Maggie Moose at 7 months laying on my lap.
Right off I found the most fantastic trainer; Pat Rohde of Rav'n Dog Training. I searched the internet for positive dog trainers, read multiple reviews, but what sold me on Pat was my conversation with her on the phone. Pat knows her dogs. She's enthusiastic and passionate about her craft. I felt trust coming through the phone. Trust that Maggie and I were to get the best training.
I signed Maggie up for Puppy class before she arrived. The first week she was here puppy school started for us. Dog obedience is so important for manners and safety. Maggie's and my foundation in dog obedience came those first six Puppy class sessions with Pat. The skills Maggie and I learned gave us both a strong foundation for her next class of Basic Obedience. Yes, the human needs to learn the lessons carefully. The dog catches on quickly! he he he
In the flier for Pat's dog training listed were items to bring like; 6 ' leash, treats, ziplocks & paper towels (puppy piddle/poo accidents). I didn't have a clue of what treats to bring so, at the local pet store I bought a random bag of treats. Unfortunately Maggie wasn't interested in these treats during class. This is when I learned about "high value" treats such as mozzarella cheese sticks, or Natural Balance Lamb food rolls (treats in a sausage shape packaging). Little bits of this broken off and used for rewards during training works wonders! Maggie was begging for more! Easily digestible too. The trick is to slice up the food roll, put the slices in a ziplock and throw it in the freezer. Take out the slices as needed. It thaws quickly. I've found freezing the treats keeps the product moist & pliable. When rewarding during dog training a puppy/dog only needs a little tiny bit off the slice. Maggie was a star pupil, because of these treats!
Maggie loves to chew! I was ready for her arrival with two toy bins full of toys; hard toys, soft squeaky toys, the family's leftover tennis balls, and rope toys. From the beginning I taught my dog to get her toys out of the bin by herself. The command "get a toy" was followed by taking her to the toy bin, picking up a toy, and handing it to her. It takes a young puppy awhile to catch on, but they will. Our place now looks like a preschool with toys littered everywhere! You want the preschool look-it saves the furniture & clothes!
A must is Nylabones. Maggie will chew on these for hours. As a young puppy I held the Nylabone in my hand in her mouth to help her manage it. Today Maggie will pick a Nylabone out of her toy bin and happily chew, chew, chew.
The soft squeaky toys are great. Maggie loves 'em, but I'm finding at 7 months old Maggie is becoming the "shredder" of the plush. I have to monitor her chewing or else I'll see a pile of fluffy guts next to the toy-a hazard waiting to happen! As she ages I need to make sure the toys are DURABLE for her age and strength.
Tennis balls are great for retrieving and playful interaction with your puppy or dog. I've found that real tennis balls are the safest for my dog. The pet store variety of tennis balls can be shredded byMaggie creating a big safety hazard. I recommend buying official tennis balls used for court play by humans. The Penn brand last and last in our household. I support American made products of which the Penn brand of tennis balls has been for over 100 years.
Rope toys will entertain for a long time. The threads are suppose to help clean their teeth. I'm not an expert on this advise, but Maggie loves to figure out how to untangle the threads. She meticulously spends a lot of time mentally & physically working out these dynamics of the rope.
My 3 T's of a dog 's life have made these past four months terrific for Maggie & me! Training the first week Maggie was here set the tone for an enjoyable past four months. The tools of treats & toys lined the pathway to successful living with a growing puppy or dog, and best friend....
No comments:
Post a Comment