Back to School: Training Tips that will help you and your pup get an A+

It’s that time of year again – smiles and waves as we drop our little ones off at the bus stop, and tearful goodbyes as we send our teenagers off to college. Amidst all the excitement and chaos of a brand new school year, don’t forget that your furry little one has some learning to do as well! After all the backpacks and binders, dorm rooms and textbooks, take some time to focus on obedience training with your dog. Here are a few fun and helpful tips to get you and your four legged student a perfect score!


Positive reinforcement
Just like kids in school, dogs should be rewarded when they do a good job. In elementary school it may be a gold star for the right answer or a smiley face sticker on a quiz well done. For our scruffy scholars, food is the best way to reinforce positive behavior when training. Does your dog have a favorite treat? Does he wag his tail at the sight of a jar of peanut butter? Does he slobber at the sound of bacon cooking? Make sure you have a stash of the most scrumptious food you can find, so your pup has something to look forward to when he does his best work. When he sits as soon as he hears the command...A yummy sausage link! When he comes when called...A chewy piece of cheese! The more your dog receives a positive reward, the better he will perform. 

                                                               Repetition 

How many times have you told your child, after they struggle with an assignment or can’t seem to figure out a difficult math problem, “Practice makes perfect"? In order to succeed, we have to give our full attention and greatest efforts, no matter how many times it takes to get it right. The more we practice, the better we get. Well, the same applies to obedience training with your dog! The more you practice a command with them, the more familiar those words will become to your dog. Try spending 5-10 minutes at a time focusing on one command. If you tell your dog “down”, and he doesn’t respond the first time, TRY TRY TRY AGAIN. Don’t give up. He may not get it at first, but after a few repetitions your dog should be able to respond correctly to the command. Much like children would spend time practicing their multiplication tables, repetition helps our dogs learn and remember what we teach them.

 

                                                                      Recess

Do your best to make learning fun for your dog. In a school setting, recess is used to break up the monotony of the day. Recess allows kids to get some fresh air and play some of their favorite games. Apply the same concept to training with your dog. Take a break and spend some time outside, allowing your pup to release some energy. Play fetch with his favorite toy or go for a quick walk. This gives both you and your dog a chance to let loose and have some fun. Utilizing recess will break up your dog’s learning time and ensure that obedience training is something your dog enjoys and actually looks forward to!

 Attendance is Mandatory

In order to make obedience training a successful endeavor, both you and your dog must want to be there. Your dog has a natural desire to please you. If you are excited to teach your dog, he will be happy to learn. So make sure to consistently train your dog, and enjoy it! Don’t just work inside your home. Be sure to change the environment every once in a while, so things don’t get boring. Have class in the park one day! Most importantly, this should be a bonding experience for you and your dog, so the more time you are able to spend training, the more you are able to spend with your loved one.

Bring your canine collegiate to Morris Animal Inn! We offer dog training programs designed to teach and reinforce basic obedience, and we provide detailed instructions for reinforcement at home. For more information click here.

Check out our Mini Canine Training Camps 

starting in September!

Should Dogs Play All Day in Daycare?

We’ve collected some information from the experts regarding choosing a daycare for your furry friend, and why we value our exceptional standards as a leading facility in the pet care industry.

There are many factors involved when considering doggy daycare, but we’ve boiled it down to three: Your dog, the facility and the staff.

Your dog.  Just like people, dogs have different personalities and have had different experiences while growing up. With a wide spectrum of who each dog might enjoy spending time with, it’s important to understand whether your dog would enjoy playing in a large group, or perhaps may enjoy some quiet alone time with a staff member.

Morris Animal Inn offers private daycare for dogs who prefer spending one-on-one time rather than being part of a group.

The Facility.  There are many amenities that go into providing a great and safe environment:

• A dog’s play area needs lots of room and places for dogs to opt out of interaction if they want to go off by themselves and rest.
• The facility must be clean, sanitary, and safe, outdoors and in. All daycares should have a plan to respond to a fire or other emergencies.
• A separate play are for smaller dogs and for young pups – Morris Animal Inn’s play groups are based on size and play style. We also offer a puppy daycare for pups 8 to 20 weeks old!
• There should be a place for the dogs to nap

It is important to understand that dogs need to sleep during the day. There must be a quiet secure place where the dogs rest for at least two hours each day.

