Fido's Delights

29/03/2023

How To Get Your Dog to Listen Better Than Your Spouse!

Disclaimer: Don't try this with your spouse but if you then please let us know the results in the comments :D

The aim here is to get your dog to pay attention to you whenever you need it - despite distractions.

Make sure you try it and let me know how you get on in the comments!

We're going to do a little association. You are going to make a noise known as the 'smacking sound'.

Find a quiet room, make a smacking sound as though you were kissing the air. Make sure your blinds are down so your neighbors don't think you've lost the plot :D

When you make the sound then immediately give your dog a treat. At this point it doesn't matter what he's doing when you give him the treat. So long as he's not tearing up the sofa :)

The idea is simply to show him that whenever he hears the sound, he gets treats. So far so good.

After doing this for a while, you should notice that your dog looks at you for his treat whenever you make the sound.

Keep in mind, however, that the smacking sound may be less effective at times when your dog is too worked up. e.g. , if he has seem something outside that he reacts strongly to then your sound
may go unnoitced.

One remedy for this is the "Look at That" game. This works specifically on teaching your dog to pay attention to the smacking sound despite strong distractions. More about that later.

If you don't like using the smacking sound then no poblem. You can us any other sound you like such as a whistle. Just make sure it's loud enough to be heard in busier environments and it is a
sound you can make yourself.

# # # # # # # # # #

Now onto more good stuff :) - The Airplane Game.

Your objective here is that your dog must make eye contact despite the distraction of a cookie.

All you need is dog cookies or other large treats.

This little brain game will teach your dog that looking into your eyes is what magically grants him a treat.

If you own a puppy, adult dog or recue dog, this game is a great way to bond and help him view you as a source of rewards and pleasure!

It also improves your dogs ability to pay attention to you despite distractions.

To play this game you will need larger treats that protrude from your fingers and the ability to act like an airplane so just double check the neighbors still can't see you :D

Let's get started!

Find a quiet area with few distractions. When you are ready to begin then hold a dog cookie in one of your hands. Let it protrude from your fingers so your dog sees it.

Now, stretch your arms out as though you were an airplane. Keep the cookie in clear view.

If your dog is highly food motivated then he'll probably be staring at your had and maybe even drooling. If he's the type of dog to get frustrated then he may bark or paw at you.
If he's a jumper then he may try to jump up and grap it! Ignore these behaviors and keep the cookie firmly held so he can't get it.

Now wait patiently until your dog looks into your eyes. The moment he makes eye contact with you, say "yes" and let the cookie fall to the ground so he can get it.

Bingo! Your dog has just discovered that eye contact is what makes you drop the "bomb" (treat)!

As he gets good at this game then you can use smaller, bite-sized treats. He'll be passing this exam with "flying" colors (haha), as he won't spend precious seconds chewing on a cookie!

Snags you may encounter. In some cases your dog may not notice the treat in your hand. Just try moving the nand with cookie to grab his attention. If you really need to, you can lower the hand, let him sniff the cookie, then raise it back up into position. This may lead to jumping, but ignore the jumping behavior and wait for him to make eye contact.

If your dog still doesn't make eye contact, you may need to give him a little hint. Use the smacking sound during "The Airplane Game" as a hint. If you haven't practiced the smacking sound then go back to it. Once your dog has mastered "Look into My Eyes", you can use the smacking sound to help with "The Airplane Game".

Time to level up :)

Once your dog gets the hang of this game, you can make it more intriguing by replacing the dog cookie with even higher-value items like your dog's favorite bone. Add some unpredictability by hiding different treats in your hand so they don't know what it is until it falls. Randomly change the hand that holds the treat to add more unpredictability.

The aim here is to start to improve his obedience, behavior, and intelligence.

It's not possible to include images or videos in a post to help illustrate everything. So I've put this content (with pictures and videos) on my website but it's not visible to the public. You will need the direct link. There you can download it as a PDF and read at your leisure. The PDF also contains a grading table so you can track your dogs progress.

There are more images for illustration in the PDF and even a video showing you how it's done. I have a couple of other videos on the page also for how to stop your dog jumping and how to cure your dogs whining.

To get access to the page and PDF just email me at [email protected] and I'll send it right over to you.

Please click 'like' if you enjoyed this content and would like to see more in your news feed! Sharing my post would be pretty awesome too if can :)

13/03/2023

11/03/2023

Dogs that just love Frank Sinatra!

Most of you will know one of Frank Sinatra's greatest hits 'I Did It My Way'. Ever feel like your dog is singing that in his head when you are trying to train them?

