Bow-Wow Behavior Archives

Heading Back into the Office? Help Make It a Smooth Transition for Your Dog

As many of us start thinking about venturing back into the office after months working from home, there seem to be more questions than answers. One of those questions for loving pet guardians is, “Will my dog have separation anxiety after quarantine?” While every situation is different and hopefully most pets may not suffer from true, clinical separation anxiety, the transition is likely to present some challenges for the whole family, including your Inquisitive Canine. Here are a few tips to prepare your dog for when you go back to the office, ways to reduce stress, toys to provide, training concepts and advice about when to reach out to professionals.

Practice, practice, practice

A great approach dog guardians can take is to begin planning and implementing dress rehearsals sooner rather than later…as in now. Even if you are still working from home, pretend you’re going to the office sometimes. Go through all the motions as if you are leaving home. Each detail is important – your dog picks up on every cue -that’s what being an inquisitive canine is all about! So, think of all the sights (office attire? uniform?), sounds (car keys clanking?) and even scents (perfume? or- let’s be honest -freshly showered?) associated with heading off to work. This will help get the routine established, giving your dog time to transition gradually to the upcoming changes. Invest some time each day for practice. Leave your pups alone for short periods at first, lengthening the amount of time slowly, so they have a better chance to adapt more easily.

Expect the unexpected

The truth is, even with advanced preparation, you may need to make some adjustments along the way. This is why it’s important to “train it before you need it.” By accessing remote cameras when you are away from home, you can witness your dog’s reaction to your absence. This information will help give insight into any training steps you may need to take. Your pooch may enjoy the “me time” at home, without any issues during the work day. On the flip side, he or she might begin to stress out, realizing you’re not around all the time. Again, dress rehearsals can help identify and address some potential issues.

Harnessing indoor happiness

Using enrichment toys, whether a dog is home alone or not, is key for building independence and self-confidence. For more on enrichment such as nose games and interactive toys, check out this post from TransPaw Gear.

It’s okay to ask for help

If a dog truly has separation anxiety, toys and other distractions may not help. Pairing food puzzles with being home alone might even make it so your dog doesn’t want to eat at all when you’re gone. For true separation anxiety, seek out professional help (force-free only, of course). If you intend to leave your dog home alone for longer periods, consider doggy daycare or a dog walker. Make time to introduce your dog to these outside resources before heading back to the office. This way, you are not rushed and can intervene if your dog seems stressed. Finding the right match for your situation is another place dress rehearsals can make a big difference, both for your pet’s comfort level and your own.

Remember to have fun

Lastly, pet parents should make sure they are still providing for their dogs’ physical and mental needs at every opportunity. Down time is key, but so is bonding time. Who knows? A little fun and adventure with your bestie might be great for you during this transition too. So, when you are not in the office, here’s to unleashing adventures and harnessing fun with your Inquisitive Canine!

Is a Harness Right for Your Inquisitive Canine?

Why Choose a Dog Harness?

There are several good reasons you might choose a dog harness over a collar for attaching the leash on walks and adventures with your dog. Dogs who pull while wearing a collar can put pressure on their necks, potentially injuring sensitive structures of the spine, throat and neck area. Even without an injury, pressure on these structures can be uncomfortable for your inquisitive canine companion. In addition, dogs can easily slip out of collars that aren’t fitted properly, which is dangerous for them and you. A great way to overcome these issues is a properly fitting dog harness.

Which dog harness should you choose?

So, how do you find the best dog walking harness? And how do you choose the right product for your pet? It can be difficult to find the right product when there are so many options available. It’s important to pick one that is easy for you to use but also comfortable for your dog. Beyond that, choosing a harness with multiple adjustable straps will help you create the right fit for your pup. The amount of dog gear for sale can make a pet parent’s head spin! But, hang in there.

Harnessing Happiness

After years of working with dogs and their humans as a certified professional dog trainer and behavior specialist, and seeing the frustrations they experienced with other products, I developed the Happy Harness.