According to trainer Kathy Sdao, businesses that brag that they never have the dogs off the play-floor misunderstand their responsibility to provide a balance of activities and rest.  It's unhealthy for dogs to play with each other, uninterrupted, for eight or more hours a day. It can create problems such as bullying, barking or impulsiveness. At Morris Animal Inn, each daycare guest has a luxury enclosure where they can rest comfortably during the day in between play times.

The Staff. A great daycare facility must have:

• A high staff:dog ratio (at least one person for every 10 or 15 dogs)
• Staff should be well-versed in reading dogs for signs of stress, discriminating between appropriate versus inappropriate play, and how to effectively but kindly manage the behavior of both individual dogs and a group of dogs
• The best dog daycares conduct a thorough behavioral assessment of all new dogs
• A policy should be in place if a dog bullies others, or initiates a fight 
• Staff should be conscious of size differences and separate the dogs into different play groups if necessary

At Morris Animal Inn we have an average 1:5 staff to dog ratio.  Each of our staff members are well-versed and trained in dog dynamics and body language. Each staff member is trained through a series of courses, including courses by The Dog Gurus. We assess all dogs, and group dogs into separate play groups based on size, temperament and play style. 

We are proud to offer an exceptional daycare facility for your pet. So...should dogs play all day in daycare?  We believe the rest is fundamental for a happy and healthy pet!

Source: Patricia McConnell & Kathy Sdao

Helping Your Dog With Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems for dog owners.  Dogs who become anxious, upset, and even destructive when left alone may be suffering from separation anxiety.  There are many roots and causes, and as a result, guiding your dog to learn to be alone can be a difficult process for many dog owners.  A great amount of literature exists on this topic, and we've complied a summary from Angie’s List and the ASPCA  great in-depth articles to help guide dog owners through managing and preventing separation anxiety.

What are the signs of separation anxiety?

• Urinating and defecating
• Barking and howling
• Whimpering and whining
• Chewing
• Digging
• Destruction
• Escaping
• Pacing
• Over-salivating, foaming at the mouth

There is a large spectrum of separation anxiety from mild to severe. When treating a dog with separation anxiety, the goal is to resolve the dog’s underlying anxiety by teaching him to enjoy, or at least tolerate, being left alone. While each dog and each situation varies, here are some general tips to help all dogs who are anxious when you leave.

Exercise. Try aerobic activity for 30 minutes or more before you leave.  This will give your dog less energy to expend, and less energy to worry with!

Discourage behavior.  Sometimes pet owners reinforce behaviors that increase separation anxiety without realizing it. For example, if you return home and your dog gets excessively excited and jumps on you, if you return the excitement, you are reinforcing their undesirable behavior.  After your dog has calmed down, give them a gentle and peaceful greeting.

Don’t make a big deal out of leaving. Do not say goodbye to your dog. The bigger deal you make about leaving, the harder it will be on the dog. By making a big deal out of leaving, you convey to your pet that your time apart is a big deal.

Counterconditioning. Most destructive behavior occurs within the first 30 minutes of you leaving home.  For dogs with separation anxiety, counterconditioning focuses on developing an association between being alone and good things, like delicious food or toys. To develop this kind of association, every time you leave the house, you can offer your dog a puzzle toy stuffed with food that will take him at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish.  Keep in mind, though, that this approach will only work for mild cases of separation anxiety because highly anxious dogs usually won’t eat when their guardians aren’t home.

Eliminate Departure Cues.  If your dog gets anxious when you pick up your keys or put on your shoes, help them disassociate these signs with your departure.  A few times a day, pick up your keys or shoes and watch television instead.  

Leave on the television or radio.  Background noise soothes the pet, and has been known to decrease anxiety. Don’t forget to leave it on a channel with a consistent volume, like a shopping channel, rather than one with loud commercials.

Take small steps. Start by leaving your dog for very short periods of times and build up from there. For example, ask a neighbor or friend to hold onto your dog for one minute, then go into your house. After a minute, go back outside where your dog can see you. Then, go inside for two minutes. Increase the time in small increments until your dog remains comfortable with you leaving for longer periods of time.

Be consistent. Once you decide on a method, stick with it. Alleviating anxiety requires consistency and it may take time to see a change in behavior. Switching methods because you’re not seeing results right away can confuse the dog.

Alternatives.  There are other alternatives to leaving your dog home alone. Try leaving your dog with family or friends, or even better, bring them to doggie daycare to socialize and play with other dogs to learn that separating  from you for a couple of hours
can be a fun experience!
 

Source: Angie’s List & ASPCA

Do You Know the Proper Way to Pet Your Pet?

