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Dog Training Philosophies: Medical Model, Behavioral Model and Knee-Jerk Reactions
Most of our dog pet owners are not aware that there are different philosophies/approaches to “training” a dog and more so how to approach solving behavior problems. There are two main veins of approach even though I titled with three; two of them go together. Medical Model see “problem behavior” as if it’s a disease. The “trainer”, “counselor” or “veterinary behaviorist” may take a history of your dog and come up with a diagnosis for the behavior and label it something like “dominance aggression”. This approach focuses too heavily on the “symptoms” presented and do little to address … Continue reading →
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How to Prepare for Air Travel With Your Dog
New year, new adventures! Are you planning a big trip in 2017? And are you thinking about bringing your dog along for the ride (or flight)? Besides working out where to stay and what to eat, there are many things to consider when flying with a pet. Here is how you can prepare yourself, and your dog, for air travel. As soon as you have decided on a destination, it is crucial to start planning your trip at least a month ahead of time. There is a lot to do! 1. Plan Your Trip You will have to decide whether … Continue reading →
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DIY Hanging Doggie Poop Bag Holder
Poop is a big part of being a dog mom – we all have to deal with it and the grossness of picking it up! As a result, poop bags are an essential part of life. It’s been driving me nuts to see poop bag rolls all over our house, in drawers or left by the door. And, of course you can never find a roll when you need one, or forget them when you’ve gone on a walk. I sought to alleviate this problem without spending a bunch of money on a new container. Enter the hanging poop bag … Continue reading →
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Resource Guarding or Space Invasion? Reasons for Aggressive Outburts in Dogs
Labels like Resource Guarding can blind us to other possible explanations to aggressive outbursts by our companion dog. The common understanding of resource guarding is that your dog may show the following behaviors: tense, stiff, give you a non-wavering gaze, lip retraction to show teeth, growling, snapping, and/or biting when a person or other animal approaches. This behavior usually occurs only when a person or other animal approaches your dog while: meal preparation, eating, sleeping, has a toy, by a “favorite” place or there might be a “new” item brought into the house, food/treats/vomit, anything related to meals – … Continue reading →
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3 Safety Tips You Should Know When Treating & Feeding Our Pets
We all love our pets and when it comes to giving them treats and other food-related rewards, we’re used to seeing articles about those with all natural ingredients are best along with warnings regarding some overseas brands that have been toxic or even deadly for some animals. But now we want to discuss some other safety issues when it comes time to feeding and treating our pets. First of all we should point to the growing obesity epidemic when it comes to today’s companion animals. Without getting into a bunch of scary statistics, veterinarians and other animal care professions … Continue reading →
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Everything You Need to Know About Shaving Your Dog
When the temperatures rise and the sun is at its strongest, you’re not the only one feeling the heat—just think about how your dog feels under all that fur and hair! Many people consider shaving their dog a necessary part of their hot-weather preparations. However, this may not be the best idea for your dog. To Shave or Not to Shave? If summer or hot weather to your dog translates to unlimited time inside with the cool air conditioning, there’s absolutely no reason to shave his coat. Your dog’s coat has been specially adapted for those times he’ll need … Continue reading →
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Incorporating Basic Obedience Into Every Day Life
Incorporating Basic Obedience Into Every Day Life Most dog trainers will tell you that training doesn’t stop after your dog completes their basic obedience training. No, if you are not training/shaping a new behavior, you’re reinforcing an existing one. But training doesn’t have to cost money, nor does it have to take place in a classroom. With some simple planning, you can continue to use your basic obedience commands with your dog as you go about your daily business. Here are some suggestions for doing just that: Sit/Down When you are preparing meals, whether it is for human or canine consumption, “Sit” or “Down” is perfect to keep the kitchen area clear as well as ensuring easy maneuverability. You can also have your dog “Sit” or “Down” before you set their meal down. “Sit” can also be used on your walk when you stop to pick up your dog’s waste, or if your dog is easily distracted by other dogs/people. It’s also not a bad command to use when a car is approaching. Wait This command comes in handy if you need to have your door open while you bring in groceries, or packages, to allow guests to enter your home, or simply just for practice. “Wait” is a temporary command; it helps teach your dog impulse control. Practice your “Wait” command at feeding time when you are getting ready to set their bowl down, or on a walk when it’s time to cross the street. Stay “Stay” should mean, “do not move until I come back for you.” Practice this in your home if you need