by admin on April 19, 2012
We lead active lifestyles and try to take our dog Deegan with us whenever possible. When Deegan was about six months old we left him in the pickup while we were riding our dirt bikes. We always make sure the weather isn’t too hot or too cold when we take him with us and leave a bucket of water on the seat for him. After we got back to the pickup we let Deegan out to play. It was on this particular day that Deegan found a new game. He wandered off into the sage brush and refused to come when called. When we walked towards him he ran away from us. I believe all of us gave him so much attention trying to coax him back to the pickup that he thought it was a game. His “catch me if you can” game became such a problem that he decided to play it at home when we were trying to leave. If he happened to squeeze by us on the way out the door he would stay far enough away from us making it impossible to catch him. The closer we got the further he would run.
This kind of behavior was dangerous and we knew we needed to correct it before Deegan was hurt or caused an accident.
Tips for teaching a dog to come when called:
- Make sure your dog knows his name and use it for things that he will associate as a good experience. Say his name when you are petting him or giving him a treat.
- Make eye contact with your dog when you tell him to come.
- Don’t ever call your dog to you and scold him. Even if you are frustrated try to keep your tone of voice calm, you don’t want to confuse him. Make sure you have relaxed body language.
- The technique that worked well for me was having Deegan stay on one side of the yard while I walked to the other side and called his name with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. I would give him a treat when he reached me. Praise and treat based training works well.
I am happy to announce that Deegan comes when called and even gets in the pickup without ever being asked.
Teaching your dog to come immediately when called could be a life saver.
by admin on April 12, 2012
I don’t know about you, but I am DEFINITELY excited that the weather is finally starting to warm up. With the warmer weather, comes more activities that we are able to do again. One of those favorites is hiking, and it’s one of our furry friends favorites too. Spring is a great time to do it. A lot of the snow has melted and temps are perfect to get our dogs out and not have them overheat. What a great way to keep both of you healthy.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to make hiking an enjoyable experience with your dog:
- Find a dog friendly trail: More and more now, you will see signs that say “No dogs allowed”. You need to respect that, as often times this is to protect native plants and wildlife. And although it may be hard for us dog lovers to believe, there are actually people out there that don’t love dogs. Don’t give them another reason
Often times hiking books will note dog friendly/not friendly trails. Also, a great site for this is http://www.hikewithyourdog.com/page2/page2.html.
- Choose a trail that fits you and your dog’s fitness level: Again, a good hiking book will give you a level of difficulty as well as a distance.
- WATER, WATER, WATER: Did I mention water? Yes, make sure you have enough water for both you and your dog. It’s not the best idea to let your dog drink out of “natures dog bowls” as they could contain parasites or toxins harmful to your dog.
Collapsible Dog Bowls 
are very handy for hiking. Bring snacks with you as well.
- Research the area: If you are going to a new place, do a little research so you know what to expect. A good thing to research is the other types of wildlife that frequent the area such as snakes, bears, porcupines, etc. Along with this, is to make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date, and add ones that could be appropriate to the area. You can even get a rattle snake vaccine if needed.
- Make sure your dog has proper identification
- Pack out what you pack in: Let’s keep the trails enjoyable for everyone in the future. You can actually get little back packs for your dog so they can help pack stuff out or even carry water. Ruff Wear Backpacks
are great! Don’t think your dog will just wear a back pack. You need to practice with it first.
- Check your dog thoroughly for ticks when done
Ready, set, get out there and enjoy your hikes!!!
We lead active lifestyles and try to take our dog Deegan with us whenever possible. When Deegan was about six months old we left him in the pickup while we were riding our dirt bikes. We always make sure the weather isn’t too hot or too cold when we take him with us and leave a bucket of water on the seat for him. After we got back to the pickup we let Deegan out to play. It was on this particular day that Deegan found a new game. He wandered off into the sage brush and refused to come when called. When we walked towards him he ran away from us. I believe all of us gave him so much attention trying to coax him back to the pickup that he thought it was a game. His “catch me if you can” game became such a problem that he decided to play it at home when we were trying to leave. If he happened to squeeze by us on the way out the door he would stay far enough away from us making it impossible to catch him. The closer we got the further he would run.
