Cruisin’ Canines June Dog of the Month is…
Bella!! Breed: Beagle/Dachsund mix (best recent guesses as she is a rescue) Age: 2.5 years Where I live: Uptown Joys in Life: Walking with Philip, sprinting down the hallway, catching flies, and napping in the sun Cruisin’ Canines Chicago Dog Walker: Philip Chicago Dog Walking Buddies: Mostly Ainsle but also enjoys her walks with Bandit and Tootie.
Prevent your Pup from Chewing up your House
Have a pup that just doesn’t stop chewing on things? Our Chicago dogwalkers have seen just about every problem you can imagine. While we appreciate that our canine friends have prepared newspaper shred confetti for us, it can be a bit awkward to explain later! There are a number of training methods and tips that we have picked up over the years taking care of our fluffy clients, so arm yourself with the knowledge of an experienced Chicago dog walker and nip this unwanted behavior in the bud! Er… Tail! Why Do They Chew? Understanding why your dog does what he does is very important when you want to get along comfortably! Considering that man’s best friend still hasn’t learned to speak human yet, we’ve had to learn to bridge the communication gap as a dog walker! Chicago dogs tend to chew when: They suffer separation anxiety (you work all day and they miss you) They are bored (empty houses can be very boring) They are teething (you chewed on things too when you were teething) Are excited and expecting your coming home soon (so excited, MUST CHEW!) They are afraid of suffer a phobia (loud noises make me anxious) They desire attention (he pays attention to me when I chew up his stuff!) Take a moment and consider what is likely the root of your dog’s chewing problem. It may reveal the best course of action! Puppies will need to be properly trained, and bored dogs will need to be kept active to help them resist the temptation! Calm Down There is no greater advice from Chicago dogwalkers than learning to have patience and keep calm. While your first reaction may be to yell at and hit your dog when you find your favorite sneakers ripped to shreds, it’s definitely not a good thing to do! There’s no worse thing you can do than hit a dog as Chicago dogwalkers! By the time you find the remains, your dog has already long forgotten about what he’s done. (Just a bit of advice, that sad and chastised look they give isn’t because they know what they did wrong, it’s because you’re yelling!) While it’s not fun cleaning up the pieces, take a moment to breathe and calm down before you clean up. Yelling at your dog isn’t going to correct the behavior; it will just make them afraid of you raising your voice! Correct Them When You Catch Them Carrying on from our last point, you need to watch your dog like a hawk when you can and issue a firm “No!” when you spot him chewing on your favorite penny loafers. Firm verbal correction is one of the most important traits of a dog walker! Chicago dog owners should also keep in mind that if you don’t correct a dog within two seconds of their bad behavior, they won’t know what it is they’re being disciplined for. Want another crucial tip to training? Be consistent! If you don’t correct a behavior every time your dog will get mixed messages and won’t correct their behavior! Trust us, your dog definitely wants to please you, so you just need to help teach them what behavior you like! Coat the Object in a Repellant Substance A Chicago dog walker has many tools to help themin their job, and pet owners aren’t exempt from this either! There are a lot of things you can use to protect your furniture when you can’t be there to save it. Use a foul tasting substance like bitter apple, tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper to coat the object of their chewing obsession. Nothing stops a dog in mid chew like a bite of bitter table leg! Just remember this is only temporary solution. Making their usual source of chewing taste terrible won’t teach them not to chew and there’s a good chance they’ll move onto chewing up something else. You’ll also want to remove things from their reach if you’re not willing to let it be a sacrifice in your dog’s jaws. Take Some Classes Dog owners aren’t expected to be masters in Doggy Psychology, but it definitely helps! Obedience training isn’t just for disruptive cases; it’s for all dogs, owners and especially a dog walker! Chicago has a ton of places where you can take classes and build a stronger relationship with your dog, as well as ask an experienced dog trainer for tips and advice. Trainers are the go to experts for correcting behavior, and can show you the proper way to handle and discipline your dog while building a strong relationship of trust and affection. Leave It A very useful command that all dogs should learn alongside ‘sit’ and ‘come,’ ‘leave it’ is a way to gain voice control of your dog and make them pay attention to you instead of taking part in unwanted behavior. Nothing helps out aChicago dog walker and owner than having this command in their canine call list! Keep your training firm and consistent and you’ll have the gentle pooch you know and love without the damage fees to dread! Keep up the great work Chicago dog owners and keep on Cruisin’!
