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Announcement: Dog Training Nation Joins ABC

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I’ve got some amazing news!

Dog Training Nation will be joining forces with Animal Behavior College.

Animal Behavior College offers certifications in the pet services industry. They have programs in dog training, veterinary assisting, pet grooming and cat training.

A lot of my subscribers have been asking for more pet grooming and veterinary care content in addition to my dog training articles. While I can cover dog training no problem, I’d love to provide you helpful content from other industry experts, such as professional pet groomers and veterinary technicians. This is why I think merging with ABC will be beneficial to you.

The quality and resourceful content of mine that you love to read isn’t going away. I will continue to share my positive dog training advice and insights on the ABC blog. In addition, you can find my old and new videos on ABC’s YouTube channel.

Thank you SO MUCH for being a loyal reader of Dog Training Nation! I hope you join me in my new home at ABC hosted by kinsta!

Follow the links below to join me at ABC! You can also check out their blog here
https://www.animalbehaviorcollege.com/blog/ and YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/AnimalBehaviorColleg/.

High Tech Dog Toys To Keep Your Dog’s Brain Busy

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Dog Gadgets to Entertain Your Dog

Dog Gadgets
frank1crayon/Adobe Stock

As a professional dog trainer, I’m always scanning the dog world for new mental enrichment ideas for dogs, especially when dogs are left alone all day. Thankfully, technology is advancing and now new gadgets and apps are being created for dogs as well.

Food stuffed toys and puzzles are excellent ways to keep your dog entertained. And when they’re combined with technology, your dog will be exhausted when you arrive home from work. Check out my favorite high tech dog toys. Your dog will thank you!

Dog TV Channel

Believe it or not, dogs now have 24-hour access to their own cable channel. For $5 a month, Dog TV will keep your dog entertained for hours. Dog TV was created with the help of several leading dog behavior experts, and it continues to research new sound and visual ideas.

This channel can calm stressed dogs and provide mental enrichment with different sounds. It’s also a great way to introduce a variety of sounds to a puppy, such as a baby crying or meowing cat. Now, some dogs might dislike certain sounds, so it’s best to watch Dog TV with your dog first.

Automatic Dog Treat Dispensers

This is easily my favorite dog gadget ever! There are a number of automatic dog treat dispensers that allow you to visually check in on your dog and dispense treats. Additionally, some automatic dog treat dispensers have timers and can dispense treats throughout the day or during short treat sessions. Pairing this gadget with food stuffed toys is a fantastic way to keep dogs mentally enriched all day long. Check out these automatic treat dispensers; my favorite is Pet Tutor and Furbo dog camera is pretty good too.

iFetch

For dogs that love playing fetch or chasing a ball, they can now play this game alone in the comfort of their home. iFetch is an amazing automatic ball dispenser that will toss balls through a kitchen or down a hallway for endless fun. Dogs learn how to drop the ball back inside the dispenser to continue the game—no human needed! This dog game will keep your dog’s brain busy while providing her physical exercise. This is especially helpful for dogs that need to lose a few extra pounds. Of course, if your dog is obsessed with fetch and obsessively chases balls for hours on end, then I would not recommend this game.

Stop Walking Your Aggressive Dog In Public

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Why You Shouldn’t Walk Your Aggressive Dog

Aggressive Dog
Art_man/Adobe Stock

Yes, this is a very strong statement, but allow me to explain why you shouldn’t walk your aggressive dog in public. As a professional dog trainer, who works mostly with reactive dogs, there’s a reason for this strong position. Of course, it’s a free country and you can make your own decisions, but are your choices making things worse? If you share your home with a reactive dog that displays aggression in public, take a moment and think twice before leashing your dog up.

Do Public Walks Help Your Dog?

Think about this question from your dog’s perspective. If your dog lunges, barks, growls, shakes, refuses to walk forward and displays fearful body language, then your dog doesn’t like public walks. Most pet owners walk their fearful dogs in public, hoping their dogs will overcome their fears.

This is a tough way to change your dog’s behavior; it’s equivalent to asking a fearful person to walk along a bed of snakes, so he learns snakes are safe. When dogs are afraid of people or other dogs, yet are asked to walk amongst them, they are just as terrified. Plus, walking a fearful dog in public will only deepen a dog’s fearful behavior, so she will react aggressively more often.

Change Behavior With Minimal Distractions First

Pet owners wanting to change their dog’s fears is completely understandable, and what’s best for the dog. Start in a quiet environment with a certified positive reinforcement dog trainer, and move at your dog’s pace. Think about it this way: It’s best to teach a fearful person snakes are safe by introducing one snake at a time. Hold the snake far away, while giving the person $100 bills when he chooses to look at it without freaking out.

Pairing good things with scary things works, but must happen in a controlled environment to be effective. Once a dog learns that scary things make good things appear, she will become less fearful—however, this takes time.

Your Dog’s Aggression Causes Ripples in Public

When dogs bark and lunge at other dogs or people in public, it sends out a negative ripple effect. No one enjoys being barked at by a scared dog—not even other dogs. When this happens, dogs, puppies, people and children learn that dogs are scary and learn to avoid them. Soon, they become fearful of other dogs all because a dog behaved aggressively to them once. Yes, it can take one bad situation to scare a dog, puppy, person or child permanently.

