Peppers Paws

The Pomeranian Handbook (Barrons Pet Handbooks)

Today we are featuring Peppers blog Peppers Paws.
Pepper is a Pomeranian who always has something fun for you to read. She does a lot of pet product reviews, so youll find her blog very helpful, especially if you have a small dog! Pepper also does occasional giveaways and contests. Be sure to go over and check it out, I hope you find her blog as enjoyable to read as I do.

Image Credit: PepperPom

Amy @ Talented K9
talentedk9@yahoo.com
www.talentedk9.com

The Pomeranian Handbook

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Come When Called Recall Training

Imagine your dog sneaking out of the house and running towards the busy road.  You burst out “FIDO, COME!”  Fido immediately stops in his tracks, does a fast U-Turn and runs right into your arms.  You whoopee it up with him, give him lots of treats, and have a good time jumping around with him.  Whew!  You just potentially saved your dogs life. 

In order to get this response, your dog must not think twice about what you are asking him to do.  He must be able to stop on a dime, and immediately run back to you, ignoring everything else in his environment.  This means that when you teach a reliable recall or come when called, it must always be fun, exciting and novel.  Remember you will eventually be competing with some pretty challenging things in his environment (squirrels, dogs, cats etc).

I often hear dog parents complain that their "dog doesnt come when called."  When I ask them what they have done to train and practice a recall, almost 100% of the time, they tell me "I call him in from outside and give him a treat."  Thats not training a behavior.  Thats hoping he will do it, and if he does, giving him a pretty low reward, usually not valuable enough to get him to come off of something more exciting than a random dog treat. 

AND, to top it off, in the dogs eyes, they are actually being punished for coming when called. How?  Well, if the dog wants to play in his yard and was enjoying sniffing around, and he came when you asked, and you took him inside the house....you ENDED his fun.  Very likely in the future he will think twice about coming, and will probably blow you off because sniffing in the yard is more valuable than that treat.

So, where do you start when you want to teach your dog a really reliable recall?  I always start with The Name Game, and build that behavior up through distractions.  The Name Game teaches your dog to turn to look towards you when you say his name.  There are various degrees in difficulty you must work through in order to get a reliable Name Game.  That said, in reality, my Name Game IS my COME WHEN CALLED!  Dexters name is so valuable, he comes when I say it. 

OK.  But lets start the come when called training.  Here are the basic steps I take to teach the behavior.  First, I try really hard for it to not feel like a dog training lesson.  In other words, when you are grabbing your dogs favorite toys and treats, dont let him see you do it.  You will want the behavior to feel real, not set up. 

Level 1

• Work in a non-distracting, large, or open environment.  Great rooms, hallways, and garages make nice areas to work in. 
• Have your dog’s favorite treats and motivational dog toys on you as his reward.  You are not going to show him  his prize first, he will come first, then receive his prize. 
• Say your dogs name in an upbeat, fun tone.  If your Name Game is primed and functioning, this will make him come! Right after his name, when he turns his head, make novel sounds, smooches, and happy talk.  High-pitched, repetitive sounds make dogs want to come and move. This novel sound will eventually be replaced with your recall word (Come, Here, Now etc.), so its important to make the noise.
• As your dog is running your way, encourage him to come with your body language (tapping your legs, squatting down etc.), and YOU move away from him.  Moving away from him as he is coming, will encourage him to come faster.  Speed is what you are going for.  The faster he comes, the less likely he will be to get distracted along the way on a real come when called session.
• When he arrives, to you, have an AMAZING PARTY!  Food, play, jumping around, whatever it takes to have him SUPER excited he came to you.  You should be thinking Disney Land.  Even though this should be easy for your dog (remember, no distractions), your payoff needs to represent coming off those big distractions in the future.  You are setting the foundation.  If he doesnt think its exciting, he wont be coming when called off of any distractions.

Practice Level 1 for at least a solid week (5-10 different times a day) before even considering moving to Level 2. What your dog must be able to do reliably, and consistently is come as fast as he can without any hesitation, and without seeing his reward first.  As he continues his success, change the room locations you are asking him to come.  Asking at this point is still-Name Game, Novel Noise, Body Language and Running Away.  All taking place inside the house, without any distractions.

Level 2

• Repeat the same set up as Level 1.  This time, you will fade the running away part.  So, it will be his Name, Novel Noise, and Body Language. 
• Repeat his AMAZING PARTY! 

Once again, practice Level 2 for at least a solid week, maybe 2 (5-10 different times a day).  Varying rooms, and still looking for speed and reliability.

