Lotus Canine Companions

06/29/2024

If you are looking for ways to prepare your dogs for the fireworks later this week, here are some of the things I do with my own dogs.

1. Make sure their microchip data is up to date and that their collars and tags are securely fastened.
2. Meals get shifted to earlier in the day. I want everyone fed and pottied well before sunset. In my house, this means the dogs have to eat earlier than normal.
3. Thundershirts, Adaptil collars and/or sprays and calming chews get pulled out of the closets, pantry and drawers.
4. My dogs don't require prescription medication for noise phobias, but if yours do, call your vet to get them filled now.
5. I have black out shades and either radios, TVs or white noise machines in every room where the dogs enjoy hanging out.
6. A bit of extra exercise during daylight hours never hurt, but be mindful of the heat, especially if you have a short-snouted pup. They can't cool themselves efficiently
7. I prepare several food dispensing toys like Kongs and puzzles. I freeze a few because my dogs happen to love cold snacks, and they can last for several hours.
8. Once the sun goes down, we are in for the night. I'd rather clean up the odd potty accident than have a terrified dog who was spooked by a firework explosion during a night time bathroom break. If you must take your dog out after dark, make absolutely certain they cannot escape their collar/harness and go out with them on leash. Ensure gates are closed, latched and locked. Do not leave dogs outdoors during fireworks.
9. Comfort a frightened dog. It's 100% ok to comfort a dog who is scared of the lights and noise. It does not teach them to be afraid. Treat a scared dog like you'd treat a scared child. They aren't that different.
10. Consider adjusting your sleeping arrangements to keep tabs on your dogs throughout the night.

06/27/2024

We just finished this audiobook, and... what's that? Who is cutting onions? Why are my allergies flaring up. I think I have something in my eye.

Give us your best dog-themed book recommendations. We're ready for another good read

06/26/2024

There was William Conqueror, Catherine the Great and Ivan the Terrible. Please allow us to introduce Paxton the Perfect!

This little Golden Retriever is absolutely worth his weight in.... well... gold. His parents started teaching him basic manners the moment they brought him home. Their diligent, consistent, kind instruction is 100% paying off. We are proud of the whole family.

06/12/2024

Who could resist Odin's handsome, happy, smiley face? Not us! Once we knew he was up for it, we went in for the 💋!

We recently visited to help his family manage greetings with paparazzi, wait, we mean fans.... no, um, visitors! That's it - visitors.

But be warned! You'll start out a visitor and end up a fan. Resistance is futile!

06/11/2024

Silly Millie! With a face like that, she absolutely deserves to learn how to pose for photos! And maybe walk to catwalk!

06/10/2024

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎 Pam Ferguson

06/10/2024

Big shout out to my newest top fan! 💎 Pam Ferguson, you've been a fan from the very beginning!

06/10/2024

Georgia's on my mind... and on her bed learning to relax when her family has movie night. Lots of families love their puppies AND wonder if there's an off switch.

Relaxation and calm can be taught and learned. Georgia is a natural with play, but she needed some guidance on how to practice being mellow. She picked it up quickly because she's a little fluffy genius!

06/09/2024

How did your dogs handle the recent storms and bad weather? How have they reacted to fireworks in the past?

If your dog has noise phobias, you aren't alone. Behavioral work and medication can both be effective at helping, but preparation is key. Counter-conditioning needs to begin well in advance of a predictable stressful scenario - we can help with that!

If you think your dog could benefit from anti-anxiety medication, you need to see your vet. If you are concerned that Independence Day might be problematic, call to get in with your vet ASAP.

This article details which options tend to be most helpful.

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

06/09/2024

Welcome to Texas, Tilley! This beautiful hound was recently adopted from a shelter, and her new family is proactively implementing strategies to help her learn to love the human children in the home.

What does that look like in practice?
- Tilley always has access to a room the children have been taught not to follow her into.
- The family's play room has baby gates, preventing Tilley from entering and allowing the children to play uninterrupted. Tilley will never chew up a Barbie, accidentally swallow a Lego, or steal a matchbox car.
- 100% of the time the children are with Tilley, they are actively and directly supervised by an adult.
- The kids participate in positive, reward-based training at age appropriate levels.

She is already blossoming into a wonderful Canine Companion! Everyone, please give Tilley a warm Texas "Howdy!"

06/08/2024

Happy puppy graduation day to Scout! This handsome German Shepherd captures hearts wherever he goes, and he's a perfect brunch, lunch, dinner and/or coffee buddy! Who's up for puppacinos?

06/07/2024

Happy National Donut Day from our friend... Donut!!!!

06/01/2024

Congratulations to Cleo on her recent puppy class graduation. We hope she's celebrating with lots of chew sticks!

05/24/2024

Does your dog have a noise phobias? Are they fearful during ⛈️ or 🎆? Independence Day is quickly approaching, and the hurricane season this year is predicted to be more active than normal. NOW is the time to make an appointment with your vet to discuss your options regarding medications to support your dogs during stressful, noisy events.

05/23/2024

05/23/2024

When your dog is struggling, instead of thinking, "I have got to fix this problem," instead try thinking, "My dog needs my help and support." That shift will make all the difference!

05/16/2024

If you've ever watched Young Sheldon, you understand the concept of a prodigy - young child who is intelligent beyond their years. Queen Josephine has been the puppy prodigy that might put Sheldon to shame. She is a brilliant problem solver, but what makes her sparkle and shine is her emotional intelligence.

She makes friends and brings happiness everywhere she goes, including her recent first Girls' Night Out! I've already claimed the position as president of her fan club, but we ARE accepting new members.

Congratulations on your graduation, Josie! Onwards and upwards!

