Rain Rain Go Away!

Urgh - what a terrible week for going outside with the pups! How on earth do you keep your sanity and get your dog(s) exercised when it's been raining for a week?


Food Dispensing Toys
There is NO rule that a dog needs to eat out of a food dish. In our house, Sadie eats every meal out of a food dispensing toy. Zeppelin doesn't need the same amount of mental activity, so he eats out of a raised dish. A few examples of food dispensing toys are listed below!

Kibble Nibble by Premier

One of the toys suggested by every dog trainer is the Kibble Nibble. It's an "easy" dispensing toy. You put an allotted amount of food/treats in the toy. The dog has to roll the treat ball around, and the food dispenses out of a tiny hole on one end of the toy.

Kong Extreme for heavy chewers

Kong toys are another must-have in every household with a dog. They come in a variety of sizes and chew strength. You can put fat free yogurt, peanut butter, soft dog food, cheese, meat, anything that your dog loves, into this fantastic interactive toy! For a longer lasting experience, you can put the Kong with the stuffing of your choosing, into the freezer!

Premier Linkables - my favorite toy of last season!

The Linkables have been a LIFE-SAVER in our household. The dense rubber is difficult to chew, but soft enough that when Sadie tosses the toy around, it's not disruptive for our landlords who live on the floor below us. The brilliance of this toy is you can make it as easy or difficult for your dog as needed! You buy each piece separately, and configure the toy in a variety of ways to keep your dog interested and busy at meal times. I mix up the food dispensing toys at each meal, but at least once a day, she gets her Linkables set to the most difficult setting for 30 minutes of mental activity without adding extra calories.

Long Lasting Chews

Bully Sticks: A tendon of a bull, and not a cow....

First and foremost, I have to suggest the Bully Stick.  Yes, they can be a bit expensive, but they are really worth it. I have one friend that calls them "Sanity Sticks" and for good reason! They are a dense tendon that keeps even the most persistent chewer busy longer than most other chew sticks.




Marrow Bones are no longer recommended by veterinarians due to higher incidents of fractured teeth on the indigestible bone. Similarly, antlers, horns, and other bones-of-former-animals are not advised.

Interactive Toys & Games:

Tail Teaser: I was a bit uncomfortable google searching for this.

If you have a higher energy dog, especially one that loves to jump and chase, there is the Tail Teaser from Kyjen. It's a wonderful interactive toy that allows you to play with your dog (which is what they really want!). It's also a great way to teach "Take It", "Drop It", and other useful commands. It also is an aerobic activity which will help burn off all the energy your dog isn't able to get out otherwise.

Tennis Ball: Tried and True

Not exactly a novel try, but an old favorite. Play fetch with your dog using a tennis ball in the house! Easy peasy! If you have a stair case in the home, sit at the top of the stairs, drop the ball to the bottom, and have the dog fetch. With all the running up and down the stairs, you'll get more energy burned in a shorter amount of time!

Tug of War: I wrote an entire article on Tug of War. Tug can be a great way to teach great skills (drop it and take it) and  still burn energy. Check that posting if this is something you're interested in!

New Toys
We all love our dogs, so why not get them a new toy? I'm including a link instead of a photo because this is my favorite toy of this year. It's another Premier toy, but is a great toy for shredders. They are not filled with stuffing, so they don't get fluff everywhere. Instead, they have a rubber mesh ball on the inside with a squeak inside, so when they shred the exterior, they still have a functional toy on the inside. BRILLIANT!

Training and Tricks
Play "find it" games, which engages a dogs mind and keeps boredom at bay. Put your dog in a "stay", hide a treat, and have the dog "find it". It works on impulse control, engages their mind, and is an interactive game between owner and dog. Win, Win, Win!

Teach your dog a new trick! "Spin", "Roll Over", "High Five", "Shake" or any number of party tricks.

One Last Tip: 
 Many people leave dog toys out all the time. Instead, invest in a doggy toy box. If that seems absurd to you, get a hanging fabric shoe rack, put a couple of your dogs toys in each shoe slot, and rotate toys daily! This will keep the clutter down, and keep your dog interested in the toys!

A nice way to keep your shoes cleaned up AND your dog toys cleaned up!

Best of luck this very rainy week. It's been a tough one. Hopefully these tips can help you out until the sun comes out again!

Toy of the Year: Linkables

One of the benefits to attending the APDT conference is the trade show. After attending conference sessions from 9am-5pm, 1,500 lined up like the Filenes Basement Running of the Brides. The reason for all the excitement was the free swag/treats/products given by companies like Kong, Premier, Cloudstar, J & J Dog Supplies, etc. in the hotels' exhibit hall. In addition to the free stuff, they had massive discounts for all their other products. For starters, I got a Kong Frisbee, retail at $12.99 for $5.00.

