Thinking about dog daycare?

Have you been thinking about taking your dog to a dog daycare?  Does your dog already  have a favorite spot? Although it’s not for all dogs, the dogs that enjoy being social and playing with other dogs have a BLAST!  I owned a dog daycare in Madison for seven years – When I started it from scratch there were *maybe* two other daycare’s in the area… Now there are over 20!

We are lucky that Madison is a pretty dog-friendly town.  Having said that, there are a lot of dog daycare’s that are run by well-meaning, dog-loving people… But not dog “savvy” people. Did you know that there have been multiple dog deaths in Madison area daycare over the past year?  Scary but true…  Here are some things to think about (and expect) when taking your dog to daycare:

What to expect from your dog
After a day at dog daycare your dog should come home dog-tired!  When he first starts going to daycare, you can also expect his muscles and paw-pads to be a little sore.  Dogs should not to go daycare every day of the week, but rather every other day, or 2-3 days per week.  It is best to take your dogs to daycare on the same days each week, that way they will most likely be with the same staff, and they will be seeing the same group of dogs (yes, dogs build friendships too!).  Your dog might come home a little dirty (some slobber more than others!), will probably be thirsty and will definitely be tired for a long time!

What to expect from a doggie daycare
A good dog daycare should know your dog by name when they see him. They should know his typical behaviors so well that they are able to notice when something is wrong.  The staff should be skilled in dog language and behavior, as well as dog training.  A good dog daycare should also separate dogs into groups, either by size, age, or play-types.  You should be able to come and visit the daycare during their open hours without making an appointment. You should also be able to watch the dogs playing and how the staff interacts with them. I would recommend no more than 20-ish dogs per playgroup leader.  Anything more than that and even the most alert human is going to miss subtle warning signs – Dogs are lightening fast in their communication!

Not all dogs are right for dog daycare.  Daycare dogs should be extremely dog friendly and people friendly. They need to be non-aggressive and non-possessive. Daycare is not intended to teach your dog socialization skills. This is something they need to work on and have perfected before they enter a daycare situation.  They need to be physically healthy enough to run around all day, and mentally social enough to tolerate all the different personalities and play-types of the different dogs!

Puppies!
Owners with puppies should beware also.  Puppies need a lot of extra attention while at daycare.  They are growing so a daycare should be giving them breaks every hour or so during the day.  A crate break should be around 30 minutes.  Puppies bones and joints are soft and they are still growing and you don’t want them to over-do it (they don’t know when to stop!).  Puppies should *only* be in playgroups with other puppies.  If they are allowed to play with adult dogs they will not learn correct bite inhibition.  The adult dogs are tougher and will allow the puppies to bite harder when they play.  If your puppy bites harder as a puppy, they will have a hard bite when they are an adult.  This causes confusion with other dogs – kind of turns a puppy into a bully!  It is also extremely important for puppies to be managed while playing so they are learning correct and appropriate manners while playing – not biting too hard, not “harassing” other puppies (barking at them, not allowing them to stop playing if they want to, etc.).  Puppy groups should be small and well-managed….

Owners that take their dogs to a good daycare would not change it for the world! They love the enrichment their dog gets and appreciate the relaxing time they get to spend with their dogs at the end of a busy work day!  Be careful though, some daycare’s allow dogs to run around all day in a “free for all”…  Talk to the daycare staff to ensure that they are working with the dogs throughout the day to teach them appropriate manners – Waiting at the door, not barking at other dogs, zooming or playing too rough.  Make sure they have protocol for aggressive dogs and dogs the come in with contagious illnesses (kennel cough, puppy warts, etc.).  Any good daycare owner will take as much time with you as needed – and a *huge* factor for me is that you should be able to SEE your dog in the playgroup, interacting with the staff and other dogs.  Good daycare’s should have nothing to hide…  They should also work with you to make sure your dog is learning good manners while at daycare, not bad manners!  Having owned a daycare for seven years, I have seen the good dogs and the bad.  When I owned my daycare, we specialized in behavior work while the dogs were with us (like every daycare should!).  We were constantly giving them breaks, asking them to wait at the door, making sure they had appropriate friends to play with, small play sizes, etc.  If you are unsure about your daycare, stay for half an hour-or-so when you drop off your dog, so you can see how your dog interacts, how they play, how the staff talks to and treats the other dogs.  See how small the playgroups are and how quickly the staff is to redirect inappropriate behaviors.

