An Introduction to Rally-O

An example of an AKC Rally sign

Rally-O is a growing dog sport that offers a fun challenge to pet dog owners who enjoy competition.  Basic obedience skills provide the foundation for competing in this sport.  Rally-O helps owners develop teamwork with their dog while reinforcing basic and advanced obedience maneuvers.

Each Rally-O course is an obedience obstacle course.  Specific obedience-style exercises are written on signs and placed in varying sequences for the team (dog and handler) to negotiate. Participants must complete the obedience exercise at each station before moving on to the next.  Each team is scored on its performance at each station (or rather, marked down for lack of performance...!)  From a maximum score of 200, teams can “qualify”  and receive a ribbon if they earn 170 points or more, and after three qualifying scores, they will earn a Rally-O title that can be written with the dog’s name.  For instance, my dog Phoebe has earned her AKC Rally Novice title and her official name is now Tanglewood’s Star Bright, R.N. (Rally Novice).

An example of an UKC Rally sign

The maneuvers in Rally-O can range from simple heeling exercises (heeling with your dog beside you, you halt and the dog sits) to much more complicated.  To a beginner, the advanced exercises might sound overwhelming, but you and your dog learn together, step-by-step.  Everyone starts with the basics like having your dog heeling next to you, making left and right turns, learning how to do an “about turn” with the dog staying in heeling position, and learning how to sit and down in heel position.  Gradually you learn more complicated steps like weaving around traffic cones, having your dog “stay” in a sit while you walk around him, or having him sit squarely in front of you when you call him to “front” from heeling.

Once you are ready to move on to the advanced and excellent courses, there are difficult and fun new challenges to master.  At the advanced levels, everything is done off-leash.   An example of one of the most advanced exercises: while heeling with your dog beside you, you signal the dog to stop in a stand-stay while you walk 6 feet away,  command your dog to sit in place, command your dog to come straight and sit again directly in front of you, and finally command your dog to return to heel position, sitting next to your side, before starting on to the next exercise.  The advanced levels always have easier Novice signs mixed in with more difficult signs.  This reinforces what you have already learned, and helps you and your dog feel like you can accomplish something even if you have trouble with a station or two.   

Another exciting challenge with advanced rally courses is that they include one or two jumps for the dogs to jump over while the handler walks alongside.  Some dogs are scared of the strange-looking  jumps at first, but when they learn what they are, and how to do them, almost all dogs enjoy the jumps. In fact, because advanced dogs are off-leash, sometimes a dog gets so excited when he sees a jump on course that he leaves the handler to go jump!

This video shows my dog Atlas and I performing an 

Advanced Rally course. 

Some of the advanced rally stations can be almost diabolical, like having your dog heel in a figure-8 pattern around two cones while tempting bowls of food or toys are on the floor.  (Not all venues offer this insane challenge).  Most new handlers look at these stations and think, “Oh, my dog could never do that!”  With practice, even the most unruly food-hounds can be taught to ignore the food bowls.  Honest!  There is nothing that compares to the realization that you taught your dog to happily perform these complicated maneuvers.

There are several venues that offer titles in Rally-O, with the most common being AKC, UKC, and World Cynosport.  Each venue has some differences that make its Rally-O courses unique.

Here are some helpful websites for further information. (World Cynosport Rally used to be run by APDT; thus some websites still refer to APDT rally.  Make sure to check with Cynosport to get the most up-to-date info on the former APDT signs).

http://www.rallydogs.com -- World Cynosport Rally

http://rally.canissapiens.com/  --AKC and APDT signs, descriptions, and mini cards to print out

http://www.akc.org/events/rally/index.cfm -- AKC rally page

http://www.ukcdogs.com/res/pdf/2011RallyRulebook.pdf -- UKC rally rules

Five Requirements for Healthy Cats

For cat owners, cats are more than just pets. In exchange for a warm place to sleep and a little food, they reward us with frequent entertainment, unconditional love, and teach us how to slow down and be in the moment (especially when they are sitting on our laps!)

"No Ma'am, I don't think this
qualifies as a safe retreat!"

In return, we open up our homes and wallets to provide them the very best life we can.  The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) lists five basic pillars for a healthy feline environment.  If any of these requirements are missing, it can cause stress and behavioral problems for the feline members of our families. Here is a breakdown of the five requirements:

1.) A Safe Retreat

Cats need to have a retreat where they can go to feel protected, especially if there are dogs, kids, or other cats that might not always be friendly to the kitty.  In general, cats want a safe place with at least 2 ways to exit. Some cats like the safety of height, and prefer a kitty perch on a windowsill or a tall cat tree.  Others prefer a more enclosed area such as under a bed or in a box.  Whatever the choice, try to have as many safe retreats as you have cats in your house.

