5 Tips for dining with your best friend...err...dog!

Does anyone else feel weird going out in public without their dog? I certainly do! I'm completely codependent. One of my most favorite things to do, especially in La Jolla is to go out to brunch with my mom, Karen, or a bunch of friends. If I can take my dogs along, I'm even happier! Luckily, La Jolla restaurants are extremely dog friendly. The best dog friendly brunch spots in La Jolla are Cody's, Beaumonts, Barbarella's and Prep Kitchen. Not only are these restaurants really cute and really yummy, but they're also extremely dog friendly. Cody's and Barbarella's even have an adorable doggie menu and you can order your pup some hamburger meat, chicken breast or biscuits. All of these restaurants welcome dogs on their patios and even bring a water bowl to your table. To show our gratitude to these restaurants for allowing our furry best friends to dine with us, it's important to make sure that we mind our manners.

Here's 5 tips for having good doggie manners at the table...

1) Make sure that your dog is well trained and comfortable in a restaurant setting. Does your dog know a good down/stay? Will your dog settle and relax under your table for at least an hour? Will your dog ignore other dogs that walk by and not make a commotion? If not, practice at home at the dinner table by teaching your dog to lay under the table in a down/stay while you eat. Remember to release your dog at the end of your meal and reward with a special treat, a toy and/or tons of praise!

2) Always keep your dog leashed and out of other diners' business. The wonderful smells are everywhere in a restaurant and your dog might want to check out the menu for you. Keep your dog close by your side as you head to your table and show off your dog's good manners by asking him to down/stay as soon as you find your spot. Select a table that is well out of the way from other diners and try to keep your dog out of the way of busy servers.

3) Never let your dog eat off of the restaurant's silverware, cups or dishes. That being said, chairs are reserved for human bottoms. Let's keep our dogs at our feet and drinking out of water bowls while at restaurants. At home, share a spoon if you will! ; )

4) Don't tie your dog to a table or a chair, I've seen dogs take off after a pigeon with a chair flying behind them and the chair ended up side swiping a BMW. Don't let that be you and your dog! Tie your dog to an extremely heavy table, to a tree or hand your dog to your friend if you need to leave the table.

5) Enjoy your dog's company and treat your best friend for being awesome. Bring your dog's favorite treats and casually drop a treat between your feet to reinforce your dog's down/stay. If you have a puppy who is new to dining out, bring a bully stick or other chew stick to keep him happily preoccupied while you eat. Otherwise, he might be very tantalized by all the sights and smells going on all around him.

I'm so used to taking my dogs out to restaurants with me that I feel like I'm missing something! Anyone else have any good dining out tips that we need to add? If so, add them in the comments section or on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you and your pup!

Happy training!

Brittany : )

How to walk yourself on a leash.

A collar and leash on a dog seems so natural and most people wouldn't think twice about just throwing a collar on a puppy and pulling them out the door on a leash. However, it's important to remember that a collar and leash is far from natural for a dog to wear. Take both of your hands right now and tighten it around your neck, then try to push your head forward against your hands as if pulling against a leash. Notice how a little panic starts to set in when you feel like you can't breathe. Next, put a rope around your neck, or if you're really brave, a metal prong collar and a leash. Then ask a friend to lead you around wherever she wants to go. Next, walk past a bear that's on the loose, or better yet someone who's running at you with a knife and try to pull away from the leash. Not fun to be scared and choked at the same time with no where to run, eh?

Some would say that I'm anthropomorphizing this scenario, but all I'm trying to do is put you in your dog's shoes, or paws, for a second. It makes me absolutely cringe to see people wildly yanking on leashes and dragging their dog around without proper cues or consistent directions.The key to a well behaved dog on a leash is to also be a well behaved human. Be consistent about which side you want your dog to walk on, hold the leash at the same length for walking in a heel position and let the leash out to the end when releasing your dog for a sniff and pee break. Teach your dog the heel command without a leash in your home at first by leading him around with a treat held by your side. Then introduce the leash in your home and each and every time your dog pulls, come a dead stop and wait till your dog takes the tension off and then move forward. Once your dog is understanding the concept of a loose leash and the heel command, start working outside with the same consistency and patience. Teach your dog to follow you by switching directions often. Teach your dog to give you attention when he is startled by a stimulus or when he is nervous around other dogs. Use the kissy noise, or a cue like "this way" when you want to switch directions or "wait" when you want to come to a stop.

