When Your Dog Comes Inside and Potties on the Carpet

My dog is normally pretty good about pottying, but sometimes he doesnt potty outside and as soon as we come inside, he will potty.  This is just weird.  What can I do to fix this and keep my carpet from being an over-glorified wee-wee pad?

This is a frequent question posed by many of our clients.  Their dog normally doesnt potty in the house, there are just some timing issues that need to be addressed.  If this is truly the case, we have some simple suggestions to help you out:

• When you take your dog outside to potty, actively engage him in high energy play.  Throw the ball for him.  Hide a few toys around the yard and encourage him to actively find them.  Play fetch.  Whatever you do, make sure it is high energy so that you are speeding up your dog’s metabolism.  This encourages “potty”.
• Stop your active play and simply stand back.  Let your dog calm down and begin to focus on the smells of the yard.  This encourages the potty process.  You will normally see him still romp around for a bit and then begin to intensely sniff an area.  This is a sign that he is ready to potty.
• Once he performs his #1 and #2, do not bring him in right away.  Let him “hang out” for a few more minutes.  Sometimes dogs need to potty more than once.  If we bring him in too soon, we have moved the bathroom inside.
• If your dog didn’t potty after fifteen or twenty minutes, take him inside but keep him on a leash and next to you.  Wait five minutes and take him out again.  If coming inside somehow stimulates his need to potty, as stated in our original issue, we have started the process.  The difference is that we will only be inside for a few minutes and we will constantly be with our dog.  Note:  Dogs normally don’t want to go to the bathroom right next to you.

Having your dog outside for potty and then bringing them in only to mess on your carpet is annoying and smelly.  We hope that these suggestions will help you eliminate that problem.  As always, please contact us if you have any questions at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Wolfies Potty Problems While On The Road at Our Cabin

I just dont get it.  Wolfie has been potty trained for years, but when we are on a trip, he makes accidents!  What gives?

Well, our family, along with our four dogs, was on a vacation trip recently and we ran into this exact problem.  Our dogs that never made accidents for years began to have accidents in our rented cabin.  We quickly realized that we had to remember our initial potty training with each dog and the environment/schedule that we finally set up for our "pack".  It then became quite obvious that what we had established as the "norm" in their life was now drastically changed.

We went out hiking in the morning, ate at strange hours, were in and out all the time, had them in and out on our schedule, and just didnt give them the focus that we normally did when we were at home.  We broke the main rule of potty training, we were not "listening" to them telling us to let them out.

Well, when you are on a traveling vacation, it is sometimes difficult to always pay attention to your furry friends.  We had do think of something different so that we werent loosing our "cleaning deposit" at every place we stopped.  Here is what we came up with:

We went back to the basics.  We established a schedule based on our activities for the day.  Whenever possible, we tried to get them out every three hours, even if we had been playing with them earlier.  Also, we kept them in their crates when we left the cabin.  Since they really didnt want to go in their crates, it helped to strengthen the encouragement when we took them out.

Guess what?  It worked perfectly.  As soon as we put this in place we had zero accidents.  All we did was to go back to the basics of potty training.  We put them on a schedule, tried to observe them as much as possible, and crated them when we couldnt watch them.

Even though this is simple advice, it will surely help you keep your cleaning deposit the next time you travel with your pooches!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Boarding or Pet Sitting That IS the Question

When you travel or work long hours, should you choose a quality pet boarding facility for your pet, or should you consider pet sitting for your pet? Here are a few questions to ask yourself and you make your decision.

Pet sitting offers advantages to boarding in that your pet remains in his or her familiar environment; therefore your pet experiences less stress. Some boarding facilities will allow you to bring your own food, others charge extra for you to bring your own food, and still others charge extra if you dont bring your own food! Usually, your dog remains less stressed if you provide the food that s/he is accustomed to.

Some advantages to boarding are the opportunity for day care or interactive play at your discretion and close supervision during regular business hours.

First consider the number of pets or animals that you have. If you have more than one or two pets to board, then even with two or more visits to your home daily, pet sitting will be no more expensive than most boarding facilities that you would choose to care for your pet.

