Dogs are intensely social creatures that find it hard to spend hours alone each day. Often, problematic dog behaviors can be directly attributed to boredom and loneliness: Chewing, digging, barking, and separation anxiety. Avoid these pitfalls by giving your dog activities to keep him happily occupied in your absence. The ideal combination is one of physical exercise and mental stimulation.

Working out the body. Passing the day is easier if you’re napping. Exercise makes your dog healthier, happier, and much more calm. For absences of a few hours to half a day, be sure to give your dog a workout before you leave. Throw a ball or a Frisbee, play tug, or let your dog play with other dogs for 20–30 minutes. For absences of more than 4 hours, consider getting a dog walker (if you haven’t got one already) or, if your dog is social and enjoys the company of other dogs, enrolling your dog in a doggie daycare.

Working out the mind. Mental stimulation—providing outlets for natural canine energy—will also help to keep your dog out of mischief. Interactive toys come in the brain puzzle variety (hide-and-seek boxes), chew or dissect variety (plush toys with squeakers, Nylabones), and food puzzles (stuffed Kongs, treat balls). If you have only one dog, another good option is the MannersMinder from Premier.

Note: Separation anxiety requires expert assistance. Email us if you see any of the following: Excessive barking, urination or defecation within minutes of your departure, excessive anxiety when you’re getting ready to leave, frantic greetings when you return, digging or chewing at exit points (doors, window frames), self-mutilation, and escape attempts.

1. Hold the pill with one hand. Place that hand on your dog’s lower jaw, the other on his upper jaw. Lift up his head.

2. Open your dog’s mouth and put the pill to the side of the tongue as far back as you can reach. Quickly remove your hand and close your dog’s jaw. 

3. Keep your dog’s head tilted upward and his jaws closed. Encourage him to swallow by gently stroking his throat downward with the other hand. As soon as you think your dog has swallowed the pill, release him and offer him a yummy treat.

(Instructions courtesy of ASPCA)

Few things are more satisfying than knowing you’ve put in a good day’s work, especially when you get to do something for which you feel uniquely suited. And herding dog breeds and breed mixes? Made (literally) to herd. People who share their lives with these energetic and intelligent dogs report that no amount of off-leash activity induces a fraction of the blissful tiredness in their dogs that they see after a couple of rounds on the field with the sheep (or goats, ducks, etc.). Given the number of herding dog breeds—the AKC lists 24, but there are more than 70 worldwide—and their popularity as pet companions, it’s not surprising that many people take up herding recreationally.

A sheepdog trial commonly involves using whistles and calls to direct your dog to move three sheep through an obstacle course of slatted panels and a Y-shaped plywood chute into a pen. But there are many different herding events and different courses within each type. Also, plenty of enthusiasts never compete, but simply go once a week to have fun with their dogs.

Interested in herding with your dog? Check out www.fidosfarm.com for more details.

Treibball (Try-Ball) Urban Herding for ALL BREEDS!

Come and try out the up and coming sport of urban herding with your dog. THIS SPORT IS OPEN TO ALL BREEDS! The game involves your dog "herding" yoga balls into a goal area. We will introduce you to the sport with videos and basic training. We will begin training your dog to push the ball and go out to a mat to get into position. Are you and your dog looking for a fun activity to do together? Come try it out! For more information - click here!

Newton also gets Busy Buddy toys, stuffed kongs, raw bones and bully sticks to help with his new teeth coming in but more importantly his mental stimulation. A tired puppy is a happy owner and Heather is reminded of this on a daily basis since she brought Newton home.

In addition to being joy-spreading, frolicsome, heart-stealing little creatures, puppies are also a great deal of work, and preparation is key to making your puppy’s entry into your life a success all round.

Buy puppy equipment. At a minimum, you will need: Food (everyday meals, chews) and bowls. Puppy crate. X-pen or baby gate. Kong and treat ball. Flat collar, harness for walks. Long and short leashes. Canine toothbrush and toothpaste, nail clippers, dog shampoo, and brushes. A variety of toys.

Set up puppy areas. Create a confinement area (a cozy den for your puppy, despite the penitentiary connotations) for alone time and potty training. The area should be easy to clean and easy to close off with a baby gate. Think kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom. Furnish the area with a bed or crate, a water bowl, and several toys.

Decide on routines and responsibilities. Call a household meeting to discuss with other family members who has responsibility for what and when. Agree on set routines and procedures for consistency. For example: Who will be in charge of the puppy’s house-training routine? Where will the puppy be allowed—on the bed? The couch? Who will walk the puppy? Take the puppy to classes? Practice homework?

Find good dog professionals. E.g. veterinarian, groomer, dog trainer, daycare facility, dog walker, pet sitter, etc. Choose and register for puppy class or hire your private puppy trainer to make sure you get a spot with a top professional. Are you getting your puppy close to a holiday? Then plan well ahead for any sitting or boarding arrangements. The best sitters and facilities get booked up far in advance and you don’t want to risk your puppy having a bad experience.

