That Time of Year!

As I close out this year, I want to say Thank you to all who have stopped in to read my blog. As I have stated in the past, I am a non-writing dog trainer, so I hope you found my blog interesting, funny at times and helpful.

I am starting to learn more about dog nutrition and how important what goes into our dogs affects them behaviorally. With the Holiday quickly approaching, we don't want to load our dogs up with Grains, Sugar and Starch and I am sure you will want to give your dog a Special treat. So here is a Holiday recipe you can whip up for your favorite pup!

Ginger Snap Dog Cookies

• 1 cup Sunflower seed meal (use food processor)
• 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree (not the spiced kind used for pies)
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 2 tbsp chopped carrots optional (use food processor) 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine Sunflower Seed meal, flax meal, ginger and carrots (optional) in a large bowl. Mix egg and pumpkin together in a separate bowl until smooth. Add half of the pumpkin mixture to the Sunflower seed mixture, stir, then add the rest and stir again with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Drop dough onto parchment paper and spread to desired thickness (about 1/8" - 1/4" thick).

Bake for 20 minutes until the top of the cookie has dried out completely. Let cookies cool on wire racks, then store in an airtight container.

(Makes 12 dog cookies.)

Signing off until January 2015!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

My Best,

Dru Therrian and Daisy

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Boys will be Boys

It seems lately, that I have had several dogs come to training that have all their "Parts n Pieces" meaning that the dogs have not been spayed or neutered.

All in all, I believe waiting to have your dog altered is a good thing. Keeping their hormones for as long as possible is critical for growth and well being. As you make this important decision to spay or neuter, remember this may best be done when a dog is a dog and not a puppy; hitting at least the 1 year old stage of life or older.

That being said, having an intact dog will present challenges in regards to management of your puppy as he or she grows into being an adolescent.

In regards to boys, one major challenge is peeing. If given the chance, your young male will want to leave his "Mark on the World".....literally! I recommend curbing this behavior. Allowing your young puppy the freedom to pee on every object he comes across can build a terrible habit. Not much will be safe if your pup decides to leave his calling card wherever he may choose. At this time of year, be sure to guard your Christmas tree!  Keep a leash on your puppy.

Other challenges will be because of Testosterone; Roaming, Mounting and possible Dominance/Aggression. But really, I don't think of this as a dominance problem but rather an energy problem. Hormones will be surging through your pup just like a teenage boy. Sometimes your adolescent pup will want to prove or protect himself when facing new situations. Standing up for himself or retreating will be choices he'll face and you will need to be there to guide him through successfully.

Acting aggressively towards other dogs or people may be from hormones or frustration may be the cause but also immaturity will play its role. Keep a good watch on your boy puppy; don't let him stray from home and no matter what, there will be "No Humping Allowed" on dogs, human legs or pillows!

Lastly, young male dogs will play rough and just like "Boys Wrestling", you may need to stop it before someone gets hurt. There is nothing wrong with keeping your dog's "Parts n Pieces" just be sure you are prepared to manage the Terrible Teenage Period and then you can enjoy their Adulthood.


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

Watch Out the Boogie-Man's gonna get You!

It is said that dogs have better eyesight than people at night. So you wouldn't think a dog would be afraid of the dark, right? Well maybe it isn't that it is dark but the objects you find in the dark. What we take for granted, like an ordinary garbage can may just look like a monster to a dog.

Things just look different at night. The lighting changes everything. To help your dog feel safe and comfortable, be sure to walk them at night as well as during the day. Keep in mind, that this isn't just exercise to burn off dinner or get tired before bedtime but to experience the different sights, sounds and smells that occur at night time.

If you have a particularly skittish dog be prepared for your dog to jump away as you pass something that looks strange to them. Have a good grip on the leash but try not to hold your dog too tight or too close to you because that may send the wrong message down the leash.

You can talk to your dog as you pass the "Scary" object telling them what they are seeing; like "Daisy, that's a garbage can or that's a fire hydrant". Telling your dog What they are seeing is better than just telling them "It's OK. it's Ok". Be a cheerleader not a coddler. Your confidence will help your dog be braver and then your dog won't think the Boogie-Man's gonna jump out and get them.

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

Turkey Dogs~ Not the Kind You Eat!

Because Thanksgiving is tomorrow and the Holiday is steeped in Tradition and History, I thought I would share this interesting, little known, fact. (well at least interesting and little known to me!)

Did you know there is such a breed as Turkey Dogs? Although not recognized by the AKC, the Appalachian Turkey Dog was developed by a gentleman named John Byrne of Lowry, VA. Mr. Byrne chose 3 purebred foundations to contribute attributes to the turkey dog, among them: Setters~ stylish looks, drive for feathers, biddability; Pointers~ stamina, speed, prey drive, range; Plott Hounds~ desire to chase, track, bark.

"Hunting fall turkeys with dogs is a specialized—and incredibly exciting—type of fall bird hunting. In its simplest form, dogs cast about the fall woods in search of flocks of birds. Once located, the dogs rush into the flock and bark as they scatter the turkeys. Barking is key since it allows hunters to then find the break site and set up on returning birds (the turkeys almost always return to the break site). The dog's job is done once the birds scatter." Written by Gerry Bethge of OutDoor Life magazine.