Another question we ask our callers is what species of pet(s) do you have? Very often cats, cage animals and livestock with access to pasture will do just fine with a once per day visit. A once per day visit usually costs only slightly more than a pet boarding fee. Some pets or animals are not candidates for boarding ... farm livestock, some reptiles, aquarium fish, and the like must have a visit to the farm or home.

Another question to consider is whether your pets have all of the vaccinations that might be required by a quality boarding facility. All cats and dogs are required by North Carolina law to be vaccinated for rabies after 16 weeks of age, but other vaccinations are generally a decision for you and your veterinarian to make. If you have to fully vaccinate one or two pets in order to take them to a boarding facility, your 2-night trip might end up costing $200 or more in vaccination charges and veterinary visits.

Clearly, the distance of your home or farm from the business center of the pet sitting service that you have contacted may affect the cost of the service. At TLC Dog Training and Critter Care, we absorb mileage charges up to 15 miles from our primary business location, but for mileage to a job site greater than 15 miles, we must charge a mileage fee of $.50 per mile.

Another issue to consider is the age of your pet. Generally speaking, dogs younger than 18 - 24 months are not good candidates for in home pet sitting, as they are more likely to go exploring and get themselves into trouble in the home. If you normally house your dog outside in a safe enclosure, then age becomes less of an issue. Pet sitting is usually a better option for a mature, thoroughly housetrained pet.

Other things to consider are your dogs reactions to loud noises, thunderstorms, and other unpredictable things that may happen near your home. If your dog is fearful of strange noises, then you could return to a damaged home! In a boarding situation, your dog is safely confined, and should s/he become frightened, s/he cant really get into a lot of trouble.

Finally, is your dog or cat fearful of strangers entering your home? Might your pet hurt a stranger that enters your home? If your pet will be stressed every time that someone appears to care for him or her, then perhaps boarding is a better option.

Consider your options carefully. Should you decide to board your pet, make sure that you choose a boarding facility that is licensed by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Should you decide to hire a pet sitting service, ask for references. Your pet sitter should minimally belong to one of the nationwide professional pet sitter organizations, like the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS). Make sure that anyone coming into your home to provide a service has their own workers compensation insurance and professional liability insurance.

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Bertie members brave the rain that stopped

Yes once again it threw it down but once the classes started it stopped raining. Thanks to all the members who soldiered on regardless and those that trained with the night light at Brockshill. Just to remind members we will be starting back indoors on the 7th Wednesday for the Intermediate One class from 7:30 and Friday 9th for the Intermediate two class from 8:30. please dont forget the biscuits, we supply the tea and coffee.

It has been my favourite summer course ever and there are some photos on our new website from the summer.

We are also enrolling now for the Oadby Beginners class commencing 9th Sept at 7:00pm. To enrol follow the link below:

http://www.bertiedogs.com/enrol-here.php

To find out more  follow: http://www.bertiedogs.com/dog-courses.html

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KENNEL COUGH UPDATE DISGUST !!

A very big thanks you to Mike Thorn  (Country Vet) for not only coming out to Church Langton yesterday but also for being generous in offering a greater than 50% discount on the price of the vaccination. His efforts were appreciated by the dog owners that came. Some poeple declined the offer as they had already booked in with their own vet later in the week. The average cost of a kennel cough vaccine is between £32-£37 pounds according to our research.

One lady asked me if she thought her vet would be upset if she had her kc jab elsewhere for £15. I pointed out that if he cared for her dogs welfare he would have offered a generous discount in the first place. I have been informed this week that the mark up on animal drugs is about 400% but have yet to see the evidence, although most people who farm will tell you that this is a true reflection.

One bertie member rang me to ask if while she was bringing her dogs for a vaccination Mike would mind looking at a growth that one of the dogs had. Last year she had a similar growth removed for about £200 plus and the same operation this year was quoted at £500 plus. Not only that but she was also charged a consultation fee of £26. Mike examined thoroughly, wanting to make sure his diagnosis was accurate and confirmed he had removed a smimilar lump (a wart) on a labrador at a local farm for £15 but if the dog was take to the surgery the cost would be £80. I wonder if this ladys vet will be upset if she goes to another vet? By the way Mike did not charge her for this consultation.