You can always talk to me more if you have any dog daycare questions, I love to talk dog!
http://dogfacepet.com/about_giene_keyes.php

Giene Keyes, CPDT-KA

Phone: 608-712-4424

Web Site: http://www.dogfacepet.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/dogfacepet
Behavior Consults – Private Lessons – Awesome Group Classes

They’re watching us!

I had a really fun private lesson with a new client last week. When I arrived, her dog came towards me, barking (yep, used to that!) and I noticed that even though she was talking to him, she was using hand gestures a lot.  I – LOVE – THAT!  Owner’s don’t often realize how visual their dogs are. In fact, I love it when I’m coaching an owner and they tell me, “My dog is so smart, he even knows hand signals!”  I usually smile and nod, and agree with them on how smart their dog is…  But – What they don’t realize is, their dog actually learns hand signals and body-language cues much faster and much more often then they realize!  Our dogs are constantly watching our body language, even when we don’t realize it.  In some of our higher-level classes we do some really fun exercises to proof our dogs, and see how much they watch our bodies – neat stuff!  Anywho… She was giving her dog a lot of hand signals.  I commended her on her calm energy and clear commands to her dog.  Then she said to me – Oh, didn’t my husband tell you?  My dog is deaf. 

To me, it was not a big surprise. A merle colored Great Dane, deaf.  Many breeds have coat colors that if too many of a certain gene are carried, it can affect the health of the dog, they can be born deaf.  It often effects Danes, Border Collies, Aussies, Boxers, Shelties, Pit Bulls. Many breeds are born deaf. She then asked if it was okay, because “the last trainer” they used was going to charge them $150.00 extra because their dog was deaf – What!!??  I couldn’t believe it.  I told them unfortunately they were getting ripped off because, training a deaf dog is no different than training a hearing dog.  In fact, it’s easier. They don’t have all of the distractions that a hearing dog would have – people talking to their dog in sentences, whistles, noises across the street.  Nope, it’s all about clear focus – watching our bodies for cues.  I love it.   Try this exercise, call your dog and then stand straight with both of your hands (holding treats) cupped together near your belly-button. What does your dog do?  Now take a step to the side, what do they do? Try this, call your dog over to you and when they get to you, lay on your back, on the floor. What do they do?  They know, they are masters at listening to us when we’re not talking

Many of my clients are surprised to hear that I usually either whisper, or don’t even talk much to my dogs when we are training.  It creates clear instruction. They watch me, I watch them. I love to communicate with my dogs.  Try it tonight with your dog – I bet you’ll be happy with the result!

The Dog Whisperer

Many friends have asked what the “story” was in meeting Cesar Milan, or in other words – how in the heck did I get to share the stage with The Dog Whisperer!  First off, let me say that I went in to this not being a huge Cesar fan.  There is a lot of controversy around Cesar in the “dog training world”.  There are many that like (wait – LOVE) him, but many trainers that consider themselves positive reinforcement highly dislike him, and they will be sure to let you know!  I feel a little embarrassed to say that I have watched only a few episodes of his show! There are some training techniques that I nod my head yes to, but there are also some that I respectfully disagree with (alpha rolls especially!!).

