Stop by the booth to grab a few quick training tips, check out some cool toys to take home for your pooch and be sure to ask Ms. Diva to show off one of her favorite tricks. If you feel like you need a little help improving your dog’s manners you can also sign up for a FREE training evaluation.

There will be food vendors, and lots of other cool stuff to see and do. The event is held at the Grand River Center the Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm.

Hope we see you there!

Woof!

Just in case you are wondering what I might mean by “cold”…it is 3 degrees Fahrenheit today. (but with wind chill “feels” like -9)

Taking the dog for a walk is certainly still possible, but it is for those who are less faint of heart than I.  (actually I am just a wimp about the cold) So this post is for my kindred spirits who spend January and February dreaming of palm trees and balmy temps while they slack on their duties of taking the dog for a walk.

The problem with slacking on the walk responsibilities is that the dog gets B-O-R-E-D and a bored dog tends to make their own fun!

So here are 3 ideas for taking that pent up energy and giving it an appropriate outlet.

1. Toys: Toys give the dog something to do. The usual course of action is to chew on them (or shred them, if you pick the wrong type) When you buy toys purchase things that are designed to be chewed on. Things that are made of hard nylon or hard rubber tend to be the most durable and they clean up nicely in the dishwasher. To prevent your dog from getting bored with the toys, pick things of unusual shapes with varying ridges and bumps on them. And then rotate the toys so that 3-5  are available in the doggy toy box while the rest are hidden in a closet or drawer. Switch the array of toys every couple days and your dog is more easily convinced they are “new” treasures to be enjoyed rather than the same old stuff.

and speaking of stuff…buy the cool toys that let you stuff food inside. The double bonus of chewing on a toy until it releases some yummy morsel will keep most any dog busy for an hour or so. Get creative and go beyond just the dried dog biscuit, learn how to stuff!

2. Move it: If you aren’t going to head out for a walk, there are ways to get the physical activity inside, it just takes a little more creativity. Practicing your dogs skill at heeling inside the house can really sharpen things up. You can maneuver all sorts of tight turns around the furniture or try the challenge of going up and down the stairs while maintaining the heel position.

Another option is to teach your dog to walk on a treadmill. It is a little scary the first time or two for a dog just learning, but most catch on very quickly and once they get it….they love it!  A friend of mine helped develop training protocols for one of the dog treadmill manufacturers. Here are some instructional videos for dog treadmill ideas.

3. Make em’ think: Ever had a long day at the office? No physical activity but your exhausted at the end of the day? Yep, that is what we call being mentally drained. Your dog can have it too and it is a good thing because a tired dog is easier to live with, right?!

It is very simple to give your dog something to think about by adding in obedience commands to your normal routine. Have your dog DO something frequently. Have him sit when he comes up and nudges you to be petted, or have her do a few doggy push ups (sit/down/sit/down/sit) when she follows you into the bathroom OR  have him go back and forth between his place (bed/rug/crate) and you a few times during each television commercial break. (like those sprints we had to do in gym class, remember?)

Thinking burns energy. When is the last time you taught your dog a new trick? How about each time you wait for the microwave to pop your bag of corn you spend those 2:15 minutes teaching the dog something new to do? It is easy and if you need ideas check out this fun book of tricks.

……now if that doesn’t help motivate you…..then come join us for our upcoming Tricks Class or sign your dog up for Doggie Day School. They will come home tired and then you can just snuggle together on the couch.

A friend in Canada sent this photo of her interpretation of her dog’s Dogtra training collar. I thought it was a great representation of what proper remote collar training can do for a dog and for the dog’s owner…increase everyone’s freedom and sense of security.

I’m looking forward to spending some time with my friends from Dogtra next week as I help them host the trade show booth at the Shot Show in Las Vegas. I am sure I will come back with news about new products and certainly with a few stories of visiting old friends.

I am thinking the idea of calling it the Freedom Collar really fits!

What do you think, Has the proper training you’ve gotten with your remote collar improved the quality of life you have with your dog?

(I LOVE how the little one seems to be doing his “Happy Dance!)