2.) Separate, individual resources for food and water, litter boxes, sleep and play areas

Anyone who has ever been in a multi-cat household knows how impossible it is to feed kitties in separate bowls. Inevitably one will want to check out the other's dish, and they both end up eating out of each other's bowls.  That's fine, but even kitties that are best friends sometimes need a little space!  The important thing is that there are options, so that each of these environmental resources are available to the kitty when needed.  The general guideline for litter boxes is to have as many boxes as you have cats, plus one.  If one litter box is being used, or perhaps a feeding dish is blocked off for the moment, the cat can find another one if needed.

3.)  Play opportunities

We all love watching cats play, and play is crucial to their health and well-being.   Predatory toys, such as fake furry mice or fishing poles, allow cats to practice their natural hunting skills and also encourage human interaction and bonding.   Puzzle toys can help a cat's mental acuity and require that kitty works harder for its food.  

4.) Consistent, positive human interaction

Each cat is different in how much human interaction they desire, but maintaining a dependable and beneficial presence in a cat's life will always be good for them.  Never force your cat to interact with you-- they will tell you when they have had enough.

5.) Respecting a cat's sense of smell

Felines rely on their exceptional sense of smell, and use it to scent-mark certain areas and things.  If a cat is having trouble adjusting to something new, try not to clean any scent-markings off.  Felines also produce pheromones which help them feel more calm, and many pet stores now sell a plug-in pheromone diffuser that can help cat  households alleviate stress.  Notice whether highly scented products like candles, cleaning products or air fresheners seem to bother your cat.  Finally, cat litters have differing amounts of air fresheners, but a highly scented litter might cause a cat to find other areas to relieve himself.  

Being aware of these requirements allows us to enjoy our pets to the fullest, making their lives and our own happier and more meaningful!

Interactive Puzzle Toys for Dogs

On a blustery September Sunday afternoon, while others were watching football, I joined six other handlers with their dogs to try out various interactive dog toys.  We had a range of different sizes and breeds of dogs, including Italian greyhounds, Shelties, Giant schnauzers, German shorthaired pointers (GSP), Golden Retrievers, Cairn terriers, and an Afghan hound!  Each handler brought a different toy for everyone to test, and we each brought kibbles or treats for our individual dogs.  I’ll show which toys we tested, and important information we discovered about each one.

PetSafe Rip'n'Tug Lotus Ball

Many owners already had some experience with PetSafe’s Rip’N’Tug Lotus ball. Some owners like to play fetch-- the dog receives a treat from the ball when he/she brings it back to the owner.  Others toss the toy and let their dog rip it open for an instant reward.  Everybody agreed that this is never a toy to leave alone with the dog –it would be destroyed quickly.

The toys that seemed to be easiest for the dogs to figure out were the ones that only need pushing – the Omega Tricky Treat ball, Buster cube, and Hol-ee Treat Ball.  The toys should provide frequent treats initially to keep the dogs motivated, but once the dogs understand the game they can be very persistent in working for even one last piece of kibble.  The concern about these toys was that some of the dogs would pick up and toss the toy (these were the dogs that also liked chewing or mouthing the ball).  

Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball

The Omega Paw is a softer, plastic ball and adjusts its own payout because as the cookie/kibble inside it gets low, less comes out for the dog.  One drawback is the Omega ball can be chewed through if your dog is not satisfied with just the kibble inside.  One benefit of the Omega ball is that the soft plastic will not scratch up wooden floors or bang up the wall, nor can a dog break it by throwing it down the stairs.  

Buster Cube

Yes, apparently a GSP figured out how to throw the Buster Cube down the stairs to break it open!  One benefit to the Buster cube is that the payout can be adjusted manually and the dog cannot bite through the hard plastic.  Caution: both the Omega Ball and the Buster Cube aren’t supposed to get wet, as mildew will form on the inside and cannot be cleaned.  It was suggested to use only dry cookies/kibble on the inside and a moist towel for cleaning the outside.  