Walking an aggressive dog in public definitely makes the situation worse for everyone, especially your fearful dog.

How To Start Volunteering For Dog Rescue Groups

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Becoming a Dog Rescue Volunteer

Dog Rescue Volunteer
Okssi/Adobe Stock

Everyone wants to help a dog in need, but many are not sure of how to get involved or even where to start. Take it from a fellow dog lover and dog rescue volunteer: All dog rescue groups need manpower. Yes, donations to rescue groups are wonderful, but rescue groups need boots on the ground to assist in transporting dogs, fostering and interviewing potential adopters. It’s a new year, so get involved with dog rescue. Here are a few tips to becoming a dog rescue volunteer.

Find a Dog Rescue Group Near You

With the Internet, it’s much easier to locate a local dog rescue organization within seconds. On Google, search for a dog rescue in your area and type in “dog rescue (your city and state).” Most reputable dog rescues will pop up on the first page. You could also use the Petfinder’s website, as that is a well-known and trusted organization.

If you have a favorite breed of dog, you can find a local breed rescue by searching “(name of breed) rescue (your city and state).” Most links, including Petfinder, will redirect you to a rescue’s webpage or offer a contact email. Trust me, rescue organizations follow up quickly with emails sent to them, especially those offering help. If you don’t hear anything back within a week, send another reminder email with “volunteer” in the email subject line. Persistence is key, and much appreciated by overworked rescue folks.

Complete and Submit Online Volunteer Forms

Once a rescue group reaches out to you, they will send you a dog rescue volunteer form. Thoroughly complete the form and send it back within a week. Every volunteer must complete some type of paperwork before volunteering. Some rescue organizations have volunteer form links on their website. If so, complete the form online and send an email to their contact person informing them of your desire to volunteer.

On a rare occasion, if you don’t hear back from your chosen rescue, send a reminder email. If you still don’t receive a response, contact another local rescue in your area. Rescues are non-profit and run by volunteers that are probably overloaded with surrenders.

Change Your Schedule to Accommodate

When rescue groups need a foster home or transportation, it happens quickly. As an example, within a 24-hour notice, I drove 3 hours one way to pick up a mama dog and her 8 newborn puppies. Each transport volunteer had to change her schedule immediately since a young mother was in the process of having puppies in 15-degree weather outside. Think about it this way: Carving out 2-3 hours to help a dog in need means a new life for this dog. Be flexible. 🙂

Please volunteer for a dog rescue group. They certainly need your assistance and donations.

The Meaning Behind Those Yellow Ribbons On Dogs

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The Yellow Dog Project

Yellow Dog Project
Africa Studio/Adobe Stock

Walking reactive or anxious dogs in public is challenging, especially when strangers and dogs walk over to greet your dog. It’s best not to walk fearful dogs around triggers that scare them because it will only make it worse. Sometimes, avoiding scary triggers is impossible during potty walks though, especially for apartment dwellers and for those without backyards. Due to this issue, a smart individual started The Yellow Dog Project, which has gained popularity within the dog world.

What is the Yellow Dog Project?

The Yellow Dog Project is a movement to help dogs get the space they need during walks. When walking through a public area, it’s nearly impossible to identify a reactive or anxious dog unless you’re skilled in dog body language. If you have a reactive or anxious dog, the Yellow Dog Project recommends tying a yellow bow on your dog’s leash to signal to others that your dog needs space.

In general, the color yellow means caution and to slow down just like police caution tape and yellow traffic lights. When choosing a yellow bow, it’s best to use a larger brightly colored yellow bow, so it’s easily seen from a distance. Of course, if your dog is frightened by the bow, it’s best to introduce it slowly until your dog learns his or her yellow bow makes treats appear.

Does the Yellow Dog Project Work?

The Yellow Dog Project is a fantastic way to ensure strangers won’t approach your dog—that is if strangers understand what the presence of a yellow bow means when attached to a dog’s leash. This idea works best for apartment dwellers who must cross paths with other dogs and people daily due to limited space.

To ensure fellow apartment dwellers learn what a yellow bow means, hold a meeting within the apartment complex with all dog owners, families and children. Additionally, post The Yellow Dog Project flyers in common areas, such as community mailbox locations. If implemented, your neighbors will understand that yellow ribbons attached to a dog’s leash means to never approach the dog.

Try a Yellow Vest

You may find that attaching a yellow ribbon or bow to your dog’s leash may actually draw more attention, causing others to approach your dog since not everyone will know what it means. If you find this to be the case for you and your dog, purchase a yellow vest or harness that states “Do not touch,” “Do not pet” or “Do not approach.” This will make it clear to passersby.

A Word of Caution

When walking a reactive dog, always keep your distance and know when to head home. A yellow ribbon or vest won’t keep a dog safe; that’s the pet owner’s job. If a fearful dog’s behavior worsens during walks in public, then it’s best to stop walks and seek advice from a professional positive reinforcement dog trainer.

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

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