Rock and Rollover K-9 Training Club News

How to Socialize Your Dog From Home

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 14:18:26 GMT

How to Socialize Your Dog From Home

Puppies have a short time window for optimal socialization, and that requires exposure to multiple different surfaces, people of all backgrounds, and various new situations. But what about the puppies who happen to be within that window now, during this time of necessary social distancing due to COVID-19 ? How can they be socialized so they can grow to be confident and happy dogs for the rest of their lives?

The Goals of Socialization

First, it’s important to keep in mind the goals of puppy socialization . Paul Owens, professional dog trainer and bestselling author of The Dog Whisperer books, points out that “socialization does not mean putting a dog in a new situation and seeing what happens. Socialization means introducing new situations and making them safe, positive, confidence-building experiences.”

Certified dog trainer and CGC evaluator Jacqui Foster, CPDT-KA, agrees: “As one of my mentors says, ‘Absence of one bad experience far outweighs 100 good experiences!'” She adds that each puppy learns differently, so “work with the dog in front of you … I tend to lean more towards developing self-confidence in the puppy, rather than flooding the dog with loads of people, noises, and experiences.”

The Most Important Exposures for Your Puppy

There are certain new situations to which all puppies should be exposed if possible, preferably during the first 16 weeks of life, and the good news is that most of these can be accomplished in and around your own home. Each positive experience builds your puppy’s self-confidence. These exposures include:

Different surfaces: grass, leaves, concrete, gravel, linoleum, carpet, wood, sand, etc.
Different sounds: think of all the everyday sounds around your home, including hairdryers, phone ringtones, radios, vacuum cleaners, and more. There are even recordings of sounds like thunder and other dogs barking that you can download for your puppy to hear. Be sure to make each noise exposure a positive experience by acting happy around the sound and associating the sound with yummy treats, and watch your puppy for any signs of stress .
Other dogs: this can be done if you have other dogs in the neighborhood you know and trust to be safe and well-mannered with your puppy. It will be important for you to know the other dogs’ owners as well; the best-case scenario would be to have a trusted, healthy friend who is also a dog owner, as you could then arrange safe play dates with the other dog while maintaining a safe distance from the other owner (more on this below).
Other people: this may be the most difficult of all at this time, but there are still ways to achieve this exposure for your puppy. Certainly have your puppy socialize with all the members of your household who are healthy. You can also let your puppy look out the window of your home as other people go by, and let your puppy see you act happy about those people. Also, consider all that your puppy can see and hear from the safety of your own car.

Safe Puppy Play Dates and Walks

Your first worry may be that your puppy can pick up or spread COVID-19 to you or other humans. However, statements from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have all emphasized that, based on the available evidence, dogs cannot transmit COVID-19 to humans .

Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH, is a medical epidemiologist and public health physician with expertise in pandemic planning and response; she trained at the CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer. She notes the importance of paying close attention while out on a walk so as to maintain your own six feet of space from the nearest human being—that’s the length of a six-foot leash—and, above all, the vital importance of washing your hands for at least 20 seconds after every encounter.

Dr. Moore adds, “It’s helpful to identify trusted friends that you know will tell you if they develop any symptoms of illness and that you can trust when they say they’re feeling well, who can spend time with your puppy.”

She also notes that “being outside is a great thing for people to do. The outside is an open environment with air that’s well-circulated; you’re able to stay more than six feet apart, so that’s a good environment for puppies to socialize in. I would have no issue with someone petting my puppy if they’re also healthy and have no symptoms [as long as] when you come back in from your walking and socializing, you wash your hands thoroughly.”

Crate Training Is Still Important

Even though you may currently be at home all day, your puppy still needs a structured schedule to reduce stress on everyone and to let the puppy know what is expected. Trainer and dog sports enthusiast Alexa Hagood, LVMT, states that this is a good opportunity to institute periods of “alone time,” like crate and nap breaks, so the puppy doesn’t develop separation anxiety when you do return to your place of work. Crate training can be an invaluable tool for your puppy at this time, just as with any other time.

As Hagood puts it, “Just because someone is home with the puppy, doesn’t mean they need to be with the puppy 24/7. Crate breaks, even when brief, can help the puppy become acclimated to going in the crate and having some alone time, even when people are home.” She recommends starting with feeding times inside the crate (for five to ten minutes), and when the owner needs to do daily chores.

Is This a Good Time to Get a Puppy?

