Dogviews

Walking Your Dog on a Loose Leash

By now, you'll see that I'm very focused on walking with dogs that don't pull. Yesterday I was working with a mixed breed dog (Lab, German Shepard, Greyhound??) and she is one of the worst pullers I've worked with. She's a rescue dog, and she isn't very trusting, or confident. I believe in clicker training for dogs (more on that later) and I finally got her to the point where she could take a few steps by my left side without pulling. But, every time I would mark the behavior (click) she'd swing out in front of me and look me straight in the eye, as if to say, "where is my treat?" It's hard to keep walking down the street with a big dog in front of you.

So, I moved the treat to my left hand and started feeding her at hip level at my left side -- just along side her head. That way she just had to turn her head to get the treat. This stopped her from swinging out in front of me. Bottom line:  make sure that while training a new behavior (walking nicely by my left side) that you don't create a new undesirable behavior (jumping out in front of me to get rewarded.)

Cesar’s Book Sparks Controversy

Not long ago, I reviewed Cesar Milan’s new book, Cesar’s Way and it’s getting a lot of blog talk. One of my favorite blogs, Bark Blog, just had a post with more comments than any article I’ve seen. Find it here.

It’s great to see all the different opinions on this subject.

Jolanta Benal guest author of the blog has some important points. I agree that Cesar’s way of handling his pack doesn’t completely relate to today’s dogs. Our dogs don’t have to forage for food and not every dog needs to genetically travel for miles a day.

We both agree, like Cesar, that the average dog doesn’t get enough exercise and we both agree that the average back yard is like a jail to most dogs.

And we also agree on another point…his methods are impractical for the average family pet owner. Not everyone can be a dominant leader, and certainly not everyone can deal with a “troubled” dog. Most importantly, don’t even attempt to rehabilitate an aggressive, fearful or crazy dog, unless you’re a professional. Just because you like Cesar, don’t think you can do what he does.

Bully, Bully, Bully

Does your dog love bully sticks? Mine do. It's a special treat they often "fight" over. But, bully sticks are expensive. I've found a new supplier, Bullysticks.com and I like their selection and prices.

First of all, I love the fact that this website is focused on bullysticks. It makes me think they know their sticks, and can find me the best around. Bullysticks.com has sticks in sizes ranging from 3 inches to 36 inches!! There are sticks in a variety of thicknesses:  standard, select (thicker), jumbo (really thick) and braided sticks. Norman, my standard poodle usually chews up regular 12" bullies in about 15 minutes. He's still working on the select 12" bully and it's been at least 30 minutes now.

You can buy bullysticks in 10-packs and incremental quantities up to 250 sticks, which is a case. The company recommends that you freeze them to maintain freshness.

Bullysticks.com doesn't have the cheapest bullies I've seen, but they are far from the most expensive. A 7" Red Barn bully stick on Petco.com is $3.47 each. There isn't a 7" available on bullysticks.com, but a 9" is $2.03 each, sold in packs of 10 ($20.30). A 12" Red Barn bully stick on Petco.com is $4.47 each. At bullysticks.com, they are $2.71 each, sold in packs of 10 ($27.09).

If your dog loves bullies, check out Bullysticks.com.

Bullysticks.com

More No More Pulling

I have a thing against dogs who pull on lead. Of course, it's not the dog's fault. Great loose leash walking takes a lot of patience on the part of the owner/trainer and a lot of time. But, there are many strategies and products to help. I reviewed Premier's Easy Walk Harness in an earlier post.

Another product that I really like is the Triple Crown Collar. It operates on a similar principle to a prong collar, but with much less drama, and it doesn't look like you are a Darwinian dog owner when you're out in public.

The product was designed by Triple Crown Academy a training organization from Austin, Texas.

I've used this product on dogs that have about pulled my arm out of the socket, and usually it works great. Some dogs just don't respond to it (real stubborn, hard-headed types), but for the most part, it reduces pulling to almost nothing.

The Triple Crown Collar is a little tricky to un-hook and assemble, but once you've learned the trick, it's a snap. Triple Crown has great videos and pdf document (Fitting_the_TC_Collar-05.pdf) on their site that shows how to fit the collar, and tips for training.

No collar or harness will work, though, unless you are consistent and patient about your training. That means it might take you 20 minutes to go 100 feet the first time you decide your dog won't pull. And it means that you have to require your dog to follow the no-pull rules every time you go out.

But think how much fun it will be to walk the park trails with a dog nicely by your side!

Triple Crown Collar
10.99 - $12.99

Raw Food That's Convenient

Some people see a story on raw food for dogs, and immediately they turn their nose up. Believe me, I'm not one to chop and mix and grind raw food. It's messy, it smells and it takes a lot of time and planning. But, I have read about the great benefits of raw food and I want the best for my dogs.

