Embrace Pet Community blog

What We're Reading: Good Dog, Practical Answers to Behavior Questions

Every dog has their quirks.  You might be aware of your dog's leash pulling or growling at strangers.  Perhaps you think it's cute, just ignore it, or don't even realize that it's rude and even dangerous behavior.

Certified Animal Behavior Consultant Steve Dale bring us Good Dog, Practical Answers to Behavior Questions, an e-book in Q&A format to discuss everything from introducing a new baby to your Yorkie to problem solving your Lab's inappropriate chewing.  Dale works with other Canine Behaviorists and Trainers to solve problems that many of us think are just part of living with a dog.  Do any of these behaviors sound familiar?

• leash pulling
• excessive barking
• exhuberant greetings and jumping up
• sharing issues with toys
• separation anxiety 

Don't feel bad.  My dogs have all of these problems.  That doesn't mean we can just ignore them.  Dale's e-book is just $2.99 available for most e-readers here, and the articles are straight to the point and written with practical pet parents in mind.  (You can also check out the weekly free excerpt on Facebook.)  It's a nice price for some good advice and improved canine-human balance in your home. 

Steve Dale is offering up one free e-copy of this book.  To enter,

Step 1: Visit author Steve Dale on Facebook and tell him Embrace sent you.

Step 2: Go to Embrace's Facebook and tell us what bad behaviors your dog has.  (Photos of your Good Dog gone bad are a definite bonus!)

Comments submitted to Embrace's Facebook wall during January 2012 will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Embrace Pet Insurance for prize fulfillment via sponsor. Embrace staff and families not eligible to win. Must not have won within last 90 days. Good luck!

 

Trick-or-Treating Tips for Families with Dogs

by Dr. Martin Glinsky of SmartBones

Halloween can be a fun time for families with dogs, especially when taking the dog along for Trick-or-Treating.  But, there are some important safety tips families should keep in mind on Halloween:

1. Dogs should be kept on short leashes when out Trick-or-Treating so little ones have less of a chance of tripping over the leash.
2. While Trick-or-Treating, pet parents should make sure their dogs are under control at all times and kept away from loud noises or ruckus. This may frighten dogs and cause them to run away or bite.
3. Although dogs may look cute in costumes, pet parents need to keep their dog’s comfort, safety and ability to see properly in mind when choosing a costume.
4. Pet parents who are staying home with their dog and handing out candy should keep their dog in a separate, closed room with a TV or radio on to keep the dog calm.  This will prevent the dog from becoming spooked by Halloween costumes and possibly running off or jumping on Trick-or-Treaters.
5. If homeowners would like to hand out treats for Trick-or-Treating dogs, rawhide-free dog chews are the best option.  Treats such as SmartBones contain no rawhide, are 99% digestible and are available in a “mini” size appropriate for all dog breeds.
6. After Halloween festivities are over, it’s important to keep dogs, and other pets, away from candy because it may be very bad for pets’ health.  Pet parents should keep SmartBones dog chews on hand so their dogs can enjoy a healthy, vitamin-and mineral-fortified Halloween “treat” with the family.

Today's featured photo is Houston, winner of our PetSmart contest giveaway! Nice smile Houston!

More Martha: Intelligent toys for Dogs

Smart cookie that Martha Stewart is, she's sure to back intelligent toys for pets.  We're all drooling in anticipation of a shipment of dog toys to test, but in the meantime, check out this Squirrel and Chipmunks intelligent toy for smarter-than-average pups.  Tell me the little teeth on those itty-bitty rodents are not the cutest?

 
To celebrate the launch, Pet Smart with Martha Stewart Pets is giving away a 3 pack of toys to one lucky dog!  To enter:

Head to our Facebook, post a photo of your dog, and tell us what they do that is extra smart!  Do they bring you a toy at the end of the day? Know when the baby is awake?  Tell us how smart your dog is!

Rules:

Dog photos, with captions about smart dogs, submitted during the month of September will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Embrace for prize fulfillment.  Embrace staff and families not eligible to win.  Must not have won within last 90 days.

Puppy Prize Pack: Training Pads and Cleaner

Yay for puppies!  Boo for housebreaking!  But, yay for giveaways for puppies!

oneCare will be giving away a prize pack, including ten pads and cleaner spray, for puppies and dogs needing housebreaking. 

To enter go to our Facebook and tell us how "cute" your puppy is! That's easier than housebreaking, I bet.