Level 3

• Its time to add some mild distractions.  This time, when you are walking your dog on his leash, randomly allow him to sniff at the end of the leash.  After about 5 seconds of sniffing, say his name, and novel sound.  HOPEFULLY, its not too distracting and you can reward with his AMAZING PARTY!  After  your party, run with him to the sniffy spot, and encourage him to sniff and investigate.
• Wow!  A win-win for him.  He came off the sniffs, had a party, then got to go sniff (with you) again.  Lucky boy.
• If he does not come off of sniffing, it is too hard.  Shorten his leash, slowly walk away from the sniffy spot, and try again.  When he does then come, its still his AMAZING PARTY!  But, you should practice Level 2 more.

Practice Level 3 for at least 2-3 weeks (5-10 different times a day).  Varying controlled distractions.  Controlled distractions mean that if your dog chooses to blow you off, he cannot get the thing he was distracted by.  So, he can be on a leash, you can have a friend help by holding a distraction, etc.  Continue to look for speed and reliability.  If you move too quickly through the levels, and your dog is barely able to do it, you will stumble in your training.  You want him solid at each level.

Level 4

• At this point, I like to add the come when called word (come, here, now, etc.).
• This time, it will be his Name, Novel Sound, then his new RECALL word.  Over time, you will start to fade the Novel Sound, and just use his Name, followed by his recall word.

There you have it.  The basic foundation of come when called.  As your dog progresses, you will start to add controlled distractions.  Good luck!

Quick Tips: 

• Do not EVER call your dog and punish him.  If you have in the past, you need to change your recall word.  He has already associated that word to mean bad things are going to happen if he does come.
• Coming to you is ALWAYS fun and enjoyable.
• Do not chase your dog.  This goes for the kids too.
• Do not use your recall word unless you are SURE your dog will come.  At first this should be on leash or when your dog is already coming to you.  What you do not want is to call your dog and he does not listen to you, this just reinforces him to not pay attention to you or your recall word.
• AMAZING PARTY-BIG IMPRESSION-EXPENSIVE BEHAVIOR-This is the behavior that could save your dog’s life!  Remember that every time you work on this lesson. 

Do you need extra dog training help?  I offer in-person,  phone consultations, weekend dog retreats and public seminars.  Contact me today for details.

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Adapting Training into Daily Routines

Making dog training a part of your day is easier than you think and you may actually be doing it without even knowing! Some of the following are examples of how you could include dog training in your daily routine.

• Sitting before a meal
• Giving them a place to lay down during the day and telling them to go there instead of pacing around your living room
• Playing fetch and having them "drop it" upon returning the ball
• Siting before going outside or coming in

"Just say ok" says Rusty (excuse moms messy pouring skills)

Remember dogs learn by association so you may be training them to do some not so good things also.
For instance those scraps you may feed them from the table? That could potentially get them to start begging every time you sit at the table with food.
Or maybe your dog starts barking at something and you start yelling at them to quiet down but they just bark louder because they think youre just barking along with them?
Or maybe theyre barking at the neighbors dog and you bring them inside to get them to quiet down so now every time they want to come in they start barking at the door?
Some times we dont even realize we are training our dogs but the key is to remember how dogs learn and how to apply it.

Has this got you thinking of how you are with your dog during the day? Let me know in the comments!

Follow me on Facebook @: www.facebook.com/trainingwithalysia

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Day 1 of 28 Huh what happened

Well, this one is really quick & easy to explain. I fell off the wagon.

So, today was Day 1 of 28 again. A quick hit out this morning. It included 2 mountains, rain, thick fog, a little sunshine, rain, one tosser driver & 198kms later I was home.

My favourite cafe, on the top of Mount Nebo, is closing down for 2 months over June & July. The two owners are traveling overseas. They had a management team organised for the 2 months but this just fell through a few days ago.

No decent excuse to stop for a rest on top of this mountain now :-(

Oh, while I type about my not so important day there are many in SE Queensland & Northern NSW that are getting smashed with a huge amount of flooding due to rain, strong wind damage & to top it off there is a very serious warning of a huge tidal surge that will more than likely cause much more damage & flooding along the coast. Keep safe everyone!

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Safe Dog Chew Toys and Dog Bones

Most dogs love to chew!  Chewing is a very natural & normal dog behavior.  Chewing helps alleviate boredom & can even help keep your dogs teeth pearly white.  But dont forget to brush your dogs teeth too.  Puppies and adolescent dogs tend to have a high drive for chewing things.  Hopefully, you are working with a qualified dog behavior counselor to make sure that you are teaching your dog to chew on the right items & not your furniture, or even worse electrical cords, or something that can harm your dog.

So just what makes a dog chew or dog chew toy safe for your dog?  Well over the years my opinion on this has actually been evolving from hard to chew bones to now a softer variety.  You see I have been learning & seeing too many dogs with chipped teeth from tough bones & antlers & even digesting sharp pieces of bones which can be very dangerous.  I no longer use hard bones or antlers with Dexter The Dog & usually dont recommend them.  By the way, if you look closely at Dexters teeth you will see a chipped tooth....from a hard bone.  His last.

