One of the more common things our mom gets called in to fix is called counter surfing, or stealing things, usually food, off counters, tables etc. We've never been allowed to do this but man, it sounds fun! Mom always brags that she can drop bacon on the floor, tell us all to leave it and we will, even though she can't do anything about it if we eat it. This is true. We listen to that "leave it" command. So how does that happen?
Well, first, you just teach it in the hand. Get a handful of treats. Give one to your dog and say "take it." Repeat at random. Then, close your fist and say "leave it." Keep the fist right by your dog's nose. Don't pull it away or that will cue your dog to do the right thing inadvertently. Keep your fist by your dog's nose no matter what he does. He will probably bark, paw, nip and lick. When he finally pulls away from your fist and looks up at you, praise and give the treat. If he offers a different polite behavior, such as backing away and sitting, hold the treat up to your eyes before rewarding. Practice this until you can hold a treat in your flat palm without your dog taking it.
Then, teach it from the ground. Toss some treats on the ground, saying "take it." Then, put one right by your shoe, say "leave it" and cover it with your shoe. Wait for your dog to look at you. Then, REWARD FROM YOUR HAND. This is important because eventually, you will be telling your dog to leave things you don't want him to have, such as cigarette butts and cat poop (yum!). Practice this until you can put a treat on the ground and your dog will leave it on command without you covering it.
Then, start practicing with everything your dog might steal: human food, tennis shoes, underwear, whatever. Practice it on walks. If your dog keeps trying to pull you toward something, such as cat poop, keep walking away from it. As soon as your dog looks at you instead of the thing, reward with a huge treat.
Now, you're ready to practice with the tables and kitchen counters. While you are training this command, don't allow your dog access to anything he might steal. Use baby gates to block the kitchen. Keep shoes put away in the closet. Then, when you are around, you have many training opportunities.
Use the leave it command any time your dog is interested in the counter. Reward if your dog looks at you rather than jumping on the counter. If he jumps on the counter, put him in timeout.
Once your dog is a pro around the counters, you have to put him to the test. Put food on the counter and leave the room. Just make sure you can see your dog. When he starts to show interest, jump around the corner and yell "leave it." Repeat this a couple of times until your dog thinks you are always watching.
This is how we learned not to counter surf. Our mom will make her lunch, set it on a TV tray that we can easily knock over and leave the room for several minutes. We don't touch her stuff. And this was what she did. So try it with your dogs if you want to ruin their lives as ours have apparently been ruined. Happy training! Love, Muggsy and Chubbs
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Getting Old
My dad's parents visited this week, and both commented on how much older I looked than the last time they saw me. Popop said it broke his heart. Way to make a girl feel good. Yes, I have more gray hair. I'm thinner. I'm also sleeping more and have trouble hearing. But all of that is normal. All of the dogs in this house are considered "senior." I'm almost 11, Muggsy is almost 10 and Chubbs is almost 9.
We have already talked about the importance of yearly senior exams in this blog, but I can't stress that enough. Imagine being 70 and going to the doctor every seven years! Don't skip. But there are plenty of changes that we will be going through which are perfectly normal.
The most notable is slower metabolism. We don't have the energy we used to. In fact, Muggsy and Chubbs both have arthritis in their joints, which slows them even more. However, we still need exercise. The best way to exercise us is less exercise more frequently. And be consistent. We are no longer at the age where you can skip a couple of walks and then take us for a huge hike during the weekend. We can't handle that! But the less active we are, the more our muscle mass deteriorates, so keep us active!
We also struggle to adjust to temperature extremes. So when we're out walking, be on the lookout for signs of heat stroke. And add a blanket to our bed on cold evenings.
Our immunity decreases as we get older, just as with humans. However, this doesn't mean to give us extra vaccinations. In fact, our bodies might respond negatively to them at this age. Instead, get us a titer. If you've been giving us vaccinations our whole life, it's likely that we have the immunity. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure what to do.
Senior dogs also have decrease function in heart, lungs, kidney, bladder and liver. This is normal, but be sure to have a senior blood panel run each year to make sure everything is working as it should. This makes it harder for us to eliminate toxins, so be careful what you feed us and what medicines you give. A lot of foods have preservatives, dyes and other gross stuff. We don't need that. Give us healthy food that contains only protein, vegetables and healthy grains. No corn or meat byproducts. We're too old for that junk food!
We also experience gastrointestinal slowdown, which makes teeth cleanings more important. However, no anesthesia, please. If your dog can't attend the anesthesia-free cleanings, brush the teeth at home every day or two. Or do what my mom does: Give us raw bones or an apple daily. Both clean the teeth. She never brushes, and the vet always compliments our beautiful teeth!
Guess what else: Dogs can even get Alzheimer's. So watch for changes in your dog's personality. If there is a sudden change, such as confusion, aggression or sudden phobias, consult your veterinarian. We don't like them, but they become our best friends as we get older!