When the weather gets gross it's often hard to motivate ourselves - or our dogs! - to go outside and play or expend energy.  When dogs spend more time inside, it's easy for them to develop "cabin fever".  There's no reason to feel guilty, though.  While physical exercise is very important for your dog's health, mental stimulation is just as important - and is hugely underestimated.  Playing games or using interactive toys that make your dog think will tire them out just as much - if not more - than physical exercise, and is a great way to supplement your walking and fetch time - and keep yourselves dry!

Play the "find it" game.  Use high-valuse treats and hide a small piece under or behind a toy (you'll need to vary how difficult you make this depending on your dog's personality, etc.).  Make sure they see you hid it.  As they go for the food, say "find it".  Click (or say "yes) as they gulp it down.  Continue to do this, slowly increasing the difficulty as they get the hang of it.  Soon, you can start hiding treats around your house and your dog can search them out.  (Pictured are Zuke's Mini Naturals.  Click here to view catalog.)

Use Busy Buddies to feed your dog their meals.  Put their kibble in a toy - or a few toys - in place of their meals and it'll take them two to ten times as long to get through their meal because they have to work for it!  If your dog has a hard time when they don't get fed in a bowl at their normal time, feed them a quarter of their food in their bowl and the rest just as you leave for work in a couple Busy Buddies.  (Pictured is a Kibble Nibble.  Click here to view catalog.)

Leave your dog with a frozen, peanut butter stuffed KONG or a Bully Stick.  If they don't like peanut butter, use KONG's Stuff'N to fill the KONG.  If your dog really likes to chew, pick up the KONG when they're done and/or get a more heavy-duty one like the KONG Extreme. Bully Sticks are also a great, long-lasting alternative to rawhide, adn they break down in your dog's digestive system much better.  (Pictured is an Original KONG.  Click here to view catalog.)

Behavior issues?  Train your dog this season!  Make her think!  Simply training your dog (especially by using clicker or marker training rather than luring or another method) will make them have to use their brain.  Having trouble with your dog charging the door when the bell rings?  Teach them to go to their mat and stay, instead!  To train your dog to go to their bed, stand a couple feet away from the bed with treats.  If they step on it - even if it's just two feet at first - click or "yes" and treat them.  You can treat them off the bed so they have to walk off of it to get back on it again, or you can treat on the bed and then release them with an "OK" to start over.  Slowly increase your criteria by requiring that they put more feet on the bed, then you can eventually wait for them to sit or lay down on it, depending on what you want.  Don't start adding the cue until the behavior is 100% - you don't want to teach them that "go to your mat" actually means "stand there and stare at me" or "go see what's happening in the kitchen", right?

Toys, Treats & Gear, Oh My!
We're thrilled to announce our new Product Catalog and convenient ordering system!  We've carefully compiled a catalog chalk full of the toys, treats and gear we love most, and they've all been repeatedly dog-tested and approved.  We're forever searching for things to make your canine pal happy, healthy and stimulated, and we've got a great selection right at your fingertips.

Check out our catalog here. Then, fill out the order form (click here) and we'll hand-deliver them to you, free of charge!  It's that easy!

If you have any product or order questions, email us at info@happydoginstitute.com or give us a call: 360.915.7130.

New Class!  Creating a Focused & Calm Dog in Distracting Situations
We're really excited about this class.  It's great for dogs who are over-stimulated, easily distracted and those who are worriers and who get nervous around other dogs and people.  In fact, it's a great class for most any dog we can think of - unless there's nothing that distracts them and they're attached to your hip when you want them to 100% of the time, regardless of location (wouldn't that be nice?).  Click here to download our Fall and Winter schedule.  Click here to learn more about the class and do download the registration form.

Creating a Focused Dog in Distracting Situations   
What Influences Our Dog’s Behavior?
Dogs are dogs.  That’s what we love about them, right?  As clichéd as it may sound, they win us over with their unconditional love and happy-go-lucky attitude.  It’s not so fun, however, when we end up in a situation where we can’t get their attention, especially when their safety is in jeopardy.  How many of us have lost a dog’s attention thanks to a squirrel, a cat, or another dog?

Distractions abound for dogs at any time of year, but become especially apparent in the summertime when we’re outside more often– and so is everybody else!  Don’t be discouraged, though.  Desensitizing our dogs to distractions is absolutely doable, but will require strategy, planning and a great deal of attention.  Think of it this way, though: if you have a dog that is prone to losing focus in distracting situations, you’re already using lots of energy managing your environment.  Putting that energy into helping your dog focus around distractions is sure to pay off in the long run – and you won’t spend the rest of your dog’s life avoiding distractions like the plague!

