Finding a Good Dog Groomer in 4 Steps

March 14, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Find a Wonderful Dog Groomer

Choosing a dog groomer with gentle hands who can trim an amazing doggy haircut is very difficult. Start your search before your dog needs to be groomed, as it can easily take a couple of weeks of research plus an additional couple of weeks for an available appointment. There’s a reason wonderful dog groomers are booked. They are worth the wait!

1. Ask Pet Owners

Luckily, pet owners are thrilled to share their favorite groomer’s information. They’ll also give you an ear full of dog groomers to stay away from. Start a list of leads, and then give them a quick search online. You’ll be shocked to find some groomers with pages of customer complaints or, even worse, an arrest record for animal abuse. This is the time to narrow down your search and expand your driving radius. A good groomer is worth the drive.

2. Stop In and Watch

Once you have a short list of professional dog groomers, it’s time to pop in and watch them work with dogs on the grooming table. So many people say the right words, but their hands tell the entire story. Pop in and ask questions. Tell them you’re looking for a new groomer for your dog. As you tell them about your dog’s coat texture, length, and size, watch how groomers handle each dog on their grooming table.

A groomer’s hands should be gentle and patient; they should not be pushing or pulling a dog’s body. If a dog gets a bit wiggly on the table, the groomer should stop grooming for a second or two and allow the dog to settle before beginning to groom again. Older dogs should be able to sit or lie down, as it’s exhausting for them to stand for an hour. Puppies should be encouraged with treats, lots of patience and short breaks. No dogs should be screaming while being groomed, kenneled or bathed nor have their head strung up on short grooming leads.

Some groomers may disagree with me, and that’s fine, but I want a groomer who makes grooming a fun and positive experience by bathing and grooming anxious dogs quickly and not leaving them kenneled all day to stress out. Now, pet owners with easily stressed dogs, you should not expect your dog to be at the groomer’s all day while you work. Drop him off and plan to pick him up within an hour, and don’t be late.

3. Stay for the Groom

Better yet, stay for your dog’s bath and groom. Some dog groomers don’t feel comfortable having you hover around while they’re grooming your dog, which is fine. It means they’re not the groomer for you. Many groomers say your dog will behave better when you’re not around, but I disagree. There’s nothing wrong with you waiting quietly in the waiting area or watching your dog’s groom from a window. Keep some distance, so your dog doesn’t whine excessively for you, but keep an eye on your dog the entire time.

4. Watch Your Dog’s Behavior Afterwards

This is a huge tell-tale on how your dog was handled during the grooming process. If your usually happy dog is scared, stressed or shy after grooming, then you shouldn’t go back to that dog groomer. If your dog has nicks, cuts, razor burns (red and inflamed skin from clipper blades that were too hot), brush burns (skin scrapes caused by brushing a dog too hard), I would advise you to never return to that groomer again. I would certainly give this groomer a call and tell him or her what happened, and you’re not very happy about it.

With That Said, Good Groomers Need Your Help

Trust me, I’m not bashing dog groomers; it’s a difficult and physically exhausting job. But as pet owners, a good groomer needs your help to keep grooming sessions positive. If your dog hates having his nails trimmed, then you should teach your dog that nail trims are rewarding at home. Brush your dog thoroughly every day. If your dog dislikes brushing or body handling, then start teaching him brushing is a good thing and body handling means lots of yummy treats.

Good luck, and don’t forget to sing the praises of an excellent dog groomer!

Help! My Dog Steals Food Off The Table

March 9, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Proven Tips to Keep Your Dog From Stealing Food

Dog Stealing Food — monkeybusinessimages/iStock

As a child, I remember watching our small dog strategically jump from chair to chair until she landed on our dining room table. There, she promptly helped herself to a banana from the fruit bowl. My first thought was she’s pretty darn smart! Then, I was shocked she ate the entire banana.

While most pet owners appreciate their dogs’ skill and finesse when stealing food from the table, it’s not always entertaining watching your Rottweiler eat your carefully prepared roast. 🙂 These dog training tips not only stop dog stealing food behavior, but they also prevent it from happening in the first place.

Why Dogs Steal Food Off Tables

Who can resist deliciously smelling food sitting on a table, right? When food is left on tables or kitchen countertops, it can easily become an open invitation for your dog. Once your dog rewards himself by pulling down a loaf of bread and eating every slice, including the plastic wrapping, he learns to patrol tables and countertops heavily.

Every time your dog steals food, he is rewarded, which strengthens the behavior. As a result, the dog stealing food behavior happens more often. Think about it this way: If you found a $100 bill under a large tree in your backyard every week, I’m pretty sure you would keep an eye on it constantly or, if not, live under the tree.

RELATED: Can Dogs Eat Mushrooms?

How to Prevent Dog Stealing Food Behavior

As you’ve probably guessed, keeping food off tables and counters prevents this dog behavior from happening in the first place. Get the children involved and stash bread, snacks and fruits in closed cabinets or refrigerator. Remember to pick up food items after cooking.