to nip out of the room for a minute. Both “Wait” and “Stay” can literally be the difference in life or death if, say, your dog were to get loose in a busy traffic area. Come, Here or Your Own Recall Word A solid recall is important, and you can practice this so many times in your daily routine. When it’s time for a walk, for mealtime, to go out for the last potty of the night, or simply just because. Place A small throw rug can be used for the “Place” command. This command can be used when the doorbell rings, or when guests arrive. In my house, dogs need to stay on their ‘Place’ when it is dinner time for the humans. After we’ve finished our meal, we release the dogs and reward them with a small treat. Leave It “Leave It” is one of those versatile commands that you can use for just about anything. It keeps your dog from snagging something harmful off the floor/ground, from rolling in something disgusting, from ripping your arm off at the sight of a squirrel. Look Practice your look command on walks when another dog or animal is distracting, or at meal times before you set your dog’s food down. Once your dog knows their basic obedience commands, there is no end to where you can use them. A tired dog is usually a well-behaved dog and mental stimulation can be almost as tiring as a physical exercise. How do you incorporate basic obedience commands into your everyday life? Jodi Stone Jodi Stone is the author of Heart Like a Dog, a community based blog, where readers go to find humor, inspiration and support. Inspired by the challenges she faced when she rescued her dog, Delilah, Jodi’s goal is to let other dog owners know that their dog doesn’t have to be perfect and they definitely aren’t alone! Jodi is cohost of the popular Barks and Bytes Blog hop, is co-creator of the DADO blog hop, and created the Caring for Critters Round Robin which resulted in a community health page for pets as a permanent addition to her blog. Graduating with a degree in Communications, Jodi currently works as an administrative assistant. Jodi lives in CT with her husband and two dogs, Sampson and Delilah. When she’s not blogging, Jodi can be found hiking the trails with Sampson and Delilah, spending time with her grandchildren, or cuddle up with a good book and preferably a dog. Jodi is most active socially on her blog www.heartlikeadog.com or https://www.facebook.com/HeartLikeADog/ :|zpendofcontent|:
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5 Reasons Why Adopting a Senior Dog Beats Buying a Puppy
While everyone loves puppies with their playful ways, perky personalities and plump, cuddly bodies, the ‘cute factor’ is less obvious with our older canine friends. This means they’re often overlooked when it comes to people thinking about bringing a dog into the family and shelters struggle to find them homes. This is a real shame as seniors have a lot of cute, plus more, to offer if we open our hearts and homes to them. Seniors Know Everything Well, maybe not everything that would be weird, but where puppies need to be taught the lot, older dogs have already mastered … Continue reading →
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How Can We Tell If Our Dog Has a Muscle Injury?
How can we tell if our dog has a muscle injury? In this blog, we will be looking at 6 key pointers that may just change the way you look at your dog and help you to detect muscle issues or injuries quickly. Injury that causes lameness is obvious and when our dog cries out in pain, we are usually heading to the vet. However, injury can be much more subtle but still have a huge effect on the way our dogs function. If our dog has a small injury, it can easily go unnoticed but will cause subtle … Continue reading →
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Choosing the Right Veterinarian for Your Dog
Choosing the right vet can make a big difference on how both you and your dog feel about veterinarian care. Here are some tips to help you decide on which doggie doctor is right for you: Choosing a vet is a lot like choosing a doctor for yourself. You are going to want someone who is certified, and has the bedside manner that you prefer. A good way to start looking is to start asking around. Look for other pet owners and ask who they see and why (or who they would not see). Social proof is also a very … Continue reading →
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How to Choose the Right Dog for Your Family
I once had an 85 year old man come to me because his niece gave him a Jack Russell puppy because he had had a Jack Russell before. This match was difficult from the start. Jack Russell’s tend to be intelligent and highly active. They usually need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. This dog was no exception. The man did not have the skills or the desire to teach this puppy. He tried to keep her for a year but had to finally find another home for her. This was devastating for the man and the puppy. I often … Continue reading →
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What’s The Difference Between Male and Female Dogs?
Being owned by both male and female Siberian Huskies, I often get asked which is better, and/or which I prefer. This is no simple answer, but there are some differences between male and female huskies, which I will highlight for you today. So let’s have a little fun with Male VS Female Dogs. Keep in mind that these are my opinions, and are from my own experiences from a life time of being owned by dogs as well as cats. All pets are different and these are just guidelines for you to follow. Let’s Start With Male Huskies/Dogs: In my … Continue reading →
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