The best purchase I made, however, was on the Premier Linkables. This is a puzzle toy that beats Kong by a mile for those dogs that aren't challenged enough by it. We've been feeding Sadie her dinner out of this toy since she re-injured her leg, and it mentally exhausts her, and keeps her occupied for 20 minutes. As I type, she just finished her dinner, and is curled up at my feet, resting and relaxed. Not easy for a Border Collie!

The way this toy works is simple. It's three different pieces that can be linked together in a variety of ways to vary the difficulty. You can start with putting food or treats in just one puzzle piece, make sure your dog enjoys it, and as they get better at it, then make it harder by adding more pieces. This will make an excellent gift for people that have high energy dogs that may need something more challenging to do.

Admittedly, I was a bit concerned on my trip back going through the airport with these. This was the first week of body scans at Boston Logan airport and Atlanta's airport...and they were really looking into the luggage scans as well. With the three pieces taken apart in my suitcase, it had to have looked like the pieces for a pipe bomb or a bong. Luckily I wasn't pulled aside, but I can only imagine the look on the inspectors face when those very specific pieces show up on a luggage scan.

Where the Rubber Meets the Rawhide

About 5 months ago, Kyjen Toy Company sent me a toy for Zeppelin. I told them I would write up a review of this toy. Then, Christmas happened, as did 5 months of morning sickness (so we're going to have to look for good toys for small humans soon!) - and I am JUST now getting around to writing their review! Thanks, Kyjen, for being so patient!

For starters, I will openly state that Kyjen has long been one of my favorite vendors. The innovation is brilliant, the product quality is top notch, and did you know that they are behind Outward Hound products? I openly recommend their Kyjen Tail Teaser at every opportunity, especially for high drive, city dwelling dogs that need aerobic activity. 

So when they offered to send me a toy for review, I was pretty excited. They sent me a large version of their new Seamsters Line , which combines Rubber with Rawhide, mental stimulation with added bonus of making the rubber toy into a puzzle toy as well.

Both dogs got to try this toy, though the Border Collie rather "helped herself" to the Seamster after the Greyhound had his fun.

First, the Greyhound:
Zeppy really doesn't get into toys. He likes Kongs, as long as they aren't too challenging. He does, however, like to chew on things. Bully sticks, rawhides, and once, my glasses. When we presented him with this toy, he got really excited, took it from me, and went to his bed to chew. I figured he'd be done in just a couple minutes, but he worked on this toy for a solid half an hour. I took the toy away from him, presented it to him the next day, and he worked on it until the rawhide was done. He loved it - it was durable enough for him, and he really had a good time!

Second, the Border Collie:
Let me first start off by saying, I strung this toy together incorrectly. The toy comes with a rawhide refill - basically a strip of rawhide that you soak for a few minutes so it becomes pliable, then you thread it through the loops to put the pieces of the toy together. I didn't have to thread anything when Zep was working on the toy since it came pre-strung. When I threaded it, I got confused and went the wrong way, which later would prove to be a bad move on my part.

Zeppy got bored with the toy when it was threaded wrong, so he left it alone after a few minutes of frustration. Sadie, our BC, decided to give it a shot. Sadie's basic coping mechanism for anything challenging is to run through it, tear through it, or throw it into the ground. She started by throwing the rubber toy into the ground (which works for her Linkables), and it didn't work. So she decided to chew through the rubber rungs that held the rawhide in place, which was rather impressive. By the time I realized that she was chewing THROUGH the outer rings of the toy instead of chewing the rawhide (she had her back to me, and chewing rawhide looks very similar to chewing tough rubber!), it was too late for part of the toy. However, I will say, that she had a rather good time, and looked really happy while she was destroying the only toy that has ever given her "brother" any joy.

It wasn't until after this had happened that my husband noticed that the threading was incorrect, which explains everything that happened above.

In Conclusion:
I really do like this toy for dogs that love rawhide, and also need mental stimulation. As stated earlier, for one of our dogs, this was the only toy that has ever given him the mental stimulation that he needs, in a fashion that he enjoyed. He's not a destructive chewer, but does love to chew on rawhides and other animal bits. However, for more destructive chewers, or dogs that have maybe chewed through other types of rubber toys as a coping mechanism, the rubber rings on the outside of the toy might not hold up over time.