This cutie to the right is Otis, a Basset Hound Puppy. Arrrooooh! Look at those ears!

Rules:

Comments, containing the word "cute" and submitted during the month of September will be considered for entry. Winner will be contacted by Embrace for prize fulfillment.  Embrace staff and families not eligible to win.  Must not have won within last 90 days.

Dog Door Install Project

    My Doggy Daddy and I have been debating getting a dog door for a while, to help out when we're held late at work or gone for a long day. After some researching the variations (electronic, locking, insulated, etc) we decided to go with the good old fashioned flap style PetSafe Aluminum Dog Door.  Cheap, durable, no batteries to replace, no extra collar attachments to be worn.

    First off, select the door sized to accommodate your dog's chest at the widest place.  We picked up the large to fit Tahlula.  To be safe, we took it out of the box and had both dogs step through it once before installing.  It was a close fit, but good enough.

    Installation isn't too hard, so long as you have the tools.  The package includes a template that you can center and tape on your door.  Mark your corners, drill some holes, and use your jigsaw to cut the rectangle out.  (Optional: have your Shepherd mix supervise the entire operation, as shown left.)  The cutting and cleaning up uneven edges took about 40 minutes.

    Then, you drill holes for the frame screws.  Again, not hard with the right tools.  Line the interior and exterior frame segments up, finish tightening the screws, and you're done!

   As I was watching the door go in, I pondered some security issues that the PetSafe people obviously covered.  The screws are on the inside, so the door cannot be removed from the outside.  There is also an aluminum shield that can be dropped down as an insert on the inside, to lock the door from the inside, for additional security.

Now, to train your dogs to use the door:

Step 1. Go outside with a cookie.  Stick your hand back through the flap, and show your dog the cookie:

Step 2: Once the dog goes for the cookie, lead them through the door to follow the cookie.  Where the cookie goes, the dog will follow.

Note to dogs: The dog door will only fit one pup at a time. Don't rush, there are plenty of cookies for everyone.

Potential downsides to some dog doors:

-Without any remote device to identify my dogs, any cat, dog, racoon or bird could come into my back door. So far, so unwelcome visitors, but if you're in an area with lots of wildlife, you might want to upgrade to something like the PetSafe SmartDoor.

-My dogs can go in and out as they please, which is ideal for purposes of potty time, bird watching, and greeting the neighbor. But, it also means they are free to chase the skunk that wanders into our yard or bark at the cable guy working next door. If your dogs have little self-control with such temptations, the dog door may not work for you.

The PupRunner

We've been promoting pet fitness and weight loss here and at the Embrace Pet Insurance blog for August, so we were thrilled to see these Embraced doggies in their new PupRunner.  The PupRunner is a new company that creates custom carts and trailers for dogs that want to tag along on your bike ride.  The cart has harness clips, so the dogs are kept secure (abiding with leash laws) and can run or ride on a stand.  Note in the photo that Sula, the tall dog, is running, while her buddy, Rowdy, rides along on the platform.  The platforms can be propped up or down, so the dog can ride, run or snooze while you pedal to your heart's content.

    The carts are made in different sizes to accommodate different size dogs, as well as single and double dog cards.  They're aluminum alloy, so they won't drag you down, but your dog won't bend or break the equipment.  I like the little basket in front, so you can store water, leashes, poop bags and treats easily.

Wouldn't you be more likely to ride your bike if you had a PupRunner?  It's a nice low impact workout for you, while burning some of your pet's extra energy.  Or, if you've got a senior dog that would enjoy the sights and smells of the open road, this might be ideal.

Call PupRunners, and tell them Sula and Rowdy sent you!

Humane Doggie Discipline

Despite the fact that we focus mostly on pet health, we often get pet training questions.  Yesterday a woman asked me how to potty train her adolecent Dobie puppy, who seemed to be backsliding in her training.  Fact is, not every discipline technique works for every pet.  But, here's a helpful list of 10 Humane Ways to Discipline Your Dog.

The trick that's always worked for me when it comes to housebreaking:

Positive reinforcement. Discipline is not just about your dog’s negative behavior. You should also be providing positive reinforcement when they do the right thing. Doggy treats immediately following their successful trip out of doors is just as important as the discipline that follows an accident in the house.

And, one I've never heard of before:

Chin taps.

What works for you when it comes to correcting your dog's bad behavior?