The Happy Harness:

Does a great job of preventing chafing, because the patented design prevents the straps from moving around against your dog’s skin, especially in sensitive areas like behind the legs and belly.
Is easy for people to put on and take off their dogs, so you’re always ready for an adventure together.
Has two possible leash attachment points: The front clip helps prevent pulling for those dogs who are just too excited to get where they’re going, while the back clip gives you a more traditional connection point that keeps the leash clear of your dog’s front legs on hikes or other outdoor adventures.
Is easy to adjust for a custom fit.
Is water-friendly, allowing your dog to be an inquisitive canine!
Is built to last.
Has a nifty handle on the harness to help with dog sports and for those times you need to keep your dog close.
Was thoughtfully developed by a certified professional force-free trainer and devoted pet parent.

Dog harness shopping can be overwhelming. Do your research, read reviews, and learn everything you can about the products that interest you. Your canine companion will thank you. Here’s to harnessing happiness with your inquisitive canine!

Do Social Distancing and Severe Weather Look Alike? Dog Trainers Weigh In

Since The Inquisitive Canine is based in California, we realized we don’t really deal with many of the things that keep folks stuck indoors during the winter months. For those who are not as fortunate (in our opinion), we were curious to learn how they are able to find new adventures indoors, when the outdoors is not cooperating. While we recognize that self-isolation during a global pandemic is not exactly the same as inclement weather, there are probably some overlaps!

Could this sheltering-in-place be less challenging for those who endure long, arduous winters every year, since they might be used to having to be indoors? We reached out to colleagues and asked how they got through the winter blues, in the hopes that it will inspire you to soldier on during this more challenging time.

Here’s what we learned:

Maya Kolankowska

Student, The Academy for Dog Trainers, Quebec, Canada

TPG: What type of activities do you engage in with your dog when stuck indoors during the winter? This could be things you do with your dog, or enrichment activities to keep them busy on their own.

MK: My Boston terrier has arthritis in both front legs, so I cannot do lots of high-intensity play with lots of direction change indoors. We have to resort to training and mental stimulation. I have a lot of Nina Ottosson puzzles, interactive toys that are stuffed and frozen and given each day. I also do mini-training sessions, and I prepare surprise treat/kibble boxes, and up the level of difficulty gradually. Another favourite thing of mine is having her “go find” her food, which I hide. She is really good at it now. Finally, we also do tug sessions where we practice cues like drop, leave it, and take it.

TPG: What are some of your favorite things to do throughout the year?

MK: We enjoy hiking, either on a long lead or off leash, walking in the woods, meeting new doggy friends and practicing positive interactions. I have amazing neighbours who are more than happy to work with me and our dogs.

TPG: Are there any types of activities you save for this time of year? How do you change up your routine, if at all?

MK: I tend to do more mental enrichment during winter months since my dog does not enjoy winters. Once it is nicer, we practice outside with more distractions and do some refreshers on those behaviors.

TPG: How are things different with COVID-19 isolation compared to winter conditions where you are?

MK: We do not frequent dog parks due to my dog’s arthritis, but we are definitely missing out on social doggie interactions on our walks. At other times, I would usually tend to walk with neighbours, especially if their dog is “reactive”; this helps my dog and theirs.

Jennifer Pratt, CTC, CSAT, CPDT-KA

Owner, Wag the Dog and Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TPG: What type of activities do you engage in with your dog when stuck indoors during the winter? This could be things you do with your dog, or enrichment activities to keep them busy on their own.

JP: I up the food puzzle rotation even more than we already do otherwise, and find new ways to teach him new tricks that are variations of using hand targeting as a base.

TPG: What are some of your favorite things to do throughout the year?

JP: Teaching him new tricks that I make up and find entertaining! Working on husbandry training to up my game for both my dog and my clients.

TPG: Are there any types of activities you save for this time of year?

JP: Honestly, no. There is just more time to devote to indoor use of feeders. (We use them outside in the yard to up the hunting factor when it is nice out!)

TPG: How are things different with COVID-19 isolation compared to winter conditions where you are?

JP: With me having less work coming in, Ed and I have been able to take longer sniffaris.

