(Click on the photo to enlarge so you can see my happy face!)

I love to follow my big sister Eva around.  Below we are running at Dolly Sods, part of the Monongahela National Forest.

See the Joy!

We stop to get water along the way.

Before my Human lets me off lead, she likes to review basic commands.

(She needs to loosen up that leash a little bit to make sure there is a J.  Training Humans takes time, sigh.)

All this running around leaves me pretty tired.  I am already not a morning pup.  See how sleepy I look.  So tired.  Don’t worry I was able to get right up after my morning cup of joe (ok, it was water and a bathroom break).

I know I know I am a small pup.  I will tell you that I was running long after my big sister Eva tired out.  My size does mean my Human has to take certain precautions.  And the good news is that if I get tired, I am pretty easy to pick up and carry.

Things to consider before hiking or running with your dog:
1. Size and coat of dog. A really small dog, like myself, or a really big dog might not make the best running companion. A long haired coat might not be good in the middle of the summer.
2. Physical abilities such as injuries, and energy level.
3. Physical endurance. You don’t want to take an out of shape dog on a 5 mile run, start slow and build endurance and ability. This will also help you figure out if your dog has limitations.
4. The personality of your dog such as energy level, ability to be off lead or run next to you on lead with out cutting in front of you, and reaction to new situations.

After taking into consideration the above points, create the length and difficulty of the hike or run based on your dogs abilities and personality.

When hiking and running keep your eye out for glass and other items that might injury our paws. One of the most common injuries happens to your dogs pads. Try our Doggie Sage Hot Dog Balm on our pads before you go out and when you return to soften and heal those paws.

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Want to read and learn more about running with your dog? Check out the following links:
Train with Your Dog
Running and Jogging with Your Dog
Running with Your Best Friend

A few weeks ago, on my own, I got my paws wet. But once it got to my belly, I just did not get the point.

However, my big sister Eva LOVES to swim! As soon as she sees water she dives right in.

You can see her paddling around in the background behind Oliver in the picture below.

The James River is Beautiful.

Do you have a dog that wants to learn how to swim?  Below are a few tips to help your dog swim.

Dogs already know how to swim, we just have to get them to realize this without pushing them, or making them scared of the water.

1.  If you aren’t in the water more than likely your dog will not be going in either.   Get in the water and play around.

2.  Start in wading waters while letting the dog get used to having their feet and belly wet.  Slowly move into deeper waters.

3.  Use lures, such as a toy or food, to help a dog that isn’t sure become more comfortable and confident.

4.  Peer Pressure. Bring other dogs along that are already know how to swim, and who are happy and comfortable with the water.

5. Think safety first.  Make sure you are in an area that is safe and secure.  Teaching your dog to swim in fast moving river water might not be safe for a first time swimmer.  Consider the size and build of your dog when deciding on where to swim.

6. Stay Positive!  Do not punish your dog if they are unwilling to get in the water.  The more positive you are, and the more fun you are having, the more likely your dog will be willing to make the choice to take the plunge and start paddling.

7. Make sure your dog is making the choice to get in the water.  If you throw your dog in the waters most likely your dog will not want to go back in on their own.

Post a comment to share your favorite place to swim with your dog, how you taught your dog to swim, or any other fun dog swimming story.

In order to graduate, I had to work pretty darn hard and learn a whole lot of self control.

My Human chose Dog Lovers Obedience School because it was not food based.  She had experience with food and clicker training and due to my size thought it might be best to learn a new method.  When picking a training class, find out about the method of teaching and if that is going to be a good match with your dog’s personality and the human’s personality.  If you are uncertain ask if you can sit in on a class without your dog.

Before training or bringing a dog into your home, write down what your goals and expectations.  For example, you want to be able to travel with your dog or you want to do agility.  Find a training method that matches up with your goals.  Someone wanting a companion dog will have different training goals verses someone that wants a performance dog.  Find the right trainer and training facility to match those goals.

Requirements to graduate from Puppy Obedience:
1. Heeling on a Loose Leash with an Automatic Sit

2. Sit Stay with a ball bouncing by (and hold the sit stay for 15 minutes)

3. Down Stay for 45 minutes (Read my post on the 30 minute Down-Stay)

4. Stand Stay with exam- 5 minutes
5. Come with an automatic sit in from
6. Don’t eat the Hot Dog!

YEAH!  I did it!!!

There are however simple rules to make tug of war a safe and happy game for all.

Rule #1: Have a release word such as “drop it” to end the game.

Rule #2: The game begins with a release word such as “Ok” or “break.”

Rule #3: The dog is to not have direct contact with you (no teeth to human contact).

Rule #4: Always keep your eye on your dogs body language for any changes in mood.  They should seem happy not aggressive or obsessive.

Want to learn more?  The ASPCA has a a great article on “Teaching Your Dog to Play Tug of War.”

The 30 minute down-stay does a couple of things. First, it establish you as pack leader. Second, it calms your dog down. Third, it comes in very handy when you go places with your dog.

The way to teach this is not rocket science. Have your dog on lead. Put your dog in a down and say “Stay.” You may have to, depending on the age of your dog, use the lead to hold him down by putting your hand or foot on the lead– this is to limit the dogs movement and should NOT be used as correction.

