š©øAre you bloodied and bruised?šDo you think your puppy has been possessed?š«Are you frustrated, exhausted, and ready to give up?Did you watch this video and see your dog in it? Guess what? Itās normal for puppies to behave this way! You are experiencing The Witching Hour š¹The bite marks, scratches, and general craziness are part of a puppy learning about her environment. Itās up to you to provide positive feedback, mental exercise, and environmental management to help prevent the behaviors you donāt want. There is hope!DM āWitching Hourā and I can send you more information and strategies to make The Witching Hour(s) as painless as possible. It doesnāt have to be a bloodbath. #puppywitchinghour #witchinghour #puppytraining #puppybiting
Birdieās new Lickimat UFO is a big hit! I froze dehydrated minnows on it with some Churu, bone broth, and Rawbble. āļøāļøāļøāļøāļø
Peanut butter is becoming increasingly questionable as a lickmat ingredient because it can contain xylitol (also known as birch sugar), lots of actual sugar, plus glyphosate and other toxins. I use organic baby food and Churu dog paste packets for Birdieās lickmats. The flavors are endless, although sheās not picky. There are lots of other alternatives, too. What do you use in your dogās lickmats? š¶
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#dogtraining #puppytraining #lickmats #dogenrichment #puppywitchinghour #puppybiting #puppyenrichment
Witching Hour is a real thing š¹ Comment āPuppyā and Iāll DM you practical tips to save your sanityā¦ and your skin š»
When I introduced Johnny, the blind puppy Iām working with, to a snufflemat, his nose immediately went bonkers! Because he canāt see, he is using his other senses to navigate his environment, but his nose especially is working overtime. His mom tells me that he found a dead frog, 2 bird heads, and his dog brotherās missing collar in the yard all without his eyes š¤£ We are working on lots of sniffing games as enrichment to tire him out, but also because he absolutely loves it! Johnny is 5 months old š¶
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#snufflemat #dogsofinstagram #blindpuppy #rescuepuppy #nosework #dogtraining #puppytraining #blinddog
Lšk what just came in the mail!
Hot off the presses:
āPet Food Fraudā by Dr. Tom Lonsdale.
If you need me, Iāll be on my patio reading. Iām most excited to look at all the research š¶
Johnny is a rescue and has a history of food scarcity, so he was frantic about taking treats and often got a little too mouthy because he couldnāt see where his momās hand was, or where the treat was. So we started working on putting the treat under his chin, instead of in his mouth (which is also a technique I use with sighted puppies), but also added a verbal cue ātreatā to build in predictability. It took him less than 5 minutes to become more relaxed about taking treats once he knew the treat was coming underneath instead of from up in the air somewhere he couldnāt see. He didnāt have to airsnap anymore to grab it. And once he knew where the treat was, he became a lot less frantic. š
š„¦ āMy dog wonāt eat veggies!ā š„
I hear this from exasperated parents at least 5 times a week. If you have a dog like me (i.e. a Labrador) who will eat anything thatās not nailed down, itās not that big of a deal.
But with an anxious dog or a dog who doesnāt have an experienced palate, it can be really challenging. So mixing steamed veggies and fruits into a bone broth puree can really help!
You can use any veggies or fruits that you want except grapes, raisins, or onions. I typically just stick to broccoli or cauliflower. And you want the veggies to be steamed first.
Experiment with different kinds of ingredients or different base bone broths, or different omegas to āspiceā things up, just like we use spices. Although I definitely would not use tripe to spice up my food! š¤¢
Does your dog eat veggies?
Reggie is staying with me and heās 8 months old. Itās his first 4th of July, so I want to make sure he has the best experience possible. Sunday was really hard for him- it was loud around my neighborhood and last night was a bit better.
We already went outside for the last time until 1am, when I set my alarm to take him and Birdie out. He has a Toppl to lick, and another one in the freezer, I gave him CBD, he is wearing ear protection, and I have 80s Pandora on at a pretty loud volume. I think The Psychedelic Furs āHeavenā is a perfect song! I want Reggie to remember this positively for the rest of his life. I also have āThundercheeseā for when the major fireworks start, which will be early here tonight because they are trying to beat the incoming storm.