I remember the day I brought home my new puppy, Ralph, like it was yesterday. He was so cute and cuddly, and I was so excited to have a furry little friend to call my own. But little did I know, Ralph was a chewer. And not just any chewer - he loved chewing on everything he could get his little puppy teeth on. EVERYTHING!

I tried everything to stop Ralph from chewing. I scolded him, I sprayed bitter apple spray on everything, and I even tried distracting him with toys and treats. But nothing worked. It was like he was a little chewing machine that couldn't be stopped. It's like every time he was looking at me he would be thinking "no way pops, I'm a doing it my way :D".

I popped out for an afternoon and when I came back I found our antique chair had been redesigned with a nice new hole to park your bum in :D. I think that's what clinched it (no pun intended).

I know puppies don't naturally like being on their own. This often leads to anxiety and destructive behavior.

So I was venting to a friend about my chewing problem, and she suggested I try using a dog crate. At first, I was hesitant. I didn't want to confine my little buddy to a crate all day. But my friend explained that the crate could actually be a safe haven for Ralph, a place where he could feel secure and have his own little space.

So, I decided to give it a try. I went to the pet store and picked out a crate that was the perfect size for Ralph. I made sure to put a comfy bed and some toys inside, so he would feel at home.

At first, Ralph was hesitant to go inside the crate. He would poke his head in, sniff around, and then back out. But I was patient, and I started to use treats to lure him inside. Every time he went into the crate, I would give him a treat and praise him. Soon, he started going in on his own, without any coaxing from me.

Once Ralph was comfortable going inside the crate, I started using it as a tool to prevent his chewing. Whenever I couldn't keep an eye on him, I would put him in the crate with some toys and a chew stick. I made sure to praise him every time he went inside without any fuss.

The first few times I put him in the crate, Ralph whined and barked. It broke my heart to hear him crying, but I knew I had to stick with it. I would ignore him when he was crying and wait until he calmed down before letting him out. Eventually, he stopped crying altogether and started to see the crate as his safe space.

Over time, Ralph's chewing improved. I don't mean he got better at destroying our stuff either :)

He started to understand what he was allowed to chew on and what he wasn't. Whenever I caught him chewing on something he shouldn't, I would calmly take it away and redirect him to a toy or chew stick. He still had his moments, but they became less frequent as time went on.

It took a few weeks of consistent crate training and redirecting, but eventually, Ralph's chewing problem was resolved. I was amazed at how well the crate worked. Not only did it prevent him from chewing on things he shouldn't, but it also gave him a safe space where he could relax and feel secure.

The benefits of the crate were twofold. Not only did it help with Ralph's chewing, but it also made him more well-behaved overall. He became calmer and more relaxed, and he didn't have as many accidents in the house. Plus, I was able to leave him in the crate when I had to leave the house, knowing that he was safe and secure.

Of course, there were some setbacks along the way. There were times when I forgot to put Ralph in the crate, and he would chew something up. There were also times when I left him in the crate for too long, and he had an accident. But those setbacks were minor compared to the benefits we were seeing.

I have to admit, I was a little worried about what my friends and family would think when they saw Ralph in his crate. I was afraid they would think I was being cruel or that I wasn't giving him enough attention. But as soon as they saw how happy and relaxed he was in his crate, they were completely on board with it.

Nowadays, Ralph is a happy and well-behaved dog. He still loves to chew on things, but he knows what he's allowed to chew on and what he's not. And whenever he needs some alone time or a safe space to relax, he heads straight for his crate.

You know, I sometimes think of Ralph's crate as his own personal laundry room. Hear me out, it's not as crazy as it sounds.

Think about it: just like how we put our dirty clothes in the laundry room, Ralph puts his toys, bones, and treats in his crate. And just like how we close the laundry room door to keep our clothes safe and organized, we close the crate door to keep Ralph and our belongings safe and organized.

Plus, just like how we appreciate having a clean and organized laundry room, Ralph appreciates having a clean and organized crate. It's his little slice of heaven, his own personal sanctuary where he can relax and feel safe.

Of course, I wouldn't recommend using a laundry room as a substitute for a dog crate. It's not exactly the most comfortable or secure option for your pup. But the analogy still stands: a dog crate can be a valuable tool for both you and your furry friend. It can keep your belongings safe from a chewing dog, and it can give your dog a safe space to call their own.

So if you're struggling with a chewing dog, don't be afraid to give crate training a try. And who knows, maybe someday you'll start thinking of it as your dog's personal laundry room too.

Since I introduced the crate I like to think of another of one of Ol' Blue Eyes classics 'It was a very good year' :).

Have you crate trained your dog?

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