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

January 25, 2018 by Fanna Easter

Dog Gadgets to Entertain Your Dog

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.

How To Keep A Dog Still During Exams

November 22, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Tip for Keeping a Dog Still During Exams

Keep A Dog Still — eldadcarin/Adobe Stock

Dogs wiggle and wag; it’s part of being a dog. Those wiggles can make veterinary examinations challenging though, especially during eye exams, ear checks and temperature checks. Next time you bring your dog to the vet, try this easy trick to keep your dog still and happily busy while your veterinarian does her magic.

Food Stuffed Kong & Tire Toy

It sounds like a crazy combination, but it works wonders. 🙂 Simply place the food filled Kong inside the tire toy and voila! The tire toy will hold the Kong in place, and at the right angle, so your dog can happily lick away while your vet examines him. Plus, your veterinarian or vet tech can move the toy around the exam table as needed.

Filling Kongs

Stuff a large Kong toy with delicious food, such as cream cheese, squeeze cheese, peanut butter, canned dog food, honey or anything else your dog absolutely adores. It’s important to completely fill up the Kong toy with food to make it last during the vet exam.

The night before your dog’s vet visit, fill 1-2 Kongs and refrigerate. Before your dog’s visit, place both food filled toys inside a plastic zip bag, grab the tire toy and a few yummy treats to reward good behavior (not the scale).

Kong Tire Toy

The Kong Company sells a tire toy that works perfectly as a Kong holder. Simply place a large food stuffed Kong inside the tire toy, and offer it to your dog. For smaller dogs, medium Kongs work well too, but they’re held at a lower angle. If the tire toy moves a bit, while your dog is licking it, place it on a towel or rubber mat.

Why Use Food During Vet Visits?

Let’s face it, no one enjoys bringing their dog to the veterinary clinic. Dogs stress out, so pet owners learn to dread vet visits too. When pairing good things with something scary, dogs learn that good things happen around scary things. Think about it this way: If $100 bills rained from the sky during blood draws, we would all line up to give blood. Once your dog learns that fun things happen during veterinary visits, he’ll be excited to walk through the door and veterinary visits become stress-free.

WATCH: Tip For Keeping A Dog Still During Exams

Tug Toy Safety Tips For Your Dogs

November 15, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Playing With Dog Tug Toys Safely

Dogs loves to play tug. It’s a fast moving game that’s extremely stimulating. This dog game is physically exhausting for dogs and pet owners, so it’s best to follow a few tug toy safety tips to keep everyone safe. Grab your dog’s favorite tug toy and start tugging!

Never Pick Up Your Dog During Tug

When a dog is tugging on a toy, never pick her up off the ground. This tug maneuver wreaks havoc on a dog’s neck, shoulders and teeth, and it can cause permanent damage. Make sure every family member and your friends understand that dogs must keep all four feet on the ground to continue playing tug.

Placement of Dog Tug Toy Matters

Placement of your dog’s tug toy, during a game of tug, matters. While attending a dog training conference, Dr. Christine Zink DVM recommended holding tug toys to work different muscle groups.

For example, she recommends holding a tug toy level with your dog’s shoulders to work her rear end. When dogs are using their rear muscles to pull, you can see their behind and back doing most of the pulling work.

To work your dog’s shoulders and neck, hold a tug toy above her head. When dogs pull downward, their neck and shoulders are getting a workout. If your dog has previous neck or back injuries, use this information to adjust tug playing placement. Of course, if your dog has an injury, ask your veterinarian if your dog is able to play tug first because this game is a workout.

Dog Tug Toy Rules

As with everything, there’s a set of rules pet owners and dogs must follow to keep everyone safe. If, and when, your dog chokes up on the tug toy (i.e. grabs the toy closer to your hand), let go of the toy and end the session.

Playing tug with your dog has nothing to do with dominance; it’s just a game. Dogs learn quickly that tug is only fun when pet owners are pulling on the opposite end. If your dog refuses to let go of the tug toy, just drop your end and walk away. Also, it’s normal for dogs to growl while playing tug. It’s fun! If, at anytime, you become uncomfortable, just drop the toy to end the session.

