Few people associate doggie day care with aggression problems; after all, daycare is a place for happy-go-lucky dogs, right? However, many canine behavioral experts disagree with the advertised virtues of day care, on the basis that they can cause – as opposed to prevent – aggression in animals. Listed here are three reasons that day care can contribute to aggression issues in your dog.
No Retreat
When dogs are at dog daycare they are generally expected – and encouraged – to play non-stop. Even when a dog decides to take a break, he or she either cannot find an area to rest due to overcrowding, or the animal is roused to play by other pets or humans. Down time is necessary for dogs, even for the most active and playful pets. When doggie daycares do provide rest breaks, the overstimulation caused by barking dogs can add an additional level of stress to your pet’s day. Dogs that are stressed out, tired, and fearful are the ones that are most likely to become reactive when they have had enough.
Too Many Personalities
In a perfect situation, dogs at daycare would be paired with animals of similar size, age, socialization, play style, and training. In practice, however, this scenario is not feasible in most situations. Therefore, your well-trained, well-socialized dog might find him or herself in a play group with an untrained, unsocialized, under-exercised, and over-stimulated animal (or ten). When overcrowding is not an issue, these animals will naturally form smaller groups. However, the variation of personalities in conjunction with overcrowding, which is typical for most doggie day cares, can result in personality clashes with no way for the bullied dog to escape. The end result is a fearful animal that learns to lash out – both at home and around other dogs – when he or she is uncomfortable.
Poor Training
Becoming a certified animal behavioral specialist or dog trainer requires years of schooling and countless hours in the field. Many doggie daycares are staffed by well-meaning animal lovers who are not be well-versed in recognizing the signs of stress, anxiety, fear, and dominance in animals. Additionally, many day cares have poor dog-to-supervisor ratios, meaning that one person is in charge of too many animals. Therefore, dogs quickly learn that in order to receive attention from a human, they must behave in an extreme manner. Snapping, growling, snarling, and other dangerous, aggressive behaviors become the sole way for animals to communicate their emotions, while lesser (but equally important) signals such as a tail between the legs or uncontrolled trembling go unnoticed.
A traditional dog boarding facility is recommended in place of a “Doggie Daycare” for more than just avoiding the aforementioned issues that may arise. Facilities such as Bull Valley Retrievers in Woodstock, Illinois offers dog boarding and is aware of all the issues that may arise from a stay at a daycare facility. Joe Scarpy (Owner and Trainer – Bull Valley Retrievers & Kennels) says “We get new boarding clients all the time that tell us about the horror stories at daycare facilities that they have been to… I also tell training clients that one of the worst things you can do is take your dog to a Doggie Daycare, it’s doing nothing but negating all the training that you have done to this point.”
For more information on Dog Boarding, Dog Training or related training products, visit Bull Valley Retrievers or call Joe Scarpy directly at 708.341.2576
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When the weather is warm, the way you go about training your dog matters. Here, tips for training in the heat will be discussed.
Grass and asphalt absorb heat differently, with asphalt and concrete surfaces feeling much warmer to the touch than grass or dirt. By nature, dogs are inefficient at cooling themselves. Approximately 90{df8cb9b89aa646120a504eba81fb87177e8b82bc4a339a7213530c60c8b2e64b} of their cooling capacity is through their mouths, while another 5{df8cb9b89aa646120a504eba81fb87177e8b82bc4a339a7213530c60c8b2e64b} occurs through their paw pads. The remaining 5{df8cb9b89aa646120a504eba81fb87177e8b82bc4a339a7213530c60c8b2e64b} occurs via evaporation. While 5{df8cb9b89aa646120a504eba81fb87177e8b82bc4a339a7213530c60c8b2e64b} may not seem like a lot, it can mean the difference between a hot dog and a dangerously overheated animal. Keep your dog’s cooling capacity at a maximum by training on grass and dirt whenever possible on warm days.
No matter where you train, your dog requires water in order to help decrease his or her core body temperature. Have a portable water bowl handy, and never allow your dog to drink out of a warm pond or stagnant water. Doing so can lead to infections such as Giardia or E.Coli. Bear in mind that if your dog refuses water, you could have a real heat-related problem on your hands.
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When you blow your whistle, your dog should be conditioned to immediately stop and look at you while holding eye contact. How do you achieve such focus in a dog? Tips for getting your dog to focus will be described here.
To achieve the ultimate in focus – having your dog staring at you breathlessly waiting for your next command – you should start focus-training early when your dog is a puppy. The goal is to hold eye contact with your dog until you give the command.
In order to achieve this type of behavior, always use your dog’s name before administering any command. If your dog is not already conditioned to look at you when you say its name, work on this skill first. With training treats in hand, say your dog’s name and then give your dog a treat every time he or she makes eye contact in response.
In the beginning, only hold eye contact with your puppy for a half second at a time. As your dog better understands how to focus his or her attention, increase the amount of time you hold eye contact before saying a command. By following this pattern each time you run training drills with your dog, you will develop an animal that stops and focuses as soon as soon you hit the whistle.
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Training your bird dog to find sheds is easy, as there is a lot of overlap between the two skills. Here, secrets from Tom Dokken – longtime shed dog and retriever trainer – will be discussed.
