Dog Shredding Paper Tips That Will Save Your Paper

October 7, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Stop Your Dog From Shredding Paper

Dogs love to shred paper. No one knows exactly why, but dogs just love it. Now, some dogs enjoy paper shredding more than others, and certain dogs enjoy swallowing paper once they’ve shredded it. When it comes to paper products, each dog has his or her preference. 🙂 Some dogs enjoy shredding and chewing tissue paper while other dogs enjoy anything made of paper. Regardless of your dog’s preferred paper product to shred, here are a few tips to stop your dog from shredding paper.

How to Prevent Your Dog From Shredding Paper

This dog training tip works best! If your dog has turned into a paper shredder, it’s best to keep paper products away from your dog. Keep extra rolls of toilet paper behind cabinet doors and place tissue boxes out of reach from your dog. If your dog shreds your mail, it’s best to keep mail on kitchen countertops or your desk.

Sometimes, dogs will raid your trash can too, so I recommend purchasing a heavy-lidded trash can. Now, if your dog is stealing paper from countertops or your desk (I know several dogs that are really good at this), I recommend placing paper products behind pantry cabinets or placing mail inside a lidded box.

Prevention doesn’t mean you’re ignoring your dog’s paper addiction. Prevention actually changes your dog’s behavior. When dogs are unable to practice a behavior (e.g. paper shredding or stealing), the behavior will go away. If your dog doesn’t have paper to shred, he’ll stop shredding paper.

Why Do Dogs Shred Paper?

Paper shredding behavior usually suggests a bored dog. I suggest providing different forms of daily mental enrichment, such as providing your dog with frozen food stuffed toys or puzzles. If your dog steals and shreds paper when you’re not home, it’s best to always crate your dog with a super yummy food stuffed toy. Prevention and mental enrichment are key.

How to Train Your Dog to Stop Shredding Paper

It’s going to happen; don’t worry. If you see or hear your dog shredding paper, here’s what you should do. Grab bits of cheese or lunch meat, and ask your dog to “trade.” Don’t chase your dog; just stand still and offer food from your hand. It may take a few seconds, but let your dog think through the situation.

The moment your dog walks toward the offered treat, toss the food in the opposite direction of the paper. As your dog goes for the thrown treat, grab the paper and discard it in a heavy lidded trash can.

Teaching your dog to “trade” is an invaluable skill. You never know what your dog will pick up and try to swallow. “Trade” isn’t bribery. You’re teaching your dog to drop something. After practicing the “trade” behavior several times, your dog will learn that “trade” means “drop whatever you have and get your reward for dropping it.”

What Doesn’t Work

Chasing your dog for shredding paper doesn’t work. It just becomes a fun game for your dog. Punishment doesn’t work either. If you yell or physically punish your dog for chewing or shredding paper, your dog will learn to shred and swallow toilet paper quietly in another room or when you’re not home.

Prevention and the “trade” game work wonders—even for the best paper shredding dogs in the world!

Leather Furniture And Dogs: How To Protect Your Furniture

October 5, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Make Leather Furniture and Dogs Work

If you share your home with dogs, you’ve likely searched for and purchased dog-friendly furniture. Like most dog owners, we purchased leather chairs and sofas because they’re easy to clean and puncture-resistant. After a few months though, our leather furniture looked beat up, and I soon learned leather isn’t indestructible. Vinyl and leather furniture options are certainly dog-friendly, but you have to take good care of them for maximum benefits.

Leather Furniture Care

Use a Quality Leather Cleaner

Every 2-3 months, your leather furniture needs a thorough cleaning with a good quality leather cleaner. Leather is tough, but temperamental, so I suggest only using gentle leather cleaners. Everyday household cleaners, vinegar, baking soda and water are simply too harsh and can harm leather. Remember, leather is cow skin that’s been tanned and dyed, so harsh chemicals can cause discoloration and dryness.

Gentle leather cleaners will remove stains, slobber and grime, and the before-and-after difference is amazing. Before using leather cleaners, it’s best to vacuum your furniture to remove any dog hair first. Then, spray leather cleaner on a soft white towel and massage the cleaner onto your leather furniture. Over the years, I’ve found small circular motions work best.