Stuffed Kong

Below are some examples of dog chew items that are much softer for your dogs teeth than traditional hard bones.  This will help protect your dog from chipped teeth.  Please be aware that not every toy, or chew bone, chew toy will be suitable for each dog.  I strongly recommend active supervising when your dog chews, particularly if its a new toy or bone or if the chew item is edible.  The right size of a dog bone or dog toy is important too.  

You want to make sure the dog toy or dog bone is not too small that your dog can place the entire item in his mouth & risk choking.  This includes when the chew gets smaller.  I tend to toss the end out before Dexter The Dog swallows it, with the exception of dehydrated fish skins.  The larger a dog toy, the tendency it is to be thicker & tougher.  Something to consider if you have a dog who is a hard chewer.  BUT be aware sometimes if the toy or bone is too big your dog can get his jaw stuck in it.  Finding the right chew for your dog is sort of like the Princess & The Pea.

Soft or tough rubber chew toys.  I am a fan of Kong & have been for many years.  Kong has been the leader in stuffable dog chew toys.  I also like The Rita & Jed stuffable dog toy.  The key to getting your dog to chew on a rubber dog toy is to stuff it!  Read our article on how to stuff a hollow dog toy.  Check out our latest stuffable dog toy reviews here.

Fish Skin

Dehydrated fish skins.  With a good dehydrated fish skin dog treat the treat will be 100% fish skin & no artificial colors, preservatives or flavors.  Its important to check out the packaging and carefully read the ingredient list & where the fish was caught & processed.  A fish skin is a great treat for your dog full of omega 3 fatty acids, typically low fat & fully edible.  Most dogs love the taste & eagerly chew away.  Read our reviews on dehydrated fish skins.

Bully Sticks.  Made from the manly part of a bull, a lot of dogs love chewing on these.  What I like is that they typically just start to get soft & disappear, I havent seen any pieces break off.  However, I have seen a stick every once in awhile peel during chewing like string cheese.  I just toss that piece in the garbage.  Again, when the stick gets too small, I through away.  Tip-get odor free, or low order.  These babies can stick like crazy!  High in protein & fiber & low in fat these make a nice chew.  Look for our upcoming reviews on bully sticks. 

Raw bones.  Raw bones are another option for your dog to chew on.  Because the bones are  not cooked, they are soft & unlikely to splinter.  Cooked bones easily splinter & are very hard on teeth.  Admittedly I will be testing raw bones for the first time in the upcoming weeks.  I spoke in length with Dexter The Dogs holistic veterinarian Dr. Judy Morgan on the safest way to go about this.  Dr. Morgans tips-"Dont clean the bones, feed them with some meat on them, as they come. Let them pull on the meat and sinew and lick out the marrow.  I just allow them to have them for an hour, then throw them away. Its when they sit around the house, get buried, or get dried out that you get bacteria and splintering. They will last in the fridge a week before feeding. Can also be frozen and thawed."  I have to admit when I try our upcoming raw bones I think Ill have Dexter chew on them on a towel & toss the towel in the wash.  Stay tuned for our upcoming raw bone reviews!

Nylon, rubber type bones & chew.  If you read my article on toxic dog toys, you might realize Im a bit leery now on what exactly I give Dexter to chew & play with.  I think this is doubly important when we are talking about a product that will be chewed & possibly pieces ingested.  That said, soft rubber or nylon bones are nice for a dogs teeth.  However, a lot of dogs are not interested in them for chewing.  But if you place a little bit of organic peanut butter on they chew bone, sometimes that will peak their interest in chewing it after they lick it off. 

So there you have it.  That is the current list of dog chew & chew bones I feel comfortable providing Dexter & recommending to my dog training clients.  I am sure this list will be updated & maybe I can try some other chews & feel confident in using them.  Keep checking back for new dog product reviews and tips. And while youre at it, check out our Toledo Dog Training /Global Dog Training Facebook page too for dog behavior & tips.

Thank you to those companies who have been allowing me to test and review products to ensure the best & safest chews for your dogs.

       

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Arthritis Skin and Heart Supplements For Dogs

Do you have a dog who is scratching a lot?  Or maybe your dog has dry, flaky skin.  Of course, the first thing I would suggest is to get an appointment with your veterinarian, veterinarian dermatologist or veterinary food therapist and possibly a dog behavior counselor. You will want to ensure that you are addressing the root of the problem which can be medical and/or behavioral.  Once you have a good diagnosis, your treatment plan can take place.

    

One additive to consider when trying to cure your dogs flaky skin is a fatty acid supplement or fish

oil.  Omega-3s are important in your dogs overall health & skin & coat condition.  They also help reduce inflammation, arthritis & inflammatory bowel disease & are typically recommended for heart issues.  But you need to be careful to ensure a quality product that has the right ratio of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

With the guidance and recommendation of our veterinary food therapist, we use Vetoquinol AllerG-3 Supplement in the pump form (they also make capsules).  We use our omega-3s to keep Dexters skin & coat healthy & shiny.   AllerG-3 is made of fish oil in the triglyceride (TG), or natural form.  According to their website, "AllerG-3 products contain the only fish oil to achieve USP ingredient verification. USP uses rigorous standards to evaluate manufacturing and quality control systems and test ingredient samples for compliance with identity, strength, quality and purity claims as well as acceptable contaminant limits."

