Here are the top 5 things you have official permission to do with your dog(s) without fear of catastrophic repercussions, or even being “wrong.” Thing One: Use treats to train! Use a LOT! Life is short after all, and rewards go a long, long way in training dogs and making it fun! When working with animals, you need to find an effective motivator to get where you want to go. The science says that animals will repeat what’s reinforcing to them (like the behavior that earned them tasty treats) and they will avoid what is aversive to them as they...
Is your dog home alone for long hours? Does he get bored and destructive? Why not fixate your dog on something you would like him to do? It’s fun and easy too! Dogs have a real need for mental stimulation just like we do. Humans have friends, family, movies, cell phones, books and more to keep busy with. Dogs have us, and whatever else they can find to pass the time. Providing your dog with a safe, fun, interactive puzzle game goes a long way to helping him deal with alone time. Dog trainers call these objects “food puzzles” and...
Liver Cakes to the RESCUE! Greetings dog lovers, you are my people, my tribe, my pack! By chance, are you vigilant about the ingredients in your dog's food and treats? Does the sound of a healthy, low-cost, easy to make dog treat perk up your ears? Do you like to cook and/or just make an unbelievable mess? Can you get over the smell of liver baking in your kitchen for the love of dog? If so, this little gem of a recipe might just take the cake! (The liver cake) that is! Ingredients: 18 0z liver (Chicken or Beef) 2...
Carabiner spring clips for securing gates come in many colors. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that matter. I've long been a fan of the good 'ol carabiner, or spring clip, for many applications here and there, and I'm not even a mountain climber nor do I know how to rappel off the couch, let alone while climbing Everest (note to self: bucket list item #472). Today was one of those days in Southern California when the "devil winds," or Santa Ana winds, were blowing with gusts in excess of 50 mph. It was the first big wind of...
It happens so fast. Your spry, young friend who used to pull on the leash and bark ferociously at squirrels turns into a very wobbly old dog whose walk has become much more of an unstable stand. Untold numbers of minutes pass as he investigates that one bush out front. The one that holds all the mysteries of life gone by, the smells, the critters, the passersby. That one bush that lets him be who he is now. That one bush that supports his old vision of himself, curious and alive. We watch others zoom past us with their spry...
By Bev Dalton Until recently, the last place an animal lover like me looked forward to visiting was an animal shelter. The fear of overwhelming sadness or becoming emotionally drained by the sheer number of animals who need homes was enough to keep me away. Well that was then and this is now. “Welcome to Ventura County Animal Services Camarillo location!” The first thing that struck me when I entered the animal shelter is how incredibly clean, and yes, even cheerful it is. Far from the scary, dark or dirty “pound” experience I had imagined, both kindness and cleanliness are...
The 4th of July – Dog Dependence Day – A Survival Guide
American Independence Day, the 4th of July, conjures up visions of good times with family and friends, time off, picnics and summer fun - as it should! What may not immediately come to mind is the fear and anxiety this holiday creates for many of our pets. Large gatherings, unfamiliar dogs, people and surroundings, and loud noises from fireworks and parties can terrify even the most stable dog. One of these triggers alone is hard enough on them but add them all together and you get the powerful impact of “trigger stacking” which, sadly, can be fatal. Everyone knows that...
We’ve all been there and if you’re anything like me, when you see a dog obviously lost or out of place, you get involved and try to help. The “decision” to get involved is more of a reflex than a conscious choice for dog-lovers like us, so if you’re going to do it, the following tips are good to keep in mind. 1. Evaluate the situation – Does the dog look dangerous, aggressive or sickly? If so, the best help you can provide is to use your smart phone to find the local authorities who can safely get the dog...
Looking for something new and different to do with your dog? Try the relatively new sport of K9 Nose Work—your dog will thank you for it. A logical progression for many dogs after taking basic or intermediate obedience classes is to move on to Agility, Fly Ball or Freestyle, but not every dog is cut out for those sports. Nose Work, or scent searching, is a wonderful enriching activity for all. K9 Nose Work includes container searches, car searches, interiors and exteriors. The process used to train companion dogs to find a target scent is exactly the same as it...
