Are you super busy? How to train your dog with the least amount of time possible...

Let's face it- owning a dog takes lots and lots of time and time is a very precious commodity in this day and age. Luckily, if you have a well-trained, calm, happy, Zen dog, the time that you spend with your dog should be the most relaxing and enjoyable out of your 24 hour day. The problem occurs when people are just too busy to give their dog the attention that they need, deserve and require, which results in "bad behavior". There's no such thing as a bad dog. DogZenergy truly believes this and we also don't believe in bad owners. Dogs are a constant source of love, but also a constant source of guilt. Most of us are really busy. I'm a dog trainer and I find myself feeling very guilty all the time about not giving my dogs enough off-leash time and/or not playing enough training games with them. I am the first to admit it- it's tough to be the perfect dog owner. It's also important to realize that trying to be perfect in any way creates a lot of stress and anxiety that your dog will pick up on. However, always trying your best and not being afraid to ask for help is a must. Ask a neighbor or a friend who doesn't have a dog, but loves them, to borrow your dog for a jog or a trip to the coffee shop. They'll be happy, your dog will be happy and you'll be happy too! Or you can hire a professional dog walker (insert shameless DogZenergy plug here ; ) or sign your dog up for weekly dog park visits. Just by being out and about all day with doggy pals, your dog will be better behaved and more mellow by the time you get home from work. Plus, dog walkers spend all day with dogs so they're very well trained in dealing with doggy problems and if they're good dog walkers, they'll happily help you with any behavioral problems that you've been dealing with. Because I spend all of my time with dogs or with my own dogs, I don't have a ton of time to read, but when I do get around to reading, it's usually about dogs. The last book that I read is called The Tao of Puppies: How to Raise a Good Dog Without Really Trying by Krista Cantrell, and I absolutely loved it. Cantrell's training style closely aligns with the DogZenergy Method in that all training should be an effortless mindfulness all throughout the day. Cantrell emphasizes that people need to relax a little (or a lot) and go with the flow of puppyhood. It's not easy having a puppy, but patience and awareness of puppy behavior will make the process much easier and more fun. Being consistent, but not too rigid is key. Some puppies have different personalities, which she describes as being Ying or Yang. Yang puppies are more active, brave and assertive, while Ying puppies are more submissive, shy and quiet. Both need different approaches to training. She also talks about how every command has a pair. For instance, sit/down, take it/leave it, up/off etc. It makes perfect sense to pair the commands for a puppy's optimum understanding and performance. It also controls the puppy's behavior and their endless energy. Energy has to go somewhere and to deny outlets for it results in resistance. Cantrell offers a very clear, successful approach to puppy training and I would advise everyone to pick up her book, The Tao of Puppies before bringing home their new pup.

To train your dog with little time, it's important to be mindful of your everyday interactions and habits with your dog. That being said, understand that your dog is constantly understanding you through the process of operant conditioning- the law of cause and effect. If your dog does something and you give attention to it or not, your dog will learn based on the observation and experience of that moment. You may be busy, but taking a second out of your day to quickly reward your dog for good behavior will make the world of difference. For example, if your dog comes up to you and automatically sits patiently without nudging, jumping or whining, reach down and give your dog a pet and a "good girl". I promise it will only take a second. If your dog is quietly laying on her bed instead of the couch or in your guests lap, walk over and give another "good girl". Capture the good moments with positive reinforcement and praise and you will quickly and easily shape your puppy into a good dog.

Weaving in good dog owner habits throughout your day will also shape up your dog and encourage good behavior. For example, simply asking your dog to sit and "leave it" before putting his food bowl down will foster your dog's self control and calmness. Your dog will learn to follow your wishes instead of charging or lunging for anything that he wants. Same goes with the front door, back gate, the car, or any access to fun and exiting things. By teaching your dog to sit and wait for things that he wants, you are actively training your dog throughout the day to ask permission for all things good. Does your dog want a belly rub? Ask for a down/stay first. Does your dog want to jump up onto the couch? Teach him to wait for permission only and invite him with the "up" command. Does your dog want to go for a walk? Ask for a down before putting on the leash. Does your dog want sniff and smell on a walk? Ask him to heel for fifty feet and then reward the behavior with "Ok, go ahead". You should be the gatekeeper to all things good in his life and your dog should be rewarded with these things if he follows your clear, consistent and benevolent leadership all throughout the day. All of these things require mindfulness of your dog's daily interactions with you, but it only requires a few minutes here and there to shape up your dog's behavior. So go get busy! Just kidding!

Are people who own dogs happier?