I wouldn't know much about hunting; I just like to eat turkey! But I find this part fascinating; after the dog does his job of Flush and Scatter, he will come back to the hunter and lay in a canvas bag to wait patiently as the hunter takes over to finish the hunt. I am sure carrying a bag is a lot easier than a crate! (haha) Staying covered will help the dog stay calm and stop chasing the turkeys; kind of like keeping a waterfowl dog in the blind.

So what do you think about my dog, Daisy? She was a stray and I got her from a shelter....Daisy could be a Appalachian Turkey Dog, right!?

Click photo to view larger

Anyways, no matter how your turkey gets on your table.....may you and your family have a Bountiful Thanksgiving. Please know that I am thankful too, for my family and you, my friends; four legged and two!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Dru and Daisy

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

A Puppy Pre-Schooler

click on photo to view larger

You have all heard that early education is important for puppies! It's true; Puppies can learn at a very young age and very quickly. 

Your puppy's formal education really begins on the first day he, she or they arrive to your home. Although your puppy may only be a few weeks old, that little puppy brain is a sponge just waiting to absorb all the Good Stuff as well as the Not so good stuff. So be sure you help your puppy learn what is right and wrong from the very start. It truly is so much easier to teach than reteach.

There are two types of training education to have your puppy learn; Behavioral and Obedience.

Behavioral Training prevents or corrects bad habits your puppy may learn or do; such as play biting, jumping and inappropriate chewing.

Obedience Training is teaching your puppy to understand  Commands; such as Come, Sit, Down and Place.

Here is a video of a puppy; at 15 weeks and later at 5 1/2 months. His education includes learning commands along with addressing some behavioral issues such as jumping.



He still has more education ahead but by starting him off right away, he is way ahead of the class.

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

Puppy Mill Dog

Meet Snoopy, this week's success story! He's a terrific, little, 2 year old, Havanese dog who had been living in a Puppy Mill (wait a minute, don't feel sorry) until a month ago when he got adopted by a wonderful family. Yay! 

So sure we do feel sorry for dogs in that kind of situation. But Snoopy is one Lucky Dog because he has been given the chance to live a Good Dog's life. The only problem was he didn't know how to be a dog.

Sights and sounds terrified him and even though his new family loved him, Snoopy was afraid of some of the family members. Another problem was that he was so shut down; not interested in anything and nothing seemed to help him be happy. Fortunately, the first steps toward learning how to be a dog came from being with the other Havanese dog living in their home. Playing together began to open Snoopy up to a world of fun. But it would take more than that to teach Snoopy how to come out of his shell, not be afraid but also listen and behave. After living at the Puppy Mill for 2 years he didn't understand what he was suppose to be doing. 

When Snoopy came to Out of the DogHouse, I knew training would be challenging because Snoopy didn't like food and was afraid to try new things. So I had to find something else to motivate him and get his mind and body working. I think one of the biggest obstacles for Snoopy was "Learned Helplessness" I don't think Snoopy was ask or made to do anything. (Well, except for what and why Puppy Mills exist! Yikes!!)

I found that Snoopy liked to run so I began running with him in the front yard on a 15 foot long line. Doing this activity really brought out his joyful spirit. The next challenge was to get him braver and feeling confident to try new things so I used my Fun-gility equipment to teach him that this was fun too! Going on the Fun-gility equipment was also a great way to start teaching him how to do the commands.

Check out Snoopy now!

Snoopy has made tremendous progress and will continue to do so because of his new families' guidance, care and love. Snoopy, now, is really enjoying a Good Dog's Life.

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070

Grrr! That's Mine!

Resource Guarding in dogs is a huge topic. What is Resource Guarding? ( I will abbreviate to RG) RG is a behavior that discourages another to take, or get too close to an object or valued area in a dog's possession. It most often refers to food, toys or sleeping area but some dogs will guard their owners. RG can vary from something minor like a head turn to something major like a growl or bite. RG can occur "dog to people" or "dog to dog". Either way it can be unpleasant, scary and perhaps dangerous.

Since RG is such a huge topic and we don't want it to happen anyways, today I want to address Prevention.

If you can teach your puppy or dog they have nothing to fear when you approach them then they will be less likely to protect their prized possession. But sometimes Life gets busy and you can't cover all the instances that could make RG happen. So what we really need to do is teach our dogs Self Control. This means to be Tolerant, Patient or Wait your Turn.

Using the Leave It Command is a great way to have your dog learn self control. I am sure you have figured out what the Leave It Command means but here is an extra definition: To ignore or disregard an item, smell, animal, person or area; be it on the ground; near by; in a hand; on a table top, counter or trash bin. Leave It covers Anything that is going to get your dog into Trouble!!

Here is a video clip demonstration.




Check out Leave It for a Good Reason!


Teaching a Leave It command is very useful and provides Huge benefits in regards to safety, the well being of your dog and knowing your dog will decide for herself that "Somethings are just None of her business"!

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