Since Vetoquinol AllerG-3 Supplement is safe for most dogs, my veterinarian & I felt it was a safe & healthy way to work on preventing dry skin, inflammation, arthritis & help keep a healthy heart.
If you have a dog breed who is prone to arthritis or heart issues, Labrador retrievers, German shepherd dogs, golden retrievers &, of course, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels come to mind, you might what to ask your veterinarian about Vetoquinol AllerG-3 Supplement.

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Basics of Rottweiler Training

Basics of Rottweiler Training

Its essential for Rottweiler parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Rottweiler and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Rottweiler, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Rottweiler to have complete trust in you.

Know more about Rottweiler care from this free mini course

Let us see how.......

How To Bond With Your Rottweiler

Building a bond with your Rottweiler is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Rottweiler home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.

When Rottweilers are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Rottweiler.

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Rottweiler is almost impossible.

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Rottweiler :

• Spend quality time together;

• Take him out in the world and experience life together;

• Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and

• Develop a way of communicating to understand each others needs.

Building a bond with your Rottweiler will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Rottweiler calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love Your Rottweiler and He Will Love You back

Once youre succesful in building a bond with your Rottweiler, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

Learn how to bond with your Rottweiler with this free mini course.

How Your Rottweiler Learns...

Your Rottweilers learning period can be divided into five phases:

The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Rottweiler exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Rottweiler what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Rottweiler in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Rottweiler out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever youve taught him.

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better.

The Testing Phase - Once youre sure that your Rottweiler has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.

The idea is to test your Rottweiler to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Rottweiler.

There are only 2 possibilities:

• Your Rottweiler succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)

• In case your Rottweiler fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.

Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.

Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Rottweiler does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.

Remember:

• Never scold your Rottweiler if he fails. Its not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!

• You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.

• Appreciate and love your Rottweiler when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Rottweiler.

• Rottweiler Training is easy when you do it right.

Learn how to train your Rottweiler better with this free mini course.

Copyright (c) 2009 TrainPetDog.com

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Ay Up Lights Customer Complaint

I get to process anywhere upwards of 80 emails a day. This customer complaint arrived from New Zealand this afternoon. I felt it necessary to share it.

Quote from some crazy Kiwi...

Hi to the Ay Up Team.

I wish to complain about the light system I have just received.

Firstly: when the courier bloke arrived and I signed for the delivery I thought there was some kind of mistake. The package was so small and light that it must have been the first of 4 or 5 packages, so after 20 minutes of nagging the courier … I was wrong.... You Aussies need to stop this king of practical joke and make a decent 5kg light system like your competitors.

Secondly: Us Kiwis are used to carrying around 8kg lead acid motorbike batteries while riding. The Ay Up batteries weigh less than the light cables on my old system. This is ridiculous. How am I expected to do weight training while riding? Mate- I dont know how you did it but I’m the laughing stock of the Wednesday night ride bunch – with my small bulge in my bike top.

Thirdly: These lights need a warning. They are way too bright, it’s downright dangerous. I know that Kiwis go around in the dark with their heads in the ground, but you need to make a special Kiwi version with one tenth the light output. I have been wearing welding goggles while night riding just to make things tolerable. When riding on the road I have caused 3 car crashes by blinding oncoming traffic, and that was 5km away. I’m thinking of using the lights as laser cutters to burn through steel they are so bright. Half our nocturnal wildlife has become extinct through starvation as it never gets dark enough at night with these lights being used. The local conservation core is outraged. I’ve lost my job and my girlfriend has left me because I have developed a sleeping disorder due to confusion over what is night and what is day. I will be sending the bill to you once my eyesight has returned to normal.

Lastly: Then there is the lights themselves. When I undid the packaging the light was so small that the wind blew it onto the ground and it became lost through the cracks in the deck. I had to rent an electron microscope to find it again. This has caused significant cost and embarrassment. The light is so small it actually fell through the vent in my bike helmet and became lost in my hair, requiring a knit comb to recover it. The light on my handle bar is smaller than my bike computer. Please rectify this problem. I suggest using some of those XXXX beer cans as the light body would be better.

I hope this valuable feedback will enable you to produce a New Zealand version of the Ay Up light system.

I would be more than happy providing feedback on your future designs.

Yours

Max R.

p.s Great Lights.

It made my day, week, month...

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100 Mile Fling has been flung

Well, Huw & his crew again put on a world class mountain bike race!




