Winter Time can be Fun!

For those of you who think it may be too cold to go out and play, think again!  Many of our four legged friends do well with a sweater and a pair of booties if needed. Getting some playtime each day helps keep our dogs not only healthy physically but mentally.

Many dogs begin bad habits in the winter like chewing baseboards, laundry, couches or what ever is available. While this may be a sign of anxiety, it may simply be because your dog is not getting enough exercise. Many dogs do chew when they are bored.  Letting your dogs run off leash a few times a week will make a difference in his temperament with any other dogs in the home as well as guests entering. Keeping our dogs well exercised will lower their arousal when the door bell rings which may prevent scuffles with some reactive dogs.

So, bundle up and go for a long walk, our community is full of fun trails to walk along.  If you have a longhaired dog, then no worries, he or she will be fine!  Annie, Pablo, Sophie, Misty and Sheila haven't missed a day of walking and they are happily sleeping all afternoon!

Annie (sweater), Pablo (boxer mix) and Sophie (scottie) are mine.  Misty (golden retriever) is Pablo's neighbor and best friend who he goes to see daily and Sheila (spits/chow mix) is my foster girl who simply loves, loves to run in the snow!

Sweet Sheila is my newest Foster Dog!

Miss Sheila is about 3 years old, greets me at the door with a whole body wag and simply loves to be at your feet. Sheila is very playful once she feels comfortable with you willing to play fetch, roll over for a belly rub or go for a run. She is very curious trotting from room to room to inspect her new environment.  She is AMAZING off leash in the woods or even at the dog park.  She comes when called, is learning better leash manners and to stay for longer periods of time.  She has been great about house training and goes out with my other dogs, having not had any accidents this week.  Her perfect owner would be someone who loves to snuggle, has a soft demeanor about them and doesn't mind her in your lap!  She is friendly with strangers and has not been a barker in my home.  With the right dog male or female, Sheila has a great play style.  She came from Florida and loves the snow!  I would say Sheila is high energy and loves to run and hike in the woods.

Please let me know if you are interested in meeting this sweet girl who is up for adoption through Almost Home Rescue.

New Manners I Class Added

Because of an increased interest, I am adding a Manners I class on Thursday evenings, beginning  1/27/11 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at Tender Touch Veterinary Hospital in Scarborough. This is in addition to our Wednesday class which is full!

Anyone interested, please contact me!  This is a great class for pups 4 months and older.

Topics covered are:

Sit:  At side and in front. Great for putting on the leash, greeting people, giving medication, brushing, and other situations.

Heel:  Most pet owners really appreciate a dog that walks nicely on a leash without pulling.  Positive training and proper equipment is key.

Sit Stay:  Having a dog sit stay while you open the door or cross the street to get the mail is beneficial.

Wait/Okay: One of my favorite commands!  Don’t move from a specific position for a short time.  Okay is used as a release.

Down/Down Stay: A submissive position that is also more comfortable for the dog, especially if you want him to stay for more than a minute.

Off: Refers to your dogs paws.  Off and Down should mean two different things.

Leave it:  Refers to his muzzle, learn to put his attention back on you and away from something else that he is interested in.

Come:  Probably the most critical command to teach but can be started at an early age. This command provides a great opportunity to bond with your dog!

Take a break: A good place to be out of the way but still in the same room while you have company or eat a meal.  Can also be used when you are leaving for a short while. 

Requirements:    Updated Vaccination Record, including Bordatella

Clicker Training Basics

For those of us who are enduring a blizzard in the New England area today and need a fun activity for your dog, try some clicker training!  New to the Clicker?  The clicker is a small handheld device that makes a distinct "click" sound when you press it.  Repeated pairing of the clicker sound with a reinforcer such as a treat makes the sound become what is called a conditioned reinforcer.  This simply means you have taught your dog that the sound of the click means food or some other reward is coming.  The clicker is a wonderful way of letting your dog know that what she did at the exact moment the click was heard is what earned her the reward.

You may also say a verbal marker like "yes", which like the click is paired with a reinforcer to help your dog know what she did at the exact moment she heard "yes" earned her a reward.

While both markers are used, most professional trainers, will agree that the clicker most accurately pinpoints behaviors.

Some Clicker Tips:

• Prepare yourself with a handful of small soft treats.
• Practice the click on your child or friend as timing is key!
• Click during the desired behavior, not after it is completed.  The timing of the click is crucial.  Your pet will most likely stop the behavior when she hears the click, reward with a treat!
• Click when your dog does anything you like.  Begin with something easy like a sit, down, paw raise.
• If your dog performs the behavior perfectly then follow with a Jackpot, which is several treats at once!  Be enthusiastic!
• Keep your training sessions short, several 5 minute sessions are better than 30 minutes of repetition.
• Fix bad behaviors by clicking each good behavior, like when your pup potties in the correct place!

Have fun and reward good behavior often which will increase these behaviors.

For helpful Clicker Training seek articles by:

Gail Fischer

Karen Pryor

Pat Miller

Andrea Arden

This is a great indoor activity for you and your dog on rainy or snowy days!

Maddie has been Adopted!

My sweet foster girl Maddie is ready for a new home!  She is just over 2 years old, has all her shots, is neutered and loves people!!  She is perfectly house trained, is wonderful off leash, crate trained, and is simply an easy keeper!   She had a litter and apparently was not getting along with her son, with whom she lived with.  She is great with my 3 dogs, fearful for a day, but then learned to trust!  She needs a minute to trust new dogs on leash, but off leash is relaxed and playful.  She rides in the car well, I have trimmed her nails and given her a bath with no issues at all.  For more information about Maddie, please contact me!

Transition Period in Adoptions

Foster dog Remy

There is going to be an adaptation period any time an animal makes changes 

in his or her life.  This time varies from animal to animal depending on age and previous live experiences.

Dogs that are adopted from shelters and rescue groups are a perfect example of this, but keep in mind a puppy is use to playing for hours with his or her siblings.  So do not be surprised if your puppy is grabbing your pants, socks, robe, anything that that they can mouth may become a new toy.  For some, the transition may be minimal - meaning, he or she adapts immediately and welcomes his or her new environment.  For others, it can take a bit longer - especially if there are other added stressors including different people or other animals.

Some people adopt a dog that has come from the field, a real working/hunting dog.  Many of these dogs have never been in a home.  I have found that their transition period can take many many months of adaption.  Going at the dogs pace is key,  forcing scary environments and people can make your training come to a complete halt or worse, complete avoidance. 

I found with my own dog Sophie, there was a “honeymoon” period.  she was lively and friendly with us, enjoyed playing and being with us.  But greeting strangers was very scary for her.  She took 6 months to warmup to the idea that guests coming into our home were a good thing.  She learned to “recover” quicker and become more relaxed  each month.

 I would suggest for those adopting rescue animals,  building trust while setting rules is most important.  If you bring a dog into your home and give them tons of love and affection with no rules you are bound to have trouble, it is just a matter of time.  So here are a few easy tips to set you and your new friend up for success!

Hand feed at least one meal a day for good behavior.  Ask your dog to “come, sit, wait, lie down, go potty”  you get it, reward with the dogs meal!  Each time your new dog or puppy does an unwanted behavior, ask them to do something acceptable and reward, giving your dog a job is much more effective than just correcting behavior.  Anytime your dog is being good, reward with affection, food or play, because it is a fact that consequence drives behavior.  So, be consistent, think about what it is you just rewarded and repeat this process until you have it on cue.