I loved how innovative the toy was - taking dense rubber and threading rawhide through it to make a Super-Toy. It's definitely one that I'm going to continue to recommend to my students (puppies will get a kick out of this!), but do keep in mind that there it should be supervised to make sure the dog doesn't chew the wrong parts of the toy. I think threading the toy incorrectly (my fault, entirely!) also contributed to the destruction, but if I messed up the threading, anyone can mess up the threading, so it's something to keep in mind.

Shopping for The Dog (or People With Dogs)

It's that time of year again! Whether you shop from the comfort of your own home, or you're masochistic enough to go trudging behind a slow herd of angst filled teenagers at the mall, here some out of the box things for dogs, and their people, this holiday season.

You can't pay me enough.

For The Dog You Love; The Owner You Might Not Love So Much:


I used to work in a coffee shop. Every Thursday, around 8pm, a woman came in with a child who was about 4 years old. I thought for the longest time that this was her own son. She would usually buy him a steamed milk with raspberry syrup in it (it really is a good drink for a cold night). They would play a game of checkers, and leave.

One evening, she got him a large hot chocolate with a shot of espresso in it. I must have had a "WTF" thought bubble over my head - because she explained that this was her sisters kid, and they had a fight earlier that day, and this was the most creative way she could get back at her. She thanked me, left me a $5.00 tip, and went to play checkers with her nephew.

This toy is EXACTLY THAT. The dog will love it. The humans will hate it after a few trials. All will be right with the world.




For The Dog Who Is Too Smart For Their Own Good; People Who Love To Make Things Difficult For Their Dogs Because It's Fun To Watch.

Many trainers, like myself, like to recommend food dispensing toys or stuffable toys to keep high energy & smart dogs busy for longer periods of time. Additionally, if you have a dog that gulps down their food faster than a Mercedes can hit 60mph, then you might also want to investigate these options.


  Aikiou Dog Feeder: This feeder has 14 compartments. The middle circle spins, exposing one compartment at a time. The 4 "toes" are 2 compartments each, and the dog has to push the sliding mechanism to expose more food.

Aikiou

Kong Wobbler:  This is the dog version of the Punch Me Clown.  You unscrew the bottom of the toy, put kibble or treats inside, screw the bottom back on, and leave it on the floor. The dog has to push the toy with his nose, dispensing a kibble. We have a version of this at home and we use it all the time.

Kong Wobbler

Other Options:  SitStay.com has a great list on their website of other toys, including the Linkables that I've mentioned once or twice. Riverdog in Union Square also has a variety of affordable puzzle toys for dogs, so shop local if you can!


For Dogs Who Love To Hike; People Who Love Bags

Yesterday, I inquired about a bag, and several of you emailed me back or posted in the comments bags that work for you. There were three that stick out -

One is the Osprey, found at REI. It has lots of exterior pockets for soggy tennis balls, and easy access to treats/poop bags, and can hold a collapsible water bowl, water, a long line, and plenty of room for a light coat if you need an extra layer/don't want to wear around an extra layer. It looks small, lightweight, and really functional.

Osprey Talon 11

My dog walking friend, Jordan, recommended the Timbuk2 Messenger Bag (Medium).  Here is her review:

Just wanted to add that I've used my Timbuktu messenger bag with quite a bit of success on walks.  I have the medium size I think--bought it several years ago for a different job.  I'll often put an umbrella or extra shirt in the main pocket, and then use the smaller pockets for whatever else I need.  The inside is lined with a waterproof material, which is great.  There are also several spots where you can easily clip keys.  It has two snaps/buckles where the flap folds over the rest of the bag.  I've slid a Chuck It into this part before and never had a problem with it falling out.  I like that you can adjust the straps so that the bag rests anywhere you'd like on your side or back.  The fabric is really durable, and you can custom design on their website.  I adore Etsy too, but I do appreciate how well made the Timbuktu bags are.

I think that says it all, from someone who works outside with dogs all day long. 

Lastly, I found this gem, which is exactly what I was looking for as someone who just wants a small, compact bag to sling over the shoulder, have easy access to a chuck it, and have poop bags readily accessible on the chest on the strap (there is a hidden nook for plastic poop bags so my leash doesn't have to wear anything bulky anymore). I also hate loosing my keys, so the small key pocket looks like it is really handy, too. I think I'm going to purchase this bag, and I'll give a full review later.

The Urban Dog Walker Sling Pack

For: The Dog for Whom No Toy Goes Un-shredded; The Human Who Hates Cleaning Up The Fluff From Shredded Toys


The Pogo Plush from Premier is a god-send for anyone who has a "shredder". This is a toy within-a toy. BRILLIANT! And, the best part is when your dog DOES shred this toy, there is no stuffing anywhere that you have to clean up.