While Dr. Moore acknowledges that puppies can be a wonderful source of joy and distraction during stressful times, Paul Owens suggests thinking hard and being extra prepared if this will be your first puppy. He notes that “all the things related to having a new puppy, like vet visits, grooming, and socialization, can be more of a challenge” at this time. He adds, “But the first thing I would suggest, if a dog does come into a home, is to contact a professional trainer.”

Enlisting the help of a professional trainer can still be done during social distancing—you can do so over the phone or via online sessions, which many trainers are now offering. For example, AKC GoodDog! Helpline is live telephone service that connects you with a professional trainer. The trainer will offer virtual, individualized advice on everything from house-training to behavioral issues.

Yasmine S. Ali, MD is a cardiologist and writer in Tennessee, where she lives with three Canine Good Citizens.

Stuck at home with a new puppy? Training your dog during COVID-19 can be difficult without access to normal training classes. That’s why we’re here to help you virtually, through AKC GoodDog! Helpline . This live telephone service connects you with a professional trainer who will offer unlimited, individualized advice on everything from house-training to behavioral issues.

The Power of Proper Puppy Socialization and Training Classes

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 14:12:50 GMT

The Power of Proper Puppy Socialization and Training Classes

Most dog owners have no doubt heard about the importance of socializing their puppy . Proper socialization means providing positive experiences with as many new people, dogs, and situations as possible. It’s essential for developing a confident and well-adjusted adult dog that is comfortable with all life has to offer. Unfortunately, despite the significance, many people aren’t providing enough socialization for their young canine companions. New research from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph shows that puppy classes are an important part of ensuring that your dog is properly socialized.

The researchers sampled 296 puppy owners across North America, giving them questionnaires when they enrolled in the study and again when their puppies were 20 weeks old. The results showed that nearly one-third of the puppies in the study received only minimal exposure to people and dogs outside the home. The researchers defined “minimal exposure” as interactions with up to five dogs and 10 people in a two-week period. That may seem like a full social calendar, but it’s nowhere near what a puppy needs for proper socialization. The researchers warn that a lack of socialization opportunities can lead to behavior problems down the road.

In his book, “ Before & After Getting Your Puppy ,” Dr. Ian Dunbar recommends that your puppy meet at least 100 different people in his first month at home. That should include individuals of different heights, ages, and ethnic backgrounds, as well as people with glasses, canes, hats, umbrellas, in wheelchairs, etc. One of the easiest ways to contribute to this necessary level of socialization is to attend puppy classes.

Almost half of the puppies in the present study attended puppy classes, and those dogs were exposed to more canine friends and people, including children, than the sheltered puppies that received only minimal exposure. Class participants were also more likely to expose their puppies to new situations involving loud noises, large trucks, and people at the front door.

As a result, those puppies that attended classes were less likely to show nervousness or have symptoms of separation anxiety . For example, they had fewer fear responses to things such as their crate or a vacuum cleaner.

There wasn’t just a difference between the pups. Owners who attended puppy class treated their dogs differently than those who did not attend a class. Attendees were more likely to reward their canine companion’s good behavior. They didn’t use verbal corrections as often and were far less likely to punish their dogs — redirecting negative behaviors instead. (For example, if a puppy is chewing on the furniture, they might redirect his attention to a chew toy .)

This has important implications. Dogs that are trained using positive methods , such as those used by the puppy class attendees, learn to enjoy training and develop an eagerness to please. Positive methods also foster trust and communication between owner and puppy, leading to a stronger bond. In keeping with other studies, the current research found that the owners who used punishment reported more fearful behavior in their pups. So, not only did the class-attending puppies gain valuable confidence, their owners learned training techniques that further prevented fear and anxiety in their dogs.

This research showed that puppy classes are an effective and essential component of socialization. But not all classes cover the same material. The researchers discovered that although more than 80 percent of the classes taught behaviors such as “ sit ” or “ down ,” only 70 percent allowed the puppies to play with each other. And, unfortunately, less than half covered experiences such as gradual exposure to noises or trading items to prevent resource guarding . So, choose your puppy class with care. Look for a curriculum with the maximum value for socialization — trainer supervised and controlled interaction between puppies to encourage proper dog-to-dog behaviors; exposure to new sights, sounds, and smells; and handling and restraint exercises. Talk to the instructor before enrolling, and ask if you can visit a class to ensure positive methods are used and that puppy playtime is conducted in a safe matter (i.e. larger, boisterous puppies are not allowed to bully smaller, shy ones).

Don’t ignore the power of proper socialization. Make sure that your new puppy has as many positive experiences as possible to build his confidence and develop his character. Even if you’ve trained dogs before, don’t skip classes. Your dog will learn more than basic obedience behavior — he will learn to feel comfortable out in the world!

