Avoid the fireworks scare

How to Prepare your Dog for the Fourth of July Fireworks - Mesa Dog Training | Examiner.com

Treadmill exercise for senior dog, part 2

I feel elated.
On our second dog training session Tete got on the treadmill on her own, just by the lure, with more confidence. We are more than halfway there.
Here is the brief story: Tete is a 6-year-old shepherd mix female dog that has been gaining weight since the family moved from California to Arizona; because of the heat and their busy life, they can't keep up with their habitual daily walks outside and asked me to teach Tete to walk on the treadmill so she can get more exercise and keep a normal weight.

On our first session I noticed that she was not only uncomfortable getting close to the treadmill while it is turned off, but the sound of her nails scraping on the mat unnerves her. We worked on giving her more confidence and she kinda sorta did, she could walk on the treadmill sideways, putting her back legs out of the machine and her two front legs walking for a couple of seconds.
Today I sat on the end of the treadmill with hot dogs and asked her to get on, "súbete" in Spanish, without touching or pushing her in any way so she could get on on her own time. She did, so I flooded her with rewards to create a powerful pleasant experience with this exercise on the machine.
Eventually she got so tired that sometimes couldn't lift her back legs to get on the treadmill, so I gave her a break and after 10 minutes, tried it one more time for success and rewarded her.
She still has some way to go, but it's a big advance, since we are working not on a trick (get on the treadmill) but on her confidence, losing fear, assessing her independence.
She is smart. She will get there.
This is a follow-up to "Treadmill exercise for senior dog".

Treadmill exercise for senior dog

This morning I started the training of a senior dog so she can take walks on the treadmill.
Since they moved to Arizona, her daily walks are virtually gone and she has gained some weight, which can affect her joints as she dips deeper into her senior years; she is six now and probably 40 pounds.
It was fun. She is very smart and tried everything to get her prizes (bits of hot dog) without jumping on the treadmill.
We are halfway there. Her nails are long and when she heard the sound of them scratching the treadmill got anxious, so I asked the owners to have her nails trimmed and we will try it next week.
Wish me luck.
Have you taught your dog to walk on a treadmill? Do you have any anecdotes of tips you want to share?

Prepare yourself and your dog for the summer walks on a leash

Read my article Leash Training your dog needs some prevention on Mesa Dog Training Examiner.
You can facebook-like it there or comment. If you have any questions, please ask them. I'll be happy to answer them.

Before you start leash training your dog, you could use some words of prevention.
The dog days of summer are almost here, and though average high temperatures float around 105ºF, Mesa has had record temperatures of 119ºF, according to the Weather Channel.
As the temperature starts to rise, it's time to remember that our pooches have special needs when it comes to preventing dehydration.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Leash Training your dog in the summer needs some prevention - Mesa Dog Training | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/dog-training-in-mesa/leash-training-your-dog-the-summer-needs-some-prevention#ixzz1OjCV9GPP

The Quest for Dominance and a hundred tales

We've all heard it, loud or whispered, dogs are on the lookout for dominance, a lifelong, all-encompassing quest.
Must we believe it?
I don't, not quite.

Now we're talking

We can be transfixed by those puppy eyes contantly looking at us and know that our dogs are paying attention, but getting minded by an excited dog is a whole different deal.
Such big ears and the dog can't listen to us in favor of a gleeful salute to the dogs passing by across the sidewalk? No need to feel disrespected, it's just a matter of learning how to translate. You know... Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and Dogs are from Pluto.

It's not the word, it's how you say it.
Practical little creatures they are, dogs will pay attention to your actions and their relation to their own behavior, more than what you actually say.
You say "No Jumping" and immediately start a pushing contest with your dog? "That is SO fun, let's keep doing it" your dog will think and follow up on printing muddy paw tracks on your cashmere jacket.
Yup, the moment we want our dogs to not do what we don't want them to do, we talk to them the most, touch them and wrestle with them to their heart's content, and we get the worst part of the deal.
What if we did to them what we do to our life partners: "If you don't know it already, I'm not about to tell you" and just walk away, leaving them to feel isolated for a minute? I say dog obedience is like having a boyfriend: if he hurts you, he does not deserve you. Give your dog some time alone the exact moment he jumps, bites, pushes, pulls you and don't get back together until there is at least a couple of seconds of peaceful behavior.
I don't mean to say that you have to board-school your dog for a simple jump or turn him in to a shelter after a single bite, I mean a better reaction to his behavior in good timing will make him understand that you mean business.

Mami was a 3 month old Chihuahua with needles for teeth and to teach her to not bite I started playing softly with her, as she got excited, like we humans do, she bit harder and I instantly yelped ouch, crossed my hands on my chest for half a minute, and looked away without walking away.
I resumed the playing and a little while later, she bit again and got another yelp and time off. At the third bite, I yelped and walked away for good.
Two hours later we played together, without a single bite and it's been five years now.

I wish you the same fun and success.

Happy communication.

Mutt beauty

Just back from Mexico, I got good memories of a dozen dogs.
Mutts everywhere.
I found mixed-breed dogs in every other street, wandering around. People say that a mutt is always an original masterpiece, but seeing them like that is a whole different story. What makes a mutt a beauty? I can be many things, the handsome ones I found had several common features, probably because those are what I focus on: they were sleek, showing the grace of their muscles in action, with thin waists and bulky, proud chests, a self assured gait and a broad smile.
I got an eyeful of them.
Though many of them must have been un-owned dogs -they were walking alone in the business section of the city-, they seemed happy, well fed and clean, and looked just as well pampered as any household pooch in America. Somehow, I find that they are respected by people, who avoid running them over on the streets and tossed food once in a while, they have no rabies or mange.
Maybe that's why they smile happily: they are free to roam about and live in harmony with men, machine and beasts.
Some primitive naturalism.