Pictured Here: Genie Tuttle, BA, CPDT-KA and Dr. Ian Dunbar Can you ever really learn too much? How much “subject matter expert” status is too much? While it may be impossible to know everything about your hobbies or interests, there’s certainly no harm in trying. When passion, drive and enthusiasm intersect with a person’s chosen career path, quenching the thirst for knowledge is nearly impossible. One of the many things I love about the path I’ve chosen in the field of professional dog training is that it demands practitioners to stay current and be educated. No relying on outdated forceful...
When it comes to communication, successful communicators know their audience and tailor their message and communication style accordingly. This is particularly important when it comes to dog training, because it involves two totally different species trying to communicate with each other, typically about a brand new concept. Much easier said than done, right? Yikes! Best not to take any piece of it for granted. Message Sent – Was the message received? The most common scenario involves a human trying to teach their dog to do something they want them to do, for example, “Sit.” The dog provides feedback about the...
Preventing Separation Anxiety When Social Distancing is Over
These are strange times we’re living in. New phrases like “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” have taken over our social lexicon. What we once took for granted, is now something we long for. Coffee with friends, group training classes, parties, graduation ceremonies and more, all put on hold while we stay at home to stop the spread of the novel COVID-19. In this new uncharted age of avoiding others and staying inside there’s the good, the bad and the potentially ugly for our best friends. First, the good! Our loving family dogs are living their best lives right now...
How a Pod of Fun Gets Training Done! Remote training success with the Manners Minder
Do you ever fantasize about having a well-mannered dog doing a perfect down-stay when guests arrive and ring the door bell? Jumping up to greet visitors is a natural and easily reinforced behavior for dogs, most of whom get really good at it! Typically when dogs jump up on people, people reflexively look at them, speak to them, touch them and more, all of which shrewdly reinforces the dog for jumping. Since we know that dogs will repeat what they are rewarded for, jumping on people can become quite a solid undesirable behavior in no time. Teaching dogs not to...
As my husband has told me countless times, “Adventure isn’t always fun while it’s happening.” He is usually referring to getting caught in the rain (or snow) on a cross country motorcycle trip or something else equally exciting, and contrasting that with the glory of “telling the tale” once you’re back safe and dry. As a long term greyhound owner and professional dog trainer, I couldn’t agree more. As you can see by the attached photo, I’m less than thrilled about this “action shot” of me inside Corsa’s temporary crate. The crate was set up to keep her quiet during...
A quickie trip to the grocery store turned into a teachable moment recently as I watched from a distance while a teenage girl tied her innocent little brown dog to a post outside the market. While walking from the parking lot to the front door I saw the girl disappear quickly into the store. The little brown dog was standing there helplessly tethered to a sign, terrified, vulnerable and alone. As if that was not enough torture for one innocent pup, he was positioned in the worst possible place - the high traffic zone right between the grocery carts and...
Every household has them: Chores, chores and more chores, the things that need to get done to keep the place going. The lead humans in the household typically assume roles aligned with their various areas of expertise and delegate from there. There's the household "CFO," or Chief Financial Officer, who tends to the budget, cash flow and investments. The "CEO," Chief Executive Officer, is the one who gets the final say on things in dispute, and the "CIO," Chief Information Officer, keeps up with who is doing what, when, where and why. I'm sure there are several more roles to...
Whether you've had your current dog for years or have just acquired a new one, it's always important to make sure your contact information is on your dog at all times. My dog-loving niece in Austin tells me she routinely celebrates "Naked Friday Nights" at her house (dogs only!) when she removes her dogs' collars for a couple of hours and lets them be "naked" while safe inside her home. But she assures me that she gets them "dressed" again before she lets them outside for potty at bedtime. After all, you never know when you might need to make...
Those of us who can't get enough of the love of dogs, know that there's nothing quite like that perfect rhythm and harmony you experience with your elderly "seasoned" dogs after living together for years, learning about each other and facing life's varied challenges together. "Seasoned" family dogs who "get it," "get you" and can understand and interpret complicated situations effortlessly, are irreplaceable and precious. The sad and humbling thing about this stage of life is that by the time you get there, your days together are numbered. Oh, how I wish that wasn't true. Manx & Corsa - Seasoned...
Soooo...the other day I came home from a busy morning and took the dogs outside to go potty like we always do. We have quite a consistent routine built around the humans leaving and returning, which helps the dogs understand what's expected of them and where we are in their daily "script." The dogs ran down on our hill and proceeded to go potty for me on cue in their potty spot, yay! As I walked along the patio I was shocked into reality by the sight of a giant saliva-covered dead-lookin' rat on Manx's dog bed. XL Kong is...