TPG: What have you considered doing once the snow melts and you’re able to go outside? If you’re still under quarantine, how will things change for you? Will you keep up the same routine you use in winter, or do something else?

JP: My dog loves being outside when it is nice out, so we will be adding in trips to go and find new sniffari locations for him to explore, and spending more time outside with me gardening and him sunbathing.

No matter where you are, or the conditions you may be experiencing, you can see that both physical and mental enrichment are important for your dog’s well-being. Maybe now is a great time to set up that indoor obstacle course, train that trick you’ve been wanting your dog to learn, or clean out your t-shirt drawer and make a new toy for them to play with.

Wanna join the conversation? Just head to the comment section below. Care to share pics and videos of your inquisitive or adventurous canine? We invite you to post on our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter – Tweet to us and we’ll Tweet ya back!

Tips for Staying Sane (and Staying Indoors) With Your Dog During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Over the past few weeks, planet Earth has spun into a surreal state. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the globe have been affected, leading many humans to transition into self-monitored quarantine status. This happened quickly, which meant we did not have time to plan. Now that a few weeks have gone by, we’re starting to settle in to our new normal. But, what does that mean for our relationships with our canine companions?

Fortunately, in many areas of the world, we’re still allowed to take our dogs for a walk outdoors. But what about indoor entertainment? For those of you who are spending more time indoors with your dogs, it can still be fun. Why not turn lemons into lemonade and go through that “If I only had more time…” checklist of some of the things you’ve been wanting to do with your dog.

Here are a few ideas to get you started!

- Make your own dog toy. This is especially handy for folks who are cleaning out their closets — old socks and T-shirts make for good materials. Need some inspiration?
  - Here’s are a number of DIY dog toy ideas from care.com. When making my own toys, I prefer using old T-shirts, socks, water bottles, etc. Stay away from any items that could hurt the dog, like small pieces of things they can choke on. Always observe your dog with a new toy to make sure they don’t harm themselves.
  - Consider making a DIY snuffle mat. This wonderful toy encourages your dog to use their sense of smell to find treats hidden within the mat. It’s a great indoor energy burner for any dog since scent games are so mentally tiring for them.
- In addition to toys, there are lots of indoor enrichment opportunities for your dog. These activities to keep them physically and mentally busy. Here are some ideas to get you started, or you can Google dog enrichment and find lots of information.
Read up on dog behavior and training! Dogwise is a publisher with tons of wonderful titles available for all interest levels. One of our favorites is The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. Inquisitive Canine trainer Joan Mayer calls it her bible!
Stock up on some new goods! Need training supplies to help get your game on at home? We love a supplier called Doggone Good Clicker Company.
Let the training games begin! Brush up on those most-needed skills at home — maybe it’s basic manners, such as sitting at doorways, down-stay on their bed while you eat dinner, sitting on a mat when the front door opens in order to welcome company politely, coming when called, or leaving things alone when asked
Get your groom on. Teach your dog to be comfortable having their teeth brushed and nails trimmed. Check out the Nailed It!! Program, where anyone can sign up and learn how to give their dog a pedi-pedi.
Create an indoor obstacle course. Set up stations throughout the house — sit in the bedroom, down-stay in the office, fetch in the hallway, tug in the kitchen, their favorite trick in the living room. Make a list of behaviors your dog knows, and set yourself a course. It’s like circuit training for dogs!!
Get fit with Fido. Looking to amp up your own workout routine? Pair up with your dog and become workout buddies. Have your dog do one behavior while you do another. For instance, you do sit-ups, push-ups, or squats while your dog does a sit-stay, down-stay, or puppy-push-up (sit to down to sit to down.). You do a burpee, your dog does a spin or jump. (Make sure you both are cleared by your respective medical professionals for your exercise program.)

Although these are difficult times for many people, and we are finding ourselves in largely uncharted territory, it doesn’t have to be difficult to keep your dog occupied when you’re stuck indoors. Comment to tell us what you end up choosing to do with your pup!

