Archive for March, 2010
New Kong Wobbler
March 18th, 2010
I’m SO excited, kong has come out with a new wobbler dog toy. What is a wobbler? Well, its a kong shaped toy that you can open and fill with dog food or treats. Your pup can roll it around and get food out.
For the longest time I have used buster cubes, tug a jugs, and other food delivering items but there were a few issues. First you couldn’t wash them appropriately and second, they were just loud! The new kong wobbler is now available from what I can tell in only one size, but we ordered two and hope that it will make breakfast time more fun for our dogs. (In addition to wearing htem out)
Have you gotten your kong wobbler dog toy? What do you think of it?
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Puppy Socialization Ideas
March 14th, 2010
As Blaze is getting older and has had a few series of shots, its time to socialize. Lots of people focus on just letting their puppy meet new dogs, so I’m going to share some puppy socialization ideas for ways you can introduce your puppy to the world.
Today I took Blaze to a local pet store. This is a great place to go simply for the sights sounds and smells, but I think most new puppy owners take their dogs here at least once. If you want a dog that can calmly go as an adult, then try taking them here once a week and just walking around, no fussing, no real obedience work – maybe a few sits now and again, but overall keep it calm.
The real puppy socialization ideas are outside of the store. First, the sliding doors that open and close. Those can be kind of scary to a puppy! Next there are shopping carts. You can have your puppy ride inside one, walk beside a moving one, or if your puppy is nervous, just meet it standing still.
I’m lucky that our pet store is near a baby store, so we got a slew of new moms, young kids, babies, and of course baby strollers! Most puppies like kids but be careful your puppy doesn’t jump on the child or bite them. I tend to stand on the leash so they can’t jump. My puppy is used to be holding his head still for kids to pet him, if you haven’t practiced that though your puppy might not enjoy it – so practice alone first.
Another thing I always try to find is someone in a wheelchair, or with crutches. We haven’t encountered anyone yet, but if you are planning on doing any type of therapy work with your puppy later in life, this is a must see.
Post your puppy socialization ideas in our comment box, we’d love to see what you all are doing!
Tags: Puppy Refuses to Walk on Leash
March 10th, 2010
When little Blaze is tired, he is a puppy that refuses to walk on leash. He plants himself, lays down, and just wont move. I suspect we did the wrong thing when he was younger and simply carried him where we wanted to go. Well, he is 20 pounds and carrying him just isn’t much of an option anymore.
If your puppy refuses to walk on leash, here are a few things you can do. First, make sure he is used to the leash. If its still an issue, start with yarn or string and let him wear it while you are in the house and have it drag. He will get used to it pretty quick.
When the puppy plants himself down, say lets go in a happy voice, pat your thigh and if he pops up give a little piece of kibble. If he doesn’t move, just start walking, dont be mean about it, dont correct him, just walk – he’ll get up and go with you. If he catches up or starts walking, say “yes” or great job and give a little reward.
I’ve never seen a 6 month old dog that wasn’t excited for a walk, so I’m sure this will pass if you stay consistent with rewarding the walking behavior. If you are trying to go for a long walk, remember, if they are babies (under 4-5 months) they might be tired and you can damage their bodies by pushing them. Keep it short and fun. You can also use toys and praise instead of food if your puppy likes that.
House Training Blaze
March 7th, 2010
Blaze is 10.5 weeks old, and is doing well with his house training. Our big problem is that he goes to the door and sits to let us know he needs to potty. If we aren’t watching, we dont know that he needs to go out! Enter the poochie bells, potty training system.
Poochie Bells are potty training bells you hang from your door knob and teach your dog to ring them as a cue to let you know its time to go out. You can make your own but in my experience they aren’t loud enough. I like these bells because they are well made, have several snaps so you can lengthen or shorten your bells. They are very reasonably priced too.
Click here to purchase a poochie bell
In order to train this behavior, I pulled out the bells, showed them to Blaze and said “yes” and gave him a piece of kibble every time he nudged the bells making noise. From here on out I am hanging the bells and when its time to go potty, I am asking him to do the same behavior by holding the bells up slightly and rewarding him for nudging them with a piece of food and letting him out to potty. As he starts to do it more on his own, the treat will no longer be needed as most dogs love to go outside and that is reward enough.
How much should I feed my puppy
March 7th, 2010
When I brought home my puppy, this was my first question, how much should I feed my puppy. The breeder told me what she was feeding and what kind, so I knew what to start with, but puppies grow quickly and their dietary requirements change. I think puppies are a lot like children where they need more food and have growth spurts, and the it cuts back some too.
Some puppies will eat and not stop – this is common in the retrievers. There are other puppies that are more finicky and refuse to eat. with smaller dogs, this can be a big cause for concern.
Here are some tips on how I decide how much I should feed my puppy.
1. Read the requirements on the bag
This is a guideline, not a hard fast rule. But it does give you a good range. It will also tell you based on their current weight and how old they are.
2. Watch their stools
Completely soft means too much food or the wrong type of food for your puppy. Hard then soft means slightly too much food.
3. Increase the food slowly.
If you need to increase it, do so slowly, dont just dump an extra cup in the bowl.
If you puppy is acting hungry, he may just be. You will likely need to play with amounts until you find the right balance and remember to increase it until they are done growing. Follow the recommendation of the bag you are feeding, feed a high quality food and always check with your vet if you aren’t sure.