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How to teach your dog to say your prayers: Trick or Treat Giveaway Blog Hop

10•18•18

Welcome to the 2018 Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop!

What’s that? you might be wondering.

Well, a whole bunch of pet bloggers got together to teach their dogs tricks AND give away a ton of awesome pet prizes to YOU! All this, btw, is thanks to the pet-blogger-herding efforts of Jodi from Kol’s Notes and Jessica from Beagles and Bargains. Without them, there’s no way I’d have this all together for you today! So, read on to learn about our trick, to see the results, and to enter to win some seriously amazing prizes! (No joke, you guys. They’re SERIOUSLY amazing!)

This post is sponsored by the brands listed in the prizes below!

Trick or Treat Hop 2018

So, here we are! Learning tricks and having fun!

The trick we picked?

Say your prayers!

This turned out to be super fun because John and I worked together on it, something we hadn’t done in a long time. And, it was a good reminder to us about the point of trick training: FUN! More on that in a minute…

A couple weeks ago, I shared an Instagram Story when I found myself with a few minutes of free time, a clicker, and some treats. I figured: Why not? Let’s see if I can get Coop to reliably put his paws up on the couch.

He got it right away, but then I realized that I needed to back up a step. Instead of him walking over and jumping his front legs up to the couch, I needed him to sit first so that he looked, you know, prayerful.

How to Teach Your Dog to Say Your Prayers _ OhMyDogBlog.com

How to teach your dog to say your prayers:

Pick a spot to start. The side of a bed would be cute. Our bed is too high to be comfortable for him, so I went with the couch. Bonus: My couch has a little ottoman that served as a block for him as we progressed. This wasn’t planned, but it worked. More on that in a sec.
Lure your dog to the couch (or bed) so that he’s facing it but right up close against it. When your dog sits (the next step), he automatically shifts back a smidge, so you need him to be super close.
Ask for a sit. You ultimately need your pupper to be sitting super close and facing the couch or bed. He might feel awkward sitting in that spot (Coop definitely did), so it might take a few tries beyond a simple “sit” cue to keep him from backing up away from the couch.
Paws up. Thankfully, Cooper already has a solid “paw” cue, so it took a couple reps of me having my hand on the couch before he got it.
HERE WE PAUSE FOR AN ASIDE: We worked on the sit + paws up for WAY longer than the initial paws up (from a stand). We did get him to do it and sustain it, but… it dawned on me and John that he was uncomfortable in that position. I’ve written about his oddly-splayed back hips before, and this was a time they came into play. He didn’t feel comfy sitting and putting his paws up. And that’s OK! No, his final trick isn’t a “by the books” say your prayers, but circling back to the main point: Trick training is for fun! That’s it! Just fun! And if your dog’s not having fun? You make a change. So, at this point, we swapped from sit + paws up to stand + paws up. You figure out what’s best for you and your dog at this point because, again. FUN.
Chin down. Here’s where things get cute. Your dog carefully places his chin between his paws to look prayerful. This took longer than 1-5 altogether. Why? We have worked for years and years and years and YEARS to get Cooper to look into our eyes. It’s standard reactive-dog training. But, when you hit on something where you need him to actively look away? It flies in the face of what he knows. That’s where the ottoman came in handy. He wanted to physically turn his body toward us, to see us, but he was restricted by that block. Ultimately, we used our well-conditioned touch stick to lure his chin down. If you don’t already have a touch stick that your dog is conditioned to, if he knows how to target anything (your hand, a sticky note) do that. Otherwise, you’ll probably have to lure with a treat in hand. Enclose the treat in your fist. Hold it to your dog’s nose, then slowwwwwwly move it back until his chin hits the couch, then click + treat.

No joke: Steps 1-5 took us about 7 minutes. Step 6? Two 10-minute sessions.

This isn’t a hard trick, but it is super cute.

That said, so many people asked us if we could please teach Violet to say her prayers alongside Cooper. Wouldn’t it be so cute?

Sure would!

She was a hard no.

Training a dog? Super fun and rewarding! Not hard but oftentimes challenging!

Training a toddler? Um. Yeah.

What tricks are you working on with your dogs these days? Any fun challenges or lessons learned? Any good tips up your sleeve to go with those tricks? We’d love to hear them in the comments!

