January is Train Your Dog Month

Happy New Year! January is Train Your Dog Month. In 2010, the APDT began the National Train Your Dog Month to promote the importance and benefits of Dog Training so that our dogs can be happy and healthy companions. According to the APDT “too many dogs are turned into animal shelters each year for behavior and training issues that could be easily solved with proper socialization and positive, gentle, science-based methods of training.”  Addressing behavioral issues early on and being proactive can help prevent these behaviors from turning into serious problems. In honor of Train Your Dog Month here are some dog training tips and resources:



1) Puppy Socialization: for those of you who have or are getting a puppy, socialization is one of the most important things you can do to give your puppy a head start. Socialization should start early. Even if your puppy does not have all his/her shots, you can have people come visit your home. Once your veterinarian clears your puppy for walks around the neighborhood, you can get your puppy used to the sights and sounds of a city for example. Brief car trips (to minimize motion sickness) where the puppy can stay in the car and watch people walk by is also helpful.  You don't want your puppy's early car trips to be just vet visits as this can set up a negative association. So short, fun excursions are important for early socialization.  Go slow, try not to bombard your puppy with too much at once. We want these experiences to be positive! Enrolling your dog in a well-managed puppy class that uses positive and gentle methods is one of the best ways for your puppy to get exposure to people and other dogs in a safe, controlled environment. For an explanation of why socialization is so important, here is a position paper written by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: AVSAB Puppy Socialization Paper

I cannot stress enough how important puppy classes are.  Many dogs who are surrendered at shelter in rescues did not receive adequate training or socialization during the critical period in their puppy hood.  Training classes can nip a lot of potential problem behaviors in the bud and head off more serious behavioral issues in the future.  

Here are a few of my favorite puppy books:






2) Rescues and Older Adoptees – many people choose to adopt older rescues. The issues rescues face are different from puppies. While rescues have outgrown many of their puppy behaviors such as play biting and destructive chewing, they may not be house trained and may have fear or anxiety issues from being in a shelter, abandonment or other stressful experiences. It is important to be patient and work through these issues at your dog’s own pace. Respect your dog’s comfort zone and work at the speed your dog can handle. Pushing your dog too far too fast can trigger fear issues and set your training backwards a few steps. If your dog is ready for group classes, then that is a good start. If your dog is very fearful or reactive, then private training may be a better first step. A great book that deals with the unique issues that rescue dogs face is Pat Miller’s “Do Over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance for a First Class Life.”



3) Maintain Realistic Expectations About Your Dog – besides respecting your dog’s comfort zone it is also important to be realistic about your dog’s abilities and personality. Some dogs may never be the social butterfly you want them to be and are in reality a homebody that prefers human companionship. Shy, older dogs may not enjoy dog parks and in the case of some middle-aged or senior dogs, large, group classes may be too stressful. However, that does not mean you can’t find a fun activity the two of you can do together, train in other settings or find dog friends that your dog can have one-on-one play sessions with. My Shiba Inu is not that social with other dogs now that she is an adult.  Once she reached maturity, she stopped playing with dogs at the dog park and would spend the entire time sitting with strangers at the park. It was at this point, I decided that she was no longer getting that much out of being at the dog park and instead I took her on excursions in the city or hanging out in cafes which she seemed to enjoy more. Respecting your dog's physical limitations is another factor to consider.  My big, clunky 90 pound Akita is probably not the best dog for agility training (nor would I want to subject his aging joints to this particular activity). Forcing a square peg in a round hole, is not always the best for the dog and it can lead to unnecessary frustration on the owner’s part.  Try to find activities that your dog also enjoys and work at your dog's own pace.

4) Find Fun Activities to Do With Your Dog – Training is a great way to bond with your dog, but it does not have to stop there. There are other ways to spend time with your dog such as hiking, camping or playing games. If your dog is very energetic and athletic, agility or other dog sports like flyball may be a great outlet.  Try to figure out what activities your dog really enjoys. 


To find out more information on dog sports here are some good sources: 

Agility - http://www.akc.org/events/agility/index.cfm
Rally - http://www.akc.org/events/rally/
Tracking - http://www.akc.org/events/tracking/
Flyball- http://www.flyball.org/


5) Incorporate Training into Your Daily Routine – many of the things you learn in group class have practical applications in real life and should not end once the class is over. For example, “stay” or “wait” can apply to boundaries such as the front door or the curb and help teach your dog not to run out in traffic. Having your dog go to their bed or place is helpful when guests come to the home or when the doorbell rings. Incorporating training in your daily routine helps reinforce these behaviors so that your dog will retain these skills throughout his/her life. On walks, I practice “sit,” “wait,” “stops/halt” and recalls (“come”). Having a solid recall is one of the most important things to teach your dog and should be reinforced throughout your dog’s lifetime. If your dog has not had any training go to http://www.apdt.com/ or http://www.trulydogfriendly.com/ to find a trainer or group class in your area.  