Essentially,  it's 2 toys in one, and the first one is MADE to be destroyed. How clever!

For The Fashionista; Dog Without A Collar

Found on Etsy: Seller "Davir"

If you love (or know someone who loves) stylish accessories for their pet, look locally, or through Etsy. Sure, the big companies have some great collars and leashes, but I'm a fan of browsing Etsy, or shopping local to find just a little something for my pets, when I can. Some of my favorites include Davir on Etsy, Beez Louise (I usually purchase at Durty Harry's in Charlestown), and Dublin Dog (they offer a collar that is "no stink" - waterproof for dogs who swim all summer, comfortable, and easy to clean. AMAZING product, and functional!)



For: The Breed Enthusiast; The Silly; The Bumper; The Walls.

I've known about Obey the Purebred for awhile, but I keep forgetting to mention them here.

 They have tons of different breeds, and it looks like they have expanded to cats as well



So, what do you think? What are some other items that are your gift list, or that you are gifting to others this year? Leave a message in the comments with your favorite gift for dogs, or dog people.

Jobs for Dogs

I'm often called out to homes where dogs are barking at neighbors, digging, chewing the sofa, chewing the shoes, chewing the cat...the possibilities are endless. These dogs tend to be incredibly frustrated. I've often said, as other trainers do, that these dogs need a job. There seems to be more of this happening as people bring in higher energy, pure bred sport dogs to live in the city, yet don't give them the appropriate outlet for what they were bred to do. High energy Vizsla's can be very happy in the city IF they are physically and mentally stimulated, and the dog has a personality compatible with life in an urban environment. Life with a marathon runner will help, significantly.

What if you don't have the time, or ambition, to volunteer for Search and Rescue? What if there isn't a flock of sheep at your disposal for your Border Collie? How can you give your dog a "job"?

Lucky for you, when people suggest that your dog needs a job,what they really just mean is your dog needs a hobby. 

This is "Momo", Japans first Search and Rescue Chihuahua. I'm absolutely serious. Momo can get into small places that the Shepherds can't get into. He was inducted in November 2010, before the Tsunami hit.

Jobs for City Dogs:
When your dog is bored, often they will find a job if they aren't given one. Often, the "work" they take upon themselves to do is frustrating at best for the owner, dangerous at worst. There are Border Collies that, without an appropriate outlet for their herding, will herd children by nipping at their heels. It's funny for 2 seconds, until it becomes a compulsive behavior, or the kid gets bit.

There is good news. Many cities have training centers that are incorporating dog sports into their curriculum. At City Dog, we offer K9 Frisbee, Agility, and Nosework. There are clubs for Flyball, Dock Diving and Freestyle all in our immediate area, and tons of other hobbies! You just have to know where to look. Each sport has a photo and a link to a video of the sport so you can check it out.

K9 Frisbee/Disk Dog

Photo by: Jay Stebbins of Fido Loves

This is my baby. I love Frisbee. When you have a highly motivated, high energy dog that loves to chase or fetch, you can't get much more fun than Frisbee. There are some videos of me teaching a puppy Frisbee on the right sidebar under "Melissa in the News" if you're interested. It's cheap, you can do it in a small space if you work lots of flips and short throws. If you're fortunate enough to have access to a big field in the city, you can let your dog run. Either way, it's great exercise. The added bonus is the handler can be relatively lazy! Think about it - human throws disc, dog gets it, brings it back. Yes, it's more fun if you play too, and engage, but after a long day at the office, this is a good way to burn some of your dogs energy.

Nosework

Did you know that dogs like to sniff things? Yeah, I know, caught me by surprise, too! If you have a hound or a hound mix, or a dog that you have a hard time getting his nose off the ground, this is a GREAT sport for you. He's telling you "please, let me sniff SOMETHING!" So if you find yourself saying "no, let's go, stop sniffing that, come on, no!" for the entire walk, why not teach him how to search for things that you want him to find? In a good nosework class, you learn how scent travels, what your dog "sees" with his nose that we can't possibly begin to comprehend, and teach your dog that it's ok to sniff in this particular setting when searching for this particular thing. It's a ton of fun for your dog, and believe it or not, it tires some dogs out because they are using a lot of brain power to do the exercise.

Think of mindlessly flipping through a magazine, or reading an incredibly engaging book. Which will make you more tired? If you're flipping through the magazine, you're probably bored and looking for something to bide the time. If your really taking in the information in a book, you're processing it and are more satisfied overall about the reading. The same for dogs who just sniff everything (biding the time) or have a directive (reading a really engaging book). Plus, this is something you can do in your home once you have the basic skills, and is really cheap. It's a ton of fun for your dog, and I can't recommend this class enough.

