"How Do I Reward My Puppy Without Getting Them Excited?" New puppy mom as of a few weeks ago and saying that it's been hard is an understatement. I understand the concept of praising good behavior when it happens, and we're getting better at it. Fantastic. If the good behavior is going to create downtime on her own or to go sit on her dog bed and wait for me, how do I praise her without making her move? How do I praise her without getting her excited? A very good question. And, a bit of a catch-22, right? If you are seeing your puppy do something that like, so like a sit a down, they're walking with you nicely. They're greeting people nicely. Whatever it is, anything that you love doing, you wanna of course reward And an easy way is with food, with, a little. Piece of a treat that they like. And obviously, that gets your puppy feeling good, feeling potentially excited. But what do you do when, what they're choosing to do and you want to praise is them going to their crate, them resting them laying down? Especially for a young puppy, it doesn't take a lot to get them very excited. And so how do you reward that? And my answer to that would be the reward is the rest. If your puppy is choosing. To go to their crate for downtime or to go to their dog bed, is not something that a lot of puppies can do, and that could be for different reasons. Some puppies really just have a lot of energy. Some puppies are potentially not getting much engagement and enrichment outlets, and so it's hard for them to just want to have any downtime period. But if your puppy is choosing downtime, Chances are you've done things very well and or they're a low energy pup, and because you provided outlets, physical, mental enrichment, socialization, They're then much more likely to choose downtime to go and sit down, rest somewhere, relax. And so if you want to reward that, the reward is that they get to relax. The reward is that they're happy to choose downtime they're happy to go on their bed. That is a huge reward. We all go to bed at night. being happy that we had a good day. And the reward is that we get to rest and get ready for the next day. So what you can do because it's still good to reward a puppy, definitely, a young puppy's likely going to lay down to sleep. So just let them rest. But as they get a little bit older, you'll notice that they go and rest or lay down and not necessarily. Fall asleep as much right away. And so if you want to reward something, reward that. If they're choosing to just lay down or if they're just. Relaxing somewhere. Whether or not you've done activities prior. Give them a little snack. Give them a little something as they get a little bit older to still let them know, Hey, I like that you lay down. I like that you are choosing to spend time alone. I like that you're giving me space. I like that you are not doing things that I dislike. And so as the puppy gets a bit older and they're choosing to do things that you like, Then be a little bit more interactive in your reward, your praise, your voice, the snacks, food, water, is a great reward as well. Until then, the reward is that they're getting to rest, and you should feel proud that your puppy is looking to rest, looking to have some downtime as a result of everything you've done well.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts, you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below. The next time your dog barks at the door, try the following steps: 1. "Bark bark bark!" As your dog starts to bark at random sounds or noise from outside and goes towards the door, start calmly walking in that direction, without saying anything. 2. Once you get to the door, wait for your dog to stop barking (and maybe even a bit of eye contact from them to you) and say "Thank you for letting me know!" 3. Once your dog has stopped barking and you feel as though they're communicating with you through their eye contact/more of their attention, start guiding him back towards the area of your home where you both were before. You can either gesture your dog to walk with you or you can use a leash to help them. (Using a leash can be useful especially if you feel as though Step 2 will be very difficult and lengthy for your dog to go through. If your dog has a tough time barking and communicating with you, you can still try waiting a little for that moment where you feel like he's talking to you, before using the leash to help him walk indoors. Walking indoors can effectively help your dog regulate his emotions and reconnect you both.) 4. After you've guided your dog back to where you were and the noise has ceased, he will likely still feel a little agitated from the door noise, but if he's no longer barking, take this opportunity to tell him "Ok! Let's go check it out.", as a way to let him know that because he chose to stop barking and came back with you, that this all results in you both checking out what the concern might be (dogs bark mostly out of concern/feeling alert) without needing to bark. Once you get to the door, you can put a leash on your dog, slightly open the door, no more than 1-2cm and let your dog sniff the air and see that nothing to be worried about is there anymore. If your dog barks, repeat steps 1-2 again. If your dog doesn't bark, you can thank them once more. 5. After you've checked things out, guide your dog towards doing something else like an enrichment game or any fun game you both enjoy, to help your dog shake off any uneasy feelings. Bonus step! 6. Practice checking out the door together as often as possible, indoors, even and ESPECIALLY when your dog isn't barking or caring about what's going on outside. This will help show your dog that it's okay to check out the door, but that there's no need to do it in an agitated and barking manner.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts, you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below. Here's how you can use dog water bottles to improve your relationship with your pup: The following are tips you can apply indoors, especially if you have a young puppy. 1. Put water in a dog water bottle. (This will help with potty training too). You can and should leave water available for your pup, but a little bit less than usual, to most effectively use the following tips. 2. Place the bottle somewhere accessible and make sure all family members know to use it throughout the day. Make sure that the water is kept cool and as fresh as possible. 3. Every time your puppy does something you’re happy with, and after you’re doing activities together, use the dog water bottle as a treat to provide your pup with enough to quench their thirst and make them feel great. 4. Bring the bottle with you on walks to help guide and redirect them as needed while ensuring they stay hydrated. Why these tips are useful is because instead of allowing your pup to only and mostly free drink while you’re home, you’re instead creating multiple instances where you get to share water with your pup, which is something amazing that you should do together, and which will strengthen your connection and the association that your attention only ever leads to good things. This will help ensure your pup always chooses and favours responding to interactions with you, over anything any kind of environment throws your way!

