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How to Train a Bulldog to Be Polite

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Teaching Your Bulldog Polite Behaviors

How to Train a Bulldog
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Bulldogs are no different than any other dog when it comes to training. However, some dog training techniques or exercises may work better when considering a Bulldog’s personality traits. Bulldogs tend to be a little more unmotivated or stubborn in my opinion. When training your Bulldog, find what your Bulldog loves most. This will make all the difference in your positive reinforcement-based training. Let’s talk about some of the not-so-polite behaviors you may encounter with your Bulldog!

Common Impolite Bulldog Behaviors

Stubbornness

In my experience, I’ve encountered some stubborn Bulldogs, especially when training certain behaviors. However, I love a challenge, so I always welcome these Bulldogs with open arms. Plus, how can you not want to love on a Bulldog? In your everyday life, you may encounter your Bulldog’s stubborn behaviors, such as your dog ignoring obedience cues or not responding to you in general.

Lack of Maturity

You’ll usually witness a lack of maturity in puppies, but you may also see it in older Bulldogs. You’ll likely notice problem behaviors (chewing, mouthing, etc.), spurts of wild behaviors and inability to maintain focus.

How to Teach Your Bulldog Polite Behaviors

Good news, ladies and gentlemen! All of the above mentioned issues can easily be managed by using positive reinforcement based training. 

Remember, the key to training your Bulldog is to find out what motivates him whether it’s a chew toy, steak or squeak toys. Stubbornness doesn’t mean your dog is refusing to do a behavior; it just means he’s either confused or doesn’t really know what the cue means. When the latter happens, take a moment to refresh the cue you’re teaching your dog. I mean, seriously, sometimes we forget how to do things too. For lack of maturity issues, take a few steps back and give your dog plenty of items to chew on. If your Bulldog is still biting your hands, revisit mouthing techniques.

Good luck and kiss your Bulldog today! Yes, on the lips!

Gift of Giving: Donate to Local Dog Rescue Groups

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Ways to Help Local Dog Rescue Groups

Dog Rescue Groups
David Baileys/iStock

The holidays are the perfect time to donate to dog rescue groups in your area. Believe it or not, every dollar directly donated really does help these groups find forever homes for abandoned dogs in your neighborhood. While it’s totally appealing and easy to donate to huge rescue groups, your local dog rescue heroes are the most in need. 

Below, we provide you tips on finding and donating to local non-profit dog rescue organizations. It’s worth the extra 10 minutes of research. 🙂

Finding a Local Rescue Group

Your local dog rescue groups really need your support. These local groups completely rely on your donations and support. They don’t receive funds from larger rescue organizations, and most are unable to take in many dogs due to restricted cash flow. Yep, when you’re told a local rescue group is full, this means they don’t have enough money to take in a dog. So I beg you to find a group that could use your donation immediately. By donating locally, this makes more room for dogs found in your neighborhood. 

Finding local dog rescue groups is pretty easy. All you have to do is call your local pet supply retailer for the group’s contact information. You can also check out www.petfinder.com for a list in your area by punching in your zip code.

RELATED: Rescue Dogs Need Your Help

Purchase From Their Wish List

Once you’ve chosen a local dog rescue group, you can usually donate directly on their website. If donating a lump sum of cash feels kind of cold, browse their website for a wish list of items needed. Purchase dog food and beds, reimburse veterinary bills (this is a big one, as most stray dogs have never seen a vet), or buy toys.

If your local rescue doesn’t have a website, send an email or give them a call about donations. Don’t worry if you don’t hear back within a few days. These folks are volunteers, meaning they don’t generate huge salaries from donations. And honestly, these folks are probably chasing a stray dog near you, which is why they were unable to answer the phone or call you right back.

Sponsor a Dog in Need

By far, sponsoring a dog is my favorite way to donate to local rescue organizations. Most rescue groups post dogs currently in rescue, so reach out either by email or social media to ask what items are needed. By choosing to sponsor a specific dog, you can watch his journey in finding a forever home and even stay in touch with his forever pet owners. It’s so rewarding to watch a dog you helped get back on his feet and flourish.

RELATED: Adopting a Rescue Dog

Get Your Children Involved

The holidays is the perfect time to shift our focus to the real meaning of Christmas. It’s not about getting presents; it’s about giving to those in need. Take this special time and get your children involved in raising funds for local shelters by selling cookies, asking neighbors for old blankets (always needed in rescue), and setting up a dog food or bed drive.

Foster

If you’re lucky enough to have extra space in your home to nurture a stray dog back to health, please do so. For those living in apartments or already have a home full of pets, please donate funds instead.

Every little bit counts, so donate to a local dog rescue organization. They’re the heroes of your city and neighborhoods!

5 Thoughtful Christmas Gifts For Dog Lovers

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Gifts for Dog Lovers: Christmas Edition

Gifts for Dog Lovers
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We all have those people in our lives who are completely obsessed with dogs, and I’m usually that person within a group of friends. Every Christmas, my dear friends and family hunt for the perfect gift for dog lovers that will bring tears to my eyes as I rip open the wrapping paper. Personally, I appreciate dog-themed gifts chosen specially for me to wear or admire. If the dog lover in your life is anything like myself, she’d rather sport a darling T-shirt featuring a dog than a Chanel blouse any day!

