Dr. Ian Dunbar's Training Tips

Morris K9 Campus was proud to welcome Dr. Ian Dunbar, celebrated Veterinarian, Animal Behaviorist and Author, to our facility on June 15 and 16. Dr. Ian Dunbar’s workshop and Q&A were fun for both dogs and humans alike. Not only was the event enjoyable, it was also very educational. Dr. Dunbar discussed some crucial information about training your dog. Training is meant to be fun for both of you. It not only can strengthen the bond between dog and owner, it also can be beneficial for your dog to know commands for everyday situations.

One of the major points that Dr. Dunbar mentioned was, “it is okay to give your dogs treats, but you can’t have your dog’s behavior contingent on you having food in your hand.” Essentially, you want your dog to listen to your command the second you tell them to do something, regardless of whether or not you have a treat in your hand. Keep in mind that in order to get to that point in your dogs training, you will need to do a lot of training using treats first. You cannot expect your dog to do exactly what you want without them during your very first training session. 

Another point that Dr. Dunbar made was about dogs that do not eat food when they are being trained. If your dog has issues eating during training and doesn’t seem to be very treat motivated, there are things that you can do in order to get your pooch to eat. Dr. Dunbar’s first advice is to no longer let your dog eat out of a bowl; instead, every time they eat, they should eat out of your hand. He also recommended that you stop using high value treats, such as chicken, and only use kibble when working on training with your dog. If you only train your dog using kibble, the kibble will become a driving force for your dog and commands won’t be reliant on having a high value treat in your hand.  

Training should be fun and beneficial for you and your dog. When done correctly, it can help you in any situation. Training takes time and practice. If you are consistent and work hard, you and your pooch will both see the benefits. For training assistance at your pace, sign up for one of our Levels Training Orientation classes to learn more about how Morris K9 Campus can help you and your pet put Dr. Dunbar's training tips into action. Our training methods follow Dr. Dunbar's philosophies, and we agree, training should be fun! Call us at 973-212-5100 today!

Summer Daycare Parties at Morris K9 Campus

Are you looking for something fun for your pooch to do this summer? Join Morris K9 Campus as we celebrate summer one day every week with our themed daycare parties!  Beginning June 21 through the end of summer, we are hosting doggie daycare parties for your pooch where they will be able to enjoy the day with friends and participate in various activities. As the weather gets warmer, bring your dog to daycare to cool off in our climate controlled facility. Mark your calendars for these special summer daycare days! The schedule and weekly themes are below:

Friday, June 21^st: National Dog Party Day & First Day of Summer

            Your pooch can join us as we celebrate National Dog Day while kicking off the first official day of summer! Your dog will get the opportunity to romp around in a ball pit, use their sniffers to play guess the pail and even participate in a fun game of summer themed musical chairs! Since it’s the first day of summer, your dog will receive a frozen “pupcicle” treat and create their own paw painting masterpiece that they get to take home!

Thursday, June 27: “Field” Day

            Everyone remembers field day in grade school. Now it’s your pooch’s turn to compete to be top dog! Pups will be divided into teams where they will be playing a bunch of field day games. Your dog will take their turn in kick ball, battle in a classic game of tug of war and show off their obedience skills in a variety of relay races. The competition is always friendly here because everyone is a winner at Morris K9 Campus!

Wednesday, July 3: Fourth of July Party

            Your pup can celebrate the fourth of July a day early with us in our dog friendly celebration of Independence Day! This party is the perfect all-American party: we are kicking off the holiday with a cook out, where your dog will feast on hot dog treats  and dog beer! There will be plenty of other activities to keep your pooch busy, from a bubble machine to sprinklers aimed to keep your pooch cool during the summer heat! That’s not all, there is a prize wheel in the lobby for you. Come in and give it a spin to see what goodies you can win to kick of the holiday!

Monday, July 8: Pirate Day

            Argh matey! Have your four-legged friend join us for this day of pirate fun! Your dog will get to do what every pirate is always trying to do: search for some “booty,” while playing a find-the-treat game that helps your pooch use their mind. Once they find their hidden treasure, they will get to “walk the plank” on agility equipment and go for a dip in non-shark infested waters.

Tuesday, July 16: Tricks and Games Day

            Do you have a smart dog that is always doing some crazy trick that makes you laugh? This day is perfect for you pooch! Your dog will work with both an agility instructor and a dog trainer to hone new skills or polish up some old ones. In addition to working on the basics, our instructors will be hosting a slam dunk contest showing off your dog’s new skills as well as working on fun tricks like roll over and crawl!

Friday, July 26: Pool Party

            Are you looking to play hooky and spend the day at the pool? While you are lounging by the pool, drop your dog off for a summer pool party as well! The pools will be out all day so your four-legged friend can take a refreshing dip at their own leisure. And no pool party is complete without a game of dog limbo or a game of beach ball volleyball!

Wednesday, July 31: Mutt Mania: Mutt’s Day

            It’s time for your pooch to strut their mutt! We are celebrating National Mutt Day with a bunch of fun activities for your mixed breed dog.  Your pup with get to try out their skills with an All-American agility contest, and will also get the opportunity to shake their tails with a doggie dance party. Make sure you check out our Facebook page on Mutt Day to play our guess the mutt breed contest to see if you can guess what types of dogs we have in daycare.

Monday, August 5: Picnic Day

            We are going on a picnic and your pooch invited! We are packing up our baskets and headed to play fun picnic games. Your dog will participate in games like badminton and dog Frisbee. As with all picnics, there will be plenty of snacks for your pooch to much on throughout the day.

