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Why Consistency is important in canine training

There are no sidewalks where we live. Our country roads have narrow gravel shoulders and, most of the time, drivers going much faster than the speed limit. one of our important commands for Baxter is “over.”

Baxter prefers walking on the road—maybe he finds the gravel uncomfortable on his feet—and he doesn’t comprehend that people will not yield to him (although many drivers do swing around us).

When a automobile is coming, “over” is how we tell Baxter to move out of the traffic and stay safe.

However, I realize I’ve not set Baxter up for success with this command.

At its most basic, “over” means move onto the gravel as close to the grass and the ditch as you can.

In my ideal scenario, “over” also means stay in front of me (Baxter’s usual walking position) and maintain your pace.

Baxter will do this usually for the first two times I give the “over” command during a walk. but after that, his “over” is unreliable. As I force him into the position that I want, I step in front of him and use the leash to tug him behind me and over. (With a speeding automobile bearing down on us, there’s not a lot of time to wait him out or negotiate.)

We’ve gotten to the point that now when I say “over” Baxter’s reaction is often to stop walking or slow down and wait to be tucked behind me. once he’s there, we walk very slowly, sometimes engaging in tug o’ war with the leash as he tries to step back out onto the road.

This is very annoying—not to mention unsafe. I feel like Bax knows the command because he does it sometimes, but he’s too lazy or obstinate to obey all the time.

And maybe that’s true. but I also feel like I’m not being fair to Bax.

I can’t be frustrated that he’s not doing the behaviour that I want because I am not being consistent when I ask him to move “over.” sometimes I move in front of him. sometimes I don’t. My behaviour is not the same, so how can I expect his to be?

To teach my ideal “over,” I have to break down the steps that I want, find a calm safe spot to practice, and slowly build until Bax does it reliably. Or, I accept that “over” means I shorten the leash, move in front of Bax, tuck him behind me, and we slow our pace.

Most important, I have to be consistent in my actions when I give the command.

I’ve decided that the best way to achieve that consistency and set Baxter up for success is to go with the second scenario for “over.” I’m prioritizing a loose leash once Baxter is behind me—no more tug o’ war—and he stays in the over position until I say “okay.”

Being thoughtful about the command and the behaviour I want has helped to decrease my frustration. I also think it’s helping with Baxter’s confusion (or obstinacy, if I’m being cynical).

Does anybody else have problems with consistency in commands? how do you guarantee you’re getting the response you want from your dog?

Julia Thomson is a blogger at Home on 129 Acres where she writes about her adventures of country living and diy renovating. She and her family live on a 129-acre farm in Ontario, Canada. follow Julia on Instagram here.

Study: Rabies booster can secure family pets with out-of-date vaccines

Is your dog’s rabies vaccination overdue?

You don’t requirement to be worried (not that you were).

If you’re like me, you most likely haven’t vaccinated your indoor cats in years. Oops, did I just admit that?

A new research study by the Kansas specify university discovered that family pets with overdue rabies vaccinations are very unlikely to establish the illness even if subjected to the virus as long as they are provided a rabies booster promptly afterwards, according to an post in science Daily.

Plus, it’s not like lots of of our family pets are at danger of contacting rabies to begin with. At least, not if you’re in an metropolitan or suburban area like I am.

But I don’t indicate to put this so lightly.

Unfortunately, family pets with out-of-date vaccinations in the united states that are subjected to the rabies virus are needed to either stay in observed quarantine for six months or be killed, according to science Daily. The quarantine can expense an owner as much as $7,000, which some people undoubtedly just can’t pay.

The great news is this research study provides pet owners as well as veterinarians new choices when dealt with with what to make with a pet that has been subjected to the rabies virus, as well as ideally it assists modification a few of the legislations that need rabies vaccinations so often (annually, in some areas).

Read the full post here.

Do you ever get “behind” on your pet’s vaccinations?

Related blog posts:

Dog vaccinations: What not to do

Are as well lots of vaccines poor for adult dogs?

Should you walk your puppy before he’s had his vaccines?

How to stop a Puppy From Chewing

Well, unfortunately you can’t stop a puppy from chewing. Puppies need to chew because they are teething.

But, you can prevent them from chewing your shoes and furniture by providing them with appropriate items to chew like bully sticks and toys.