Whatever you do, avoid a never ending game of tug-of-war and if you don't want your dog to pull on the leash, show him the same respect by not pulling on him. Think of the leash merely as a safety device, in fact, just wrap it around your waist if the habit to pull is so deeply engrained. Imagine in your head an invisible loose leash and use your signals with your voice, hands and body to convey that there is an invisible wall that extends from your side that your dog must not cross. Leave your phone at home or in your pocket when you take your dog for a walk. Majority of dogs, will take advantage of their human being distracted and will pull or lunge like crazy when their human is talking on the phone. It may take a long time to break the habit of pulling, but the proper tools, a lot of patience and a lot of understanding will have you well on the way to enjoying walks with your best friend again. We're here for you if you'd like to learn how to make walks fun again!

How to Train Your Puppy to Heel

What you’ll need:

1 cute puppy 2 cups of love 5 cups of patience 1 Easy Walk Training Harness by Premier 6 ft Hands free leash 1 treat pouch 1 clicker 1/2 cup of soft smelly treats (cheese, chopped chicken, soft jerky treats, Zukes Mini Naturals or Ziwi Peak)

Directions:

1. Before you even clip on the leash or step outside, make sure that your puppy knows what heel means (also make sure that you know what it means!). A lot of dogs and their humans think that it means jerk on the leash and say heel whenever your puppy pulls. This only results in tug of war, frustration and a choking dog. Heel means that your puppy must stay by your side with his head lined up by your leg and his body parallel to yours. When your inside your house with no distractions lure your puppy to your side with a treat and click and feed once he is in the right position. Keep reinforcing your puppy for staying by your side in a standing position by clicking/treating. Then next step is to take a step forward and encourage your puppy to take a step forward with you. Keep your hand with the treat on the seam of your pants and when your puppy’s head is by your side click/treat. Keep doing this until you’re able to take several steps with your puppy walking right next to your side. Then take the lure away by guiding your puppy with your hand and without the treat in it. Click/treat when his head is by your side and then reach your hand into to your pouch to give him his reward.

2. Once your puppy is happily heeling by your side in the house you can attach your hands-free leash to your waist and to your dog’s front connecting harness. Ask him to sit and stay at the door and then release him with “ok!” once the door is all the way open. If his bottom pops up, close the door and repeat until he’s able to stay calmly as you open the door. Once you get outside the door ask him to sit calmly again. Ask your puppy to “look” and click/treat him for giving you attention. Then release him with an “ok, heel!” and walk off quickly in the direction you want to go.

3. When walking your puppy, pretend like you are the Queen (or King) of dogs and walk as quickly as you can. When dogs are in a trotting pace, they know that you mean business and that you’re traveling somewhere together. If you walk slowly, your dog will want to do a lot more sniffing which results in more pulling. Plus, your dog will think you’re more fun if you’re walking quickly and happily. Also, leave your phone at home! If you’re not paying attention to your puppy he will ignore you too and will want to drag you to every bush in the neighborhood to check his pee-mail.

4. Just like in the house, capture and reinforce your puppy’s good behavior with lots of “good heel!” and click/treats. Remember to feed right by your side near the seam of your pants. When distractions come your way, click/treat more quickly.

5. If your puppy pulls you or ignores you due to distractions, ask him to “look” or use the kissy noise to get his attention back to you. if he ignores you after two tries, quickly turn and go the other way. It will keep him on his toes and ‘reset’ the heel. If your dog lunges or pulls for something, you can also stop dead in your tracks and ‘be a tree’ until your dog calms down, stops pulling and takes the tension off his lead. A tight leash means your puppy goes nowhere and doesn’t get to check out whatever he wants to move towards. A loose leash is good and means that he gets to go towards what he wants to check out. Moving forward is a reward. Pulling equals stopping which is the consequence.