I do a lot of pro-bono and discounted work for many different shelters and rescue groups in the area.  One of which is Wisconsin Rottweiler Rescue.  When Cesar’s tour comes into a new town his “people” call around to area shelters and rescue groups to find dogs to come to the show. They contacted Rott Rescue, and Rott Rescue contacted me.  I started talking to Cesar’s Assistant about my own dog – I wasn’t sure if they would want to use him because they normally like to use foster dogs.  She said; bring him in to be interviewed, so I did!  Wyatt and I took off for the Overture Center around 2:00pm… Not thinking we would be picked, I didn’t pack any food, water, crate, etc… There were about 10 foster dogs with handlers, all waiting to be “interviewed”.  Cesar’s Assistant told us that Cesar would come in during the dog interviews, but he normally stands back and she works the dogs. Then he goes back to his dressing room and lets her know who he chose.  We all thought it seems pretty strange, like – oh no, don’t look the King in the eye!  So, when he came in, you could feel the tension in the room.  That broke as soon as he started talking to the first person – He was SO nice!  I was very impressed…  He spent time talking to each one of us, petting our dogs, standing for photos, talking about our dogs and their behaviors (why they were there). One woman even got a 10 minute consult from Cesar!  I really thought it was neat, here is a guy that is traveling from town-to-town, he didn’t have anything to gain from chit-chatting with the “help”, but he still did. Very nice, very nice.

Wyatt and I waiting backstage at the Cesar Milan Show, Overture Center, March 2013

So, when it came to be Wyatt’s turn I got out my little laser pointer and let him have at it! Yes, I have an obsessive compulsive Rottweiler – he loves to chase laser lights!  But… the one thing I guess I forgot to mention to Cesar is that he will also stop on command…  Whoops! How did I miss that little tidbit?  Yeah, many friends and clients have come up to me afterwards and have said things like – What? Wyatt out of control?  Or – I didn’t think that Giene would let one of her dogs do something like that…  hehe!!  Okay, what can I say – We were about to go on stage with Cesar Milan in front of 2,500 people!  I basically just let Wyatt do what he loves to do – Chase after the laser light

After all of the dogs were interviewed his Assistant came back into the room and told us that we had been picked! Yay!  I called my husband and said “we’re in!!”  Weee!!!  She even asked us if we needed tickets for friends to watch the show – How awesome is that!  The rescue group also had a block of seats given to them so I called my Mom and she and a friend got to come and watch the show (and bring me and Wyatt dinner!).  We got to sit off to the side of the stage and watch the show, it was great.  Funny, engaging, true.  When it was our turn we got “mic’d up” and went on. Wyatt was reliable (although I’m sure he could smell my Mom in the audience!), and we had a great time. After the show Cesar came back and personally thanked us all and even signed my Mom’s book.

Wyatt and I onstage with Cesar Milan at the Overture Center, March 2013

So – Am I a true Cesar fan now?  Not with all of his methods, but my impression of him as a person has changed completely…  It was a great time and an experience I won’t soon forget.

Okay, I don’t remember what I was telling him… I was probably trying to tell him how to do his job with three children all trying to talk to him at the same time! haha!

Please don’t pee there!

A friend asked me the other day if it was possible to teach your dog to *not* go to the bathroom while on a walk.  My reply was – Absolutely!  Why not?  You teach a dog not go to the bathroom in a house, not to go to the bathroom while walking down the hall of a building… Many people that live in apartments teach their dogs to potty in a litter box. People that live in the city teach their dogs to not potty while they are walking down the street until they have reached a certain area.

My sister has taught her dogs “go to tree”. Which means, when they are on a walk she has them potty *before* they leave their yard. About half-way through their walk she allows them to go to a tree and sniff and pee if they want to. But, the entire other portion of their walk they are not allowed to sniff and pee. Plus, many people can get upset if someone allows their dog to pee on their yard!!

So, long answer short – Yes, you can absolutely teach your dog to not sniff and/or go to the bathroom while on a walk. Think back to when you were first teaching your dog to walk nicely on leash.  You took treats on your walk, you were encouraging.  You probably asked for a lot of attention from your dog.  These will all help teach your dog that your walks are for exercise, not for marking each tree that comes along!  I would hope it goes without saying, but be sure to allow your dog to “empty” him or herself before you start your walk.   

