Dog World Records Graphic created by Pet365 – a UK supplier of dog coats, collars and beds.
Teach your dog not to jump up on people
Dogs may jump on people either as a friendly greeting, or to show dominance. It’s natural for a puppy to jump up on other dogs and people. Many people find it cute when dogs are small or puppies, and encourage it by petting them. However then when the dog gets big, jumping up ends up being not enjoyable or even dangerous. Teaching all puppies and dogs not to jump up on people can prevent children, seniors, and less dog-savvy people from getting hurt or scared. It helps a pup understand that people have different rules than other dogs – it’s good doggie manners!
Here are tips to train Miss Jumping Jellybean not to jump up on people:
- Turn away and ignore Jellybean jumping up. For this to work, EVERYONE must be on board: family, visiting friends, everyone must be told “TURN & IGNORE when Jellybean jumps on you!”
- Be still & quiet. Kids and people that squeal, make noises, or move around when a dog jumps on them are rewarding the jumping up! Kids sometimes understand this better when you tell them “be a boring tree”.
- Don’t look at Jellybean. Just looking at her is also a reward!
- Reward for standing! Once Jellybean puts all four of her paws on the floor, everyone can look at her, pet her, talk to her, praise her! If she jumps up again, return to being a boring tree until she’s four paws on the floor again.
- No contact. Never use your knee, hands, feet or legs to push into a dog that is jumping up. That is physical attention – again, a reward, the opposite of what you want to do when Jellybean jumps up. Crossing your arms will help keep your hands out of the mix.
- Ouch! Never step on their back toes or squeeze her front paws!! That painful punishment is just not necessary, and doesn’t make them understand what they should be doing instead of jumping up. (And sometimes dogs will then try to “squeeze” your front paws aka hands back – with their mouth!)
- Sit! If she’s sitting, she’s not jumping up! Chewy has a great article on teaching sit.
- Stay! Teach her the “stay” command, and have her “stay” as you come in and out of the front door. Lots of rewards when she holds her stay when you come through the door! Then get friends and family to practice with you.
- Play & shake! Some super energetic dogs do better shaking a toy or catching a ball when greeting someone new, rather than sitting for petting. Keep a toy by the front door or with you out on walks when you might meet people, and use it as both a distraction and reward in addition to the praise when they meet someone and don’t jump up.
- Take a training class. Learning basic commands will help Jellybean listen when you say “sit” and to improve her overall control of herself and ability to listen and take cues from you about what you like and don’t like. You’ll also then have the help of a professional trainer if you are facing a challenge with jumping Jellybean even after consistently following the tips above for a few weeks.
Last but not least, remember to focus on what the behavior you want, the behavior Jellybean is doing that you like. Praise her for it, let her know, and pay attention to that — what we focus on grows, especially with dogs as it’s all reinforcement to them!
If your dog just can’t stop jumping for joy, you may want to talk to your trainer about giving her “jumping outlets” and structured time when you ask for a jump and she can release that urge at the appropriate times. Putting “jump” on command is a great way to let her know it’s not ok to jump other times. Just remember to give her jumping time – like in an agility course or out on a hike – so she can remember it’s now become a command. And hey, you could always try jumping with her for some fun!
Knowing What to Feed Your Adopted Sugar Gliders!
Sugar gliders are small marsupials of the gliding opossums group. If you recently adopted a sugar glider you might know that they are nocturnal and sleep during the day. You’ll want to make sure you are ok with their active nightlife before adopting this type of pet! Sugar Gliders are extremely social beings and so adopting more than one is recommended. They are used to living in groups and this way they can be companions, play together, and also help keep each other warm!
Pet Sugar Gliders are prone to low calcium levels and obesity – common issues due to improper nutrition. They need certain foods, and variety is best for this species. Not sure how or what to feed your adopted sugar gliders? Click here: http://www.peteducation.com/
You can find Sugar Gliders for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com under the “small animals” search at http://www.adoptapet.com/other-pet-adoption.
Bay-Bay: Wet Nose Guide Featured Pet!
We’re so happy to be partnered with the dog-loving folks over at the Wet Nose Guide! They feature pets for adoption from Adopt-a-Pet.com to help them find loving homes, like Bay-Bay. This beagle/foxhound mix may be young, but he’s not your typical energy-crazed puppy. He is very sweet, and super playful. He even entertains himself with his favorite toys! At first, he may be standoffish with new people, but warms quickly. He doesn’t discriminate on who is allowed to give him love, either. He is good with people of all ages – he gets along well with children. And, because he’s a puppy he not only loves cuddling, but he also needs to be potty trained. He has difficulty going when he’s on a leash. Owners with a fenced-in yard would be the perfect place for Bay to grow. He is a great walker, and is quick to socialize with other pups. Plus, who can deny that face?