How much information is TOO MUCH information (TMI) when it comes to knowing what your dogs are doing while you're away? Apparently there is no limit for me, as I can't seem to get enough "intel" on this topic -- I may even have an unhealthy addiction to my "Doggie Cam." About a year ago I purchased a proprietary dog-surveillance camera system (though today there are lots of wireless LAN-IP camera choices like it) and it's been love at first sightever since, even though what I normally see are sleeping, happy hounds. View from the "Hound Cam." Two peaceful dogs...
It's time to accept the fact that when I walk our three retired racing greyhounds in my quiet little neighborhood, I am a complete and total spectacle! One greyhound is exotic enough, two's company and three's a crowd! Passersby might wonder, "Did the circus come to town or what?!" Enhancing the 12-legged spectacle is that each dog is wearing a different piece of equipment, or even two. The easiest dog I have to walk is Manx (named for the Norton Manx racing motorcycle of old). Manx is a handsome blue brindle guy (slowly turning white) who has never entertained the...
Lately I've received a few calls from people who suspected that their darling dog(s) might be using the inside of the house incorrectly...like for potty purposes, and they wanted to get the situation under control STAT! In the case of "number two," they had no trouble discerning what had transpired via the evidence. In the case of "number one" (and humans' comparatively inferior sense of smell) they needed to hire a professional. Don't ask me why, but I always like this kind of assignment. Step number one is to find and clean up all of the potty accidents, or the...
A Lifelong Dog Trainer's Evolution Continues "Let's Go!" That's dog-speak for "Let's Do This," and also one of my favorite phrases used in modern dog training, typically for loose leash walking. It's an appropriate opening for the first Dog Genie blog post, too. Welcome friends, "Let's go!" I love dogs, I love dogs, I LOVE DOGS. If you're reading this then I bet you do, too. Let's celebrate you, the dog lover. Let's celebrate your dogs past and present and your experiences together. Let's learn, grow and evolve by exploring the depths of our relationships with dogs and learn a...
Who's Your Daddy?! (or mommy as the case may be) I like to call it "leadership." It goes by many other terms in the dog behavior world, "Member of the Family", "Nothing in Life is Free", "NILIF", "No Free Lunch Policy" to name but a few. To me, providing consistency and structure to my dogs' daily life boils down to nothing more than just plain old leadership. They need it, they love it and it works really well! We have to be realistic, I know. We love our dogs so much and spoiling them is part of the fun! Yes,...
On a chilly morning around 6:30 a.m. I walked my gorgeous new greyhounds down the street to a neighborhood park about a half mile away. “They sure look spectacular,” I thought to myself, “what a couple of beauties!” I hadn’t had time to learn much about them since I had just got them from the rescue the day before and the two of them were strangers to one another. I adopted these two before Homestretch was in existence. “So far so good, sniff, sniff, pee, pee, it’s gonna be a nice day!” Then, out of nowhere a guy innocently doing...
Walking in Rhythm........ Loose Leash Walking and Recommended Progressive Training Gear are Here! By Genie Tuttle, BA, CPDT-KA Don't mind if I DO! Leash manners and calm walking behavior are critical skills for today's companion dogs to learn. Your dog's ability to remain calm on leash and walk past people and other animals means that you can venture out into the world with confidence. Even the most free-ranging dog needs to be able to get from the car into the vet or groomer safely from time to time, all the while successfully navigating the busy parking lot and passersby. While...
Teaching a greyhound to have some patience is much easier said than done, I know! When my husband Mark and I adopted our two current grey-babies Manx and Corsa, we were abruptly reminded just how lightening fast and spry the young ones are! Our previous two hounds Phoenix and Nubi lived to the wonderful proud old ages of 12 and 13 respectively and they passed away within six months of each other. Suffice it to say that we had spent years and years perfecting our daily "dance" with those two and even though they were senior citizens, they could still...
"What is 'clicker training' anyway?! I think I've heard of it someplace...." If you've asked that question, it's time we talk about the hottest thing in positive reinforcement training. Clicker training is an example of "operant conditioning," a way in which the animal figures out how to operate in the space or the environment in order to earn a reward or resource. It works more efficiently than humans intervening, jerking and tugging an animal into a desired position, to satisfy human desires for behavior. Karen Pryor is the recognized pioneer of clicker training, as she began using it in the...