By the way, personally I don’t mind if my own dogs potty while on a walk, I figure its part of being a dog on an enjoyable walk, but that’s just me…  What I do is allow them to walk on a loose-leash for half of the walk and walk at a close “heel” for the other half. What we usually do is start off in heel position, to start our walk off with nice attention.  I talk to my dog, freely give treats when they are walking nicely, encourage them to stay at my side. They have to wait at the curb and heel across the street. When we cross and are starting a new block I make it very clear to them when they can have a free leash.  I stop, ask them to sit. As soon as they do I say “Free!” and then can roam around sniff, potty, etc. They still can’t pull, but they can do doggie stuff.  Then when we reach the end of the block they have to come back to me in heel position and wait to cross the street.  I alternate blocks – heeling one block, free leash next block, etc. 

Hope this helps make your sniffing and non-sniffing walks easier!

Becoming a great teacher

I always get excited a few days before a new round of classes start.  It’s like I get to start a new chapter every 8 weeks – start from scratch!  I especially love it when I see all types of different breeds, ages and sizes that are going to be in class.  I guess it’s part of the fun of being a teacher – You have all of these great possibilities of helping people!  New dog owners to me are like sponges…  There is so much new information about positive reinforcement dog training in the past 20 years – Heck, even in the past year!  My passion is helping owners understand their dogs better.  If you can understand where your dog is coming from, how your dog thinks, then you can really overcome any training hurdles!  Our dogs WANT to work with us, they really seem to enjoy learning… As long as we are doing a good job communicating with them.  Just like kids – Have you ever seen a child that isn’t doing well in school until they get that one teacher that really connects with them?  They blossom, they excel, they become engaged, they become a child that *wants* to do well.  That’s how I see dogs and families…  It’s my job to teach the families how to be that great teacher.  Man, I love my job!!

Buster’s much better…

So, Buster was able to come home last Saturday morning.  My Mom and Dad picked him up from the vet.  Poor guy!  He had that “vet” smell..  His stomach was all shaved and he looked pretty pitiful.  He came home and promptly made himself comfortable on the bed, he’s a comfy Muffin!

Up until today, he has been taking 5 pills, twice a day.  Now he’s down to 3 pills twice a day for another week.  I’ve been taking him outside on leash each time he has to go.  Of course I don’t want him to wander or run when he has stitches, but I especially don’t want him to eat grass!

It’s amazing how quickly dogs, animals in general, recover from surgery.  He had major surgery, opening him up, and opening up his stomach.  He had no trouble walking, or being excited.  I wonder if it’s because dogs don’t really have the “poor me” attitude?  Buster has been a little more tired the past few days, but other than that (and the shaved stomach!) you really wouldn’t know that he had surgery!  Of course, he’s pretty tough…

I have been a little worried about his bathroom habits though.  I’m guessing that his stomach muscles are not up to par yet, and it might hurt him a little to go to the bathroom.  So, I’ve been concerned…  I found out today that I might have the best husband in the world – He called me today just to let me know that Buster went #2 – ha-ha!!  He knows me too well!

In talking to the vet I found out that the grass that Buster ate wasn’t just regular lawn grass, it was that more stalky-type grass that you find in a field.  We have fields and alfalfa in our yard.  Dr. Voss made a guess that Buster initially ate a dead animal or something that smelled really good.  He said that he probably ate a bunch of that long, thick grass that was around it. Well, the dead animal made its way through his stomach, but the grass did not.  It wound itself into a large ball and just wasn’t going anywhere.  So, it was a good thing that we took him in!

Buster’s not feeling well

My sweet little Muffin!

