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Dog Training

Dog Training Household Lifestyle Rescue Spotlight

Campaigning for a little girl!

August 4, 2021

I saw a sweet little senior chihuhua girl named Pip on Petfinder. As soon as I read her bio, I was on a mission to bring her to my home.

Let the campaign begin!

Even Lance was in on the marketing video.

The wait is killing me!

Yes, I submitted application but wait… there’s more! I had to answer several questions and then silence. Well, the rescue is run by volunteers who truly care about their animals and want the best home for their girl. Still, smoked. Apparently, they do not know who I am. JK.

Reference check and answer some more questions!

Well, the reference check panned out. My best friend ever did alert me that they were getting close. I received a text and then an email. I answered all the questions from the heart and then silence!

Yeah, I know! It was killing me too.

Woohoo, the phone call that we have been all been waiting for in our household. We can do a meet and greet. What? “You have to bring your current dog for a meet and greet.” OMG! It makes sense but my mind whirls. See, Lance doesn’t like car rides and this one is over 2 hours away. Plus, my mind whirls into to what ifs. For example, Lane is going to die from a heart attack from the travel alone and possibly from picking up a new dog. Wonder if he doesn’t like her? What if I lose him while visit a new area because he’s freaking out? Yes, this is my brain. I love it and I hate it.

We made it to the Connecticut pick up location.

We made it! Yeah! Nothing that was whirling into my head came true. Best part, both of them were just fine with each other. To be honest, it was way better than expected.

See below.. Let the love fest begin.

One last thing… We changed her name. Welcome Home, Piper Marie!

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Dog Training Household Lifestyle

One Year Pupiversary, Lance!

June 4, 2021

Lance! You have been the quirkiest boy ever, but I love ya to the moon and back. You have flourished to quite the devoted, loyal, vocal and comical boy ever. You still amaze me with your sweet interactions with Walter Michael, our Budgie. Thank you so much for being you.

Video is owned by me. No distribution without owner’s consent. Copyrighted 2021.

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Dog Training

Teaching “Leave It”

November 8, 2017

When welcoming our newest addition, Virginia into our home, I knew that I had to show her the ropes and teach her some cues. All I thought about was the fun ones like high five, weaving and sit pretty.  Until, I noticed that Virginia was a confident girl and was challenging for hierarchy in the home. I already had one confident girl that ran the roost before her arrival, but, now, I had to manage any moments so they didn’t escalate. Both of my Chihuahua girls don’t have any teeth. Well, let me correct that statement; Virginia has no teeth but Meg has three left and one being a canine.

As I incorporated some fun cues, I was so very thankful that I taught the cue “leave it”. Leave it is a cue that I think all families should teach their dog. It immediately tells your dog don’t even try to eat it, touch it, growl at it or run for it.

One day, I fed both my girls peanut butter Kongs, separately. Once they were both done, I removed the Kongs to ensure that nobody got an attitude or possessive over a high value item. Little did I know that some peanut butter residue was still on a blanket. Virginia crept up while Meg was licking. I thought Meg cleaning herself but nope, it was a little bit of high value peanut butter left on that blanket. Within seconds, the ruckus erupted. See, I didn’t yell out their names or get angry when that moment happened. I yelled “Leave it”!  It worked. They both jumped off the blanket as if a snake was about to bite them. Calm was instantly restored.

How did I teach the cue “Leave it”?

Here are my steps to teaching the cue, “Leave It”:

  1. Leave a small item that dog might desire some distance away you.
  2. Place the dog on leash by your side. If the dog looks, pulls or shows unwanted behavior, wait for it to be calm and return a look at you.
  3. When the dog ignores or disengages, click and treat. Once the dog has mastered this behavior, you can add the cue.
  4. To strengthen this cue, you can slowly get closer to the item and again, repeat that process of clicking and treating for leaving the item alone.

Another way of teaching “Leave It” is by having a treat in one hand, opening that treat hand to show the dog the item to engage his senses and then close your palm. If the dog stops pawing, licking or nudging and removes himself from the item, remove the hand/item away and then click and treat with other hand. Please note that the dog should never be rewarded with the item you are telling him to ignore.