Crate Training Benefits: Why A Crate Is Great for You and Your Dog

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 14:05:00 GMT

Crate Training Benefits: Why A Crate Is Great for You and Your Dog

Crate training is a vitally important part of bringing a dog of any age into your life and home.
Puppies, adult dogs, and seniors can all benefit in one way or another from being properly crate trained.
Crate training gives dogs a sense of security and safety and helps give owners greater peace of mind.

Breeders and Vets Recommend Crate Training Your Dog

Although many dog owners may feel guilty for crate training their canine companion, enclosed spaces create a shelter for your dog to rest and relax. In fact, dogs instinctively seek small spaces to create protective shelters for themselves. Crates are useful training tools for puppies, safe havens for senior dogs , and lifesavers for emergencies .

Most veterinarians , trainers, and breeders recommend crate training dogs from a young age. Crate training is an essential part of housebreaking puppies , as dogs don’t like to soil their sleeping quarters. They learn to hold their bladder while they’re in their crate, so you won’t have to clean up messes.

“We recommend crate training every dog because you never know what’s going to happen in the future,” says Christine Kroh, intake coordinator at Beagles to the Rescue .

In emergencies, crate training can be the difference between safety and uncertainty. You must be able to evacuate your dog efficiently, so having a cooperative dog get into a crate quickly saves crucial time. Having dogs secured during evacuations reduces the chance of them getting lost or injured. It also allows your dog to stay with you during an emergency, since dogs typically have to be crate trained to remain in shelters with their owners.

Crate Training Makes Life Easier

For dogs that aren’t crate trained, crates may be the scariest part of a harried situation. Crate training can help prevent compounding a dog’s stress during emergencies. In worse case scenarios, dogs may be required to be on crate rest when recovering from surgery. Dogs are less likely to have complications following surgery when they can peacefully relax rather than accidentally aggravate injuries because they can’t settle down in a crate.

Crate training comes in handy during everyday life for dogs who might need a break from a bustling household or a familiar place to rest. Crates help dogs learn to self soothe, or deal with their anxiety , during situations where they become distressed, like during fireworks , a thunderstorm, or construction. Dogs can retreat to their crates when situations are too chaotic or scary. It also helps dogs confront new situations successfully, like the addition of a new baby having company over.

“If the dog’s freaking out, they think: ‘I can go hide in my crate and it’s safe here and nobody’s gonna bother me’. That helps them out for their lifetime,” says Kroh.

Crates make it easier to safely transport your dog by car or by air during long-distance travel or vacations. Crate training makes long car rides more pleasant for both humans and canines. Crates allow dogs to lay down and sleep without distracting the driver. It’s especially important for a dog to know how to behave in a crate during a flight since dogs must be contained on airplanes. You want to avoid sedating dogs during air travel since the American Veterinary Medical Association advises that sedation can increase the risk of heart or respiratory problems.

Crate Training Benefits Dogs of All Ages

Crates keep curious puppies safely sequestered when you’re not able to supervise them. Dogs instinctively try to keep their sleeping areas clean. As such, the crate helps puppies learn to hold and strengthen their bladder and bowel muscles, making housebreaking less of a chore for you and your dog.

“When they’re puppies, the crate really is the major tool that will help you house train,” says trainer Heike Purdon. “It teaches them that freedom is a privilege and you get more space as your house training skills become better.”

Crate training early in a dog’s life prevents introducing unnecessary stress later. When older dogs are dealing with illnesses like incontinence, arthritis , or canine cognitive dysfunction, they don’t need the additional stress of learning new rules.

Crate training helps senior dogs deal with health issues by providing a restful place to rest their joints or take frequent naps , prevents nighttime wandering, and makes transporting them to vet appointments easier. Crates also create safe havens for older dogs. They may be especially in need of this when surrounded by rambunctious children or other dogs.

Crate Training Benefits All Types of Dogs

For rescue dogs, a crate provides a safe space to adjust to their new surroundings as well as the luxury of not having to fight for their own space. Crates provide comfort to rescue dogs, since some are fearful around certain people or environments. This is particularly true for dogs with a traumatic past of neglect or abuse. Crates allow rescue dogs to know they have their own territory and no one will hurt them in it.

“With rescue dogs, the biggest behavioral issues we see are barking and being destructive,” says Kroh.

Many rescue dogs don’t have socialization skills, which can result in problems with destruction or barking . Crate training will improve their confidence and curtail problematic behavior.

