​Seems like winter has finally left South-Central Texas and left the stage for Spring!
Birds are back and chirping, the grass is getting green again, and trees are starting to bloom and show their first young green leaves. But do you know what also has made a comeback? Ticks!
Those little bloodsucking critters are looming in tall grass and bushes, waiting to hitchhike on your dog. Here are some ways to not give these pesky insects a chance to latch onto your dog :

• Use tick preventatives such as Advantix, Seresto Collar or oral medications like Nextgard Plus 
• Regularly maintain a tidy yard by mowing the grass, and removing tall weeds and leaf litter because ticks love those environments 
• Spray your yard with tick repellent that is safe for pets
• Regularly vacuum your dog’s bedding and check the crate for any ticks
• Check your dog after any exposure to tall grass and brush for ticks using either a lint roller or painter's tape. Pay special attention to areas around the ears, belly, armpits and neck
• Remove any ticks with tweezers or a tick-removing tool. Grab the tick by the head and slowly pull on it, making sure not to decapitate the tick. If the head gets stuck in the skin, it can lead to an infection
• Monitor the site where the tick latched on for any redness, and if redness appears, consult your vet asap
• Do not use any oil to “suffocate” the tick; this will just make the tick panic and hold on tighter

Btw ticks do not fall from trees; that is an old wives tale

Some of you may know that I like to stay fit by going running. When I was in my teens and twenties, I used to go for a run every day for about an hour on country roads and through the woods back in Germany. Well, times have changed a bit. The 10ish km from back then has now turned into 3 miles 3 times per week, and the country roads and woods have turned into loops around the neighborhood. Back then, slick leaves and camouflaged protruding roots were my biggest obstacles; now, sadly, it’s the loose dogs in my neighborhood. 
If they would be minding their own business and just peacefully coexist while I am running past them, life would be good. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case, and I find myself faced with being charged at and chased down by these dogs, but I won’t let that stop me from exercising my right to enjoy my workout in the outdoors. 
Here is how I do it and what I have found useful when being presented with such a situation:

• Stop running: don’t make yourself prey by trying to run away; the dog will 100% chase you down, and four legs run much faster than 2
• Offense is the best Defense: Be loud, make yourself bigger by waving your arms, and start running towards the dog in order to intimidate; most dogs don’t know what to do when they’re put in the role of the victim and will retreat. They do not expect a behavior like that and are quickly overwhelmed unless they have been trained to pursue an agitator like a police dog or a bite sports competition dog
• Throw something at the dog: rocks work best, but be careful and be good at throwing so you won’t hit anyone’s nearby property like a car
• Carry a deterrent with you like an air horn: the sound scares most dogs
• Carry Pepper Gel Spray or Mace with you: Be careful not to stand on the downwind side when utilizing the spray, and don’t start walking forward 
• Don’t try to climb on or jump on something; most dogs are pretty good at scaling obstacles

You can do most of these things while having your dog with you. Yes, I have done it. I have found myself in a situation where I was training a client’s dog, and we got charged by a stray dog who wanted to attack my client’s dog. Here is what I did: the dog was small enough for me to pick him up and carry him. With my client’s dog clamped into my armpit, I chased down the stray, who quickly got scared and ran off. 
If your dog is too big to be picked up, a very good DOWN-STAY works fantastic while dealing with the stray/loose dog issue—another reason to practice down-stay under various distractions. You can also carry a stick with you, but remember it is big and bulky and will slow down your movements. 
In the case that the other dog owner is present and has no control over their loose dog, stay calm and don’t let your emotions get the best of you. I know, easier said than done. Politely but firmly inform the owner of any existing leash laws and or property laws. If the other dog owner shows no responsibility for their pet's actions, options could be informing your local animal control and/or calling your local LE nonemergency number. When doing so, it would be beneficial to have video and photo evidence to support your claims.
I know how frustrating this can be, but staying calm and acting rational will always have a much better outcome than being angry.