39 Holiday Pet Safety Tips – Infographic

Pet Safety: Staying Safe During the Holiday Season

Glittery decorations, blinking lights, presents under the tree – you’ve set the perfect scene for everyone in your family – well except your pup.

While you were tucked snug in your bed, your cuddly canine was going to town on your holiday decor.

You wake up in the morning to broken decorations, a downed Christmas tree, presents scattered everywhere with wrappers torn to shambles, and your precious pet the cause of it all! While it’s frustrating to see all your efforts going to waste, what’s most important is the health and safety of your canine.

The holidays are hectic making it easy to forget pet safety, but that mistake could cost you and your pet. It’s important to consider pet safety when decorating your home, especially during the holidays.

The season is a dangerous time for pets. Common pet health emergencies include decorations stuck in the throat, electrocution due to gnawing on decorative light wires, burns from candles or fractured bones from falls.

To help you keep your pet safe this season, our friend’s at Top Dog Tips have prepared a pet safety guide for the holidays. Click the image below to access the infographic. Have a safe and merry holiday season.

Don’t Speak Woof? Understanding Your Dog’s Body Language

Tips to Help You Better Understand Dog Body Language

Have you ever wished that you and your dog spoke the same language?

While we don’t share the same vocal language, when you really think about it, we can very effectively and successfully read each other and mutually communicate our needs nonverbally, using body language.

In fact, most of what your dog has to “say” is communicated through dog body language – her facial expressions, body poses and postures. Some of the key areas of your dog to watch are her head, eyes, mouth/tongue, legs, and tail.

For the most part, dog body language is predictive, universal throughout the species, honest and reliable. Sometimes the expressions can be more subtle, but even with an untrained eye, it won’t take you long to learn what your dog is saying.

Observing Dog Body Language

You probably spend a fair amount of time watching and observing your dog already, like when she’s playing and frolicking about, having a grand old time. This is a wonderful thing to do. This gives you insight into what she looks like when she’s relaxed. You might notice things like her ears are in a neutral position, her mouth is open and tongue may be hanging out, her tail is down in a loose position (not rigid or tucked), and her gaze is easy.

How about other times? What about your dog meets someone new? Goes to a new place? When she sees something she’s never seen before? Or hears something she’s never heard before?

It’s important we observe our dogs during these times as well; dog body language will tell you what they’re thinking. For example, if your dog is on alert but not necessarily behaving in a manner us humans would interpret as fearful or aggressive, you’ll notice numerous signs that she’s assessing the situation. In this case, her ears might be pointing forward, as if trying to pick up a sound, her mouth might be closed, her tail up but not necessarily bristled and maybe even moving side to side, and she may also be leaning forward – all of the things people do when we are trying to make a judgment call about the safety of our surroundings.

And there are several telltale (telltail?!) signs that can help clue you in when your dog is alert or aroused, scared or defensive; these may include hackles raised, tail either straight up in the air like a flag (more alert) or tucked under her legs (more concerned), lips curled and perhaps showing teeth, ears either forward or flattened back, and body shifted forward slightly or lowered. Some of these signs indicate defense, whereas others are more friendly. Raised hackles doesn’t necessarily mean the dog is being “aggressive.” On the flip side, a wagging tail doesn’t always mean “happy.” Remember, each dog is unique and different, so the more you get to know your own inquisitive canine, the better you’ll become at reading his or her emotional state – and the message your pet is trying to communicate.

Learning how to sharpen your canine-human communication is easy when you know what to look for.

THE BIG PICTURE:

Take a mental snapshot of what your dog looks like (how she acts) when relaxed. This is a great way to establish a baseline of your dog’s friendly behavior.
When observing your dog at any given time, look at the entire picture, not just a piece.
Be aware of your dog’s surroundings and the possible effects it may have on her behavior. Anything new? Different? Something she might be afraid of?
If and when your dog shows any change from that baseline-relaxed appearance, try to determine what the trigger might be, then take note. You may want or need to do some pleasant association training to help your dog relax. The more familiar you are with how she expresses herself, the better able you’ll be able to help her alleviate fear and anxiety and remove her from situations that make her stressed and/or aggressive.

