Our Dog's New Years Resolutions

Okay, so I am not going to act like my dog wrote this list or even that dogs have resolutions.  This is simply my take on things you can expect from your dog in the coming year.

Resolution 1:  He will respect your privacy and NOT read your mind.  If you don't ask him to wait or stay at doorways, then expect him to almost take you out as he squeezes through that six inch gap between the open door and your knees.  If you don't ask him to leave-it, then expect him to root through that shopping bag you put on the floor.  If you don't ask him to come and then take him in the house, expect him to continue to stand there and bark at that squirrel in the tree.  That's right.  Your dog will respect your privacy and will NOT read your mind.   So. if you don't ask him to do what you want, then he will do the next best thing - what he wants!

Resolution 2:  He will follow your rules.  That's right.  If your dog is allowed to, for example, get on whatever piece of furniture he wants whenever he wants, then expect him to jump up on the couch with muddy feet to greet Aunt Marie.  Rules are rules after all - even when we have company.  Of course, if the rule is to ask for permission BEFORE getting on furniture then your dog and Aunt Marie will probably get along much better.

Resolution 3:  He will help you reap what you reward.  So if you reward (even inadvertently) jumping or barking, then he will be obligated to repeat those behaviors.  If pulling hard on the leash helps get  you and him across the street to check out that fantastic smell, well, he will help 'get you there' by pulling everyday.  You get the idea.  Your dog will help you reap what you reward so you better pay attention and only reward the behaviors you want repeated.

So, now that we know our dog's resolutions maybe it is time to come up with some of our own.  Here are a few that you might want to consider:

1.  Reward the behavior you want repeated.  Example, acknowledge or reward your dog when he approaches you and sits or stands (aka not jumping!)
2.  Establish some 'house rules'.  Dog is not allowed on furniture without an invitation.  Dog is allowed in the bedroom.  Dog is not to be rewarded when offering begging behavior.  Whatever works in your household.  Just come up with your top 5 and post them on the fridge for all family members to see and follow.
3.  Communicate with your dog.  Don't expect him to read your mind.  If he is jumping around like a goofball and you would rather he sit, then say so!

However you and your dog work it, here's wishing you both a fantastic 2012!

Happy New Year and happy training!

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/personablepetsdogtraining

It's Christmas Time to TRAIN!

It is that time of year again.  We are hustling and bustling to get ready for our holiday celebrations, but this doesn't mean training our dog should fall to the wayside.  In fact, just the opposite.  Now is the perfect time to get in a little extra training.  Better to be proactive and teach our dog what to do as the decorations come out and the tree goes up , rather than waiting for him to dive bomb the pretty shiny paper as you are trying to wrap gifts.

I Got a Puppy - Now What?

It is that time of year again.  The holidays are approaching and many families will find a new puppy under the tree on Christmas morning.  Everyone knows what you need to do with a new puppy - give him attention, house train him, feed him, exercise him, and keep an eye on him so he doesn't chew up your new shoes. But the one thing most people overlook, or aren't aware of, is the need to socialize their new puppy.  Socialize, socialize, socialize.

Ready, Set, Go! Are You Prepared To Evacuate the Whole Family

The events unfolding in Japan are tragic and I cannot even begin to fathom what those poor people must be going through.  As I watch the dramatic footage on TV my heart just breaks, but I also hear this little voice in back of my mind - am I ready to evacuate at a moments notice with my household pets?  Sadly, the answer is no.

Dining with Dogs. It's No Big Deal, Honest!.

Recently, some good friends of mine spent the day helping me out with some yard work.  Part of the deal was allowing their 3 dogs to roam the property while we worked.  This was no big deal and my two dogs enjoyed the company.

At the end of the day I was too tired to cook so I suggested that we head into town to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant.  This put my friends in a bit of a panic trying to figure out what to do with their dogs while we ate.  I told them to relax, it was a dog friendly restaurant.  This seemed to panic them even more.  Their dogs had never been 'out to eat' and they were sure it would lead to mass chaos.  I assured them that we would be fine.  We had 3 dogs and 3 people so we would each be responsible for one dog and I would show them exactly what to do.  