Recession or not we keep paying out for vet fees and they keep taking the money.

Just for good measure Mike was brilliant with both the dogs and also the owners, something that many people report is lacking from their vet.

Next year we will organise a clinic before a problem arises.

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Why It Is Important That I Train My Dog

I have so many friends that send their dogs off to a canine boot camp to have the trainers there train their dog. I have been thinking about this, but is it really a good idea?  I am not sure that I want someone else to be the leader of Wolfie!

I know that there are the dog owners that dont have the time to train their dog or just dont want to train their dog.  As we can all attest, there is so little time in this world and finding the time to train our dog just might not be there.

Let me answer this question by coming at it from another angle.  First, the reason that I got Wolfie was to have the relationship of unending love and complete trust.  I want Wolfie to know what is right and wrong and I want him to respect me as his ultimate provider.

To accomplish this, Wolfie and I need a great deal of face time.  As he does something wrong, I need to clearly let him know that his action was inappropriate.  I also need to bond with him by engaging in safe and stimulating play activities.  I must never "trick him" into doing something that might scare or hurt himself.

I must provide stimulating activities that will teach him actions I need him to perform.  I need him to "come" when he needs to be by my side.  I need him to "sit" when I need him calm and respectful.  I need him to "stay" so that he will be safe when I need to answer the door or to allow an activity to occur without his involvement.

I need Wolfie to understand that whatever I ask him to do or wherever I take him, he will be safe.  If a situation arises where he might feel his safety in question, he will look towards me to resolve the situation.

If I can accomplish these things, I will have a great dog.  I will have built the bond, trust, and respect that is needed for our relationship.  The only way that this will occur is if I am Wolfies teacher.  I must be the one in charge.  I must be the one that is always guiding and showing Wolfie the proper direction.

Sending Wolfie off to a Canine Boot Camp with someone else doing the training just doesnt accomplish what needs to be done.  The relationship between Wolfie and me is my responsibility.  Wolfie and I will have a great relationship because of the time that Wolfie and I have invested. For more information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Remingtons tale

This is a dog I trained about a year ago. He had been adopted from a local shelter. When he was found he had three bullet holes in his leg. They were already infected and his left rear leg had to be amputated.

His new adoptive parents named him Remington.

When his owners called their question was, “can you train a dog with three legs”? I hadn’t had one yet but could not think of any reason why Manners in Minutes wouldn’t work. I had already trained a couple of deaf dogs so this did not sound like too much of a challenge.

As soon as they walked in the center I had them drop the line. How the dog reacts to his first few minutes in the center helps me identify problem areas. Remington was just about right. He explored with confidence but natural caution. That meant he wasn’t too timid or had too much out of control alpha drive. He also showed no signs that the missing leg was impairing his movement.

Remington is an Australian Cattle Dog mix according to the owners. Like any herding dog, once he checked out the center, he tried to herd us all in a corner. That meant he thought he was higher in the pack than humans.

Herding dogs are some of the easiest dogs to work with. We put two Q Calmers on him to help him concentrate and started the lesson.

Now one of my beliefs is that all dogs are born con artists. They quickly learn that the body language for submission is cute and endearing to humans. We say “oh look how adorable he is.” As soon as they hear that they now know they can manipulate us to get their way.

In every lesson there comes the moment when the dog recognizes that if I continue their life will change. Manners in Minutes training is about pack order and the dog is taught that humans are higher in the pack than they are. If they are comfortable being higher in the pack, (if they aren’t you probably don’t need a trainer) they will resist the change.

At that moment the dog will instinctively try to get the owner to feel sorry for them and stop the training. Most will tangle themselves in the line.

I was teaching Remington to walk on a long line with the line always slack. As Remington walked past his “Mom” he suddenly dipped the hip on the missing leg. Although he had been in the center for almost thirty minutes, he had never done that at any other point. He then looked at her with “help me” clearly on his face. She instinctively got up to rescue him.