Bay is available in the Freeport, Maine area through Tall Tails Beagle Rescue. If you’re interested in adopting Bay, visit his Adopt-A-Pet.com page at http://www.adoptapet.com/pet6058359.html for more information.
Adopting a Cat: Emotional Choices
Just when we think our friends over at The Way of Cats blog have covered every possible topic relating to cats, they post yet another great article that makes us think, educates us, and amuses us! Their latest is titled “Cats Who Are Attracted To Us” but as is their style, they start off on what seems like a totally different topic at first, which is the huge range of emotions an adopter can feel when walking into a shelter and seeing the cats for adoption. Then they delve into how that emotional response evolves into a connection, and some of the emotions that could motivate you to pick a cat that might not be the best match for you home. Then… well, we’ve given enough away for now! You can read on to find out the rest below…
Pamela writes: “My friends like to tease me that I will choose the “most pathetic kitten in the shelter.” It’s not that I choose them because they were pathetic; I chose them despite their pathetic-ness. I chose Reverend Jim and Olwyn because they were the right type of cat for our situation. But also because they both reached out to me and declared they liked me on very short notice.
This is like going out with someone who we know likes us. We have a head start on the relationship.
It’s not that people don’t use emotion when they choose a cat. It’s that they often use the wrong ones.
Nostalgia. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a cat who looks a lot like a favorite, past, cat. As long as we realize we are getting a new cat; not a replay of our old one. We can grow fond of a Maine Coon Cat’s cuddling style or the talkativeness of a Siamese. Discovering which breeds we love can help guide us to suitable choices. But we must never expect a “replacement” cat. This will disappoint both of us.
Amusement. I see it over and over; people are captivated by the little clown who has endless antics. They bring them home to the mild-mannered older cat who has never lived with another cat. This is the operating springboard of most situation comedies. But we don’t want to actually live with this much conflict. By all means bring home the lively little one, only make sure they have a playmate. If our existing cat or cats will not fill the needed position; there’s a whole roomful of applicants right there.
Aesthetics. Oh, the pretty ones. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a beautiful cat; unless that is the only reason they attracted us. This can often take the form of seeing a “purebred” and finding the prospect so appealing we overlook warning flags about this cat’s suitability for us… or even, at all. Many people will go for the cheap purebred, discover the serious issues that come from ignorant breeding of a restricted gene pool; and abandon the cat. It’s not that such cats cannot be good pets; my Chantilly/Tiffany rescue, Smokepuff, was both gorgeous and sweet. But he also had problems my vet agreed could have a genetic origin.
Pity. I only get the “most pathetic” if that cat has problems I know how to fix. A kind heart that overrules a cool head is the quickest way to take on far more than we can handle; and then find our whole household disrupted. It is delightful to bring a shy cat from their shell, rehabilitate a little bag of bones, or turn an aggressive cat into a love bug. But we must be prepared that our efforts might only make these cats more comfortable being the way they already are. This will make for a happier cat, but might not bring much change to their outward behaviors.
These are all strong emotions, but better expressed when applied to a cat who is suitable in many ways; not just this one.
People who don’t feel much confidence in their ability to figure out cats will feel reluctant to choose. That’s why choosing a cat, who chooses us, means so much. It means we’ve already demonstrated the ability to emotionally communicate.
In my experience, humans make a fundamental mistake when they do not use emotion to make an emotional decision. We are looking for a cat to feel close to. That is not a given.
Except when we choose for it.”
For more about choosing cats from an emotional linkage, see The Way of Cats post on Feeling the Connection.
Dog Training: How To Train A Dog Not To Bark
Is your new dog constantly barking? Discover the potential reasons behind the barking and find effective methods to stop it.
One of our lovely Adopt-a-Pet.com fans asked us to blog about how to stop our dogs from barking when we’re not home. Well, your wish is our command! First, it’s important to understand why dogs bark. They bark to communicate, just like we speak. Some common types of barking include alert barking to let you know of something, defensive barking to avoid or stop something the dog doesn’t like, attention barking for your attention, frustration barking when confused or stressed, and boredom barking which occurs as an outlet for the dog to amuse himself. (Check out Karen Pryor’s books for more detailed explanation of why dogs bark.)