Crate training benefits hunting dogs , keeping them comfortable during hunts and on the road. Of course, this also benefits hunters, since they’ll appreciate containing wet and muddy dogs. Many hunting dogs have spent most of their lives outside and have had little interaction with humans. Kroh advises crate training them the same way you would a puppy.

Since dogs feel responsible for their own territory, insecure dogs need less space to protect. A crate (rather than the entire house) means less territory to patrol, making it easier for them to relax.

Tips for Successful Crate Training

The first and most important step in crate training is making it a positive experience. Try feeding them meals or treats in their crate so crate time feels like a reward. Never leave dogs in their crate all day. Limit crate time based on how long they spend in their crate daily, their age, and level of house training.

Understanding the need for crate training is just the first step, but the training itself is another matter entirely. Make sure to do extensive research on how to crate train your dog , and be sure to stick to your plan to ensure the greatest chance of success.

10 Ways to Give Your Dog More Mental Stimulation

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:56:51 GMT

10 Ways to Give Your Dog More Mental Stimulation

Looking for some ways to help tire out your dog and keep them busy? If so try adding more mental stimulation into their routine.

Instead of just adding more physical exercise to your dog’s routine add in a few brain games to really tire them out. Mental stimulation enriches our dogs lives by giving them something meaningful to do. And because these activities alleviate boredom they decrease the likelihood of our dogs developing behavioral issues such as excessive chewing or barking.

If you’re looking for some easy ways to exercise your dog’s brain here’s 10 ways to give your dog more mental stimulation.

Tip : If you’re looking for even more ways to keep your dog busy be sure to check out 33 ways to keep your dog busy indoors & 26 boredom busters for dogs .

1. Have Your Dog Work For Their Food

Our dogs have it pretty easy when it comes to meal time. Most of us just set their bowl down & let them go at it. Now there’s nothing wrong with that, but it is a far cry from their natural scavenging habits. So if you want to add some more mental stimulation to your dogs routine you can start with changing up their feeding routine. Instead of just handing over their food a few times a day you can make a fun game out of it for your dog.

My favorite method is using a food dispensing toy such as the Kong Wobbler or Bob-A-Lot . You place your dogs meals in the toy and they have to roll it around in order to get the food to come out of the hole. And yes – it can be a bit noisy, but it’s well worth it when you see how satisfying it is for your dog.

2. Let Your Dog Sniff & Explore on Walks

Getting to go for a walk is one of the most exciting parts of your dogs day. You can give them some more mental stimulation by letting them stop & sniff around some more. It’s true that walking is great physical exercise, but for dogs it’s also about exploration. Sure you may have walked down your road a million times now, but that certainly doesn’t mean there’s not new & exciting smells for your dog to check out everyday.

And if you’re not comfortable with letting your dog lead you around on walks you can designate certain areas or times for free sniffing. Just teach your dog a cue such as “ go sniff ” and let them explore for awhile. You’d be surprised at how much more tired dogs are after a walk that includes exploration & sensory enrichment (sniffing) rather than just walking a straight line.

3. Get Your Dog a Puzzle Toy

Puzzle toys are a nice and easy way to keep your dog busy & entertained. Interactive toys like puzzles help keep your dog focused on a task, and that added extra mental stimulation goes a long way. One extra 15 minute game a day can such a huge difference to your dog. It gives them something to focus on, and that extra meaning in their day helps when it comes to alleviating problem behaviors.

Puzzle toys are great because they give your dog a chance to use some of their natural problem solving abilities. And by keeping your dog engaged with interactive toys you can help boost their confidence & tire them out mentally.

Now keep in mind not all puzzle toys are loved equally by all dogs. My dog prefers a frozen Kong stuffed with treats over puzzle toys that lay flat on the ground. A frozen Kong will keep her busy for 30+ minutes, while a puzzle toy usually lasts 2. So if you’re not sure if your dog is into puzzles I suggest making one out of a muffin tin & tennis balls to gauge their interest.

4. Teach Your Dog Some New Tricks

How many tricks does your dog know? Do they have a good stay, come here & lay down? Well the good news is there’s a lot more you can teach them that goes beyond the basics. With trick training there’s always more to add.

Teaching your dog a new trick or command is great for mental stimulation, and it can be especially helpful with shy or fearful dogs. All that training will help boost your dogs confidence , and it strengthens the bond between dog & owner. Learning new commands can also help increase your dogs focus and impulse control (manners).

