My Dog Pulls The Leash! Make These Three Changes to See Results Now.

So your dog pulls the leash. A lot. You’re not alone! Let’s talk about why it happens, and what you can do about it.

Spring is in full swing, and everyone wants to get back out on walks with their dogs to enjoy the beautiful weather. However, with spring comes lots of new and exciting smells as well as more people than in the cooler months. During this time, a lot of owners find that with the added distractions, it feels like their dog pulls the leash like it’s her job. You are not alone if you are feeling this way, and it is much easier than you think to get your dog back on track. Starting off slow, rewarding for good behavior, and being consistent will help ensure you are successful when going out on walks. Here’s how:

Starting off slow:

If you expose your dog to too many distractions right off the bat, there is a good chance you both will get frustrated, making the walk unenjoyable for you both. Instead of just heading out on your walk, go back to the basics and practice driveway drills (demonstrated in our video here). To practice these, you are going to walk back and forth in a low distraction environment (like your driveway). Any time your dog gets out ahead of you or is pulling, you want to turn and head in the opposite direction. This reminds your dog she needs to focus on you to move forward. Once your dog shows she can stay focused on you and not your surroundings, you can start your walk. Start off with short walks around the neighborhood and slowly add in more distance as you both feel ready.

Rewarding good behavior:

Grab that treat pouch back out of the drawer and load it up with your dog’s favorite snack or meal. You want to go back to rewarding your dog for the behavior you want to remind her that good things come from you when she listens. When your dog chooses to stay focused on you rather than the distractions around, give her a treat to remind her this is the behavior you are looking for. If your dog pulls the leash, she doesn’t get a treat. She’ll start to work harder to earn that treat!

Consistency:

It is important that you are consistent with what your expectations are for your walks. If you sometimes let your dog pull and other times expect her to be in a strict heel, it is going to be confusing for her on what your walks are supposed to look like. Staying consistent with her will help ensure she gets back into the swing of things sooner rather than later. A good way to let your dog get their springtime wiggles out is allowing her the chance to sniff and potty before you start.

Walks should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your dog. If you find that either of you are getting frustrated, take a deep breath and go back to the basics. Remember to take it slow, reward for good behavior, and be consistent. Your dog will remember those good habits she had in no time and you will both be back on your fun adventures together soon.

Are Dog Parks Safe For My Dog?

Dog park vs Private dog park- why we recommend private dog parks

With the warmer weather approaching, a lot of owners are looking for ways to get their dog outside and socializing with other dogs. A common way that many families try  is by taking a trip to the public dog park.

The problem with public dog parks is that anyone can use them at any time. This brings a ton of unpredictability to the environment and can often end in a traumatic experience for everyone. It’s impossible to know if your dog will get along with every new dog they meet, and most dogs simply do not like every dog they meet at the dog park. Just like we as people aren’t best friends with everyone we meet, the majority of dogs are the same way.

This can cause a lot of problems at places like public dog parks where all dogs are off leash and not under control. Dog fights happen so fast in these situations and can negatively impact you and your dog for the rest of your life. In some cases, a dog is incredibly resilient and bounces back just fine after a bad encounter with another dog. But far too often, it can create fear, anxiety, reactivity, and potentially aggression as a way to defend itself from unsafe situations in the future. And we don’t want that for your dog. Or you.

Almost everyone in the professional dog industry has heard horror stories from owners about how their pets have been attacked by unfriendly dogs at the park. We have even experienced this for ourselves.

That is why we always suggest our clients take their dogs to a private dog park instead. Not only do these parks still offer your dog the off-leash freedom to explore, but they are also a much safer and predictable environment for the entire family. The Madison area has quite a few private dog parks. They are very similar to a public dog park, however you sign up to use them for a chunk of time for a small fee. Most of these parks also have options for friends to bring along their dogs, as well. This way your dog can still socialize with other dogs, but it’s with dogs that you all know and trust.

These dog parks also have lots of other things for your dog to enjoy that most public dog parks do not. A lot of them offer fun play structures for your dog to explore, doggy pools in the summer to cool off in, as well as fun toys for your dog to try out. They are also a great place to build your dog’s confidence up and practice those off leash obedience skills. We have taken our program dogs to a few of them in the area and have really enjoyed them. The ones we have used and recommend are Fly Dogs Park, My Dog and Me Park, and Good Dog Unleashed.

Next time you’re thinking of taking your dog to a public dog park, consider checking out one of the many private dog parks instead. Not only will it give your dog a safe space to be off leash, but it will be in an environment you can control and the whole family can enjoy.

Fun Activities To Do With Your Dog

Have you ever had one of those days where your dog is just loaded with energy, but you’re not? We have compiled a list of activities to do with your dog for those days when you’re tired, it’s rainy, you’re sick, or you simply don’t have a lot of time to explore outside.

Springtime in Wisconsin also brings rain. It’s important on rainy days to still give your dog an outlet for her energy. These are the days that mental enrichment activities come in handy. Mental enrichment is providing your dog with things to do that require her to think and problem solve. It’ll burn her energy and fulfill her needs on those days where you just can’t get her outside.

We have all heard the phrase “a tired dog is a good dog.” While that’s not necessarily true, we do believe that a tired dog is less likely to get into mischief. And getting your dog to think and problem solve is a great way to tire her out, sometimes with very little effort from you!

There are a ton of different ways to do this for your dog at home. Here are just a few you can try when you need some fun new activities to do with your dog:

Training Sessions

Practice your dog’s skills indoors. Run through the skills she already knows to help keep her sharp. You can have fun with this and add in new distractions.

Another thing you can do is teach your dog fun tricks. This Dog Trick Book has a ton of different tricks you can teach her at home with step-by-step instructions. If you don’t want to spend money on a book, there are also free resources online that walk you through how to teach her different tricks. You can check out some of our trick videos on our YouTube channel here!