Nothing beats a good cuddle with your dog or cat, as long as both of you are enjoying it. Pets can be finicky about where they like to be pet and the people who pet them. In order to become one of the people your pet enjoys cuddling with, it’s important to learn how and where to scratch your cat or dog’s fur in just the right spot.

Petting a Cat

Cats can be very independent creatures, so they won’t hang around for a good scratch if they aren’t relaxed and comfortable. A study discussed on CatChannel.com tested out four different locations on a cat’s body to see where they enjoyed being pet the most. The results showed that the most enjoyable petting occurred between the ear and the eye on their face. Other acceptable spots were the chin and lip area and the lower back.

This spot between your cat’s eye and ear, their upper cheek, contains a temporal gland that cats use to mark things. This is why you see your cat rubbing up against you, or furniture or other objects, with the side of their face. Marking with these scent glands is a cat’s way of socially bonding with us. Scratching your kitty in this spot will be most pleasing to them, and help you to bond together!

Petting a Dog

Dogs may be a little more forward with human interaction, but you still want to give a dog the chance to approach you first. If a dog seems hesitant to approach, squat down to their level and turn your body slightly to the side, to appear less threatening. 

Once a dog has approached you, give them a chance to sniff you out. Vetstreet.com suggests that once the dog seems comfortable, start by slowly petting them and see if they lean into you, a true sign that the dog is enjoying the contact. Most dogs are comfortable having their chest, shoulders and base of neck petted, so these are good places to start, rather than on top of their head. Your dog may enjoy being pet in other common spots, like the base of their tail, under their chin or on the back of their neck.

Whether you are spending time bonding with your own pet or meeting a new cat or dog for the first time, having knowledge of the common areas that pets enjoy being scratched will help you to make a new four-legged friend. 

Your Pet's Tail Tells a Tale

Do you know how to decode your pet's tail twitches? It’s our job as pet owners to recognize when our dog or cat is feeling happy, uncomfortable or scared. Our pets give us numerous signs of their feelings through their body language. They give signals that we can learn to decode with the right information. Catster and the ASPCA give us tips for learning the tale of the tail – or what your pet’s tail movements mean for their mood.

A cat’s tail is an incredible tool of self expression. If you are unable to read the expression on your cat’s face, always look to their tail. Catster tells us that you can tell a lot about your cat’s mood from the height and movement of their tail.

-          A Tall Tail held straight up in the air is a sign of a happy cat. Your cat may be saying, “I’m happy to see you!”
-          A Question Mark Tail where the tail is straight up in the air but hooked forward at the tip indicates a curious but unsure cat. Give your cat a little encouragement and assure them that the situation is okay if you see this tail.

-          Tip Twitch is a relaxed tail that starts to twitch back and forth at its tip and is an early sign of over stimulation. Your cat may have had enough with the current situation and is ready to move on.

-          Tail Flip is when your cat whips their full tail once in a single direction. They may be giving you a little bit of ‘tude. You may see this twitch if you need to scold your cat for bad behavior; it’s a “yeah, whatever” from your cat.

-          Tail Hug is if you are lucky enough to have a cat tail wrapped around your wrist. Consider it an affectionate hug!

-          Exclamation Point Tail is a startled vertical tail position and is often accompanied with an arched back and fur standing on end. Your cat may have been caught by surprise by something. A soothing voice and slow petting will help them to calm down.

-         Hunting Tail is when a cat is stalking prey, whether it’s a mouse or a favorite toy. They will hunker down low to the ground and stretch out their tail behind them, where it may twitch slightly. This cat is full of adrenaline and ready to pounce!

A dog’s tail can, surprisingly, be more complicated to decode. Although a wagging tail does often mean a happy dog, this movement does not always mean your dog is pleased and ready to play. The ASPCA tells us a bit about decoding a dog’s tail, noting that one of the most important things is to know your dog’s resting tail position.

While most dogs have a relaxed tail that hangs low to the ground, certain breeds have a tail that hangs naturally in more intense positions, like a pug’s curly tail or a greyhound’s naturally tucked-under tail. Knowing your dog’s natural tail position will help you to decode their emotions.

-          Relaxed Tail in its natural position means that your dog is at ease.

-          Gentle Wag is a tail that wags slowly side to side and indicates a happy dog.

-          Forceful Wag is when your dog’s tail wags enthusiastically back and forth or even in a circular pattern and it indicates that they are excited to see you!

