Photo courtesy of Oszkár Dániel Gáti Photography via boredpanda.com Well, well, well… You made it to the holiday season! Gone is the pressure of having to maintain that bathing suit body and perfect pedicure. Along with the holidays, of course, comes holiday parties and oh-so-much tasty food. Bring on the love handles and oversized sweaters, yeah! And just as you need to prep yourself and your home for your holiday parties, now is also a good time to check in with your pup to think about how they are going to handle the holiday season. Here are some things to consider… Is your dog nervous or tense around company? If you have a fearful or anxious dog, this is something that you are probably used to asking yourself. But if your dog is usually happy-go-lucky and what we trainers refer to as “bomb-proof,” signals of stress may be more subtle. … Read More
Keeping Kids Safe Around Dogs
Photo courtesy of nbcnews.com Dogs can add so much to your home and family life. But keeping your family and kids safe is the number one priority. Dog management, training and preventing dog bites can help to ensure that your children will be able to experience the pure joy that can come from having a dog in your family for many, many years. Supervision and Managing the Space An important part of keeping your kids safe around dogs is to set rules and physical boundaries. For example, dogs and small children should never be left together unsupervised. If you are unable to supervise, consider using easy tools like baby gates, crates or a leash tether to prevent the dog and the children from interacting. If you have a very active dog, be sure to give him something to entertain himself while restricted, like a stuffed Kong toy or long-lasting chew … Read More
Product Review: Zoe’s Pill Pops
Sticking with the senior dog theme in our last post, you may find that the older your pup gets, the more pills you have to feed on a daily basis. Anti-inflammatories, glucosamine chondroitin or fish oil can be large pills and difficult to disguise. Have you found it challenging to trick your dog into taking their pills? Has wrapping pills in bread, peanut butter, or even cheese lost its appeal for your pup? If so, you may be interested in trying Zoe’s Pill Pops. Zoe’s Pill Pops are a unique take on feeding pills to your dog made easier. The”test dog,” Ozzy, swallows them whole and has been successfully tricked for 2 weeks straight. Previously Ozzy had turned his nose up at cheese… CHEESE! Here are some of our favorite features as compared to some of the other “pill pop” products on the market: Comes in 3 different varieties – Roasted Chicken … Read More
Easy Enrichment for Your Senior Dog
Doesn’t it always seem that those energetic youngsters get all the attention and focus? What about the senior dogs that generally mind their own business, stay out of the way and couldn’t be bothered to get up and bark out the window? And because they aren’t causing a nuisance for you is the perfect reason to do something special with them. Older pups typically don’t need as much exercise as their younger counterparts, however, enrichment activities can help them stay occupied and keep their minds working. They’ll appreciate the extra attention, and you’ll appreciate not having to work up a sweat on the trail for once. Here are some fun, simple, low-key enrichment activities that you can do with your favorite senior guy or gal: Let’s go for a sniff!… Walk schmalk! Instead, let your dog sniff around the neighborhood lets him catch up on the all the newest happenings: who peed … Read More
Product Review: Vaun Duffy Treat Pouch
We were introduced to this versatile little treat pouch by a dog training client who was tired of carrying a plastic baggie of chicken, then clicker, her phone, a collapsible water bowl, poop bags… and then some. After some online research, she arrived to her next training session with this intriguing little Vaun Duffy treat pouch. (The name sounded a bit upscale for a treat pouch… So after some research of our own, turns out there is a Vaughn Duffy wine company, too, but spelled with an “h.” Yet another point of intrigue.) Some features of this treat pouch include: 3 options to wear it – clipped on your pants, belted around your waist or over your shoulder, like a purse The pouch itself is made of a very sturdy, woven nylon Mesh pocket in the front for holding a tennis ball, a clicker, car keys, or also could be … Read More