Not sure what to teach your dog next? Here’s a great list of 52 tricks to get you started. One of my favorite tricks is weaving between legs . It looks really cool & impressive, but it was surprisingly one of the easiest tricks to teach.

5. Play Some Nose Work Games

One of my dogs favorite activities is some basic nose work games . Having your dog use their nose to find things is a really simple way to help them hone in one their natural skills. And all that searching will provide your dog with a lot more mental stimulation in their daily routine.

Our favorite game is ‘ go find it .’ I’ll chop up a carrot or two into small bits and hide them throughout the house. You can use any treat you like, but when you’re first starting out I recommend sticking to something smelly since it might take them a few tries to really get the hang of it.

As you have your dog in a stay position go hide some of those treats around the house. If you’ve never done any nose work games before start with some easy spots & be sure to encourage your dog when he finds them. Keep it fun & exciting for them by praising them every time they find a treat. After they get the hang of it you can start hiding them in harder to find spots, encouraging them to use their nose more and rely less on visuals.

6. Teach Your Dog the Names of Their Toys

Does your dog know the names of their toys? My dog loves the ‘go find it’ game, and we play it toys as well as treats. I mean don’t get me wrong – I love using treats, but if we used them all the time my dog would probably end up overweight. So we started using toys as well. I started using this game after I saw those amazing videos of Chaser the Border Collie who knows the names of over 1000 toys. To say she’s an inspiration is a bit of an understatement.

The first step is making sure your dog knows the name of the item you’re going to be hiding. If you’re starting with a certain toy I recommend sitting down with them & that toy (and in this case let’s say you’re using ‘pink bear’). With pink bear on the ground in front of you tell your dog ‘pink bear.’ As soon as they touch it or grab it praise them like crazy.

Now once you’ve done this a few times you can add in a different toy in addition to pink bear. Just be sure to go slowly to ensure that your dog knows exactly what ‘pink bear’ is before you move on to another. So once your dog knows the name of a few items you have them ‘go find pink bear’ or ‘go find yellow bird.’

7. Play Some Free Shaping Games

If you haven’t heard of 101 things to do with a box you’ve been missing out on some fun training opportunities. The basic principle of shaping games is to encourage our dogs to try something new. By giving our dogs the chance to make their own decisions we can increase their mental and physical flexibility.

You start out with a box on the ground and without any cues let your dog investigate and decide what to do. Shaping can be used with any item, not just a box. Here’s a great video of shape training a dog to crawl under an object.

8. Make an Obstacle Course For Your Dog

Teaching your dog how to go through an obstacle course is a nice mental workout for them. And if you don’t have any agility jumps or poles at home don’t worry; you can make your own , or just use some stuff in your house as alternatives.

I’m not quite crafty enough to make my own agility course, so I opted for using alternatives at home. We use a blanket, some toys and a few orange hazard cones I picked up at the local thrift store. Now my little course doesn’t look anything like a professional one, but it’s really useful in teaching my dog new tricks.

You can teach your dog to ‘go to your blanket,’ ‘jump over this broomstick’ or ‘weave’ through cones. Whatever commands work with what you’ve got set up. And the benefit of putting these obstacles together like this is that it’s a really big mental workout for your dog. You’re not just asking them to do one thing, you’re asking them to do one thing after another.

9. Engage in More Interactive Play With Your Dog

Our dogs love playing with us, and engaging in interactive play is one of the easiest ways to keep them mentally stimulated. And I know play seems awfully basic, but it’s easy to underestimate just how important play is for our dogs. Recent studies have found that the more play a dog engages in the less likely they are to suffer from behavioral issues .

Interactive play is when you actively engage with your dog. Playing a game of tug or fetch is interactive play, and those sorts of games help tremendously when it comes to giving your dog more mental stimulation. And any of those fun games will help strengthen your bond. Tug is my favorite game to play because it’s great physical exercise, it’s a lot of fun, and it helps our dogs work on their impulse control.

10. Play the Shell Game With Your Dog

Do you know what the shell game is? It’s a game where you hide a treat under one of 3 identical containers, and then you shuffle them around letting the participant choose the correct container.

To play the shell game with your dog you let them watch as you place a treat under one of the cups. Shuffle them around and then encourage them to ‘find the treat.’ The shell game will give your dog more mental stimulation, and it’s an easy way to help them work on their problem solving skills.

How Do You Give Your Dog More Mental Stimulation?

How do you give your dog mental exercise? Do you let your dog sniff & explore on walks? Do you play a lot of tug? Does your dog eat their meals out of a puzzle toy? Did I miss any of your favorite brain games for dogs?