We senior dogs rule, but we are a lot of work. Take care of us, and we'll love you longer. Love, Fenway
We have already talked about the importance of yearly senior exams in this blog, but I can't stress that enough. Imagine being 70 and going to the doctor every seven years! Don't skip. But there are plenty of changes that we will be going through which are perfectly normal.
The most notable is slower metabolism. We don't have the energy we used to. In fact, Muggsy and Chubbs both have arthritis in their joints, which slows them even more. However, we still need exercise. The best way to exercise us is less exercise more frequently. And be consistent. We are no longer at the age where you can skip a couple of walks and then take us for a huge hike during the weekend. We can't handle that! But the less active we are, the more our muscle mass deteriorates, so keep us active!
We also struggle to adjust to temperature extremes. So when we're out walking, be on the lookout for signs of heat stroke. And add a blanket to our bed on cold evenings.
Our immunity decreases as we get older, just as with humans. However, this doesn't mean to give us extra vaccinations. In fact, our bodies might respond negatively to them at this age. Instead, get us a titer. If you've been giving us vaccinations our whole life, it's likely that we have the immunity. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure what to do.
Senior dogs also have decrease function in heart, lungs, kidney, bladder and liver. This is normal, but be sure to have a senior blood panel run each year to make sure everything is working as it should. This makes it harder for us to eliminate toxins, so be careful what you feed us and what medicines you give. A lot of foods have preservatives, dyes and other gross stuff. We don't need that. Give us healthy food that contains only protein, vegetables and healthy grains. No corn or meat byproducts. We're too old for that junk food!
We also experience gastrointestinal slowdown, which makes teeth cleanings more important. However, no anesthesia, please. If your dog can't attend the anesthesia-free cleanings, brush the teeth at home every day or two. Or do what my mom does: Give us raw bones or an apple daily. Both clean the teeth. She never brushes, and the vet always compliments our beautiful teeth!
Guess what else: Dogs can even get Alzheimer's. So watch for changes in your dog's personality. If there is a sudden change, such as confusion, aggression or sudden phobias, consult your veterinarian. We don't like them, but they become our best friends as we get older!
We senior dogs rule, but we are a lot of work. Take care of us, and we'll love you longer. Love, Fenway
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Getting Groomed
Being this good-looking takes work. I get that. So I'm very patient when Mom wants to brush and bathe me. Muggsy and Fenway are not. They are both afraid of baths. They should have been properly taught to accept grooming as puppies, but Mom wasn't a dog trainer then.
I'm not afraid of very many things, but I wasn't introduced to a blow dryer until I was 6. Suddenly, I'm up on a table at a UShampooch, a do-it-yourself dog wash, and there's warm air blowing on me. I got a little upset. I tried to jump off the table and bit at the strange air. This reminded my mom that socialization never truly stops. So she taught me how to tolerate the hair dryer.
She started by using the dryer only a little and rewarding me when I stood still for her while drying. At first, I could only tolerate a few seconds before I needed a break. She tried to be really patient with me. I would often leave the grooming place pretty wet. Thank goodness it's always warm in Southern California!
Socialization is a slow process, but if you don't push your dog past his threshold, it does work. I now allow her to dry me as long as she wants as long as she doesn't get too close to my face. We accomplished this by working together. She started at the place where I was least scared. When I started to get wiggly, which told her that I was about to attempt escape, she would take a break and reward me. She praises me the whole time. Nothing wrong with that. I love admirers. I could handle it for a little longer each time. Now, I know that a part of looking this good is the dryer. And I tolerate it just fine.
So be patient with your dog, move at his pace, and see how well he can do! Love, Chubbs
I'm not afraid of very many things, but I wasn't introduced to a blow dryer until I was 6. Suddenly, I'm up on a table at a UShampooch, a do-it-yourself dog wash, and there's warm air blowing on me. I got a little upset. I tried to jump off the table and bit at the strange air. This reminded my mom that socialization never truly stops. So she taught me how to tolerate the hair dryer.
She started by using the dryer only a little and rewarding me when I stood still for her while drying. At first, I could only tolerate a few seconds before I needed a break. She tried to be really patient with me. I would often leave the grooming place pretty wet. Thank goodness it's always warm in Southern California!
Socialization is a slow process, but if you don't push your dog past his threshold, it does work. I now allow her to dry me as long as she wants as long as she doesn't get too close to my face. We accomplished this by working together. She started at the place where I was least scared. When I started to get wiggly, which told her that I was about to attempt escape, she would take a break and reward me. She praises me the whole time. Nothing wrong with that. I love admirers. I could handle it for a little longer each time. Now, I know that a part of looking this good is the dryer. And I tolerate it just fine.
So be patient with your dog, move at his pace, and see how well he can do! Love, Chubbs
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