Early Friday morning I drove to pick up Rhino, Marnie & my new best mate Herbie.


850kms later we stopped for food, sleep, shower & put the bikes to bed. They have a big weekend ahead.



Saturday morning we drove the last 300kms arriving at Bundanoon. This town is about 1 1/2 hours south of Sydney. It is a beautiful town know as "Australias first bottled water free town" Find out more about that www.bundyontap.com.au

We did the registration thing. We did the Ay Up, sell some lighting systems with a race day special thing. We ate, got most of our race stuff ready then racked out for the evening.

Sunday morning saw a perfect day for a roll around the forest. So here is a race report.

1. Lined up at the front with Rhino. The two Ay Up jerseys looked great.


2. Race is on. 30kms to the first check point & the start of Wingello State forest loop.
As I climbed a slow pinch, Mark Fenner (finished 2nd in the 100mile) climbed passed me. "Hey Mark you have a stick stuck in your derailleur". So I jumped off my bike, jogged beside him, pulled the stick out, gave him a little shove up the hill & jumped back on my bike.

"Hey Rhino, I feel nauseaus" Rhinos reply "Me too! I have already vomited once"

3. 54kms loop of awesome trails in the Wingello State forest. This is when my vomiting started. Quickly turning into dry retching because there wasnt anything left in my guts.

Hey! is that Troy Glennan Rockstar Racing tough guy wheel sucking off me? Sure is!!! Only the 100 mile dudes started 30 minutes before him hehehe... just dont tell anyone. shhhhh...



4. How cool is this, we get to do another awesome 54km loop of the forest! I had the best part of the forest to myself because the 100km riders had left the forest (most of them)

5. Theres Rhino at the last check point. "Hey dog! do you want to do the last 25kms together?" dog "fuck yeah!"

6. The last 25 kms Rhino & I hooted up, down, around corners, laughing, hooting & dry retching all the way home. I managed to reel & overtake two more 100 mile riders.

7. Jobs done. Australias only 100mile mtb race. Tick that box. Home in 8 1/2 hours & 9th place.

Craig Gordon took out first place for the second year in a row. ROCKSTAR!



I love road trips. Road trips with good people are simply as awesome as a well executed jaman attack

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When To Crate Train Your Puppy

While doing a search for some Talented K9 things, I came across another site that used my article Talented K9 Crate Training Tips. I am happy they thought my article was worthy of posting on their own site. So I wanted to give another thank you and a link back.

Visit them at When To Crate Train Your Puppy

The post was published a while ago, but better late than never right!? They also have some other good tips and articles on there, so its worth checking out.

Enjoy!


Image Source: Commons.wikimedia

Amy @ Talentedk9
talentedk9@yahoo.com
www.talentedk9.com

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Sunday Morning Ride

I do almost all of my training either by myself or with my partner Natalie. So group rides are few & far between. Yesterday saw Natalie & I meet up with a few Ord Minett & QSM riders. All great people to ride with. A majority of the peloton were in Velo.net.au kit!

I have a new job! I now work for Ay Up Lighting Systems. Great location, great team, awesome product. Now I just have to work out if some part of my financial expenses for 24hr races are tax deductable ;o)

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Religious experience in the mountains

I found that if you drag out the picture it makes the mountain look steeper.

I was looking for a group ride today. Everyone I came across was going for a flat ride. I wanted to head to Mt Mee. So, as with many of my training rides, it was just me. On the way down off the mountain I sped past some of the awesome QSM dudes & dudettes on their way up. So I finished the decent & headed back up again. One climb turned very quickly into 4.

I was cruising along the flat towards the bakery with Michael & we were talking about the mountain. He then said "I like this mountain. Come to think of it I like Cootha too. Oh, one more I like ....mountain" I said to Michael "I like your attitude dude!"

So after spending a religious, Sunday morning at the Church of Mt Mee, giving praise to lactic acid, giving myself to the god of two wheels, praying for smashed legs & attacking mates, watching the moon set over the promised land of mountains I have fed my hungry soul that feeds on altitude & two wheels.

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A little Update

Hello Everyone,

Yes, Im still dog training!

I had lost the time for updating this and Facebook (which has since been unpublished) since being a mom is my number one priority. However, I am still accepting new clients!

My current hours are limited but if you contact me we can schedule something that works for all of us!

 

Also, I have been taking on more behavioral modification clients or "problem behaviors" because this type of course is less time commitment for you but still teaches everything you would need to know to be successful with training.

I will just post for those interested that the cost your are looking at is 30 dollars for the first hour and every hour after that is 40 dollars for behavioral modification courses!

 

 

Thanks for visiting my page and I will be updating as soon as I gain a little more time!

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How to Prevent Anxiety in the Crate

Image Credit: Taken by me of our dog Blackjack

I wrote a Bubblew post today on How to Prevent Anxiety in the Crate Learn how to properly introduce your dog into the kennel and teach them to relax instead of getting all worked up! If your dog already has anxiety in the crate, this will still work for you! It also helps get rid of anxiety in the crate.