“Leave It” is a cue to have in your tool bag. Imagine how many baths you won’t have to do because you yelled “Leave it” before your dog rolled in that high smelling horse, dog or rabbit poop! Wait, even better… How about saving your dog from ingesting medicine that fell off the counter or nowadays, a possible poisonous treat left behind by some sicko while your walking the neighborhood or local trail.

Victoria Stilwell ~ Teaching “Leave It” Video

Let me know how your training session is going. Feel free to comment below or email. I would love to hear from you.

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Dog Training Lifestyle

5 Ways to Celebrate a Senior Dog!

July 25, 2017

I think that having a senior dog is Awesome! Not many people see the enjoyment that I get from adopting or owning a senior dog, but I am about to throw down some serious information on how to celebrate a senior!

  1. Enjoy the nap time schedule. You will feel well-rested.
  2. Take plenty of selfies. Your picture taking skills will improve a 100%.
  3. Go on special road trips. I thoroughly enjoy taking my Meg on road trips to Dunkin Donuts for a plain donut hole and ice coffee for me.
  4. Use them as a taste tester in your cooking lesson. Meg thoroughly enjoys tasting all the wonderful dishes that my husband prepares that doesn’t include any foods that upset her stomach or is harmful to her. (i.e. onions, raisins, chocolate, etc.)
  5. Do some online shopping together. Curl up on the couch with the IPad and shop for some new eye catching fashions for you and for them.

Now, there are so many more and the list could go on forever. Now it is your turn, tell me how you celebrate your senior dog. I look forward to hearing from ya.

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Advice Column Dog Training

Ask Ms. Deborah – Dog Cues

June 20, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

I am trying to teach my dog some commands. My husband says that I using the wrong words for what I am asking our dog to do. For example, I am using down to get off the furniture. My husband thinks that I should say “off”. In order to settle this argument, what are some of your words that you have used to train your dog?

Sincerely,

Newbie at Dog Training

Dear Newbie,

One, I would like to say thank you for taking the time to work and bond with your dog. I think that it is awesome that you are setting your dog up for success by teaching him some manners. As far as words, it is whatever you want them to be. However, I will list some of the words that I use and why I use those particular ones.

  1. Off – I use this word to teach my dog to stay off me, furniture or anything that my dog is on.
  2. Down – I use this word to place my dog in a down position.
  3. Lay – This words means for my dog to lay on its side. I never use Lay or Down together.
  4. Show me – This cue means for my dog to roll over and show his stomach.
  5. Wait – This means wait for a minute. For example, I use this cue when I am at the top of the stairs and want to walk or bring something down without my dog knocking me over to get to the bottom of the stairs first. When I am at the bottom of the stairs, I will say my “release” word and he is free to come down the stairs.
  6. Stay – Stay means exactly that. If I place my dog in a stay position, he can’t move until I come back  to him to “release” him from that stay.
  7. Release – This word means to my dog that he is are all done with my request and free to do whatever he wants.

I hope this helps you and your husband. Let me know how your training sessions are going.  Please feel free to comment below or private message me.

 

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Advice Column Dog Training

Ask Ms. Deborah – How to stop dogs from jumping?

May 3, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

I saw that you offer dog training advice so I am wondering if you can help me with my dog jumping on everyone. How do I get this big lug to stop jumping on me or my family? When anyone comes in the door or visits, my husband thinks it is funny and encourages it when he comes home.

 Sincerely, Frustrated Wife

Dear Frustrated Wife,

I am so sorry that you are experiencing this exuberant greeting from your dog, but it is not uncommon. Dogs jump up for many reasons. One, it is a form of greeting and if rewarded, it will continue. Two, if the dog adds in licking of the face, it is offering a peacemaking behavior and hoping someone will regurgitated their food. As gross as this sounds, it’s a win for him.

Before I begin on the steps of how to train your dog to stop jumping, you will need to express the importance to all of your family of why it shouldn’t take place. If anything was to happen to a small child or to grandma, all of you would be heart broken. You can explain to your husband that your buddy can continue to jump up but only when given permission to do so.