Don’t forget to clean all cushion sides and the back of your furniture. I’ve used cleaning products made especially for leather sofas in the past, however, these products either left a sticky residue or streak marks behind. We’ve used Meguiar’s Gold Class Leather & Vinyl Cleaner for years. I swear it’s magic.

Condition Leather Furniture Regularly

After cleaning your leather furniture with a gentle leather cleaner, it’s time to moisturize. If leather is allowed to dry out, it will crack, flake, discolor and become susceptible to punctures. All leather furniture needs to be conditioned every 2-3 months, especially if your furniture sits in direct sunlight, gets regular use or is located in a dry climate.

For years, we’ve used Meguiar’s Gold Class Leather Conditioner and it works wonders! Honestly, it restores leather furniture back to its original condition; I’m shocked every time. We’ve tried leather cleaning and conditioning combos in the past, and they just didn’t condition leather thoroughly. Plus, they wouldn’t last as long. If I’m doing all of this work, it must last. 🙂

Using a clean soft white cloth, pour a tiny amount of leather conditioner on the cloth and start massaging onto the leather. Use small circular strokes, and don’t forget to condition the outer sides, sides of cushions and back of leather furniture. Now, stand back and admire your work. Your leather furniture will look and feel brand new.

UP NEXT: Protect Your Car Interior From Your Dog

Why Montreal’s City-Wide Pit Bull Ban Isn’t The Answer

October 3, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Pit Bull Bans: Why Montreal is Wrong

The City of Montreal passed a Pit Bull ban on Tuesday, September 27. New ownership of Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes are now banned from the city as of Monday, October 3. Previous pet owners of Pit Bulls or Pit Bull-type breeds are obligated to follow strict new laws.

Those laws require Pit Bull owners to:

Pay $150 for special permitting
Complete a criminal background check
Sterilize, microchip and vaccinate their dogs
Keep their dogs muzzled and leashed in public

If you’re not outraged yet, it gets worse. Montreal has mandated all Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes currently in rescue or animal control to be euthanized.

Yes, you read that right. Montreal just wrote a death sentence for innocent dogs, and this death sentence is based on complete ignorance. This new and absurd Pit Bull ban goes into effect today, and I’m livid about it.

I’m angry, and you should be too.

History of Breed-Specific Legislation

Over the last decade, American Pit Bull Terriers have been the target of completely biased discrimination. It started across the pond in Europe where the country began banning certain breeds to reduce dog bite incidents. The idea of banning what they considered were dangerous dog breeds trickled worldwide.

Not only were thousands of innocent dogs killed due to breed-specific legislation, but many families were also forced into expensive legal battles to keep their dogs. Unfortunately, many pet owners lost the legal fight and their furry family members had to pay the ultimate price.

When dog breed banning was introduced to the US, it had a domino effect. Banning certain breeds of dogs spread through cities and states like wildfire. Interestingly, breed banning picked up momentum when mainstream media discovered a huge bump in ratings while covering Pit Bull maulings. The media used this to their advantage and began reporting on Pit Bull incidents.

Within weeks, US media broadcasted anything related to Pit Bulls, continuing to paint Pit Bulls as dangerous dogs. When Pit Bull bites decreased, media then shifted their focus to mixed breed dogs that resembled Pit Bulls. Eventually, the media would cover other dog breeds and make them look vicious too.

RELATED: Training Pit Bulls

What is Considered a Dangerous Dog

Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly dangerous dogs in the world, but that’s based on behavior and not appearance. As a professional dog trainer, I’ve met scary dogs of all sizes and shapes. I knew these dogs could certainly do some damage if provoked. Sure, large dog bites will hurt more than bites from smaller dogs, but does that constitute banning all large dog breeds? American Pit Bull Terriers are actually smaller than Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers, yet they’re the most popular dog breeds.

Pit Bulls Don’t Have More Powerful Bites

Pit Bull dogs don’t have a higher pressure per square inch (PSI) bite compared to other dogs nor do they have a “locking jaw.” Both of these ridiculous allegations are Pit Bull myths. Dr. Lehr Brisbin of the University of Georgia states: “The few studies which have been conducted of the structure of the skulls, mandibles and teeth of Pit Bulls show that, in proportion to their size, their jaw structure and thus its inferred functional morphology, is no different than that of any breed of dog.” (American Pit Bull Foundation, n.d.)