If you’re cooking, and food is scattered across your counters, keep an eye on your dog. Or better yet, push food items further back from counter edges to prevent your dog from sniffing or snatching food. If your dog starts sniffing counter edges, call your dog to you and ask him to “lie down” and reward with a treat. Soon, your dog learns that lying down in the kitchen makes food appear rather than stealing it.

For proven food thieves, or dogs that have a history of stealing food off tables, fence the kitchen off with a baby gate. By creating a barrier, your dog is unable to patrol the area and look for food. Also, keep your dog in a crate when you’re away. This prevents your dog from learning to climb furniture for fruit bowls placed in high locations.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If you punish your dog for stealing food, he will learn to steal food when you’re not around. [/perfectpullquote]

Don’t Punish Your Dog For Stealing Food

We all scream when a dog steals food and runs away with it; we’re shocked it just happened. Do know that punishing your dog for stealing food won’t stop him, but instead make it much worse. So many times, pet owners are advised to set up their dogs with tempting food dangling from the table edge. The moment their dogs walk toward it, they’re advised to punish him. Let me explain how this creates a super sneaky food thief.

If you punish your dog for stealing food, he will learn to steal food when you’re not around. Yes, punishment creates stealth thieves, meaning you never hear it happening or it happens so fast that everyone in the house is clueless. Think about it this way: If you’re speeding near a specific bridge and the police stops and issues you a ticket at that location, you’ll either learn to drive slowly everywhere or slow down when approaching the bridge.

Preventing a behavior from happening is key! If dog stealing food behavior occurs down the road, prevention still works best, so the behavior is never rewarded (dog is unsuccessful at stealing food because it’s not available). This works!

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How to Get Your Dog to Take Treats Gently

March 7, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Teaching Your Dog to Take Treats Gently

How to Train a Dog to Take Treats Gently — Yurikr/iStock

Ouch! If your dog takes treats from your fingers roughly, you know the feeling. Before punishing dogs for this behavior, understand that dogs haven’t read an etiquette guide teaching them proper manners around food. When dogs see a treat they like, they take it vigorously until they’re taught to take treats nicely. Try these dog training tips to teach your dog to take treats gently.

Polite Manners Please

We love holding small pieces of food between our fingers. It’s a natural behavior used when handing another person something small or eating finger foods. However, some dogs don’t understand how to remove food held between two fingers. They either snap at your fingers or place their mouth over your fingers and remove the treat with their tongue. Either way, it can be painful or scary. Hence, the importance of teaching your dog to take treats gently.

Put Out an Open Hand

In the beginning, place dog treats on your open flat palm. If you’ve fed horses treats before, it’s the same technique. An open palm creates a flat surface that keeps fingers out of the way and minimizes nibbles and bites. Plus, most dogs will use their tongues to grab a treat from your open palm instead of their teeth. By feeding large or small treats from your hand, your dog is learning to slow down and take treats gently.

By using the open hand technique, you’ll notice your dog taking his time to remove a treat from your hand. While holding your palm upwards, cup your hand slightly and offer your dog a treat. Slowly cup your upturned hand further, so your dog learns to softly search and grasp the treat in your hand.

Also, when guests come over and want to offer your dog a treat, always advise them to use the open hand technique. It reduces the chances of your dog’s teeth pinching their fingers, as some guests are easily overwhelmed when a dog rushes forward for treats.

RELATED: Healthy Dog Treats

Feed the Floor

When dogs get excited or stressed, they’re more likely to painfully snatch treats from hands and fingers. During dog training classes, I can spot dog owners who have the “pinched treat finger” grimace from across the room. Dogs taking treats roughly is quite common in class. Their dogs are probably super excited.

My advice is to feed the floor instead of handing each treat to your dog or placing a treat in your dog’s mouth. By feeding the floor, you’re tossing earned treats within two to three feet of your dog’s paws, so he must pick up the treat from the floor instead of your hand.

Use a Spoon

Yes, your dog can easily learn to take treats from a spoon. When teaching loose leash walking, most dogs snatch treats roughly, as you’re probably moving quickly with lots of verbal praise and happiness. Instead of feeding the floor, which can cause your dog to run after a bouncing treat, try placing peanut butter in a spoon and offering a lick as a reward. For larger dogs, fill a plastic or wooden spatula with Swiss cheese and offer a lick or two in place of a treat.

Most dogs learn to take treats gently, so use these dog training tips as needed. Remember, dogs get really excited during dog training, so you may need to give your dog treats with a flat palm, feed the floor or fill a spoon when needed.

Teach Your Dog to Enjoy Body Handling

March 2, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Body Handling Tips

How to Teach a Dog Body Handling — damedeeso/iStock

Body handling is easily one of the most important behaviors to teach your puppy or adult dog. Dogs are not programmed to understand that humans looking into their ears, mouth and body is normal. Human handling frightens most dogs. Just like children, dogs need to be taught that body handling is rewarding.

