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Winter Training for Pups – Willow Creek Kennels

Winter Training for Pups – Willow Creek Kennels

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pale woman holding a black and white fluffy dog staring out of a window

Winter time brings shorter days (for most of us it’s dark when we get off work,) colder temperatures, and unpredictable weather. If you are anything like me, this cold weather is not only off-putting but downright gross. I would rather have warm weather, something that is fun to go outside and play with your pups then finding ways to entertain a bored, cooped up, or even moping pet.

Training shouldn’t stop just because we are stuck inside. There are many different enrichment activities we can do with our dogs that give them some training and stimulation and may just keep our boredom at bay.

BARKING

People often ask how we can stop our dogs from barking. Here is a creative indoor game you can try and see if you can minimize that barking. Get a couple of bowls of treats, one for you and one for your furry friend (I’d be willing to share a bowl of blueberries with my dog.) Then stand at the window and discuss stuff until someone passes by, I would do this game when I know my dog has been barking a lot during this time of day. Once you see a person and your dog begins to get riled up take a treat and hand feed them (tell them a story of who is passing by) and use a command that means “quit barking”, like quite or hush. Use a word that is easy to say. Once they are not reactive to that situation, let them down and praise and reward. This may be a way to stop and encourage your dog to look at you instead of outside stimulation.

FIND THE TREAT

Start with 3 bowls and toss a treat across the room. While your dog runs the length of the room (if it’s my Jack Russell Terrier you better believe it will be the longest room in our house) and then drop a treat in one of the bowls. Make sure to give several treats when the dog finds the correct treat before replaying the game.

beagle dog with bone shaped collar play bowing in front of treat on floor

ADVANCED TREAT GAME

Once your pup has successfully picked the correct bowl, now we turn the heat up a bit. We are going to use a muffin tin and preload treats in one tin. Use a tennis ball or if you have a ball motivated dog you can use a bit of crumpled up paper towel and add it to several of the empty tins. Start by making the dog search until they find the treats again give praise and several treats from hand before sending them off again. Once they get the hang of just finding open treats we are going to make it even more challenging by covering the treat with the ball or paper towel. This will give you both some stress relief.

COMPANY IMPRESSIVE TRICKS

If you entertain much and your dog loves to be the life of the party these tricks might impress even the most skeptical people that don’t believe your dog knows anything.

Start with a good smelly treat and place it in one of your hands, teach the dog to touch your hand with their paw and reward with that treat plus a few extras for being so smart. Keep switching it up until your dog hardly ever gets it wrong then try hiding it in your hand behind your back. This will impress even the most cynical friends. This game will also lead to teaching high five (later on down the line).<.p>

I’m one of those that doesn’t always allow my dogs to put their paws on me (dogs that like to jump will think they will get rewarded and that’s not something you want to start). I love to teach this where my dog actually comes to find me or maybe searches out a treat. Start with smelly treats and a towel or blanket. Make your dog sit and stay (if they don’t know these basics we can help) and go behind their back and hide the treat in a towel. Turn your dog around and release them to go find the treats. Follow them across the room and praise when they search out and find the treat. Next go to a doorway and hide the treat around the corner so they have to search and find the treat (if you release them with you hiding with the towel-hey they just found you too!) Do this consistently until they’ve caught on then move on to a room away instead of the corner. This game can build a little or a lot of space and fun for you and your pet.

INDOOR TRAINING

small terrier dog on hardwood floor sittingon back legs

When the weather turns cold and training turns inside you have to start by reinforcing basics. Start with stay and see how far across the house you can get. Remember dogs will only learn how you teach them so if you are walking away saying “stay” and repeating it dogs don’t think they have to stay unless you are saying the command. Give one firm command and walk away if you need to return and praise “good stay” and then continue on. Once you reach your desired distance turn and face your pup and cross your arms and don’t stare them down, look over their head or around the room. Time yourself and increase your time until you have a least a minute or if you want a Canine Good Citizen title from AKC, you will need to work up to three minutes (however that is for them to be not anxious with you being out of their sight).

Next comes spin, roll over, or high five.

 
High Five

As mentioned earlier if you teach your dog to “find the treat in the correct hand” this leaves an easy transition to “high-five.” Please remember if you have a dog that is excessively hyper and jumps a lot teaching it to put its feet on you in any way is praising that behavior and this game may not be for you. When finding the treat, once the dog correctly noses that hand you can then start picking up the paw and putting on the hand before giving the reward. As they are getting more proficient at that step offering their paw quickly turn your hand to face their paw and say hi five, say high or whatever command you will be using.

Spin or Twist and Turn

When teaching spin we use a lure in the hand (treat or toy) and teach the dog to chase it. As your dog begins to move for the treat curl it towards the body and put a command to it. Make sure to teach your dog both directions.

Roll Over

When trying to perform this command your dog needs a good down and to not be stiff, some dogs will not relax if they are lying down and you are hunched over them. You’ll need to get down on the ground with your pup and be able to push them over on their back and from side to side. This will help determine which side they are more comfortable rolling to. Now here comes the food (yes most training is more fun with food, your dog loves to get paid). Once your dog is on a down make sure they are stretched out to the side. Take the treat and as your dog follows the treat tuck it to their shoulder and the motion if quick enough should result in them rolling over or rolling from side to side. The more often they do the rolling motion down and then it’s just working it so they can go on their own. This is by far a harder trick to teach so if your dog does a lot of resisting just try a different one from up above.

