Holiday Safety Tips For The New Dog Owner

The holidays can be a magical (i.e. stressful) time for all of us. Our homes are full of family, food, and chaos! We are rapidly making preparations and trying to juggle a lot of things at the last minute. If you have a new dog in the house, you have even more on your mind. Here a few tips to make sure your holidays are safe and happy for your new bundle of fur:

1.) Meeting the family - If your pup isn't used to new people in his house, the holidays are a trial by fire. The best way for your dog to meet the family is outside of the house on leash. When your family arrives, take him outside and tell your family to ignore him. They may not listen but it's best if you try anyway. Allow your pup to sniff everyone. Many dogs are not comfortable with strangers who rapidly approach them and start touching them. Imagine if you were walking down the street and a group of strangers surrounded you and start petting your head. You wouldn't feel comfortable at all! (Well, maybe some of you would, but that's a different article.) Now, when your dog has finished greeting, feel free to usher everyone inside and take him off leash. Introducing your pup outside on leash not only makes you in control of the situation but helps calm any undiscovered territorial issues your dog might have. And always make sure there is a place in your home that your dog can retreat to and not be disturbed. Just like we need little breaks from family, your dog needs them too!

2.) No feeding from the table - Again, you may have some trouble enforcing this with your family. Do your best. Holiday food is loaded with things that dogs can't digest. Some of them are even toxic. Don't keep a bowl of chocolates anywhere your dog might be able to reach and when you are finished chopping onions, bury them in the trash. In fact, now is the best time to invest in a garbage can that your dog can't open. You are going to be busy with other things and probably won't notice that furry head in the trash.

3.) Put a sign on your door - The noise and influx of people can be scary to new dogs and some of them try to make a run for it! On the inside of all your exterior doors, put a sign that says "Keep Door Shut". You might feel like this is a bit extreme, but Uncle Fred is not going to remember to shut the door after his second glass of wine. With a sign, your family will always be reminded. The last thing you want to do is spend Christmas Eve roaming the streets with a flashlight screaming "Buford!!!"

4.) Watch the kids - Children love animals and the little ones need to be shown the correct way to pet a dog. Toddlers love to slap and pull tails. That doesn't go over so well with dogs. Since your dog is most comfortable with you, it should be you who shows the kids how to respectfully pet your dog. Hold their hands and invite them to pet your pup on the chest and shoulders. Don't allow them to reach over top of your pup's head or pet the hind quarters. This can be unnerving to your dog. Always monitor any interaction between your dog and children. If your dog looks anxious, becomes very still, or shows any signs of aggression, it is best to remove him from the situation and put him in another room for the time being.

5.) Keep decorations out of your pup's reach - If your dog is going to act out destructively, the holidays are a prime motivator. Dogs feed off the energy around them and if things are chaotic, they need to calm themselves. One of the ways they do this is by chewing. Some dogs also chew on things they aren't supposed to in order to receive attention. Keep Christmas lights, ornaments, and tinsel out of doggie reach. You might even keep your Xmas presents away from the tree until Christmas Eve. And remember to keep doors to your guest room closed. You don't want Squiggles running through the house with Grandma's underwear. But then again, if he does, it'll make a great story!

Supporting Our Local Shelters And Rescues

Hi Folks!
We just finished our drive for the East Valley Animal Shelter and I'm happy to report that we brought in a full carload of blankets, sheets, towels, beds, and toys to some very happy pups and kitties! Hurray!

In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, we want to continue our promotion of shelters and rescues. 

So...let's get some dogs and kitties adopted...

From now until June 2015 if you adopted your dog from a local shelter or rescue, I will give you 50% off your first dog training session. That is a $110 value for $55.  This promotion is an effort to give pups a good head start in their new lives and help new owners with any problems they encounter. All of my training sessions are done in the privacy of your own home, so you don't even have to leave the house.

What do you say? Let's make some pups very happy this holiday season!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Damon
Love For Paws
818-720-3275

We Now Offer Gift Certificates!

After receiving several requests, Love For Paws is now offering gift certificates for dog training. 

If you have a friend who just adopted a puppy and needs an in-person tutorial on how to raise the perfect dog, this is a great gift! In our puppy sessions, we go over everything from feeding and housebreaking to setting boundaries and being a good doggie parent.

If you have a family member who is dealing with behavioral issues like aggression or anxiety in their dog, a gift certificate is also a great choice for a birthday or holiday gift. 

Please email us at loveforpaws1@gmail.com or call us at 818-720-3275 if you are interested in purchasing one.