Are people who own dogs happier? What a silly question! Of course they are! Pretty much any devoted dog lover would answer yes to this question. Dogs remind us to play, have fun, laugh, and not take ourselves too seriously. According to a study comparing happiness in pet owners versus non-pet owners done by Allen R. McConnell, PhD, of Miami University in Ohio, "Pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extraverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than non-owners." Happiness is not the easiest feeling to define, but one look at my dogs playing in the snow for the first time and I know exactly what it means. Happiness is pure joy. Happiness is a wag of the tail. Happiness is enjoying every moment of our existence. How lucky we are to be alive! To feel snowflakes in our fur and on our noses? Dogs are so happy to roll around in mud, bounce into snow drifts, chase after falling snow and taste the cool white fluff that surrounds them. I'm happy right now too! Dogs have been teaching me that there is happiness in every moment. One of my clients has a sign hanging up in her house that says, "Happiness is not a destination, it's a way of life." Training dogs is a way of life that fascinates me, makes me beyond happy, and teaches me that every moment counts. Oftentimes, dogs never know what their destination is and yet they always seem to be happy. My boyfriend Matt and I decided to go on a working vacation to Telluride, Colorado and of course we had to bring our dogs Daisy and Taj. This meant that we had to drive 16 hours to get here, but it is well worth it to experience this enchanting, happy place with our two best friends. Daisy and Taj most likely had no idea that we were taking them to a doggy paradise, but they were happy the whole way here and then they were extra happy when we finally got here. Dogs are allowed off-leash in Telluride as long as they are under voice command, and my dogs have never been happier. Yesterday we went on a hike up to a half frozen waterfall and the day before we went walking along the river. Even though it's ice cold, Daisy and Taj were more than happy to jump in. I was really happy when we passed by a porcupine and they didn't seem to notice. That could have caused momentary unhappiness for them with snouts full of quills. Daisy's tail hasn't stopped wagging in happiness since we arrived here and Taj seems to never stop smiling. I haven't stopped smiling either. To see my dogs happy and to be in such a happy, peaceful place is happiness. Dogs bring so much joy to our lives because we have another living creature to share our experiences with that allow us to see beyond ourselves. Dogs remind us to stop, smell, see, hear and accept moments that we would've otherwise missed. They allow us to experience a way of life that is playful, energetic, compassionate, loving and happy. For this reason, I'm very grateful that my dogs teach me to be happy everyday.

Interpreting a Dog's Body Language In Response to Stressful Stimuli

Learning how to read your dog's body language will open up a whole world of communication between you and your dog. Remember that with positive reinforcement training, you are always looking for all of the positive things that your dog does and rewarding that behavior with praise, treats, toys or life rewards. Therefore, you must always be one step ahead of your dog to set him up for success and to show him what you want him to do instead of just reacting to what he does. Being one step ahead of your dog means “seeing” things before your dog does and also appropriately responding to your dog’s body language before he becomes overly excited or stressed out by a stimulus. For example, if you are working with a leash reactive dog, you must always be aware of your environment and your dog's body language. Where their eyes go, their bodies follow. Where their ears perk up to the body will follow. If a dog licks his lips, yawns, pants excessively, salivates, lifts a paw, shakes off, ducks his head, puts his ears back, tucks his tail or raises his tail and wags it stiffly, these are all signs that your dog is experiencing a stressful response to stimuli in his environment. Capturing your dog’s attention before his body language reads, “I’m completely stressed out and overwhelmed,” and then redirecting his attention by taking the lead and showing your dog what you want him to do instead will alleviate his stress. By learning your dog’s body language, you will be more successful in being a benevolent, calm and confident leader.

At the same time that your dog is giving you cues with his body, he is also responding to the cues that you are giving him with your own body. Are you stiff? Did you tighten up on the leash, back away, pull away or clench your jaw? Did you suck in a deep breath? Are you staring at something intently? These are all stress signals from a human that your dog is very attuned to reading. Just remember, 90% of human communication is through body language and merely 10% is oral language. We are speaking to our dogs with our bodies all the time.

So what does a happy, relaxed, calm dog look like? Posture is balanced, comfortable and steady. Eyes are bright, but not fixed on one thing too intensely. Tail is held low and wagging with long sweeps or circles (unless the dog is a breed with an upright tail). The dog is breathing regularly and evenly, and sometimes dogs even "laugh" with a type of snorting and breathing sound when they are playing or happy to see you when you get home. Ears should be relaxed or forward. A happy dog trained with positive reinforcement methods, who trusts his owner and has all of his basic needs met will watch his owner's every move, ready for the next fun adventure. Whether it's just another tummy rub, playing his favorite training game, running on the beach, fetching his owner's shoes or going for a car ride to do errands, a happy dog's body language reads, "I'm ready to have fun and I'll do whatever you say because I trust you!"

For the love of dogs

We no longer have our ranch in Temecula that I grew up on, but I will always remember it as the special place that taught me to love animals and my family with all of my heart. My parents fostered my connection to animals at an early age by teaching me to care for everything from bunnies to dogs to horses to birds and even reptiles. My mom and I would ride and train horses all day and have our dogs with us everywhere we went. My mom Karen, who is our DogZenergy manager now, cared for our ranch and all of our animals with so much love, compassion and devotion that I owe it all to her for teaching me what it means to work hard and love a lot. Today we are still working as a team to care for all of our dogs, just at the beach and not on our ranch. Home is where the heart is though, and our hearts are with the DogZenergy dogs that we lovingly care for together everyday. Guess I always wanted to be a dog trainer! Just found this the other day while cleaning out my closets! Zen dog art circa 1995.