Not all barking is a problem. Often it’s a natural way for your dog to tell you he wants to go outside or is hungry. But when dealing with your dog barking excessively, take into account that it’s often a symptom of another problem such as anxiety or boredom. The barking is a symptom and will not go away until the source is addressed so consider what is going on for your dog that is causing him to bark before devising a plan of action.
For example, if your dog is barking for attention, one of the most effective ways to handle this is to remove what he wants – your attention – when he is barking. When he stops barking, give your dog all the attention and love you can! He will soon learn that being quiet gets him what he wants and will pair barking with your ignoring him. If your dog alert barks when someone comes to the door thank him for his help and let him know you’ve got it under control. Then throw a ball or a toy he likes to get his focus off of alerting you and on to a game. You can also teach your dog to be quiet on command with the help of a trainer or dog training class. By teaching your dog to bark on cue, you can also teach him to be silent.
If your dog barks when you are gone, accept that the environment and set-up you have is reinforcing his barking. And barking is, unfortunately, a self-reinforcing behavior which becomes a learned habit. So if you want to stop your dog from barking when you’re not home, change the set-up that is inadvertently reinforcing the barking. For instance, if your dog barks when he’s alone in the backyard, try keeping him inside in a crate instead when you’re gone. (Please note: a dog should not be kept in a crate for more than 6 hours at a time – see our How to Crate Train article.) If you think certain street sounds trigger him while you’re gone, try leaving classical music playing to calm him, or check out special soothing dog CDs for such purposes (like www.throughadogsear.com). If your dog barks at people or other dogs passing by a window, draw the blinds or keep the dog out of the front room except when you’re there to address the problem.
Keep in mind that your dog might be barking when you leave home because he is simply bored. Is your dog getting enough exercise and stimulation? If he is good with other dogs, consider adopting a second dog so they can keep each other company and play while you’re gone, or try fostering a pet with a local rescue group to see if that helps relieve the boredom and barking. Experiment with giving your dog a chew toy like a bully stick or Kong (best when filled with peanut butter or treats) to keep him occupied while he’s home alone. Give him a chew treats as a project to work on right as you’re walking out the door as this will help keep him busy and also positively associate your absence. Try only giving him these high value chew treats when he’s home alone. (Please note: if you have more than one dog, do not leave them unsupervised with high value chew treats as they may lead to fighting.) See my past article on When to Give Your Dog a Chew Toy for more on this topic!
In sum, watch and listen to your dog. What is causing him to bark when you’re home? Those are good indicators of what is causing him to bark when you’re not home. Then figure out how can you alleviate these triggers for him and set him up to succeed barklessly!
Katya Friedman is Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Director of Partnerships and Promotions and a certified dog trainer.
Stray Pets: What to do if You Find a Stray Pet
Found a stray animal and not sure what to do? Here are ten tips to guide you.
Losing a pet can be a traumatic experience for a pet owner. If you find a stray animal and you think it could be someone’s pet, it’s important to do all that you can to reunite the animal with its owner. Here is a list of things you should do if you find a stray animal.
- Approach with Caution – A frightened, injured, or feral animal may act aggressively or bolt away. If the animal looks threatening or makes you feel uneasy in any way you should stay away and notify your local animal control center. If you do decide to approach the animal, speak calmly and warmly and make sure you are clearly in views.
- Assume there is an Owner – Although the pet may seem afraid, this may be his natural behavior, even at home. His appearance may also be deceptive – if he has fleas, seems malnourished, or has an injury, it may simply be because he has been lost for some time. It’s best to assume the animal has an owner until all measures to find that owner have failed.
- Take the Animal to the Shelter – The animal shelter is often the first place pet owners will look for their lost pets, but the last place where people will take a found animal because they fear the animal will be euthanized. Many shelters will let you shelter the animal if you fill out a found report with a description of the animal, the location you found it, and your contact information.
- Check for ID – Many pets will have ID tags on their collars or a tattoo on the inside of an ear or leg. You may also want to have the animal shelter or a veterinarian search for a microchip embedded under the animal’s skin with identification.
- Go for a Walk – Something that often works well for adult dogs is to put a long leash and secure collar on the dog, then tell him to “Go Home!” Many dogs will be familiar with their own areas and will lead you right to its home. However, don’t release the dog to anyone unless you are sure that you have found the rightful owner(s).