Over the years, I’ve given and received the best dog lover gifts ever, which I’ll totally share with you! Hopefully, your friend beams with admiration when she unwraps your special gift because it warms the paw prints in her heart.

Hoodie & T-Shirt

A couple of months ago, I was fortunate enough to bump into a vendor selling darling hoodies and T-shirts with special messages about dogs. It was funny because draped across the front of one was my personal motto I had had for years, so I jumped at the chance to purchase “Dogs Are My Zen” hoodie and T-shirt from Dogs Is Good (DIG) Company. Their mission statement will make any dog lover cry good tears. Plus, they offer clothing gift options for men too!

Trust me, these DIG hoodies and T-shirts are far from frumpy looking. They’re fitted just in the right place and very slimming on plus-sized women too (which is incredibility hard to find!). Oh, and the material is so soft and dreamy plus the color choices are amazing. I purchased a large gray “zen” hoodie and medium blue “zen” T-shirt, both of which fit perfectly and were true to size. And yes, I purchased these gifts for the dog lovers in my life. 🙂

Prices: $23.99-$51.99

Jewelry

As a dog lover, you can never have enough paw print or bone-shaped earrings. Since I work with dogs, I prefer stud earrings, as ones that dangle can easily get caught in fur or become a distraction. However, you can choose earrings based on your friend’s personal style from a huge assortment of paw print earrings at Etsy. The best part is you never have to worry about purchasing the right size because earrings always fit. 🙂

Prices: $10-$75

Mugs

Everyone needs glassware and stylish dog-themed mugs make great gifts for dog lovers. You can certainly choose novelty mugs with humorous sayings, but personally, I adore fashionable dog-themed mugs I can use every day. Want to take it a step further? Borrow a photo of your friend’s cherished dog and create a personalized mug at Zazzle.com. You’ll certainly warm his or her heart forever. When purchasing mugs, I recommend buying a set of two, so they can share with a friend while sipping their warm beverage.

Prices: $2-$10 per mug.

Artwork

Want to make a dog lover cry? Frame her favorite dog picture or, better yet, commission it to an artist for a one-of-a-kind art piece. If you want to keep it a surprise, dig around your friend’s social media page to locate the perfect photo, save it and memorialize it. About 15 years ago, I lost my first Rottweiler a couple of months before Christmas and my mother memorialized him in a bronze statue. To this day, I still cry when I think about opening her thoughtful gift. His statue is still on my mantle.

Enlarging and framing a picture is inexpensive now, especially if you increase the size using the local pharmacy kiosk (located in the photo sections). From there, you can pick up a frame according to your chosen size.

If you’re going the artwork route, my favorite artists are Rachel Victoria and Art Paw by Rebecca Collins. They do beautiful work. If you’re crafty, try layering different filters over a photo for a beautiful effect in Photoshop. If crafting is not your thing, download the Portrait Painter app and create breathtaking images. It’s super simple!

Prices:

  • Enlarging and framing pictures: $50-$150
  • Artwork: $100-$250
  • Portrait Painter app: $15 (worth every penny)

Donate to Their Local Rescue Group

For some reason, we forget this option. However, it’s every bit as meaningful to help dogs in need, especially during the holidays. Make a donation to a local rescue group or sponsor a dog in need in your friend’s name. Print and frame the donation along with a picture and bio of her sponsored dog, then gift wrap and place under the tree. Expect tears. 🙂

Price: Invaluable

Happy Holidays and don’t forget to hug your dogs!

5 Fun Stocking Stuffers For Your Dog

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Stocking Stuffer Ideas For Dogs

Stocking Stuffers for Dogs

Stash a few fun and interactive toys in your dog’s Christmas stocking this year. Our dogs rely on us for entertainment; they don’t have TVs, laptops or phones. It’s up to us to keep them mentally fulfilled daily. All five stocking stuffers below will keep your dog busy for hours. Plus, a few can be fun games that can be played anywhere anytime.

During the peak of the holiday season, aim to play with or provide a food stuffed toy to your dog at least twice a day. This will keep your dog happily fulfilled, as you chat away with Aunt Edna over Christmas yams.

Pickle Pocket Toy

It’s lime green, flexible, easily washable, and it has crevices for hiding food. What more could you ask for in a stocking stuffer, right? The Pickle Pocket toy is perfect for dogs that are super skilled at removing food from toys. This dog toy takes lots of patience and persistence; that’s for sure.

Smear peanut butter, cream cheese or yogurt into each crevice and freeze overnight. Your dog will have to dig in the toy for hours. Make it harder by stuffing hard treats deep into the crevice pockets; your dog has to work really hard to loosen those treats. As a rule, the Pickle Pocket seems to be easier for smaller dogs and a bit challenging for larger dogs. If it’s too complicated and your pooch gives up, bring out the Kong toy.

