Getting your dog to sit instead of jumping to greet!

Wordless Wednesday

We believe that every dog should be trained without pain. This image is from the Never Shock a Puppy CafePress store, if you'd like your own Learning Shouldn't hurt tee, visit the store: http://www.cafepress.com/nevershockpup

How much faith do you place in your pet food company?

We put so much faith in those pretty bags with the comforting labels...


"70% PURE ANIMAL INGREDIENTS"

"EXCLUSIVE GREEN TEA ANTIOXIDANT COATING"

"...WITH APPLES, CARROTS & PEAS"

We trust these companies to do what's best for our pets, but we often forget that the majority of these pet food companies are big business. They have a bottom line to meet and a product to sell. Nature's Variety is known in most food circles as a higher-quality food and is a pretty substantial player in the pre-packaged raw market. This morning I had a chance to talk candidly with a rep from Nature's Variety. And I had a couple of hard questions to ask him.

You had a venison shortage last year, and are currently in a rabbit shortage. Why are these proteins so hard to get?
"Due to the economy, people in Europe are not eating as much venison & rabbit, which leaves us without product. It's not like we're using rabbit steaks, we're using their leftovers."

Do you still source proteins from China?
It's no secret we source meat from China, it's on our website. It is what it is.

Does this sound like a company who is dedicated to providing your dog with the most wholesome, healthy nutrition available? These are real answers from a real player in the high-end pet food market. And I'm sure that other high-end pet food companies would have similar answers to these questions.


So now I have a question for you...
Are these acceptable answers from a pet food company?

You have the ability to control the quality of food that your dog consumes. Make 2012 the year that you pledge to do more as your dog's advocate.


--
www.HappyHealthyPup.com

Fun Fact Friday: She's not fat..she's fluffy!

We've all seen the photos of fat pets. Dogs that look like ottomans, they can barely walk like a normal dog, let alone run & play like one. We all know that obese & overweight pets are prone to serious health issues & diseases, right? Things such as:

Diabetes

Cardiovascular Disease

Osteoarthritis 

Complications with anesthesia

and a shorter life expectancy (generally two years shorter than that of healthy dogs)

Yet, this is the most common nutritional disorder in the US, with an much as 34% of our canine population suffering from it. How can that be? We love our dogs! Sometimes people refer to this as "loving them to death". But, maybe, we just don't know what constitutes an unhealthy weight for our dog. 

She's not fat...She's fluffy!

When trying to address weight issues with dog owners I have heard several explanations, like..."it's mostly hair". Or..."Yeah, but she's solid!". Or even..."My vet said she looked fine". All of these can be valid points. Unfortunately I am finding, more and more, that veterinarians and pet professionals are not addressing this adequately this with their clients. Perhaps this is because it is a sensitive topic. But it doesn't need to be! Stating that your dog is overweight is not a personal attack on you, but it is a wonderful opportunity to make some changes for the better!

It's a Hand On kinda thing

I am going to tell you exactly what I tell all of my clients. Get hands on with your dog! I recommend regular massage and stretching for every dog. If you are massaging your dog everyday, you'll have a very good idea what their body feels like and be able to watch for changes. 

To determine if your dog is currently at a healthy weight: Stand over her, you should be able to see a waistline and easily feel all of her ribs. Now, regardless of your breed, think of a short coated dog. When standing, I would like to be able to see the last one or two of her ribs, and when she goes around a corner, I want to be able to see all of them. That's an ideal weight for me! (There is a lovely guide from the Pet Obesity Project that details this with illustrations here.)

Keeping your dog at a healthy weight is one of the easiest and most effective measures you can take to keep your companion healthy. They'll look and feel better, and you'll feel great knowing that you are taking a proactive step in their longevity & health! 

**Note: If you currently have a dog who is struggling with weight issues, please check out our previous post on healthy weight loss**

 www.HappyHealthyPup.com

Coming Full Circle

As a Holistic Animal Practitioner, Canine Nutritionist and Professional Trainer, I wear a lot of hats. I'm okay with that, I love everything about what I do and the dogs I help. I'm in a unique position, as many people fall into one of these categories, not two or even all three. And while each certainly has it's strengths, I'm beginning to notice one common weakness.. the lack of connectivity between these professions and their theories.

I believe that science-based dog training, holistic health care and species appropriate nutrition are absolutely necessary partners. Every one of these affect each other. So, how does the disconnect happen? Most of the time I don't believe it is intentional, I believe that people simply haven't made the connection yet.

