As many of you know, I serve on the advisory board for a local rescue group called  Saving Death Row Dogs, we even adopted our latest dog from them (Ziva). I offer behavioral advice, training assessments, and monthly  training seminars for foster owners, adopters, and volunteers because I strongly believe that many dogs are homeless because of behavioral issues. I also volunteer as often as I can at their booths and events and try to spread the "Don't shop, adopt" mantra. However, invariably the answer I usually get from most of my clients is, "I would love to help but I already have a dog." (Makes sense, most people employing a dog trainer already have a dog, right?) So I decided to dedicate this week's entry to shed some light on other ways to help out local rescues. Most of my clients are not in a position to adopt a new member of the family but would love to help out pets not as fortunate as their own.

 Okay, Okay I know, if you cannot adopt a dog you CERTAINLY can't foster one right? Well, I had to include this section for those of you who might be considering adding a new family member. Why not foster? Every rescue is ALWAYS  in desperate need for qualified fosters as much as qualified adopters. Especially groups like Saving Death Row Dogs who rely completely on their foster network. What does this mean? They do not take dogs in unless they have a foster home for them. Yes,it takes a special kind of person to open up their home to an animal and then a few weeks or months later hand it over to its new owner. However, fosters make it possible to help many, many more animals than adopters alone. If you adopt a dog every 10-15 years, you can probably save 5 or 6 lives in your lifetime (which is certainly a wonderful contribution!). However, a foster home that is willing to temporarily house a homeless dog and get it ready for adoption  will save hundreds of lives!

  Another great way to help out pets in need is to simply volunteer. CAART (Capital Area Animal Response Team) does many wonderful things for the pet community including disaster relief but they also provide a service called Pet Food Pantry that can always use volunteers. Their mission is to provide a temporary pet food supply to owners who might otherwise be forced to surrender their pets due to financial hardship. In 2012 alone, the organization distributed 43,046 pounds of pet food and supplies. For more information on volunteering with Pet Food Pantry email caart999@live.com, or call (785) 925-3678.

  Don't have much spare time? You can still help local rescue groups! Social media has changed the rescue game, in a good way! It only takes a second to hit the share button and send a picture to hundreds more computer screens and cell phones. You never know when your simple "share" can make the difference between life and death for an animal needing a forever home! Also consider simply talking to friends in person about adoptable dogs you have seen. Do you have any mass media ties? (Newspaper, Television, Magazine?) suggesting they do a story on one of these organizations can really help them get more donations as well!

If you are looking for a great cause to donate to, there are plenty of local pet organizations that can always use your help! P.A.N.T. (Pet Assistance Network of Topeka, inc.) is definitely a group worth supporting! Topeka is fortunate to have compassionate homeless shelters for individuals and families facing homelessness. But these shelters cannot accept pets, forcing owners to make difficult choices. Concerned volunteers formed Pet Assistance Network of Topeka, Inc. (PANT) to place these pets in licensed animal shelters until the owners’ lives improve and they can be reunited with their pets. To Donate to P.A.N.T, visit their website: http://www.topekapant.org/donations/

  Another great way to support groups financially is to purchase their fundraising items. Not only are you supporting a local animal welfare group, you will get some great merchandise at the same time so it's a win win! Saving Death Row Dogs created a calendar for fundraising purposes, each month displays lucky puppies that have been adopted through the rescue. If you are interested in purchasing a Calendar you can pick them up at Saving Death Row Dogs adoption booths at Petsmart every Saturday or contact me, I will have them available at my training classes.

  Another option for you is a company called Pics Saving Pets. This is truly a wonderful idea! There is a company based in Oklahoma that makes photo gifts and donates 50% of the proceeds to the animal charity YOU choose! Helping Hands Humane Society is one of the listed charities on their website .   http://www.picssavingpets.com/how_it_works.html

   This is wonderful for anyone who is creative or likes to plan and organize events.  Organize a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to a local animal charity! We have had several kids get in on the action! Whether it is something as simple as a Lemonade stand or bake sale or takes a lot of time like the two girls who sold home made toys and blankets at a booth at Fairlawn Plaza, every little bit helps more animals get the vet care they need and find the homes they have always dreamed about!

