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Dog Thoughts

New and Exciting Recall Words

2/8/2018

1 Comment

 
Since I am teaching a Recallers class right now, good recalls have been on my mind a lot lately. I've been looking at mistakes I have made and seen made in order to help my students have the best recall possible. The two biggest reasons that a recall falls apart are that the behavior hasn't been proofed enough and the dog learns that he/she doesn't have to listen. In the world of recall training, repetition, repetition, repetition will be your best friend. However, when your dog learns that a cue can be ignored, sometimes it is best to start with a new one and start from scratch retraining the behavior.

The other issue is that the cue has somehow been poisoned. The dog takes their sweet time getting back to their owner and the dog gets in trouble. The dog may make the association that this particular cue means trouble, so running the other way is self-preservation! Or, the dog is only called for unpleasant experiences, like baths and leaving the park. Of course they ignore the cue then. Again, the best thing to do in this case is to choose a new recall cue, and make it fun and positive every time the dog listens and returns.

Here is an extensive list of potential recall cues that may be novel to your dog. This is a good thing, because the dog has no association with this word. You can turn paying attention and listening to this cue to be the most fun thing in the world, with the best ever treats, play sessions and cuddles. Plus, it may be less likely that everyone else and their dog is using the same cue as you, lessening confusion for your dog. Enjoy, and let me know if you chose one of these cues in the comment sections!
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Indoor/Winter Fun and Games

12/23/2017

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Dogs Who could Use A Dog Walker