JW Hol-ee Treat Ball

The JW Hol-ee Treat Ball is slightly different because it has a soft, flexible outer shell and a hard plastic inner container where treats can be poured through the screw-on lid.  Treats can be taken out fairly easily if you need to clean the ball, and the soft outer ball means the dog won’t be making as much noise or damaging your floors if they toss it around a little.  Although it is a similar idea as the ones above, a much smaller treat compartment means that you will have to refill it more often.

Trixie Chess

Aikiou Interactive Feeder

The Trixie Chess game and other toys where the cookie was hidden by a slide were much more challenging for dogs that didn’t want to use their paw or wouldn’t bite onto the toy.  The Aikiou feeder looks like a giant dog paw, with a sliding door over two compartments on each toe, and a rotating center door which covers multiple treat areas.  Some of the smaller dogs had trouble with the depth of the compartments, and found the slippery plastic  too difficult for them to get the treats.   The benefit of plastic toy games and containers is that they can easily be washed.  I’m not sure about the Trixie, but the Aikiou toy is dishwasher safe.

Ethical Pet Seek-a-Treat Shuffle Bone Puzzle

Nina Ottosson Dog Tornado

Another variety of slider/compartment toys were wooden toy puzzles like the Ethical Pet Seek-a-Treat Shuffle Bone Puzzle.  Some of the big dogs had difficulty maneuvering the sliders.  They quickly got frustrated and either gave up or tried to chew on the wood.  They are definitely not as easy to clean, and little splits of pressed wood started cracking off almost immediately.  The Nina Ottoson Dog Tornado toy was much easier for dogs to spin for treats, clearly a higher quality of wood, and didn’t end up with any teeth marks on it.

Yuppy Puppy Dog Treat Machine

The Yuppy Puppy Dog Treat machine was the most difficult for all the dogs to understand.  The dog is supposed to press on the end of the bone-shaped lever to produce a payout of treats from the clear dome.  This is a very heavy and sturdy toy, but the Giant schnauzer seemed intent on destroying it and knocking it all over to get at the goodies inside!  We all agreed this particular toy is best taught with shaping and was not going to be learned by the dog alone.  When practicing with this, sometimes the dog could get a huge payout (1/2 cup of kibble-sized treats) and sometimes only one or two kibbles.   

Our suggestion is: whatever toy you are considering, please think about what your dog enjoys best: does your dog prefer using his nose or his paws? Is it a toy where the dog can be let safely alone for a small while?  How much time do you have to teach the toy (some are faster than others)?   Finally, consider your dog’s size relative to the toy --- for instance, some dog’s noses are just not long enough to get to the bottom of the compartments.  

Have you ever bought any interactive toys for your dog? Were there any surprises--- like your dog chewed through it, or it was too difficult for your dog to figure out, or cleaning it was a nightmare? Let me know in the comments below!

Basic Dog Training: Discipline, treats, or both?

What Methods Should I Use to Train My Dog?

Recently I was asked by a client the best way to start training a new dog.  He had trained a dog years ago using leash corrections, but his wife wanted him to use positive reinforcement training.  He was hesitant to use treats with his dog, as he didn't want his dog getting spoiled and fat, but his wife didn't want him using a choke collar or strong leash corrections.  He asked what I would recommend.

I could certainly relate to this dilemma!  When I started training my 95-lb. Giant schnauzer, Atlas, I was taught to use treats occasionally to reward good behavior. When correcting bad behavior, I was taught to tug on the collar or grunt a guttural-sounding "uh-uh." In terms of behavioral psychology, the treats are considered a reinforcement because they increase the likelihood that a behavior will occur in the future.  Likewise, the collar correction and "No" are considered punishment, because they decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening in the future. Punishment can be either a mild correction, like a tug on the collar, or a much harder correction, like a beating or a powerful electric shock.  In this article I refer to mild corrections, but  since "punishment" has such bad connotations in some people's minds, I will refer to it as "discipline."  

(For the sake of simplicity I'm not covering the positive and negative quadrants of reinforcement and punishment.)

"But he KNOWS how to sit!"

Let's start with a common example: when Atlas was heeling and didn't sit, I would jerk on the leash or tap him on the butt.  He learned to sit most of the time, but I still had to provide corrections every once in a while.  Sometimes I rewarded him with a treat if he sat nicely, but the reward didn't seem to help him sit more**.  If I didn't correct him the first time he didn't sit, it was guaranteed the next time he wouldn't sit.  Initially I thought he was being stubborn, or trying to see what he could get away with, so I escalated with a more firm tap or harder jerk on the leash. This is one of the dangers of punishment: if it is mild and doesn't stop the behavior completely, training escalates with harsher punishments.  If it is harsh enough to stop the behavior completely, then it might be considered abuse. 