Body Handling Goals

When touching or restraining your dog, you’re using the least amount of pressure possible. Basically, you’re not holding your dog’s head still. Rather, your dog is choosing to hold her head still while your hand rests on it. From another perspective, think about retraining zoo animals. There’s no way a human can restrain an elephant, but teaching an elephant to allow restraint is much easier than forcing him.

How to Teach Your Dog to Like Body Handling

You’ll need lots of super yummy treats, so don’t skimp here. Remember, dog training treats are your dog’s paycheck. You’ll also need some type of reward marker, so use a clicker or mark the behavior by saying “yes.”

Point and Click

In the beginning, click or say “yes,” as you’re reaching for your dog and then reward. Usually, when someone reaches toward his dog, this is a trigger that causes most dogs to shrink backwards away from pet owners. Start by pointing at your dog and, if she remains still, click and treat. Now, progress moving your pointed hand in small increments until you’re able to touch her side with your index finger. Once you’re able to touch her, click or say “yes” the moment your finger touches her. Then, draw your hand back and give her a treat.

Goal: Your dog remains still while you reach toward and touch her.

Touch Longer

Once your dog is comfortable with you reaching for her, meaning she will remain still and even walk toward you, it’s time to touch her longer. In the beginning, you quickly touched her and then immediately removed your hand away. Now, you’ll reach out and touch her, but hold the “touch” for a second. After five or six repetitions, end the practice session.

Goal: Reach out and touch your dog for 1-2 seconds.

Hand Touch

Now, you’ll reach out and touch your dog with your hand. As you place your open-palmed hand on your dog’s side, click or say “yes,” remove your hand, and give her a treat. After a few repetitions, end the practice session.

Goal: Reach out and touch your dog with your flat hand.

Restrain and Reward

Retraining means holding your hand against your dog, which prevents her from moving sideways. For some reason, we force our dogs to accept restraint, especially at the vet’s office or during nail trims. Trust me, it’s easier to teach a dog to enjoy restraint as a rewarding experience than force your dog to comply with it.

When teaching body restraint, move slowly and apply the least amount of pressure possible. Never force the issue. Soon, and with lots of practice, you can teach your dog to say “ah,” easily hold your dog’s leg for blood withdrawals, stand still while the vet examines her and so forth.

WATCH: Teach Your Dog to Enjoy Body Handling

It’s much easier to teach your dog to enjoy body handling than force her to comply–much easier.

Grooming Hairless Dog Breeds

January 27, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Grooming Tips for Hairless Dog Breeds

While dreams of fur-free furniture and clothing make you smile, there are a few things you need to know about sharing your home with a hairless dog. Some of these tips just might shock you!

Hairless Dogs Still Cause Allergies

Yes, hairless dogs still have dander (skin cells), so they can certainly still cause allergies. Hairless dog breeds shed skin cells just like humans. For some reason, we attribute allergies to dog hair, but it’s really dog dander that causes an allergic reaction. Don’t be fooled by marketing ploys from dog breeders either.

Grooming Hairless Dog Breeds

Sunscreen Please

Bare skin exposed to sun for even 15 minutes can burn, which is why it’s recommended to apply hypoallergenic sunscreen to hairless spots when taking your dog outdoors. A good rule of thumb is if you need sunscreen, then your hairless dog does too. Don’t forget to reapply, as specified per your chosen sunscreen’s directions. While we tend to assume exposed pink skin will burn quicker than dark-pigmented skin, it’s still important to protect all exposed skin regardless of color.

Bathe Often

Hairless dogs need to be bathed with an oatmeal-based shampoo at least monthly. You’ll probably notice an oily film building up after a couple of weeks. Now, bathing your dog too much can cause skin irritation. Plus, harsh shampoos can dry out their skin. If your hairless dog has spots of fur, brush these areas often to minimize tangles and mats, and bathe him frequently.

Keep Mosquitoes Away

Exposed skin attracts mosquitoes. Hairless dogs don’t have a layer of hair protecting their skin like most dogs. If you live in a mosquito prone area, choose pest control products that deter mosquitoes too. Personally, we’ve had great luck with natural products, such as cedar oil for our dogs. However, if mosquitoes are still pestering your hairless dog, contact your vet for topical or digestible pest control products to keep mosquitoes away.

Keep Your Hairless Dog Warm

Just like us, hairless dogs need a warm coat or jacket to protect them from the cold. It’s important that coats and jackets fit properly, so check out these tips on choosing and sizing dog sweaters. If it’s cold outside, put a sweater on your hairless dog even if it’s just for a quick potty break. Remember, if it’s too cold for you, then it’s too cold for your hairless dog.

READ NEXT: Teach Your Dog to Wear a Sweater

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