  Rescue groups are constantly networking with other rescue groups across the country to get homeless pets into foster homes or forever homes. This means many dogs need to be transported from one part of the country to another. Are you planning a family road trip? Consider contacting your local animal rescue groups to see if they might need a dog transported somewhere that is on your route already! Or if you are a real animal lover, maybe plan the vacation you were going to take anyways around a dog who needs a ride to his new forever home!

  Overpopulation is certainly not the ONLY issue in the topic of homeless pets but it is a big one. There are many reasons not to spay or neuter your pet, but not any good ones! It is better for their health, they will be a more enjoyable pet, you will not "accidentally" incur extra mouths to feed, the list goes on. Stepping off my soapbox, I know this procedure can be expensive. If you or someone you know is postponing spaying or neutering their animal because they cannot afford it. There is a wonderful organization in Topeka called  Critter Care that helps owners who want to do the right thing but do not have the funds. They would be a great organization to donate to as well! 

  Finally, please spread the word to other pet owners that if they are having behavioral issues with their dogs, there are resources out there to help! Many dogs get surrendered to shelters  and the owners never attempted to address the issues for their surrender. Some don't have the time or patience, others truly don't realize that many behavioral issues can be altered, changed, or at the very least managed.I offer monthly training seminars on various training topics, 100% of the proceeds donated to Saving Death Row Dogs. I am also offering
 FREE POTTY TRAINING SEMINARS EVERY SATURDAY IN JANUARY!
So if you know someone who has recently acquired  new puppy, please tell them about this free service. Also, there are several options in Topeka for Training Classes including myself, Happy Training, Petsmart, Petco and Helping Hands Humane Society, surely one of us has a class that fits your scheduling needs!

  So just because you already own a dog, don't have very much time, don't have very much money, or perhaps all of the above, don't  tell yourself you cannot help! There are many many ways to help local animal charities that most people do not realize or simply overlook. These groups do a wonderful service to the community. It is exhaustive, hard work that many times ends in heartbreak so please support these LOCAL groups!

Here are some helpful links to the organizations that I mentioned this week:

SDRD- http://savingdeathrowdogs.com/

CAART -http://shawneecaart.org/

PANT- http://www.topekapant.org/

HHHS- http://www.hhhstopeka.org/home0.aspx

Critter Care- http://www.crittercareoftopeka.com/

Many dogs start to exhibit bad behaviors simply because they are bored. I cannot tell you how many times I have had an owner call me about behavioral issues, I tell them they have a breed that is known for its high energy/drive and they reply, "Well he gets PLENTY of exercise, I have a big yard, you know!" Unfortunately, there are at least three things wrong with this statement. 1. A backyard may be less static than the inside of your house but it will still be a little like running on a treadmill for your dog (B-O-R-I-N-G). How would you like to stare at the same 4 walls all day long? 2. Even if your dog is content to chase his shadow around all day in his yard (which is not likely), your dog is ONLY getting physical exercise and not mental stimulation. 3. Exercise and Mental stimulation should be used as an opportunity to strengthen your bond with your dog, so unless your out in that yard running around with him, it doesn’t count. Since weather does not always permit playing outside, I have compiled a list of Brain Games that will help challenge your dog mentally.
 Trying to physically wear them out is only half the job!

Fetch
I know, I know, you already know this one right? However, I have a couple of new thoughts on this old game that challenges your dog mentally AND allows them to practice their self control. First, make them do a command to get you to throw it. For instance, ask them to sit, then toss the toy for them to retrieve. Each time ask for a different command to keep them guessing! You can really challenge them by seeing if they can Stay while the object is thrown and wait for you to release them to run after it. When they bring it back mix it up with them again, sometimes ask them to drop it, sometimes play a little tug with them (but ONLY if you have a reliable drop it command), and sometimes just let them happily prance around with it for a few minutes while you pet them. This way they won't associate you reaching for them with something being taken away. Toss the item out of sight or in a hard to reach place and see if they can retrieve it.

The Muffin Man's
Best Friend
Have a muffin tin? Have some tennis balls? Have some treats? Then you can play this game with your dog! Take a muffin tin, let your dog see you place a treat in each cup, then place a tennis ball on top of each treat in the muffin tin. Set it down and let your dog figure out how to get the tennis balls out. You can mix this game up by either using balls that have different shapes or textures or by only putting treats in some of the cups so the dog has to figure out which cups contain a prize! Credit for this game goes to Julie at Dog Day Afternoon, thanks Julie!