Over time, the more I worked with him and disciplined him, I realized that Atlas really resented my demands and did not want to sit for me.  In addition, I wondered if he had a spinal problem that was making it difficult for him to sit.  I decided I wasn't going to dole out harsh punishments when I wasn't sure he could safely and comfortably do what I was asking.  At this point, obedience training was no longer fun for either of us, and wasn't necessary for any other reason, so I completely quit.

This is my dog Phoebe
pulling her cart!

Fortunately, I took a clicker-training class and taught him silly stuff, just for fun.  I attended a seminar to teach him to pull a cart, and the instructor had us using small, meaty pieces of food as rewards for approaching the cart, then walking next to the cart, then letting the cart bump the dog.  Before I knew it I could hook Atlas into the cart and he was happily pulling it around.  He loved doing it. You could see his eyes shine with delight when I pulled the cart out. It might have started as a love for the food I was giving him, but I learned a valuable lesson:  the enthusiasm your dog shows when trained with food, if you do it properly, will transfer to enthusiasm towards the behaviors you are training. 

Scientific studies of dog training show that dogs learn better using positive reinforcement methods, and food is one of the most basic, primal reinforcers that almost every dog values. Everyone knows how persistent dogs are when they want something.  If you train properly with food (as a reward and not a bribe) the dog learns that he won't always get a treat for good behavior, but he will keep trying because sometimes he gets a treat.  That is the benefit of positive reinforcement training:  the dog will continue to try.

It goes deeper than that, though.  If the dog is trained with discipline, he will come to respect discipline.  Like a Marine who makes his bed every day in the barracks, he will do what he must to avoid dressing-down by the Sergeant.  In this case, the behavior is leaving a messy bed, the punishment is getting yelled at, and the desired consequence is the Marine no longer leaves a messy bed. One of the drawbacks of punishment is the authority must be able to enforce demands. Once the Marine is out of the barracks, is he going to leave a messy bed again?  The answer depends on whether the Marine thinks making the bed is worthwhile.  Discipline is only effective as long as someone stronger is there to enforce it.   

Hoss is demonstrating a focused "Heel" exercise.

For dogs, almost any behavior can be taught, and it doesn't require a drill sergeant. With positive reinforcement, there is more teaching right from the start.  For example, in loose-leash walking, the dog has to be taught the right way to do things, exactly what you want him to do.  Instead of "don't pull", you have to teach him, "I want you to stay where you can see me at all times, by my left side, on walks." He learns he is correct because you reward him, and he learns he is wrong when he doesn't get a reward. In the beginning you have to reward very frequently to let the dog know he is doing it right and encourage him to keep working. This is one of the drawbacks of positive reinforcement training:  more training is required at the start.  Another drawback is that it requires a lot of treats, although you can use some of your dog's food, or cut down on your dog's daily meals, to counterbalance the treats given.

A common assumption about positive reinforcement training is that the dog will only work for treats. It happens fairly often: while initially you lure a dog into position using food, if you don't fade the lure quickly it turns into a bribe. Once the dog learns how to work for bribes, he will only work if a treat is in sight.  This develops when an inexperienced trainer doesn't reward appropriately, anticipates giving the reward, or gets a treat ready before the dog has started the behavior.  Fortunately the dog can be easily re-trained using better timing: unfortunately, it is harder to re-train the trainer!

Following 170 lbs. of dog before
they learned loose-leash walking--
difficult at best!

For loose-leash walking, the benefit of positive reinforcement training, even though it requires more work in the beginning, is many years of enjoyment with your dog while occasionally reinforcing with treats.  Compare that to discipline training, where you must be physically able to restrain the dog, and periodically discipline him to remind him what you want.
  

Many trainers use a combination of these two teaching methods, generally using punishment when the dog understands but isn't performing correctly.  Most people agree it is unfair or abusive for a trainer to punish a dog that doesn't understand the behavior yet.  

The issue then becomes: how do you know your dog understands what you are asking of him? Dogs do not generalize behaviors well: learning to "sit" in the kitchen does not mean he understands "sit" in the living room.  Even after he learn how to sit throughout the house, taking him to a new environment, with extra distractions, may result in him not deciphering your command, "Sit".  Dogs do learn quickly with repetition, so teaching a dog in a new location is faster, and eventually he can generalize the behavior with almost any distraction. But far too often I hear my students say with frustration, "He knows how to do this!"... when the dog is showing me that he does not understand.  

