of the car?  The symptoms can be identical. And if you have tried motion sickness medicine with no success perhaps the car ride problem is emotional.

How did this fear happen? Think about this....an 8 week old puppy's first car ride can occur during the fear imprinting period. This is not to say something bad happened, just that your puppy left what it knew for something different. Also the next car ride is usually to the Vet's for shots. Not happy occasions for the puppy.

Ruling out motion sickness leaves treatment for fear. This is no easy fix. But I have had a few dog owners' pups overcome this problem because they continued to get into the car. The people who had success did so knowing their dog may throw up, drool and pant but worked through it; never giving up.

So if fear is the problem you can start by being prepared for the worst.

• Lay down a thick towel or couple of layers of towels. 
• Let your pup ride in the front passenger seat; keep your dog tethered.
• Plan a car ride EVERYDAY for two weeks.

Go to places that result in fun such as the park or a round trip back to home. With Hope and Practice, during this period of time, your dog will overcome their fear. 

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Play Biting

Is your dog or puppy constantly grabbing clothing, going after hands, feet and toes with their mouth?  Do you see your children scrambling on top of the couch when your puppy or dog enters the family room? The kids grab their legs and tuck their feet under their bodies making themselves as small and as tight as they can.

This may drive you crazy but that's just what dogs do, right? Isn't that how they play with other dogs and toys by using their mouth? Yes they do!  To a dog or puppy this behavior seems natural. So it is very important to teach your dog or puppy that people are not like them nor are they chew toys.

Play biting is a natural process for a puppy. Puppies will be using their mouth for all sorts of exploring and purpose. Chewing hard helps with the teething phase. Puppies need the pressure of chewing to relieve their growing teeth. Puppies also will learn that too hard of a bite will bring a "Yelp!" from their puppy playmate. This teaches them how to use their mouth gently. Besides, if a puppy is young and just left his littermates, this is the only way he knows how to communicate; with his mouth.

By offering hard items such as nylabones, natural bones, or antlers, a puppy can take care of the need for chewing. The next thing you need to do to help your puppy learn is to play with him but not exactly like "dog to dog" play.  Our skin is tender and can't take their teeth so both you and your puppy need to be careful while playing. This goes for older dogs too.

I am not a fan of roughhousing or chasing because that is too similar to "dog to dog" play. But I do think Tug, Fetch and Agility are great activities that you both can do together.

Of course there are rules to follow such as:

• Wait till I offer you the toy; No grabbing.
• Let go of the toy when I ask. No keep away.
• Quit when I so: No pestering.

I thought this short video was interesting to see how dogs do interact and play. Just don't let them do that to you!

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Respect the Cat

Do you have a cat that you never see anymore? Maybe you had the cat first and now with a dog or puppy in your house your cat stays hidden in the basement or the upstairs closet!

Well, I am sure you would like everyone to get along. Being afraid of your dog always chasing the cat or having your cat fight back is no fun. We all want to live in a Peaceful Kingdom.

Yes, dogs like to chase small, furry, creatures because it's fun. If you help your dog release their energy by playing with them first such as a game of fetch, maybe, your dog will be too tired to chase the kitty!? But that may not be the case, as your dog will always be excited when the cat comes into view. So it is necessary to teach your dog not to chase by having self control.

Here is a an example of how to teach your puppy to stay calm or at first "Stay" while the cat gets to move around. 

This is just the first stage of learning. You will have to help your puppy or dog with continued success by giving them more chances to think about chasing the cat and helping them decide to Not chase the cat. Once they see the cat in a calm state, they may no longer be Arch Enemies but may become Best Friends.

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

Dog Security

No this isn't about Protection dogs but Protecting dogs. I just wanted to write about being sure your dog remains safe while on a leash.

Has this ever happened to you? You are walking along then all of a sudden your dog has broken free from the leash.

When you look to see what happened, you find that the leash was attached to your dog's ID ring not the collar ring.

Sometimes, especially, if we have a hairy, wiggly dog, it may be difficult to snap the leash on the collar ring. This can pose a very dangerous problem. Your dog could become injured and on a lesser note you could lose your dog's ID tags.

Another thing I wanted to share was how to tie a Quick Release Knot using your leash. Many times it is necessary to attach our dog to "something" whether it is in the car, to a pole or post; maybe even a tree.

Here is  a short video clip demonstrating How to Tie a Quick Release Knot. As you watch, think of it like learning how to tie your shoe.



Remember these leash safety tips and you will always have a good time with your dog.

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

Prevent Bolting Out an Open Door

Does the thought of your dog running out your door terrify you? How often are you shouting to your kids "Shut the door before the dog gets out!" And nobody wants to be chasing their dog down the street when they have to be leaving for work in 5 minutes.

Here is a little video clip showing how to train your dog to Come back through an open door.



Give yourself Peace of mind by practicing this lesson. And if you actually play it like a game, the temptation of running through and bolting will be less important to your dog.

No longer will you have to be afraid of open doors because when your dog sees an open door, your dog will now listen to you because you have shown them how to Go Through and Come back to you.

PS: Put a long leash on your dog if you don't have a doorway that goes to safe area.


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