Dog food allergies–Canidae

Since I posted about switching Vance to Canidae to prevent his dog food allergies, I’ve gotten a couple of emails from people wondering if my recommendation is genuine or if I’m getting paid.

It’s 100% genuine. Honest. But, I’d actually rather you *didn’t* take my word for it this time. Instead, talk to your vet and find out what he/she thinks about Canidae for dog food allergies. The two of you can talk about the artificial stuff they pack into dog food these days, and the low quality of protein they often use in some brands. Ask your vet about the rise in dog food allergies and sensitivities that manifest in everything from skin allergies, hot spots, and itchy muzzles. You can even take in the nutritional information on Canidae to get your vet’s input on the quality of the food.

When it comes to health, both ours and our dogs, I think it’s really important to trust our bodies and our doctors and not just some information we’ve found on the internet.

Yes, Vance loves Canidae and it’s made a big difference in his dog food allergies. His ears are healthy now that we’ve switched and his coat has never looked better. If your dog has dog food allergies, too, talk with your vet about your options, and make sure to ask about Canidae.

Successful advanced dog training

I got several emailed questions from readers after I mentioned Vance’s great behavior off leash. Readers Sarah and Pam wanted to know how I’d been so successful with the advanced dog training level and Nate and Rachel asked what the first step in off leash training was.

If you’re ready to step up to advanced dog training, with Vance our first step was the long lead–that way, we knew that he’d be safe and couldn’t run off, but we could get really far away from him.

Then, it’s important to train a rock-solid recall. Your dog should always come when called, no matter the circumstances. For us, that required lots of treats and lots of practice in different situations. We started in the backyard, then moved to the front yard (which is unfenced and has lots of squirrel visitors). Then, we went to a local park during a time when there weren’t a lot of other people there. Then, we went back to the same park on a Saturday. And finally, we went to the local dog park.

At each location, we practiced the come command until Vance dropped whatever he was doing to come running. It didn’t hurt that we were using his absolute favorite dog treats, but we also kept a tennis ball at our feet which helps catch his attention in an instant. Use whatever your dog is most attentive to and lots of rewards.

Now, Vance comes when called at the dog park even when he’s playing with his favorite pals. I’ve been asked more than once if I’m a dog trainer, but the truth is, I just relied on this book. It made things really easy.

So, that’s the most important step in advanced dog training–training a rock solid recall–and how to do it. How likely is your dog to come when called?

How to housebreak a dog

Our neighbors just adopted an adorable rescue terrier. She’s such a cutie, and Vance is already smitten. (He sits at the fence, waiting for her all day, and when she finally comes outside, he runs to the back door to make sure that I know “She’s out! She’s out! Let’s play with her!”) The vet thinks she’s probably five or six, but she’s always been an outdoor dog (and sadly, seems to have been pretty badly neglected), so she’s not housebroken.

Ick! It’s driving them a little crazy. Fortunately, she’s a fast learner, and I’m sure they’ll have her housebroken in no time. But, in the meantime, I wanted to share how we got Vance housebroken in just three days and he never again had an accident inside the house.

Granted, I work from home, so this was a lot easier for us with a puppy–if you have a puppy and work outside the home, you’re going to come home to accidents. Puppies simply can’t “hold it” until they’re a certain age (what age that is depends on their breed–small dogs take longer than big dogs) so if you can’t let the puppy out every hour or two, don’t scold. Just prepare the area for those accidents, and help your puppy do the best he can.

If you have an older dog or you can let the dog out every hour, housebreaking is really easy (and tedious). Simply set a timer and every hour, on the hour, outside the two of you go. Go together so that you can go crazy with the cookies and the love every time your dog goes outside. Also, take the dog outside when:

• He gets a drink of water (about 5-10 minutes later, outside you go)
• He eats a meal (immediately, and just hang out outside together until you discover how long it takes–with Vance, he always wants to go out within 30 seconds of finishing his dinner)
• He finishes playing
• He wakes up from a nap
• He asks to go out (even if he’s just bored, take him outside, you want to reward the asking)
• He starts sniffing for a place to go
• He’s already starting to go to the bathroom, and you see him. Say a sharp No! which usually stops a dog in his tracks, then carry him straight outside. No hitting, no yelling, just a “hey, that’s not where we do that, buddy” and move right on with your day. Resist the urge to glare as you mop up.

By following this play, you’ll housebreak a dog very quickly. You’ll also spend more than half of your life taking the dog outside or being outside with the dog. But, trust me, this phase only lasts a week or two and in no time, you’ll have a housebroken dog and you’ll only have to let the dog out every few hours.