6. Be consistent and your puppy will be walking beautifully by your side in no time! Once he knows what “heel” means you can start weaning him off the treats and just use lots of praise and attention when he’s traveling by your side. Also, remember to reward your dog with “ok go ahead!” Which means he’s allowed to go out on the end of his leash and sniff and smell all the flowers and bushes that his heart desires!

Below is a quick clip of a training session with Lego today! Lego is a 4 month old adorable shepherd/lab mix puppy who is learning how to walk on a loose lead and walk nicely with distractions. This is his first time learning the heel command, therefore we are using lots of repetition and treats, but gradually we phase out the clicker and the treats to replace it with life rewards and praise. For instance, the reason why dogs want to pull is because they want to sniff and smell. So you can reward them by releasing them from your side with a "Ok! Go ahead" and allow them to go to the end of the leash to sniff, smell, explore and be a dog. They still shouldn't pull you so if your dog does, 'be a tree' and do not move until they loosen the tension on the lead and give you attention.

Lego's first leash lesson (click on the lick for a quick video demo)

Happy training!

Should dogs be allowed on the couch and the bed?

As I write this post I'm sitting on my couch with my 80 lb. golden retriever, Taj, practically laying in my lap and my 60 lb. golden, Daisy, all snuggled up to me on my right. I must admit, one of my absolute, most favorite things to do in the whole entire world is snuggle with my favorite furballs.

Cuddling with all of my animals. Notice the big smile on my face! Pure happiness. 

Our usual cuddle session starts with me sitting on the couch with my laptop, and then Daisy comes over and rests her head on the couch looking at me with her golden eyes asking for approval to jump up next me. I'll ask her if she wants to cuddle and her head stays on the couch while her back end starts wagging. She waits till I pat the couch twice and say, "Up, up," before she hops up and snuggles into my side. She curls up into the cutest little ball or rests her head on my lap. Then Taj slowly lumbers over with his swaying lion's gait, waits for his cue and then curls up into another ball of cuteness.  To top it off, my big orange cat comes over and settles in right on my lap. Squished between my favorite animals on the planet, is pure bliss. My black pants are always accessorized with fur, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Daisy's Can-I-Hop-Up-On-The-Couch Face

That's not to say that everyone experiences pure happiness with animals all over them. Which is why I am a dog trainer who is an advocate for couch cuddle sessions, but only with permission and rules. Any dogs that are allowed on couches and beds must first learn that they are never allowed on a couch or bed. This means that puppies should not be allowed to hop up onto a couch or bed unless they have been placed up on the bed or have been given permission with a cue. Anytime your puppy or dog goes towards a couch and looks like they want to jump up, make an interruption noise and redirect him to his bed. You can also body block them from trying to jump up. Always have a very comfortable dog bed right near your couch and give your puppy tons of praise and pets for choosing to lay on his bed rather than your couch. If your puppy ends up on the couch it's important to make him get off and have him go to his bed.

When you are not in the room with your puppy or when you leave the house, manage your puppy by not giving him access to the room with the couch in it. You can also prop pillows up so that it blocks your puppy from getting onto the couch. Another trick is to use plastic carpet protectors that offices use for rolling chairs. The small plastic points on one side will not hurt your dog, but are merely uncomfortable to lay on. You can cut the plastic to fit your couch and then when you want to sit on it, simply tuck it away underneath the couch.

As always, the most important part of teaching your dog to stay off your couch or to invite him up onto it is clear communication and consistency. If your dog is going to be allowed on the couch it's important to teach him the following commands - "up-up", "off" and "spot". All puppies should also learn to Sit-for-Pets and Sit-and-Wait for permission to do things or to gain access to something. Start off by asking your puppy to sit every time he approaches you while you're on the couch and then give him lots of praise and pets, or drop a treat on the floor by your feet. Keep randomly rewarding your dog with pets or treats for staying on the floor instead of hopping up onto the couch. If your puppy tries to jump up, block him gently or quickly put him back down on the floor. If you have an especially frisky puppy, keep a drag line leash on him and simply step on it to prevent him from trying again.