As a trainer and dog advocate, unless I am 100% sure the dog understands the behavior, I will presume the dog is trying his best but just doesn't understand, and teach him again. Honestly, I cannot read dogs' minds, so I always prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes it is obvious the dog is confused, and other times I can see a distraction pulling him away, but I can say with certainty that I have never, ever regretted giving the dog the chance to re-learn instead of punishing him.

Positive Reinforcement:  Pros:

• Dog wants to learn, and the enthusiasm transfers to the behavior
• No physical intimidation is necessary
• Any size and strength of human can teach the dog
• Builds a great relationship with the dog
• Encourages the dog to keep trying behaviors
• You have to feed the dog anyway, why not train him at the same time?

Positive Reinforcement:  Cons:

• Trainer needs good timing and skill, or else dog will not work without treats
• Managing the dog on leash with a handful of treats is more difficult 
• It takes more time to teach the dog, at the beginning
• Dogs not trained to take treats gently can cause bloodshed
• Dogs can get fat if daily meals are not adjusted
• If the dog doesn't value the reinforcer, the behavior will not increase
• Requires planning and preparation to have treats available when needed
• Can be messy, both with treats and dog slobber

Punishment:  Pros:

• Can be faster than positive reinforcement
• A single strong punishment can stop a behavior for a very long time
• Does not require any treats
• Does not require planning ahead

Punishment:  Cons:

• Less precise in creating behaviors (you are telling the dog what you don't want, but not what you do want)
• A mild correction frequently ends up escalating to stronger punishment
• A strong punishment can be considered abusive
• Dogs can react unpredictably to punishment and might become fearful or aggressive
• Dogs can associate you with the punishment and it undermines a trusting relationship
• Punishment discourages the dog from trying new behaviors
• Punishment is only effective as long as someone stronger is there to enforce it

Guess which hand the treats are in?

In the end, it's up to you to create the relationship you want with your dog.  I have found the best way to do this is with positive reinforcement, and that is what I encourage my clients to do with their dogs, too.  A good trainer will set you on the road to success by teaching you how to use a clicker, how to get your dog on a variable schedule of reinforcements, and how to prevent or re-train undesired behavior.

Have I left out any important pros or cons about each method of training?  What has been your experience?  Let me know in the comments below!

** As far as rewarding Atlas when he sat, there were numerous reasons why I was not successfully increasing that behavior. Mostly it was due to was my lack of timing and skill as a trainer!  Fortunately, both have improved significantly with practice and experience.

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Healthy Foundations for Dogs: Feeding Your Dog on a Schedule

Healthy Foundations for Dogs: 

Feeding Your Dog on a Schedule

Puggle is ready for mealtime!

If I could teach one rule to everyone with a dog, it would be this: feed your dog a measured amount of food on a regular schedule. In other words, do not leave dog food out at all times.   

I used to free-feed my mini schnauzer, who looked like a sausage with legs. When I switched to measuring food twice a day, I discovered that it was just as easy as leaving food out all the time. My tubby dog gradually lost the extra pounds. Regular feeding had huge benefits for my dog’s health, helped strengthen our relationship, and set me up for success with obedience training.

There are a variety of health benefits of regular mealtimes: 

·         For puppies that are learning housetraining, regular feeding helps develop a predictable elimination schedule.

Lack of appetite can be from overeating,
or a sign of serious health issues.

·         By feeding on a regular schedule you can monitor exactly how much your dog is eating. You can measure and adjust the amount of food so you don’t end up with an overweight dog.  

·         If your dog is not enthusiastic about meals, you might realize you have been feeding too much, or the food doesn’t agree with him. 

·         You will notice immediately if your dog suddenly stops eating or eliminating normally, which is often the very first indication of a health problem. 

 Feeding also helps strengthen the relationship between you and your dog. This isn’t about “dominance,” which is a disproved theory of canine behavior, but focuses on leadership. Feeding routines are a natural part of canine social structure. The leader of the family pack is the dog who gets to eat first, and who gets to choose the best pieces of food. You need to be that leader! You aren’t a dog (believe me, your dog knows the difference) but every puppy learns to respect the provider of the food.

Each owner can determine what are

appropriate manners in their household.

