4 Tips for Moving With Your Dogs

May 1, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Moving Day: Tips for Moving With Dogs

The big day is here: moving day! Personally, we’re right in the middle of moving. Having multiple strangers walk through your home and touching your belongings is uncomfortable and feels weird. If we’re stressed, I know my dogs are too and that’s why we prepared weeks in advance. Now, let’s discuss tips on surviving moving day with your dog.

Keep Dogs Busy

Even though your dogs are crated in a separate room with the door closed, offer food filled Kongs several times throughout the day to give them something else to do. I keep squeezable stuffing near their crates so nothing gets lost in the moving shuffle, and I can easily refill Kongs, as dogs return to their crates.

Leash Your Dogs During Potty Breaks

Moving day is stressful so don’t forget to potty your dogs every few hours. Set a timer on your phone as a reminder. Keep dogs on leash, as your house is probably in shambles, and walk dogs in a quiet part of your yard. Walk them for 10 minutes, if possible. This provides plenty of time to stretch their legs plus observe movers walking around from afar.

Even if your dogs are friendly with movers, I usually ask movers to ignore our dogs. Having larger breed dogs, most movers scoot right out of the way when we come downstairs anyways. 🙂 If your dogs bark at movers, walk them farther away, so your dogs are comfortable pottying. Once done, bring them back to their secure room, reload food into Kongs and crate your dogs.

Sweep Floors

It’s so tempting to release the hounds once movers leave. I mean, the house is completely empty, right? I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. Always take a moment and make sure nails, tape and especially staples are removed before letting dogs romp through an empty house. Remember, your dogs can easily slip, as area rugs have been removed from tile or hardwood. Lastly, close bedroom doors to keep dogs from investigating, and, if needed, place a baby gate to block access.

Now, you can release the hounds!

Close the Bedroom Door

If you’re staying overnight in an empty house, as we have done many times, I highly recommend closing the bedroom door or crating your dogs before bedtime. Once movers have left, we sweep floors and set up our sleeping area by blowing up air mattresses and moving suitcases around. Then, we move crates next to our air mattresses and set up for the night. We try and keep our dogs feeding and potty schedule the same to minimize potty accidents and keep stress to a minimum.

Oh, your dogs will be tired. They’ve been quiet, but they’ve been listening to everything going on and probably slept a little. Still, expect some nervousness. It’s weird walking through an empty house, and I’m sure your dog feels the same way.

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Moving With Dogs: Relocating Out of State

April 30, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Relocating With Your Dog

Well we’re right smack in the middle of moving to another state and I’m literally writing this as packers are boxing up our belongings and loading them on a moving truck. I’d say hubby and I are professional movers with dogs, as we averaged eight moves within 11 years while hubby was in the military. We got this!

But moving with dogs can be a challenge, especially if this is your first time. Allow me to provide some tips as I listen to tape whistling and boxes shifting in the background. 🙂

4 Weeks Before Packing Day

Sort and separate dog toys, bowls, treats, chews, bedding and crates to bring along during your move. Check and update your pet first aid bag. If you haven’t done so, download a pet first aid app for your smartphone. Plus, you’ll need a copy of your dog’s vaccination records, especially proof of rabies, so bring your rabies certificate with you–a rabies tag is not enough proof in many states.

Now, plan and pack enough food and treats for seven to 10 days, if possible, so you’re not unpacking boxes in search of dog food. Personally, I pack my dogs heart worm medication, flea control, dog food, treats, chews and any prescriptions in a suitcase to reduce searching through boxes later.

2-3 Weeks Before Moving

Contact your vet to ensure all dogs are updated on vaccinations required per state regulations. Many states have different requirements, and it can become confusing as rabies regulations can change by county or parish. Do your research upfront and arrive prepared with proper paperwork, which is a must even if traveling to visit family and friends. To verify up-to-date rabies requirements, contact a veterinarian practicing in your state and county (or parish). He can easily guide you in the right direction.

1 Week Before Moving

Choose a quiet and safe room to crate your dogs, and locate a room far away from movers and the moving truck. Trust me, this is not the time to socialize your dogs. Your job is keeping your dogs stress-free so the rest of your move is seamless. I’ve witnessed dogs displaying confusion and sheer terror when crated near a main entrance or in the same room as movers boxing items. Dogs don’t know what’s going on and they can easily become reactive and stressed. Also, never leave dogs loose in your household while movers are coming in and out. Your dog can easily run right out the doorway or backyard gate so keep your dogs confined indoors.

