Walking The Dog

When it comes to walking on a leash, humans and dogs are in opposition before they even leave the house. Between the competing goals and being a whole different species, there’s bound to be conflict.

We’ve been told for generations that you walk a dog on a 6 foot leash twice a day for 30 minutes in order to provide them with physical exercise. One of the first goals is to get them out on a walk ASAP.

We’ve also been told that you take a dog for a walk with you for companionship. You don’t have to walk alone if you’ve got a dog! When you bring home a new puppy or rescue, what’s on your to-buy list? Collar, leash, food…

Wearing walking equipment is not natural for dogs. It’s something we condition them to accept from a very young age but that doesn’t mean they’d choose to wear it if given the option. We often ignore things like chaffing, pinching and choking in favour of colour and style.

They learn really quickly that the leash is uncomfortable at best, and dangerous at worst. They also learn that their human is capable of hurting and scaring them by yanking, dragging, and jerking on that leash. (Not a great first impression for a puppy or rescue.)

The environment we’ve created to walk dogs in was not designed with them in mind. Their joints were not made for walking on concrete and hard surfaces. It’s hard on their bodies. (Same goes for us but we have $200 shoes for that.)

The streets and the sidewalks are linear. Dogs don’t naturally move in a straight line. When a dog gets access to the great outdoors, their goals are to gather information, ensure feelings of personal safety, find food and a mate. None of those things can be done walking down a sidewalk. Dogs naturally move erratically while they’re foraging, scavenging and most importantly, sniffing. And not only do they zig zag, they walk at a much faster pace than we do! We change the rules on them. We want them to slow down but when THEY do slow down or stop to sniff, it’s all “let’s go” and “leave it.”

Dogs have very little agency. We decide what they do and when they do it. Right down to when they can eat, drink and relieve themselves. Going for a walk might be the highlight of their day and their only opportunity to do dog things that they need to do for their well-being. But we don’t want them to show any excitement though because we don’t like the jumping, barking and pulling on the leash stuff. These expressions of emotion are not permitted.

If the opposite is true and the dog is fearful or anxious, we encourage emotions. The behaviour that goes with those feelings is what we consider “calm”. The dog is quiet, they’re not sniffing or peeing on things and they’re probably walking right alongside you.

To top it all off, we fully expect the dog to pay attention to the least interesting thing around. Us. The person responsible for holding them back and preventing them from behaving and moving normally.

When you start questioning the rules and try to forget everything you think you know about dogs, things change. You begin to see the depth of dogs’ uniqueness. When you observe what your dog does with curiosity instead of assumptions, you get to know them on a deeper level. You might find yourself asking questions like “does my 12 year old arthritic beagle need to go around the same block they did when they were young and fit?” Or “t’s -12 today (or +30). Do I really need to walk my dog or can we skip a day?”

What I love about training

I’ve had brutal cold for the last few days and life has sucked at Casa del Bulldogge. While some people’s dogs seem to be sympathetic to their guardian’s suffering, Hank is not on of those dogs.

Boredom can take on many forms, and in Hank’s case, Penelope has been far more interesting than she’s ever been. Normally he doesn’t give her the time of day even when she’s launching assaults from the table as he passes by. I found him following her around the basement no doubt assessing if she’s worth trying to play with. Or so I assume.

Last night Hank did something else that was out of character for him. He picked up Hazel's ChuckIt! ball and brought it over to me as I lay wheezing on the couch. Now you’re probably thinking “and this is interesting why exactly?” Allow me to explain.

Recently Hank and I have been working on retrieving. He’s gotten pretty good at fetch to hand and picking up different objects and dropping them into a box. We’ve built a solid reinforcement history at this point, working upstairs in the dog room.

Having tried his usual approach of wiggling his big bum and barking to get me off my ass, he decided to put his new skills to use by bringing me that ball. That in and of itself is very cool but what’s really impressive about it is that he was able to apply the behaviour in a different context. Outside of a training session, without being prompted and without the usual context cues of boxes and toys lying on the floor.

That’s what dog training is all about for me. It’s about teaching our dogs skills, however silly or pointless they may seem. Those skills allow our dogs new ways to interact with us and to move around their environment. A very human-centric environment. Learning new skills builds confidence, reduces stress, frustration and anxiety. It makes them smarter, calmer and ready to take on more challenges. It enables them to seek attention, feedback or information in much less offensive ways than the barking, scratching, jumping and other annoying behaviours.

It goes beyond bids for attention and boredom though. Lucy provided another example this week. We’ve been working on crawling under my legs while I’m sitting down, under tables and chairs. Normally when my feet are up on the ottoman she’ll wait for me to lift them up so she can hop up on the couch beside me. She surprised me by confidently shoving her way under my legs to claim her spot. Another “trick” put to good use!

