Everyone wants their dog to be well behaved, so we correct our dogs whenever they screw up. If he bugs you to play when you are trying to concentrate, you say "NO!" If he begs at the table we say "SIT!" If he jumps up, we say "DOWN!"
Did you ever notice that when the dog lies down in the corner to sleep, we ignore him? If someone comes over and the dog remains calm, we don't notice? When is the last time that you caught your dog doing something right and rewarded him?
Try this... Next time you catch your dog minding his own business, give him a treat. Next time he eliminates outside, give him a nice piece of hot dog. You will probably surprise and excite him. He will wonder what he did to deserve such a prize. If you do the hot dog thing again under the same circumstances, he might begin to notice a pattern. The final outcome? You have reinforced and defined the behavior you want. You will get it more often.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
I called my wife a dog!
I was trying to think of a way to express my love for my wife of 20 years. I told her she was a dog because she loves me no matter what. She loves me regardless of how I look, what I wear, what kind of job I have, how much money I make, where we live, what kind of house we live in. what clothes I wear, the car I drive, the mistakes I make.. she loves me unconditionally.
Singles ad
This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed. It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.
SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting....
The funny part is that Daisy is a black labrador retriever. The phone number was for an animal shelter. Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society...
SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting....
The funny part is that Daisy is a black labrador retriever. The phone number was for an animal shelter. Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
A Tale of Two Puppies: Part 1
Blacky and Whitey were two puppies from the same litter of seven little pups. Their breeder, Jane, was a nice lady. She kept the puppies clean and warm. She touched and petted the puppies often. The puppies frolicked between naps. Jane insisted the litter stay together until they were eight weeks old.
On pick up day, two different gentlemen came to take Blacky and Whitey to their respective new homes. Whitey's new owner, Roger, just invested in a SuiteDigs indoor canine habitat. Roger fully stocked the habitat with everything a new puppy could want, a soft bed, food and water bowls, and puppy training pads. As an extra mesure, a week earlier, Roger brought a special stuffed squeaky toy named "Fluffy" to Whitey. All the puppies loved Fluffy and everyone played with it. The breeder only left the toy with the puppies for short times during the day so it didn't get dirty. Blacky's new owner, Dodger, made all the traditional preparations like a bed, two bowls, leash, collar, some toys and so on but no Fluffy, SuiteDigs suite or training pads. Both gentlemen had the next two days off from work and dedicated their time off to acclimating their new puppies into their new homes.
Jane gave each gentleman a small bag of puppy food and said if they wanted to change to a different brand or type of food to do so gradually, mixing the new food with the old food in gradually greater proportions. She let the gentlemen know that the pups haven't eaten for a while so they won't get car sick during the ride home. "Roger,' Jain said. "Here is Fluffy the stuffed animal. I made sure It did not get near any poop or pee so it won't confuse Whitey about where he is to go potty." Jane went over all the information in the puppy packs with the gentlemen and suggested a vet visit within the next week to establish the puppies' health care routines.
When Whitey arrived at his new house he began to explore all the new sights and sounds. Roger had remembered to bring the stuffed animal from the breeder's place. Seeing and sniffing the stuffed animal made Whitey feel good. He liked to make it squeak, it reminded him of his old home. Roger put a couple of pieces of his familiar old food down in front of his new SuiteDigs suite. "Who can think of eating at a time like this?" Whitey thought. even though his tummy was growling. Soon though hunger took over and Whitey gobbled up those pieces of kibble. Roger put some more down but this time it was in the suite, just inside the door. Whitey peered inside. It was kinda dark but smelled familiar. "Have I been here before?" Whitey thought to himself. Looking around he saw his stuffed toy in the suite. "Oh that explains it!"
Whitey could just reach the food inside the suite so he took a piece, brought it out and crunch, crunch, it was gone. He reached in for another, pulled it out like the other and crunch, crunch, it was gone also. "It takes too long this way!" Whitey thought. So he stepped in the suite and started eating right there. "This is more like it!" Roger kept putting more pieces in each time in different spots. Soon Whitey was moving all around the suite picking up food and exploring his new home. "Well roger seems to approve of my being in here." Whitey thought. "I can tell he is happy from the sounds he makes and the way his eyes look."
Soon Whitey's tummy was full and he needed to go potty, as puppies do, soon after eating. Roger nudged and coaxed Whitey into a part of the suite with soft puppy training pads. Whitey sniffed around and circled around until he pooped and peed. Boy was Roger happy! Roger let Whitey know it too. He praised Whitey a lot. Soon Whitey was sleepy. Roger escorted Whitey to the part of the suite where there was a nice soft bed to sleep on. There was fluffy the stuffed animal waiting for him. He smelled like his litter mates. The suite felt safe and protective. Dogs are naturally den animals and like to be in their dens. Whitey soon fell asleep.