Go read my Bubblew post; What Most People Dont Know about Crate Training

Amy @ Talented K9 Dog Training
talentedk9dogtraining@gmail.com
Talented K9 Website
Facebook Page
YouTube Channel

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Blacksheep Imports Blog

Pete & I never organise to go for ride with each other, however quite often we seem to bump into each other on the trails or at the top of Mount Nebo, Boombama Cafe.

Pete is one of the local, Blacksheep Imports dudes. He has started a blog to keep us in the loop.

Personally, I know very little about the bikes he imports. What I have seen of each & everyone of his machines is they are exceptionally well built, with the utmost attention placed on detail & finish. They are beautiful machines. Lots of photos please Pete!

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Spring Is Here! list of plants that can be harmful to your dog

Its been a week since spring has officially started and it is getting warmer!

You know what else happens in spring?

 Flowers! All kinds of different flowers are blossoming in the spring time!

Yay for beautiful scenery and an awesome back drop for photos right?!

Well I wanted to make this post about flowers and plants because although they can be extremely beautiful they can also be extremely dangerous for your dog! Check your yard for plants that could possibly harm your dog and avoid buying them for planting to make sure your yard is puppy-proofed for spring!

Here is a list of the top ten most dangerous plants for your dog! Remember to never induce vomiting and contact your vet if you believe that your dog has ate something poisonous.

Lets keep our doggys safe this spring!

click link for more information on the harm each plant may cause your dog.

1. Autumn Crocus

2. Azalea

3. Cyclamen

 4. Kalanchoe

5. Lilies

6. Oleander

6. Dieffenbachia

  

7. Daffodils

  

8. Lily of the Valley

9. Sago Palm

  

10. Tulips and Hyacinths

Here is the list on ---> petpoisonhelpline

Here is a complete list of poisonous plants for your dogs at ---> ASPCA

Image credits to google search engine.

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Who Dare Wins

Regardless of any possible outcomes, conquering your fears & taking a leap for something you passionately believe in means you have won...who dares, wins.

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Is Your Dog Always Running Away

If youre experiencing issues with your dog always running away, there are numerous things to look at first. In this article I hope to first direct you towards things you can change and be sure you are doing, then hopefully direct you towards a way to keep your dog from needing to escape in the first place. Dogs escape for a few reasons, lets look at those first.

Dogs, like us, get bored. The difference is we can call up a friend and go out in the town or go shopping, fishing, or what ever it is we all like to do. Dogs are usually found stuck at home. Put your self in their shoes. If you were stuck at home ALL the time, wouldnt you look for ways to escape too? Now even if you were stuck at home all the time, you would still be able to watch TV, read a book, play on the computer, clean the house, and lots of other things. We can even eat when we want to eat. Dogs on the other hand are usually left with nothing to occupy them at all. Take away all the things you can do and think about how awfully bored you would be!

Dogs also have a lot of energy. They need ways to burn this energy. If youre not giving this to them, then yes, they are going to look for a way to do this themselves. Running away is usually what they come up with, only its a lot of fun because they arent having to pull their owner along behind them on a leash trying to go and do what they want. They can simply just go!

Not only do dogs have a lot of energy, they also have a mind. Their mind also needs a way to be stimulated. Think about a slow day at work and your just sitting there watching the clock. Arent you bored out of your mind? Dogs get this way too! Do something with them, anything! Play a game, training, tricks, interactive toys, anything to get them thinking! Save them from being bored out of their mind! If you dont, once again they will look for a way to save themselves, usually ending up in trouble or running away.

Dogs need to get out of the house! Dont let them be locked up at the house ALL the time. Even if they are outside. Take them with you on errands, take them for a walk where they can go up to people and see others. Let them sniff the trees and go on an adventure! Schedule play dates with other dogs, if they like other dogs, or with kids if they like kids and you know some. Take them to the park if they are allowed. Sign up for some classes you can take them too. Getting them out will help prevent them from the need of running away.

Now, if you have done all the above and your dog is still running away, then perhaps he has a special place or thing he likes to do when he is out. Perhaps you should try to play detective and see if you can follow him. Maybe he goes to a certain persons house every day that has kids, lets him in, gives him left overs and loves on him all day before sending him back home. Maybe hes met a certain dog that he just loves to play with. If you are able to follow him and see where he is going, and you find that this is the case, you can try to set up a time with that person, or the owner of the dog, to have your dog come over and play.

Your dog could also just know of some great places to get food. Lots of restaurants tend to put food out in the dumpsters and such, perhaps hes found a great one with a lot of food to eat. See if you can find out where your dog is going, what hes doing there, and if there is anything you can do in your time with him to provide the same thing. He obviously loves this activity so much he escapes the yard to do it! Youll find a lot of dogs who escape tend to have a routine they do. Find out what that routine is.