Awesome Obedience Training: the ‘Leave It’ Command
We’ve all been there. You’re out dog walking Chicago streets and that perfect storm happens. It’s the dead bird, or the neighbor’s aggressive terrier, or a squirrel and suddenly your shoulder is aching from having to yank back on the leash as you try to gain control of your dog. What if it was possible to gain your pups attention without the need for tugging or physical force? That’s why the ‘leave it’ command is such a necessary part of every dog’s obedience training!And with patience and positive reinforcement, it’s easy to add this to your dog’s repertoire. When Should you Start Teaching This? Whither young or old, it’s a valuable part of obedience training for any Chicagodog. Walking, at home or anywhere, you can make use of this useful command and can start teaching it to your dog at the same time you teach him the usual obedience staples like sit! Building the Behavior of the ‘Leave It’ Command The first steps are always the most important! To get your dog’s response triggered to your voice, you need to build the behavior first! You’ll be making use of this valued command in no time! Take a seat before your dog in a no distraction environment. Try a quiet room in your house with now windows and without other people or pets. Keep a regular treat like kibble in one hand. This will be the ‘Leave It’ treat. In your other hand, use something savory (like cheese, part of a hot dog etc.) that your dog loves. This will be the ‘jackpot’ treat. With your ‘leave it’ treat resting on an open palm, hold it out to your dog and don’t make any sound. Your dog will probably dive to get it so quickly close your hand and don’t allow him to. Hold out for your dog to lose interest in what’s in your hand and when he does, quickly say “Yes!’ and reward him with the ‘jackpot’ treat. If your dog is especially tenacious and won’t give up on the ‘leave it’ treat, keep your fist closed and hold it from his reach. Ignore him until he loses interest before saying ‘yes’ and giving him the jackpot treat. Wait about 10 seconds and then go ahead and repeat steps 2 and 3. If your dog goes for the ‘leave it’ treat again, shut your fist again. If he looks a bit confused, that’s a sign that he’s starting to think about the problem! Once he loses interest say ‘yes!’ and give him the jackpot treat. If your dog ignores the ‘leave it’ treat, give an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ the jackpot treat and reward with a loving scratch to his favorite ear. Repeat 3 and 4 multiple times.Be patient with your dog as well! Even the most experienced of Chicago dog walkers can’t teach this in a day and trying to cram it into your dog’s head in a few sessions won’t work! Remember to be consistent each time to get the most effect from your training. This will teach your dog that the ‘leave it’ treat isn’t as enticing as the ‘jackpot’ treat, and ignoring it will get him a better reward! Attaching a Verbal Command for the ‘Leave It’ Behavior Once he’s got the behavior down, it’s time to get words attached for your Chicago dog. Walkers everywhere will be envious of your dog’s obedience once you complete this! Start saying ‘Leave It’ as you hold out the normal treat as you practice. Doing so will attach the verbal command to the action of ignoring the plain treat. Once your dog has theconduct and words down pat, start steadily introducing him to these different scenarios. Remember to be patient and don’t move too quickly for your dog. Hold the ‘leave it’ treat hand in different spots as you practice. Wait to say ‘yes’ and reward your dog until after he makesvisual contact with you. You want your dog to look to you for guidance and a reward once you say ‘leave it.’ Put the ‘leave it’ treat on the ground in front of your feet as you stand. If your dog goes after it, place your foot over it so he can’t get it. Move to different rooms and places to practice until your dog can complete this outside. Steadily place yourself farther and farther from your dog and saying ‘Leave It’ to teach him to mind even when you’re not next to him. Practice with distractions in the room such as other people, dogs, etc. Put treats out on the ground as you are dog walking. Chicago dogs should learn to ignore these treats as you walk past them. By using positive reinforcement and patient training it’ll be easy to have your dog listen to you no matter how enticing the quarry.And when you spend a lot of time in Chicago dog walking, what could be better than having a mindful dog who listens when called?