Toys

Toys can provide your dog with all kinds of mental stimulation. One option is to give your dog a new toy to explore and play with on those rainy days. A great tip to save you money and keep her interested in her toys is to only provide her with a few at a time and to switch them out often. This way she is constantly getting to play with a ‘new’ toy without you having to spend tons of money. Another great option is toys that involve food. What better way to keep your dog motivated and entertained with a toy than food. Create a frozen treat for her the night before with her breakfast to provide more of a challenge for her to eat. You can find a ton of easy recipes online to follow that use things you most likely already have in your home. Invest in a treat puzzle or some fun treat toys for her to play with. I have added a few of our favorites below, but there are so many different options on the market. Kong Wobbler, Snoop, Treat dispenser.

Agility course

Invest in an at home agility course or make one with items you already have at home. Not only will this provide your dog with mental and physical stimulation, but it is also a great confidence booster. Make sure to use treats to help lure her around and through the different obstacles.

Nose work game

Grab your dog’s favorite treat and hide it for her to find. You can use boxes to hide the treat under or just hide it around your house. When you do this make sure to show her the treat first and start off with an easy spot. Slowly increase the difficulty as she gets better at finding the treat.

There are lots of ways to tire out your dog and give her an appropriate way to burn off that extra energy. You can practice her obedience, teach her new tricks, play with toys, run through agility, or do nose work games. Not only do all of these options provide great mental enrichment for your dog but some also provide physical enrichment as well. Get the entire family involved and make it a fun experience for everyone.

Emergency Vet Clinics

It’s the holiday season, which means businesses, including your regular vet, may have different business hours over the next few months. Know who to call and how to get there so that you’re prepared if your dog needs emergency care. Bookmark this page so you have it when you need it!

Emergency Vet Clinics in Madison, WI:

Our Doggy Day Jobs Program Is Now Live!

Doggy Day Jobs is a program designed exclusively for program graduates. It’s like Doggy Daycare, but so much more!

When your pup arrives for her Doggy Day Job, she will be surrounded by her puppy friends for a day full of fun and adventure. We’ll sprinkle in lots of play time, lots of training time, and lots of time to bond with the other training pups and their favorite trainers.

When at her Doggy Day Job, your pup will continue improving her skills in a fun and safe environment with a team that truly knows and cares for her (because we helped you train her!). She’ll refresh her leash skills, adventure to parks and local dog-friendly stores, practice recall in the big world, learn new skills like treat toys, and so much more.

Lots of training dogs that come through our programs aren’t the right fit for Doggy Daycare. And that’s OK! They don’t like being around lots of dogs, they’re sensitive to new people and sounds, or they just need more structure in their days to be successful. That’s where we come in!

On any given day, your dog will go on a walk with multiple dogs in our training programs. She’ll practice calm crate manners. She’ll walk calmly in and out of doors. She’ll calmly greet our training team for lots of love and treats. She’ll go on field trips to practice her skills out in the real world. She’ll place (and probably take a relaxing nap) with a room full of other dogs that are also here for their Doggy Day Jobs. You won’t get this level of individualized care, training, and commitment from a doggy daycare.

Doggy Day Jobs are the perfect way to turn your pup’s post-training blues into tail-wagging excitement. Unleash her inner workaholic and join our growing pack of graduates eager to grow and teach our newest trainees exactly what it looks like to be the bark of the town!

Dog-Friendly Business to Visit in Madison, WI

Madison

We believe in getting out and enjoying all that Madison has to offer with our dogs! The following businesses have graciously invited well-behaved dogs into their spaces. We love sharing these spaces with you, so please follow their guidelines and keep your dog on a leash and under control so that they continue to invite us in!

Some of our favorite dog-friendly patios:

Businesses: Dog owners are always looking for new ways to spend time with their dogs! Want to make yourself known as a dog-friendly facility? Let us know and we’ll happily add you to our list and come by for a visit!

Canine Respiratory Disease – What You Need to Know

Hello friend,

Perhaps you’ve heard of the new respiratory illness affecting dogs recently. It has not reached Wisconsin yet, but we want you to be prepared if it should come this way. There are still a lot of unknowns, but there are a few things that we can all do to help keep our community of dogs healthy:

  • If you notice your dog not feeling well, please keep her home. Common symptoms are:
    • Coughing
    • Sneezing
    • Decreased appetite
    • Nose or eye discharge
    • Lethargy.
  • If symptoms persist or worsen, please talk to your vet right away.
  • Don’t expose your dog unnecessarily to groups of dogs right now. This means limiting time spent at doggy daycare, boarding facilities, and the dog park if you are unsure about the health of the other dogs.

What are we doing on our end?

  • We’ll continue cleaning our facility daily.
  • We’ll monitor for any symptoms in our training dogs. If your dog comes in with, or develops any symptoms while in our care, she will be separated from the group and sent home immediately. Don’t worry -you won’t lose any training time. Any time your dog is out while sick will be made up once she’s well again.

As we learn more about this illness, we will continue to support your family in keeping everyone healthy. Please follow along with the Cornell University Vet School for up-to-date information.

And as always, please reach out to any member of our team if you have any concerns. 

Best, Allison

Doggy Daycare VS. Puppy School: What’s Right For Your Family?

Want to get your pup out of the house, playing with her puppies, and learning some new skills? There are a lot of options out there! Before you rush into your closest doggy daycare, there are a few things we want you to consider. Are daycares bad? No, but they may not be the best fit for your family and your goals.

Take a look at what your pup could get from daycare vs. our Puppy School Program! There are options. Make sure you’re choosing the best one for your family.