11 Ways To Tire Out A Dog In A Small Space

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:49:57 GMT

11 Ways To Tire Out A Dog In A Small Space

You’ve planned an awesome hike in the mountains that’s sure to tire your dog out! But what if it rains? Or you sprain your ankle? And you’re stuck in a hotel room.

Maybe you live in a small space, like a boat, RV, or New York City apartment. When your square footage is limited, getting creative will help your dog burn off energy.

So, can you exercise your dog indoors—even in a small space? You bet!

How We Tire Out A Boat Dog

We live on a boat that is ten feet wide at the broadest part. And we have a Golden Retriever. Since we’re not always hanging out on a cool beach, we’ve found ways to tire out a dog in a small space. Even if you’re not a sailor, you can make use of the same skills!

Whether your small space is an apartment, hotel room, adventure van, RV, or vacation rental, you’ll have enough space to tire out any dog.

Here’s what you need to know:

Large dogs are harder to exercise in tight quarters than small dogs. But giving a large dog a good workout is still absolutely possible.
Dogs get more tired when you work their brains as well as their bodies.
You can buy (or make) many cool accessories that will help you tire out your pup.

The key to a happy and tired dog is being a creative owner!

11 Ways To Tire Out A Dog In A Small Space

These are some of the best ways we’ve found to work your dog’s body and brain indoors:

1. Rotate The Toys

Do you keep your dog’s same old toys hanging around all the time? Stop it! Your dog will show much more interest in playing with toys that are new to her.

You don’t need to spend money on new toys all the time. Just hide the ones she hasn’t paid attention to for a while and then surprise her with them a few weeks later.

If she’s an enthusiastic toy lover (like our Honey), she’ll do a good job of tiring herself out just by jumping around with her long, lost toy.

Pro tip: Add “Hide dog toys” to your trip planning to-do list a week or so before leaving on vacation. Then pack the toys your dog has been missing for your trip.

2. Play Hide & Seek

Our boat is too small for this game. But it’s a favorite when we get to shore.

Wait until your dog is distracted by a treat, person, or ball. Then slip into a closet or duck behind a piece of large furniture. If your dog doesn’t come looking for you right away, call her name. Make a big fuss and give her a treat when she finds you.

This game also comes in handy if you have trouble getting your dog to come back at the dog park!

3. Set Up An Obstacle Course

There are tons of ways to tire your dog out with an obstacle course. You can place tape across a doorway to create jumps for your dog to go over or limbo bars for him to go under.

Pro Tip: Pack a roll of blue painter’s tape in your dog’s travel gear to use in hotels and vacation properties.

You can also rearrange the furniture for them to wind around. Have them jump up on and off the couch and other furniture if it’s allowed. Remember to be respectful – not all lodgings want pets on the furniture.

All of our furniture on the boat is pet friendly. So we use Honey’s favorite stuffed toys to encourage her to jump on and off the settees and climb the first few steps of our ladder.

4. Play The Shell Game

To play the shell game you’ll need a few extra-smelly treats and two cups. Show your dog the treat and let her watch you put it under one of the two cups.

Switch the cups once or twice and ask your pup to find the treat. Most dogs will knock over the cup hiding the treat.

As your dog learns the game, make it more difficult. You can add a third cup, use a milder smelling treat, or spend more time moving the cups around.

5. Chase Bubbles to Tire Out a Dog

Dogs with a strong prey drive love chasing bubbles. Just whip out your wand and let your dog pop bubbles until she’s tired!

Make sure you use a bubble mixture that won’t hurt your dog’s eyes. You can get bacon-scented or peanut butter-scented bubbles (yes, really!). Or make your own – which is less interesting, but safe – using glycerin and water.

Pro Tip: If you need your pup to be entertained while you’re on a conference call, the automatic bubble blower is a good investment!

6. Feed Your Dog Using A Food Toy

If your dog has to work to get her food, the effort will tire her out and keep her from gobbling down her meal at the same time.

We’ve been feeding Honey out of food toys since she was 8-weeks old. Her first was a plastic bottle balanced on its opening. We’d put her kibble inside, balance the bottle on its neck, and encourage her to knock it over with her nose. While she was eating what fell out, we’d set the bottle up again.

From there she graduated to more advanced toys, including the Kong Wobbler which requires her to work the toy all over the room to get her full meal.

The result of feeding Honey from food toys? She takes a deep nap immediately after eating.

If you’re concerned about the noise your dog might make while playing with the KONG Wobbler, try a snuffle mat instead.

