Treats don’t work for every situation. Rewards can!!
Greta had to fast for spay surgery, so we couldn’t use treats at the vet.
We gave an extra generous dose of pre-visit medication (with veterinary blessing), which worked so well that it will be our standard protocol for future visits. Look how loose and silly she was!
I didn’t think to take a toy, but Greta found a doorstop and couldn’t get enough. She continued to play on her own while I chatted with the technician about how the surgical prep and recovery would go.
Good, brave girl, Greta!
Three ways to make fetch safer ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Read the caption! You don’t have to give it up entirely.
Hard stops, explosive starts, and tight turns are biomechanically costly. These are the activities that are more likely to contribute to injuries, and they’re easy to modify.
🥏 Send your dog to a “dead” toy on the ground, instead of a bouncing ball.
🥏 Hide the toy so your dog can use their nose to find it.
🥏 Break up the game with other activities by using fetch as a reward.
We play fetch as a scent work exercise and to build our retrieve to hand, but it doesn’t have to be that deep. You can just have fun with your dog.
It’s not training if it’s fun 🤷
My favourite part of cooperative care training is how easy it is to have a good time!!
A kiddie pool can help practice for:
🐾 Baths
🐾 Foot soaks
🐾 Wipes
🐾 Crate and potty box training, too!
Like training games? I have a new website and upgraded Happy Husbandry course launching soon… 🥰
Give your dog - and yourself - some grace. Find ways to make the task smaller. You’ll be more successful and progress more quickly.
Quit spitting! Teach your dog to swallow medicine.
Start with a tasty medicine pocket: cream cheese, peanut butter, cheez whiz, king stuffing, wet cat food, or greenies can all work, if the medicine is compatible with a bit of food!
Give 3-5 small, empty pieces of treat pocket in a row.
Give a bunch of treat pockets with kibbles in them. Repeat 3-5 times or until your dog is swallowing without chewing!
Give them one with the medicine. Make sure to COVER THE TABLET. I just left it visible to demonstrate.
Follow up with a few empty pieces of treat pocket again, or a jackpot of something great!
Go quick, and make sure if the tablet is bitter, don’t get medicine residue on the outside of the pocket! Make sure they’re swallowing without chewing at all before trying this with something yucky.
Follow for more happy husbandry tips!
Sorry, but it’s true 🤷
If you want your dog to choose you, give them a CHANCE to choose you. Let them explore. Let them enjoy. Let them engage on their own terms.
Find it hard to let go? Here are some tips!
🐾 Reactive dog? Take a human helper to be your bodyguard, so you can relax with your dog! Walk in quiet places. Business parks are often empty outside of working hours.
🐾 Dog eats stuff that isn’t food? Teach them to wear a safe basket muzzle. I have a mini-course to help you! Link in my bio.
🐾 Can’t let your dog off leash? Choose an open walking area and get a longline! Choose a length that balances safety with freedom.
🐾 Still too overwhelming? Start small. Go to your own backyard, the driveway, even your living room. Practice just by rewarding voluntary eye contact. It will come!
Where do you like to adventure?
Muzzles aren’t just for biting. 🤷
Greta had a routine vet visit today. She takes medication to reduce stress during her visits. It works really well. Like any medication, it has side effects. The most annoying one is polyphagia – aka the munchies!
She wears her basket muzzle at the vet, but after we get home, she gets to put on her loungewear. This mesh muzzle is big enough that she can play normally, but she can’t eat random things.
$15 on the muzzle, $15 on my Mastering Muzzles mini course, and baby, you saved yourself a $300+ emergency vet visit!
