Dog Barks When People Approach Crate

April 10, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Dog Barking in Crate

This can be scary for both people and dogs. As with any dog behavior, the more it’s practiced, the stronger it becomes so let’s teach your dog that quiet behavior and guests bring goodies!

How to Keep a Dog Quiet in Her Crate

Provide a Food Stuffed Toy

Give your dog something else to do in her crate. Provide a food stuffed toy when someone arrives at your door. When the doorbell rings, which usually produces a barking explosion, give her a stuffed toy, then answer the door. By pairing a yummy treat with guests arriving, she’ll learn guests mean cream cheese stuffed toys!

Put Up Visual Barriers

If your dog is afraid of people, provide visual barriers along three sides of her crate. Blocking your dog’s view will usually stop barking. If dog barking in crate continues, try placing your dog’s crate in a room further away from the front door and living room, and play soft music to drown out voices. Don’t forget to give her a food stuffed toy to keep her busy.

Dogs bark for many reasons. Most are excited and others are nervous so determine the reasons why your dog barks. Check out this offensive aggression article for suggestions. If your dog is scared and she can’t get away, she’ll do what it takes to scare someone away.

Play the Toll Game

If your dog is overly excited when guests come over, play the toll game. Dogs can’t bark when eating treats–well 99 percent of them can’t. 🙂 So your dog learns to be quiet and anticipates your guests walking over and giving treats.

Give your guest a small bowl of tiny yummy treats.
Ask your guest to walk past your dog’s crate and toss a treat inside. Ask him to repeat three or four times.
Now, raise your criteria. Ask your guest to stand near your dog’s crate and toss a treat inside when your dog stops barking. Practice for one minute, then give your guest and dog a break. Pop into another room and enjoy your guest.
Before your guest leaves, ask him to pay the toll again. 🙂

If your dog becomes too excited and explodes into barking, ask your guest to leave the room. Once your dog is quiet again, your guest can pop in and give your dog a handful of treats. Don’t forget to practice with several different guests. I usually ask each guest to spend two or three minutes playing the toll game upon arrival.

You may also like: 4 Tips for Renting with Large Dogs

4 Tips for Renting with Large Dogs

April 8, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Renting with Large Dogs

We’ve been homeowners for years so when a new job opportunity popped up, we were faced with renting a home again. But wait, we have a Rottweiler and Bull Terrier. No one will rent to us, right? Oh, it was not easy, but we found the perfect home and I learned a ton!

Check Out Rental Websites

When looking for rental property, I scoured rental websites. My favorites were Zillow and HotPads, both of which have filters that drill down pet-approved rentals while zeroing in on specific mapped locations. Check daily. You never know what will pop up, and pet-friendly rental property goes fast!

Consider Renting a Home

Many renters share their homes with dogs, and with the soft housing market, it seems many property managers are opening their doors to pets. Using property rental websites, you can view a listed home’s buying, selling and rental history, which is interesting. It seems many rental homes were listed for sale at one time, then after a few months on the market, they were removed and listed for rent. Plus, who wouldn’t want a backyard, right?

Stay Away From Large Property Management Companies

Personally, I found large property management companies discriminating against specific breeds of dogs, such as Rottweilers and Bull Terriers, so I quickly crossed them off my list. One of the frustrating parts of searching for rental homes is about half of rental listings were managed by these folks. And we all know it’s not the breed; it’s the owners of the dog. (OK, I’m off my soapbox. Grr.)

Create Doggie Resumes

When searching for rental property, I stumbled upon this darling idea. Pet-friendly landlords want to know about your dogs so this quick attachment gives them a pretty good idea of your dogs. Take this moment to brag about your dog’s accomplishments, such as graduating puppy and basic manners classes. Once completed, save as a PDF file and forward to landlord before viewing a property. Add a color photo, keep it short and address your landlord’s concerns:

Is your dog up-to-date on vaccinations?
Does your dog bark excessively?
Will you confine your dog to his crate when left alone?
Is your dog potty trained?
Is your dog friendly around people? (Have they bitten or tried to bite someone?)
References (Vet, dog trainer, dog savvy friends, etc.).

Good luck and have patience. The right house will come around!

You may also like: My Dog is a Messy Eater

Feeding Multiple Dogs at Once

April 3, 2015 by Fanna Easter

How to Feed Multiple Dogs at Once

Keeping the Peace

Twenty percent of pet loving homes have more than one dog and, if you’re lucky, meals times are a breeze. To keep the peace or prevent resource guarding issues, follow these best practices. Also, these tips work great if your dog is dieting. They keep him from munching your other dog’s food!

Use Separate Bowls

Dogs should eat their meals from their own bowl. This prevents squabbles and ensures each dog is eating his food. Many times, when food bowl sharing happens, you’ll notice one dog becoming fluffy and the other looking thin so it’s important each dog has his measured food portion placed into his own bowl.