Hide and Seek
This game is a great way to mentally challenge them, physically wear them out, AND practice their "Come When Called" command! This game is better played with more than one person unless your dog can successfully do a Stay while you are out of sight. Person 1 is in the kitchen and person 2 is in the bedroom. Person 1 calls the dog, when he gets to them, he gets a treat! Person 2 calls the dog, while the dog is going to the bedroom, Person 1 switches from the kitchen to the living room. When Person 1 calls the dog back to him, the dog will run right to the kitchen and be amazed you disappeared! He will then have to use his eyes, ears, and nose to locate you. They LOVE this game! Of course while he is finding Person 1, Person 2 is finding a new hiding spot. You can slowly do more and more difficult hiding spots (the shower? In the closet? Under the bed?!) but you want your dog to understand the game first so they do not get easily discouraged when they cannot find you.

Shell Game
Take 3 Solo cups, the disposable pots your plants came in, or even party favor boxes. Teach your dog to "target" the box for a treat. Targeting usually means the dog either puts his paw on the box or touches it with his nose. Once you have him targeting the object for the reward. Place 3 boxes out with only one containing a treat and let him figure out only targeting the box with the treat in it will get him rewarded! This game gets him using his nose!

Homemade Pupsicle
 Next time you buy your pup a new bone, submerge it in chicken broth and put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen let your dog enjoy figuring out how to get to his new treasure (I guarantee he will love every bite)! Be sure to put the pupsicle in a bowl, let them work on it in their crate or outside in case it starts to melt! I wouldn't want to be responsible for
 someone's carpet permanently smelling
 like chicken broth! :)

Find it
Get your dog to using his nose in a way that doesn't lead him to the kitchen trash (that he does on his own!). Start by tossing out treats where he can see them and saying "Find it". Once he has the hang of the game, let him see you place the treat out of sight and say "Find it". Slowly build his confidence in going after something he cannot see, then gradually make the hiding spots more difficult. Once you feel your dog has good search confidence and is certain there is something to be found when you say "Find it", start hiding treats when the dog is out of the room and see if he can sniff those treats out!
For more nose games like Find it and
 the Shell Game, consider taking one of my
Scent Classes!

Tricks of the Trade
 So you have gone through basic obedience and you know you need to keep your pup's mind sharp by practicing his commands but you are getting a little tired of the same ole same ole curriculum ( and so is your dog!). Teaching your dog tricks opens up an endless array of possibilities! Right now I am working with a brilliant little dog who shall remain anonymous :). In three days he has learned Naptime, Beg, Spin, Shake, and Paws up! He learns so quickly that the only way to keep him challenged are games like the ones listed or learning new tricks! There are great tricks on Youtube as well as great books out there, check out our Pinterest board "Books we LOVE" for the Trick book we recommend or our "You Tube Inspiration" board for great tricks to keep your dog challenged! Also, look for us to be hosting Trick classes in the future!

 

Word of Warning
 In doing some research for this blog entry, I did come across some ideas that I was NOT too keen on. Some games you might see online can encourage behaviors that you may not want to encourage. For instance, taking an empty cereal box , putting treats in it,  sealing it up, and letting your dog rip it apart is encouraging destructive behavior. Or taking an old sock, putting treats in it and tying the end off can encourage your dog to raid your laundry basket. I would even be careful about making homemade puzzle games out of empty plastic containers. You may not be able to keep your dog out of your recycling bin! P.S. these are all real life stories owners have personally told me! Instead think of games like the muffin tin game that asks your dog to manipulate objects that are not necessarily "off limits" like tennis balls. I also saw some ideas that could be dangerous to your dog (like putting peanut butter inside of an old toilet paper tube) I don't know about you guys but I am pretty sure my dog would eat peanut butter flavored cardboard. Not only is that encouraging bad behavior, it is also allowing them to eat something they shouldn't which can cause at minimum and upset stomach, at maximum a costly trip to the vet!

So do your dogs a favor and try out some of the games a listed above, and before you know it  they will be thanking you for the fun and you will be thanking them for less bad behavior!

  Nature or Nurture? There is no end in sight to this debate. Are our dog's personalities determined by genetics or their environment? I believe realistically it is a mixture of both, however, I would like to share a few personality types that are many times created by the owners actions. Many times I have jokingly heard the question, "How much of this is actually the dog and how much of it is the owner?". Usually its about 80% the owner and 20% the dog! Here are a few personality types that can hinder training, what causes them, and how to manage them.  They can be genetic but are often caused by the dog's environment.

