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.

LFP Newsletter Issue #2

The LFP Newsletter - Issue #1

Food, Collars, and Training Techniques, Oh My!

  As a new dog owner, the variety of canine accoutrements, methods of daily care, and training techniques can be quite overwhelming. Our knowledge of dogs has grown in leaps and bounds over the last 15 years thanks to behaviorists conducting research and people like Cesar Milan who have come into our homes via television to explain the inner workings of the canine mind.  The dog accessory industry has kept pace with this newfound knowledge. Every few months, a new style of training collar or harness will hit the market and promise to be the next cure-all for dogs that pull on leash. There are hundreds of trainers writing hundreds of books. There are new videos and interactive toys and all kinds of different products to help with behavioral issues. And just try picking out a brand of food. Your vet will tell you one thing, your groomer another, and the guy at the dog park has his opinion as well. You can make yourself crazy trying to figure out what’s best for your pup. Now, just to add one more opinion to the pile, here are my thoughts: don’t stress about any of it.

There is no one correct way to train your dog. Go to the bookstore and grab a book on dog training or watch a few episodes of the Dog Whisperer. Pick up little tidbits here and there and always keep an open mind. What works for your neighbor’s dog, may not work for your pup. A good professional dog trainer will use a variety of methods from a host of sources because no two dogs are alike. We are very much like doctors in that we are given a problem, we diagnose it, and then prescribe the treatment that works most often. If that doesn't work, we go to plan B, or plan C.  Feel free to look at your dog and his problems the same way and try not to get frustrated if it takes many tries to find the perfect remedy for your pup's issues. 

There is also no perfect collar for walking your dog. You will hear people say that prong collars are cruel and that you should use regular chokers instead. You will hear people say to only use a halti or only use a harness. There is no correct answer here. I’ve actually taken a prong collar and tightened it around my neck to see if it was, in fact, cruel. It didn't feel like a silk scarf but it wasn’t damaging either. All of the collars mentioned above are safe for your training your dog to walk on leash.  There is a phrase..”It’s the fool not the tool” and I think that applies to collars. My only note is not to use regular collars to walk dogs that pull because the force of them pulling can damage their windpipe. All of the other training collars discourage pulling and that’s really what you want so they don’t hurt themselves.

On the subject of food, buy something that looks nutritious. There is a great website called Dog Food Advisor that lists all the brands of dog food and treats and whether there have been any bouts of sickness or recalls associated with them. In general, it’s best to buy pet food from the pet store instead of the supermarket because the brands tend to be healthier.

Most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy your dog. You are giving him the best life possible.  Dogs are like little sponges that absorb our emotions. The last thing you want to do is actually cause a behavioral problem with your canine because you are consistently stressed about his care. Let your dog remind you how to relax and stop worrying. He’s an expert at it.  

Paw Photo Contest Winner!!

Please say hello to Jake, the LFP Paw Photo Contest Winner!! Isn't he a cutie pie? Jake and his parents, Valerie and Andy, will receive a FREE one-hour dog training session.  Everyone give them a big round of applause for this adorable photo!

Tweeting Away

At long last, I am finally on Twitter! Follow me @loveforpaws1 for more articles, pics, pet care, and dog training info.  Use the link below and have a great week, folks!

@loveforpaws1

Paw Photo Contest!

Hi Folks! It's Love For Paw's third anniversary and we want to celebrate with something a little different. Welcome to our Paw Photo Contest!  The rules are simple.  Anyone and everyone that reads this message can enter by emailing a picture of your dog which highlights his or her paws (like the one above) to loveforpaws1@gmail.com. The more creative and wackier the picture the better! We aren't looking for professional photos.  Photos taken with your phone are just fine.  Please include your name in the email and write "Paw Photo Contest" in the subject line.  The deadline for submissions is October 31st, 2012.
On November 1st, we'll choose a winner and notify you via email.  That person and their pup will receive a FREE one-hour dog training session with Love For Paws owner, Jennifer Damon and the winning pic will be featured on the LFP blog.  If the winner chosen is outside of Los Angeles, they will receive their training session via Skype or phone (winner's choice).  Sound simple enough? Be sure to tell your friends and family.  And let's see those adorable paws!!