I watch people who lovingly train and work their dogs using only the most up-to-date and humane training methods, but feed a poor grade dry dog food. This, in turn will affect behavior & the training process. It may also lead to health issues that will play a role in more behavior issues.

I meet people who are dedicated to feeding their dog a high-quality, freshly prepared diet, but are constantly putting chemicals in and on their dog. Vaccinations, topical treatments and internal treatments can take a major tole on the immune system. This, in turn, can lead to behavior problems and health issues later on.

I see people who work with wonderful holistic veterinarians to help keep their dog healthy & happy, but they are quick to put a prong or choke collar on and offer a 'correction' or even a "shht" in the name of training! This is probably the one that baffles me the most! The basis of most eastern medicine and holistic therapies is the energy of the animal. Nothing can be more damaging to this (and your relationship with your dog) as fear, pain and intimidation. This will certainly lead to health issues in the future as well as more, or slightly different behavior issues.

Sometimes, I think it's helpful to take a step back and look at the big picture, regardless of your goal. 

- Health and nutrition affect behavior

- Behavior will affect overall health 

- Training methods affect subsequent behavior and health

I think it's time to come full circle and realize that everything we do with our dogs is connected. Here's to making more conscious decisions in every aspect of your pup's life!

www.HappyHealthyPup.com

Fun Answer Friday: What to do about whining?!

We've all seen the face...and the big eyes...you can almost hear the "Puh-LEAZE" coming through in the whines. You're dog wants something, but you're busy, and the whining is annoying you. Many dog owners have dogs that whine, beg, or instigate games when they want something. But did you know that this behavior has to be reinforced in order to continue?

Many dog owners don't realize that they intermittently or unintentionally reinforce this behavior. Example: You're hanging out, watching TV & lounging when Fluffy brings you a ball and drops it in your lap. She whines a little bit until you notice it, you smile, pick up the ball and play with her. Now you're sitting at your desk, on a deadline to get your task completed, and Fluffy comes up and drops the same ball into your lap, it worked before right? Only this time you tell her no and try to focus...then the dreaded whining begins.

Even if you ignore her, put the toy away, lead her out of the room or raise your voice in frustration, Fluffy still sees that she got your attention. Even got you a little riled up in the process...bonus!

Whine no more
So how to we get rid of the dreaded whining? Here are some tips.

Send clear messages. First things first. If you don't like whining, don't play with Fluffy when she's whines at you while watching TV and not play with Fluffy when she whines at you while working. If she wants to play, she should ask politely by performing an easy task such as sit, down, touch.

Focus on this! If you know that she likes to bother you while working or focusing on a task, give her something else to do instead. Stuff a kong or an interactive food puzzle. Hide a chew for her to find and devour or give her a favorite toy to play with. Do this BEFORE you start on your project, not after she's harassed you, or you will reinforce that, harassing you = fun things.

Work together. Plan a little extra time and use this as a training opportunity. Give her an alternate behavior to perform instead of the whining. A perfect example is 'go to mat'. You can reinforce her for hanging out on her mat and being calm by tossing treats to her or even offering a nice yummy chew once she's on her mat & calm. (Here's a great video by kikopup on teaching 'go to a mat' and 'down on a mat' if you need help learning this).

Not what I wanted. You can also practice ignoring the whining and reinforcing any other alternate behavior Fluffy offers. If she is sitting or lying calmly next to you, offer a yummy treat or a little play time. Anytime Fluffy whines, calmly say Bummer (as in "That's not what I wanted") and ignore her. The hardest part about ignoring this behavior is that we, as humans, are not very good at it. Eventually we either give in or explode...both of which can be very reinforcing to Fluffy and can teach her that persistence is key!

One thing you might also want to consider is practicing when you're not actually working so that you're not as likely to get frustrated. Whining can be obnoxious, but if it's your attention they want or simply something to do, showing them the appropriate way to earn it will be very rewarding to the both of you!

Happy Training!



www.HappyHealthyPup.com

Wordless Woof Wednesday

Riley is a handsome little Cavalier. He's 2.5 years old and has never been house-trained, but he also has some reactivity on leash. Another local training company convinced his family they should attend a training class where they can 'correct' him for these things. They went once & said 'it didn't feel right, or good to be there'. That's a good feeling to follow! Instead, they called me and together we got to see how FUN training can be. 

Listen to your gut - you are your dog's advocate!