Well, needless to say, dinner went off without a hitch.  The dogs were all very polite and my friends were amazed at just how easy it was.  So, for anyone that wants to dine with their dog but are afraid of mass chaos, simply follow the tips below:

Casper settles in.  Not bad for his
first time at a restaurant

1.  For Dining with Dogs rookies - people should ALWAYS out number the dogs!
2.  Remember a tired dog is a good dog.  Be sure your canine partner gets plenty of exercise BEFORE you head out for dinner.
3.  Think of your first 3 to 4 outings as training sessions and not dinner.  That means, don't invite a long lost friend and expect to spend the evening chatting away.  Until you and your dog have this down to an art you will need to pay more attention to your dog than your guest.

4.  Don't go at rush hour.  Visit at a slow time (usually early afternoon) so that you and your dog will have plenty of space and not too many distractions.

5.  Pick a table that is off to the side and out of the foot traffic path.  Picking a table that backs up to the patio edge is even better - this way you don't have to worry about people walking around all sides.

6.  If possible, keep your dog on the opposite side of the table as wait staff.  Your waiters are busy enough so they should NOT have to fight your dog for access to the table.  This will also minimize the chances of your dog jumping up and knocking over a tray full of food. 

7.  For the first couple of visits, keep the leash in your hand.  If you tie your dog to the chair you may forget you have a dinner partner until he wraps the leash around the table and knocks it over.

8.  Keep the leash short (and NO flexi's) for the first couple of visits.  If your dog keeps wrapping himself around the chair he has too much leash.

9.  Reward, reward, reward!!  It is your job to teach your dog how to act.  Take treats with you and put them on the table.  Then reward your dog 2-3 times a minute (yes, every 20 seconds) for sitting or laying down until they settle.  At first, if you wait too long between rewards your dog will become bored and start to entertain himself.

10.  The wait staff is approaching, do you know where your dog is?  Make sure they haven't slipped under the table or around a chair just hoping to meet the waitress.  It is also a great idea to reward your dog for sitting while the waiter is at the table.  Teach him that good things come from you, not the waiter.

Junior patiently waiting
for his reward

11.  While you are eating do not zone out on your dog.  The moment your dog gets bored he will start to entertain himself by trying to get to that crumb the people at the next table dropped or chasing that bird that just landed in the grass.  A good rule of thumb for Dining with Dogs rookies is for every 2 bites of food you take your dog should get 1 reward treat for appropriate behavior.

12.  Remember that Dining with Dogs is a privilege - not a right.  A couple of bad experiences or complaints from other diners and your favorite dog friendly restaurant could quickly become not so dog friendly.  So, don't let your dog eat from the restaurants plates or utensils.  Do not let them relieve themselves near the restaurant.  Don't assume that other patrons are dog friendly.  Keep you dog with you and under control at all times.  Do not allow your dog to approach other people or disrupt their dinner.  If they want to meet your dog they will ask.  If they don't then steer clear.  Never take aggressive or overly anxious dogs.

So, Dining with Dogs is not that hard.  Just plan ahead, pay attention to your dog, and reward, reward, reward.  Before you know it, Dining with Dogs will be a non-event for both you and your canine partner.

Happy Training!

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/personablepetsdogtraining

But My Dog Didn't Do Anything! - Exactly!!

As we have discussed before, in dog training, behavior that is rewarded is usually repeated. We reward our dog's for sitting and they sit more often. We reward them for bringing us their toy and they bring their toys more often. Easy enough - reward the behavior you want repeated!

Unfortunately, we humans are pretty good at rewarding dogs when they do something but we overlook their good behavior when the don't do something. Now before you think I am talking gibberish let me explain.