The following are some of our tips to stop a teething puppy from inappropriate chewing.

This post may contain affiliate links. That Mutt may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post.

Why do puppies need to chew everything?

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Why do puppies need to chew everything?

Puppies explore with their mouths

Puppies chew when they’re bored!

How long does the puppy chewing stage last?

What is safe for a puppy to chew on?

Puppy teething toys

How to stop a puppy from chewing – 7 tips

1. “Puppy proof” the room to prevent chewing

2. Rotate toys to keep your puppy interested.

3. provide different types of toys for teething puppies.

4. Calmly say “no” when your puppy chews something inappropriate.

5. use bitter apples spray to stop a puppy from chewing

6. Train your puppy to lie down and stay.

7. provide your teething puppy with lots of exercise!

How to stop a puppy from chewing when left alone

How to stop a puppy from chewing shoes

How to stop a puppy from chewing and gnawing furniture

When do puppies lose their baby teeth?

Adult dogs also chew!

Raw bones for chewing

When puppies start teething, their gums hurt, very similar to what human babies experience when their teeth start coming in. They’re going to look for something chewable to ease the pain in their gums.

It’s really important that puppies are offered safe and appropriate items to chew while they go through the teething stage.

Also see our post: stop a puppy from biting!

Puppies explore with their mouths

Puppies are curious and explore their surroundings with their mouths and their paws. They’re just as interested in chewing on one of your fingers as they are on a furniture leg or shoe. It’s simply fun for a puppy to chew and gnaw!

We’ll be showing you ways to redirect your puppy’s random chewing attacks to more proper ways to use his sharp puppy teeth.

That brings us to another reason why puppies chew on everything.

*If you just got a new puppy, download my free puppy training guide. Click Here

Puppies chew when they’re bored!

Lana

Teething puppies who are bored are probably the worst combination and will get into considerable chewing mischief unless redirected!

Bored puppies will find something to entertain themselves, and it’s usually something we won’t appreciate.

Things that come to mind are those expensive leather loafers, a wooden furniture leg, clothes, kids’ toys or electrical cords. The list is obviously endless.

The same concept applies to adult dogs, by the way. They can get bored too!

Adult dogs also need an outlet for their boredom. While bored puppies are usually only annoying, adult dogs who aren’t challenged mentally can represent a real danger to themselves and others.

For example, an adult dog might dig themselves out of their yard, just to mention one potentially dangerous situation.

*If you just got a new puppy, download my free puppy training guide. Click Here

How long does the puppy chewing stage last?

Puppies start their teething phase between 5 to 8 weeks of age. but this is only the beginning! the worst chewing stage usually lasts five to six months, and many young dogs continue to chew after that.

Looks cute. also bites!

What is safe for a puppy to chew on?

Puppy teething toys

Bully sticks
Trachea chews
KONG toys
Nylabone chew toys
Himalayan cheese chews

See our post: Which chews are best for puppies?

Our favorite puppy chews are filled, frozen KONG toys. simply fill your puppy’s KONG toys with peanut butter, yogurt or his food, stick them into the freezer overnight, then offer to your puppy.

He’ll be busy entertaining himself for quite some time with his fun chew while soothing his sore gums with the amazing food. 

How to stop a puppy from chewing – 7 tips

1. “Puppy proof” the room to prevent chewing

Lindsay tried to “puppy proof” her living room and home office the best she could by keeping items off the ground. These were the rooms her puppy Remy spent the most time in when he was not in his kennel.

Remy would grab stray socks, cups, pens or pretty much anything that happened to be on the floor! So Lindsay also made sure there were no chargers, head phone chords, etc., dangling at Remy’s eye level.

She kept all her shoes on a small shelf and after telling Remy “no” a few times, he understood shoes on the shelf were off limits. 

She also knew not to trust Remy for more than 3 minutes or so unsupervised. Each pup is different.

*If you just got a new puppy, download my free puppy training guide. Click Here

2. Rotate toys to keep your puppy interested.

Offering a variety of toys helps to keep the puppy’s interest.

Lindsay kept 2 to 4 toys out for her foster puppy Lana at a time. Lana had about 5 favorite toys to chew and play with, so whenever she was not in her kennel, Lindsay chose a few toys to give her.