Are you prepared to make your dogās experience positive?
Today I made a video for my website and it became very clear very quickly that it is a good thing I donāt have to quit my day job šš¤£ And apparently I yell when I talk, which I didnāt know š¢ I wanted a short intro video that encompassed my sense of humor and empathy, and I am super happy with it! I directed, and my friend Kendra was behind the camera and did all the editing. It would have taken me DAYS to edit it (again, Iām dog trainer, not a filmmaker, although I did go to the Minneapolis College of Art and Design my first year of college. Yeah, that didnāt work out š¬), but she did it in 15 minutes. And Rufus and Elvis made a cameo! š¶šš¶What do you think?What behavior should I talk about in future videos?ā¦.#dogtraining #positivedogtraining #noshock #noprong #nochoke#humananimalbond #dogaggressiontraining #rescuedogs #dogsofinstagram #fearfreedogtraining #exciteddog #fearfuldog #puppypottytraining #anxiousdog #puppytraining #chocolatelab #boxer #goldendoodle #beagle #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #shihtzu #labradorretriever #poodle
Teaching deaf dogs is very similar to teaching hearing dogs, and we even teach a āmarkerā cue. In hearing dogs we might use a clicker, or say āyesāā. With Sugar, we are using a hand signal, but you could also use a light. The marker is taught before it is paired with a behavior just like with hearing dogs. In this lesson, Sugarās mom was marking her āWatch Meā that we just started, which is a really important skill we will build on. The āmarkerā is a quick hand opening and closing. Sugarās bubbles were ALL over me, her mom, her dad, the floor, my iPad, and my phone by the time I left š¤£ Isnāt she adorable! ššš¶
I bought some beautiful quail eggs today, and also found some yummy sugar snap peas. I added a sardine and some blueberries to Birdieās dinner, and she inhaled it! I love adding different toppers to her food to see what she likes šā¦.#dogtraining #positivedogtraining #noshock #noprong #nochoke#humananimalbond #dogaggressiontraining #rescuedogs #dogsofinstagram #fearfreedogtraining #exciteddog #fearfuldog #puppypottytraining #anxiousdog #puppytraining #chocolatelab #boxer #goldendoodle #beagle #cavalierkingcharlesspaniel #shihtzu #labradorretriever #poodle
šØMy new favorite Boredom Buster šØItās from @mywoof and itās called the Pupsicle. I used @bixbipet Rawbble and @openfarmpet bone broth. I rehydrated the Rawbble with the bone broth (hello good gut health!) and froze it in the tray. Then I popped one of them in the toy and screwed it together. Lots of licks and enjoyment ensued- about 20 minutes worth, and itās Birdieās actual food šš»šš»š¶š„³šš¾
How many times a day do you wash your hands?
How many times a day do you wash your dogās paws?
Think about it. Your dog walks on her paws all day long, and thatās where all the toxins are. The paws are also the only place your dog has sweat glands, so they are a direct line to your dogās internal systems.
This is after our walk today. ONE walkā¦ dirt, chemicals from grass, chemicals from the street, toxins, etc. If I didnāt wipe Birdieās paws, she would come in the house, walk around, lay in her bed, lay in MY bed š¤®, and lick her paws, only to ingest all the toxins. I also do frequent povidone iodine paw soaks to help with bacteria and yeast. Removing toxins decreases the likelihood of disease, allergies, behavior issues, inflammation, and many other issues.
I love @earthbath_pet Cherry Puppy Wipes- they smell so good!
Do you wash your dogās paws frequently? š¾š¶
#guthealth #microbiome #gutmicrobiome #gutbrainaxis #neurotransmitters #leakygut #leakygutsyndrome
#leakygutdogs #doganxiety #dogaggression #fearfuldogs #goodguts #gutbacteria #dogtraining #positivedogtraining #noshock #noprong #nochoke#humananimalbond #dogaggressiontraining #rescuedogs #dogsofinstagram #fearfreedogtraining #exciteddog #fearfuldog
It is imperative that you make your puppyās confinement area a place they want to spend time in. Eleven week old Kirbyās lunch is in here- I put it in a @westpawus Toppl, and he is begging to get in! And then it takes him at least 45 minutes to eat. Win-Win for sure šš»š¶š
The Witching Hour can be really tough for puppies and parents, and being prepared can make all the difference. This @westpawus Toppl has some easy cheese and freeze dried liver pre-frozen in preparation ahead of time. When the biting and craziness starts, Kirby goes in his pen and has quiet time with his teefs š¦·š¶š
āØšØMore Calming SignalsšØāØ
This is the third video in my calming signals series.