How to train your dog to stop jumping?

  1. Don’t make a big deal coming or going from your home. Raise your hand, come on! I know that all of you have come in the front or back door all excited, talking in that high pitched baby voice getting your buddy all worked up and BAM, the jump. For me, it is best to come in the home quietly and calmly. This type of entry reduces the excitement at the door.
  1. Ignoring the behavior you don’t want and redirecting to a behavior you do want. I highly encourage you to watch your dog closely. He will give you a cue of when he is going to jump. If he does jump up, turn your back and don’t encourage it. When he offers four paws on the floor, reward with either a small treat or your attention, calmly. Also, if you have small children coming home from school, please help them get in the door and assist them in training the correct behavior.
  1. Manage the dog and his environment. As you and your immediate family practice the new ground rules and begin to teach Fido what is expected now, it is important that friends and extended family understand the importance too. Don’t allow your dog to practice the behavior ever. Because the more he practices it, the better he will get at it. You will have people constantly trying to booger up your training by saying that they don’t mind the dog jumping up, but stay the course.
  1. Tips and Tricks. You can ask friends and family to call or text before coming over so you can manage your dog’s success. It is important to have control of your dog at all times. A leash is a great way to have that control. If you feel that your dog will be unsuccessful greeting people at the door at this stage of his training, you can place him into a secure area until all of the excitement at the door has calmed down.  At that time, you can leash and calmly walk him over to greet all of those wonderful people.
  1. What not to do! This is the part that I beg that you don’t get frustrated. Adding excitement to the situation will only make it worse. Please don’t knee him to the chest, yell, punch, push or cause any other pain to your dog. I have seen many people use alternative methods and it will make your dog become terrified of you and never really learn the behavior that you are asking for in the first place.

If you dog has any other behaviors such as growling or biting with the jumping, I highly recommend you working with a dog trainer that specializes in behavior modification.

 

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Dog Training

Digging 101

April 27, 2017

Spring has arrived! It’s time to be outside and do some of that yard work. Your dog has offered up his/her services and has provided the ultimate assistance, digging holes. Digging those large, deep holes is not what any homeowner wants but it is a must do for your dog.

Why does your pooch dig holes?

  1. It’s fun! It’s a way to let out all of that cooped up energy. Also, many breeds have those characteristics and are more likely to dig.
  2. They are hiding something! Dogs love hiding their treasures. Those treasures might be your phone, chew toy, food or for some, stolen socks and underwear.
  3. It’s hot outside. Dogs will dig holes under bushes or outdoor furniture to cool down.
  4. They are hunting something! Critters hide in holes. Trust me, if your dog sees a hole, their prey drive will kick in and the hunt is on.
  5. They have scheduled a road trip without you. Escaping from under a fence can happen a time or two. It is important to find out what type of behavior is happening at that time, such as escaping from being in a fenced or confined area or a combination of that and separation anxiety. If you have some concern with regards to this behavior or separation anxiety, please consult a professional dog trainer that specializes in behavior modification.

What can you do to stop digging?

It is important to supervise your dog at all times. With all the pets being stolen right out of their yards nowadays, it is important to keep an eye on them.

With holes that your dog has already dug, you can put chicken wire down on top of the hole and cover the hole with dirt, bark mulch or gravel. Another alternative is placing their poop in the same hole that they continue to dig and cover with dirt. Dogs don’t like playing with their own poop.

Lastly, you can compromise by creating a specific area for your dog to dig. You can fence off a suitable area and replace the topsoil with a heavy sand to make digging easier. You can teach your dog that this is his/her play area and place this behavior on a cue.

Want to make it fun? Each week, you can hide a variety of treats and toys. For example, while your dog is in the house, you can place some toys or treats under the sand in a variety of places. Let your dog out, lead him to his area and say, “Dig”.

For some really cool ideas on how to create a dog-friendly landscape with a little pop of fun, log onto Pinterest. They have really creative ways to make your backyard fun and safe for your dog.

Do you have a designated area for your dog to dig? Please share your photos and ideas. I would love to hear from ya.

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