Scheduled mealtimes make a world of difference helping you teach manners to your dog.  The gentle, positive method of teaching dogs relies heavily on using food as a motivator and reward. Rewards make learning easier and provide motivation for the next lesson.  Food rewards make sense because every animal instinctively will work for food.  Food rewards can be used to teach basic manners, advanced obedience, or tricks and silly games.  In fact, scientific studies have proven that animals prefer to work for food rather than just having it given to them. 

Healthy dogs will act hungry
almost all the time!

If food is constantly available to the dog, it has diminished value as a training tool.   You will need something else to offer such as treats, attention, or a favorite toy.  With alternative rewards, there will be times your dog won’t be interested in learning because he doesn’t value the rewards you offer at that moment.

A common objection to feeding a measured amount of food is: “My dog is hungry all the time!”  True, your dog might act like he is hungry all the time. Dogs are supposed to act that way. If you are concerned about your dog’s weight, please check with your veterinarian to find out what an appropriate weight should be, and feed your dog according to what he should weigh.

          Another frequent concern is: “If I cut down on his food, he will beg at the dinner table!” An unruly dog might beg at supper time, or steal food from kids at the table. These are behaviors that can be managed through training or by controlling access to the dinner table. To control access, you could put your dog in a crate during mealtimes, or keep him in a different room. Would you rather deal with the health issues associated with obesity, including a shortened lifespan, or train your dog not to beg at the table? 

           To summarize, feeding your dog a measured amount of food at mealtimes is the best way to ensure his health and well-being. Scheduled mealtimes are not any more difficult than keeping your dog’s bowl full all the time. It helps him maintain a normal weight and tips you off to any developing medical issues. It establishes your leadership while cultivating a strong, healthy relationship. It allows you to harness your dog’s natural motivation for learning and performing good behavior. This one easy routine can be utilized by anyone to create a solid foundation for a happy, healthy dog.

Be Prepared!

The Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared” is a useful reminder when it comes to our pets.

Recently I found out about the untimely death of veterinarian and positive dog-training advocate, Dr. Sophia Yin.  Her website, www.drsophiayin.com has many wonderful short video clips that I recommend to owners when they have issues with their dogs. As sad as I was to hear of Dr. Yin’s unexpected passing, I also worry what will happen to her beloved dog Jonesy and her Bengal cat, both of which she used to show us a better way to train our animals. To us, pets are family, but to many, they are simply another homeless dog or cat in a rescue situation.

It is a difficult topic to think about, but regardless of your age or situation in life, it is crucial that you prepare for your own possible death or disability. Have a plan for your animals in the event you cannot take care of them any longer, and let your family and friends know what you want. You may not be able to bequeath $20,000 for the perpetual care of Fluffy until she passes, but at the very least, think about who would be willing to take on the care of your pets, and ask that person if they will serve as your pet’s guardian.

Illness: Another aspect of being prepared is to have a first aid kit at the ready for your pet. What items should a pet
first aid kit contain? Start with tweezers for removing ticks or splinters on your dog. A muzzle is an excellent idea—even the sweetest pet in the world can bite when in pain. You might want to consider adding a pillowcase to confine a cat needing treatment. Antiseptic swabs or wipes are helpful for cleaning wounds, and triple antibiotic ointment is just as useful for pets as humans. Petroleum jelly and a rectal thermometer are essential if you need to take your pet’s temperature. Go ahead and splurge on the $10 digital thermometer that reads in 2 seconds, because you really don’t want to hold a pet still for a 30 or 60-second thermometer readout. Gauze, tape, and blunt-end scissors are important items that work for humans as well as pets.

Getting your pet ready for the vet can be an ordeal in itself, so practicing some techniques at home will put you ahead of the game. For cats, you can build positive experiences with a cat carrier by leaving the carrier sitting out, and perhaps feeding kitty in the carrier or tossing treats inside. If the only time your cat goes in the carrier is to go to the vet, she’s going to run when she sees the carrier appear.

For dogs, they are often sensitive to having their paws (and sometimes their ears and mouths) touched, so practice a gentle touch of their paw and reward them with a tasty treat. As they grow accepting of this, up the ante by trying to pick up their paw and then offering the treat. Gradually make it more difficult, but never scary: squeezing their paw a little, isolating or holding the edge of one nail, and rubbing gently between their toes. Only practice three or four touches at a time, with a reward at each touch, and repeat frequently for best results. Believe me, both your pets and your vets will appreciate the time you spent desensitizing them to these things.