Whitey dreamed his little puppy dreams. When he woke, he had to remember that he was in a new home now. Roger was nearby and greeted Whitey. Roger knew that wake up time was potty time so he coaxed Whitey into that same area of the suite where there were puppy pads. Except this time there was a piece of the old pad still in there. It smelled like poop and pee. As soon as Whitey smelled that, he did his thing. Roger was again happy and praised Whitey as he took Whitey out to play. Playing, eating, drinking, sleeping, and going potty became a predictable cycle for Whitey and Roger over the next two days. Roger would purposely be absent from Whitey for short times and gradually longer periods to get Whitey used to being alone from time to time. Fluffy helped.
Blacky's first two days went much the same as Whitey's except Blacky's bed was out in the open, and so were his food and water bowls. He didn't feel secure like Whitey. There was no "Fluffy" to calm Blacky's fears when he missed his litter mates. Every time Blacky needed to go potty, Dodger took Blacky outside. When Blacky went potty, Dodger gave him lots of praise. So far both couples are doing well.
Then came Monday.
On pick up day, two different gentlemen came to take Blacky and Whitey to their respective new homes. Whitey's new owner, Roger, just invested in a SuiteDigs indoor canine habitat. Roger fully stocked the habitat with everything a new puppy could want, a soft bed, food and water bowls, and puppy training pads. As an extra mesure, a week earlier, Roger brought a special stuffed squeaky toy named "Fluffy" to Whitey. All the puppies loved Fluffy and everyone played with it. The breeder only left the toy with the puppies for short times during the day so it didn't get dirty. Blacky's new owner, Dodger, made all the traditional preparations like a bed, two bowls, leash, collar, some toys and so on but no Fluffy, SuiteDigs suite or training pads. Both gentlemen had the next two days off from work and dedicated their time off to acclimating their new puppies into their new homes.
Jane gave each gentleman a small bag of puppy food and said if they wanted to change to a different brand or type of food to do so gradually, mixing the new food with the old food in gradually greater proportions. She let the gentlemen know that the pups haven't eaten for a while so they won't get car sick during the ride home. "Roger,' Jain said. "Here is Fluffy the stuffed animal. I made sure It did not get near any poop or pee so it won't confuse Whitey about where he is to go potty." Jane went over all the information in the puppy packs with the gentlemen and suggested a vet visit within the next week to establish the puppies' health care routines.
When Whitey arrived at his new house he began to explore all the new sights and sounds. Roger had remembered to bring the stuffed animal from the breeder's place. Seeing and sniffing the stuffed animal made Whitey feel good. He liked to make it squeak, it reminded him of his old home. Roger put a couple of pieces of his familiar old food down in front of his new SuiteDigs suite. "Who can think of eating at a time like this?" Whitey thought. even though his tummy was growling. Soon though hunger took over and Whitey gobbled up those pieces of kibble. Roger put some more down but this time it was in the suite, just inside the door. Whitey peered inside. It was kinda dark but smelled familiar. "Have I been here before?" Whitey thought to himself. Looking around he saw his stuffed toy in the suite. "Oh that explains it!"
Whitey could just reach the food inside the suite so he took a piece, brought it out and crunch, crunch, it was gone. He reached in for another, pulled it out like the other and crunch, crunch, it was gone also. "It takes too long this way!" Whitey thought. So he stepped in the suite and started eating right there. "This is more like it!" Roger kept putting more pieces in each time in different spots. Soon Whitey was moving all around the suite picking up food and exploring his new home. "Well roger seems to approve of my being in here." Whitey thought. "I can tell he is happy from the sounds he makes and the way his eyes look."
Soon Whitey's tummy was full and he needed to go potty, as puppies do, soon after eating. Roger nudged and coaxed Whitey into a part of the suite with soft puppy training pads. Whitey sniffed around and circled around until he pooped and peed. Boy was Roger happy! Roger let Whitey know it too. He praised Whitey a lot. Soon Whitey was sleepy. Roger escorted Whitey to the part of the suite where there was a nice soft bed to sleep on. There was fluffy the stuffed animal waiting for him. He smelled like his litter mates. The suite felt safe and protective. Dogs are naturally den animals and like to be in their dens. Whitey soon fell asleep.