  Does your dog go through your house looking for things to get into? When in a new situation does he do the same? When he finds a novel item, does he automatically assume it is his to do with what he pleases?
If you said yes to the questions above, your dog may have an Opportunistic personality!

What causes it? Some breeds are naturally more curious than others (Terriers, for instance), making them more prone to this personality. However, many times this personality is fueled by a puppy not getting enough supervision. We may think it is cute when our tiny puppy runs into the living room from the kitchen with an  empty pop bottle out of the trash and tosses it around, but it is learning how to be opportunistic. Not only is this puppy developing the habit to take any opportunity that its presented with to amuse itself, it will actually go looking for things to pass the time! That puppy isn't so cute when he finds your shoe in the closet and decides to toss it around and play with it, is he? Unfortunately by letting them play unsupervised and not seeing the harm in allowing him to find his own amusements, we are setting ourselves (and our dogs) up for harder times ahead. 
How do we manage it? When you get a new dog, whether it be a puppy or an adult rescue, they will be developing their own picture of the world for the first 1-2 years they are with you. It is SO important at this time to not allow them to be unsupervised or leave things out you wouldn't want them to get into. Once they have developed their picture of the world, you can become more relaxed with your vigilance because once a picture is developed, it is much harder to change!

 Does your dog insist on being first at everything? Does he push you out of the way to get out the door first? Do you feel like he sits "on" you and not "with you"? Does he seem to put his own wants and needs ahead of yours? If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, you may have a selfish dog!

What causes it? Once again, some breeds can be genetically predisposed to this personality type, usually breeds that are fast learners, highly intelligent, and like to be in control of the situation. However, owners can be just as guilty as genetics. Think about it, when we bring home that new bundle of fur, its so darn cute we would give it anything it could ever ask for, before it even asks for it! We leave food out for it to eat whenever it wants, we feed it treats "just because" and we abandon crate training and let it sleep in our bed because it is obviously "emotionally scarring" to be in that crate with all the horrible crying they do while they are in it! Wow, I wish someone treated me like we treat our brand new puppies! All of their hearts desires without asking anything in return! How do children turn out that have been treated this way? Selfish. So do our dogs!
How do we manage it? Don't get me wrong folks, my dogs are S-P-O-I-L-E-D, however, they are spoiled in the ways I choose, not in the ways they demand. For more on this topic check out another blog I wrote:  How to Spoil Your Dog. You can still give your dog MOST everything he wants (the neighbor's cat is OUT OF THE QUESTION, right?). Just make sure he does something to earn it. It can be as simple as requiring him to sit in order to get petted, or sit to get the leash put on, or sit politely so you will open the door for him, (get the pattern? :p).

 Does your dog seem to be very strong willed? Does he always seem to outlast you on matters where you disagree? Is he so determined to get what he wants in a certain situation that he will turn down motivators that usually work (like food)? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might have a Perseverant dog!
What causes it? Some breeds are more prone to perseverance, once again it depends on the job they were originally bred to do. However, I have seen many, many owners unfortunately foster this personality type within their training program. When we talk about getting rid of behaviors that we don't like, we call it extinguishing behaviors. We remove the reward, the behavior goes away. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, we often experience what is called an Extinction Burst. When a behavior has worked for a dog in the past,  once you remove the reward, it WILL try the behavior harder before giving up on it. Some owners mistake this reaction as a sign that their training methods are lacking, not necessarily! It may mean the dog is showing its frustration at not getting rewarded. Some owners decide to give in at this moment, fearing they are making the behavior worse. Unfortunately, if this is you, you just taught your dog what perseverence is! "If I tell you to stop doing something that you really want to do, just try a little bit harder and then I will give in."
How do we manage it? Make sure you are always patient and consistent with your pup. When you decide to give something new a try, stick with it long enough to make sure it isn't working before giving up on it. Otherwise you run the risk of letting them think they won!