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts, you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below. Here's how you can improve your dog's recall skills: 1. Avoid calling your dog to give them a correction. Practice only calling them when something great is going to happen next. 2. Daily rewards for random check-ins. Provide a reward, whether it’s in the form of a treat or simply your excitement and joy whenever your dog checks in on you. 3. Practice getting your dog to come to you first by using a leash first. Once you say your dog’s name, you can use the leash to encourage your dog to walk towards you. If you feel as though you need to pull them to come to you, this means that the environment you’re working in is too challenging and you need to practice in a calmer one first. Like in your bedroom, your living room, your backyard, etc. 4. If your dog repeatedly doesn’t come after you call him, take into consideration if you're in a distracting setting, and if so, practice again but with a leash. And after you call your dog, make sure that you start walking your dog in the direction you were, to follow through and help your recall associate itself with your dog coming to you. 5. Practice and master your dog’s recall in the easier environments where you feel there is no doubt he will do well with you, before adding little obstacles and distractions like a toy, or food, prior to moving onto more challenging and distracting environments. Remember: Your voice is the most rewarding treat!

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts, you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below. Here's how you can potty train your puppy: 1. Monitor your puppy's daily water intake closely. To more easily do this, you can get a doggy water bottle. 2. Write down the amount of time/hours between each potty break/accident. 3. Take your puppy out for their next potty break before that amount of time. (For ex, if accidents occur every 2hrs, take your puppy out every 1hr 45mins.) 4. Build on the amount that your puppy can handle slowly with 5-10 minute increments. 5. Be patient, accidents can still happen. Your reaction is the most important that and is what your puppy will remember. 6. Practice & repeat. Need some more clarification on the steps above, or want to get in touch with a dog trainer? Click here to get started.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts, you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below. Resource guarding is a very common and normal behaviour for dogs. It's important to note that it is never ever done or meant from a place of wanting to hurt others (dog or people), but rather because the dog in question feels afraid or unsure that they will potentially lose something they deem valuable there and then. This can happen with any and all objects, food, toys, and sometimes even people. It can be challenging to fully and properly tackle resource guarding (so be sure to reach out if you have any concerns!), but I wanted to share with you the following steps you can use to react if you start experiencing it. Try these steps if your dog resource guards: 1. As soon as you believe your dog is resource guarding (stiff body, growling, snarling) do your best to stop and wait. Don't say anything, relax as much as you can, focus your attention on something else like your phone, and don't move much. Remember that your dog is at that moment likely feeling concerned or nervous about the situation, and no matter what you say you likely won't talk them into changing their mind/emotions right away. The best you can do is wait and listen (listen for the moment were your dog starts to relax, like in the following steps). 2. The moment your dog stops showing you a more relaxed demeanour (softer gaze, loose tail wag, panting), wait a little bit more. This is when your dog is basically going through a wide range of emotions, from worried and concerned to unsure.. to hesitant.. to curious.. to calm.. to relaxed. Alternatively, you can try tossing a treat away from where you both are and seeing if your dog shows curiosity towards it and heads that way. If your dog does go for it, don't do anything else and continue to wait for your dog to come back to being himself. If it tossing a treat away doesn't work, that's okay, continue to wait and don't throw any more treats out. 3. Once you're feeling confident that your dog's body language is showing a more calm and relaxed demeanour and acting more like himself again, the next thing you will want to do is toss either a toy or treat (not the one being guarded) away from your dog and wait for them to go towards it. When they do, you can then start talking to them, praising and rewarding that your dog has chosen to no longer guard and go do something away from it instead. (This is when you can take away the item they were resource guarding if it's not something they should've had, otherwise, I would give them the room to go back to it so you can practice this exercise if you wish, and eventually, completely eradicate it as a result.) If your dog is feeling more relaxed but doesn't seem to want to take space from the item being guarded, you might need to bring out a strong tasty smell to lure them away. I recommend doing this if your dog has grabbed something they shouldn't have, to more quickly guide them away from it. Otherwise, I suggest practicing the longer route as it provides more room for your dog to make good choices on their own. Additionally, you will also want to practice these steps with items that your dog deems less valuable than the next. Ultimately practicing the idea of sharing is what you'll want to accomplish, as your dog decides to care more about interacting with you, and focus less and less on the object or guarding it, because they'll realize that nothing bad happens and that the traction you always adopt is one of patience, and relaxation!