Wednesday, August 14: Camping Day

            Does your dog want to have s’more fun? Have your pooch come sit around the fire because we are going camping! Your dog will get to enjoy the outdoors with a fun nature hike, and when the pups are tired out everyone will sit around the imitation campfire for a dog sing along as well as roasted doggie s’mores.

Tuesday, August 20: Doodle Day

Calling All Doodles, Poodles, Labs and Golden Retrievers! Your pooch will participate in a “doodle dash,” have fun practicing their soccer skills with “golden goals,” try out the agility jumps while playing “leaping labs” and splash around in the pool doing the “poodle paddle!” This day is designed with our doodle friends in mind, but is great for any dog no matter what breed they are.

Friday, August 30: Fall Back into School

            The summer has flown by so fast; a new school year will begin at last. Your pooch is invited to get back into the school routine with a party fit for studious pups. Your dog will study hard as they learn basic commands with classroom lessons. However, there’s always a room for a little fun! Your pooch will enjoy the day by bobbing for treats and playing with all of their friends as they head back to school. 

Dates are filling up fast, so make sure you make a daycare party reservation for your pet today!  If your dog is not a daycare member, call us today at 973-252-5100 to book your free ½ day evaluation.

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Crate Expectations

So your puppy is doing great. Your pooch is crate trained and is not  having accidents in the house. Now the question is when is it okay to leave your puppy out of the crate when you leave the house or go to sleep? Whether it’s housebreaking, chewing or getting into things, you have to resolve the issue before your dog can roam around your house unsupervised. 

A good rule of thumb is for your pooch to go eight months incident free before letting your dog out of their crate unsupervised.  This means your dog should go an entire eight months without the specific issue. For a dog with housebreaking issues, this means eight months without having an accident in the house. For dogs with a chewing issue, your dog needs to go that period of time without attempting to chew on anything they shouldn’t while under your supervision. Same goes for getting into things; if this is the issue you have with your dog, they need to go that long without attempting to get into things while you are watching them.

The key to successfully having your dog crate-free in your house while you are away is making sure you start with small increments of time. This would entail leaving your dog home alone for no longer than an hour at first, and gradually building up to longer periods of time. Once they grow used to the hour alone, slowly extend the amount of time they are left out of the crate by themselves. At the beginning, your dog should still be confined, even though they are not being crated. This could mean letting them out of the crate, but leaving them in a gated space, such as the kitchen. It’s important to not let your dog have free roam of your entire house right away. Once your pooch has worked their way up to long periods of time in a confined area, you can then begin to give them free reign in other areas of the house. Again, with this transition, you want to start off with small periods of time and work your way back up to longer times. 

When it comes to letting your dog sleep out of the crate, the same eight months free of an accident rule still applies. Remember that you are sleeping, which would allow your dog plenty of time to explore unsupervised. 

While the biggest step in this process requires your dog to behave, you can also help by setting them up for success in their new, more spacious environment. Make sure there are not things around for your dog to easily access. If you had housebreaking issues, make sure your pet goes out before you leave or before you go to bed. If you have a dog that chews, make sure that you have Kongs and chew toys for them to keep their mouths occupied. Always pet-proof your house before you leave by putting away things that could cause problems for your pet, such as garbage and household chemicals. 

Leaving your dog alone is a process, and if your dog has an accident during this process, it’s best to go back to square one. This means if your dog has an accident, you need to return them to the crate the next time you leave, and again at night, until they go another eight months without an accident. Though this can be a long process, it will be worth it so you feel comfortable enough to leave your dog home alone and when you go to bed at night without worrying that they will have an accident. 

We know that life is busy and you may not have the time to go through this process. Morris K9 Campus offers customized puppy housebreaking and training to work around your schedule and help make this training process a little easier.

Dr. Ian Dunbar at Morris K9 Campus

Does your dog do something that you just can’t understand? Are you interested in learning more about dog behavior and how it pertains to your pooch? Join Dr. Ian Dunbar next Saturday night at Morris K9 Campus as he takes a rare opportunity to answer the questions you have about your dog. Dr. Ian Dunbar is a well-known veterinarian and animal behaviorist who has been a pioneer in both puppy socialization and dog training.

Dr. Dunbar graduated with his degree in Veterinary medicine from Royal Veterinary College at London University, and received his doctorate in Animal Behavior from UC Berkley. He also founded the basis for positive dog training and introducing positive methods such as luring, which replaces ineffective punishment methods. These training methods eventually lead to Dr. Dunbar founding the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, known as APDT. The association is aimed at providing dog owners with the tools and resources they need to find dog trainers and advice on raising your dog.

Dr. Dunbar created the world’s first off leash puppy class, a revolutionary approach to the socialization and training of puppies. His innovative puppy class is the basis and foundation for the weekly puppy class offered at Morris K9 Campus.

Saturday June 15^th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm is your chance to ask questions about efficient ways of training your dog. Whether you have specific or general questions, this Q&A session can greatly benefit both you and your dog. We believe that learning effective training methods is so important that we want to invite our blog readers to attend this session for FREE. All you need to do is register online. Register on our website at www.MorrisK9Campus.com, enter the code DUNBAR13 for free registration and join us on Saturday the 15^th ready to ask any and all questions about training your pup! This Q&A session is for humans only.

In addition to the evening question and answer session, Dr. Dunbar will be hosting a Fun and Games Dog Training Workshop on Saturday and Sunday, June 15^th and 16^th. As a part of his east coast seminar tour, this workshop presents a unique opportunity to work side-by-side with your dog and Dr. Dunbar! Visit the event website at www.jamesandkenneth.com for more information and to register.

From his Q&A to his hands-on workshops, these events will be an experience that no pet owner is likely to forget! Take advantage of this unique experience and register now!