Whitey dreamed his little puppy dreams. When he woke, he had to remember that he was in a new home now. Roger was nearby and greeted Whitey. Roger knew that wake up time was potty time so he coaxed Whitey into that same area of the suite where there were puppy pads. Except this time there was a piece of the old pad still in there. It smelled like poop and pee. As soon as Whitey smelled that, he did his thing. Roger was again happy and praised Whitey as he took Whitey out to play. Playing, eating, drinking, sleeping, and going potty became a predictable cycle for Whitey and Roger over the next two days. Roger would purposely be absent from Whitey for short times and gradually longer periods to get Whitey used to being alone from time to time. Fluffy helped.
Blacky's first two days went much the same as Whitey's except Blacky's bed was out in the open, and so were his food and water bowls. He didn't feel secure like Whitey. There was no "Fluffy" to calm Blacky's fears when he missed his litter mates. Every time Blacky needed to go potty, Dodger took Blacky outside. When Blacky went potty, Dodger gave him lots of praise. So far both couples are doing well.
Then came Monday.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
You Are The Boss!
Dogs are happy as long as someone is in charge. Like you might feel when you are in an airplane high in the sky. You don't feel a need to be the pilot but you will take over the controls if no one else will. Face it, you would be a lot happier knowing there is a pilot flying while you relax.
You have to assume command in your relationship with your dog. If you don't, the dog will. After millions of years surviving in the wild, wolves know someone has to be the leader. Much posturing takes place in the pack to ensure the most qualified dog is the pack leader. You have to do some posturing of your own. Owners who insist on being a friend to their dog and not being the boss often find themselves being controlled by their dog. Consider the case where the 26 pound terrier decided that the Lazy Boy recliner was his and would not let anyone take his spot. Any who reached toward the dog while he was in the chair would see bared teeth and and get a nasty snarl. Now imagine that is a 120 pound German Shepherd! Someone could get really hurt! The dog might ultimately be put down. It's a situation that can get out of hand and become quite tragic.
So you have to assume command, but how? When we were in school, bullies used to beat up the other kids to show them who was in charge. Everyone was afraid of the bullies and did their best to avoid them. Well, that is definitely not what you want for you and your dog!
There are better ways to stay on top of the org chart while increasing the level of trust and closeness you feel from your dog. Here are some techniques...
You have to assume command in your relationship with your dog. If you don't, the dog will. After millions of years surviving in the wild, wolves know someone has to be the leader. Much posturing takes place in the pack to ensure the most qualified dog is the pack leader. You have to do some posturing of your own. Owners who insist on being a friend to their dog and not being the boss often find themselves being controlled by their dog. Consider the case where the 26 pound terrier decided that the Lazy Boy recliner was his and would not let anyone take his spot. Any who reached toward the dog while he was in the chair would see bared teeth and and get a nasty snarl. Now imagine that is a 120 pound German Shepherd! Someone could get really hurt! The dog might ultimately be put down. It's a situation that can get out of hand and become quite tragic.
So you have to assume command, but how? When we were in school, bullies used to beat up the other kids to show them who was in charge. Everyone was afraid of the bullies and did their best to avoid them. Well, that is definitely not what you want for you and your dog!
There are better ways to stay on top of the org chart while increasing the level of trust and closeness you feel from your dog. Here are some techniques...
- Always eat first. Have your meal while your pup is in a down stay near you or at his bed.
- When you feed your dog, make him sit and stay first, put the bowl down, then give your dog the release cue to let him come to eat.
- Always go through doorways first, then turn and give your dog permission to follow you through.
- When opening the door to let the dog out, don't let him barge his way past you. Again make him sit and wait until you have fully opened the door and give the release when you decide.
- Same goes for letting the dog back in. Open the door and let the dog pass when you gesture to him that it's OK.
- Give tummy rubs, the dog rolling over and exposing his belly to you is a submissive gesture on his part. encourage it.
Don't let it get out of hand, If you do then try reign it back in you might get bitten! Call a pro if your dog becomes more aggressive than you feel safe handling. Be in charge from day one, your dog will be happier and more at ease letting you be the pilot!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Puppy Puzzle Solved!
SUITEDIGS SOLVES NEW PUPPY NIGHTMARES
New doggie condos equipped with webcams, feeders and bathroom facilities
Pocono Mountains, PA, October 1, 2007 – There has been an exciting development that is sure to create significant demand among those who love dogs! What can it be? An all inclusive dog habitat! In a stroke of pure genius SuiteDigs, Inc. has combined the good old dog crate with the exercise pen and the indoor potty training devices that have been hitting the market lately. The combination creates an indoor canine habitat. Now you can enclose your beloved companion in an escape proof apartment that contains within its boundaries everything your dog needs to be comfortable! (Except you)
Everything? Yes, it’s got everything! A place to sleep, a place to eat and drink, a place to play, and even a separate place to go potty! That’s not all, you can look in on your dog via the internet through a web cam! Then if your pup looks bored, you can dispense a fun toy or yummy, chewy treat to the dog! Then watch the little guy enjoy the treats from your office computer! And the best part? You don’t have to be made of money to afford it!