All the best,

Jennifer

My Interview For Pets360.com

Kimberly Gauthier is the author of Keep The Tail Wagging: a wonderful blog about how to raise your dog naturally.  She decided to interview me and several other trainers for Pets360.com. Here is a link to her piece. I think you will find it incredibly insightful and comprehensive.  5 Tips for Socializing Your Dog

Desensitizing Your Dog To Touch

Here is post from guest author, Vicki Lazarchik, on helping your dog become accustomed to vet visits.


It is estimated that the average dog will have as many as 26 veterinarian visits in his lifetime.  High on the list of concerns for many of us is how our dog will behave during the examination. It is a tense situation for our furry friends, especially if they are ill. The vet needs to be able to conduct a thorough examination in order to maximize the health of our pets and dogs don't always respond well to having their bodies manipulated. Sometimes, it is only certain areas of the body that they are guarded about. It could be their ears, mouth, tail or even their paws. It's very difficult to examine a dog that is squirming to get away or one that growls when you try to look in his ears. It will be less stressful for everyone involved, if your dog is comfortable with being touched on all parts of his body. There is something you can do at home though, to help make this happen. Psychologists and Dog Trainers call it Desensitization and Counterconditioning. I just call it getting your dog comfortable with being touched.


I discovered that my Pitbull didn’t like to have his ears handled at one of his first visits. He growled at the vet. She told me that I should practice handling his ears at home to get him used to it. Determined to get my dog over it, I tried this. He growled at me too. Let me be clear, his growl was not a vicious, baring-of-the-teeth sort of growl. It was just a low grumble, his way of telling me that he was not comfortable with what I was doing. If your dog bares his teeth and or lunges at you, please don’t try this exercise without the advice of a Dog Trainer.


To start desensitizing, you need to pick a time of day when your dog's energy level is low. A good time is after a walk. Select a spot in your house that is quiet and where there will be no interruptions. Putting on soft music can also help block out extraneous noise if your dog is not stimulated by music. Have your dog sit or lie down. Give him treat that he can chew on for a while. As he is relaxed and enjoying his treat, start rubbing him on the body parts that he is comfortable with you touching. I use an unscented baby wipe and/or a grooming glove to rub my dog down. The baby wipe is also useful for removing any unwanted residue from his coat following his walk. Gently rub your way near the area that he is sensitive about. Don’t touch the sensitive area yet. Patience is the name of the game here. Do this exercise daily, each time moving closer to the sensitive area. When you are able to touch the area, praise him and end the exercise. Eventually, you will be able to handle any part of his body without him objecting. I did this with my dog and now I can grab both ears, wiggle them and even clean them without a peep from my little guy.


Although my dog’s ears were the most sensitive to him, I still use this method to examine his whole body. I want him to be very comfortable with being touched everywhere on his body. This not only helps with the vet’s exam but also with making myself familiar with any abnormalities that crop up.

The key to this exercise is patience. Take it slow. Watch your dog for signs that he is becoming uncomfortable. Don’t try to force it. When he makes progress, praise and/or treat him. He wants to please you. He just needs to know that it is okay to be touched.

Dealing With Doggie Anxiety

Anxiety is a very common behavioral issue for dogs. Some dogs are anxious only in certain situations (going to the vet, when visitors arrive, etc) while others have anxiety in numerous situations. In the latter case, the anxiety becomes chronic. We aren't sure why some dogs handle stress better than others but then again, some people are better equipped at dealing with stress as well. If you believe your dog's anxiety is chronic, there are certain basic steps you can take to help calm him.

1.) Take him for a walk- Exercise is not only great for your pup physically, but helps him settle down mentally. I recommend at least three 30 minute walks per day for big dogs and three 20 minute walks per day for the little guys with anxiety. The walk satisfies your dog's need for mental stimulation in that he gets to see, sniff, and hear sounds that he wouldn't be exposed to in his own house or yard. Just like humans, dogs need to both venture out into the world and get plenty of exercise to maintain health. For those days when you're short on time, you can also switch one of these walks out for a vigorous 15 minute game of fetch. Just make sure he is still getting his pee break every five or six hours. When your pup has to hold it, this can exacerbate his general anxiety.

2.) Let him meet some furry friends - Dogs have their own "language". Part of this language includes a series of gestures called calming signals. These signals not only allow for peaceful interaction between dogs but they remind dogs how to calm themselves as well. A dog that doesn't have the opportunity to use "doggie language" much will soon forget it and therefore will not be as well-versed in calming himself during stressful situations. Social interaction also supplies more mental and physical stimulation for your pup too.