05/02/2024

What do you do to help your dogs cope with thunder, lightning, hail, and heavy rain? Josie says she's asking for a friend.

04/25/2024

When mom wants you to p*e, but you want to stop and smell the roses.

04/24/2024

Piper likes the view from atop the sofa table. What's the most interesting place you've ever found your dog?

04/23/2024

I recently visited an animal sanctuary, and I need to share something I observed there. The animals were trained and cared for with the same kinds of safe management and positive reinforcement training we use for our dogs. There were no shock collars, hitting, yelling, or startling.

There WERE clickers, target sticks, lots of treats, safe management and CONSENT given by the animals to interact with the human visitors. In fact, every exhibit was labeled with a statement that interactions with the animals happen ONLY with their consent.

If horses, giraffes, alpacas, stingrays, lemurs, snakes, sloths, and toucans can be taught to behave safely with people using rewards-based methods only, your dog can, too.

As a side note, the resident Lotus Canine Companions had a field day sniffing me when I got home. They are used to smelling other dogs on my clothing, but the giraffe smell was a new one!

04/22/2024

Happy Earth Day from Mr. Hank! He graduated recently with a VGD (Very Good Dog) degree in Human Studies along with a minor in environmentalism.

He has two reminders for your celebrations.

1. Be kind to animals. They are an important part of our ecosystems and contribute to the cardiovascular health, sleep quality, and mental health of the people they interact with.
2. Don't worry about cleaning up EVERY mess. Beaches? Definitely clean those up! Road sides? Those need a good tidying, too. Air pollution? Yes, we certainly need to do something about that. Hank was thinking more along the lines of the crumbs that fall under the kitchen table. He says he and his doggie colleagues are happy to take on that clean up project. You know... for the 🌎!

04/21/2024

Theodore lives with 3 small humans who adore him, and he loves them back just as much. It's precious! In a family with children, safety is especially important.

Theodore's human siblings practice lovely manners with him. They pet him gently, never sn**ch toys or treats from him and always give him respectful space when he's eating.

Actually, those same rules apply to Theodore when living with the kids - be gentle, don't steal, leave them alone when they're eating. Very often, reminding children that EVERYONE in the house has to follow those rules helps them be more mindful of abiding by them.

Theodore is already a wonderful companion! We can't wait to see him learn and grow! Welcome to the family!

04/20/2024

Jelly Bean is ready for sunshine, hot temperatures, cookouts and pool parties. Safety first! If you have a dog or puppy and a pool, make sure you've taught your pets how to exit the water on their own. Never leave pets unattended around the pool, and take a canine first aid and CPR class. Happy swimming!

04/19/2024

Happy Friday from Miss Cleo! This Golden Retriever has dreams of being a hunting companion for her dad and an office assistant for her mom. That's quite a range!

We started aquainting her with office procedures, online meeting etiquette and showed her where we have lunch for days she'll be with mom.

We began showing her how to safely walk through the wilderness when she's with her dad. She's amazing, and we know she can do anything she puts her mind to!

Welcome to the family, Cleo!

04/17/2024

Have you ever connected with a long-lost relative? Rosie recently did! Rosie's the beautiful floofer on the left whose parents recently became aware of her sister Violet, the sweet girl on the right.

Violet needed a new home, so Rosie got a new sibling! Yay! These girls have become fast friends. Literally fast. They chase each other, doing laps around the swimming pool in their backyard. If we ever figure out the secret to how they love cardio so much, we'll let you know.

With Rosie's help and a solid positive training plan, Violet is gaining confidence every day and learning what it means to be part of a loving family. Welcome home, Violet! 💜💜💜

04/16/2024

We recently decided we needed a bit more fun in our days, so we set up a craft day for the pups. Here's what we did!

We put a variety of acrylic 🎨 on an 8x8-inch canvas. It doesn't have to look like anything or be beautiful, yet. Leave that to the dogs.

The canvas then got sealed in a gallon-sized plastic bag, and the outside was covered with peanut butter and treats. You could use any dog-safe sticky treat you'd like - plain yogurt, canned pumpkin, cheese whiz. We used one dog's prescription canned food. Sprinkle on some extra treats if you want.

Then, we supervised as the pups licked off all the goodies and, in the process, smoothed all that paint around into beautiful, abstract art.

Once finished, we used ✂️ to cut the bag away so as not to smear the artist's intent. We rested the wet canvases in front of a small fan overnight to dry.

Give it a try, and share your results!

04/15/2024

World, allow us to introduce you to Her Royal Majesty Queen Josephine. That pose you see? It's 100% natural. Not one bit coached. She just knows she's stunning.

She's also a busy little 🐝! So one of our early lessons was all about helping her learn to prance (queens don't simply walk) through the neighborhood to greet her subjects. She is a vision of grace!

Next question: should she wear jewels or pearls?

04/14/2024

Gunner is not the type of guy to toot his own horn, so allow us to brag on him for a moment. 🎺📯🥳

In just two weeks, he went from being introduced to the mere concept of a "leave it" to turning away from a plate full of 🥓 that had fallen on the kitchen floor! He didn't take even a single bite!!!!

This amazing feat was trained entirely with positive, humane, reward-based methods. Gunner says it's no big deal, but we disagree. This is a high-level life skill. We train solid "leave its" to prevent dogs from accidentally hoovering up dangerous things we accidentally drop on the floor - grapes, raisins, medications, coffee grounds, broken glass, etc. - and things we see when we're out and about - squished frogs, trash, un-picked up 💩, etc.

We always train "leave it" in conjunction with another skill. Want to know what it is? Text us to book your own training session - 832-290-7102.