Once you have looked into fulfilling all of your dogs needs, now you can look into ways to go about training your dog to stay in the yard. There are many things out there that can help. I am a huge fan of Don Sullivans Secrets to Training the Perfect Dog [DVD]. His system is awesome and I recommend it to everyone all the time. If your all about clicker training and positive reinforcement, this video is NOT for you. If treats and clicker isnt working in all aspects for you, if your dog is still pulling on leash, having ANY aggressive behavior, has separation anxiety, stealing food from table or kids hands, check out this video.

Don also has an amazing guide on boundary training to teach your dog how to stay in the yard! He even shows you how to take this training with you where ever you go, teach your dog to stay off the road, teach your dog to stay in your camp ground, and so much more! Don is an amazing trainer and its very obvious in his full packed DVD set. He teaches you how to get your dog off leash and reliable, and to come no matter what! His methods work fast too.

I know I kind of went off on this, but I absolutely love his system. I have it myself, I watch the videos all the time and learn more and more from them. I have used his methods in my training and have an excellent results. Check it out, it will be well worth the money!

If your looking for something else, check out the PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System, PIF-300. I know a few people who have this and they have all had great luck with it. Its really easy to use, just plug it in. You should follow the training guide and such as well to be sure your dog knows where the boundary is. The training will also help you to eventually be able to take the collar off the dog and have them stay home. You can even take it camping with you and your dog will stay in the camping grounds. It lets you adjust how big of a circle they have to stay in, so it can be a very useful tool to use.

Hopefully I gave you some good tips and such and I highly recommend looking into both of those! I think with either youll be happy and your dog will be staying home in a short amount of time. No more worrying about them getting hit by a car.

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BOgear bike bling

I am always impressed by innovation, design and vision that produces an awesome product. BOgear is a Brisbane based company that ticks all the boxes with its gear.

One of the magical features of their products is they happily customise, modify do whatever is necessary to quickly post out a product that will do what you want and will last a lot longer than only one season.

Check out the BOgear website.

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Outdoor Activities With Your Dog

As some of you probably already know, I am a big advocate for keeping your dog on leash when out in public, or even in  your own yard unless it is securely fenced.  Some people may think Im a bit nuts, or too cautious, but I feel I am only being safe & most importantly ensuring the safety of my own dog.  I do not appreciate or tolerate unleashed dogs coming up to my dog or me when not invited.  I even wrote a blog post on how to keep your dog safe in this situation.  You can read that article here.  Just because my dog Dexteris friendly, social, appropriate & under verbal control does not give me the right to break the leash law.  Its that simple.  Ok, time to get off this rant.

This post was prompted by some Facebook friends who asked me what kinds of things they could do with their dogs outside if they do not have a fenced in yard for exercise, are avoiding dog parks & doggie day cares.  These ideas may not be suitable for all dogs depending on their health & behavior.  So choose which options work for you and your dog & edit as needed.

1.      Take your dog to the park as often as you can.  Taking your dog to various parks on his harness& 6 leash is great exercise both physically & mentally.  Dont forget to bring the high value organic dog treats for keeping his attention on you & for training along the way.  I love to mix it up by visiting different parks and taking different trails.  The goal is to not be boring & predictable.

Hugo is just starting to bike with his Mom.

Thanks Tar for submitting  your photo!

Please let us know how the new dog boots go

2.      Take your dog for a bike ride!  There are a few options in this selection.  The first is to use a bike attachment made exclusively for dogs that hooks to the core of your bike & has a metal arm that goes out with a leash that you attach to your dogs BACK clipping harness.  Of course you will need to slowly build your dogs confidence & conditioning before going out for a full run. 

·    The second way to bike with your dog & what I do with Dexter is to use a dog  bicycle trailer that hooks to your bike.  Dexter  really loves this adventure & we can go for longer rides since he wont get too tired.  Perfect for senior dogs, puppies, or dogs with medical conditions.  Read our review of the Trackr Houndabout Dog Bike Trailer 

30 Leash

3.      Games outdoors with your dog on a long leash.  When I say long leash, I mean you can get a 30 cotton dog leash for your activities.  You can attach this long dog leash to your dogs harness to ensure safety when playing in your unfenced yard, on the beach, field, or open area in a park.  With this leash attached Dexterhas the freedom to move around, fetch, run, sniff & I have the security of him being on leash.  We can pretty much do anything this way!  I tend to use a 20 or 30 or more lead depending on what Im doing.

4.      Swimming is great exercise for dogs and a nice way to cool down.  Again, you have a few options.  First, you can get a childs swimming pool and allow your dog to wade in it, or for some even swim!  They now even have portable dog pools that can fold up for the winter!