That way, if Lana tried to chew or grab something like the remote control or a sock, Lindsay would calmly say “no” and then offer Lana a rope toy or ball. “Good girl!”

You can also mix up the kinds of treats you use to stuff in Kongs and other treat-dispensing toys. one day it might be peanut butter and a biscuit the next it might be yogurt or a banana. 

Miss Lana

3. provide different types of toys for teething puppies.

It helps if you know what types of toys your puppy likes to chew the most. Lana loved to chew on rubber Kong-type toys, balls and rope toys.

She didn’t care as much for plastic squeaky toys, and she didn’t get to have stuffed toys because she ruined them immediately!

Same goes with edible chews. Some puppies like to chew on Himalayan cheese chews or bully sticks while others might like Greenies or hooves.

4. Calmly say “no” when your puppy chews something inappropriate.

Rather than ignoring Lana for chewing something, Lindsay would calmly and firmly tell her “no” and then quickly offer her a toy and reward her.

Some trainers will tell you to just ignore unwanted behavior, which is a terrific idea for many scenarios. For chewing, we like to catch the puppy right before she has a chance to chew or right as she has the item and tell her “no.”

Look at this crazy dog:

5. use bitter apples spray to stop a puppy from chewing

If your puppy just can not seem to leave certain items alone such as a table leg, bitter apple spray is one tool to consider.

Bitter apple spray is just as it sounds. It’s a bad-tasting spray that will not harm your puppy but will hopefully stop her from chewing furniture, her leash, etc.

Some puppies don’t seem to even notice the spray, while it does work well for others.

*If you just got a new puppy, download my free puppy training guide. Click Here

6. Train your puppy to lie down and stay.

Teaching your puppy all the basic obedience commands like sit, down, stay and come will help her build more self-control overall.

The most valuable command when dealing with chewing is “stay.” That way, you can put your puppy in a down/stay, and she will stay there for at least short periods of time. start with just a second or two, of course, and slowly work up to 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 mins, etc.

7. provide your teething puppy with lots of exercise!

Increasing your teething puppy’s exercise is not going to stop her from chewing, but it will decrease her energy overall which means she is more likely to relax and just lie down.

OK … sometimes it may seem like your puppy is never going to be tired, but increased exercise can only help. Make sure your puppy is getting time to run and play in an off-leash area if possible, and make sure to take her on long walks.

See my post on walking a puppy before she’s had her vaccinations.

How to stop a puppy from chewing when left alone

Use a kennel or gated-off area when you can’t supervise.

When Lindsay couldn’t supervise Lana, she left her in her kennel. even if Lana was left alone for 15 minutes while Lindsay took a shower, it was just easier to leave Lana in her kennel.

Leaving her alone for even 10 minutes would give her way too much time to chew something she shouldn’t.

We like to recommend a kennel (crate), but you could also try gating off a bathroom or kitchen area or perhaps using an exercise pen, which is a gate set up sort of like a toddler’s “play pen.”

When your puppy is alone, you want to leave her some tempting, appropriate items to chew on like a Kong toy. It also helps to provide exercise before you leave and again when you return.

How to stop a puppy from chewing shoes

Prevention is always our first approach when it comes to puppies chewing on items they’re not supposed to be chewing. That’s why our top three tips to stop a puppy from chewing shoes are:

1) Don’t leaveshoes out and within the puppy’s reach

2) offer your puppy an appropriate chewing alternative to shoes 

3) Crate/kennel your puppy when you can’t actively watch her or keep her contained inside a play pen

If your puppy managed to sneak a shoe and you’re catching her chewing it, gently take the shoe away and offer your puppy something appropriate to chew on instead. This could be a dehydrated chew, a rubber toy, or a filled dog food puzzle.

Don’t make a substantial deal out of it, but firmly say “NO” while your puppy chews on the shoe, then take it away from her. 

This scenario would also be a good opportunity to introduce your puppy to the “leave it” command if she doesn’t know it yet. say “leave it” the very moment she drops the shoe and goes for the appropriate chew (toy) instead. 

If you come home to chewed up shoes and your puppy is the obvious one to blame, don’t. She won’t be able to make the connection between the destroyed shoes and your anger.

Instead, blame yourself for having left the shoes out within your puppy’s reach and promise yourself it won’t happen again.