Now for the big giveaway!! You guys. Seriously. Check out these AWESOME prizes and scroll allllllll the way to the bottom to enter to win! Then, visit the other blogs to

GRAND PRIZE:

Petco Gift Card

$350 Gift Card to Petco

**PAID FOR BY ALL PARTICIPATING BLOGGERS**
This giveaway is NOT affiliated with Petco.

SECOND PRIZE:

KONG Assortment

Assorted KONG Dog Toys
$150 VALUE – SPONSORED BY KONG

THIRD PRIZE:

Wellness Pet Food Halloween

$100 in Wellness Pet Food Dog Treats
$100 VALUE – SPONSORED BY WELLNESS PET FOOD

FOURTH PRIZE:

Petcurean Spike Dog Treats

2 Bags of Each Spike Dog Treat Recipe
(8 Bags Total)
$98 VALUE – SPONSORED BY PETCUREAN

FIFTH PRIZE:

Only Natural Pet Dog Treats

All Meat Bites, Jerky Bites, Chicken Chips,
Jerky Strips, All Meat Crispies, and Jerky Wraps
(1 Bag Each)
$78 VALUE – SPONSORED BY ONLY NATURAL PET

SIXTH PRIZE:

DOGTV Prize Pack

6 Month Subscription to DOGTV Online
I and Love and You Fresh All Rover Dental Chews
$66 VALUE – SPONSORED BY DOGTV

SEVENTH PRIZE:

Caru Pet Food Soft n' Tasty Baked Bites

Four Flavors of Soft n’ Tasty Baked Bites,
One Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth,
and One Free Range Chicken Bone Broth
$60 VALUE – SPONSORED BY CARU PET FOOD

EIGHTH PRIZE:

Treatibles Pumpkin Chews

1 Small Bag of 1mg Pumpkin Chews
and 1 Large Bag of 4mg Pumpkin Chews
$56 VALUE – SPONSORED BY TREATIBLES

NINTH PRIZE:

Noah's Bark Dog Treats

Cha Cha Chicken, Bodacious Beef, and Peanutty Perfection
(24 oz Bags – 3 Total)
$56 VALUE – SPONSORED BY NOAH’S BARK DOG TREATS

TENTH PRIZE:

West Paw Dog Toys

Qwizl Treat Toy and Rowdies Toy
$56 VALUE – SPONSORED BY WEST PAW

ELEVENTH PRIZE:

PLAY Mutt Hatter Plush Toy Collection

Mutt Hatter Plush Toy Collection
$48 VALUE – SPONSORED BY P.L.A.Y.

PLUS follow ALL bloggers on
Facebook & Instagram for a chance to win
one of 13 SPECIAL SOCIAL MEDIA PRIZES!

A new giveaway will be posted each day on either
Facebook or Instagram and will run for 24 hours.
Each giveaway will be posted on the co-hosts’
social media pages along with a select group of bloggers.
You can enter on each participating blog’s account for MORE entries!
You have to enter each day for a chance to win that day’s prize.

Co-Hosts:
Beagles & Bargains – Facebook | Instagram
Kol’s Notes – Facebook | Instagram

Plus follow us too!
OhMyDogBlog.com – Facebook | Instagram

WHERE TO ENTER:

Kol’s Notes	Fidose of Reality	Oh My Dog Blog
Beagles & Bargains	It’s Dog or Nothing	Tenacious Little Terrier
A Dog Walks into a Bar	Maggie Loves Orbit	The Broke Dog
Boogie the Pug	McSquare Doodles	The Chesnut Mutts
ChiPets	My GBGV Life	Wag ‘n Woof Pets
Dog Mom Days	My Rescued Life	Wear Wag Repeat

Visit each blog for more chances to win!

Follow #TrickorTreatDogs!

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Thank you so, so much to Jodi and Jessica for organizing this entire thing! We are so grateful to you both!!!

How to Keep Your Dog Busy on a Rainy Day: 5 Indoor Activities

12•04•17

Let’s talk about crazy dogs, shall we?

You guys know me, so you know I say “crazy” with tremendous love in my heart.

I’m talking about dogs like Cooper: high-energy dogs, smart dogs, creative dogs who come up with their owns methods of entertainment when they’re under-exercised or under-stimulated…

Cooper runs. A lot. He does slow neighborhood wogs (walk + jog) with me, and he does long marathon-training runs with John. Yet… he wallops the cats, skitters around the furniture, barks his face off out the window, goes bonkers with his toys, and so on IF we skip a day.

And, honestly, sometimes we have to skip a day because, well, life.