Finally, one more thing to consider is what you need if your pet ever gets lost. If you have indoor cats, and they try to sneak out the door, discourage that behavior with a spray bottle of water kept near the door, squirted at the cat if he approaches the open door.

For dogs, teach them to sit and wait at the door before being released. Your dogs, when outdoors, should always wear a tag that has an emergency phone number and address. If you already have an ID tag, are the number and address still current? A microchip is another excellent way to help your pet in the event he slips his collar or loses his tag. Make sure you have recent, clear photos of your pets if they do get lost. The faster you respond to a lost pet, the more likely you are to recover them.

As tough as it is to prepare for any of these situations, it is infinitely worse if you are not prepared. Hopefully this will give you a head start on keeping your pets safe and happy for the rest of their lives!

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Giving Pills to Dogs the Easier Way

I feed my dogs several pills every night. I toss a fish oil capsule to Atlas, who happily chomps down and squishes it so it squirts in his mouth.  Phoebe takes hers carefully over to the carpet, bites into it to make sure it isn't toxic, and finally eats it while creating a greasy mess on my carpet.  We've had this routine for more than a year.  She does the same thing. Every. Single. Time.

(This is a cute and pointless video of my Giant Schnauzers catching and eating grape tomatoes)

  

Once, on a whim I tried the same technique to give Atlas a capsule filled with glucosamine and chondroitin powder.  I tossed him his fish oil, which he greedily bit into, and then I tossed him the glucosamine capsule. He eagerly chomped down on it, only to have this horrible-tasting powder fill his mouth.  I feel badly that I did that, but the expression on his face as he tried to spit out the powder was priceless.  For a visual, picture a kid trying to scrape something nasty off  his tongue!

Recently I had to start giving Phoebe some Proin for her urinary incontinence issues.  This particular brand of PPA is in a chewable (beef-flavored?) tablet, and initially I had no trouble feeding it to her before her meal. After a couple of days, though, she decided it didn't taste good enough and she spit it out.

Ahhh, the dreaded spit-out!  Time to come up with a new plan of action.

Fortunately, both my dogs love peanut butter.  No one in my house is allergic to it.  But if peanut butter isn't your thing, you might try cream cheese instead.  Whatever you choose, give your dog a small glob of it to make sure the dog likes it before you try to put pills inside!  Then, take either the edge of a spoon or your finger, get a glob (maybe 1/2 teaspoon or so) of peanut butter, and push the pill inside it.  Make sure the pill is coated on all sides.  Yes, your fingers will get messy.  Push the glob from the spoon onto your finger, and feed it to the dog.   The next part is important, to make sure the dog doesn't spit out the pill.  Let the dog either lick the spoon, or your finger, after he has eaten the pill.

I also have several varieties of non-peanut butter, like Wow Butter ("Tastes Just like Peanut Butter!" the label says) and Sunflower seed butter.  I didn't care for the Wow Butter, so one day I tried popping a fish pill into the Wow Butter and feeding it to Atlas.  Atlas, who eats everything, spit it out!  Apparently it does not taste just like peanut butter even to dogs.  I haven't yet tried the Sunflower seed butter with the dogs.

Training focused attention in heeling

As promised, this embarrassing video shows what happens when you don't have good focus in heeling. This was an official AKC Obedience trial, held outdoors at Purina Farms in Missouri. Obedience trials are different from Rally trials because you are not allowed to talk to your dog or use multiple hand signals. One command, and your dog is expected to follow. A second command is allowed but will knock points off your score. At the Novice level, the heeling pattern is first done on leash, then repeated off-leash. You lose points if your dog doesn't stay with you, and you lose additional points if at any time you have a tight leash.

One thousand reasons, aka excuses, why Atlas and I did poorly in this trial.  It was our first outdoor trial, and earlier in the day there had been sheep and pigs in that same ring.  You can imagine the heavenly smells for a dog to sniff.  We hadn't practiced as much as we needed, obviously.  I had never trained a dog for obedience trials before Atlas, and all our training was done indoors. Can you train focused attention in an outdoor environment? Absolutely! Had I done it? The video speaks for itself. Atlas was supposed to stay nicely by my side through the whole off-leash heeling, and you can hear sympathetic giggles from the audience as he chose to sniff and left me to continue the heeling routine sans dog. I was hoping when I started the "fast" jog, that my movement would catch his attention and bring him back to me.  When that didn't happen, I resorted to calling him again, but it wasn't enough to save our performance.