To help you keep track of the various body language your dog displays, and to go further into the world of canine communication, check out the iSpeakDog.org website where you’ll find an assortment of resources to help your communication skills.

What does your dog’s body language tell you? Is there something specific he or she does that you know means something special? Let us know what your inquisitive canine is saying!

Wanna join the conversation? Just head to the comment section below. Care to share pics and videos of your inquisitive canine? We invite you to post on our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter – Tweet to us and we’ll Tweet ya back!

A Pawsitive Attitude is the Only New Year’s Resolution Needed for You and Your Dog

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Dog

As we start another year, you may be considering New Year’s resolutions for your dog. Read this before making behavioral goals for your furry friend.

Hello inquisitive pet parents, and welcome to 2017! I can’t believe we’re starting a brand new year. Time flies when you’re having fun… especially when hanging out with inquisitive canines.

When you think New Year, what’s the first word that springs to mind? If you couldn’t help but jump to “resolutions,” you’re not alone. Because who among us – human or canine – doesn’t desire and deserve a fresh start?

The key to getting your year off in a pawsitive way is to come at your goals with a dog trainer’s perspective: changes in behavior come from acting in a consistent, rewards-based, loving manner, NOT from sporadic, negative, punishing action.

My goal is to motivate, make it fun, and set everyone up for success — humans and dogs alike. So my New Year challenge for you is to shift your attitude towards your dog, and along the way, you might find you can apply some of these strategies in other areas in your life that can use some positive (pawsitive?!) adjustments.

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Dog

To create New Year’s resolutions for your dog, start by thinking about what you’d like to change about your canine, because
even though most of us have our dogs on pedestals and often think they can do no wrong, there’s usually one (or two) things they do that we might find annoying. And then once you hone in on what you’d like to adjust, you have to decide what’s realistic… and what’s not.

For example, do you ever have these thoughts about your pooch: “Do you have to bark at everything?” “Is it really necessary to jump on people?” “Why do you constantly have to chase everything you see, smell, and hear?”

These dog-specific behaviors are common and considered normal for the species, so for most of us, we tend to look the other way when our pets act as expected. But when these behaviors are so pronounced that we find ourselves constantly losing our tempers with our dogs, then it’s time to make a change. Because if we don’t teach them what we want, the annoyance level is likely to escalate, making us more sensitive and shortening the fuse each time they repeat the unwanted actions.

The main downside of this cycle is when you are focused on the negative, you get tunnel vision about your dog and forget all of the wonderful things he does the rest of the time. You also may forget that sometimes you actually want, expect, and appreciate some of the specific behaviors (i.e. barking) that you think you want to eliminate completely.

How to Achieve New Year’s Resolutions for Your Dog

Here are the steps to take when modifying canine behaviors:

1) Watch what you wish for: This may sound ominous, but it’s actually a literal piece of advice: observe the behaviors you think you want to eliminate in your pet so you can honestly access how you feel about them, and also realistically, what you want to do about them.

We need to remember that these “annoying” behaviors are often what we find cute, endearing and funny. And, it’s also these behaviors that make dogs, dogs! Recognizing these factors can help bring us back to reality.

Conversely, we may be living with behaviors that aren’t serving our pets or us, and it’s then on us to take decisive steps to improve the situation.

inquisitivecanine-levi 2) Make a list of realistic resolutions: Once you’ve taken some time to consider your dog’s normal behaviors, write them down divided into two categories: those that are wanted and those that are unwanted. For example:

Wanted: Sit, down, stay, come when called, leave things alone when asked, go-to-your-place.
Unwanted: excessive barking, jumping up on people (unless cued), pulling when on leash (unless cued), counter-surfing, chewing on forbidden items, digging around inappropriate areas, marking

For all the wanted behaviors, think about where and when you want your dog to perform these behaviors, for example, when sitting at doorways or to greet someone . Now’s the time to re-up your rewards game, and remember to say “thank you” when your animal makes good choices. Barking only once when the doorbell rings, keeping four-on-the-floor when meeting others, using appropriate greeting skills with fellow canines, walking nicely on leash , and eliminating in appropriate places are all worthy of acknowledgment and positive reinforcement. Give her a treat, a loud “GOOD GIRL!” and a snuggle when she is a model canine citizen.