Buster Update:

So, Buster had to spend the night at the vet last night.  He started not feeling well on Wednesday.  He wasn’t eating.  I wasn’t too worried because Buster will do that sometimes.  He’ll “fast” himself.  Usually lasts for a day, sometimes two.  But then Wednesday night he started throwing up.  He probably threw up about 15 times through the night!  Mostly grass, and some bread that I had given him.  It worried me a little because it was so dark, and I wasn’t used to seeing it that dark.  No blood though.  So, I figured I’d take him in that day, which was Thursday.  But – He seemed to bounce back because all day Thursday he was totally fine!  Perky, good energy, wanted to play ball and run around.  Still not eating though…  So, I decided to keep him home and watch him. Well, same thing happened; he threw up all night again!  Not as many times though, maybe five.  Then in the morning, fine again!  He tried to eat a little bit of his breakfast because I switched it to his favorite food (Fromm Surf & Turf).  He ate a bit, but basically let it fall out of his mouth.  Poor Buster… But, he wasn’t throwing up anymore. So, same story, kept him home…  Then he threw up in the afternoon, I said -That’s it!  I took him in to see Dr. Smith at the Animal Hospital of Verona.  They were so nice to work me in because it was later in the day.  He looked at Buster and felt around.  Although he wasn’t uncomfortable, Dr. Smith said that he didn’t like the way his abdomen felt.  He said that Buster didn’t feel too bad, but that he was l a little “tense” when he was feeling around.  Did I mention I love Dr. Smith? J

So, he suggested keeping my handsome man overnight and doing x-rays to see what they could find.  That’s the first time I had to leave one of my animals at a hospital overnight.  You can imagine I was a mess.  Complied by the fact that at this point they didn’t know what was wrong with him.  I tried calling my husband but had to hang up because I couldn’t even talk on the phone, I was crying so much… Cried at the vet, cried on the way home, cried during the evening.  Buster’s my boy!  He’s going to be 11 next month.  Each year they get older you worry a little more and a little more…  Poor Buster.  I’m also a Mommy so I worry about everything!  Is he scared, is he comfortable, is he laying there howling?  I wasn’t expecting to leave him there overnight so I wasn’t prepared.  So, I left the light sweater I was wearing for him… At least he’d have something that smelled like home.  Poor Muffin!

Dr. Smith called me later that evening from his cell phone (did I mention he can never retire?)…  He said that they did the x-rays and his stomach looked very “full”, which of course couldn’t be food because he hadn’t eaten in 3 days!  So, it was full of something, but they couldn’t tell exactly what from the x-rays.  Surgery was scheduled for Friday, today.  He reassured me that B-Man was doing well, comfortable and relaxing. 

This morning he called me to let me know that they were going to do surgery.  He’s been in such amazing contact with me the entire time…  I’m a terrified doggie Mommy, so communication is VERY much appreciated!  My mind has been racing today, with everything going on with Buster. Then, all of the other things that happen in a day – We’re having a Chamber After Five event at Dog Face, so I’ve been getting ready for that.  Worried about my kids schedules for the evening, wondering how things are going with my husband and baby, they’re at my Parents’ house working on remodeling their bathroom.  One thing after another!

I got a call from Dr. Smith just recently.  They are just finishing up with Buster’s surgery.   I’ve been wondering what they’ll find…  Did he eat some dead animal on our property, underwear, dirty towel?  I have no idea!  Buster is not the type of dog to eat something he’s not supposed to.  He’s been a good boy his entire life, even when he was a puppy he was so good.  Once Buster stole a loaf of bread off of the countertop when he thought no one was home. Ryan was home but Buster didn’t realize it.  Ryan said that he wouldn’t have believed it if he didn’t see it for himself!  I actually had to laugh when I heard about it though, because it is so out of character for him!  I blame Maggie, I’m sure she taught him how to do it J  So, I had NO idea what they would find when they opened him up.  Guess what – Grass!  He said that they found a huge ball of grass rolled together.  He said it was really wound up tight.  He also said that it’s good that we brought him in because something like that would not have resolved itself.  Phew! My poor Muffin Man!  He also said that everything during surgery went very well.  They’re going to call me later today to let me know how he’s recovering, but I still probably won’t be able to pick him up until tomorrow.  Well, now I can relax a little…  I’m still worried that he’s afraid because he doesn’t know what’s going on, but at least we know that he’s okay…    I’ll be very happy tomorrow evening when I can snuggle with my Grandmaster B!!