Sam is unsure about new people, but is curious. She was conflicted with me but didnāt want much distance. I ignored her while she settled in to my presence and she stood in front of me. I was looking away from her but sitting about 6 feet away from her. Notice how she is stiff and her feet are planted one in front of the other, so if she has to flee, she can push off with one. She is doing a lot of blinking, chewing (there is nothing in her mouth), and some slight head turns, and averting her eyes quickly. She is conflicted. This is a dog who needs space, and shouldnāt be approached. I gave her time to come to me on her own and she eventually did.
These are the type of behaviors that you could see before a growl, snark, snarl, snap or bite. All of these could lead up to a bite- so it doesnāt happen out of the blue. The dog could be giving many warnings, and itās up to us to see them.
šØ More Calming Signals! šØ
Starring Buck š¶ Elvis and Rufus are my helper dogs who live in my š
Buck gets overly excited and is sometimes afraid of other dogs, so we have been working with my fake dogs at a distance with some counter-conditioning techniques (among many other things- this is, of course just a FB-snippet). In this reel, you can see a lip lick, head turn, 2 very quick paw lifts (I did not see these until I looked back at the footage), and a very nice shake off.
š¦Lip Lick - Buck is a bit nervous, but heās also licking his lips because he is getting his new favorite high currency treat: š§
š¦Head Turn: Paired with the lip lick, he is doing a quick little reset, and letting Elvis know he (Buck) is not a threat.
š¦Paw Lifts: The first one was nerves/excitement/reset/calming, and the second one may have been in response to his momās movement but both helped him diffuse a bit and be able to check in and get rewarded.
š¦ Shake-Off: This shake-off was a total letting go off all the energy/excitement/nervousness/stress and he shook his whole body šš» As they say in Frozen, Buck let it go!
This whole session was at a distance of about 50-ish feet, and Buck was under threshold the whole time, and also lasted less than 10 minutes. I recommend shorter duration for day-to-day, but this was a paid training session, and we had a lot to cover and I wanted to show Buckās parents what calming signals to watch for. Buck did FANTASTIC!!
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ā¬ļøšØIf you feed dry dog food, please read šØā¬ļø
Almost as important as what you feed your dog, is how you store it. Donāt dump it out of the bag into the container! The bags are designed by pet food companies to keep the food as fresh as possible, and to prevent oxidation.
But why is oxidation important?
Because when you open up the bag, and the dry food is exposed to oxygen, the fats in the food start to break down. And that can cause the food to becomes rancid. Rancid food can cause a multitude of health problems, including kidney disease, digestive issues, vitamin D deficiencies, reproductive issues, cancer and dearh. Not good š¢
Ideally, keep the dry food in the original bag, seal the bag, put it in an airtight container, and use it within 2-3 weeks. Buying smaller bags is a better idea than buying huge bags to prevent oxidation and to keep the food fresher.
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Food & Canine Behavior Part 2 - Featuring Kari Bastyr, Dog Behavior Consultant
We are so excited to invite Kari Bastyr back for part two of our conversation about food and behavior! This time we'll be focusing on the impact your pet's microbes have on their quality of life and behavior, and what you can do to help them out!
Along with genetics, environment, and learning, food can also affect how your dog behaves, depending on the health of their gut microbiome. Join us to explore how a dog's diet can impact their behavior, including anxiety and aggression.
Kari Bastyr is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Certified Pet Nutrition Specialist. She has been a professional dog trainer for 30 years and has a Master's Degree in Animal Behavior. Her interest in how diet influences behavior started in 2013, and her education is ongoing as she continues to follow the most recent research on gut health. She focuses on the microbiome and dysbiosis.