6) Keep Training Fun - I like training sessions to be short, fast-paced and fun.  Since I own Northern breeds (Shiba Inu, Akitas) that tend to bore quickly and easily, I try to keep them engaged by changing things up and keeping it interesting.  Overly long training sessions, especially for young puppies and the more independent breeds, can lead to frustration for both you and your dog. 

7) Exercise – a great New Year’s resolution is exercising with your dog. This is both beneficial for both and your dog! Exercise relieves tension and stress and stimulates your dog’s senses.


For more information on Train Your Dog Month go to:  http://www.trainyourdogmonth.com/tips/

So with this New Year why don’t you make dog training one of your New Year’s Resolutions! Wishing everyone a happy and healthy year.

Have Crate will Travel

Ten years ago, I took my Shiba Inu, Mitsu (then a 6 month old puppy) up the coast of California to attend a friend’s wedding in San Francisco. At that time, pet-friendly accommodations were few and far between and many of the accommodations were motel chains such as Best Western, Howard Johnson’s or the Oxford Suites. I had a great time with my puppy running along the beaches in Big Sur and Cambria and walking the streets of Ojai. It was a great socialization opportunity for my dog and this out-of-town trip helped her become a resilient and adaptable dog. Over the years she and I went to the Sierras and even Las Vegas. The Vegas strip was her favorite, she is partial to bright lights and chaos.

Flash forward ten years and another puppy. I decided to take Kiku and Mitsu for an out of town trip. Kiku, my Akita, had never been out of town and I was not sure how she would react to being in a strange place. But being a young dog, I thought the exposure would be good for her. Fortunately, in the last few years, the number of accommodations accepting pets has expanded tremendously giving people many options. In addition to hotel and motel chains there are a number of Bed and Breakfasts and vacation home rentals that allow pets. I settled on a mountain cottage in Julian, California. The dogs loved the wilderness and they adapted well.



Picture of the cottage we rented

What saved me on this trip (and every trip that I have taken with my dogs) was crate-training. So, in addition to all the other benefits that crate-training provides (see my previous blog on crate training) , traveling with your pet is another one on the list. I was able to load the dogs in my truck in their crates providing for a more secure ride. They slept most of the way and were comfortable.

The crate is also handy when you arrive to your destination. There is always a risk that a dog may forget housetraining in a strange place or that they may decide to gnaw on a piece of furniture. Having crate-trained dogs provides you with the peace-of-mind that you can leave your dogs unattended for short periods of time. It also provides them a secure, familiar place to sleep in when you are in a strange location. Moreover, owners of some establishments are more comfortable to rent a place to you if they know the dogs are crate-trained and therefore less likely to cause damage to their property.



Kiku and Mitsu await our arrival back at the cottage. Kiku has a water bottle attached to her crate and Mitsu has a water bowl.

In addition to bringing your dog’s crate here are some other tips to keep in mind:

1) Identification and Microchipping - Make sure your dog has a secure collar with I.D. Dogs can panic in unfamiliar locations and bolt. Microchipping is also critical if you frequently travel with your pet. Lost dogs can lose their collars and most shelters and veterinarians have scanning equipment.

2) Water bowls – dogs can get dehydrated during the car ride so stop every few hours to check on their water bowls. Better yet, teach your dog to drink from a water bottle (like the type rabbits drink out of) that hooks on to the crate. I taught my older dogs to drink out of a water bottle by putting peanut butter on the nozzle. My puppy did not need any prompting.

3) Vet information – Take the number of your veterinarian as well as the phone numbers of vets in the area where you will be staying.

4) Copies of shot records – sometimes you run into a situation where you cannot find pet friendly accommodations or hotels where you cannot leave your pet unattended. In such cases you may need to put your dog in daycare if you are going to a function or will need to leave your pet for an extended period of time. Day cares require shot records so it is helpful to have them handy in case you need to board your dog. Make sure your dog is current on vaccinations especially rabies if you are going to wilderness areas.

5) Cover for Crate – often I will bring extra blankets to cover the crates. Covering the crates can help quiet the dogs when they cannot settle down in a strange location. My dogs know that the blanket means they need to go to sleep.

6) Extra towels and brushes – in case your dog gets wet or dirty.

7) Flea, Tick and Heartworm Treatments– make sure your dogs are current with flea, tick and heartworm applications. Many mountainous areas and regions of the U.S. have ticks or mosquitoes that transmit heartworm. Do your research and protect your pet accordingly. Ask your veterinarian about the appropriate treatments to apply.

8) Finding Pet Friendly Accommodations – here are some of my favorite websites for finding pet-friendly accommodations:

http://www.bringfido.com/– nice search engine and photos of properties

http://www.dogfriendly.com/– this one has been around for a long time and has a good list of accommodations for hotels and restaurants.

http://www.vrbo.com/– provides list of vacation rentals if you would like to rent a home. Several dog friendly properties are available such as the one I rented in Julian.