-          Low Wag or Tucked Tail is if your dog’s tail is held lower than normal or curled underneath them just between their back legs. This means they are feeling nervous or submissive. The may still wag their tail side to side in a rapid manner, but if the tail is low, this is a nervous wag.

-         High, Stiff Tail is when your dog is alert. You may see them hold their tail higher than usual in a stiff position without any movement.

-         Flagging Tail is if your dog is alert with a high tail and starts to “flag,” or rigidly move his tail back and forth. This is a sign that your dog is standing their ground. It may look like a tail wag at first, but the rigid movement actually indicates a more threatening behavior.

Once you learn the way pets talk with their tails, you can learn the best ways to communicate with your pet!

They don’t HAVE to “fight like cats and dogs”

Although the cliché image of a cat and dog together usually involves a large amount of chasing, barking and hissing, it is possible for these different pets to get along. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) 21st Century Dog Owners Study, there are a significant amount of dog owners, 38%, who also own cats. But what is the best way to introduce a cat to your dog, or vice versa?

As natural predators and territorial animals, cats and dogs actually have a lot in common. This can lead to butting heads, but it also means that they can learn to coexist peacefully. Although the AKC acknowledges that a puppy and kitten that grow up together are more likely to get along than cats and dogs that meet later in life, there are steps you can take to helping your existing pet get along with a new one. 

Prior to adding a dog or cat to your family, consider the breed of dog you have or are looking to add. Certain breeds are more likely to get along with a cat than others. Non-sporting breeds will have less of a hunting instinct towards your cat, as will some smaller breeds. Research your breed closely before making this decision and speak with your vet if you are uncertain how your dog, or new dog, might interact with a cat.

Once you’ve made your decision and bring home a new pet, you want that pet to grow accustomed to their new home, regardless of what other pets live in it. Begin by confining your existing cat or dog and allowing you new pet to wander the house as they please. This will help your new pet feel comfortable in their surroundings, and allow them to get used to the smell of your current pet. Once your new pet seems comfortable, switch places and confine the new pet but let the existing one run free, allowing him or her to get used to the scent of the new pet.

Gradually allow your pets to approach each other, starting with a baby gate or fence in between them so each pet still has their own space. When you feel comfortable allowing them to meet face to face, keep your dog on leash and give your cat the option to run off to a safe place if they feel threatened. Do not force interaction between them; this new relationship will take time to develop. Don’t leave your pets together unsupervised until you are sure of how they will react.

With proper preparation, research and patient training, your cat and dog can learn to defy the cartoon cliché and get along living in the same household.

What’s Your Pet Thinking? Pet Psychics Aim to Provide Answers

It happens to every pet owner. Your dog pulled the curtains off the window, your cat won’t come out from under the couch, or your new puppy has a thing for eating bugs. All that crazy pet behavior leaves you looking into their innocent eyes and asking yourself, “What on earth are they thinking?”

According to today’s Pet Psychics, we just might be able to find out.

Heidi Schulman is a part of the growing profession of pet psychics, people who work to bring pet owners closer to their animals by communicating directly with their pets. Whether or not this telepathic communication can deliver real answers is a matter of opinion and belief, but the prospect of gaining insight into your pet’s psyche is certainly tempting for many pet owners.

A recent Huffington Post “Weird News” article on the subject explained that for Schulman, the inspiration began with her rescue dog, Bosco. She said that she could sense a nonverbal communication between herself and her dog, and found herself wondering what he would say if he could talk. The result was “The Original Dog Tarot: Divine the Canine Mind,” a guidebook and series of 30 tarot cards for helping pet owners communicate with their dogs.

Pet psychics throughout the country describe their abilities in many different ways, from tarot card readings to, as “The Secret Language of Dogs” author Jocelyn Kessler says, communicating energetically with the canine or feline mind. Sonya Fitzpatrick, another pet psychic who hosts a popular radio show on Sirius XM, says that clients can call for telephone consultations or even reach out to her for help finding a lost pet.

Like many psychic professions, this one has its skeptics. Veterinarian Jeff Nichol, referenced in a Washington Post story on pet psychics, warns against turning to nontraditional methods for treating your pet’s behavior or health problems. 

But what about just for fun? Would you try a tarot reading or pet psychic with your pet? 

We can’t claim to read a dog’s mind, but we can advise pet owners on how to read the nonverbal signals your dog displays. Keep reading “If They Could Talk” for weekly tips on working with your pet, and feel free to explore our previous posts for advice on reading dog body language.