Agility

When we say "Dog Sports", 90% of you probably thought of Agility.  Agility is an obstacle course, for dogs. They jump fences, go through tunnels, weave through poles, run up and down an A frame - it's athletic, it's timed, and it's beautiful to see the communication between handler and dog. It takes a lot of work to get the fastest time, AND have your dog listen to you while you instruct him through each obstacle. It's such a fantastic way to bond with your dog, teach impulse control, teach confidence, and you learn a ton about off leash handling skills with your dog in this setting. Oh, and it's just so much fun!

Dock Diving

"Wheeeeeeee!"

Dock Diving is the Long Jump for dogs. Labs and Spaniels LOVE this sport!. If your dog is acclimated to water, and loves to swim, you might have a contender for this sport. You start with your dog on a dock. When you say go, your dog runs full speed down to the end of the dock, and leaps off after a favorite toy. If you time it right, your dog jumps long, going after the toy while it's in the air, stretching his nose after the toy. When your dog hits the water, they mark how far your dog went. Lather, rinse, repeat.


Flyball

Flyball  (go to the 1:00 mark for the start of the sport) is a relay team sport of 4 dogs. You have two runways, each with 4 hurdles. One dog from each team is released on their runway when the judge says "go".  The dog will run straight down the runway, over the hurdles, and hit a box at the end of the runway. A tennis ball comes out of the box, the dog picks it up, turns around, and goes back over the 4 hurdles (ball still in the mouth). Once they cross the start line, the next dog on the team does the same thing....until all 4 dogs have run. Since two teams run at the same time, the faster relay team advances to the next round.

Here's the best part: If you have a small, fast dog, you are highly desired! They want you and they want your dog. Here's why: The hurdles for the entire team are set to the height appropriate for the shortest dog on the team. Which means, if you have 4 Shepherds, the jumps are going to be pretty high, and the dogs will have to exert more effort to get over the jumps. If you have 3 shepherds and a 5 pound Chihuahua, the jumps for all the dogs are set to the height appropriate for the Chihuahua. The hepherds won't even have to jump - they can just run over the jumps! So, even the small guys can do Flyball, and it's absolutely encouraged! It's a team sport, unlike the other sports on this list, so there is a higher level of human socialization at these events, which is an added bonus.

Earth Dog

I was so happy to hear that there are Earth Dog Classes in the Boston Area. There are a lot of terriers and burrowing dogs that love to dig, have high prey drive, and really want to do what they were bred for. West Highland Terriers, Dachshunds, Jack Russel Terriers, and other small terrier types do really well in this sport.

Basically, there is a system of "underground" tunnels for your dog to run through, and they have to find a caged rat. The rat is totally safe as it's caged and barricaded off. Some groups just use rat scent on a stuffed rat, which works fine. When you are given the "go", your dog has to find the rat, as if he's in an underground maze. If your dog gets stuck, you can lift the roof off of the tunnel easily to get your dog. It's totally safe (as long as your dog fits in the tunnel) and it really allows for these terrier types to use their instinctual skills.

What if my dog isn't active?

Some dogs think "Sleeping" is an appropriate vocation.

There are options for you if your dog isn't active, but you still want to participate in an activity with your dog.

CGC: Canine Good Citizen Test: This is the AKC's test to help owners work on basic manners for their dogs. The dog is tested on tasks, such as accepting a friendly stranger, grooming, body handling, staying calm when the owner is absent, and passing by a dog without excitement/lunging. It's the basis for Pet Therapy, AKC obedience, and a great goal for most handlers that just want to get the basics down pat. There are several AKC evaluators that can test you on the Canine Good Citizen exam.

Pet Therapy:  The Delta Society and Therapy Dogs International are two big agencies that certify dogs in the field of Pet Therapy.


Food out of food dispensing toys : This is the easiest thing to do for every dog! Freeze dog food and Fat Free Yogurt in Kong's. Use Linkables (my favorite toy of last year). The Kong Wobbler spins and release one kibble at a time. There are thousands of options - you just have to find the best one for your dog. Sadie eats every meal out of a food dispensing toy. It also prevents gulping, and gives her something to do for 20 minutes.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do: is just simply spend time with your dog. They are social creatures, and they depend so much on us. Take your dog for a hike, or a walk on the beach. Let them forage for food, or sniff something on your walk. Work on obedience commands - any time you spend exercising their brain will help you with your dog, and if you add physical activity to it, and give them something they like to do as an outlet, you'll have a much more satisfied dog....and you'll probably save your sofa.