- Look for LOST Signs – Look in a one-mile radius around the area where you found the animal for LOST PET signs. Keep in mind that signs may not appear right away if the owner was on vacation or has a disability, or if the animal was lost relatively recently. Don’t assume there is no owner if you don’t see signs – keep checking for signs whenever you can.
- Make FOUND Signs – Make large, brightly colored FOUND signs with a few descriptive words such as “SMALL BROWN TERRIER” that can be read from far away, along with your contact information or the number of the animal shelter. You may also want to take a picture of the animal for the poster. Then you should put a poster near the spot where you found the animal, as well as a few others nearby where they can be seen by many people. You may also want to consider putting signs at animal shelters, pet supply stores, and animal rescue centers.
- Check Other Sources – Periodically check the “Lost & Found” section in your local paper for an ad about the lost animal–you may also want to place a “Found” ad in this section. You may also want to look on the internet for local lost pet websites, as well as online classifieds like Craigslist.
- Make Sure You’ve Found the Right Owner – If you receive a call from someone claiming to be the owner, have them give you a full, detailed description of the animal. Don’t ask leading questions such as, “Does the dog have a brown spot on its back?” but you could ask something like, “What does the dog’s fur look like?” Leave it to the caller to give you a full description. If you agree to deliver the animal, bring someone else with you and let someone know where you are going.
- If You Cannot Find an Owner – Check with your local animal control for what the legal requirements are for when you’ve found a stray pet. Some cities laws require you surrender the pet to them for a certain number of days to give an owner a chance to reclaim their pet, before they can adopt it to you or anyone else.
If you cannot find an owner, and have checked with your local animal control about the laws, you can decide if you want to adopt the pet yourself, or want to help that pet find a new home. Please read Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Lost Pet Guide for helpful tips!
Ashley Porter is a pet lover who writes about various topics including pet health issues and is the owner of the site Guide to Becoming a Veterinarian Technician.
Jenny-fur, featured pet on MyPetHealthGuide.com
Meet Jenny-fur! She’s a pretty princess of a pup who likes to wear a pink sweater. The now 10-month-old pooch arrived at Bedford, Texas-based Homeward Bound Animal Rescue as a three-month-old puppy after she was surrendered to a local shelter shortly after being purchased at a pet store. The purebred Catahoula Leopard Dog is a medium-sized pup who is spayed and up-to-date on all shots. Jenny-fur has been a good girl while in foster care—she has befriended doggie playmates, loves the water, and has a ton of energy! Thanks to our pet-loving friends at MyPetHealthGuide.com for featuring Jenny-fur and helping homeless pets!
Dogs that sniff out cancer
Last month Time Magazine reported that dogs are being trained and can successfully sniff out lung cancer more reliably than traditional tests currently used by most doctors! A dog’s sense of smell is infinitely better than a humans, some sources say 100 times better, while others report up to 1,000 times better, so it’s no surprise they can smell the cancerous cells, but quite amazing that they can be trained to detect them so accurately. Time Magazine reports: “German researchers report in the European Respiratory Journal that dogs can be trained to detect lung cancer by sniffing human breath. The scientists worked with an admittedly small number of canines — just four, including two German shepherds, a Lab and an Australian shepherd — but the dogs had good success. They were able to suss out cancer in 71 out of 100 breath samples from lung cancer patients, and were able to correctly identify 93% of cancer-free samples, giving them an impressively low rate of false positives. That’s better than the imaging tests that most physicians currently use to detect lung cancer.”
Back in 2006, dogs in labs were shown to be able to successfully sniff out both lung and breast cancer, as you can read about in People Magazine too. You can read the full recent Time Magazine article here: http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/18/a-new-way-to-detect-lung-cancer-dogs-can-sniff-it-out/#ixzz1YQco8S00
Wet Nose Guide featured pet: Chyna!
This week’s featured Adopt-a-Pet.com pet from the Wet Nose Guide is the lovely big girl Chyna in Denver, Colorado. Don’t judge this dog by her size, because she is sweet, quiet, friendly and very mellow. As a St. Bernard/Labrador Retriever mix she has a large and lovable presence. Chyna came to a shelter in the Colorado area when her previous owners learned they were expecting and weren’t able to find room to fit their expanding family. Chyna gets along with children and other dogs, just as long as they don’t try to impose on her bed. She knows her manners, is housebroken, spayed, and up to date with shots – she’s just completely ready to join her new home. She would fit within a home that is looking to complete their family with a furry friend. For more info on Chyna, visit her page on Adopt-A-Pet.com.
For Colorado Dog owners, Wet Nose Guide is now in your area!