The Smart Dog U Blog

Service Dog Training: The Beginning

Rocky

I know there's "Throwback Thursday," but I'm inventing "Way Back Wednesday." That handsome gent above is Rocky, the first service dog we raised. Rocky was a wickedly handsome, overwhelmingly social Labrador retriever. My husband and I were on our honeymoon when we picked him up. [I know what you're thinking: that husband's a keeper! I agree...]

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Great Treats Can Help Your Dog Through A Vet Appointment

Schooner at the vet: "Where'd they go?!"

We're headed to the veterinarian today for a quick look at a ridiculous wart between Schooner's toes. It's been bothering him quite a bit -- and bleeding if he gets rambunctious. He's 10 months old, rambunctious happens on a daily basis. And unfortunately, due to the wart, blood on the floor is now also happening on  a daily basis. Ew. Ow. 

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Service Dog Training: The Things A Dog Trainer Learns from Her Dogs

One of the reasons I love dogs is because they're all different. We're on service pup #15, Schooner, and oh, the things he's teaching me!

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How to Train When Your Dog Doesn't Like His Food Or Treats - With Video

What is Clicker Training?

Wait and Stay: What's The Difference?

 

Two yellow Labradors practicing their stay.

What’s the Difference Between Stay and Wait?

There are bunnies and squirrels in our yard. I am hoping to avoid the carnage of dogs vs. itty-bitty wild creatures. I tell the dogs to wait while I open the back door and clap my hands several times in warning. When I’m satisfied that I’ve sounded the “dogs are coming” alarm, I release the dogs and they’re off, bounding into the yard in search of bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, or whatever else might be spending time in our fenced yard while the dogs aren’t looking.

 

 

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3 Tools for A Dog Who Gulps His Food - Video

Having raised 15 puppies for service work, we've had lots of experience with food gulpers. You know the ones: the food bowl is down for 10 seconds and the food is gone. The dog doesn't stop to enjoy or even chew his food, it's basically inhaled. Sometimes the food will come back up -- the whole meal -- in a foamy lump on your floor. (And if you have Labradors, they'll re-eat it. Ewww, gross!)

 

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How to Train When Your Dog Doesn't Like His Food Or Treats - With Video

Cheese cut up for dog training treats

I like to use food to train dogs whenever we can for many reasons. First, food is what's known as a primary reinforcer. That's a fancy way of saying "the dog needs it to survive." Think about it, dogs (or us, for that matter) can't live without food. So it's pretty important to a dog. Second, food is usually a really nice reward for a dog. It tastes good. It smells good. They like it and will work hard to earn another tasty tidbit.

 

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Related articles

Easy Make At Home Treats for Your Dog

Do Service Dogs Ever Get to Play?

What Leash is Best for Your Dog? (Video)

The choice in dog leashes is endless. How do you know which leash is the right leash for your dog?If you choose your dog's leash on looks alone, you may be disappointed. Let's take a look at the different types of leashes out there, what each is used for, and then you can decide which leash is the best choice for your dog. 

 

 

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Doggie Dummies: Making Car Travel Safer for Dogs

I'm one of the people who admits, a bit guiltily, that I don't restrain my dogs in the car. My reasons are varied: 

 

 

 

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Chaos to Calm: A Book for Every Parent

Hurry, this book is free on Amazon (for Kindle) through the rest of the day today! I just downloaded my own copy. Even if you can't get it for free, it's worth the (small) price.

 

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How To Teach Your Dog To Stay (Video)

It’s the first question asked in my group classes: I want my dog to stay, how do I teach it? You’ll learn how to teach stay, as well as how to teach wait by the end of this article. Wondering what the difference is between the two? It’s a pretty big difference and you can read about that difference here. Let’s get started with how to teach these behaviors.

 

 

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