Tug Toy on a String

Tug toys on a string are much more fun than a regular tug toy and they’re totally portable! This dog toy has a plush squeaky toy at the end of a long rope, which you fling around the yard (or living room), as your dog stalks, bounces and chases it. Think of it as fly fishing; you bounce the line around, mimicking a running squirrel, while your dog has a blast.

While playing with tug toys on a string, keep the plush toy ground level. This prevents dogs from springing up and injuring themselves. You’ll be shocked how quickly this wears your dog out, so keep sessions under 10 minutes. If your dog catches the toy, but refuses to give it back, check out this video demo for tips.

WATCH: Teach Your Dog The Tug Game

Bubbles

So often, I simply forget dogs love to chase bubbles. Choose bubbles specially made for dogs, as many toy store options contain toxic chemicals. Some bubbles are even peanut butter scented, so make sure to give those a try.

To get started, blow a few bubbles at your dog’s level (shoulder height) so she can see them floating past her. Many times, dogs don’t really know to look up, so blowing bubbles over their heads is useless. Once your dog is focused on the bubbles, start blowing them higher.

RELATED: Under $20 Dog Gift Ideas

Bully Stick Chew

For the most part, bully sticks are easier to digest. When giving your dog a bully stick, make sure it’s big enough for her to chew and not swallow whole. This stocking stuffer needs supervision, so make sure you’re watching your dog when she enjoys her chew toy. During the holidays, once festivities have slowed down, I’ll bring my dog into the family gathering to chew her bully stick. As I’m chatting away, I’ll hold one end of the bully stick, so my dog can happily chew the other end. This way, I’m able to keep my dog entertained while I chat with family.

Please don’t give your dog rawhide even if it’s candy cane-shaped or red-and-green-colored. Rawhide is downright dangerous, as it’s one of the main causes of intestinal obstructions. Don’t believe me? Ask your vet. 🙂

Good Ol’ Tennis Ball

The tennis ball is a tried-and-true toy of the ages, which makes it the perfect stocking stuffer. Most dogs will lose their biscuits for a quick game of toss. If your dog is mad about playing ball, the holidays are a perfect time to replenish your supply. For most dogs, tennis balls are usually the most loved. Just make sure to supervise your dog around tennis balls, as these objects can be easily chewed and swallowed.

Happy Holidays! Don’t forget to hug your dogs!

How to Teach Your Golden Retriever Polite Behaviors

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Training Golden Retrievers Polite Behaviors

Training Golden Retrievers
Bigandt_Photography/iStock

Golden Retrievers are one of my favorite dogs to work with. They’re outgoing, driven, and usually pretty food and toy motivated. Over the years, I’ve worked with a number of Golden Retrievers, but unfortunately, I’ve never had the pleasure of sharing my home with one. Working with them on a regular basis has given me great insight into their common characteristics and behaviors. Hopefully, that can help you live more comfortably with your Golden Retriever.

Not-So-Polite Golden Retriever Behaviors

All dog breeds have their quirks and differences just like people. Becoming familiar with what is considered normal breed behavior will help you tailor their behavior to your lifestyle. With Golden Retrievers, you may deal with a lot of mouthy behaviors, such as always picking up unacceptable items or mouthing your hands while playing, petting or greeting. Let’s talk about how to make some of these Golden Retriever behaviors a little more manageable.

Always remember: with any unwanted behavior, you want to provide your dog with an acceptable behavior.

Mouthing (Putting Mouth on Your Hands)

In this case, we want to provide your Golden Retriever with proper chew toys and retrieval items, such as Kongs, Nylabones and retrieval toys for play. To help prevent your dog from mouthing you during playtime, only interact with him with his toys. This way, when your dog mouths you during petting, you can redirect his attention with your hand that contains the food treat while you pet with your other hand.

Sometimes, Goldens can become fascinated with mouthing unacceptable items. However, we can help them make the right choice by making the unacceptable item less intriguing. You do this by using a chewing deterrent on the unacceptable items, which may be your keys, remote controls or shoes. Be sure to follow the directions on the bottle. Most of the deterrents are water-based, so you most likely need to reapply every couple of days.

Now that you’re providing your dog with the appropriate chew toys and deterring them from the unacceptable items, make sure you praise all correct behavior to increase the likeliness of your dog repeating it.

Excitable Greetings (Jumping Up)

Excitable greetings are nice to come home to because you can tell how happy your dog is to see you, but on the other end of the leash it’s not so nice of a behavior when you’re carrying groceries or you have a guest coming over.

Again, teaching an alternate behavior is the best place to start; in this case, it’s the “sit” behavior. Start in a low distraction area. Use a high value food reward to lure your dog into the behavior and reward once he successfully sits. Gradually fade the lure after many dog training sessions and begin asking for the behavior in lieu of the jumping.

Another great tool you can use to gain more control of your dog during walks is the head collar or front clip harness. These dog products help you redirect your dog on walks and allow you to ask for the known “sit” behavior instead of him jumping on people.

All dogs have their own personalities and characteristics. It’s all about figuring out how to live more harmoniously with your specific dog breed and enjoying all the great things about him. Using a little bit of training and management will most certainly help facilitate polite behavior.

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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