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Hey, Have You Heard Yet? There's Some Free Advice Here!

Who is over this rainy and drizzly weather as much as I am ?Here are my tips on how to survive Mother Nature’s wet side and avoiding a MUD-pocalypse in a multi dog household

1/24/2024

 
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I love dogs, and I love Texas, but boy, rain + Texas soil + dogs don’t mix well. If your yard has already turned into a swamp, or you are even finding yourself at a never-been-there-before lakefront property, this blog is for you!
As an owner of multiple dogs, I have some tips and tricks for you on how to get through these tough times. Hang in there; you’re not alone!
First off, I have a huge stack of dog towels (probably more than towels for humans); these are old ones which, over time, I demoted from human-use towels to dog towels. I always have at least 2 of those towels lying by the door that my dogs go out the most. One towel is for their paws (which usually gets super dirty and muddy), and the other one is for their body. All of mine know the routine: they sit, give me their front paws to dry off, followed by giving me their rear paws. For this, it comes in super handy to have an excellent “Sit-Stay” command and even a command like “Give paw” or “Shake” (for me, actually the only reason to teach a dog this particular command) as well as a “Stand” command.
Next, my dogs go out in groups; that way, there’s less commotion going on at the door while drying off everyone’s feet, less splashing and playing in puddles and mud pits with each other, which makes for a cleaner dog, and quicker potty break. If you are now intervening with “But how is my dog supposed to burn off some energy if not romping around the yard???”, please see one of my previous blog posts “Indoor Games and Activities to beat winter boredom”. Another thing that I do is leash walking my dogs for their potty break, hence the small groups. That way, I can navigate them away from the puddles and muddy spots to do their business in more adequate areas. One more good reason why you should teach your dog to go potty on a leash ;-) as covered in previous blog posts as well.
Something that I also take care of regularly is trimming their nails because short nails won’t collect as much mud.
For a quick clean-up of muddy paws or whatever, I also have some fragrance-free baby wipes in the house.
More things you could do to keep your sanity and your dog sanitary:
  • Set up a canopy or pop-up shelter to give your dog a mud-free area to go potty
  • Invest in a raincoat for your dog, especially if you have a long-coated dog who takes forever to dry and make sure it also covers the belly adequately
  • Put down artificial turf or playground mulch, which is pretty much mud free
  • Have a cleaning station by the door, maybe even with access to the garden hose for muddy messes
I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful. Let me know what works for you or if you have other ideas and suggestions.

Want to get fit and in shape with your dog?

1/18/2024

 
Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to get and fit and healthy? What’s better than doing that together with man’s/woman’s best friend?
Jogging or biking can be a great activity to do together with your dog. But before you start hitting the road or trail, there are a few things to consider: is the age and size of your dog appropriate for the kind of exercise? Is your dog healthy enough for any kind of cardio exercise? While dogs seem to run a lot during play time, don’t forget that this kind of running is self paced and never longer than a couple minutes which makes it differ tremendously from going on a timed 1-3 mile run. Also, when taking your dog for a run, making sure that your dog hasn’t recently had a huge meal which could lead to stomach issues.
Before going on a bike ride with your dog, make sure that your dog knows how to walk next to a bicycle without getting in the way of the tires. Introducing your dog to walking next to your bicycle can be done while pushing the bike and having your dog heel next to it. Speaking of Heel, that can command can come in super handy while being on a run or a bike ride with your dog as long as your dog knows how to properly heel next to you.
How long is too long? That is a good question that is not so easy to answer. Puppies under the age of 1 year should definitely refrain from having to run for long periods of time to not negatively affect their joint growth. Also go by your dog’s own energy level and what is typical for the specific breed. If still unsure, consult with your veterinarian.
Got the green light? Lace those running shoes and ready, set, go!

Indoor games and activities that beat winter boredom

1/11/2024

 
Does rainy and dreary weather keep you and your dog inside ? Or did you even catch a cold/the flu during the holiday gatherings and are now stuck inside with a dog that’s bursting with energy?
Here are some ideas to keep your dog entertained when the conditions for outdoor activities are less than favorable.
  • Stuffing a Kong or similar toy with a mix of natural peanut butter, yoghurt and apple sauce or finely grounded canned dog food and freezing that. The bigger the toy, the more stuffing it can hold
  • Hiding your dog’s favorite treat/training food around the house and make your dog sniff them out. Start off with easy placements such as around coffee/dining tables, ledges of cabinet doors, window sills and baseboards, preferably in nose height or on the ground. Once your dog gets good at that, then you can proceed to more difficult placements like in between couch cushions, above your dog’s head and harder to reach areas
  • Grab a towel and roll up some treats or kibble in it and teach your dog that unrolling the towel with the nose will dispense the food
  • A muffin pan with tennis balls in the cups, hide treats under the tennis balls
  • A snuffle mat (available on Amazon)
  • Clicker or marker word training can be utilized for teaching new tricks like “sit pretty”, picking up items off the floor, balancing a treat or toy on their head or 100 things to do with a cardboard box
  • Strengthening exercises like balancing on a Bosu ball or balance disk or wobble board, teaching proper techniques for down to stand to sit
  • Nosework
  • Off leash heeling
  • Out of sight Stay exercises

Choosing the right dog trainer for you and your dog

1/4/2024

 
Is one of your goals for 2024 getting your dog trained so you can start enjoying more cool things together with your dog? Or did you get a new companion over the holidays and don’t know where to start?
I am here to help you and ready to have your back getting closer to your dog training goals. There are a lot of options of training programs and dog training professionals around the country and as a new (and even seasoned) dog owner, it can be hard to decide which option to go with. So many dog training institutions promote they have the best and most elaborated program and methods but in the end, in my opinion, the one thing that matters most is, that you can get along with your trainer, like you are “clicking”, and that your trainer truly has the best in mind when it comes to you and your dog. This might mean that you are not getting the training program that you are wishing for but the one that your dog will benefit the best from. Your dog trainer is like a personal trainer, especially when you sign up for one on one coaching or group classes. It has nothing to do with feeling comfortable and cozy during your training session but rather does your trainer’s teaching style keeps you engaged and working towards your goals. Can your trainer answer the majority of your questions in plain English without throwing any complicated terminology around that makes your head spin? Is the training professional that you are consulting with setting a realistic timeline for training accomplishments suited for you and your dog?
When I became a dog trainer, my goal was, and still is, to help and support dog owners improving their relationship with their dog and teach both ends of the leash how to be better together. And this, in my opinion, should be what matters the most when picking your dog trainer.

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