As for the less desirable behaviors, let’s figure out if they are truly unwanted and need to end altogether, or if you need to teach your pooch when it’s okay – and when it’s not.

inquisitivecanine-dogtoyinmouth For instance, barking. When someone is at the door or too near you personally or on your property, it can be very helpful for your dog to call your attention to the intrusion. My dog Poncho, for example, liked to alert me to “stranger danger,” when I would be loading things into the car and was a bit distracted. In this case, I appreciated his vigilance and would say “Thank you” when he did his job. On the other hand, during the more annoying bark fests, I’d ask him to be quiet, and positively reinforce him for staying silent. If he continued, I asked him to perform a more acceptable behavior, including picking up a toy and holding it in his mouth.

Other examples for teaching alternate behaviors to help keep that positive attitude might include: four-on-the-floor instead of jumping, laying on a bed or mat in areas where there are counters loaded with enticing items, and providing appropriate chew items your dog finds motivating.

3) Cop an attitude of gratitude – when you’re pawsitive, your pooch will respond in kind: What it comes down to is catching your dog in the act of doing what you want, make sure you say thank you. Express your gratitude! This alone could be one resolution that you could easily achieve. The other benefit of it is that when you stay consistent with your positive behavior of reinforcing the positive behavior of your pooch, you are engaging in what TIME magazine calls a “prevention goal.” Prevention goals are all about duties and the things that keep you on track versus “promotion goals,” which are the big, lofty, aspirational goals that are easy to dream about but are much harder to achieve. Your refreshed, pawsitive attitude, clarity and consistency around those canine behaviors that enhance, not detract from, your household are resolutions that are much easier to keep, all year long.

From all of us here at IC HQ’s, we wish you and your inquisitive canine a happy, healthy, doggone great New Year!

Pet Friendly Holidays – Make Your List (Check It Twice!)

Enjoy Pet Friendly Holidays By Preparing Your Pooch for Holiday Guests

The weather outside might be frightful, but that doesn’t mean your inquisitive canine’s holiday entertaining skills — or lack thereof — need to be. Enjoy pet friendly holidays by preparing your pooch in advance.

As a certified professional dog trainer, I am well aware that pet parents’ stress levels go up this time of year as they worry about how their dog is going to behave during the holiday hullabaloo. Will she jump on guests? Is he going to tackle grandma (again!)? Will the pup push over little Paulina? Help herself to the delectable prime rib roast left to rest on the counter? What about the ever-popular neighborhood exploration adventures that happen when arriving guests leave the front door open for a second too long? And then, of course, there are those visitors who just aren’t “dog people.”

What’s a pet parent to do?

In a nutshell: plan ahead, prepare and have dress rehearsals for successful pet friendly holidays.

How to Plan Pet Friendly Holidays

imgres Let’s start off with planning ahead. When you’re expecting guests, you should consider who are the folks that are coming over, how they feel about dogs, and what reasonably they might be able to do when they arrive at your home to help keep your canine thinking clearly from the first “hello.”

Next, you’ll need to consider how you want your dog to act around company and what outside resources you might need to aid you in getting your desired outcome. For instance, say your dog is an enthusiastic social butterfly and wants to say hello to anyone and everyone, but doesn’t care how he gets the job done: jumping up, licking, barking and, with some especially energetic dogs, the hockey player hip check. As fun and entertaining that can be to some, many might find it annoying.

The solution? Ask your dog to greet people nicely. If you’ve done that training with your pet, then you’re already a winner in the holiday entertaining reindeer games.

Another option is to use the “Go to your place” cue, where your dog goes to a bed/mat/rug when the doorbell rings or there’s a knock at the door. Guests enter, and the reward for your dog is to say hello after you give the release cue that it is okay to do so. The second part of this behavior scenario is having your dog keep four paws on the floor. They can remain on their “place” while guests come to them, or you can give a release cue where they politely go to your visitors. Remember to reward your dog for behaving politely. A chin scratch, toss of a toy, praise, healthy treat or anything else your pooch finds motivating.