Teach your puppy to go to his "spot" by luring your puppy onto the bed and clicking when all four paws are on it. Treat your puppy by placing the treat on the bed rather than feeding it straight to his mouth. Then tell him "Ok!" and have him step off the bed. After luring and clicking and treating another three times, point to the bed without a treat in your hand. Click and treat when all four paws on the bed and say, "Good spot!". Once your puppy is starting to gravitate to the spot and is learning the game, attach the cue to your hand signal, by saying, "spot" and then pointing to it. Click and treat once your puppy is on his spot. Keep practicing this exercise and move farther away from the bed as your puppy's understanding increases. Then start asking your puppy to go to his spot while you're sitting on the couch. Practice this for at least 15 minutes everyday with lots of repetitions until your dog thinks that his spot is the best place to be.

Taj demonstrating his Zen dog napping skills (on the couch)

Once your puppy grows up and learns that the couch is off-limits, you can train him to jump up onto the couch when given permission. Ask your dog to sit at your feet and then pat the couch and say, "Up, up!" to invite your dog up. Ask your dog to lay down next to you and praise him, then ask him to get "off" by pointing and looking at the floor. If your dog is not getting off, lure him with a treat and click when all four paws touch the ground. Do this three times, and then point and look at the floor while saying off without the treat in your hand. Click and treat once all four paws are on the ground. Also, make sure to drop the treat onto the ground. Make a game out of it by asking your dog to jump up and off the couch several times in a row. It reinforces the good behavior and it also helps to burn off a little energy. If your dog tries to jump onto the couch without your cue, completely ignore the behavior and walk away. If your dog isn't getting the message, leave the room entirely. Your dog will quickly get off the couch and come to you. Withholding the attention and the treat will give your dog the message that he must play by your rules. At this point in the training, you must still manage your dog so that he is only in the room with the couch when you are present, otherwise your comfy sofa may just be too much for your dog to resist.

Whether or not you wish to have your dogs with you on the couch or the bed is a personal decision and whatever you choose, just remember to be consistent. If you let your puppy jump up sometimes without permission and not other times, the mixed message will result in a dog who thinks that the couch is up for grabs. By giving your dog clear, consistent rules, your dog will respect you and your personal space. This way, you will also ensure that your dog does not take possession of the most comfortable spot in the house and make it his. If your dog displays any territorial reactive behavior over the couch, your dog should not be allowed on the couch at all until you are able to completely establish control over the space using clear communication and positive reinforcement. With a lot of clicker training and practice you may be able to one day invite your dog up, but just remember that all dogs that are invited up must be able to immediately get off when asked. All the same rules apply to the bed as well.

Personally, having my dogs cuddle with me on the couch is worth every bit of dog hair and I just love watching my Zen dogs kick their feet in their dreams. My poor house guests probably don't appreciate the hair (little leftovers of super snuggle sessions!) as much as I do and I think my best human friends have learned not to wear black at my house, which is why I also recommend having cute throw blankets on your couch so that you can toss them off when guests come over. A friend of mine has a couch pillow that says, "No outfit is complete without cat hair." Does anyone know where I can get a dog version of this? ; )  

Happy training!

Five ways to teach your dog to come when called!

Teaching your dog to come to you in any situation is one of the hardest things to teach a dog to do reliably. The reason why it’s so tricky is because it’s so hard to train ourselves as humans to consistently positively reinforce our dogs when they do come over to us. Humans are very busy creatures who are always trying to get from point A to point B very quickly. Dogs are very happy animals because they love to soak in the sights and smells of the moment. We don't find as much joy in smelling lamp posts or spending another twenty minutes at the dog park, and we want our dogs to come right away. If they don't come right away, people get really frustrated and end up calling their dogs over and over again. They start to yell more and more and then once their dogs finally do come, they're so frustrated with them that they may end up swatting them or giving them a big jerk on the leash. Nobody wants to run right over to a person who's a jerk. Instead, you want to teach your dog that coming to you is the best thing in the world, because you may one day even save your dog from a dangerous situation. A reliable recall is the most important command that you can teach your dog. Here's how to do it...