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​Have you ever stood in front of the treat shelves at the pet store looking for a training treat and were utterly overwhelmed by the broad selection that is offered there? There are so many options to choose from regarding size, flavors, ingredients, and more. So, which one should you get to use as a reward during training?
My answer is none.
And here is why: I see treats as Candy. When you do a training session with your dog, you should give a lot of rewards to create a strong reward history with the behavior your dog is performing. Giving that many treats (Candy) to your dog is a very unhealthy diet. It’s like eating a bag of Starbursts or Reeses every day. In my training system, I almost always start off by making training time meal time. Hence, the dog is working for its meal. When you do that, you have to give your dog something nutritious, and we all know candy is not nutritious. That is why I recommend using Training Food. Very rarely can you use your dog’s regular food for training because it just doesn’t have enough value to motivate your dog to work for that. After all, the reward you are using needs to have some higher value for your dog to make a reward. Also, when using kibble, you will experience that it is complicated to deliver the tiny morsels quickly and precisely without dropping any, which creates a huge distraction and redirects the dog’s attention to the dropped food on the ground. My criteria for the edible training reward are:

• It’s easy to deliver
• It’s quickly eaten by the dog
• It’s nutritious

In my experience over the years, Bil Jac Frozen Dog Food, Freshpet, and Red Barn Dog Food Rolls are what work best and fulfill all those criteria. All these choices are real dog food and can be formed or sliced into good-sized pieces that are easy to deliver. Hence, they can be a substitute for the dog’s meal, especially in the beginning when we give a lot of rewards for each behavior the dog performs. The dog also quickly eats these training foods because they don’t require much chewing. The only downside of these training foods is that they all require refrigeration and need to be used quickly so they won’t go bad.
Of course, if your dog has to be on a special diet or has any kind of food allergies, you will need to thoroughly study the ingredients list to decide, if these are good for your dog. In that case, you can always use cooked chicken or meat cut into bite-sized pieces. 
Now, you are probably wondering what about treats and whether you need to throw away all the treats that you have in your pantry. Nope, not so fast.
Treats are great for potty training and crate training and to have generally in your pocket to give your dog a “surprise” reward whenever they are doing what you ask them to do, like coming when called and so on. Since treats don’t require any kind of refrigeration, you can literally stash them all over the house in convenient places. My favorite treats to have in reach are freeze-dried beef liver, Bil Jac liver treats, and soft jerky treats that I can break into smaller pieces for multiple rewards. These are easy to put in my pocket and don’t leave many crumbs or greasy residue. 
So next time you go shopping for a training reward for your dog, you may want to consider something nutritious and look less at the calories

Do you like camping as much as I do? Being able to get off the grid and being in nature and able to explore hiking trails?
Have you ever thought about taking your dog with you???? Not sure how to go about the camping part with your dog, if you don’t have a 5th wheel? I got some ideas for you!

When deciding to go tent camping with your dog, of course, first make sure that dogs are actually allowed at the campground and on the trails. Nothing dampens the fun more than if you constantly have to leave your dog behind at the campsite because dogs are not allowed on the trails. 
Sleeping in close proximity with your dog requires a bit of training. Make sure that your dog is able to stay in a certain area inside the tent without trampling all over you all night long. Place-stay is an excellent application for that! Get a tent that is at least for 2-3 people so both of you have enough space.
Have a tie out close to your campsite for your dog. In the morning, when making breakfast or going to the bathroom, you will need a safe and secure way to keep your dog in one area. Ensure your dog is okay with being left alone for a few minutes. A great way to prepare for that are place-stay or down-stay exercises where you are out of sight. 
Take PLENTY of water for both of you! Actually take more water with you for your dog than you would for yourself. 
Make sure your dog’s nails are trimmed. It would be a huge bummer if your dog punctures your sleeping pad or even  the tent fabric with his/her nails.
I also recommend having a paw towel for your dog to wipe down the paws before coming into the tent, but that’s just me wanting a clean space to sleep in. 
HAIR!!! Be prepared for your dog’s fur floating around your tent. Not just for that one camping trip but for years to come, dog fur always finds ways to attach itself to everything. 
Have a little pharmacy kit for your dog with you. From things like Benadryl to treat allergic reactions, hydrogen peroxide for ingesting the wrong things to bismuth subsalicylate for diarrhea and, of course, a copy of your dog’s vaccination records. 
Be aware of your surroundings. Depending on the size of your dog, your dog may be looked at as prey by wildlife. Keep your dog protected and have a plan for these encounters, like scaring off the wildlife. 
Be courteous at the campground, and don’t let your dog bark for an extended period of time nor take care of business in inappropriate areas (I’ve witnessed people letting their dog pee on a faucet that was meant for nonpotable water). 
Another option would be to have your dog sleep in a crate, depending on your dog’s size. Very small dogs can probably sleep inside the tent in a crate. Bigger dogs could sleep in a crate if it’s inside your vehicle or in the bed of your truck. If you have a pickup truck and are considering leaving your dog in a crate in the truck bed overnight, make sure your dog has appropriate shelter from mosquitos by putting some netting over the crate.
As always, let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I am always open to new ideas to make the time with your dog the best one your dog ever had!

