PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Most dogs enjoy a visit to the dog park. Outdoor fun with a compatible group of dogs– what could be better? Unfortunately, dog parks are also often the site of serious injuries to dogs or to humans, and some dogs have become seriously ill after visiting dog parks. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of visiting dog parks.

Pros:

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If you intend to compete in performance or conformation events, or simply wish to have a well-behaved dog and understand its behavior, choosing a great trainer is one of the most important things you can do for your dog’s future. It’s perfectly possible to train your own dog without a trainer’s advice, but, even for experienced owners, an extra set of knowledgeable eyes may reveal mistakes you’re making in your dog’s training. Even professionals take lessons from one another from time to time in order to sharpen their technique. I recommend at least a basic puppy class for every pet parent.

So, then, how do you choose a trainer? It can be a difficult decision, particularly if you aspire to show your dog or compete in an event like agility. These six questions provide a starting point. If the answers to these questions are acceptable, you’ll still need to make sure you and the trainer are compatible by observing a class and checking his or her references. More →

Dear PetLvr Mailbag …

When we got our 2nd Papillon dog, Sophie .. it was mid September as a puppy (she was born late July). We then had the coldest winter and earliest snowfall that year and she didn’t get outside socializing much.

Now .. with her ’super-Krypto-like-hearing’ .. whenever she hears other dogs with collars that jingle, she goes crazy and barks and barks and barks. If she’s off the leash outside, she will run out ‘close’ to where the dog with the noisy collar is, and just barks. It’s quite annoying, and not only because of the noise levels .. sometimes a bigger dog with the collar that jingles might not take a liking to that.

I’d like to know how to get her ‘cured’ of this. Most other times she’s the cutest thing since sliced bread of course.

Signed: PetLvr’s very own HART!

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Once a dog has learned to sit, come, fetch, and stay, and perhaps do a few tricks, many pawrents stop training new behaviors. It’s easy to stop with the basics, but ongoing training yields many rewards. Dogs learning new behaviors throughout their lives are happier, calmer, and can even help with chores around the house. Armed with just a clicker and a bag of treats, you can teach these useful behaviors to your dog. This is the first of a series.

Answer the Phone

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Dear Petlvr Mailbag …

I have 2 rescue poodles, both males.  Buddy is a 3-year-old Standard and Troy is a 3-year-old Toy. 

Buddy wants to play with little Troy.  It’s the 65 lbs. vs. the 8 lbs. is what I worry about. 

How do you teach gentleness to Buddy?

Signed,
Poodle Problems

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Dear PetLvr Mailbag,

I have a pit lab mix that loves too much. She is about 55 lbs and strong as an ox. She has been trained to not jump on me when I come home and she won’t jump on my S.O., but she goes nuts and wants to tackle everyone that comes over. But even with me she bounces off of the furniture and wants to jump but tries to control herself. She is strong as hell and she jumps, licks and is generally a spaz with every adult able bodied. She is better with me, my S.O., little kids and usually with old or handicapped people. But everyone else, look out!

We call her Our Lady of Unwanted Facials. What can I do to get her to chill and let people come in with out being tackled?

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As anyone who’s ever had a fearful adult dog can attest, eliminating an established fear is tricky, whether it’s a common one like thunderstorm phobia or something more unusual, like a friend of a friend’s dog who’s afraid of pineapples. It takes patient, persistent desensitization to eliminate fear, and even when everything’s been done correctly, one startling experience can turn the “cured” dog back into a quivering mess. So, it’s clear that preventing fears from developing in the first place is the preferable option. But how does one do that?

Socialization Scavenger Hunt

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You’ve undoubtedly noticed that your dog is much smaller than a horse. (Well, most are anyway.) Nevertheless, most horses are much more frightened of dogs than the reverse. That creates unique problems - for dog, horse and the person who has to govern both.

In this case, unlike other animal training areas, it helps very little to start the interaction out when both animals are young. Young horses are at least as skittish as older ones, and are often accompanied by a mare. Neither is naturally fond of nor curious about puppies. To a horse, nearly everything but their owners and a few other horses are threats - at least until they’re mature.

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Many dogs retrieve (fetch) naturally, and begin to do so from puppyhood with no special training and no reward other than their enjoyment of retrieving. However, other dogs either don’t chase a ball at all, don’t return the ball after chasing it, or will only fetch occasionally. If your dog isn’t a retriever by nature, but visions of throwing the tennis ball at the dog park are dancing in your head, don’t despair; any dog healthy enough for vigorous activity can learn to fetch and to enjoy the activity.

Capture the Behavior

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Does your cat allow only a certain number of strokes before turning and nipping your hand? If so, you’re in good company. Many cats, of all genders, ages, breeds, sizes, and personality types, have the clearly defined behavioral pattern known as “petting and biting syndrome.” Most of these cats allow the same number of strokes during each petting session before biting, but others vary the number of strokes permitted.

The Problem

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