The way it works is you purchase one or more modules and connect them together. Then you furnish each module to fit its purpose. Put a custom tailored bed in the “bedroom”. Put food and water bowls in the “dining room”. And if you have a young puppy, senior dog, or a rescue dog that needs more frequent potty breaks than you can easily accommodate, you can put house training pads or puppy litter in the “bathroom”.
The intelligent design allows you to stack the modules one atop the other and put in a staircase so the pup can go upstairs to the bedroom or down to the potty. This space saving arrangement takes about as much room as a medium sized fish tank. The suites even incorporate a sliding door so when you are home you can leave the suite open without having to trip over the swung open door!
Put one in the office at work! Keep your dog under control while you need to attend to business matters when the dog can’t come with you!
The materials that make up the suites are the best you can buy. These tough suites are constructed of heavy duty ABS composite, brushed aluminum, and stainless steel. The inventor demonstrates their strength by standing on top of them. He weighs just over 200 pounds!
What does this mean to us puppy lovers? No more chewed up furniture, soiled carpets, and damaged woodwork. It may be cheaper to have the suites than not to. Now you can leave your pup at home and not have to feel guilty about the little guy having to stay in a cramped little box. Or worry that he might get out of the baby gate or exercise pen. Or destroy what ever room you have penned him up in. Problem solved!
Unfortunately for those with large breed dogs, those pups will have to move out by the time he reaches adult size SuiteDigs is only for dogs that fit under its 25 inch high ceiling. But by then, the maturity factor might kick in and you can give you dog free reign. Then sell your suites, you probably will do well. Keep the treat dispenser though, it works without the suite just as well. On the other hand the company does speak custom, so if you want something larger, talk to them.
Go to http://www.suitedigs.com/ to see all the stuff and be sure to click their blog link. There are some great dog training tips!
New doggie condos equipped with webcams, feeders and bathroom facilities
Pocono Mountains, PA, October 1, 2007 – There has been an exciting development that is sure to create significant demand among those who love dogs! What can it be? An all inclusive dog habitat! In a stroke of pure genius SuiteDigs, Inc. has combined the good old dog crate with the exercise pen and the indoor potty training devices that have been hitting the market lately. The combination creates an indoor canine habitat. Now you can enclose your beloved companion in an escape proof apartment that contains within its boundaries everything your dog needs to be comfortable! (Except you)
Everything? Yes, it’s got everything! A place to sleep, a place to eat and drink, a place to play, and even a separate place to go potty! That’s not all, you can look in on your dog via the internet through a web cam! Then if your pup looks bored, you can dispense a fun toy or yummy, chewy treat to the dog! Then watch the little guy enjoy the treats from your office computer! And the best part? You don’t have to be made of money to afford it!
The way it works is you purchase one or more modules and connect them together. Then you furnish each module to fit its purpose. Put a custom tailored bed in the “bedroom”. Put food and water bowls in the “dining room”. And if you have a young puppy, senior dog, or a rescue dog that needs more frequent potty breaks than you can easily accommodate, you can put house training pads or puppy litter in the “bathroom”.
The intelligent design allows you to stack the modules one atop the other and put in a staircase so the pup can go upstairs to the bedroom or down to the potty. This space saving arrangement takes about as much room as a medium sized fish tank. The suites even incorporate a sliding door so when you are home you can leave the suite open without having to trip over the swung open door!
Put one in the office at work! Keep your dog under control while you need to attend to business matters when the dog can’t come with you!
The materials that make up the suites are the best you can buy. These tough suites are constructed of heavy duty ABS composite, brushed aluminum, and stainless steel. The inventor demonstrates their strength by standing on top of them. He weighs just over 200 pounds!
What does this mean to us puppy lovers? No more chewed up furniture, soiled carpets, and damaged woodwork. It may be cheaper to have the suites than not to. Now you can leave your pup at home and not have to feel guilty about the little guy having to stay in a cramped little box. Or worry that he might get out of the baby gate or exercise pen. Or destroy what ever room you have penned him up in. Problem solved!
Unfortunately for those with large breed dogs, those pups will have to move out by the time he reaches adult size SuiteDigs is only for dogs that fit under its 25 inch high ceiling. But by then, the maturity factor might kick in and you can give you dog free reign. Then sell your suites, you probably will do well. Keep the treat dispenser though, it works without the suite just as well. On the other hand the company does speak custom, so if you want something larger, talk to them.
Go to http://www.suitedigs.com/ to see all the stuff and be sure to click their blog link. There are some great dog training tips!
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