Guest Post: What Every Trainer Should Know About Electronic Collars

The world is moving in a new direction by ensuring that everything is attached with technology. Electronic collars have been developed to enhance dog training by exerting electron shocks that can act as simulation. The device comes with lots of advantages, but disadvantages have been experienced in some areas.

Author's Note: With this particular article I'm looking to express the main pros and cons of electronic collars. It isn't really my goal to convince you that E-Collars are good or bad for dog training, I'm just looking to report these concepts impartially.

The Advantages of E-Collars

1) They are Fast. The device has proven to be fast and less tiresome in training than traditional coercive methods; this is because shocks will only take a press of the collar button to produce simulation.

2) They are convenient. The rc collars have ensured that training is possible even at longer distances. The cost of these devices is affordable and less expensive when compared with hiring a professional trainer who requires a considerable time to train.

3) They can be easy to understand. In addition, the use of the device is not hard to understand and apply. Just read the provided user’s manual.

4) They can be effective. Most trainers state that e-collars can be used as the best tool to punish the dog.

For every single advantage there is a disadvantage too:

1) They cause fear and anxiety. Several researches have proven the shocks have created anxiety and stress to the dogs that could persist for a longer time even after training is completed. This fact has been proved by postures of the dogs and their quiet behavior after the training .

2) It becomes a nuisance rather than a fun training practice.

3) They become unuseful if the dog is out of control. E-collars can be partially efficient with certain types of dogs.

4) They are susceptible to defect. For example some models are not water proof to prevent undue transmission of electronic currency.

5) You should check your dog's weight. Incase of a mismatch between the dog’s weight and the voltage required, a higher voltage will harm a less weighted dog and vice versa.

So do you consider e-collar a good dog training tool?

About the author: Margaret Dominique Clay writes for dog training classes , a blog to inform dog trainers and help individuals who want to become a professional dog trainer.

Guest Post: The Training of Two Border Collies

                 Training your dog should be fun for everyone.  It can also strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Getting your dog into a positive training class is a great way to get started. Do some research and ask other dog owners you know where they have gone. Take what you learn in class and bring it home.

                I am the proud owner of 6 rescue dogs. The ones who have been the most rewarding are my two youngest. Both are Border Collies adopted thru New England Border Collie Rescue.  

With Phoenix I was introduced to clicker training. Clicker training made for new challenges and rewards. When he hears the click he knows he has done something that gets him a reward.  I became a more focused trainer while teaching Phoenix something new. Phoenix knows sit, down, stay, wait, turn, spin, dance, crawl, pick up the toy and put it in the basket. It’s a lot of fun to work with him and to watch him figure out what he needs to do to earn a click. We are now working on a tissue trick. When I sneeze he grabs a tissue and brings it to me.

Training Kiefer is different, because he is deaf. Once again I was faced with new challenges and rewards. I had to learn how to communicate without words. For this training, he sees me give him a hand signal, and then he gets the thumbs up when he has done something right. If you think about it, many people use hand signals when they work with their hearing dogs. Kiefer knows signs for outside, inside, bed time, “No”, off, touch (where he touches my hand), drop, potty, eat, tug, and cat. The obstacle that slows down our training is that I do not know signs for all the things I would like to teach him. To help further my knowledge of signs, I have added an American Sign Language dictionary to my supply of training tools. Training a dog may be tough, and I know I have my work cut out with these two, but in the end the results will definitely be worth the patience, trials, and clicks.  So if you want to train your dog, be him deaf or hearing, next time you get a chance grab a clicker or a sign language dictionary, and let the fun begin!

Trisha is the proud mom of Reilly, Shawnee, Cisco, Peyton, Phoenix -NEBCR Alum, Kiefer-NEBCR Alum, Willow, Yoki and Tabasco.  Read more of her training tips and adventures at Phoenix and Kiefer.

True Rewards Dog Treats

Non-Profit organization, Lott Industries, just released their all natural dog treats, True Rewards.  The group provides employment to individuals with developmental disabilities, and in this case, they're working to help other disabled people.  A portion of the proceeds from True Rewards will go to Assistance Dogs of America, Inc. so that people like Jim can benefit from dogs like Dusty.

This is such a great idea-helping disabled people find employment, while helping other disabled people benefit from assistance dogs.  True Rewards are...truly rewarding!

Want to know more about assistance dogs? Visit Raising Ruby.