Keeping a high-energy dog busy can be a real challenge, and it becomes even more difficult in cold, rainy, or snowy days when you just can’t get outside. With that season around the corner (OK, actually, it should be here… it’s December… why is it 60? #thanksclimatechange), I’ve revisited some past posts about indoor activities and thought it was time for a refresh.

When the weather doesn’t cooperate with outdoor fun, here are five DIY enrichment ideas you and your dog can do… indoors… to help keep that energy at bay!

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Muffin tin game

Fill the slots of a muffin tin with treats or your dog’s kibble. Place a tennis ball on top of the treats in each slot. Hint: Some active pups quickly learn to tip over the whole tray. If that happens–and you don’t want to clean up the mess each time–try the next game instead.

Paper towel tube puzzle

Stuff a treat in an empty paper towel tube. Crimp down the ends to trap the treat. Let your dog tear, shred, and pounce on the tube to get the treat. Hint: This one is great for cats, too.

Will work for food

Change the way you feed your dog breakfast. Engage his mind first thing in the morning! Rather than plunk it down in a bowl, make him work. If you have time, offer him one bite at a time in exchange for behaviors like sit or high five. If you don’t have time, divide the food among five or six bowls, and hide them around the house before you leave for work in the morning.

Nose work

Dogs love to use their noses. Hide treats around the house, first in obvious places, then with increasing difficulty. Make mealtime a job by combining it with nose work; hide your dog’s dinner around the house, and let him hunt his meal (kind of like above but without the caches in bowls… spread the pieces wayyyyy further). Or, use a snuffle mat like the Wooly pictured above!

Obedience rally

Get your dog thinking by running obedience cues around the house. Have him wait in one room, then call him from another. Practice sits and downs on the bed or work on long stays with distractions. Reward along the way! For dogs who need to blow off extra steam, run the drills up and down the stairs. One family member sits at the top and calls your pup. Ask for a basic cue, like sit, then another family member at the bottom calls and asks for another cue. The physical activity of running stairs, combined with the mental activity of obedience tires out even the rowdiest hound.

Remember, if you’re new at these types of games, your dog will need a little guidance and support at first. Help your pup as needed, and give lots of praise (and treats!) to encourage his efforts.

I had this awesome idea for tonight while Violet gets her bath–we’re going to combine two for an epic wear-out session: While I’m bathing her upstairs and John’s cooking dinner downstairs, we’re going to feed him his dinner by having him do obedience rally back and forth between us in exchange for bits of kibble. My guess? He’ll be asleep before Violet tonight!

If you have a high-energy dog, how do you wear him out? What tips and tricks can you share? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

For another 20 ideas, check out these two posts:

What to do when your dog won’t listen

10•05•17

We have a… joke? saying?… for this mode Cooper gets in. He totally blacks out. He won’t listen. He won’t calm down. He won’t stop. He won’t come or sit or stay.

He. just. won’t.

We say (in his voice, of course), “Cooper isn’t here right now. Please leave a message, and he’ll get back to you when his brain returns.”

We joke, we have to joke, because it is so incredibly frustrating.

Like, when another dog has the audacity to stop to go to the bathroom in our yard. Or when our friend’s kid comes over who he loves more than anyone and they start playing chase and all of a sudden nothing in the world exists except this kiddo. Or when the neighbors tie up their giant hound dog in the front yard and he barks and barks and barks and barks and barks…

Wait. I agree with that last one, actually.

Anyway, when Coop is blacked-out-not-listening, there’s literally nothing to do except clip his leash and remove him from the situation.

Truly, I think that’s a good rule for any dog who’s just gonzo. Clip on the leash and walk away.

But what about those other times? The times when you’re working on something or out and about and your dog looks at you and then… decides to ignore you? You know he knows the cue. You know he’s physically capable of hearing you. And yet.

So, what do you do when your dog won’t listen?

Here’s what I do in a few short steps:

Assess whether he really, honestly, wholly knows how to do what you’re asking him to do. This is super-duper important. Sometimes we make assumptions about skills or knowledge. “Why won’t he jump up on this bench? We practice it all the time at the bus stop, and he KNOWS it!” Are you in a new park? A different street? Is one bench concrete and another wood? Since dogs don’t generalize well and people do, we sometimes assume they’re more knowledgeable than they are. So, step 1: Does your dog really know what you’re asking him?
If the answer to 1 is YES, then the next step is to, first, take a big, deep, calming breath because it’s really annoying when your pup won’t listen, I know! Then, redirect. Your dog is refusing to sit? Ask for a down, and reward when he does it. Ask for a shake, and reward. Refocus your pup into work + reward mode and away from the refusal. Then, after a few distracting behaviors, ask again for what you initially wanted.
If he STILL won’t sit/up/whatever, time to acknowledge that everyone has their limits, and your dog might’ve reached his. End the session. Toss a ball. Do something fun. Or clip on his leash and walk away. Just like among elementary school students, the reasons for ceasing to listen can vary but are usually specific: don’t understand, bored, frustrated, distracted, tired, hungry… etc. As the human end of the leash, it’s up to us to acknowledge that and to stop pushing. Move on. Tomorrow’s another day.

