This post can be found at the new CATCH Canine Trainers Academy blog!
"I'm so glad we're having this talk. If all owners were as smart as you, all dogs would be as good as me."
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This post can be found at the new CATCH Canine Trainers Academy blog!
Dear Human Parent,
I love you and I’m so happy to be here with you. This is going to be a great time, but can we please get on the same page with one thing right away? It will be so much more fun for both of us if you teach me EXACTLY where you want me to potty.
Please follow these SIX SIMPLE RULES and then I’ll know where to pee and poop! Just be consistent and give me some time to figure it all out.
Today, we’ll start with…
RULE 1:
When you’re not watching me, please keep me in an area where I can’t make any mistakes. I don’t want to screw up, but if you let me walk around anywhere in the house I just know I’ll pee and poop all over. I can’t think of a single reason not to.
~
By the way, I don’t mind hanging out in my own special den. A crate, a pen, or a small room is cool by me as long as you show me that it’s a safe, relaxing place. It wouldn’t hurt if you made the space extra fun, especially in the beginning while I’m getting used to it. If it’s somewhere that treats and chewies are regularly found, I’m sure to like it! And please give me plenty of exercise in between my time relaxing. Do that, and let me experience separation from you very gradually at first. Then I’m totally cool with it all, promise.
If you want me to use a wee pad, make my special den space JUST big enough to have a wee pad and a small separate area for me to hang out in. Make sure the separate floor space has a VERY different surface texture than the pad! I’ve heard those exercise pens you get in pet stores are perfect for creating a den with a wee pad. They can even be set up so you surround the pad on all three sides with the walls. This makes it much easier for me to hit the target. Believe me, that’s great! Any help you give to make this as easy as possible for me is appreciated. The idea of knowing EXACTLY where to pee and poop takes some time for me to get used to and I just can’t figure it out on my own.
If you prefer to skip the wee pads, that’s just fine by me. But, if you want me to hold it in until you take me out of the den, then please make my den space smaller. Naturally, I prefer to keep a small space clean. If you give me a lot of space, believe me, I’ll just go poop over there and nap over here. I can’t help it. That just seems to work fine for me. Oh, and don’t forget not to leave me in there too long – I can’t hold it forever you know! And I do like to balance my alone time with fun time!
Thanks so much for listening. You seem like a great owner. I’m excited about this relationship!
I can’t wait to share Rule # 2 with you, coming soon…
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This post on making sure your recall stays strong can be found at the CATCH Canine Trainers Academy website. Read it here.
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It’s the unmistakable body language of dog play! This post, studying pups from Petrified to Playmania, can now be found by clicking here for CATCH Canine Trainers Academy’s blog.
See you there! -CatchDogTrainers.com
Clash of the Titans
Brady: "Damn this girl's good. She can mirror my every move."
More pictures, and the full puppy socialization story, found here at the CATCH On! Blog.
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Read Rock Star Dog Owners Make Mealtime Engaging
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This post can be found at the new CATCH Canine Trainers Academy blog!
Click here to read: The Housetraining Myth – Can’t Miss Tips for Puppies #3 at CATCHDogTrainers.com
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“If you plop my food down in a bowl, yes, I’ll eat it, but – BOOORING.” -Lenny the Lab (2002 – present)
This Food is So Lame I Could Sleep Next to It
Some dogs eat so fast that when they’re done they look at you and say, “You kidding me? That’s it?”
Others won’t touch the food you put down because it’s SO lame for a predatory animal to eat something that just sits there.
The Myth: Feeding is feeding. Just give the dog a meal – she’ll eat, drink, and be merry.
The Real Deal: Mealtimes are a great opportunity to stimulate your dog’s mind, build a deeper bond with you, satisfy her natural hunting instincts, and increase the appetite of a dog who seems to have said the hell with dog food.
Rock star dog owners turn mealtimes into engaging activities. Here are a few easy ways you can do it:
1) Ditch the food bowl. Put the meals in a Busy Buddy toy. Just fill the toy with food and then your dog has to play with it to make the food fall out. Hint: set up the toy so it’s easy at first. Increase difficulty as your dog figures out smarter ways to dispense the food faster. Very fun to watch.
2) Scatter your dog’s food all over the backyard. This was a favorite of my Husky-Shepherd mix, Eli. He would hunt down every last piece of kibble. It is amazing to see how talented dogs are with their noses. Believe me, if your dog is into his meals, he will find every bite. Yes, even in the uncut grass. Like all new games, make it easy at first, then increase difficulty.
3) Check out the Eat Slow Bowl. This will make meals last longer. More fun for the dog and also safer for dogs who are prone to bloat from gobbling too much, too fast.
4) Make mealtime a training session and use the food as a reward. Teach basic obedience. Or how about tricks? Just make it fun and interesting. Use one piece of kibble (or one lick of wet food off a spoon) as a reward for each task well done. This practice will really enhance your bond and give your dog a chance to learn new skills.
One of My Favorite Busy Buddy Toys, the Twist-n-Treat
The Wrap: Mealtimes are a chance for your dog to do more than just stand over a bowl. Try the ideas above that best fit your dog and your lifestyle. You’ll see for yourself that the increased mental exercise will make your dog happy and improve his behavior. If he’s a really naughty pooch, at the very least he’ll be out of trouble during the time he’s eating.
Tonight I’m starting a new puppy kindergarten class at our Greenwich Village location. This is always awesome because 1) the puppies are ridiculously cute, and 2) people are excited to fill their pups’ minds with stuff that will make them good adult dogs.
Let me tell you a not-so-secret. When you first start with a pup, the trick to raising a great dog is what you don’t let them do. That’s right, what you prevent them from learning is a BIG DEAL.
For example, if you keep playing with a puppy that is biting your hands, you are teaching them that biting your hands is part of a fun game. Another example – if you allow your pup to chew on furniture (when you’re not paying attention) THAT behavior is self-rewarding. It’s fun to chew wood. Let’s look more closely.
Example 1: Your pup’s developing brain is extremely impressionable. She learns biting you is fun. You taught her that, through continuous play WITH biting. Your pup grows up. The adult dog likes to bite you. It’s fun, remember. Ingrained from the early days. Nostalgic.
Example 2: Again, your pup’s brain is like a sponge, remember. He gets to try his teeth out on some wood. (Because you’re not there to teach otherwise?). MMMmmmm. Chewing wood satisfies. Your pup loves it, seeks it. Not his fault, you gave him a chance to learn it. Your pup grows up. Your adult dog likes to chew wood (or plastic, or shoes – whatever you allowed will be the favorites.)
The point: To raise an adult dog who doesn’t bite you or chew on furniture or (insert bad behavior X here), simply do NOT permit the behavior from occurring with frequency. Most importantly, do not allow unwanted beahvior X to become rewarding for the pup.
Manage the environment. Set them up for success. Be the teacher. If not, everything and everyone else will.
Simply put: Adult dogs have behavior patterns that they found rewarding as pups.