Personally, we’ve chosen a bedroom located in the back of our home to set up our dogs’ crates with bedding and chew toys. Plus, we kept our packed suitcases and other items we chose to hand-carry during our move in the room next to our dogs. This makes sure movers don’t accidentally pack needed items. Also, I play soothing music to drown out loud talking movers and rustling or moving of boxes.

Dog Clicker Games: Advanced Clicker Training

April 29, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Advanced Clicker Training Game for Dogs

Once you’ve mastered beginner and intermediate clicker timing games, it’s time to focus on improving your timing when clicking small movements for complex behaviors. Yes, it’s time to push your clicker training skills even further.

Touch Your Arm (You’ll Need a Partner)

You’ll need a friend to help with this game. Ask your friend to touch your forearm with one finger. As her finger touches your arm, click. Basically, you’re teaching your friend “touch with one finger.”

Now, I’ve watched people try to cheat during this game, but they were actually learning to click too late. Instead of watching their partner’s finger, people have clicked once they felt the touch on their arm. Well, that’s clicking too late. If you click after “feeling” a touch, you’re probably clicking your friend for moving her finger away from your arm. Don’t believe me? Spin around and watch. 🙂

VIDEO: Improving Your Clicker Training Skills – Advanced Game

RELATED: Clicker Training for Dogs

Pause Button on DVR

By far, this is my favorite game to improve clicker timing! When watching TV, choose a specific behavior you want to “click” for, such as the below examples. Press your DVR pause button to freeze during a specific moment. Basically, you’re using the DVR pause button as a clicker. You’re clicking the pause button to capture a specific dog behavior.

Person drinking: Placing glass against her lips or setting glass down on counter.
Animal running: Pause when an animal’s four feet are off the ground (fully extended).
Person talking: Pause when mouth is open.

You can choose anything to pause (click) with a DVR–use your imagination! Shoot, you can even pause blinking, pausing when a person’s eyes are closed.

VIDEO: Using a DVR to Practice Your Clicker Timing

Intermediate Games for Improving Clicker Training Skills

April 28, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Clicker Training Games for Improving Skills

While perfect clicker timing seems natural to a few, it’s a struggle for most of us (me included). Sometimes I click a nanosecond after a behavior happens, especially with a fast moving dog, but my mistakes are mine to own. I always give a treat even when I click at the wrong time.

It’s important to improve your clicker training skills often and timing is an important one to sharpen before teaching your dog a new skill. Before starting a training session, warm up with a few practice games, such as these intermediate games.

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Clicker Games

Bouncing Ball

Oi, this game is tough. Bounce a tennis ball on a hard surface and click as the ball touches the ground. Seems easy–um, yeah right! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Want to make it harder? Bounce the tennis ball on a hard surface again and click when tennis ball reaches its highest point in between bounces. 🙂

Bending Finger

Instead of clicking a fully extended hand, you’ll click a fully extended index finger so you’ll need a partner for this game. Ask him to bend his index finger up and down. You’ll click for a fully extended index finger (finger pointed up). Trust me, there is a huge difference. A single finger is smaller and moves much quicker. 🙂

If you want to make it harder, ask your friend to move his finger quickly and move further away from you, or better yet place hand on ground and move index finger.

VIDEO: Intermediate Games for Improving Clicker Training

Clicker Training Game for Beginners

April 27, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Improve Your Clicker Training Skills

Dog Clicker Game

Practice does make perfect or pretty close to it. Using a clicker to teach your dog new skills is easy and super quick, but your clicker timing (yes, you :)) must be spot on. Now, mistakes happen. I’ve made them many times and you’ve probably noticed them on our videos, but mistakes are a valuable part of learning. To improve my clicker timing, I play a few games, which I’ll share with you. I recommend practicing these games before a dog training session–think of it as stretching before a run. 🙂

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Hand Game

Check out this easy game that improves your clicker timing. This is perfect for beginners! We play this game during class usually during week one of puppy or basic class, and repeat when needed.

In this video, you’ll click when I fully extend my hand. We’ll move slowly and then pick up speed so watch carefully. At home, you can practice with a friend.

VIDEO: Improving Your Clicker Training Skills – Beginner Game

Make the Game Harder

Once you get the hang of it, ask a friend to make it harder by moving her hand faster. Also, when playing the game, drop a treat into a cup every time you click. This makes it very realistic because you always give your dog a treat after clicking.

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