by Meg on October 12, 2009
Next to food and love I think one of the more important things we can do for our dogs is to socialize them.
Dogs are pack animals and are the happiest when they are with a pack, whether the pack is dog or human. It is best to start as pups and to take them everywhere. Introduce them to other socialized dogs, no the dog park is never a good place for puppies. Too many big dogs that will scare the poo outta your baby. Even if that 80 pound Lab is just running up to your puppy to say hi it could make your baby feel like a dumpling on a buffet table. Start with dogs you personally know to be friendly. Always make it a happy experience. If your pup is unduly scared at the begining it will make it 10 times harder to ever get him around dogs again. Take it slow and easy …don’t rush him.
When you are out and about let other people pet and love your dog so he learns to trust people. Join a doggie meet up group that has your type of dog. Meetup.com is a great place to start. You might even find a group you want to join for yourself.
If you haven’t started socializing your dog yet it isn’t too late. I start with friends and work up from there. I put a bag of dog treats outside the door and when company comes I have them grab a handful ( make sure they are the real yummy ones not some old dry dog biscuit). Then when your dog settles down let your company give your dog some treats. Keep this up every time someone visits and soon your anti social dog will turn into the neighborhood social butterfly.
by Meg on October 5, 2009
Ok enough about food for now. I have had a request to discuss toys. Personally, I think we are the best toys. We are sturdy, we don’t wear out…too fast, we can’t get stuck in throats, get spread all over the place. and most of all. we are more fun than dirt!!
Having 12 to 15 little dogs around the house constantly I have found most toys on the market don’t work well for me.The fluffy little stuffed toys are usually torn into pieces within minutes of the first throw. Plastic toys …the same. So you really need to be careful about the toys you get so you aren’t running to the vets because your dog has become impacted by a toy he ate. I guess with all toys, they need to be picked up if you aren’t around.
I make a lot toys myself from old towels, sheets, tee shirts, etc. I cut the fabric into long wide strips and fold them into more narrow strips. Once I get three strips to this point I tie them together at one end. Then have hubby, or whoever is around, to hold that end while I make the rest into a very tight braid. Wah lah, a great inexpensive tug to play with. Take the tug and start tying knots into it until you get a ball to throw. Tie the ends together and you have a ring frisbee/tug toy.
Here are a few sites that have good toys for a reasonable price.Petedge (www.petedge.com) is a wonderful site. If you have customers, doggie clubs, or lots of friends with dogs, you can get together and buy in bulk on this site and really save. Dog.com is another. K9tuff.com has some wonderful toys that are very durable.
Now let’s get back to the best toy of all… You. Besides the usual toss, tug, and wrestle type stuff you do everyday with your dog, try dance, or agility. I am starting agility with my daycare gang. Some are turning into real superstars,
some…well…. not so much, but we are all having a blast with a lot of laughing and good times. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg. Go to your plumbing supply store and get some 1/4 inch PVC pipe and start with a few jumps. Use
your imagination. Toys R Us has tunnels for very little. For a walk board a plank on 2 blocks will work while training.
For people without a lawn,try dance. With winter coming on, this is a great thing to do with your dog inside. There are many sites that can get you started. I taught my Chihuahua Popi to step back and forward and to come around me.
With just those few things you can turn on the radio and have a blast.
Go to You Tube and type in Dancing dogs and get an idea of what you want and then start searching the net for sites that will help you to teach your dog.
Play hide and seek. Make your dog sit and stay and then let him see where you hide a snack. Tell him to find it. Award him with lots and lots of praise. Do this several times and then stop. We don’t want to make him bored. Later in the day do it again ..once. Then raise the bar by placing the treat under a can or something and make him figure out how to get it out. Do this a few time and then the next day start again. You never want the dog to get bored. Just keep progressing with this game little by little until you are hiding stuff all over the house.
Stop thinking, Oh my dog is too little,too old, too fat, too whatever to learn. If you make it fun, take it little steps at a time, have a clear idea what you want to achieve, you can become your dog’s favorite toy.
As long as you make it fun and make your dog think he is the greatest thing
since homemade dog food he will learn and both of you will have a wonderful time.
What are your thoughts???
