Ask Allie
Training Tips from Dog Trainer Allie Lowry Q: How do I keep my dog from jumping on everyone she sees? A: Jumping is one of the most common training issues for dogs of all ages and sizes. The reason that dogs jump is not to be a nuisance or to exert dominance over someone, it’s because they’re excited and want to say hello. It’s our job to teach our dogs how to greet people appropriately. Jumping, like any behavior, thrives on attention. Whether your dog jumps up and you pet them or they jump and you yell at them, you’re still giving them attention for the behavior. The best way to stop jumping is to not allow your dog to jump and to ignore them if they do. We simultaneously want to be rewarding our dogs for greeting people appropriately, so that these new behaviors replace the old habit. This sets your dog up for success! Some ways to keep your dog from jumping on people are to keep them on a leash when people are coming through the door and not let your dog greet people while you’re working on their jumping issue. Every time they’re allowed to jump it sets you further back in your training. If they do jump, the best thing to do is to just ignore the behavior by turning around or walking away from the dog. We also want to teach them a replacement behavior like sitting politely for petting and having training sessions with cooperative helpers to reward the dog for getting it right. Allie Lowry, CPDT-KA Head Trainer at Cascade Kennels For more information about our training services, call (425)483-9333
Peanut Butter Valentines Doggie Biscuits Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but your dog is your Valentine every day! Ingredients 3 tbsp. peanut butter 2 cups flour 1/2 cup flax oil 1/2 cup oats 2 eggs 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 1/2 cups water Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat together peanut butter and eggs, then beat in oil and water. Thoroughly mix flour, oats and cornmeal separately. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and blend well to form a dough. Roll out the dough to approx. 1/4 inch thickness and cut into heart shapes, or just slice them into heart shapes for your doggie valentine. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch between biscuits. Bake for 20 minutes until browned.
New Agility Classes in Woodinville Attention agility enthusiasts! There are new agility classes being held at Crystal Creek Farms in Woodinville. Agility instructor, Crystal Fagerness, is going to hold beginning agility classes on Monday nights starting on March 7th. She’ll have two classes called Focus and Fun from from 6:00pm – 7:00pm and 7:15pm – 8:15pm. Classes will be held in the newly resurfaced, covered arena at Crystal Creek. You will have the opportunity to continue on into more advanced agility after completing this too! This is a great opportunity whether you have any plans to compete or not. Suitable for dogs aged 6 months and older. If you would like to sign up, visit her website here, you’ll then need to go to the Contact Us page to inquire about registering.
Fun Fact We all know that chocolate is toxic to dogs, but did you know that different chocolates vary in levels of toxicity? Good to know in case your dog finds a way to snag some of your chocolate from V-Day! The rule is: the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is, as darker chocolate has higher levels of the toxic substances. Click here to check out the pet.md toxicity calculator, a handy tool for evaluating how serious the situation is if your dog steals a piece from your heart-shaped box.
|