We hope you have been managing to stay cool with your dogs! The weather hasn't seemed to have gotten the memo that it is still winter for another few days ๐ฌ
Our crew has been doing heaps of water activities for exercise without causing them to overheat. They have been loving using their splash pool at home and going for proper swims at the lake and in their grandparents pool.
What did you get up to this weekend with your dogs?
Saturday was warm enough for the boys to do some water activities which they were SUPER excited about!
I see flexi/retractable leads used incorrectly a heap, but when used correctly they can be a super useful training tool.
This evening I took Havoc out for a sniffy walk at a park on a flexi so he had some freedom to walk and sniff where he liked.
It also gave us the opportunity to practice some recall training at a distance while still setting Havoc up for success (and following the law) by having him on a lead.
Happy weekend!
What are you doing with your dog today?
On the weekend we went for a bush walk to practice some of our casual training in a different environment.
There are situations where I want my dogs to stop and wait for me without them needing to sit or lay down. I literally use the word "stop" for that.
What is your most frequently used cue with your dog?
We have unfortunately been spending more time at the vets than we would like.
But, the vet visits give us the opportunity to test our training in an environment that commonly causes animals stress.
Havoc was at the vet recently for an ear check and here is a video of him nearly falling asleep after getting his ear swabs while we waited for the results โค๏ธ
Tip: Don't just take your dog to the vet when they need to have a consult or procedure. Take them to the vet and do a fun training session where they get tons of rewards, weigh them, then leave.
We see the team at Greater Springfield Veterinary for our crew and they are always happy to give our guys a cuddle to create positive experiences โค๏ธ
When did you last play with your dog? And I mean really play with your dog, having a fun, bonding experience that you are both invested in? Not playing a game of fetch while you are on your phone scrolling through social media.
If you want your dog to pay attention to you, you need to pay attention to your dog.
Go have some fun together!
Yep, Havocs release word is Sparkles ๐
To improve your dogs impulse control, teach them that they can access things that they want by listening to you :)
Playing with the hose is one that is easy to control. If I ask my dogs to sit/lay down etc, and they break position to try and play with the hose, I bend the hose so water stops coming out. Easy.
The only way they get to access the hose (something that they love) is by following my instructions. If they don't, the water disappears.
*NOISE WARNING*
I just got home from a lesson and needed to toilet the dogs. There is thunder and lightning and a HEAP of rain. Our yard is essentially a giant puddle.
Since I was already wet from training outside with an awesome client, I decided to do a quick play session with my own dogs to maintain that the rain is nothing to worry about for them.
Here I am playing with Hexxus while Hades watched ๐ Havoc already has his turn (you can hear him screeching during the video though while he impatiently waited for another turn).
This isn't a flawless training session or a how to train your dog video. This is just an actual mess around with my dog, showing him a fun time and teamwork in less than ideal weather conditions.
Now I'm off to dry some dogs ๐ Then crack into some admin tasks.
Go have fun with your dog โค๏ธ
The warmer weather means that my crew is lucky enough to fill their grandparents pool with their fur again โค๏ธ
Have your dogs been getting into warmer weather activities yet?
Hades is medically having a really tough time at the moment ๐
He has started doing hydro treadmill sessions at Rebound Pet Rehab to try and maintain his muscle mass (muscle wastage can be a side effect of a treatment he is trialling at the moment)
We love the team at Rebound, they take such good care of us!
Can your dog do any fun tricks?
Hades LOVES trick training (most dogs do when given the chance!) and this is one of his favourites.
This is Bart!
We are midway through a private training program with Bart and his mum.
Bart has been suffering from anxiety issues which his family have been working so hard at to reduce for him to give him the best life possible.
Bart being able to go for a walk around another dog while not only being well behaved, but also bring genuinely happy and relaxed is such an accomplishment. Other dogs can be a big trigger for Bart but every time we see him, he has made more progress โค๏ธ
Bart's progress is a huge testament to his mum for putting in the work in-between sessions.
Havoc is still in his critical socialisation period so is sensitive to new and different things.
I took the storm as an opportunity to do some training with him. We went outside, played in the rain, he got lots of treats, went to the toilet, got lots more treats, then I fed him dinner in his bowl in the rain.
He didn't have to stand in the rain and eat but he did, I could tell he didn't LOVE getting drenched, but was happy enough to.
Of course I dried him off when we got back inside. Meanwhile Hades and Hexxus were waiting at the door, super eager to come outside because they know that playing with me in the rain is fun!
Obedience = Freedom.
We are in NSW on holidays at the moment and today we visited a family members large property. The boys are having an amazing time running around and investigating. It is safe for them to do so because they come back when asked.
Recall tip: Don't just recall your dog when the fun is ending. If you are only calling your dog when they are getting in trouble or when you are leaving the park/beach etc, recalls will not be fun for them and they will be unlikely to listen when you need them too.
If you would like to see a post with recall tips to help teach your dog to come back when called let us know by leaving a comment :)
How does your dog feel about the rain?
Both my guys have spent the weekend inside snoozing but today Hexxus needed to get the heebie jeebies out so made his own fun.
Hades is looking in the mailbox that his Christmas wish list to Santa was posted in to see if that's how Santa will be arriving this year ๐
We are in the process of filming a course teaching you how to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash! Keep your eyes peeled for more info over the next couple of weeks.
Hexxus's new favourite thing to do is to lay in front of Bailey the Ragdoll and hope that Bailey grooms him ๐
Do you have pets that like to smooch?
Do you have a dog that tries to *subtly* be smoochy? ๐
If you have a photo or video of your dog trying to be sneaky and smoochy with you or someone else, I would love to see it!