If your dog gets up, you don’t say anything, you just place him back into the down-stay. There is NO correction. Yes, when you start, they will pop up and pop up and pop up. Just calmly, without words, place the dog back into place. Slowly the dog will take longer between pop ups. The dog may not wiggle from side to side but may fall asleep. If they fall asleep, that is a good thing!

When the 30 minutes is up, gently praise your dog with words. If you want to pet them make sure they stay in the down-stay, and do not roll over onto their side or back. Why I am not using food? This is not a food reward exercise, the reward is praise. Release the dog after you praise them using your release word (my word is “Break”).

When you first start doing this you will need to be on the floor with your dog. You will find very soon, even with a puppy, that you will soon be able to get further and further away. You must do it for the whole 30 minutes. Once you have some distance, and have a solid down-stay for 30 minutes, come back closer in and begin to add distractions like a ball rolling by.

Practice your 30 minute down-stay every single day.

Some trainers and dog handlers do not like the 30 minute down-stay. You need to pick the method that works best for you and your dog. Some think 30 minutes is too long and that you will never use this. Some even have told me 30 minutes is cruel. That is for your to decide. I have never yelled, harmed, or injured my dog while doing this. I have seen Buttercup look at me, like “are we done yet because I REALLY want to play,” and I guess you can call that cruel, especially when I was rolling a ball past her.

You will use this more than you realize. You will use this when you have guests over that are not fans of dogs, or while you are eating dinner. You will use this when you take your dog to the mall while you drink your coffee. You will use this when you open your front door so your dog does not bolt out in to traffic. Not all of those are 30 minutes but it creates a good strong foundation, that is not based on food rewards but based on your relationship with your dog.

If you prefer to teach the down-stay with food, I will present you a short version of how to train a down-stay with the food method. You lure your dog into a dog, if they do not know down already. Stand in front of them and treat. Release dog. Repeat. Begin adding a small amount of time as you see the dog begin to easily stay in position. You do NOT want the dog to get up, so your rate of reinforcement with food needs to be constant and fast as you start to teach this. Once you have repeated several times with increased time begin to add distance, say a foot or two. Take a step back, step back in and feed. When working on distance, don’t work on time. When working on time, don’t work on distance. Eventually distance and time will meet. Once you have time, add distractions. You will not work up to 30 minutes using this method. Using this method, you will work up to 5 minutes.

Next on “Training Tips” we we discuss training your dog to heel using the clicker method and back chaining– no real chains are involved, it is a method where you start where you are and work backwards to get the behavior you desire.

(Please always discuss with a licensed Dog trainer and use common sense.)

When you decided to bring a dog into your home, we usually think about the obvious– things like food, shelter, and affection. Most of us tend to over look one of the most important things you can do to have a wonderful dog– training.

I can not tell you how many people when they see Buttercup, they go on and on about how their dog could never behave like that. And maybe they are right, my first dog, Oliver, was no walk on the beach (we will get into him later). But I do think that you can have a wonderful dog with a few simple steps.

In the following entries I will share some of the lessons I have learned over the course of the past 5 years since I first laid eyes on Oliver. I will go over my journey to create a dog I wanted to live with, including both how I train and how I have been trained. Some stories have a happy ending, some are about perseverance and what it means to really love. It will include various training methods and concepts.

I will start here with three concepts that are the foundation of my training philosophy:

1. Create a Plan: Dream the about the Dog you will Create– revisit this idea often.
Yes, that is right, the dog you will create (within reason of course). Most dogs, can and want to be “good dogs.” You as the human have the responsibility to train them to be able to live and share the human world. We expect a lot from our dogs — and reading our mind seems to be the number one thing we think they should instinctively do. While dogs seems to have a natural ability for figuring out our words, body language, and seem to have an amazing ability to forgive us repeatedly for having no clue what they are trying to communicate to us. But despite what we seem to think, they do not get the rules of the human world though osmosis.

To achieve the dog you dream, write down a few sentences on why you want a dog, and what you want your dog to be able to do. This is important for many reasons. This will let you know what you need to train for and it will let you know what type of dog you will want to have in your home.
If you already have a dog, it will give a good place to restart your relationship. I would add habits your dog currently has that you want to replace with other habits.
I revisit this list often.

By jotting down your desires for your dog will help you match up your training style and desires with the various methods.

2. You are the source of Food
When the food bowl hits the floor, it does not mean time to eat, it means “Look at me.” Yes, that is right, your dog will not go for the food bowl till you give a release word. I use the word “Break” because it is not commonly used in everyday conversation like the word “OK” is. I will describe later how to train for this, but it is pretty simple concept that will translate to other training areas.

3. 30 minute down stay
I was in a training class a while back and the trainer wanted me to use food for her stays. I told her that we don’t use food for stays. She was not happy with me. There are two morals to this story. One, use the training method that you feel comfortable with and where you feel you see results. Your dog will sense if you are uncomfortable and react. Two, with that said, I recommend not using food for training the long down stays, short stays are fine. The reason I don’t use food is that you want your dog to listen and respond to your praise. Some people feel uncomfortable with this, and like I stated, pick the method that works for you. The 30 minute down-stay does a couple of things. First, it establish you as pack leader. Second, it calms your dog down. Third, it comes in very handy when you go places with your dog. I will discuss how to train for this in a future entry.

(Please always discuss with a licensed Dog trainer and use common sense.)