There are several pre-packaged raw meals on the market, but my new favorite is from Three Cheers Raw! Raw! Raw!, Lima, Ohio. I read about the food the Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) at www.whole-dog-journal.com (a monthly journal on natural care for your dog.)  According to their web site,  "There are no fillers, no grains, no soy, no preservatives, and no heat processing, just pre-ground frozen mixes formulated from the best fresh, human grade meat, bone, organs, and vegetables."

I've ordered twice from the company and have found the service predictable, packaging great and my dogs love the food. Better yet, they are thriving. I have a very un-scientific method of determining if my dogs do well on a dog food:

1. Do they look and act well?
2. How do their stools look? My theory is, small stools, good absorption of nutrients.

Of course, I also read to get the endorsement of others, and one from Whole Dog Journal is always trusted by me.

The food is merchandised with cute names like Beefed-up, Hog Heaven, Only Ewe and Hare 'n Bone. And, believe it or not, it smells good! It must be the garlic.

You can't beat the convenience, but you pay for it. The food is between $2.00 and $3.75 per pound. Recommended feeding guidelines are 2% - 3% of body weight per day. So for my 51 pound dog, he needs between 1 and 1.5 pounds of food per day. I mix half the recommended raw food with a good quality dry food.

Overnight shipping is recommended, so that might make it tough for dogs on the west coast.

Three Cheers for Raw! Raw! Raw!
$2.00 - $375 per pound

No More Pulling

Vino, my Cocker Spaniel is terrible on walks. This dog has been through many, many training classes, and is the snappiest heeler you've ever seen...in class. But, on walks, he just can't control himself. In fact, he gets so excited, he MUST poop on every walk, no matter how many trips he's made to the potty pen already.

I know there are many of you with these problem walkers. I see it every day at the park. At my assistance dogs volunteer job, we use Premier Gentle Leaders. Some think it is a muzzle, but in fact the dogs can eat, lick or bite whatever they want (they never bite.) Gentle Leaders work for many dogs, but Vino hates it. He shakes his head violently whenever he gets it on, and basically shuts down.

So I decided to try the new Premier Easy Walk Harness, and it worked GREAT! I had to fiddle with it a little to get it to fit right, but not much. A few times, Vino threw a fit and put on the brakes, as if to say, I’m not walking another inch. But, with a little encouragement from me, he decided it was better to be with Norman and me, versus being left behind.

Leave it to the Premier people to again introduce a great product.

I’d love to hear your dog walking stories. Let me know what works, and what doesn’t.

Phydeaux

$24.00

Cesar's New Book

Cesar Millan's new book, Cesar's Way is out and it's already a New York Time's Bestseller. It seems there have been a slew of best-selling dog books lately (one of my favorites is Marley and Me.)

Two topics really hit home for me. The first was the importance of exercising your dog to keep him happy and healthy. Millan says that walking (biking, running, rollerblading) your dog is critical. The walk is part of the migration instinct of a dog. Dogs or wolves in the wild followed their leader on a long trek to find food. So, if you walk with your dog before feeding them, you set yourself up firmly as the pack leader. Cesar says this walk must be at least an hour a day! Whew! I am going to be in shape!

So, I decided to give this a try. Typically, I only like to walk one of my dogs at a time. Vino is a crazy walker and for some reason he needs to poop about every 1/8 of a mile. This time, though, I decided to take the pack.

I made sure I was the first out the door (Vino tried, but failed to dart past me) put myself in the front of the pack, and kept the leashes short. As Cesar recommended, I stood tall, and kept my cool and set off at a fast pace. We walked for about 50 minutes and it was a great walk. I'm committed to this walk at least 5 out of 7 days. We'll see if Vino continues to try and boss me around.

Cesar's thoughts on dog packs and the positive effects that stable packs have on unstable dogs hit home with me as well. I've seen it in my work as a volunteer at Assistance Dogs of America and in my own home. Put a crazy dog into a crazy pack and you're going to get an even crazier dog. Put a crazy dog into a stable pack with great leadership and you have a much better chance of rehabilitating the dog.

What I disliked about Ceasar's Way is the focus on rehabilitating dogs, and lack of information on basic training. I also think his ideas are not practical for the average family. Who has time to walk a dog for 60 minutes EVERY day? On the other hand, I agree that there are far too many dog owners who think that 30 minutes of attention at the end of a busy day makes for a happy dog.

Also, check out Cesar's blog.

Jax & Bones Lucky Boy Dog Bed

Norman just got a new dog bed from Jax & Bones, a manufacturer of upscale pet products. This is the first time I've purchased from this company, and even though their web site could use some upgrading, Norman and I both LOVE the bed -- and Norman's not a dog bed junkie like his pack-mate Vino.

The bed is made of a great material (cotton twill, I think) that doesn't attract hair. All these suede and fleece beds are great, but they're hair magnets. Who needs that?

The pattern design goes perfectly with my room. You won't believe all the fabric patterns that are available. There are also outdoor beds in fancy fabrics.

These beds aren't cheap, but who cares? They're fun!