For those times when you don’t have time to teach your dog new skills or you’re concerned about the welfare of guests, think about bringing in some help to allow your dog to stay at home while you entertain and/or consider outside resources.

Is there’s a friend who’s happy to host your dog at his her home? Do you have access to a reputable doggy daycare facility that your pup would enjoy going to? Another option is hiring a certified training, petsitter, or responsible family member to come over and be in charge of your dog while you’re entertaining. We did this for our dog Poncho when we hosted an office party, and it worked out perfectly. He was included, taken care of and enjoyed himself, while my stress level was reduced so I could enjoy the festivities, too.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: failing to plan is planning to fail. So make your list and check it twice to ensure your plans to entertain holiday guests don’t go to the dogs. Keep in mind that it’s best not to train a behavior or scramble to make other arrangements for your pet the day you’ve got a party planned. Begin training your pup sooner rather than later, and if necessary, locate and lock in necessary resources ahead of time. I can speak firsthand, as can , that the holidays are some of the busiest times of the year for pet sitters, boarding facilities, and trainers.

Here’s to a pawsitively pet friendly holiday season to you & yours from all of us at the Inquisitive Canine!

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Hello, Doggy: Teach Your Dog to Come When You Call

How to Teach Your Dog to Come When You Call

Has this ever happened to you? You call your dog by name over and over… to no avail. Then you open a can of food and voilà! Out of nowhere, you hear the pitter-patter of paws heading toward you at top speed.

As a certified trainer and also a dog mom, I feel very strongly that when it’s “recall” time, ALL dogs (yes, ALL dogs) need to be taught how to respond. There is a right way to teach your dog recall. It’s not just about manners – there are definitely times when getting your dog to come to you is for his safety. And it’s best to teach your dog before you need the behavior – not during. You wouldn’t teach someone a fire drill during a fire, right?

TEACH YOUR DOG A SOLID RECALL

Step 1: INDOORS (with few distractions)

To teach your dog to come when you call, start by backing away from your dog using your happy voice, clapping and praising as he approaches you. Stop, ask your dog to sit (optional), reach in and grab his collar with one hand, and give him a tasty treat from the other.
Repeat this several times, until your dog is almost chasing you around and not allowing you to start over again.
Now try this at the same distance in a different location, still with few distractions.
Repeat the first step, but from 8-10 feet away, even if your dog is doing something else. Reward with the process outlined in the first point (happy voice, clapping/praise, etc.) If your dog doesn’t come to you right away, go to him, lure him back to where you called to him from, then reward using the above steps.

Once your dog has become skilled in these steps, repeat the same exercise in different rooms of the house, especially when he isn’t expecting it, and reward in the same manner. This way, he continues to associate coming to you with wonderful things! After he has mastered this, you can move outside.

Step 2: OUTDOORS

Practice the routine as described above in the same way in a fenced yard or secure outdoor area, keeping your dog on leash for safety reasons if necessary.
Begin just a few feet away, progressing to a farther but safe distance.
Practice the backing-away recall while out walking your dog on leash. Give the cue when your dog is facing forward, not looking up at you.
If you want, you can get a longer leash (long-line*) and practice the same exercises from a farther distance.

*For safety reasons only. Be cautious not to get your dog tangled up in the leash. Do not use this leash for pulling or dragging your dog away from something.

RECAP: THE RULES OF RECALL

Only call your dog for something pleasant.
Only call your dog if you know he’s going to listen and follow though with your request.
If you misjudged on rule two, save the recall by going and getting your dog yourself, and bringing him back to where you called from, then reward.
Use the cue word once and only once, but be a cheerleader, using additional methods of communication to help get the message across: body language, whistling, clapping, happy talk.
ALWAYS give your dog a huge payoff whenever he comes to you: praise, petting, play and/ treats! (Use higher-value treats during initial training steps, and periodically once the behavior is established.)

