The Training Twister

There is a lot of controversy out there right now about "what is the best way to train" and "what is the most effective technique" and even "where is the line on humane treatment?"

Before we get too far into things here, lets clarify a bit on behavior shaping. 

There are 2 ways that you can shape behavior:

                               Positive: when you add or give something

                               Negative: when you remove or take something away

 

Just in case you didn't notice: 

Green = good, gentle and confidence building

Red =  scary, hurtful and possibly dangerous

Go Green today!

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Pardon me if this post is a bit shitty...

So, I have a confession to make -- Stella LOVES poop!  Bunny berries, doggy doos, kitty krunchies, you name it.  It's her favorite snack. She even dug down under the snow for some poopcicles! And I thought I would have some time off from running around the yard trying to pick the piles up before she did! HA!

Stella's "condition" is not uncommon, it's called Coprophagia.  And, while LOTS of dogs eat poop, no one can say why for sure.  My personal opinion is that she is helping me keep things clean :D  (hey, I can dream, can't I!)  Luckily, my Stella only goes after familiar poop... That at least eases my mind on the issue of worms a bit.

People have come up with many ideas over the years to try to deter this behavior - garlic (toxic), tobasco (toxic), changing food (didn't help here), feed more (just made her poop more), Pumpkin/pineapple/spinach (didn't help), Meat tenderizer/MSG (toxic) --  I found it easiest and most successful to just keep the yard clean!

If you need help keeping your yard clean, Marty Walks Dogs is now offering waste management services -- so in essence, if the cat box needs changed or your yard is full of poop, now there is someone else to do it for you!

Call today for an estimate (based on job size and frequency)!

Happy Valentine's Day

Here's a great Vday treat for your pups:

Beefy Grain-Free Treats
You can make these large or small and even feed them in place of a meal.
Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef—uncooked

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup black beans, cooked—mashed

1/3 cup cottage cheese

Directions:
Mix ground meat and chicken broth in a bowl. Add the black beans and cottage cheese. Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly. Shape the mixture into bones or squares and place on a cookie sheet. You can make them big or little. Bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Let cool.



Why wouldn't you want your dog to eat grain?
If grain allergies drive your dog bonkers you would want to keep this out of his diet.
Symptoms of allergies are incessant scratching, gnawing at the same place and lots of hair loss. But don't jump to conclusions too quickly, these are symptoms of many ailments.

Do you have any great treat recipes? Share them in the comments below!

Tuesday is Product Review Day!

Hello Poppits!  I wanted to let you in on a little secret - I love stuff! I am all about trying new things and finding what works (and what doesn't) for my family.  So, from my furfamily to yours, here is today's product review --

 

Ziwipeak - Air Dried Dog Food

As per the website:

Looking for the best 100% natural dog food, the best 100% natural cat food? You’ve found it!

Welcome to ZiwiPeak, a fresh, natural, raw meat, just air-dried for convenience or canned with sealed-in moisture. All from the cleanest, greenest New Zealand pastures and oceans. Nothing added but goodness in vitamins and minerals. It’s what dogs and cats would – if they could – call perfect. It’s what we call unconditional love.
ZiwiPeak is as close as it comes to a raw, natural, wild diet, without freezing and thawing. So it’s made for your lifestyle as much as your pet’s. We use no preservatives, fillers or grains. Nothing artificial. Just real meat, heart, liver, kidney, cold-washed green tripe and bone, hoki fish and green-lipped mussels, with selected vitamins and minerals. With over 95% digestibility, your pet gets every morsel of goodness. And you’ll use less than most foods. The result? Healthier, longer-lived, thankful pets.

Now, I know what you're saying "Marty, you just told us you feed Prey Model Raw!"  And I do!  However, there are times when raw meat is just not practical -- say, when you're hiking, or you've been gone all day and just can't muster the energy to cut through a giant turkey bone with a pair of quickly dulling poultry shears... 

That being said, the furkids LOVED this food, even if their stomachs didn't feel full from the tiny portion sizes needed.  I loved that it is real meat, minimally processed, and easily digestible. There was minimal change in their poop, mostly just in color. Ziwipeak looks like little strips of beef jerky, so it stores in your cupboard (it does come in a wet variety as well, but I have not tried that) and travels well.  Once it got down to where there was no longer enough to go around I started using it as training treats.

I definitely recommend this food, especially if you only have 1 dog, or only small dogs, as it is pricey.  I will likely keep a bag on hand for traveling and occasional lazy days, but since to feed soley Ziwipeak would run my family about $500 per month (remember, I have 2 large dogs, 1 small dog, and 2 kitties) using this food all the time is impractical for my family. That does not mean it's impractical for yours :)  

4.75 paws (only because of price) 

www.ziwipeak.com

PS- I have not been paid for this review, if you contact the company, they will send you a free sample. 

NILIF

In my home we follow the Nothing In Life Is Free (NILIF) model.  This means that my furkids (yes, I am working on this with the kitties as well) get nothing without payment -- be it laying down for their dinner, or shaking to go outside.  I want my dogs to MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES, so I allow them to make mistakes (to a point -- nothing that would endanger them or others, of course). 

People forget that dogs are ridiculously intelligent (moreso than many people I know) and they WILL learn from their mistakes, IF THEY ARE ALLOWED TO! Fear and domineering do not help a dog learn -- just the opposite, actually.  How clearly do you think when you are scared?

Read the History and Misconceptions of Dominance Theory to learn more.

On a lighter note :)

Aww

This is Lily! Isn't she beautiful?

She is a great little girl! She and Stella loved to play and walk together.  Unfortunately Lily has moved away.  This means that there is an opening in my schedule for a new pup! Could it be yours?

Contact me today to set up your FREE consultation!

And just for your enjoyment here's a pic of Stella doing her Cyborg impression: