The Smart Dog U Blog

The Smart Dog U Blog Offers Even More with New "Home"

We're committed to bringing you the best dog training information -- information that's easy, accessible, useful, and fun. 

Until now, Smart Dog U has had several "homes:" here on the TypePad blog, over at the Smart Dog U website, at our YouTube channel, etc., and we've felt rather scattered.

We put a lot of time into organizing our dog training information, our dog training how-to videos, and our website so that you can find the information you want quickly and easily and without having to visit three different places!

Without further ado, we're unveiling the new website where the Smart Dog U Blog now resides! Here you'll also find our great how-to videos as well as a completely redesigned website that's easier for you to find what you need. 

Over the next several months, we'll be moving all the blog posts over to the new site so you can be sure to find all the articles you've loved here over on the new site. 

Please change your bookmarks to reflect the new site for the Smart Dog U Blog: 

http://smartdoguniversity.com/category/blog/

Come on over and join us, we think you'll really like the changes and will find even more useful dog training ideas!

This site will stay live for a few more months, but no new content will be added. 

Spread the news to your dog friends and let everyone know where to find us at our new digs! See you there!

Pretty In Pictures: Nemo's Nose Work Trial

When I detailed Nemo's and my adventures in K9 Nose Work, I didn't have any pictures. During a trial, no one except the official trial photographer is allowed to take pictures. All competitors have the option of purchasing any or all of the photos taken during the trial. At this trial, the photographer captured Nemo's Exterior and Container elements. Here's a look inside a little piece of a K9 Nose Work trial...

 

 

Interested in reading more? You're in luck!  The Smart Dog Blog has a shiny, brand new home! 

Click here to read this post in its entirety.

Please update your bookmarks! Check out Blog Lovin' reader to follow Smart Dog U and all our updates! 

Related articles

Nemo's Nose Works

The Perfect Age to Start Puppy Training?

Puppies don’t come with instructions. There isn’t an Owner’s Manual. From the minute you bring your puppy home, he’s learning. Your pup will develop habits whether you teach him or not. It’s much easier to instill good habits from the beginning, than to try to undo bad habits later. 

Confused about when to start your pup's education? Trainers and veterinarians agree: sooner is better! 

If your pup is healthy, you can start puppy class as soon as your pup has begun (and as long as he's kept on) his puppy vaccination schedule. Dr. Brenda Griffin states in DVM360: 

 For puppies, the single most important part of a behavioral wellness program is proper socialization during their critical developmental period, which ends by 16 weeks. Owners must begin socialization the day they bring their new puppies home, and the clock is ticking.

Proper socialization combined with positive reinforcement-based training in the context of a group puppy class helps puppies grow into well-adjusted pets. Classes provide critical socialization time with a variety of people and other puppies. 

Smart Dog University makes it easy for you to get your puppy socialization and dog-friendly positive reinforcement training with Puppy Charm School (PCS). Designed specifically for puppies (8-18 weeks old), PCS will help you build the dog of your dreams. 

Focusing on five critical areas, PCS makes it easy for you to teach your pup what he needs to know, when he needs to know it. There are five areas of concentration in PCS: Confident Puppy, Social Puppy, Happy & Healthy Puppy, Good Puppy, and Parenting Your Puppy. 

Confident Puppy teaches your pup to feel comfortable in any environment and to accept new experiences easily. Your pup will be an “easy keeper” because he’ll be just as comfortable at soccer practice as he is at the bus stop, and even at the veterinarian!

The more experiences your pup has before 16 weeks of age (4 months), the more laid back and easy going he’ll be as he grows up. A laid back pup grows into a well-adjusted dog.

Why It’s Important: Living in our world doesn’t come naturally to dogs. Their developing minds are wide open until 16 weeks of age. After that, they become less willing to accept new things, people, and experiences. 

Social Puppy teaches your pup to play nicely with other dogs, to recognize and use appropriate dog signals around other dogs. PCS will have controlled off-leash puppy play during each class. We’ll narrate the activities of the pups, pointing out the important things for you to watch for when you’re at home. We’ll show you warning signals as well as good signs that mean your pup is having a blast!

Why It’s Important: A dog needs repeated exposure to friendly and appropriate dogs his entire life. Dogs who can’t get along with other dogs have a “shorter leash” on life and don’t get to experience as much, or have as much fun as a dog who is easy-going and nice to other dogs.

Happy + Healthy Puppy teaches your puppy to be comfortable with routine grooming tasks such as nail trims and vet exams.

Why It’s Important: The earlier your pup learns the veterinarian isn’t scary, the easier it will be for you (and your dog, and your vet) to keep your dog happy and healthy. Your dog will need routine grooming and vet care to keep him happy and healthy – it’s easier if he’s cooperative (instead of combative).

Good Puppy teaches your pup basic “good manners” behaviors like sit, give it up, come when called, loose leash walking, name recognition.

Why It’s Important: Teaching appropriate behaviors from the start is the easiest and fastest way to a well-behaved dog. Teaching the pup what to do is a sure way to avoid problem behaviors (like jumping, barking, stealing socks, etc.).

Parenting Your Puppy teaches you how to deal with the most common (and the most frustrating) puppy problems. You’ll learn how to conquer puppy nipping, house training, crate training, barking, and stealing.

Why It’s Important: Giving you tools for dealing with the most vexing of puppy problems will allow you to spend more time enjoying your pup (and less time cursing the day you brought him home). Having the knowledge to deal with these common puppy issues ensures that the pup will have a consistent and predictable environment – one of the most important pieces of a well-adjusted pup’s life. 

Scheduling
Puppy Charm School opens August 1 and we expect it to be popular. Register early to ensure you and your pup get in -- before your pup reaches 18 weeks of age! Classes have ongoing registration -- Register today and you can usually start classes the very next week, no waiting!

Where?
Classes will be held in two locations each week. In Frederick, PCS will be held Mondays (6:30p - 7:15p) Yellow Springs Veterinary Clinic (25 Thomas Johnson Drive, Frederick), and Thursdays (7:30p - 8:15p) at Mount Airy Animal Hospital (1308 S. Main Street, Mt. Airy). 

Cost
When you register, you'll receive five PCS sessions. You have seven weeks to fit in those five sessions, meaning if you can't make it one week (going on vacation, business travel, etc.), you won't lose out on that session. PCS is $159 and is available only to puppies 8 - 18 weeks of age. If your pup turns 19 weeks before you finish your PCS sessions, you can use your remaining sessions in Canine Building Blocks.  

Questions?
We're here to help!  Please email Smart Dog U ([email protected]) or give us a call (240) 394-1112 if you have any questions about Puppy Charm School. We'll see you in class!

Ike's Whirlwind NYC Tour

A frantic call came in on Thursday. "I need Ike tomorrow morning! We're off to NYC to be on national TV!"

National TV? Seems MSNBC wanted Hero Dogs Saturday morning for a patriotic spot. Ike was a natural choice because he can handle just about any new situation without batting an eye, and because he's got quite a few behaviors under his belt.

I crossed my fingers that he'd be a good boy on national tv. No peeing! No barking! No chomping on the interviewer's shoes! 

I needn't have worried. Ike was his usual cool-dude self. He was charming. He was impressive. He was helpful. He was very cute. 

And I was very proud. Clicker training rocks! (Check out that waggy tail -- that's a happy, working, reliable dog, thanks to clicker training!)

Watch Ike and his impressive service dog behaviors (and the great things Hero Dogs does, of course):

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Clicker Expo: What's A Dog Conference Like?

So what do 400+ dog trainers DO for three days in Chicago? Here at Clicker Expo in Chicago, those of us who didn't bring our dogs are glomming onto those 150 trainers who did bring dogs - we need our "doggie fix," after all.

We go to educational sessions on such topics as "Aggression Treatment and Context," "Microshaping," "What a Cue Can Do," and many more.

The topics are fascinating: how to prevent (imagine that!) a dog from becoming a reactive dog, how to build your dog's confidence, how to use games to teach your dog, how to improve your observation skills (so you can be a better teacher for your dog).

In addition to the education (which is tops!), we're also having fun getting reacquainted with one another, making new friends, and socializing.

As you might expect, when drifting through the crowd, the conversations revolve around dogs. And business. And occasionally some current events happening in the world - especially if dogs are involved, like the natural disasters in Japan.

It's a great escape from the real world for a few days, a chance to immerse myself into the science of dog training and behavior, and meet new friends!

Ike's Television Debut

This just in: Ike will be part of the morning broadcast of FOX5 news this Monday, November 8. Please tell me that doesn't make me a stage-mom. I don't think I can pull it off.

I do have to get my butt out of bed and have Ike to Hero Dogs by 6:30a on Monday. I hope I don't oversleep, that would be awfully embarrassing, wouldn't it?

Holly Morris does a live morning broadcast on the local FOX station and she'll be interviewing Hero Dogs and showing off some of the dogs and their training next Monday. Ike is scheduled for the 8:40a segment, but it's live television, so who knows what will really happen!

This is a great way to get to know a little bit more about the Hero Dogs organization, service dogs, and how they are trained. All the pups will be there. Attention Teddy fans: Teddy is also scheduled to be on the air, too! We're scheduled to show off the pups and what they can do. It's live tv - it's going to be exciting, to say the least!

If you're in the Washington D.C. metro area, set your DVR for FOX5 on Monday starting at 6:00a!

 

A Quick Talos News Brief

It's been a long, hard twelve weeks since I turned Talos in. I can't believe it's only been twelve weeks, if I'm being honest. It feels like FOREVER ago. I miss him as badly today as I did the day we turned him in.

The good news is I don't cry every day. But it took me a long, long time to even be able to look at pictures of him. Just looking at this picture here is a little difficult still.

I got a nice "Talos Update" from Service Dogs of Virginia. He's sleeping in bed with the Training Director (yay!), he's learning to retrieve, and he's doing well on his footwork behaviors.