What Distractions?  What Do We Do About Them?
Distractions come from everywhere, whether we expect them or not.  You may be on a walk when your dog sees a squirrel and almost takes your arm off going after it, or you may find distractions the most problematic when another dog passes by.  The reason our dogs can’t focus in these situations varies, but (generally) regardless of the reason, we can use some fairly basic behaviors to help gain focus when we need it most.  Overall, we want our dog to go “Oh, there’s a dog!  I know what to do in this situation!”  If you think about it, your dog thinks the behavior they’re doing – chasing after it, barking at it, jumping at it, etc. –is perfectly acceptable!  It’s our job to redirect them and teach them what we want instead.

Setting Realistic Expectations & Managing the Environment
We aren’t going to have any success desensitizing our dog to distractions if we start in the middle of a park, ten feet away from squirrels, dogs and kids.  We’ll have much more success if we teach the behaviors we want in our living room where there are no other distractions and slowly add distractions.  Another key is maintaining distance to set our dogs up for success, and slowly building their focus as we move closer to the distraction at hand.  Always remember that changing training venues means we need to go back to square one with our dogs.  Just because they’ll sit and stay in the living room doesn’t mean they’ll have any idea what you’re asking them to do when you request a sit/stay in your back yard.  Dogs don’t generalize well.

Creating Successful Training Scenarios
So, how do you create this environment where you can maintain distance from other dogs, desensitize your dog to distractions and increase their ability to focus?  You can often find success training in a public venue, you just have to pick the right spot and be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Another option is taking a class from Happy Dog Institute!  If you’ve already taken Fun Foundation 1, consider moving onto Fun Foundation 2 and 3 or our Calm Dog Class.  Drop us a line!  info@happydoginstitute.com or 360.915.7130.
 
QUOTE
A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.   -Robert Benchley

NEWS & EVENTS
Go to happydoginstitute.com for more details
 
-We have puppy classes!  Don't miss the most important socialization period for your puppy.  If you have a puppy or know somebody who does, send them our way for classes on Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons.  Have them mention your name and get a free toy or a free pound of coffee as a thank you.  We love referrals!
 
-Private Training Packages: if you need a customized training package to build a foundation with your dog, work on specific behaviors or resolve behavior issues, we're here to help!  We'll customize a package to fit your needs.  If you buy a series of training sessions, you'll even get a discount!  Private training is also ideal for people who are unable to attend our public classes.

-Love Your Pitbull Day will be at Hawks Prairie Veterinary Hospital on Sunday, September 12th from 11-3.  Covenant Creatures is hosting it!  More details to come.  Hope to see you there!

-Work your dog around distractions with our advanced Calm Dog class and our Fun Foundation 3 class.  Check out our website for details: http://www.happydoginstitute.com/classes.

-Do you have a Mini Aussie?  MARS (Mini Aussie Rescue & Support, Inc) is putting on a Mini Aussie Day at Fido's Farm in the Fall.  It looks like the event will be on Sunday, October 10th, but we'll have more details soon.  Happy Dog Institute will be doing Clicker 101, Trick Training, Introduction to Agility and behavior workshops.  It's sure to be a good time!
 
-We're now writing for Pet Connection Magazine!  Pick up a copy for yourself and take advantage of the great advice and local services offered.

FEATURED PRODUCT: RESCUE REMEDY
 
Rescue Remedy! Although the Fourth of July is behind us now, we still look to Rescue Remedy from time to time to reduce anxiety.  It has been gaining popularity recently for use with our pets. There is even a website dedicated Rescue Remedy for pets: http://www.rescueremedy.com/pets/how-to-use.asp. You might give it a try next time your dog is feeling anxious.

TRAINING TIP!
If you're having trouble getting a behavior, examine your criteria and take a step back.  If you're not getting a two minute sit/stay, try for one minute and build from there.
 
SERVICES
Classes - Happy Dog Institute teaches public classes at Fido’s Farm.  We offer basic obedience and manners classes through our “Fun Foundation” track to promote socialization and success.  We also offer specialized classes for certain behaviors such as Recall and Loose Leash Walking.  We also offer Foundation Agility classes and a “Grouchy Dog” class for dogs with aggression or reactivity.
 
Private Training - with Private Training, you’ll get a customized training plan designed just for you and your dog that fits your lifestyle and needs.
 
Day Training - we’ll train your dog for you!  Whether you need help with behavior issues or basic obedience, we’re here to help.  This service is perfect if you have a busy schedule and simply don’t have the time to establish behaviors you are looking for in your dog or solve those tricky problems.
 
Behavior Consulting - does your dog destroy the house when you’re away from home?  Does he bark at the neighbors or passers by?  Is she aggressive or reactive towards other dogs or people?  If so, behavior consulting is just what you need.  With an initial consult with you, we’ll assess the issue and develop a training plan to help ease unwanted behaviors and leave you feeling much more relaxed.
 
Day Visits - physical exercise largely decreases boredom-related behavior issues, including barking and chewing.  Overall, it creates a happier dog If you’re having trouble fitting in regular walks for your dog, or need some help training loose leash walking and/or heeling, we’re here to help!