Pit Bulls Aren’t the Only Breed That Gets Banned

When breed-specific legislation became common practice, cities and countries quickly added additional breeds to their dog ban list. Within days, dog breed banning lists included Rottweilers, Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Dalmatians, Shari Peis, Bulldogs, German Shepherd Dogs, Dobermans, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, any type of Mastiff dogs and Chow Chows. Toso Inus, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasilerios were also added to breed bans worldwide despite being rare dog breeds. Are cities, states and countries jumping on the breed banning bandwagon? It sure seems so!

Mixed breeds are targets too. If a dog is mixed with any of the above-mentioned breeds, they’re subjected to dog ban laws as well. I’m not sure how those laws work because identifying Pit Bull mixes isn’t that easy. I’ve trained dogs for more than 23 years, and I can’t identify Pit Bull mixes. Plus, who am I to judge a dog’s fate by his appearance? Montreal passed a Pit Bull breed ban after a “Pit Bull” had killed a woman. The part that confuses me is the dog wasn’t even a Pit Bull. DNA results proved otherwise!

Why Breed Banning Doesn’t Work!

Laws are meant to keep everyone safe, including dogs. When breed-specific legislation spread across the world, something interesting happened. Studies found that banning certain breeds of dogs doesn’t work. Banning dog breeds doesn’t stop or decrease dog bites. Data shows dog bites continue to rise in areas where certain breeds of dogs are banned.

When city officials picked up on this data, many overturned Pit Bull bans. Entire countries even lifted their breed bans. Armed with this data, I don’t understand how the City of Montreal legally passed its new Pit Bull ban law when data clearly shows banning dog breeds doesn’t work.

Moreover, a task force found that the public’s safety hadn’t improved as a result of a Pit Bull ban. The county had spent more than $250,000 per year to round up and destroy banned dogs, yet safety levels remained the same (American Bar Association, 2009).

When researching credible dog bite data online, question the motive of certain organizations that cherry-pick data. Choose reputable sources with actual experts, such as the American Bar Association, CDC, ASPCA, HSUS and American Veterinary Medical Association.

What You Can Do to Save Innocent Dogs

“Doing nothing basically means you agree with the current situation.” This quote haunts me every time I stumble across an injustice. We need to do something and we need to do it now. When we work together, we can move mountains!

We can still overturn this Pit Bull law. Canadian veterinarians, Montreal SPCA, American Bar Association, outraged pet owners and ordinary people are voicing their opinions about this new law. Contact city officials or sign a petition here. If you’re a writer or blogger, please share your thoughts on Montreal’s horrible decision.

Dogs don’t have a voice, but we do. Please speak for all dogs today.

7 Tips On Being A Responsible Dog Owner

September 28, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Responsible Dog Ownership Tips

All dogs and puppies need a responsible pet owner. Responsible dog ownership goes beyond meeting your dog’s primary needs, such as fresh water, high quality food and climate-controlled shelter. Responsible dog owners need to meet their dogs’ emotional needs and keep their dogs safe and healthy too.

1. Meet Your Dog’s Emotional Needs

Dogs need more than water, food and shelter. They also need comfort, mental enrichment, kindness and compassion. It’s so important to connect with your dog daily. You can do this by taking a walk around the block, playing fetch in the yard, petting or simply talking to your dog.

When your dog is left home alone, it’s important to provide plenty of mental enrichment. Fill interactive dog toys with food, hide treats behind furniture or scatter your dog’s kibble on the floor. These simple steps will keep your dog mentally fulfilled even while you’re away.

2. Prioritize Regular Veterinary Care

Dogs are stoic, meaning it’s difficult to immediately notice that something is physically or mentally wrong with them. Even if your dog is rarely sick, you should bring your dog in for annual veterinary check-ups. During these check-ups, your veterinarian will carefully examine your dog, perform blood work and make recommendations if needed. When in doubt, have your vet check it out.

3. Keep Your Dog Leashed

Leashes are your dog’s safety lines. Dogs don’t understand that moving cars are deadly or wandering off is unsafe. Leashes keep our dogs safely with us. They prevent dogs from running off and unintentionally scaring or hurting other dogs, people or livestock.