Like any good pack leader I immediately growled at her. “Don’t you get up and indulge this dog.” She sat down and we continued. He would try the leg dip three more times. When it didn’t work he stopped and did not try that again for the rest of the lesson.

Think about it. I bet your dog has at least one manipulative body sign. And I bet it uses it to get away with everything short of murder.

Doug

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The One Thing That Wolfie Wants

Wolfie is running and jumping and barking and not listening and, and, and...  Just what does he want?  I have tried everything and I just cant get him to be good.  Can it be that hard to have a good dog?

No.  (Dont you just hate answers like that?  Dont worry, I am not going to turn my back and walk away without an explanation...)

The one thing that dogs, and for that matter, we humans, want is to feel safe.  If all is right with the world and our future is secure, we are having a really great day.  Humans look at good health, financial stability, lasting relationships, etc. as a way to feel safe.  

Dogs feel safe when they are members of a strong pack.  The pack is kept strong because it is run by a strong canine alpha leader.  So what we must do is to be Wolfies strong, canine alpha leader.  This sounds like it would be pretty easy except for the fact that we are humans.  We must change our perspective of the world from the way a human might act to the perspective of the world the way a dog might act.

There is one big rule that you must remember if you want Wolfie to view you as the canine alpha leader who has the ability to keep him safe.  You must constantly be reinforcing your leadership with him in a passive way that he naturally understands.  Here is what you do.

In a wolf pack in the wild, the only one that tells the rest of the pack what to do is the canine alpha leader.  The rest of the pack naturally submit and follow the leader.  This is what you have to do.  Everything you do with Wolfie must be on your terms.  If Wolfie comes over to you and puts his nose in your hand to pet him, you can not pet him.  If Wolfie gets his ball and comes over to you and gives you his big puppy eyes saying he wants to play ball, you can not play ball with him.

So, what do you do in these instances?  You simply ignore him for a moment until he turns away.  You can then call him over so YOU can pet him.  You can then call him over so YOU can play ball with him.  Remember, it always has to be on your terms.  It always has to be your idea.  You must be the one that starts, begins, commences.  This will maintain your role as the strong alpha leader.

Now that you are the strong alpha leader, Wolfie is on his way to providing you with the respect a canine alpha leader requires.  He is also on his way to feeling safe and happy.  And, that, is the one thing he wants and needs.

Now that you are the canine alpha leader, you need to guide Wolfie as to what is right and wrong.  That is where proper training comes into play.  Please check out more of this Blog for additional information or contact us for more information on our training programs.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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Pushing a Pumpkin

We picked up Chicklet, our female Lakeland, in September of 2004. In October my wife put out the Halloween decorations. She immediately seized on the plastic pumpkin we had by the door.

Periodically she digs it out of her toy basket. She will grab it and shake it, she will stick her head in it, and often she will push it around the floor with her fiercest growl. She will put other toys in it and then get them out and shake them. She will play with it for quite some time, and then unexpectedly leave it and go on to something else.

For the longest time I thought it was just one of those goofy things dogs pick up. Then I thought about what Lakeland terriers were bred to do. Unlike the other terrier breeds that are used to go after foxes, the Lakeland will not only bolt the fox out where the hounds can kill it, it will also go into the den and kill the fox.

Now in the Lake County of England, where the breed originated, fox are not hunted for sport. Most of the farmers have sheep and the fox endangers the sheep herd. So for economic reasons the Lakeland was developed to be able to go in the rocky terrain to make a kill so that the farmer did not lose sheep. They have been known to spend up to a week tunneling and digging to get to the fox.

When I read that I knew why Chicklet pushes the pumpkin. In almost every breed, play is also practice for the work they were originally bred to do. Chicklet is practicing pushing rocks aside to get to the fox.

And it isn’t just Chicklet. The picture is a puppy at nine weeks. Izzy saw the pumpkin and started working with it immediately. Izzy is a proud graduate on Pikes Peak Manners In Minutes and a wonderful dog. Hopefully I told her owners to get her a pumpkin, otherwise she may appropriate theirs this October.

Doug

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