All that said, there’s one big caveat to this: if your dog’s safety is in danger.

If your dog is barreling toward a busy street and refusing to come when called, or if he’s heading toward a pup you can tell is itching for a fight, or picking up a chicken bone or used condom (true stories, Emmett did all those and more at our park in DC!), you might have to shout. Flail your arms. Fall to the ground. Whatever it takes to distract and disengage your pup from the danger. The advice above is more for general around-the-house or training-session assholery.

By the way, I have a TON to share about Ripley and how all that’s going, and this post ties into that directly because for a while Cooper was so fixated on Rip that he would. not. listen. Not to a single word. So, I took my own advice, starting with clipping his leash to his collar. More on that another day…

I’d LOVE to hear what you do when your dog stops listening? I mean, other than quietly seethe about what a jerk he’s being… or is that just me? What are your tips and tricks to regaining focus?

On tenacity, redux

06•23•15

Sometimes the universe just smacks you on the head.

Before we proceed, can I ask you a quick favor? Can you read this archived post–it’s super short–or take a speedy glance? Trust me. You’ll see.

I’ll wait…

Did you glance at it?

Thanks!

OK. Now, that was from two years, one month, and one day ago. Wouldn’t you know it, though… As I was ~~staring out the window~~ working this morning, I glanced up and there he was! (Sorry for the crappy-quality, through-the-screen shot… I didn’t think I’d have enough time to get outside to snap the pic!)

Can you even believe it? Same compression socks, same sweatband, same tenacious gentleman. (Not sure why he’s walking in the grass? Less impact? Concrete too hot?)

Anyway, as soon as I saw him–after I dashed off to snap the pic–I looked up agility classes at the facility where Cooper and I used to practice. Rats. No classes. But then I looked back at that old post, and I was reminded: My goal was never agility. My goal was to build Cooper’s confidence. Sure, agility is a great way to do that, but that’s not the end game.

We’ve made some strides. For instance, yesterday, after spending the entire day at doggy daycare followed by a two-mile walk/jog with John and I, Cooper very calmly greeted neighbors who had a baby with them. Heck, he even wagged his tail and went up to the guy to get some scratches. That isn’t something he used to be able to do calmly. Of course, it took wearing him out thoroughly first, but it still happened!

Doggy daycare is one way we’ve been working on his confidence. He goes alone now–no brothers–and while they tell us he’s doing great, he plays, he loves the people, etc., we have our doubts since he’s never, not once been in the pictures they post daily. It could be coincidence, I suppose, but we sort of suspect he’s just hanging off to the side, not in the action. Which is okay, too, as long as he isn’t uncomfortable. They assure us he isn’t, so we’ll keep it up.

The other thing, since we have few formal training options, is we’ve been hyper-focused on exercise. Cooper and I have been doing the C25K training program using this app (thanks, Erin!!!) and just completed week six, day one. Theoretically, two weeks from today, we’ll be running three miles.

Here’s where the universe smacked me on the head: I hate running. Actual hate. It’s uncomfortable. I don’t know where to put my arms (think: Phoebe). I trip a lot. I have crappy shoes. It takes so much time. Then I have to shower, which takes even more time. And our neighborhood is nothing but hills. Running here is seriously uphill both ways. Seriously.

I have all the runs written into my calendar, and every day when I see the dang reminder, I groan. I don’t want to. I don’t. I’d rather stay home.

And then I saw this guy. I have to imagine it’s hard for him, too. It’s hard to tell in the pic, but he looks like he’s in his 70s. And look at him go!

Then there’s Cooper. As much as I hate to run, Cooper loves it. No joke: I put on the hat I wear when we run, and he starts wagging and pacing and whining and wagging some more. He loves it. He trots along, one paw in front of the other, out in front of me with his ears are back listening for, I don’t know, my last gasping, dying breath.

(Actually, we’ve worked on “wait” at intersections, “let’s cross” to cross the street, and “turn” to stay on the sidewalk instead of cross.)

