Dogs like food (who doesn't?), but food preparation areas are not a safe place for your dog. Instead, plan for your dog to be somewhere else, whether confined elsewhere in the house, with another responsible family member, or at their "place" at a safe distance from the food preparation area. Immediately after taking the photo at right, I sent Sirius to his mat in the eating area of our kitchen....
Toys are not just for fun. They are also an important way to burn energy and can help entertain your dog on days when you can't get outside—whether because of illness, bad weather, or a personal commitment. ...
Now that you have brushed up on a lot of different skills, how about combining them? A sit-down-sit combination is fairly simple, but it can be a fun trick to show off if branded as a "puppy pushup." Trying this will also give you an idea of how well your dog has learned sit and down. Many dogs have trouble returning to the sit from the down position if they have primarily learned it from a standing position.
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I mentioned wearing an appropriate collar or harness a few days ago, but no matter what your dog wears for walks, proper ID is also necessary. Your dog should have an ID tag with the best contact information. Be sure to update this if it changes. I have found multiple dogs wearing tags with outdated information.
You may also choose to include information about medical concerns, as I have. Even if your dog has a microchip, an ID tag is the best way to get them home quickly in any incident. Think of the microchip as insurance if the tag gets lost rather than a primary form of ID....
Recall is of life and death importance outside when your dog is running towards potential danger. It's also important inside the house. You need your dog to move to you inside when required. If you only call your dog inside for baths or nail trims, your dog isn't going to be motivated to come when you call inside—unless he knows a walk or ball of food is coming.
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Most likely, you did some training with your dog when you first brought him home. Whether you took her to classes, hired a private trainer, ir relied on web videos, you probably covered sit, down, and some other basic commands. But how often do you practice?
As we have been discussing this month, it's great to work cues into your daily schedule. However, it's also a good idea to review the cues themselves periodically, especially if there are some you don't use frequently or usually use only in specific contexts....
Your dog is probably used to walking on carpet and sidewalks. Maybe you also have tile and hardwood floors in your home. And likely your dog also spends time on grass. But how comfortable is your dog on grates or drains? What about docks and piers? Dogs don't instinctively understand these different surfaces. You can help your dog by introducing him or her to different surfaces early and taking as much time as needed to adjust. You won't cover every surface your dog may encounter in life, but you can help increase his or her overall comfort with new surfaces....
You need to have the right equipment for what you want to do. I don't recommend trail hiking in dress shoes, and I don't recommend walking your dog without the appropriate gear. We used to use a harness for Sirius Black, but after he lost his sight, he found the harness stressful, so we switched to a wide martingale collar that he seems to find easier but doesn’t put too much pressure on his throat. ...
Do you need to take your dog with you? How well does he or she ride in the car? Determine a safe place for your dog to ride and try to accustom him or her to riding there....
Yesterday, I mentioned storing food treats around the house. This is a great tool, especially for food motivated dogs. There are other types of rewards as well. These include non-food items (toys, chews) and activities (walks, bell rubs).
Often called "life rewards," it is important that these rewards actually be rewarding for your dog. Is a bath rewarding? Probably not for most dogs, but possibly for some. Is a walk rewarding? Probably for most dogs, but possibly not for some.
Your knowledge of your dog will be the best way for you to judge what is a good life reward. However, it is important to think about what is rewarding for your dogs rather than what you think "should" be rewarding. This may differ from one dog to another and from one circumstance to another. For example, for one dog, a belly rub may be rewarding in the living room, but not on a walk. For another dog, it may not be rewarding...