WATCH: Teach Your Dog The Tug Game

DIY Cavaletti Course For Dogs

November 3, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Building a Dog Cavaletti Course at Home

Build Dog Cavaletti — taniasv/Adobe Stock

Cavaletti is a fun exercise that teaches dogs to walk over poles at various heights or across different surfaces. Most pet owners have watched horses complete cavaletti courses with some obstacles featuring fallen logs or low jumps.

Cavaletti is an excellent way to improve your dog’s balance, help him rebuild muscle after surgery, lengthen his stride for the show ring and regain range of motion after an injury. Plus, cavaletti courses are a great form of exercise that also builds confidence in dogs.

With your veterinarian’s permission, have your dog practice cavaletti for 10 minutes a day. Below are tips for building a dog cavaletti course at home.

DIY Cavaletti Equipment Ideas

With a bit of imagination and a non-skid surface, you could create a DIY cavaletti set from things lying around your home.

Use broomsticks or mop handles as cavaletti poles, and place horizontally on the ground.
Place 2×4 boards about 2-3 feet apart with the flat part (widest part) on the ground.
For small dogs, place a ladder horizontally flat on the ground.
If you have a large dog, create a ladder out of 1-inch PVC pipes.
Use large fallen branches as poles. Place 2-3 feet apart in your backyard.
To increase the height, place broomstick ends inside holes of a laundry basket.

Purchasing Cavaletti Sets Online

If you’re not crafty, and would rather purchase a cavaletti set, there are several options online. By far, the most popular cavaletti set is made by FitPaws and costs $60. FitPaws offers a set of 3 poles and 6 cones with several height adjustment levels. There are other brands available, but they don’t offer the adjustability that FitPaws offers with their cavaletti set. Plus, FitPaws’ equipment is yellow, blue and green, which are colors easily seen by dogs. With moderate use, this cavaletti set will last years.

A Few Cavaletti Tips

Slow controlled movements are best. Set up your cavaletti set on a non-skid surface, such as grass, rug or rubber. If it’s too warm outside, practice indoors on a thick rug. Remember to lure your dog over each pole slowly. If your dog jumps or hops over any pole, you’re moving the lure too quickly. For dogs that leap in the air around treats, practice loose leash walking across the bars.

Show us pictures of your DIY cavaletti course! Post below. 🙂

WATCH: DIY Cavaletti Equipment Ideas For Dogs

How To Teach Your Dog Cavaletti

November 1, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Cavaletti for Dogs

Cavaletti training teaches dogs to walk over poles and different surfaces placed on the ground. It is a form of exercise that focuses on slow controlled movements. As a dog approaches and steps over each pole, she must lift up each leg carefully to prevent stepping on or bumping the pole. While this seems easy, it’s really challenging, especially when dogs have altered their gait due to injury.

Benefits of Cavaletti for Dogs

During a cavaletti exercise, dogs relearn how to maintain their balance as they carefully place one paw down over a pole while raising their other paw up. Cavaletti increases a dog’s range of motion and teaches her to put equal amount of weight on each limb.

Cavaletti courses are fun exercises for all dogs even for those without injuries. It’s a great way to build a dog’s confidence, lengthen her stride, and keep her fit both mentally and physically. Plus, you can place cavaletti equipment anywhere.

How to Set Up a Cavaletti Course

On a non-skid surface, place cavaletti poles horizontally and flat on the ground. For large dogs, place poles 3 feet apart and, for smaller dogs, 1-2 feet apart.

Lure your dog over each pole slowly with a yummy treat. If your dog hops or jumps over the poles, you’re moving too quickly. Sometimes, dogs get a bit nervous when poles roll around under their feet, so secure them by stepping on a pole as your dog crosses over it. Bumping and tapping poles are normal at first. After some practice, your dog will precisely pick up and place her feet between each pole! If your dog becomes super excited around treats, practice loose leash walking across poles first. Remember, slow controlled movements are key.

Making It More Difficult

Slow controlled movement builds muscle and teaches dogs how to balance around obstacles. Once your dog learns to carefully step over each pole, move the poles closer together. Now, she will have to step over several poles at one time, which is extremely challenging, so move slowly. For larger dogs, slightly increase the height of poles, so they must pick up each leg.

Has your dog tried cavaletti yet? Post your pictures below!