And, if your dog is particularly clever, get a food puzzle that makes them solve problems to release their food.

The mental energy required by food toys paired with the arousing scent of food stimulating the brain will tire your dog out faster than a long romp at the dog park!

7. Play Fetch

Some dogs love to fetch. But it’s not always convenient to take them outside. Don’t worry, fetch is also a great game inside. If you don’t live in a museum, that is.

We’ve played fetch on the stairs, using toys that make weird bounces like a Kong Wubba . Using the stairs for a game of fetch keeps the game contained while forcing your dog to run up and down — using more energy.

8. Wrestle Or Play Tug

Honey loves playing tug, and the Kong Wubba works great for this, too! My husband also gets down on the ground and wrestles with Honey. They both enjoy a little roughhousing, as long as it’s under control.

If your dog gets overexcited with this kind of game, you might want to avoid it. But for some dogs, rolling around on the floor with their favorite person is loads of fun.

9. Trick Training

Nothing works your dog’s brain better than training. And teaching her to do tricks is fun for you both!

Shaping is a training method in which you reward your dog for getting closer to a behavior, one tiny step at a time. For example, to train your dog to shut the door, say yes and give him a treat if he faces the door. Once he’s reliably facing the door to receive a reward, wait for him to move closer to the door before giving him a treat. Work your way through the steps until your dog is touching, and then pushing the door with his nose for a reward.

The best part is, you’ll never run out of things to teach your dog !

10. Play Nose Work Games to Tire Out a Dog

We took a great class on playing nose work games at our local SPCA and Honey LOVED it. Now we use nose work games to tire her out when we’re stuck on board the boat in bad weather.

When she hears me say, “Find it,” Honey knows to start sniffing out the treats I’ve hidden around the boat. Using her nose tires her out better than anything else we do.

You have to train your dog to understand what you want him to do when you give the command, “Find it.” But it’s worth the effort because nose work is a fun way to tire out your dog no matter where you are .

11. Give Your Dog A Stimulating Chew Toy

Honey loves soft, stuffed toys with a squeaker. But in a pinch, a crinkly water bottle inside a sweat sock tied in a knot is a fun substitute. (And it gives you a way to use unpaired socks that come out of the dryer!)

For some reason, most dogs go crazy for the sound of a crinkly water bottle. And the crunch, crunch, crunching is a great way to tire out your dog.

You can also make your own “chews” by mixing up a dehydrated dog food like the The Honest Kitchen, stuffing it in a West Paw Zygoflex Tux toy and freezing it overnight.

Congratulations, you now know how to tire out a dog!

Hopefully, you’ll find at least a few of these ideas work well to tire out your dog out the next time you’re stuck indoors.

Remember to choose an activity that’s a good fit for your pup.
Supervise your dog. Don’t leave him alone in a hotel room or camper with a toy or chew until you know it’s absolutely safe for him.
Know your dog’s limits. A senior pup with joint issues is not the best candidate for playing fetch on the stairs. And a dog who destroys toys might be better suited to trick training than chewing on a stuffed sock.

Most of all, keep it fun! You might find that your dog is as happy to hang out inside with you as he is to roam the mountains or go swimming on a beach.

The Truth About Dominance

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:00:24 GMT

Dogs are not on a quest for world domination. They are not socialized wolves who are constantly striving to be ‘top dog’ over us, and they are not hard-wired to try and control every situation.

Contrary to what traditional training ideologies and much modern media would have you believe, most canine behavior problems stem from insecurity and/or a desire to seek and maintain safety and comfort – not from a desire to establish higher rank and be the ‘alpha’ over you.

Therefore, teaching dogs ‘who’s the boss’ by forcing them into some mythical state called ‘calm submission’ is precisely the opposite of what they actually need in order to learn effectively and overcome behavioral issues.

Much of this misunderstanding stems from the erroneous application of early studies of captive wolf packs to our understanding of the dynamics of our domestic dogs. There are two problems with extrapolating those wolf pack studies onto dogs:

1. Dogs and wolves are in fact quite different species.
and
2. The results of those studies have since been disproved by the very scientists who conducted them.

Despite this, terms such as 'alpha dog,' 'top dog,' and 'pack leader' have become part of our society’s readily accepted and commonly understood lexicon. Interestingly, when used to describe human concepts of leadership and rank hierarchy, these terms can indeed be useful and usually pose no problem. But issues begin to arise when we ascribe these concepts to our domesticated dogs, assuming incorrectly that dogs place the same value as we do on the practice of identifying who is of higher rank in any given situation.