12/22/2017

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  • Active dogs: active dogs can really struggle with all that downtime while their people are away during the day. These are the dogs that want to be up moving, the faster the better. They want to be out sniffing, learning new things, chasing a tennis ball and playing. These are also the dogs who can create their own fun during the day if it is not provided for them. These are the dogs who wear paths in the yard from running around and dig giant holes. While a daily walk is not going to be all the exercise your active dog needs, it may help them to be more settled and relaxed throughout the day. 
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  • Overweight dogs: dogs get overweight for the same reasons we do. They are eating more calories than they are burning. Maybe the dogs are using their sad puppy eyes to their advantage and are snagging extra treats or maybe they are still eating the same amount of food they did when they were active and growing. Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to take some of that weight off. Just as with people, weight issues can shorten a dog’s life, leading to stroke or heart attack, joint pain and arthritis. Our dogs already have a shorter lifespan than we want, so why are we shortening their lives even more. A daily walk, along with reduced food intake, will help dogs to take the weight off and help them to live a longer and more comfortable life. 
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  • Puppies: there is nothing cuter than a bright eyed, curious puppy. They are learning so much about the world around them and are always ready for an adventure. Except when they are napping of course. Puppies do have to wait until they have all of their shots to get to go out for long walks, but even having someone come by to help train them on a leash and play in the yard is helpful. Plus, hiring a dog walker can help you along with the housebreaking process. Walks can help puppies relax, learn, explore and socialize. 
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  • Adolescent dogs: this is age when more dogs are surrendered to the shelter than any other.  Why is this? Well, for starters, if an owner hasn’t taken time out to teach their puppy what their behavior expectations are, then suddenly, they have a full grown dog with no manners. Adolescent dogs are no longer adorable puppies and are often still growing into their feet and limbs. They might be gangly and awkward and are still getting used to their size. Sometimes the novelty has worn off, leaving pet owners realizing that a dog is a lot of work. Oftentimes they might find themselves with a large, high energy, overgrown puppy on their hands and have no idea what to do. If you find yourself  in this situation, a dog walker can be helpful when it comes to exercising the dog and teaching the dog some of the social manners they are going to need for the rest of their lives. This might be the thing that helps the dog be able to transition from being  that cute puppy to being a forever member of the family. 
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  • Newly adopted dogs: It is always so exciting to bring a new dog into the home. Whether it be a rescue or a rehome situation, this is a big transition to you and your new dog. Maybe your dog is feeling anxious or unsure. Whatever is going on, having some consistency is going to help this transition. More than likely, you want your new dog to be socialized to new people and places. Maybe you have discovered that the new dog has never seen a leash before or isn’t as well housebroken as you might have been led to believe. Having a dog walker come in can probably help ease the transition, can help you follow through on housebreaking, can help teach the dog to walk on a leash, can socialize the dog to new people and can make the dog feel more at home. 
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  • Senior dogs: it is tough to watch our beloved dogs get older. When we see them not get as excited for things as they used to or see them not able to jump as high, it can be a difficult time. Dogs, just like people, can also get dementia of sorts, called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. One of the best ways to keep your dog’s mind sharp is to give them plenty of opportunities to keep using it. There are dogs up in their teens who still compete in agility or rally-obedience, because their brains are kept healthy and exercised. While daily walks might not be the answer to all of the age related issues a dog may face, it certainly won’t hurt.  Plus, if the dog is finding it harder to hold it between morning and night, a dog walker can help your dog stay housebroken. Just like the mind, the body is also more likely to break down if not used. A dog walker should understand that a senior dog can’t go as fast or as far as a young dog, but getting some daily exercise may keep the dog’s joints working better. After all of those years of loyalty, this is a great way to repay your dog a little bit. 
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  • Apartment dogs: Not all dogs were meant to live and work on farms with wide open spaces and someone around all the time. Nor are dogs who live in apartment buildings less fortunate. Sometimes you might have to be more creative about getting your dog out for exercise. A  dog who is in need of more exercise in a fenced in yard at least has the great outdoors to bark out frustration, but an apartment dog can be heard echoing throughout the whole building. Neighbors probably won’t appreciate it too much. If the landlord or building manager gets involved, it’s not a good situation for anyone.  Hiring a dog walker can again relieve your dog of some boredom and get some of that excess energy out, can give the dog a chance to relieve themselves and will keep your neighbors (and landlord) off your back.
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  • Small dogs: it seems that most people are either huge fans of small dogs or else they are vocally opposed to them. It seems that quite a few small dogs are carried everywhere they go and never learn to walk on a leash. Couple that with the fact that smaller dogs are nervous and defensive and you get a tiny dog with a giant attitude. Hiring a dog walker is a great way to socialize your small dog to new surfaces, people and situations. It can also help to teach them to walk on a leash and to be braver and less defensive. Plus, small dogs are usually high energy dogs and walks can help relieve some of that energy and stress. 
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  • Big dogs: Bigger dogs are more likely to have joint pain and issues than smaller dogs. While walking and exercise is not the only answer magic cure-all, using those joints. Regularly might help to ward off issues and will keep stiffness at bay. Giant breeds tend to be less active which can lead to the dog becoming overweight, which only makes joint pain worse. Plus, it is critical to socialize big dogs. While a snarling dachshund might be considered cute to some and harmless to most, a growling Great Dane is a lawsuit waiting to happen! It is imperative to socialize larger dogs to new people, places, other animals and situations just so the dog knows what is dangerous and what is not. Also, with larger dogs, they are much more likely to be able to pull someone over when pulling, so a dog walker is a good idea to reinforce good leash manners. 
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  • Anxious dogs: Dogs get anxiety just like we do, but the problem is that they often can’t tell us what the cause of those anxious symptoms are. They might be nervous about something changing in their environment and are unable to use their words to work through it. They might have separation anxiety, which can be difficult to live with. With separation anxiety, best case scenario is that the dog whines and paces the whole time their people are gone and in the worst case, they can bark, howl, chew through walls and have explosive bodily fluids. Perhaps the dog is anxious about being hurt by other animals and is responding to this fear through reactivity and defensiveness. Or they may be feeding off of emotions coming from their people. Maybe you have a high stress job and your dog understands it. Just as with us, exercise for dogs can relieve some of that stress and can help their bodies to produce happy hormones.  It can tire them out just a bit and a sleepy dog is less likely to be a vocal, destructive dog. Plus, a walker can socialize your dog and keep them safe. 
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    Author

    Hi, I'm Rachel. I'm crazy about dogs and want to see all of them living the best life possible. Most of my free time is taken up by dogs, but when I am not working with my own or others, I also enjoy cooking, volunteer work, reading and Netflix in my pajamas. 

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  • Home
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