·   The second way would be in a regular size pool, lake, or pond.  But just keep in mind that a lot of dogs need help in learning how to swim, even our retrievers & water dogs!  You can purchase a dog life jacket to help your dog learn & to give you a little security as well.  Dexter  always wears his when we are boating. 

·   Keep in mind, if you are still not in a fenced in area, you will want to keep your dog leashed. Dexter  his own long leash that floats that I made out of boat line & a lobster claw clip.  Unlike the  30 cotton dog leash which gets bogged down with water & sinks, the boat line keeps afloat! 

Boat Line

I hope you find some of these ideas helpful.  Just keep in mind the games you can play with your dog outside or inside are endless!  I will work at teaching you some games in future blog posts.  There are just so many to choose from!

Tips:  

·        Always keep weather in mind.  Dogs can get overheated or too cold very quickly.  Have lots of fresh water for both  you and your dog.  I prefer to use a stainless steel water bottle for Dexter. 

·        I am a fan of cooling jackets for dogs too!  I made Dexters but there are some nice ones out there on the market. 

·        Build  your dogs tolerance for exercise slowly.  Just like we need to slowly start an exercise program, so does  your dog.  Dogs under 2 years of age are still developing & growing their bones and muscles.  Talk with your veterinarian prior to starting an exercise program.

·        Bring organic dog treats for attention. 

·        Have a dog first aid kit in your car or in your backpack. 

Need some extra help?  I offer both in person & online, web, video instruction!

Please feel free to contact me for details.

     

   

   

    

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How To Calm My Hyper Dog

Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control

Are you wondering How To Calm Your Hyper Dog? I believe I can help! First, ask yourself why do I have a Hyper Dog? The answer to this is usually, too much pent up energy. With our busy lives, dogs are usually left home for most of the day with nothing to do. They get bored. By the time you get home, they are ready to GO!

This is when they are super excited, jumping all over you, bolting out the door, and most people see this as a Hyper Dog. Wouldnt you be excited and ready to go after a boring day at home with nothing to do? No TV, no Computer, No books to read, nobody to talk to, nothing to play. It would be like sitting in a prison cell all day.

Here are some tips for you to calm your hyper dog.

How To Calm My Hyper Dog : Mental Stimulation

What is Mental Stimulation, and how will this help you calm your hyper dog?

Mental Stimulation is getting your dog to think and work. You can do this through games, Interactive Toys, or Puzzle Toys.

Games can be things like; Hide and Seek or Find It. If youre wondering how to play these games with your dog, ask in the comment section and Ill be happy to teach you.

Interactive toys are toys that you put food or treats in to let your dog work at them to get their food out. Read more about Interactive toys in my article Interactive Dog Toys: Where To Get Them, Good Ways To Use Them

Puzzle Toys are puzzles made specifically for dogs. They come in all different shapes, sizes, and difficulty. You put treats or food in them, then let your dog figure out how to get the treat out. Usually, these toys need you to be supervising while your dog works at them. Dogs may need help getting started with these till they get the hang of it.

All of these will be mentally stimulating and will help tire your dog out. Work their brain and its a whole different kind of tired. Its the difference between us reading a book or working at a puzzle, or going out and running for 30 minutes. Consider these as giving your dog TV, Books, and computer time.

How To Calm My Hyper Dog : Physical Exercise

How will Physical Exercise help you to calm your hyper dog?

Providing a place for your dogs energy to go is a must. Just like you or your kids, your dog needs to have an outlet for their pent up energy. If you dont provide it, then you get what youve got, a hyper dog.

Here are some ideas to get you going; Walking, Running, Biking, Rollerblading, Fetch, Frisbee, & Swimming.

Anything that gets your dog moving and getting that energy out is going to help you to calm your hyper dog! If you have a place to let them run off leash, this is going to be the best for them. This does NOT include your yard. Your yard is just an extension of your house. Its like being in prison and them letting you out into their yard. Would you feel free? Would you feel satisfied after exercising out there?

How To Calm My Hyper Dog : Training

Training can provide both Mental Stimulation, and Physical Exercise for your hyper dog. If you add in play time such as a tug on a rope, or a quick toss of the ball as a reward, then this would be physical.

Obedience, and tricks will help with the mental stimulation. If you train for Agility, Flyball, or even Bird Dog Hunting, these will all help with physical exercise as well as mental stimulation.

Youll find training and working with your dog to be a huge help in calming your hyper dog! Not only will it help you calm your dog, but it will also help you bond with them too.

So, what have you learned today? Lets recap. Provide your dog with Mental Stimulation, Physical Exercise, and Training. Your Hyper Dog will soon be your Calm Dog!

Enjoy! If you found this blog post helpful, please comment below and share it with your friends.

If you need further help than this post this Book will be beneficial for you and your dog.

Image Credits:
Top Pic - Cobalt123 @ Flickr
Bottom Pic - StuartDootson @ Flickr

Amy @ Talented K9
talentedk9@yahoo.com
www.talentedk9.com

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