Add Canned Food or Yogurt

If this happens, simply pick up his bowl and place on counter or in refrigerator. If your dog is a picky or slow eater, try adding canned food or yogurt to his meal to encourage emptying his bowl completely.

Feed Dogs in Crates

For multiple dog households, this is an excellent best practice. For 24 years, my dogs have eaten in their crates or behind a gate. This prevents squabbling over food as well as bullying behavior (staring at the other dog until he moves away from his bowl), and I know if my dogs have eaten their meals. Dog obesity is on the rise, and I find dieters will go searching for any morsels they can find so keep your dog confined until all dogs have finished their meals.

RELATED: How to Stop Bullying Behavior

Store Cat Food Away From Your Dog

Dogs love cat food and they’ll invent clever antics to get to it. Place cat food in a high place, such as a washer or dryer. If your dog can still reach it, place a tall baby gate with a small cat door opening in your laundry room. Now, your cat can eat in peace.

You may also like: Preventing Dogs From Fence Fighting

How to Make Bath Time Fun for Dogs

April 1, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Getting Your Dog to Enjoy Baths

Weekly or monthly baths are necessary for dogs, especially pets with allergies or skin issues. Make baths fun for dogs so you both stop dreading the inevitable.

How to Make Bath Time Fun

Choose a Non-Slip Surface

It’s important for dogs to have traction when given a bath because slipping and sliding is downright scary. A suction-cupped bath mat works extremely well. Your dog won’t slip in water or shampoo plus the suction cups keep it firmly in place. Once your dog’s bath is done, pull up the mat and voila!

Don’t forget to provide a non-slip surface for your dog outside of the tub too. Many dogs shake excess water off and slip so let’s keep bath time safe and fun.

RELATED: How to Choose a Dog Ramp

Practice

Getting in and out of the tub or shower should be voluntary and fun for your dog. When getting dressed in the morning, randomly throw treats in the tub (on top of the bath mat). Trust me, your dog will find them. Allow him to navigate the slippery sides of the tub even if only his front feet touch down in the tub. You’re teaching tubs equal treats.

Over the next week or so, toss treats further back in the tub so your dog steps in and out. Again, don’t push or pull your dog. He should voluntarily walk into the tub and investigate.

When it’s bath time, throw a few treats in the tub and say “bath time.” If your dog has practiced several times, he will walk right in and eat the treats.

Smear Peanut Butter

Smear peanut butter or cream cheese alongside the tub or shower wall. Your dog will lick away while waiting for medicated shampoo to work its magic. You can use this trick if your dog is worried about running water or dislikes bath time. Once he licks off the peanut butter, add more until your dog’s bath is complete. This is also super simple to clean after your dog’s bath. Just spray a general cleaner and wipe. If your dog has a sensitive tummy, smear a canned version of his food along the tub wall.

More:
Insect Repellent Dog Shampoo
Deep Cleansing Shampoo for Dogs
Dog Whitening Shampoo for all Coat Colors
Does Aromatherapy Dog Shampoo Work?

Dog Nail Trims: How Much to Trim Off?

April 1, 2015 by Fanna Easter

Trimming Your Dog’s Nails

When trimming a dog’s nail, you want to trim the portion of nail without the quick. With frequent nail trims (twice weekly), nail quicks will recede, moving back toward your dog’s paws, as the quick doesn’t have to extend further to feed the nail.

White Dog Nails

With your dog standing next to you, take a peek at her nails. For white nails, you’ll notice a pink quick extending from your dog’s paw to about ¾ of the nail. The last ¼ of the nail is white and looks hollow. When viewing from the side or underneath, this is the part you’ll trim off.

VIDEO: Clipping Dog Nails – Trimming White Dog Nails

Dark-Colored Nails

Dark-colored nails can be a challenge so to view your dog’s nail quicks, flip over your dog’s paw and look at the nails from underneath. Look under one nail, you’ll notice gummy gray matter extending from your dog’s paw to about ¾ of the nail. This is the quick. The last ¼ of the nail will probably look hollow with no gummy gray matter present. This is the portion to trim off.

VIDEO: Clipping Dog Nails – Trimming Dark Nails

How to Trim Dog Nails

In the beginning, trim off the tip of your dog’s nail. As you gain confidence, you’ll place the clippers before the quick and trim off the hollow nail. When in doubt, slip the clippers away from the quick and trim. You can always go back and buff with a dremel or shape the nail with clippers.

When trimming a dog’s nail, do it quickly. Squeezing and then releasing the nail because you’re unsure causes pain.

Look at nail and find quick.
Place clippers.
Squeeze handles quickly.

VIDEO: How to Use Clippers to Trim Your Dog’s Nail

READ ALSO: Why Dogs Dislike Nail Trims