As we go, Cooper’s confidence is building–demonstrated by his greeting those strangers yesterday–and, I grudgingly suppose, my confidence as a runner will build. Maybe. It’s something to focus on, anyway.

I got my reminder this morning in the form of that tenacious, dedicated elderly gentleman who inspires me to keep at it.

I get my reminder every day from Cooper, the little guy who’s terrified of many things but would rather face down his fears for the chance to get out there and run.

Boredom Busters: 5 ways to exercise your dog indoors

01•19•15

In 2010, we faced an icy winter. Our backyard was a slick sheet, and the sidewalks were a slippery, salty mess. The dogs were going bonkers, so I put together this list of 10 ways to tire out your dogs indoors.

After a few years of working through that list each winter, we landed in Louisiana and faced the opposite problem: It was far too hot to play outside safely. We had worked through that initial list, so I brainstormed 10 (more) ways to tire out your dog indoors.

{{By the way, in case you don’t want to click through all those posts, I’m compiling the full list of 25 Boredom Busters into a handy PDF checklist that will go out with the January newsletter! If you’re not on the list, subscribe here so you don’t miss out!}}

Now, we’re back in Indiana and back in winter. While this has been a mild winter, we’ve had a couple health setbacks that have shortened Lucas’ and Cooper’s walks. They still need exercise – physical AND mental – so I’m back to brainstorming some Boredom Busters for the boys. Here’s my newest list: 5 ways to exercise your dog indoors!

DIY games: I love food puzzles and games. But once they’ve played the same ones a few times, they have it totally figured out, and the challenge is gone. I realized that the puzzles we had in rotation were being solved way too fast to truly keep them busy. I DIYed a few variations to mix it up a bit. First up was this Restuffable, Easy DIY Dog Toy from Kol’s Notes. Piece of cake to make (some basic sewing skills required), and you can mix up what you stuff on the inside. I also made a little “find it” game out of two Solo cups. I cut a slit in the bottom of the cup and inverted it over a piece of food. The boys had to target the cup with their nose to earn the food. To increase the difficulty, cut slits in multiple cups and have them select the only one you put food under – a variation on the shell game!
Take a drive: Now, I’d rather your dog be safe than bored, so this one is totally weather-dependent. If the streets are plowed, though, getting out of the house can be fun! Plan errands like driving through the bank because, obviously, you don’t want to leave your dog in the car, or just hit Starbucks – be sure to order your dog a Puppy Latte! Note: When John does this with the boys, he always warms up the car before they hit the road. I, on the other hand, am apparently cruel and never think to do so!
Tag! This is Lucas’ favorite game in the house. We play it a couple different ways, but the important thing is to figure out what you can do to cue your dog to PLAY. (This article is an interesting exploration of that question.) For Lucas, he gets very wound up if we pretend like we’re coming in for a hug. I need to get video of this or something because it’s really different from an actual hug – like an over-exaggerated “I’m gonna get you!” He leaps in the air and spins around, at which point I take off in the opposite direction. He chases me around until he catches me, then I do the “coming in for a hug” again, and off we go for another round! With Emmett, the only thing that gets him going is if he sees you actively try to hide, like if he’s watching me and I duck behind the couch. He goes, “Uh oh! Better go get my lady!” at which point I take off the opposite way.
Rotate toys: For a very long time, all our dog toys lived in a basket in the living room. The boys would dip in and out, choosing what they felt like playing with – but, over time, it turned into the same favorites got the most attention. So, I picked up about half the toys, stuck them in the pantry, and waited. When they seemed disinterested in playing with toys, I switched out three at a time (one for each boy, attempting to be fair… even though they only want the toy the other ones have). It revitalized several long-abandoned toys, and when I open the toy drawer, they get really excited to see what I’m going to bring out.
Strike a pose: Start an Instagram account for your dog… and teach poses! I thought of this one because we needed some new tricks. We’ve been working on many tricks for many years, so I wanted to mix it up and come up with tricks that would photo well, just for fun, and Instagram is the perfect platform for those performances! Cooper is learning “Eskimo kisses” and I want the big boys to master a “pout” by putting their chins on their paws.

There you have it! If you can get through all 25 ways to tire out your dog indoors, you’re going to have a super fun – and exhausting – winter!! I’m sure with these lists I’ve probably missed something. Do you have any go-to indoor exercises with your pup? What do you do when you can’t get outside? Any fun boredom busters?