4. Pick Up After Your Dog

No one likes stepping in dog poop. 🙂 Plus, dog poop spreads disease and intestinal parasites as well as attracts flies. Please pick up after your dog and properly dispose of your dog’s fecal matter. This responsible dog ownership tip even applies when you’re in your own backyard.

5. Train Your Dog

Just like human children, puppies and dogs need to learn polite manners. Enroll your puppy or dog into a group dog training class with a positive reinforcement dog trainer. Your puppy or dog will learn how to behave politely around other dogs and people. Plus, attending weekly group training classes will certainly meet your dog’s mental and emotional needs too. 🙂

6. Groom Your Dog

Regular dog grooming keeps your dog’s skin and coat healthy, and it provides a positive bonding opportunity between you and your dog. Remember, dogs are stoic. Responsible dog owners are more likely to notice lumps, bumps, swelling or painful areas during a grooming session. Brush your dog weekly and bathe your dog as needed. That could be weekly or monthly, depending on your dog’s coat needs.

7. Microchip Your Dog

Take 10 minutes and permanently ensure your dog can be safely returned to you if she should get lost. Collars with ID tags are great, but they can fall off or someone can take them off. It takes 5 minutes to microchip your dog and another 5 minutes to register the microchip with your contact information. Do it. It’s worth it.

Simple Solution To Stop Your Dog From Getting Into Your Trash

September 23, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Stop Your Dog From Getting Into Your Trash

It will eventually happen—your dog will attempt to or actually raid your trash can. While it’s annoying and gross, it makes total sense from your dog’s perspective. It’s a buffet in there! Unfortunately, dogs don’t understand that eating trash can make them really sick. Check out these foolproof and easy tips to stop your dog from getting into your trash.

Purchase a Trash Can With a Heavy Lid

You can certainly spend hours teaching your dog to leave a trash can alone, or you can purchase a trash can with a heavy lid. Honestly, purchasing a lidded trash can is a quick and extremely effective solution. It’s not fancy, but it stops your dog from getting into your trash!

A Little Story About Management

Let me tell you a little story about managing a dog’s environment. Years ago, I arrived at a client’s home for a private lesson. Before I was hired, this client spent thousands of dollars trying to teach his yellow Lab not to chew remote controls, yet it continued to happen. During our first consultation, I sat quietly for 30 minutes while my client explained that nothing was working. Clearly, this client was upset and his poor Lab was totally confused.

Finally, my client asked, “How would you fix my dog?” This was my cue to chime in. I politely and delicately suggested placing all remote controls inside a lidded box and keeping the box on the coffee table.

There was a long pause, and I held my breath. Did I offend my client? He sat down and began to laugh. After another long pause, he said, “Wow, I never thought of that. That would work.” Whew, and from then on, all remote controls were safe and my client’s yellow Lab lived a very happy life. Plus, the issue was solved within an hour!

Choosing a Lidded Trash Can

This is the most important step. I recommend purchasing a trash can with a heavy lid. You can tell when a lid is heavy when there’s a clanging sound upon the closing of the lid. Not all trash can lids are the same. It’s best to choose a smooth-edged heavy lidded trash can. That way the trash can is securely sealed. Even a tiny lip can easily be opened by your dog’s nose.

Put the Trash Can in a Cabinet

Dogs are super smart. When dogs practice a behavior for a long time, they get really good at it. If your dog has learned how to lift a heavy trash can lid, knock it over to open it or bump it just right, then try this tip.

Place your trash can behind a bathroom or kitchen cabinet. If your dog knows how to open your kitchen cabinet, place child locks or straps to ensure cabinet doors remain closed. Now, I’ve only seen this happen a couple of times, and both times these dogs were completely bored and left alone all day.

Will This Really Stop My Dog?

Yes, using a heavy lidded trash can really does stop your dog from getting into your trash. Rarely am I able to make suggestions that work this quickly. By taking these preventative measures, your dog will stop getting into your trash can. Imagine if your ice maker stops producing ice. You’ll keep trying to get ice from it until you learn it’s no longer working. And if you decide not to fix your ice maker, you learn to adapt your life around it. 🙂 It’s that simple!

Dog Shredding Paper Tips That Will Save Your Paper

How to Stop Your Dog From Shredding Paper

How to Prevent Your Dog From Shredding Paper

Why Do Dogs Shred Paper?