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​Preparing to go on vacation can be very exciting but also a bit stressful, especially when having pets and you are not planning on taking them with you. Then, the question comes up: where can the pets stay?
Over the years, the variety of boarding facilities and dog sitters has become much broader and elaborated, leading to the following question: which is the best solution for your dog?
In my opinion, which option would be the most suitable for your dog depends on your own preferences and your dog's personality. If your dog is easily stressed out in new environments and by loud noises, an at-home dog sitter would probably be the more favorable decision over bringing your dog to a noisy boarding facility. That way, your dog can stay in his/her familiar environment, reducing anxiety and stress. Remember that a dog boarding facility will always be a loud, noisy place with lots of dogs barking, no matter how much the building is soundproofed and insulated. Another benefit of hiring a dog sitter is that the person can also take care of any additional pets in your household like cats, birds, fish etc. 
If your dog has any kind of medical issues, you might be better off with boarding your dog at your dog’s veterinarian who can quickly and professionally attend to any kind of medical distress your dog may experience.
If your dog is a social butterfly and generally acclimates to new environments quickly, he/she will probably not have any issues going to a dog boarding facility. Not all dog boarding facilities follow the same routine; some facilities may keep your dog in a kennel run for the majority of the day, meaning your dog will most likely also go to the bathroom in that run. If it is a more elaborate kennel run, it may have two sides separated by a doggy door so your dog can use one side of the run to hang out and the other side to take care of business. Other boarding facilities may accommodate your dog in a crate in a house or separate building. Of course, to make this work, your dog will have to be familiar with being crated at home; this is not the time to teach your dog to be in a crate.
Another thing to consider with this type of boarding is that your dog needs to be friendly and ok with being leashed and handled by a “stranger” because your dog will most likely have to be leashed to be brought from the crate to the outside. If your dog is not friendly or tolerant of people, it will be better to leave your dog with a boarding facility that accommodates the dogs in kennel runs where they can feed your dog and clean the run nearly contactlessly. If your dog is reactive towards other dogs, it will be more preferable to accommodate your dog at a smaller boarding facility that has less capacity hence takes on only a few dogs at a time which means that your reactive dog will have less opportunity to practice his/her reactivity and will get the needed one on one time your dog deserves. 
Playgroup or no playgroup? While I am not a huge fan of these boarding facilities that let huge groups of random dogs play together because I always see way more risks than benefits in that, it is up to you if you would like that for your dog. I rather advocate for one-on-one time with a caretaker who will take the dog for a brief walk, a play session of fetch, a swim, a run on a treadmill, or any other activity that doesn’t involve an unfamiliar dog. Dogs from the same household should have no issues playing together safely and can hang out together. 
Now that you have made a decision on what kind of boarding you deem best for your dog, it’s time to sit down and write a profile about your dog. 
Nah, that’s not for some kind of doggy dating app but rather to let your dog sitter or boarding facility know about your dog’s preferences and quirks. Yes, you will probably want to include that your dog likes to get belly scratches in the morning and that he/she wants a stuffy for bedtime, but it is much more critical for the person who will be taking care of your furry companion to know, if your dog is sensitive to any touching of particular body parts, do they resource guard their food/water, do they have specific rituals for going to the bathroom or eating, will they need to be muzzled in case they get injured, is there any destructive behavior, has obedience training been done beforeand what are the commands for that, any allergies to certain things. 
Basically anything that is “normal” for you but may catch a different person by surprise. 
Final words about toys and bedding: most places will probably not allow you to leave any toys or bedding with your dog because it could pose a potential safety hazard for your dog. Yes, at home, your dog is fine with those items, but that doesn’t mean that your dog won’t tear, shred, or rip them apart in a new environment because they are mad or stressed about being away from home. Don’t be too disappointed, if you cannot leave these items with your dog, it’s for the better; your dog will be fine without them.
And to wrap this up: Updates. The person or facility who is taking care of your dog will probably give you an update every now and then, but please don’t expect them to update you every day, these people are busy with taking care of your dog, sitting there and texting you or emailing you updates on your dog during all hours of the day will interfere with their primary task: taking care of your dog.