There was a woman in class the other night with an exuberant 8 month old boxer. He was very friendly and just wanted to play with all the other dogs which meant he was lunging at the end of his leash every time another dog came within a 10 foot circle. Toward the end of class he had calmed down considerably when another dog walked right in front of him. The boxer didn't move. He didn't lunge. He didn’t jump. He just calmly watched the other dog walk by. I said, “Good job! Good boy!” and proceeded to give him a treat and a quick side rub. His owner looked directly at me and with a perplexed look said “But he didn't do anything?” I said “Exactly! He didn't lunge and he didn't whine - he calmly watched another dog walk by! This is the behavior that we want him to repeat.”

So, as you work with your dog, don't forget to reward him for what he doesn't do. When he doesn't jump on your guests - Good Job! When he doesn't pull on the leash to chase that rabbit - Good Job! When he doesn't bark at that cyclist going by during your walk - Good Job!

Remember, always reward the behavior that you want repeated even if that means you are rewarding your dog for doing nothing!!

Happy training.

All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Personable Pets Dog Training

http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook

Brittney's Journey Day 7 - a foster dog's story

I have decided to blog about the daily activities with my latest foster dog. The goal is to detail how I acclimate a new dog into the household and how I start preparing her for her new home. Hopefully this information will be useful the next time you introduce a new dog into the household.

Brittney is available for adoption through Mastiff Hope Rescue. You can find more info at http://www.mastiffhope.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=2575253

You can start at the beginning of the journey by reviewing our past day activities at http://personablepets.blogspot.com/2010/06/brittneys-journey-foster-dogs-story.html http://personablepets.blogspot.com/2010/07/brittneys-journey-day-2-foster-dogs.html
http://personablepets.blogspot.com/2010/07/brittneys-journey-day-3-foster-dogs.html
http://personablepets.blogspot.com/2010/07/brittneys-journey-day-4-5-6-foster-dogs.html

When we left off, Olive and Brittney had had a short play session. Olive ended the session after a couple of minutes and wouldn't reengage. She continued to avoid Brittney for the rest of the evening and this morning. I think she found Brittney's in your face play style a little overwhelming. Well, I am glad to report that all is well now. It is as if Olive thought it over and came up with a solution - if Brittney cannot catch me she cannot try to box me. Her plan worked as you will see in the video.

Other than that it was a pretty slow training day. The dogs were having a great time hanging out so I decided to stay out of the mix and just let them be dogs for the evening. I have started working on Brittney's Come cue and all is going well. You will see her in action in the video.

As Brittney's personality continues to emerge I have to admit that she came to me with many good habits. She is not a jumper. She can be overly excited when she approaches but manages to keep four on the floor when she gets to me. This is a good sign. Alot of dogs jump out of excitement but she has mastered four on the floor. She is not a big chewer and enjoys hanging out with Theo and Olive but is just as content hanging out alone. She knows how to sit, down and is easy to manage off leash.

Her weaknesses are waiting (yes Brittney, patience is a virtue) and Coming when called when there are distractions. We still don't know how she will handle small kids and I plan to get her out and about this weekend to see how she interacts with strangers in a strange environment.

Now the sales pitch begins - I have been very impressed with Brittney. I think she will make a fine addition to any home. I think she would even be a good choice for a first time dog owner. She really does just want to hang out and please you.

And as a side note, her current buddies are both rescue dogs. Theo is from Mastiff Hope and Olive is the namesake of Olive's Hope Pet Rescue in Louisburg, KS.

Oh well, enough for this evening. Will post again this weekend.


All content © Personable Pets Dog Training

Sharon Woodrum, CPDT-KA
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
Personable Pets Dog Training
http://www.personablepets.com/

Providing Dog Training Services for Overland Park and Louisburg, Kansas areas including: Stilwell, Lenexa, Olathe, Paola, Bucyrus, Leawood, Shawnee, Osawatomie and Spring Hill.

Follow us on Facebook