3.) Set boundaries and adopt a routine - Imagine for a second that when you went to work everyday your boss kept moving your desk. Some days you'd be next to the noisy copier and other days you'd be isolated in the storage room. While this scenario is a bit far-fetched, this is how your dog feels when he doesn't know where he is allowed in the house and where he is not. If you decide your dog shouldn't sit on the sofa, then this needs to be reinforced every time he attempts to climb up. All of us get lazy with rules at times but having consistent boundaries is especially important for anxious dogs. When your dog knows what is expected of him, he can relax. This goes for his feeding and walking routine as well. If that routine changes too much, he becomes uneasy.

4.) Praise the correct behavior - This activity is probably the most crucial of all. Watch your dog for signs of anxiety and don't pet or comfort him while he is in this state. Our instinct as pet parents is to want to soothe our dog when he is uncomfortable. We hate seeing him worked up for no reason. Unfortunately, when we pet our pup during fits of anxiety, it has the opposite effect. We are communicating to him that we like this behavior. The best solution when your dog is whining, shaking, etc is to ignore him. I know it's difficult but remind yourself that you are helping him. You can coo at him and pet him until your heart is content once he is calm again.

Slow Motion Doggie

It's the end of a long stressful day of work. You come home and let your dog out in the backyard to do her business. You're tired and all you want to do is take off your work clothes and relax.  You call your pup to come inside, but she acts like she's ignoring you. You call her more intensely and this time she moves slowly in your general direction but makes a wide arc around the yard. Growing more frustrated, you yell her name.  This time she slows down even more and stops to sniff the azalea bush. You also see her yawn or maybe, half-close her eyes. Exasperated, you leave her and go inside in a huff and shut the door. At this point, she comes running to be let in and you're wondering why your dog is vexing you. Does this sound familiar? 

We think our dogs are being passive aggressive during such occasions, but the truth is that everything your pup was doing in this scenario was an effort to get you to relax. Dogs are excellent as sensing tension and stress. In the dog world, such tension would usually lead to an altercation, so your dog wants to calm you as quickly as possible. The only problem is that you aren't versed in dog language. Slow movements, lack of eye contact, an wide-arcing approach, slow yawns, half-closed eyes, and sniffing the ground or pretending to do something else are all signals that tell other dogs to please calm down. And they work too! Usually other dogs will respond by mimicking these same techniques. It's the same as when we ask a friend who is agitated to breathe deeply or sit down with us.

Even when we aren't aware that we're tense, our dogs know. So, if you see your dog doing any of these behaviors, your best bet is to try and relax. Clear your mind. Lower your shoulders. Maybe stop and sniff the flowers too.   When you do, you'll notice how obedient your dog suddenly becomes.

Cultivating A Fresh Start

So, you are at your wit’s end with your dog's behavior and you have decided to hire a trainer. You’ve scheduled a session, you've straightened up your house, and you are ready for this professional to come in and see the hair-wringing frustration that you've been dealing with on a daily basis.  You’re hoping this person can save the day with a myriad of tips and techniques. Then, something miraculous happens. The trainer shows up and your dog behaves like an angel.  Now you are left only explaining your dog’s incessant chewing, leash pulling, etc. Why does this happen? 

Does the trainer have some sort of magical mojo that soothes dogs? Possibly. More likely however, your dog is responding to your new frame of mind. When the trainer arrives, you are envisioning a fresh start. You may be imagining having all the answers in an hour or so. You are probably excited and hopeful that today everything will start to change.

It’s true that your dog may respond better to someone else because he knows you so well. He knows how far to push you and he knows that the tenth time he jumps on the couch, you’ll cave in and let him sit down. Dogs are also very sensitive creatures, though. Thousands of years of surviving on the whims of humans have led them to be in touch with our emotional states. This is why your state of mind is so important when training your pup. Cultivating a fresh start is a great way to add some oomph to adjusting your dog’s behavior. When you find yourself getting overwhelmed or frustrated, take some time off and start again the next day in a new frame of mind. Tell yourself that tomorrow will be different and you’ll begin to feel stronger and calmer. Add in a different tool like a new collar or leash. Take your pup on a different route for your morning walk. Take that walk before instead of after breakfast. Little changes here and there can rejuvenate your training. If you feel consistently overwhelmed or if you are dealing with dangerous behavior, definitely hire a trainer. For the smaller and peskier issues though, sometimes all you need is a new beginning for you and your favorite furball to create progress.