Resisting the urge to assign our human insecurities onto how we believe our dogs think and feel is a prerequisite to being able to understand and build truly balanced and healthy relationships with our dogs.

The History of Dominance (in Science)
Our understanding of dominance has evolved over the past half-century as modern behavioral science has continued its study of inter-relationships within the animal world.

For clarity’s sake it is important to understand how the word 'dominance' became so prevalent in describing dog/dog and human/dog social relationships.

The term 'pecking order' was originally applied to explain the social hierarchies of domestic fowl in the 1920's by researchers who observed that chickens commonly established what they assumed tobe social rank by pecking at or threatening to peck each other.

Since then, more advanced studies on social hierarchies have been conducted on many other species, with researchers discovering that although dominant members of certain animal groups were more likely than others to display threatening or aggressive behavior, they most often asserted their influence (dominance) without the use of force. Other members of the group appeased their peers by offering deference (submission) behaviors to the more dominant members.

In other words, dominant relationships among animals are usually exerted without the use of force or threat of aggression, thereby reducing the potential for conflict.

Importantly, some of these studies were conducted on groups of captive wolves, with the findings ( since disproved) incorrectly applied to domestic dog behavior. Read more about why assuming dog and wolf behavior is similar is dangerous on the Dogs vs Wolves page .

New ParagraAlpha Dogs: Misunderstood
Traditional training theorists have led people to believe that social hierarchies among multidog households and human/dog families are rigid, with an 'alpha' (dog or person) at the top of the hierarchy and other members of the human or canine family fitting nicely into fixed slots underneath.

Although social hierarchies do exist among dogs, with certain dogs being more controlling than others, studies have shown that such dynamics are not fixed; rather, they are constantly changing.

Dogs that live in multidog households, for example, are usually able to work out among themselves who has primary access to what, depending on the value each dog places on a resource. For example, certain dogs might place more value on a food resource when it comes to feeding time, whereas others may desire priority to a preferred sleeping location. One dog might not necessarily (and usually does not) control access to every single resource, but will control only those that he deems to be of highest value to him. To maintain a safe and peaceful environment, a dog must be able to accept another’s desire for priority access to other resources. Squabbles and fights occur between dogs when equal value is placed on resources such as food, places, objects or people and desire for priority access increases competition and therefore confrontation.

Although disagreements still occur among dogs that have formed healthy relationships with each other, there are some dogs that display socially inappropriate behavior, disrupting the status quo by bullying others. Even though this bullying behavior might appear tough, these dogs are usually quite the opposite of confident and self-assured.

Misdiagnose the Issue, Prescribe the Wrong Treatment
Most of the dog-owning public has long been misled into thinking that treating dominance is the key to solving most dog behavior problems, when the reality is quite different.

Think of dog training in medical terms. As any doctor will tell you, if you don’t know what the root cause of a given problem is, you can’t effectively treat the problem. The diagnosis and treatment process can become clouded when too much emphasis is placed exclusively on symptoms rather than an investigation into possible root causes.

Obviously, if you misdiagnose the disease, you will also usually end up applying the wrong treatment to the patient. In a best-case scenario, the worst you’ve done is delay the patient’s recovery. Ideally, you’ll quickly realize the treatment isn’t working, have the humility to admit your mistake, and apply the correct remedy. In the worst case, however, an inappropriate treatment plan based on the misdiagnosis actually exacerbates the patient’s condition, making it even more difficult to solve if and when you realize your mistake.

Unfortunately for dogs, a misdiagnosis of their behavior problems as dominance-related usually leads to the worst-case scenario. The traditionally-prescribed behavior modification techniques designed to prevent dogs from ‘raising status’ over their owners usually include punishment, intimidation, and fear —precisely the opposite of what dogs really need in order to overcome most behavioral issues.

Bottom Line
Being 'dominant' in the animal world means that force or violence is seldom used to maintain the status quo, so why do some trainers and dog owners still believe that using forceful and punitive techniques to establish themselves as the 'alpha,' 'boss' or 'pack leader' is the correct way to train dogs? This misapplication is where the danger lies with respect to our confusion over what the word actually means.

People have allowed their human concept of dominance (based on accumulating power, establishing higher rank and exerting control in a forceful and sometimes violent way) to not only muddle their interpretation of canine relationships and social hierarchies but also to dictate how they attempt to manage and train dogs.

Science has shown us that forced submission is not at all representative of how animals, including dogs, establish healthy functional relationships between themselves or us.