Is your inquisitive canine already for an advanced level of recall? Try practicing the Round-Robin exercise: Send your dog back and forth between two or more people in a room or outdoors (in a safe environment). Each person takes a turn calling the dog, performing the reach-for-collar/treat-with-other-hand game. If at any time your dog chooses not to come, the person who called him/her should go over, lure him/her to where they called from, then reward.

Once you’ve achieved total recall with your inquisitive canine, you’ll be the star of the dog park with the most obedient pup around. Now if he could just learn how to change the oil and perhaps run a vacuum cleaner every once in a while…!

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Sure Fire Strategies to Teach Your Dog to Greet People Nicely

Teach Your Canine – Strategies for Better Dog Greeting

The holidays are coming, and one of the best parts of this time of year is having friends and family over to celebrate together.

For inquisitive canine parents with dogs that don’t know how to politely greet people, though, having people over often only adds to the stresses of the season.

As a certified trainer, dog lover, and member of the therapy dog organization Love on a Leash, I find a composed dog greeting, be it at home or along the way, of the utmost importance – everyone appreciates a polite pooch.

So let’s get started with strategies for better dog greeting!

Nice Dog Greeting

The goal for Part 1 of this behavior training is to teach your dog better dog greating. They need to learn that sitting or standing to greet you and other family members is much more rewarding than jumping up.

Jump Control, Part 1

The goal for Part 1 is to teach your dog Sitting = Attention / Jumping up =Being Ignored

First, reward your dog with petting, praise, treats or the toss of a toy whenever s/he greets you with “four on the floor” (all four paws on the floor) or sitting up nicely.
Approach your dog, or call him or her toward you, and ask for a sit. Once s/he sits, reward her or him with positive attention.
If and when your dog jumps up on you, turn away and ignore.
As soon as your dog stops jumping, and his or her paws are back on the ground, turn around to face him or her and reward.
When s/he doesn’t jump, pet and praise your dog. If you have treats, give one. If s/he gets too excited and jumps up again, turn your back again and start over.
If you turn your back but your dog keeps jumping on your back, try walking away. It’s important that you completely ignore the dog — don’t talk or chide. Pretend like s/he is not there.

Jump Control, Part 2

inquisitivecanine-waltersitting The goal for Part 2 is to teach polite dog greeting for other people, including friends and strangers.

Whenever possible, teach family and friends the Part 1 exercise and have them practice with your dog. When encountering people you don’t know who are willing to do the Part 1 exercise, the following will help teach your dog to generalize polite manners:

Warm up your dog by having her or him sit for you when s/he wants to say “hi” and be petted. Have family members and friends do the same. Then take it on the road.
When a stranger approaches your dog (or when you approach a stranger with your dog, after having ascertained that person wishes to be approached), ask your dog to sit. Your dog must stay in the sit position as the stranger approaches to pet her or him.
Give a treat to your dog for sitting as the person approaches. If your dog gets up, stop the treats and ask the person to stop or take a step backwards. Your dog will soon learn that if s/he stays seated (or next to you with four on the floor), then s/he receives attention from you and from the person saying hello. Conversely, if s/he gets up, s/he gets nothing. Your inquisitive canine will soon figure out which is the better choice.
Keep in mind that walking away from the person, or not allowing the person or other dog to say hello is not intended as a punishment, so refrain from jerking the collar or using an angry voice. The intention is simply to keep your dog from jumping up (before s/he can scare someone or dirty that person’s clothes), and to communicate that s/he lost the opportunity to greet the person.
Throughout these exercises, you can turn to explain to the stranger that you’re teaching your dog not to jump. If the person seems interested in the training process or your dog, you can ask that person if he or she wouldn’t mind helping. If so, repeat the above procedure until your dog doesn’t try to jump. At that point, allow the person to pet your dog and say hello.

Is your dog already skilled at this behavior? Make it more challenging by adding in distractions or asking for a “Down” instead of “Sit.”

Now is the perfect time to practice jump control training so that by the time the holidays are here, your rover will be perfectly polite when people come over!

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