Archive for the 'Dog exercise' Category
Dog owners miss out on opportunities to share experiences with their dogs beyond the backyard.
To me, the ability to take my mutt almost anywhere is the whole point of having a dog. I specifically adopted Ace because of his calm manner and athleticism – perfect for all kinds of adventures. Training and socializing him is an ongoing process and one of the most rewarding pieces to my life.
Every walk and every s ...
Dog walking or dog running is as much a chore for me as it is anyone else. I’m often tired or it’s cold or snowing or whatever. And walking is often boring.
But guess what? If I’m bored, my dog just might find me a bit boring.
Here’s an example of the walk Ace and I took Sunday night that was far from boring. We incorporated exercise, training and play:
1. Started out through the front door a ...
My mutt Ace automatically becomes hyper in certain situations regardless of how much exercise he’s had. And hyper is an understatement.
A lack of exercise is the cause behind most dog behavior problems, but not all. What I’m referring to in this post is a dog’s behavior issues related to his state of mind.
Ace’s “problem areas” include agility and retrieving. Ace is obsessive and ...
I’ve had multiple people ask for my advice on the same problem – their dogs were going to the bathroom indoors for no apparent reason after being housebroken for years.
People hope for some kind of magical solution or an easy explanation for their dogs’ behavior problems. They also suggest that the dogs misbehave as a way of getting back at them for something.
As convenient as it is to believe a dog ...
If it’s so cold you are tempted to skip your daily walk, then practice some obedience indoors with your dog instead. This change to the routine might actually leave your dog more tired than usual.
It’s abnormally cold pretty much everywhere in the United States today, and I’m guessing there are a lot of excited, bored, anxious dogs across the country because they have not gotten the challenges they ...
My current foster dog is a tan Pomeranian mix I named Elli. I can’t tell you how cute and sweet she is. She wants to be with me at all times, and she will be a great companion for the right person.
Elli gets along with my mutt Ace, and she does not bother my cats. She knows sit, shake and comes when called. She also seems to be housebroken. No dog is perfect, though, including Elli. Her main issue right now is ...
How to kennel train a dog:
First, bait the kennel with a very naughty cat.
Next, allow the dog to smell the bait …
If you are going to use a kennel at all with your dog, consistent kennel training is important. Most dogs have at least some anxiety when kenneled.
This was the case recently when my mutt Ace spent the night at a relative’s house who reported that Ace cried, paced and yipped until 2 a.m. ...
A slip lead works like a choke collar and will help with training the dog to walk on a loose leash. It also puts the owner in control rather than the dog.
One of the easiest ways to make an emergency slip lead is to loop the handle of the leash through itself and put it around the dog’s neck. The “clip” end of the leash will already be attached to the dog’s collar like normal.
This trick has c ...
Ace’s tennis ball obsession was at its worst recently.
We were on a 45-minute road trip, and he whined the entire time in the car because he knew there was a ball in my bag.
When I finally took the ball out, he was so fixated it appeared he was having a seizure (he wasn’t). His head shook to the point where his teeth were chattering. He was drooling, staring and trembling.
Once we reached our destination, my dog ...
I know of runners who don’t train with their dogs. Their reasons surprise me – too hot, too cold, the dog can’t keep up, the dog pulls. To me there is something terribly wrong with these excuses. Dogs are meant to run.
As for me, I refuse to leave my mutt Ace behind, even if that means walking.
Ace is a tall, shorthaired lab mix. He’s mostly retriever but has a lean frame with visible muscles like a Vizsla or ...