1) When first teaching your dog to come, never call your dog over to you when he is engaged in play or very interested in something smelly and wonderful. You will get ignored and then you will keep calling him and then he will learn that come basically means nothing to him. You might as well be yelling at the top of your lungs, "Keep ignoring me!". Instead, wait until your dog has lost interest in the present distraction, and then capture your dog's attention with an interrupter "kissy" noise and big hand motions. Once your dog looks at you and has taken one step towards you, call him over to you while waving your hand above your head and take a few running steps away from your dog. If you walk towards your dog, he will think that you are following him and he will continue to move away from you. By running away from your dog, he will think that you're running somewhere to have fun without him and then he'll want to get in on the action too. When teaching your dog to come to you, it's very important to always have a reward ready for when he comes to you. Once your dog is reliably coming to you, you can start using the variable ratio method, meaning that you only reward him sometimes and only for really quick and snappy 'comes'. It's also important to vary the different types of rewards and to use a very high value reward (think hot dog pieces or cheese) when faced with big distractions.

2) Call your dog to come for anything and everything good. Meaning, call your dog when it's dinner time, when it's time to go for a walk, when it's time to play, when it's time to cuddle, when it's time for a car ride, etc. Always call your dog consistently and constantly the same way. You should always say your dog's name first and then "come" or if you prefer, "here". So for instance, if your dog is in the other room, randomly pick up a toy and hide it behind your back, then call him over to, "Bruno, come!" and once he comes over to you and sits in front of you, give him the toy you've been hiding.

3) Using a 15 ft long line, a clicker and treat bag full of goodies, have your dog sit and then call your dog to come to you. Then take several fun running steps backwards. The second that dog takes a step in your direction, click and then treat. If you click and treat when your dog approaches you and sits, then he may think that he is getting rewarded for sitting. Also, by clicking right when your dog makes a move, it will make him come over to you much faster. Keep calling your dog while moving around with big, fun, erratic motions. Think of it as a fun game because you want your dog to think that coming to you is the best thing in the world. Be sure to end the game before your dog loses interest in the game to make sure that you're building his drive and motivation.

4) Playing Hide-and-Go-Seek with your dog and a friend will also build up your dog's motivation and willingness to come to you. Have your friend hold onto your dog while you go hide in another part of the house or yard. Make it easy the first few times and then call your dog to come to you. Once he races over to find you, give him lots of praise and a treat or toy. Then hold onto your dog and have your friend go and hide. This game will not only teach your dog how to reliably come to you, but it will also build up your dog's confidence when he finds you and it's a great way to burn off your dog's mental and physical energy.

5) Be very mindful of not calling your dog to come to you when something unpleasant is going to happen to him. For instance, when it's time to clip his nails, clean his ears or come towards anything that your dog is fearful of. You want the command for come to mean that great things are coming to him once he reaches you. If something negative happens, you will be decreasing the behavior and the effectiveness of the command. When your dog is playing at the park, teach your dog to check in with you when you call him over to you and then reward him by telling him to "go play" again, but never put him on his leash and leave when you call him. Instead, just walk over to him when he’s taking a break or getting water and then snap his leash on him. It’s also always good to keep a goody stash in your car with lots of different kinds of treats and toys so that you can give your dog something great when you leave the park. Your dog will want to leave if he gets a goody every time. Same thing goes for at home when you call your dog inside when he's been playing outside. Make sure that the fun doesn’t end when you call him in and then be sure to give him a treat or toy when he comes inside. If you do this consistently when your dog is young, he will have a very reliable recall when he is older.

Most importantly, never ever get frustrated or mad when your dog doesn’t come right away. Nobody wants to hang out with somebody who they can't trust. Always exercise great patience when dog training. Dogs who have very calm, confident and benevolent owners have great recalls. They know that their owner isn't going to punish them for coming over to them and they also know that they just might get a jackpot of good things. Be the happiest human ever and your dog won’t want to leave your side. The happier you are, the faster your dog will start coming to you.