Remove the shoes, take your puppy out for a walk or some playtime, then offer her a puppy proof chew. You’d have to catch your puppy in the chewing act to make her understand why you’re upset because dogs live in the present. 

*If you just got a new puppy, download my free puppy training guide. Click Here

How to stop a puppy from chewing and gnawing furniture

Furniture legs are particularly tempting for puppies to chew on because they’re usually made of wood, and which puppy doesn’t like a nice wooden stick to chew on?! 

But all jokes aside, the same three concepts apply that we mentioned in the previous section how to stop a puppy from chewing shoes:

1) Don’t leave your puppy out within easy reach of the furniture 

2) offer your puppy an appropriate chewing alternative to furniture 

3) Crate your puppy when you can’t actively watch her or keep her contained inside a play pen

If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing on your dining room table’s legs, give her a firm “NO.” Then, redirect her to an appropriate puppy chew (toy). You could also try the bitter apple spray approach or a similar chew deterrent and spray your furniture legs, fabric or door frames.

When do puppies lose their baby teeth?

Most puppies lose their sharp puppy teeth at around 12 weeks old. Puppies lose their baby teeth slowly over a couple of weeks.

You might notice a puppy tooth on the ground (they hurt to step on!). Or, you might never even see them as many puppies end up swallowing their baby teeth while eating or – surprise, surprise – while chewing!

From this point onward, their adult teeth will slowly start to come in. 

They puppy will have his adult teeth by around six months old, but that does not mean the chewing stage is over!

*If you just got a new puppy, download my free puppy training guide. Click Here

Adult dogs also chew!

Young adult dogs as well as older dogs might continue to chew because:

it’s an instinctual need
chewing & gnawing exercises their jaws
it engages them mentally
relieves boredom
some dogs are just naturally inclined to chew more than others

Barbara’s dog Wally was 1.5 years young when she adopted him, and she quickly noticed that Wally most definitely likes to chew!

He didn’t get into anything inappropriate because he had plenty of dog specific chewing options, but he did manage to destroy a puppy KONG toy Barbara had left over from her previous dogs.

Wally simply gave it a good bite one da

Benefits of green Lipped Mussels For Dogs

green lipped mussels (GLMs) are mussels that can only be found off the coast of new Zealand. They’re a natural joint health supplement for dogs (AND us humans, too!). They can be fed whole, either raw, air-dried, dehydrated or as a powder.

I started adding air-dried and dehydrated green lipped mussels to Missy’s & Buzz’s diet back in 2016. Neither of them had joint issues, but I figured it’d be a good preventative measure to help keep arthritis as far away as possible.

I hadn’t been able to find a raw source of green lipped mussels, so when I discovered that Raw Feeding Miami (RFM) started carrying them recently and had them on sale, I couldn’t help but place an order.

They came in six 2.2 lb bags totaling 13.2 lbs and arrived frozen, as typical when I purchase cuts of raw meat from RFM. Each bag ended up being $8.80 instead of $10.80. It’s kind of funny that I went ahead and purchased them when you think about it because I’m technically dog-less best now.

Here’s what the mussels look like:

Raw GLMs are a little challenging to find, so I’ll just be freezing the large majority of these babies until the day I’ll be an active raw feeder again.

I’ll share a few with my friend’s golden retriever Lucy in the meantime. She’s seven and is starting to relocation a little slower.

Benefits of green lipped mussels for dogs

Here’s what makes GLMs so important on a nutritious level – they’re a natural source of

Minerals

Vitamins

Omega fatty acids

Glucosamine

Chondroitin

All of these make them a terrific anti-inflammatory food that alleviates joint pain, promotes skin & coat health, as well as brain function.

How to feed your canine green lipped mussels

Air dried or dehydrated

Green lipped mussels can either be fed raw, air-dried or dehydrated. I personally have purchased air-dried ones from real Pet Box and dehydrated ones from Boo Boo’s Best.

Missy & Buzz loved both options. I also discovered that The truthful kitchen started selling dehydrated green lipped mussels, and I’m sure there’s probably a few other brands that carry them as well.

It’s up to you whether you want to feed a whole dehydrated mussel as a treat or top your pup’s food with one or two (depending on your dog’s size). Dogs over 50 lbs can have 1 mussel per day. Those weighing less are fine with half a mussel or a smaller one. The ones I purchased from Raw Feeding Miami do vary in size.

