Kids and Dogs

Dogs and children both require a lot of attention, so when they interact with each other, sometimes things can get complicated. If you follow a very simple checklist, you can prevent dangerous situations and your pets and kids can get along well. Keep in mind that this list is aimed at older kids about three years and up:

Kids and Dogs’ Checklist:

• Establish ground rules before the two interact for the first time. Lay out the rules for your child as clearly as possible and make sure they agree to follow them.

• It’s critical to teach your child the right way to approach and interact with your dog. Teach them to pet the dog on their chest and cheeks, rather than hitting the dog on the top of the head. 

• Protect your dog and make sure they feel safe while your child is interacting with them. If your puppy feels unsafe, they may be forced to protect themselves which can be risky for your child. You can help prevent this by monitoring interactions between the two and stopping your child from doing things like pulling on your dog’s ears or tail. 

• Do not allow rambunctious play between your child and dog, even if it sounds like they are both having fun. Running around and screaming can be too much for your dog and over stimulation can cause your puppy to act improper with your child.

• Educate your child on how to properly play with your dog with games like hide and seek, fetch and catch. These can all be great games if properly played and supervised. 

• It’s important to teach your kids to never approach a stranger’s dog without permission from both you and the dog’s owner. Not all dogs are friendly, and even a friendly dog can be scared by an overexcited child.

• Get your children involved in the training of your dog. This is a great way to build a confident relationship between the two. Keep in mind that you should be monitoring all types of training that your child does with your dog, as kids tend to go to extremes with their commands and it can end up having an adverse effect on your pooch.

• Children and puppies should never be unsupervised at any point, period.  

Children and dogs can have a great relationship if it is handled properly. Make sure to always supervise your child and your dog to prevent any incidents. Getting your children involved in the training of your dog teaches them responsibility and can greatly improve their relationship. Morris K9 Campus offers a “Kids Training Dogs” Workshop, where you can oversee your child as the one in charge of training your pooch. Visit or call (973) 252-5100 to sign your kid and your pooch up today!

Road Trip - Helping Your Anxious Dog in the Car

So you want to get outside with your dog? There are so many options for outdoor fun as the weather warms up, but the problem may be that you have a dog that doesn’t enjoy car rides. Getting there is certainly NOT half the fun if your dog shows signs of stress, barks out the window or even vomits. Working to solve your dog’s issues in the car can be beneficial to both you and your pooch.
 

Try to determine what it is about the car that is causing your dog’s stress. Though you may never know what the exact issue is, there are always methods of improving the car ride. Some dogs will do better riding in crates, some can do better in a fixed position with a dog seat belt, and some might even need a frozen Kong in the car in order to keep the visual stimulus down. You can experiment to find out what works best for your furry family member before taking your dog on longer trips.

Start by getting your dog used to the car. Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, there are steps that you can take to help them adjust. If you have a puppy that is in its socialization window, which is before 20 weeks, it’s important to get your dog in the car as much as possible. Bring your puppy with you when making short trips. If you are running to the bank or picking your kids up from school, take them with you on these trips to get them used to the car. With puppies, you have the added benefit of adding different environments to your “socialization checklist” when bringing your dog in the car to run quick errands. Every place you bring them is a new environment that will help increase their confidence outside the home.

This process can be slightly different when dealing with adult dogs. For dogs that are afraid of the car, short trips as simple as driving around the block are key. Just once around the block and heading back home can help your dog better adjust to the car. It’s also important to end the short car trip with something that your dog loves, like a long walk. This method can also work for a dog that gets an upset stomach when riding in the car. The idea is to keep the ride short, and again end it with something that your dog goes crazy for, like a walk. This needs to be continued until your pet seems “over it,” and then you can begin starting longer trips with your dog. This process can be done with any dog that is having any type of problem in the car.
 

If your dog is clearly stressed out in the car, the best thing you can do is work on it over time. However, if you are looking for other things to help, they could benefit from the following:

• A Crate: Crates are a great tool for the car and can take some of the stimulus away that could be causing your dog‘s stress, like movement or sounds out the window. They can also serve as a safety measure; keeping your dog in a crate or in a single position through the use of a seat belt can help reduce risk of injury should you have an accident or even just need to slam on your breaks.

• Rescue Remedy: There are pheromone sprays similar to ones that a mother dog would naturally produce in order to help calm her puppies. These “Rescue Remedies” can be sprayed in your car in order to help your pooch calm down. Remember that it’s not a cure, but it can help your dog quite a bit.

• Thundershirt: The thundershirt is designed to help calm your dog by making them feel more secure. It’s important to first put the thundershirt a few weeks prior during feeding times and other random “good” times. You don’t want to just use the shirt as a way to calm your dog down. If you only put the shirt on the dog when they are going in the car, they will begin to associate the shirt with the car, which could hamper its effectiveness.

If your dog vomits in the car, there are steps that you can take in order to prepare them for the car ride. Don’t feed them before they go for a car ride, and make sure they aren’t consuming a large quantity of water before getting in the car. Keep a cleaning agent with you just in case, and remember that it is easier to clean up if your dog is in a crate.

