Posts Tagged ‘Help’
Dog Clean-Up Continued
Well, I have to report that the vegetable oil was awesome in helping me remove all the tar from Xena’s feet. It was a big worry, because she had a huge amount of very sticky tar on all four paws, so her ability to cool down was compromised. The vegetable oil made chemical changes to the tar over a 24 hour period so that it could easily be picked and washed off. Of course, she was not steady on her feet after the initial application!
The other great piece of news is that courtesy of the Skunk Whisperer, we now have a good recipe for removing the skunk smell from dogs and their collars. It is a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid dish soap, see www.totalwildlifecontrol.com. This recipe comes with all sorts of warnings, because it can be an irritant, so be sure to wash your dog after it has done its work, keep it away from eyes, etc. and make sure your dog gets plenty of oils for his/her skin. And you can’t prepare it in advance – it has to be freshly made each time! But it worked much better than the commercial remedy I was trying. (But I still think that Skunk Off is a good commercial remedy, I just didn’t have any.)
Clicker Expo Austin
I had a companion with me – Bailey, the weather pup. Bailey is all kinds of a terrier, and she was out of her comfort zone being in a hotel environment. She is called Bailey the weather pup because she alerts us to storms. She goes very quiet and tries to hide under something when a storm is on its way or when there are high winds. On one occasion, not long after she came to live with me, I found her hiding in the pantry as a storm approached. I got down on hands and knees to call her out, and she ran out and hid under me!
During the Expo, she lay down under my chair for the sessions (which were typically an hour and a half long), and she was extremely well-behaved. When we came out of a session, she focused straight in on the glass doors and windows. The message was clear – I’m a dog, I need to be outdoors having fun! At lunch breaks, we drove to a Starbucks and I sat outside with a coffee while Bailey and I practiced clicker exercises.
My friend Gail was kind enough to put Bailey and me up while we were at the Expo. Gail has 2 dogs and 3 cats, so it was a very simpatico household. Once again, Bailey was a credit – she didn’t try to steal any food or make trouble with the dogs or the cats. Of course, she is a terrier – so she did manage to take possession of the most comfortable dog bed several times.
Bailey needs frequent reminders of her place in the household. Even on a 4 day trip away from home, she realized some of the rules had changed, and tried to rewrite her personal bill of rights. We had to do a few exercises to remind her that she is not the leader of the pack! A reminder – any time you travel or make changes in the household (moving house, gaining or losing a pet or human household member), dogs will investigate to see how this changes their status. You need to enforce the same rules, and increase regular brief training sessions. In Bailey’s case, that meant reminding her that she is allowed up on furniture only when invited up by a human, and then she has to get down again as soon as she is told to. And lots of work on Down and Down-Stay, as well as the fun targeting and tricks.
New Year’s Resolutions
I resolve to work with each of my dogs every day. Just a few minutes a day on simple commands or fun tricks helps build the bond, and solidifies the household hierarchy.
I resolve to make sure that my dogs get enough exercise every day. Most dogs don’t spend their free time making sure they get enough aerobic exercise: they do that when they have exciting company – us. A well-exercised dog is a well-behaved dog.
I resolve to make sure my dogs get out and socialize with other dogs and people. The more they encounter social situations, the better they behave. Most Starbucks have outside seating – I like to just sit there and drink a coffee while my dog gets to be with me and learns about the world I inhabit. Letting a dog play in a dog park for half an hour allows him to let off steam, but doesn’t teach the same social skills.
For ideas on other ways to improve your relationship with your dog, check our our website www.eurekapaws.com or email us at eurekapaws@yahoo.com .
New Dog for the Holidays?
Pay attention!
Many, many people will have adopted a new dog over the last few weeks. A dog is a wonderful addition to the family, and will reward you with affection, companionship, and entertainment for years to come. And adding a family member is so easy, people do it every day.
But a dog is also an individual with his/her own outlook on life, insecurities, and needs. And unfortunately, we don’t understand each other as well as we would like. If you are having problems, please don’t let it get worse – ask for help now! Usually, it is easiest to deal with problems as soon as they emerge. Once your dog has learned to act one way in your home, it is harder to “unlearn”.
When I adopted my first dog, we spent a long time miscommunicating with each other. My mission is to help you and your dog communicate, so that you can have a happy and peaceful home. It doesn’t matter if there are just 2 of you, or if your household consists of adults, children, and other pets.
At Eureka! Canine Behavior Specialists, we help people and their dogs. “Improving your relationship with your dog – one paw at a time!” I’ll be posting specific recommendations here on a regular basis – if you want to ask questions, take a look at the website www.eurekapaws.com and email or call us (or just respond to this post).
Topics I plan to cover – basic training, family hierarchy, exercise, nutrition. So you don’t feel alone, I’ll tell you about some of my current and previous customers, the challenges they faced and how we overcame them.
Eureka! Canine Behavior Specialists is based in Collin County, Texas (in the Dallas/Fort Worth area).