Brace dogs need to be flexible. I don't mean the bend-y kind of flexible, but more like able to do a lot of different things with their feet. His job is going to be to help someone keep their balance. So if his person needs him to move closer, he's got to be able to figure out - quickly - how to get closer to matter which direction he's facing, where his hind end is, etc.

He's got to be able to pivot, to turn in tight quarters. That's not an easy thing for a dog as big as Talos to do! Big T is taller than me when he's on his hind legs - he's no shrimp! So I'm doubly impressed that the big lug is learning how to be so light on his feet.

I'm hoping to get his tribute video together soon -- seeing as I can now finally stand to look at his picture without dissolving in tears. (One or two still slide down my face, but they're at least controllable now.)

And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to drive down for a visit in November. My birthday present to myself. I think I can handle it. Actually I think I'd enjoy it - and be able to control my urge to run for the border with him.

Brush with Fame

We're all in it for the dogs. I recently spent time at the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) 147th convention in Atlanta, GA, representing Karen Pryor Academy. We were there to talk to veterinarians and veterinary technicians about behavior and dog-friendly
training.

While we were there, we had the opportunity to talk to lots of interesting people. I talked with Dr. Kathy Meyer, outgoing president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, as well as many other veterinary behaviorists and technicians.

I, along with Karen Pryor and Tia Guest also had the good fortune of having dinner with Victoria Stilwell of "It's Me or the Dog" on Animal Planet.

We talked of dogs, life, and well, dogs! It was an enjoyable evening spent amongst people -- whether in the public spotlight or behind the scenes -- who not only enjoyed dogs, but who were also intent on making the lives of dogs better. What was so gratifying is that everyone had the best interest of the dogs at heart.

In the time we spent with Victoria Stilwell, it was very clear that dogs -- and their well-being -- was top priority. It was quite refreshing. We talked about how she got into dogs and dog training -- all the while I was getting my "doggie fix" with her very lovable Labrador, Sadie. It's clear that dogs, not ratings, are a top priority for her. You never quite know what goes on behind the scenes of a tv show -- it could be all good, or it could be something very different. Thankfully, in this case, it was all good.

How lovely!

In the end, what it all came back to was dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs. Which was fine and dandy with me - my life revolves around dogs. And I'm happiest in the company of them.

Life is good. Here's to having fun with your dogs!!

A Week to Celebrate Assistance Dogs

I've raised eight service dogs and Teddy, our current service pup in progress, makes number nine. I can't imagine not raising - even after the heart ache and grief I'm experiencing after Talos' departure. I find the experience of raising a pup rewarding. It's a demanding job, but you reap the rewards tenfold. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing the dog you helped raise change someone's life. There's nothing like it.

This week is National Assistance Dog Week! I believe this is the first annual celebration of all things related to assistance dogs. There's a website to explain the official designation, what service dogs do, and why we're celebrating. From their website:

"Assistance Dogs transform the lives of their human partners with physical and mental disabilities by serving as their companion, helper, best friend and close member of their family. They are specifically trained to perform many tasks for their partners, and are generally classified as:

Guide Dogs – Assist people with vision loss, leading these individuals around physical obstacles and to destinations such as seating, crossing streets, entering or exiting doorways, elevators and stairways.

Service Dogs – Assist people with disabilities with walking, balance, dressing, transferring from place to place, retrieving and carrying items, opening doors and drawers, pushing buttons, pulling wheelchairs and aiding with household chores, such as putting in and removing clothes from the washer and dryer.

Hearing Alert Dogs – Alert people with a hearing loss to the presence of specific sounds such as doorbells, telephones, crying babies, sirens, another person, buzzing timers or sensors, knocks at the door or smoke, fire and clock alarms.

Seizure and Medical Alert/Seizure Response Dogs – Alert to medical conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, epilepsy, panic attack, anxiety attack, post-traumatic stress and seizures.

All of these types of assistance dogs are dedicated to their humans, who rely on them to achieve and exceed their daily function. Please celebrate the selfless love and devotion these dogs so humbly provide by participating in National Assistance Dog Week."

Helping Veterinarians Make Happy Dogs

I'm at the 147th American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Atlanta, GA. The AVMA, established in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 80,000 veterinarians.

Everyone who has a dog visits their veterinarian at least once a year. At those visits, vets are often asked about behavior problems. Some vets are busy with medical problems and don't have the time or resources to offer behavior advice.

Here at AVMA, I'm representing Karen Pryor Academy and I'm here to educate veterinarians about positive reinforcement training. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends positive reinforcement training, but it can often be difficult for veterinarians to find qualified positive reinforcement trainers.

Thousands of veterinarians will converge on Atlanta this weekend to attend the conference. We hope to speak to many of them and let them know how easy it is to find a qualified positive reinforcement trainer through Karen Pryor Academy.

This helps the vets. This helps the trainers. This helps the dog owners. But best of all, this ultimately helps all the dogs. The more dogs who receive positive reinforcement training, the more dogs that will stay out of shelters due to behavior problems. The happier the owners will be. And in the end, that makes me happy. Very happy.