Rowdy Rover Dog Training, LLC

07/06/2024

06/01/2024

BARRIERS TO LEARNING – WHY SOME DOGS STRUGGLE TO LEARN

“My dog is stubborn, doesn’t listen to me, a slow learner, not the smartest, tries to be in control, will only do it at home, will only behave sometimes, is uncontrollable……” – these are comments that are often heard.

Just like us, dogs need the right kind of conditions to either be able to learn something new or to bring about a change in behaviour.

Dogs are not robots that can be programmed by a set of specific inputs that guarantee consistent results. They are individual, sentient beings that need to be understood.

If we’re feeling stressed, anxious, tired, over excited, too distracted, not feeling well, have no motivation etc. we will find it really difficult, if not impossible to learn something new, change our behaviour or change a habit. The same applies to dogs.

A dog’s emotional state, the surrounding environment, motivation, age (pups, adolescents, seniors) or any health issues all have a significant impact on their ability to learn.

If your dog is having a hard time learning something, look at these factors and see if there is a reason that may be preventing progress.

Maybe your dog is just having an “off” day, just like we do.

Try again tomorrow or next week and set your dog up for success by having realistic expectations.

Learning or changing behaviour takes time, patience, consistency, understanding and the right conditions.

05/27/2024

IF YOUR DOG IS A "PICKY EATER" OR REFUSES FOOD SOMETIMES . . . it's time to investigate!

🤕 A dog that’s a picky eater with meals at home is usually free-fed or has an underlying medical issue/pain that’s possibly undiagnosed.

🥘 Free-fed dogs are the most common cause of “picky eater” labels.

❌ All dogs must eat, so don’t just live with “my dog is picky”. That’s not a good way to go!

❌ 🧀🥓 Stop adding all the things to your dog’s food to “try to get him to eat”! You’re perpetuating the problem!

🕣 If you play tough love and get her on a schedule she’ll start to eat.
——

HOW TO PUT YOUR DOG ON A FEEDING SCHEDULE

✅ Put food down in properly measured amount.

✅ Give a few minutes for him to start eating.

✅ If she doesn’t start, pick up bowl within 5 minutes

✅ If he eats some but then walks away, take bowl up as soon as he walks away.

✅ Next meal is when you put bowl back down.

✅ After 2-3 days of this your dog will eat unless something is wrong.

🧑🏻‍⚕️🏥 If you do the above and you don’t see results, go see your veterinarian. A dog that is not 💯 healthy can be a picky eater! Explore that avenue even if things seem “fine”.
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WHAT ABOUT REFUSING FOOD OUTSIDE AND/OR DURING TRAINING?

😣 The most common reason for picky eating/refusing food when in a new situation and/or during training is stress!

🧐 Re-evaluate the situation, go to a less stressful environment and work up to the distractions.


——

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2024 Stacy Greer

All rights reserved. Feel free to share via the “Share” link to the original post. Downloading for redistribution online or in print form is strictly prohibited.

05/02/2024

Not every dog loves to be social and not every dog loves the dog park.

Just like other mammals you have some that love to be social butterflies and others are very selective when it comes to friends.

Izzy for example has a few besties she loves to play with but does not enjoy attending social hour and that is ok.

It is normal to be friend selective. It’s unusual to enjoy and be friendly with every single dog.
Thank you Every Dog Behavior and Training and Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin for this brilliant infographic

04/16/2024

03/05/2024

Truth!🤣

01/21/2024

Giving pills to your dog can be stressful if they know the “treat-covered pill” trick. One easy option is to just pop the pill into their mouth & don’t let them open it until they swallow the pill. That’s easier said then done, right?

Here’s what I do:
DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP W/ YOUR DOG!
1)start w/ the dog sitting or standing. Stratal the dog’s back so your feet are right behind the dog’s front legs.
2)Shuffle both your feet inward so you legs “hug” around your dog’s rib cage, just behind the shoulder blades. This position prevents the dog from backing up and it put you in a perfect position to deliver pills.
3) Gently grasp the dog’s chin and tilt the dog’s head back until his nose is pointed straight up.
4) Wrap one hand around the dog’s lower jaw & press your fingers inward at the corners of mouth. This should cause the dogs lower jaw to open.

IMPORTANT!!!! If you’ve never done this before w/ this particular dog, do a practice run. You may need to take several days (or more) to get your dog comfortable w/ being handled in this position. DO NOT proceed to step 5 if your dog is struggling to get away or showing signs of aggression. You are about to put your hand into your dog’s mouth. If the dog chomps down, it could cause serious injury.
5) Holding the pill(s) in the tips of your fingers, quickly tuck the pill(s) as far back into the dogs mouth (down the throat) as possible then quickly close the dogs mouth.
6) Use one hand to hold the dog’s mouth closed (nose still pointed to the ceiling). Praise your dog and use your other hand to gently stroke the dog’s throat for several seconds. This helps encourage the dog to swallow.
7) Release your dog but watch his mouth. If you don’t place the pill all the way to the back of the throat, dogs are able to do a funky tongue move and spit the pills out. If that happens you’ll have to repeat the whole process over again but this time you’ll have to do it w/ slippery slimy pills
7) Reward your dog!!! Give your dog a super tasty treat. This process is very intrusive and can be a stressful for your dog. You need to balance out the bad with something so good that it will override those few awkward moments.

Tips:
—The quicker the better: Have everything ready, pills in hand, straddle, “hug”, tilt head, open mouth, insert pills, throat rub, release, REWARD. It should only take a few seconds. The longer you take, the more traumatic the event. That will make the next time even harder.
— You can purchase a device that looks a lot like a long, thin syringe to help deliver the pill. The are sold at animal hospitals & on line. I’ve seen them called a pill gun, pill stick, pill plunger and many other names. I haven’t used one yet, but I just ordered one. I’m excited to see how well it works. I’d love to know if any of you have used a pill plunger & your thoughts.