Have fun keeping the paws off the counter.

Bacon Bits

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
4 eggs, well beaten
1/8 cup bacon fat
1 cup water
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk powder
2 cup graham flour
2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup cornmeal

Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out. Yield: about 4 dozen dog cookies.

Frozen Yogurt & Peanut Butter Treats
1-32oz. container of vanilla yogurt
1 cup of peanut butter

1. Put the peanut butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave until melted.
2. Mix the yogurt and the melted peanut butter in a bowl.
3. Pour mixture into cupcake papers and freeze.

and if you’re trying to avoid the kitchen entirely, do Fido’s gift shopping here.

But I am particularly impressed by how everyone participated in our idea of having the humans dress up in strange or unusual ways to help acclimate the dogs to “different”. When we show them “different” in a fun and non-threatening way…we get less reactivity and an easier time using our obedience to maintain calm. You guys were all great leaders for your dogs to follow.

We had hats and crutches, ghosts and cowboys, there were “scary looking” hoodies and those evil big puffy coats!
I was super impressed at how these dog took all the hoopla in stride, even some of our new comers like Vito, Bailey and Eike. You all did great!

Dog training is primarily about repetition and setting up for success. The proofing you’ve been doing by getting out and about with your dogs is paying off.

Check out some of these fun pics: (thanks to Lori Burrows for sharing photos!)

Take a look at this. Carol and Greta are a great team!

Our five week Tricks Class begins by building on the basics of developing good focus through obedience.

Once the dog’s thoroughly understand the basics like Sit, Down and Stand we build focus on our hand motion and use simple lure/reward training to build the movements. The dog’s are having a blast and the owners are learning a great deal about good timing and shaping through successive approximation to build new behaviors.

Teaching tricks is not only a lot of fun but the mental activity is good for the dog. Making your dog “think” is a great way to build relationship and it also tires the dog out, just like physical exercise. So as we head into winter and getting out becomes a bit more challenging, think about what mental work you can give your dog as a suppliment to the day’s activity. Learning to twist, spin, weave, high five and dance might be just the ticket!

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Our Board and Train dogs enjoy a day at the park on one of their field trips

Learning to behave in public should be part of any good dog training program. These three took a field trip to the park to work on their good manners in public.

All three live in the same home and two are under 1 year of age! This makes for a busy household but solid training makes it possible for everyone to peacefully co-exist.

If you need a little help with your dog’s behavior, be sure to give us a call. 563-588-3039. We have a variety of dog training and obedience programs to suit your needs.

The challenge for most pet owners is finding the time to adequately exercise the dog, practice a little obedience and then snuggle on the couch. Let’s face it, life seems to be continuously busier and busier now days. The “to do” list is forever long and by the time our day ends….the only part many of us do consistently is the “on the couch” part!

Here at That’s My Dog! we wanted to help Dubuque and Tri-State dog lovers by offering a Doggie Day School program. So today was our first day and the five students that attended day one, played with each other and with our pack of 4, PLUS they learned there is a time and place to “chill out” on their mat, they went for individual walks and practiced the discipline of having to “heel”. They also worked on sitting politely and waiting their turn when we handed out snacks! We played fetch, a couple started to learn how to treadmill and we introduced “the egg” a very fascinating toy that seems impossible to catch! There was plenty of time to romp in the sun or to catch a nap in the shade and all in all it was a great day of dog obedience, learning and entertainment.

We are looking forward to watching this program grow and being able to help more dogs become balanced and less reactive around others. If you are interested in finding out what That’s My Dog! can do for your dog, please contact us for a FREE evaluation.

I also want to thank Bernie from the Dubuque Fighting Saints for joining us and for being a good sport in allowing us to let the dogs sniff and investigate the strange and larger than life St. Bernard. We’re looking forward to seeing Bernie and the Saints in action again soon!

Thanks all for helping us celebrate. We spent the last 12 years training dogs out of Hazel Green, WI we are looking forward to at least that many more here in Dubuque, Iowa. New classes and new programs starting soon. If you haven’t signed up for our newsletter to stay on top of all the current events, make sure you sign up now!