With the weather heating up, it’s keep in mind your dogs safety when being left alone in a hot car. A car’s interior heats up very quickly, even in lukewarm weather and with the windows down. If it’s 70 degrees or hotter outside, it is definitely too hot to leave your dog in the car alone, even for a short period of time.

Remember to address the issues that your dog has in the car before your drive. You should never address an issue while you are driving; not only does it put you and your dog in danger, it also endangers other people on the road. By addressing your dog’s fears and stress prior to the trip, you can help improve the car ride for yourself and your dog, and move on to enjoying outdoor activities together.

ALLIE ADVANCES IN PET TRAINING AND TRIES AGILITY!

This week Allie participated in our daytime Level Training classes! Allie began in Level 1 group training where she began with basic attention skills. These key skills are very important for Allie. Commands that are taught in Level 1 include 'sit', 'down', and name recognition. She picked up these skills so fast, she was able to be quickly moved up to Level 2! In Level 2 we continue with her loose leash walking, she is picking up stay very well, and her 'come' is fantastic!

We also introduced Allie to agility! She loved the tunnel as you can see from the video! We think she would be a great agility dog!

Allie is up for adoption through Eleventh Hour. Please call 973-664-0865 or visit Eleventh Hour's website for more information about her.

MEET ALLIE POINTER

Inspired by Ginger, a Catahoula Leopard Dog who successfully went through a month long weight-loss challenge at our sister company (Morris Animal Inn), we decided it was our time at Morris K9 Campus to give back and improve the adoption chances of an already awesome rescue dog. Meet Allie, a young Pointer mix, currently up for adoption by Eleventh Hour Rescue.

Allie Pointer, as they call her, is a two-and-a-half years old. She was dropped off at a shelter in Tennessee with her six puppies, but it didn't take long for Eleventh Hour Rescue to pick her up and bring her to New Jersey. Since she made the journey, she has been in a foster home arranged by Eleventh Hour for the past two months. Allie is still looking for place she can call her forever home. 

From what we can see so far, Allie is a spunky, friendly, happy dog, but there are a few training areas that could use a little fine tuning to help Allie become an even better pet. That's where the Morris K9 Campus Boot Camp program is helpful. The program itself is a training service that runs for a month, Monday through Thursday, where the pooch receives personal attention from our dog trainer and support staff. The program is designed to implement and train important life skills that transforms an already great dog, into an outstanding one. Life skills can include anything from recalls (i.e. come), to loose leash walking, no jumping, sit quietly for petting. The goal is for the owner to pick two to three behaviors that they think their dog could use a little extra help on and we work to reinforce that behavior. The consistency of the program contributes to each dogs success.

With Allie, we noticed she needs to learn how to walk loosely on a leash. On her first day, she was fitted for a no pull SENSE-action harness  and began working on skills that would improve her on-leash habits. According to her foster mom, within the first day, her on-leash behavior had greatly improved. Her foster mom took her for a nice long walk on the 4th of July and said not only did Allie enjoy it thoroughly; she didn't pull her on their walk!

When Allie isn't polishing up her social skills, she enjoys fun romps with the other dogs at Morris K9 Campus, a benefit to almost any dog in Boot Camp; they get to spend quality time with other dogs that love to play. Allie is an outgoing pooch and loves to chase after toys!

With over three weeks left to go, Allie is sure to make improvements that will make her an even better companion, after all, who wouldn't want an already trained dog? We’ll let Allie take it from here to let you know how her Boot Camp sessions are going.

FLYING DISC CHAMPS OF THE NORTHEAST!

Alisa and her dog, Brandy.

It's not easy being the best. But that's exactly what Alisa Vargas and her pal and freestyle teammate Brandy, have been titled. After competing in the Northeast Skyhoundz Expert Freestyle Championship, Alisa and Brandy, her Border Collie, won the biggest regional event for flying disc in the northeast. Dazzling and amazing judges with their flying disc prowess and astounding teamwork, they took home first place and are considered the best freestyle team from Maine to Virginia!! That's quite a feat!

At Morris K9 Campus, you can truly learn from the best! Whether you want to compete or just have fun with your dog in the backyard, flying disc is an excellent sport that will strengthen the bond between you and your canine. Now is your chance to sign up for a seminar with our talented Flying Disc Instructor Alisa who is teaching two seminars this Sunday.

Intro to Flying Disc
Sunday, 7/1/12, 10AM - 12PM

Advanced Flying Disc: Toss, Fetch and Intro to Freestyle.
Sunday, 7/1/12, 1PM - 3PM
For more information and to sign up for a class with Alisa click here.


Check out the video below to see Alisa and Brandy in action! You will be blown away!

NAUGHTY DOG FACEBOOK PHOTO CONTEST!

Announcing the Morris K9 Campus Naughty Dog Facebook Photo Contest!!

Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Now's the time to do it! You could win a $25 gas gift card!

Instructions:

1. Like us on Facebook.

2. Submit a Naughty Dog Photo to our contest. You can SUBMIT as many photos as you would like until noon (Eastern time) June 30, 2012.

3. If your picture receives the most likes on our Facebook page, you win the prize!! Voting ends noon, July 11, 2012 so make sure to get all of your friends to like your picture from now until 7/11/12! (Winner will be contacted via e-mail).

Summer vacation is around the corner so enter our contest to win a gas gift card and help pay your mileage for those upcoming getaways!!

DOG-SPIRATION ON PINTEREST!

Have you checked us out on Pinterest yet? Pinterest connects everyone in the world through shared interests. You can find common links among other people on Pinterest. We at Morris K9 Campus are having a blast posting about our canine friends!


Having a rough day and you need a laugh or just something cute to look at? Looking for more training tips? Need some agility inspiration? Take a look at all of our boards on Pinterest and see what we've been pinning! Make sure to follow us! You are bound to find something good!

http://pinterest.com/morrisk9campus/

HOW DOGS CAN LEARN TO ADJUST THEIR PLAY STYLE

Dogs have different ways of playing and interacting with each other. Stereotypically, you could say that sporting breeds and retrievers have fun-loving, physical rowdy play styles or that the Terrier breed(s) vary in so many ways that you need to evaluate each breed for suitability in playing with other dogs. Though it can be easy to generalize a dog's play style by breed, what is most important is the dog's ability to adjust their play style to meet the needs of another dog. This can be key in determining how successful he or she might be in playing with other dogs.

For example, say we have a puppy named Fido. Fido is a rowdy, happy and confident five-month old Labrador Retriever puppy. Fido enjoys playing with other dogs by slamming into them at high speed, and wrestling (all normal puppy play behavior!) So how does daycare teach Fido to adjust his play style?

Let's say that in daycare today Fido decided to try to play with an adolescent dog named Spot. Spot is a one-year old mix breed dog who has been coming to daycare for six months and still very much loves to wrestle and body slam his friends. When Fido solicits play from Spot by play bowing, off they go! Both take turns wrestling and pinning each other on the floor playfully. Their play styles are very balanced, wiggly and well-matched. Fido has learned that Spot likes to play the same way as he does so Fido does not have to change his behavior to do so.

But Fido now decides he wants to play with another adult dog named Bowser. Bowser, a four-year old German Shepherd, has been coming to daycare for three years. Bowser loves the company of other dogs but would rather bounce around, run, or tug than have physical body contact with other dogs. Fido tries to get Bowser to play, by bowing, like he did with Spot, but it doesn’t work this time. Fido then decides to try barking in Bowser's face which not only doesn’t work because Bowser has turned in the opposite direction of Fido, but also involves the daycare attendant redirecting the puppy away from the adult dog so the barking stops. Fido has now learned that play bowing and barking doesn’t get this adult dog's attention. Fido's final try is to pick up a tug toy and show it to Bowser in a wiggly and excited manner. Bowser picks up the other end of the toy and off they go tugging and playing successfully for the next few minutes.

What’s the moral of the story?

Fido learned that in order to get what he wants, (play), he has to adjust his style based on the dog he plays with. Through consistent practice or by coming to daycare on a regular basis, Fido can take these experiences and apply them to any real world interactions with dogs he may encounter.

For good measure here is a video of what well-balanced play looks like. Both dogs have a physical, rough style of playing. They also both take turns being on the bottom and on top. And their bodies themselves, offer exaggerated movement with a loose and wiggly posture.

BEST OF THE BEST!

Special thanks are in order! We couldn't have done it without you! You spoke, or rather, voted, and they listened! This week, Morris K9 Campus was voted as the BEST PET CARE facility in the Randolph/Roxbury area for the Daily Record's BEST OF THE BEST 2012 READER'S CHOICE AWARDS! Thank you to everyone who voted!

We strive to meet our pet owners expectations and are always looking for more ways to increase options to meet your needs. That's why we are now offering 2 new daycare options; Play and Train and Train and Fitness which are available Monday through Friday.

PLAY AND TRAIN

This option allows your dog to play the day away while also teaching and reinforcing new commands and obedience skills. This option is great for families that have limited time to practice training exercises with their pet or for dogs that have taken pet training classes here or the equivalent at another school and need help reinforcing behaviors. Your canine companion will enjoy all the fun play of regular daycare with the added benefit of reinforced training which means you get to take home a better-behaved dog!

TRAIN AND FITNESS

This daytime training selection is perfect for dogs that aren't necessarily appropriate for daycare but need an exercise outlet and reinforcement of training. Your dog's cardio sessions can include a treadmill session, ball time, individual play time or group play. In addition, your pal will receive reinforcement of commands and obedience skills. Your pet will get fit and become better behaved, all in a day's work!

To learn more about our new daycare options call us at 973-252-5100!

We hope to keep providing you with the best of the best!