The moral of the story here?  Training is a continuum, and this Obedience trial was simply one pit stop on a long journey towards having a well-behaved dog. Atlas and I continued to practice, we worked on focus, and we were able to improve significantly.  One training trick that made a huge difference was when I incorporated "jackpots" into my training.  A jackpot is a series of treats, given one after the other, continuously, like a slot machine paying out a prize.  Sometimes it can be 3 treats, sometimes 5, and sometimes even more.  But it is never a rote reward to be given after every exercise.  The jackpot makes the dog want to work more, and work harder, because he never knows if this will be the moment that will earn him the jackpot.  Like a gambler becoming addicted to the slots, the dog starts thinking that training is fun and cannot wait for the next chance to win the big prize.  I saved the jackpot for exceptionally good performance on a single exercise, and it caused him to focus intently on me for a much longer period than if I just gave a single treat after every exercise. Repetition=boring. Variety is the spice of life!

The next video shows what happens after I started incorporating jackpots into my training routine, and stopped giving treats routinely.  Unlike in Novice Obedience, Rally Advanced is done completely off leash but allows the handler to talk and encourage the dog. I have to say, this was one of the proudest moments of my life.  Enjoy!

Think Twice Before Leaving Your Dog on a Tie-Out

Your dog loves to sunbathe and watch people and animals in the neighborhood.  A little fresh air is wonderful for Doggie, and he loves being outside and getting some exercise.  If you don’t have a fenced backyard, a tie-out seems like a reasonable alternative, right?  You only leave him for a couple hours at most, and you provide fresh water and shelter.  So what’s the big deal about leaving Doggie on a tie-out?

Protective and Guarding Traits

Let’s look at it from the dog’s perspective.  Every dog, no matter the size or breed, has instinctive characteristic that make him a dog.  An ingrained canine trait is a need to protect his belongings and space from trespassers.  When your dog is loose in the house, the house becomes his territory and he wants to protect it.  When your dog is contained in a fenced-in backyard, the backyard becomes his territory.  When your dog is on a tie-out, the neighborhood becomes his territory.   His need to defend doesn’t stop at the end of his chain, and this can cause some serious barrier frustration.  The other major issue becomes who your dog sees as “part of his group” and who is considered a trespasser.

Barrier Frustration

For some dogs, especially puppies and young dogs, everyone and everything is their friend.  They want to meet, play and explore with humans and other dogs.   However, the tie-out doesn’t let friendly dogs meet other people and dogs.  Instead, it builds frustration that they can never quite reach the thing they want.  The result of pent-up frustration is an increase in stress hormones such as adrenaline, which can take days—that’s right, days-- to work its way out of Doggie’s system!  This stressful situation is magnified in dogs who don’t want to meet others, but feel the need to protect their territory and themselves.

Trespassers Beware

Some dogs are suspicious of anyone or anything different.  They may not like other dogs, men in hats, squirrels, people in uniforms, or kids on bikes. . . the list goes on.  For these dogs, the tie-out chain protects passersby, but makes the dog feel vulnerable and in need of protecting itself and its territory.   Doggie protects himself by barking ferociously, charging to the end of his tie-out, and acting threatening.   His bluff almost always works, as the person (or dog) walking past will keep on walking.  Over time, this behavior becomes habitual so that anytime Doggie sees a trespassing person or animal, he will act ferocious to scare them off.  In essence, the tie-out creates an aggressive-acting dog, who may or may not know how to truly defend himself in a fight.   For these dogs, the tie-out is absolutely one of the worst things you can do for their long-term health and well-being.

Better Alternatives

It takes more work, but the best alternative is to go outside and spend time playing with Doggie.   You can play “fetch” using a long leash, tossing the ball first in one direction and then the other, or you can take your dog for a nice long walk.  If you are physically unable to exercise Doggie, consider hiring a professional dog walker to walk him for you. If Doggie has issues with other people or dogs, find a good trainer or behaviorist who can help you work through those issues in a positive way.   Please be aware that painful or harsh training methods will cause Doggie to react even more negatively and/or fearfully to the world around him.  

If exercising your dog outside is not an option, then by all means, he can get some exercise in the house.  You can let him play “nose games” by hiding a few biscuits or kibble around a room and letting him find them using his nose.   You can also stand at the top of the stairs and toss a small treat downstairs; after he retrieves the treat he has to return to you for another small treat.  Finally, mental games can be a workout of their own for Doggie—check out a book on Clicker training and try to teach him some tricks!