Super Simple DIY Dog Treats

Treats are essential for training but instead of relying on store-bought options, why not whip up some tasty treats at home? By choosing healthy ingredients and adjusting the flavour to fit your dog’s taste, you’re giving them a reason to stay focused while knowing exactly what goes into each bite.

These recipes are quick, easy, and packed with goodness – perfect for keeping your pup focused and excited to learn!

Whether you have a food-motivated dog who loves variety or a picky eater with specific dietary needs, these recipes are customizable to suit any preference.

Ready to try something new in the kitchen? Here are two simple, healthy training treat recipes your dog will love. And a bonus recipe for making peanut butter cookies!

Give these recipes a try and see how they work in your next training session! Whether your dog’s a treat connoisseur or a bit of a picky eater, these homemade bites might just become their new favourites. Don’t forget to let me know how they turn out – I’d love to hear which recipe was a hit with your pup!

Context is everything

I was at the beach throwing Hazel's Frisbee into the water when a car pulled up. They had 2 Labs with them so I packed up and we headed back to the car.

In an attempt to be nice, he called out "we won't be long. Just going to play for a few minutes". I replied that we were good and kept walking. Then he said the dreaded.... "they're both friendly..."

Now I know it's meant to be reassuring, and it's often an invitation to have the dogs meet but here's the thing, I don't care. It's nothing personal. I'm sure these dogs are lovely but context is everything. And it something that all pet parents need to understand.

Right off the bat you have to look at the environment. Have these dogs been here before? Many dogs get overly excited or extremely nervous in new places. How do these behave in new environments?

The environment also has water and access to swimming. Both are highly arousing for most dogs but especially for retrievers. Have these dogs been around strange dogs and water? How did they behave?

Then you add toys and balls to the mix. Very exciting stuff there too.

Have these dogs been around strange dogs and toys? Have they been around them in this type of environment?

Another question I want to know the answer to is, can you call your dog away from mine? I need to know that Hazel won't be drowned while she's swimming to get her toy and that she won't be chased around by a dog trying to take her toy. These people were carrying an armload of long lines so it didn't take a detective to deduce recall is no bueno. And as much as I love to see longer leashes, 2 or 3 dogs running around with them on is how injuries happen.

Where you are and what's happening around you influences the way you behave. The same goes for dogs. We need to better understand that dogs are complex creatures and things are never black and white when it comes to behaviour. History and temperament are useful to help us predict how our dogs are likely to behave, but again, context is everything.

In this case I simply said to the couple, "I'm sure they are but with the water and the toys, it's probably not the best time to introduce new dogs." By being proactive and doing a quick risk assessment, I'm protecting and advocating for my dog, and keeping everyone safe. Hopefully this short interaction gave this couple something to think about and maybe even sparks some positive conversations somewhere down the road.

LET’S TALK TREATS

Super common questions I get asked are around using treats for training. What kind? How big? How many should I be giving? And the answer is, it depends! So let’s talk about what to look for in training treats.

Size and volume

Training treats should be small, soft and easy to eat. I recommend aiming for finger nail sized treats. Pinkie sized for small dogs, thumb nail sized for very large dogs.

If you’ve ever over-eaten, you know just how uncomfortable that feels. Big treats can fill your dog up causing them to opt out of whatever you’re working on.

Weight gain is a concern so be aware of how many treats and how much regular food you’re feeding. Cutting back a bit on kibble can help offset the extra calories. If your dog is already overweight or getting there, add in some fat burning to your walks with short bursts of pace changes or check out the Fitness section of the member site for east, at-home exercises.

How many treats depends on what you’re working on. If you’re using the shaping method, you’ll probably go through more than if you’re using other training methods.

Training sessions don’t need to be 20 minutes long. In fact, short, more frequent training sessions (5-10 minutes) are going to be more effective for most dogs. Puppies and adolescent dogs especially because they’re just not able to focus for that long!

Value

When it comes to training, food is currency. As a general rule, the harder the job, the better the payment should be.

What you’re asking your dog to do, and where you’re asking them to do it is going to change the value of food. Kibble or liver treats at home are not going to cut it in a group class or busy environment.

You can leverage this value scale during your training sessions by using different types of treats. I often use kibble as reset treats or to move my dog’s position. But the rewards are always going to be higher value.

Here are some real food options that most dogs love.

• Hot dogs

• Cheese

• Deli meat

• Raw meat

• Chicken (hearts and gizzards are cheap at most grocery stores)

• Steak

DIY Homemade Treats

Whether you’re a baker or not, making training treats for your dog is super easy and very affordable. With 4 dogs, I go through a lot of treats and these homemade recipes save me a ton of money.

You know exactly what goes in them and you can cut them to the appropriate size for your dog.