  Does your dog seem to be more fearful than curious about new situations? Does he tend to be anti-social and hide behind you in new social settings? Does he seem to need your constant reassurance to cope with new situations? If you answered yes to any of these questions, than your dog might be a Scaredy "Cat" (pardon the pun!).
What causes it? Many of the smaller breeds lean towards this personality type naturally. It's a dog eat dog world out there and they might as well be wearing Milkbone Underwear with as small as they are! It's no wonder that without the proper socialization and support from their owners they become menaces to society that are only comfortable in their owners arms (hence the name, "Armpit Piranhas"). However, is it more than just their size that can cause this type of personality? Absolutely, I have seen dogs as big as German Shepherds relegated to a glorified puddle on the floor because their owners made a very easy mistake to make. As humans, we tend to want to comfort something that is scared or worried. Unfortunately, many times dogs are confused by our coddling. They do not understand the words we are saying, only the our body language and tone. Our body language and tone minus the words, sounds a LOT like praise! Many times , even though we are simply trying to make them feel better, we are accidentally encouraging and fostering the emotions they are feeling!
 How do we manage it? Most important: TONS of early socialization, especially for the toy breeds. Group training classes, play groups, doggie day care, whatever it takes. While doing the socialization, make sure you are doing all you can to encourage them to face unfamiliar situations instead of hide from them (read: do NOT pick them up and coddle them every time they are worried unless the situation is unsafe for them!). NOTE: make sure the places you take them to are SAFE and provide STRUCTURED socialization. Taking them to an off leash park where they may get picked on by another dog will only teach them not to trust your judgment.

 Does your dog seem to get an idea in his head and demand it? When he plays with other dogs, does he ignore if the other dog signals that they need a break from play? If you had a treat in your hand that your dog wanted would he try to intimidate you into giving it to him? This personality profile deserves a special note: the label "Bully" personality in no way refers to any of the specific breeds that are commonly referred to as Bully Breeds (i.e. Pit bull, bullmastiff, mastiff, etc.) rather, it is meant to refer to the type of bully your child may experience at school.
What causes it? Some breeds which were originally bred for guardian or protection work tend to take on this personality type quite easily ( if you had a guard dog, you would probably want him to demand things be his way, right?). However, this personality can easily be fostered by rewarding this type of behavior. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the following scenario in one of my classes: Owner is holding a treat in its hand getting ready to ask the dog to do something, trainer comes over to explain something, dog gets impatient and wants the treat, dog shoves his nose into owners hand, owner (who is preoccupied with what the trainer is saying) gives treat to the dog. Dog just got rewarded for Pushy, Bully-like behavior!
How do we manage it? Be careful not to reward your dog in instances where he DEMANDS to get something. Even if it would make life a lot easier in the moment, realize that by rewarding that you are creating an entire personality that will need to be addressed eventually. Watch your dog when he is playing with other dogs (or children) make sure he honors requests to take a break, don't expect the other dog to take care of it.

 Does your dog constantly nag you for attention? Is it impossible for your dog to entertain themselves? Do they seem to constantly need reassurance or physical contact with you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your dog might have a needy personality!
What causes it? Many breeds that were bred for a job that required them to work side by side with a human 24/7 are prone to this type of personality. A needy personality can quickly morph into a case of separation anxiety. For more on separation anxiety, check out my previous blog: Separation Anxiety: What is it, what causes it, and what to do about it. Unfortunately, we can be guilty of fostering a needy personality unbeknownst to us. When we first bring home our new bundle of fur, its hard NOT to take it everywhere with us. It is so cute and cuddly that it is with us nearly 24/7. Fast forward to a few weeks down the road, our puppy isn't quite so small anymore and it's ACTIVE. It becomes much harder for us to take it with us so we leave it at home. What we don't realize is that, while we may have spent the first few weeks religiously working on potty training, sit, and come when your called, we  have not spent much time at all on separation. Another scenario I see a lot in this category is this: Owner is sitting in class trying to pay attention, dog starts to whine, owner puts hand on dog to stop the behavior, behavior stops! But the behavior only stops because the dog got what he wanted, ATTENTION! This response is misleading because while the behavior stops in the moment, you have actually unknowingly made the behavior stronger!
How do we manage it? Start off on the right foot with your new puppy, even though it is hard to part from that cutie, spend as much time crate training as you do with his other areas of training. It will teach him how to be alone and how to entertain himself. Trust me, you will thank me later!

  While it is true that some dogs seem more prone to certain types of behavior, we can choose to manage and minimize that personality or foster and grow it, make sure you make the right decisions with your dog!