Product Review: Tricky Treat Ball Tricky Treat balls are amazing! In many ways, it's like a 3 in 1 toy. Let's take a closer look at just that! Why I recommend it I've relied on no other food-dispensing toy nearly as much as this one! It does the job of a few different toys. You can throw it, hide your dog's kibble or treats inside it so that he has to nudge it around or stuff it with some yogurt/peanut butter to turn it into a Kong-like toy. Either way you decide to use it, your dog is sure to have a blast and keep busy for a good little while. When you should use it Like with most enrichment/problem-solving toys, this one is perfect to use either to provide your dog with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a snack. I should mention that this toy is not meant to be used as a chewing toy as it's not as durable as other options. So make sure that you don't provide it to your dog if they have a lot of physical energy to burn "Simply insert your dog’s favorite dry food or treats into the ball. As your dog plays with the Tricky Treat™ ball, it will dispense treats keeping your dog focused and entertained." – OmegaPaw.com How this food puzzle works It doesn't get any simpler, and that's what I love about this toy, with how quick and easy it is to set up! Grab some of your dog's favourite treats or their kibble, drop it inside and for some extra fun you can hide it inside an old towel. Just make sure that you're supervising your dog's play so that if he starts destroying it or feeling frustrated, you can help him out! Which type of food should I use? Dry food will be your main option with this food dispenser. However, when you're ready to use it more like a Kong-like toy, you can stuff it with a bit of peanut butter or an apple/banana puree to make it so the dry food sticks to the inside a bit more, making it so your dog has to work a little harder to get each piece out. Recap This tricky treat ball: ✔️ Prevents fast eating ✔️ Burns mental energy while feeding ✔️ Encourages your dog or pup to focus This was one of my first dog's favourite toys and the very first that I liked to bring with us wherever we went. You can put their kibble or treats inside and they can spend time pushing and rolling the ball as each piece slowly comes out. This is not meant to act as a chew toy, and because of that, it's best to use it under your supervision. Should your dog start to heavily chew it, swap it out for a kong (as it means they're probably feeling tired) or switch to a more physically stimulating game first, before trying again. Recommended 9.5/10 Have you gotten the Brick Food Puzzle already? Click on the image above to find it on Amazon. Got any feedback, questions, or concerns about this blog post, or interested to learn more? Send me an email at info@dignofurther.com!

The best way to find out what breed is the ideal one for you is to read about as many dog breeds as you can, their breed origins, and what they're bred for. If you're considering a mix, make sure that you learn about each breed included in the mix. A great place to do so is the American Kennel Club website. You will find on there that each breed is displayed with its history and traits but also categorized into different types of groups (Sporting, Working, etc). All of which are key details to take into account. In a way, these overall but important details may prepare you for the type of dog you might get but don't forget that dogs are also individuals, and it's very well possible that you might end up with a dog whose personality completely contradicts everything you've learned! This is all simply part of the fun when bringing a dog home. Another place to learn even more about a particular dog breed is breed-specific Facebook groups, as you will be able to ask questions directly to pet parents that live (and sometimes breed) the breed you're interested in! Lastly, take into strong consideration what your lifestyle is, as well as the mental and physical requirements of each breed. The common mistake I see pet parents make is they primarily focus on the aesthetics of the dog (including whether they are or aren't hypoallergenic) or if they're considered family/child-friendly, when they should first and foremost be focusing on everyone's interest to match the potential and drive the dog or puppy their bringing home might come with. Whether you're considering a small or large breed, a puppy, or a rescue, each breed has its own traits. And these are traits that you will not be able to train out of them, but that you will rather want to make sure you provide outlets and encouragement for, in order to best fulfill your dog's needs so that they can then have a happier time giving you everything you want.