Make Training Fun
Shed dog training is simple, and like all conditioned behaviors is reliant on your pet’s enthusiasm and motivation for work. Dogs with inherent retrieving instincts thrive while performing this job, because retrieving comes natural to them. However, it is important that you treat shed antler training with as much enthusiasm and positivity as you did when starting your dog with marks in the field.
Begin Indoors
Remember when you started your puppy with drills in the hallway? No matter the age of your shed-dog-in-training, start small and simple. File down the sharp tips from a shed antler for use as a dummy, or purchase a soft antler replica for the initial training. Then, toss the dummy down the hallway and encourage your dog to bring it back.
Move Outdoors
After your dog has shown proficiency indoors, make the shed retrieves more difficult by moving to a distracting location, such as your backyard. Here you can work on longer shed retrieves. If your dog has a tendency to walk away with the antler in his or her mouth, use a check cord to help your pet with recall.
Overlay Commands
Until now, the shed antler exercises have not been much different than when your dog was being taught to retrieve game. When your dog has mastered the retrieval of shed antlers at longer distances, it is time to introduce a command to distinguish antler tracking from bird retrieval. “Find the bone” is common, but any simple command will work.
Teach Tracking Skills
When searching for shed antlers, your dog will have to rely on his or her nose. After your dog is reliably returning sheds, it is time to teach your pet to search for them. Use a scent product, such as Dokken Rack Wax, to cover the shed antler dummy with scent. Start with simple hiding places and ask your dog to “find the bone.” Over time, increase the difficulty of these drills.
Finishing Touches
The final test for your dog is to find the bone without the help of any human scent. Remove all human odors from the antler by washing it with deodorizing soap and handling it with rubber gloves. Don’t forget to start small here, and to provide plenty of positive praise when your dog succeeds.
Owning a dog that is prone to stomach troubles can be difficult. Not only is it a lengthy process to determine which ingredients cause your dog gastrointestinal and skin distress, but food allergies can lead to messes in the house and a miserable animal. However, finding the proper food for your sensitive pet can drastically improve your – and your dog’s – quality of life. Listed here are five of the best hypoallergenic dog foods.
Royal Canin HP
Royal Canin is well-known for engineering the very best dog foods for specific needs, and the Royal Canin HP Hypoallergenic blend is no different. All of the protein molecules in this food have been hydrolyzed, meaning they are unable to trigger an allergic reaction from the dog’s immune system. This feature makes Royal Canin HP the perfect formula for diagnosing food allergies, as it allows for the elimination diet to be strictly followed. For dogs with severe food allergies, this formula is suitable for everyday use, as well. Overall, Royal Canin HP is easily digestible and contains omega fatty acids for reduced inflammation and improved skin and coat. Chelated minerals are easy to absorb, which is necessary for dogs with stomach troubles.
Purina HA Hypoallergenic
Like Royal Canin, Purina HA Hypoallergenic dog food contains hydrolyzed proteins that will not react with a dog’s immune system. In addition, this formulation is completely vegetarian yet still provides adequate protein for your dog. Like the Royal Canin brand, Purina is among the most trusted in the prescription diet industry, thanks to decades of canine nutritional research. In addition to use for dogs with food allergies, Purina HP Hypoallergenic is a great food source for dogs with pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and dermatitis. For picky dogs, this food is also available in canned varieties.
Purina Pro Plan Focus
Some of the top food allergens for dogs include beef, chicken, and pork. The main protein ingredient in Purina Pro Plan Focus is salmon, which is beneficial for animals that suffer from common protein allergies. Additionally, this food contains no wheat, with the primary carbohydrate sources being rice and oatmeal (two ingredients that are easily digestible). Other benefits of Purina Pro Plan Focus include the addition of zinc and omega 6 fatty acids that support the immune system, reduce inflammation, and promote a healthy skin and coat. If you are searching for a hypoallergenic brand that has a single protein source and is free from many common allergens, look no further than Purina Pro Plan Focus!
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin
The Hill’s Science Diet brand, which is commonly found in veterinarian’s offices, is dedicated to helping dogs feel better through quality nutrition. The ingredients in the Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin dog food are designed to improve your dog’s energy level and coat condition while soothing upset stomachs and skin problems. While not recommended as a base for the elimination diet (Purina HA or Royal Canin HP would be best for this purpose), the Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin dog food is perfect for the dog that cannot tolerate rich foods. Chicken and peas are the main protein sources, while rice, sorghum, and barley provide carbohydrates. This food is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from fruit and vegetables, which supports immune system health.
Hill’s Prescription Diet Treats
Are you sabotaging your dog’s elimination / hypoallergenic diet by feeding treats that contain known allergens? You can avoid this problem by purchasing hypoallergenic treats, such as Hill’s Prescription Diet Treats. Like the hypoallergenic foods listed above, these treats are made from hydrolyzed proteins that will not trigger an allergic reaction in your pet. Hill’s Prescription Diet Treats are low in fat and have an appealing flavor. Ultimately, it is important to remember that your dog’s new diet must be strict, as even the tiniest treat can result in itchy skin or an upset stomach!
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