Green Lipped Mussel power

I’ve seen GLM Powder on Amazon, but I was never able to find one that really only consisted of GLMs. There was always some other ingredient(s), so I simply crushed some dehydrated GLMs from Boo Boo’s best to create my very own powder.

I sprinkled it on top of Missy’s & Buzz’s raw meals and also added it to whatever filling I came up with for our KONGs (hollow canine toys that can be used as a food puzzle).

The dehydrated mussels are fairly difficult as far as their consistency is concerned. They don’t break apart easily, which is why I’d recommend feeding smaller dogs fresh mussels that have been cut up into smaller bites. You could also crush dehydrated mussels into a powder.

Raw green lipped mussels for dogs

Raw GLMs can easily be cut into smaller pieces, and don’t come with a strong fishy odor. You could always wear disposable gloves when dealing with them if you’re not crazy about touching seafood.

I personally like seafood and got used to dealing with raw animal parts when preparing Missy & Buzz’s raw meals, so I never wore gloves.

I did, however, make sure to thoroughly wash my hands with hot water & soap and wipe down all surfaces that came in contact with the raw food. You know, just like I would when dealing with raw meat for myself.

When not to feed your canine green lipped mussels

A word of caution – don’t feed your canine GLMs if he or she is allergic to shellfish.

You can find out which food sources your canine does poorly on by taking a easy test. Your vet might offer one, and there are also several different tests available online.

I wrote a promotional blog post for a company called Pet Medella that provides so called “bioenergetic scans.” I found out that Missy didn’t do well on lamb. All I had to do was to send in a saliva and hair sample. The price label is $150, although it was totally free for us in return for blogging about it.

Do you think your canine could your canine benefit from green lipped mussels?

Let us know in the comments! Also, let us know if you have any questions.

Barbara Rivers writes frequently for That Mutt. She is a blogger, raw feeder and professional canine walker and maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee. 

Related posts:

Green tripe for dogs

DIY raw canine food recipes

Canines in costume

A doberman in bunny ears, a pug in a poultry suit, a Bernese mountain canine as King Tut. Wow, who understood dogs other than chihuahuas got dressed up? At very first I believed “InDognito: A book of Canines in Costume” by Karen Ngo would be just one more dog-photo book that’s been done as well numerous times. Well, it quite much is. however that’s okay since people always like to look at adorable animals, particularly dogs.

It was good to see a range of breeds  (photo below is not one of Ngo’s photos). even a few mutts dressed in their finest as well as made an appearance. Paging with “InDognito,” I was jealous I didn’t come up with this concept first. I believed of doing something similar like “mutts in drag,” however I don’t believe that would review as well. These pictures are gorgeous, showing each private dog’s character – or at least tolerance.

I am not one to gown up my pets, however it is funny to embarrass as well as annoy them every now as well as then (like by throwing them a birthday party). I have thought about dressing my feline Scout up as a princess this Halloween just since it would be cute. Is that bad?

Well, if you’re into adorable canine photos as well as dressing up your dog, you would truly delight in the book “InDognito.” Or, you might provide it away as a gift, which is what I’m going to do.

If you’d like a possibility to win a copy of InDognito ($19.99, Hachette book group US), I am providing a contest. There will be two winners, one will get a copy of “InDognito” as well as the other will get a copy of “Bliss to You,” by golden retriever Trixie Koontz. There are three methods to enter. You can select one or go into all three methods if you wish:

1. compose a guest publish for That Mutt

2. compose a evaluation of That Mutt

3. response the complying with concerns about That Mutt either by emailing me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com or leaving me a comment:
– What have you discovered from my blog? exactly how has it assisted you?
– What kinds of messages do you delight in reading (30-day challenges, personal stories of Ace as well as I, breed profiles, regular questions, training as well as habits posts, etc.)
– What messages do you avoid over or discover truly tiring (see above)?
– What would you like to see much more of?
– Anything else?

The contest ends Thursday, Oct. 2 at noon. anybody who enters will get a link as well as mention on my blog. Of course, I will publish all guest messages presuming they are suitable for my blog.

Thank you!

(Image from spoilurpets.com)