The moral of the story is to not let the weather get you down. You can always find creative ways to do something with your dog. If your pups are tearing down the walls or running around acting crazy, you now have a few ways to funnel that extra energy.

Fall Grooming for Pets in Amarillo, TX | Willow Creek Kennels

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The leaves are changing, the weather is growing cooler, and everything is pumpkin spice. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, I just love the colors. That also means a significant change in my dogs from their tip of their nose to the tip of their tail they make me aware that fall is upon us. Here are just some of the reasons why.

Skin and Coat

I know when fall is here because I have to use more moisturizers. This trend is just as applicable to our pets. We tend to see shorter daylight which means we are inside longer, turn on our heaters, and do not realize how dry the weather can be. The dogs also experience these symptoms. We often see a need to up our conditioner in these beginning months of fall to put a bit of extra moisture back in that fur. Dog’s coats will often try to expel the summer dead stuff, and you will see an increase in shedding because of it. The first month of fall this includes short-coated dogs as well. By getting out this dead coat and giving pups a good brushing we can extend their natural oils and make those lovely dog coats healthier and shiny. Once you get all that extra hair, dirt, and dander out of your pet you might just notice a decrease in your seasonal allergies as well.

Paw and Nail Care

As groomers we are always going to tell you dogs nails need to be done at least every six weeks. Dogs’ nails grow in a circle and if you are not one of those blessed people that the dogs naturally wear their nails down, they need professional care. Since they are inside more through these cooler months it will help them with their movement and help (especially elder dog’s) getting up. As the human in the relationship, we do not always see when a dog may be in need of a pad trim. Just like nails, pads are essential for movement. The older pets get the more hair they grow between those pads and are more likely to slip or need aid in getting to their feet. When you have your pet seen regularly, we will keep an eye on that and do that for you, but you can always request that as well. We know dry grass and leaves can be problematic during fall and with shorter feet and tidy pads most dogs won’t drag all that into the house again helping with seasonal allergies. Pads can also be prone to drying and cracking and with a bath we can do an extra bit of moisturizing to keep that from happening.

Grooming

Just because we think that dogs need fur off during the summer (so NOT true) this often leads to the extreme of getting them cut short. Now as we are going into the winter months those coats have had some time to grow out and may be starting to mat up again or tangle. This is the perfect time to keep that coat a bit longer, so they have some insulation and to make a decision to make it a positive transition to winter. Shorter hair may still have the freedom from troubling your pet with clothes that can actually lead to a lot of stress if dogs have to be shaven in several spots so they will be comfortable wear clothes.

The fall season is sweater weather, a nice long walk due to cooling temperatures, and wonderful fall colors. Let you and your pet enjoy it to the fullest by scheduling appointments to get these grooming tips done. We love spoiling your pet and we really are good at doing the hard work for you (if you’ve tried to shave your own dogs nails you know exactly what I mean.) So, this fall season, let us pamper your pets and maybe make your own life a little easier and less hairy.

4th Of July Holiday – Willow Creek Kennels

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Puppy with 4th of July decorations

Happy Fourth of July to everyone. We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. It always amazes me that the news channels and media markets run stories and series around the 4th of July holiday to remind people that pets need to be taken care of and watched out for. We have been asked several times to do news interviews to remind people why this time of year is dangerous for pets. We often have people call days before the holiday to ask to have their pet boarded because they are terrified of the fire works. There are always ways to help keep your pet safe during this holiday and this is what we recommend.

1.) To keep your pet safe always start by assuming this can be a scary holiday for them. Fireworks explode at a much lower altitude than most of your thunder storms. So if you know your dog is not afraid of thunderstorms do not assume they may not be afraid of fireworks. There is also the different volumes of fireworks. Storms are a BOOM sound where fireworks contain POP and WIZZ and much different frequency of sounds. These can be terrifying to pets and may make them act very nervous or afraid. Take steps to make sure they feel safe during these fun light shows tonight.

2.) Fourth of July holiday is the day most family pets are lost, it’s a sad but true statistic. We want you to know that we take extra precautions during the 4th including keeping someone on sight most of the night and keeping a close eye on all the dogs and cats boarding with us until the light shows die down. Although the fireworks are one cause of family pets running away it will not be the only one. The fourth is a very “social” holiday and many people get together with family and friends and their pets accompany them. They also are not used to the crowds of people and the open and closing door and gates and tend to have a chance to run off. Please be aware of these dangers and take precautions to prevent them.

3.) Lastly the dogs and cats have a natural curiosity about them that makes them want to explore everything that is going on. Where in people this is one of the highest days at the ER to see injuries dogs and cats are often seen by emergency vets as well. They want to chase the firework parts that fall out of the sky, or a cat will see a sparkler and think it’s a light to be chased. Where pets can often be comical and we enjoy a good laugh it’s not at their health that we need to enjoy those. These dogs and cats rely on us for all their needs and we need to keep them safe during this holiday.

So remember keep your pets in an interior room in your house. Safe from the doors and if possible help with blackout curtains so they can not see the flashes of light. Keep a radio or TV on in the room to help mask the noise to be had by the fireworks. And make it their special day and have a healthy treat or bone for them to occupy their time because after all, it is