Pyramid pan treats are fantastic. You can make over 500 treats in half an hour or so and the best part is, you don’t have to cut them. You can find the recipe HERE.

Tuna Fudge is a HUGE hit in this house. I was actually surprised just how much everyone, including Penelope, loves them. You can find the recipe HERE.

Store Bought Treats

You walk into any pet store and you’re going to find a ton of options. If you’re not sure if your dog will like them or how valuable they’ll be, trial and error can get expensive.

Cookies, biscuits, hard, dry treats are fine for “just because” treats but not for training. They’re usually too big and damn near impossible to break into smaller pieces.

Liver treats should be used in moderation due to high levels of copper. A study at Cornell University found that some brands of dog food contain excessive copper. Dr. Sharon A. Center who specializes in liver disease said that “chronic consumption of excess copper can lead to copper-associated hepatopathy, signs of which include abdominal swelling, decreased appetite, diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, jaundice, lethargy, and vomiting”.

Don’t get sucked in by the marketing!!!!!! The crap they’re putting on pet products these days pisses me off to no end. For example, raw feeding is on the rise so you’ll see “RAW” slapped on almost every food product. Focus on size, texture and ingredients and forget what the bag tells you.

Picky eaters, sensitive stomachs, allergies

Unless you’ve got money to burn, forget the store bought treats and opt for real, whole food ingredients if your dog is picky. The same goes for dogs who are dealing with some health or digestive issues. Single ingredient treats like freeze dried meat are great options. Ella has allergies and is on a raw rabbit diet. Luckily Vital Essentials has freeze dried rabbit treats available.

Eat anything dogs

If you’ve got a dog who happily eats anything you put in front of them, keep your eye out for clearance treats and kibble. You won’t break the bank and you’ll provide your dog withe lots of variety to keep them engaged.

Here are some of the brands I often buy:

The Honest Kitchen - My go-to kibble for training. And my guys get a “Goat’s Milk N’ Cookies” treat before bed.

Rollover - The beef tubes can be cut up and frozen.

Stella & Chewy’s - They have a few small treat options like the Cravn treats.

Pure Bites - Single ingredient and freeze dried treats.

Crumps, Open Farm, Tilted Barn, Ziwi Peaks

Spring fever 🌱

It's that time of year again 🌸 The birds are chirping, the days are getting longer and everything is starting to look a little less ugly and gray.

Animals are much more attuned to environmental changes than we are, and each year many go through a period of “spring fever.”

During that time we can see a lot of behaviour changes. For dogs some of the most common are:

1. Increased energy levels

2. Increased barking

3. Increased pulling on leash

4. Increased prey drive

5. Decrease in recall

What causes spring fever?

Dogs’ senses are more sensitive than ours. The temperature changes, sights, sounds and of course smells are all very stimulating and exciting this time of year.

Like all animals, dogs are natural scavengers and foragers. That behaviour needs an outlet all year long but especially in the spring. The birds, bunnies and tree rats (aka squirrels) are out and ready to be chased.

Along with the environmental changes, there are also biological changes happening. Like us, dogs have a circadian rhythm that is affected by changes to daylight hours.

What to do about it?

Energy Levels - Meet their needs by providing adequate exercise and enrichment. I’m not talking about puzzles and treat balls or lame walks around the same boring block. Get a long line and take them somewhere new to sniff and move their bodies naturally. Go to the beach, take a hike. Let your dog be a dog. Encourage your dog to be a dog. Let them sniff, track, dig, get muddy and roll in stuff.

Barking - It’s natural to see an increase in territorial, alarm and even fear barking. The nicer the weather, the more people are outside. That means noise and movement that your dog isn’t used to. If this is your puppy’s first spring, or if you’ve moved since, your dog might be especially sensitive to the sights and sounds in the environment.

Pulling on Leash - LET THEM SNIFF! Your dog NEEDS to sniff on walks. As foragers and scavengers, walks should provide an outlet for those behaviours. Get a long line and go for a hike, take a walk around a field or park.

Prey Drive - Get yourself a flirt pole if your dog loves to chase. I like the Outward Hound Tail Teaser for small to medium dogs. Or take them to a SniffSpot and let them chase all the squirrels.

Recall - Do NOT let your dog off leash. Anywhere. This is the time of year that dogs get loose, get lost or worse. There are far too many environmental reinforcers to contend with. And there is no such thing as a perfect recall.

Final Thoughts

Even if your dog doesn’t exhibit spring fever levels of behaviour change, it’s a good idea to be proactive. Brush up on your recall, practice your leash walking skills, and don’t leave your dog outside alone for long periods.

For safety sake, make sure your yard is secure, that you’re managing your leash and, do NOT let your dog off leash.