The iFetch Frenzy is a dog toy that does a lot of the leg work (or arm work in this case) for you! The iFetch is an automatic ball launcher that you can set up and teach your dog to use so that he/she has easy, ongoing access to a fun game of fetch. Highly energetic dogs can definitely benefit from and enjoy this additional outlet for their physical stimulation (and mental, in the early days of this toy as they figure out just how it works). As someone who has used this toy and works with a large number of dogs who have additional energy they’d love to burn, I do recommend this toy. However.. just like with any, engaging dog toy (or any type of highly engaging activity), there are a few things you will want to keep in mind when using it. 1. Preventing an obsession. Dogs, especially young ones can easily form an obsession with this type of toy if it’s one they can access at any time, particularly when they’re already feeling very energized and excited. Therefore it’s important that your dog is at all times well socialized with this toy, in a way where he/she gets to interact with it in different ways. Such as by eating food around it (snuffling, using their nose) and resting close to it. Doing so will prevent an obsession with the toy and the excitement it can bring. Toys can and should also be associated with relaxation and calmness. That way your dog has a few different ways of being and feeling around it, to prevent an obsession. 2. It doesn’t replace time with you. Activities and time with your are more important than anything else in your dog’s life, and although an automated toy like the iFetch can buy you a bit of time when you’re busy, it will never be as good and as fruitful and time and other enrichment activities that you can do together. You want to make sure that any activity similar to this one is only a small part of the games and things you do together, as this can also help prevent any kind of obsession and further strengthen your bond around toys, people, and other environments. 3. It doesn’t meet all of your dog’s physical needs. The game of fetch in general is really only one of the few types of exercises you should be doing with your dog. Walking, jogging, running, chasing, tugging, crawling, jumping and many other types of activities are key when raising a dog. So make sure that if you love playing fetch with your dog and are considering getting an iFetch, you’ve got all the other areas, and more, covered! Recommended! 8/10

Product Review: Kongs Kongs are the closest item dogs have to a baby pacifier. Similarly, when used at the right time, Kongs make for a much-needed soothing toy that'll help take a lot of pressure off of you, as they will help relax and mellow your dog's brain towards a nap. The misconception There's a common misconception when it comes to Kongs, that I often experience firsthand when pet parents describe how they use theirs. The misconception with Kongs is that they act as a puzzle/mental enrichment outlet which may be right if you have an 8 or 9-week-old puppy, but past that age, Kong-like toys, or really any chewing and licking toys won't provide much of a mental challenge. Why I recommend Kongs The main reason I resort to and recommend using Kongs is that they can make a big difference, by helping your dog's stimulated brain go from feeling aroused, restless and excited to feeling mellow and relaxed through licking, gnawing and spending time getting each piece of food. "A friend (of the creator Joe Markham) commented that the toy looked like an earplug for King Kong—hence its name." – Kong Company When you should use it The best time to bring out your dog's Kong for him or her to use is after you've done some fun physical, and above all mental enrichment activities! Taking your dog to new places and meeting new people and dogs also counts as engaging activities you can do with your dog, which should then be followed by a calming Kong session to help your dog relax from all of that excitement. If the answer to the question "Is my dog feeling tired and mellow enough to take a nap now?" is yes, then it's the perfect time to bring out a stuffed and frozen Kong. If and when your dog isn't using it, your best bet is to put it back in the freezer (or in the sink to be washed), instead of leaving it out. Making it so your dog's Kong comes out at the right time and when it's going to be used the most is key, to maintain that engaging association towards it. What you should put inside the Kong This purely depends on two things, your dog's diet (as recommended by your vet) and your dog's taste. There's no one size fits all solution when it comes to feeding or treats, and this applies to Kong. A general rule is that if your dog's diet allows for variety in flavours, you will not only be able to find what your dog likes inside his Kong the most but also keep him engaged if you're not always using the same food. Reach out to your vet today and have them recommend the right proteins and flavours so that you can start experimenting and finding out what your dog enjoys best. Freezing their Kong with the right food or treat is a win-win for you both! Recap ✔️ Uses a little bit of energy remaining energy ✔️ Relaxes/soothes an overexcited/tired dog ✔️ Encourages time alone The best time to provide a puppy or dog with a frozen/stuffed kong is when they're tired from physically and mentally stimulating activities. A Kong may provide a bit of a fun challenge to a very young puppy, but it won't do the job of a puzzle or snuffle mat or an even more mentally engaging activity you can do with your dog (this is a common misconception with most pet parents). And so Kongs are most useful when used to help your dog relax when he has little energy left, by licking, gnawing, and chewing on it. Have a few stuffed and frozen in your freezer on rotation so you're never caught unprepared! You can freeze your dog's kibble, apple or banana puree, and more (double check with your vet.). Recommended 10/10 Got any feedback, questions, or concerns about this blog post, or interested to learn more? Send me an email at info@dignofurther.com!